Whatever Remains Of Us In The End

by Brandon Baker

Lee knew of the old Maxim place, of course. Everyone in Lincolnshire had. Plagued by superstitious rumors, the woods surrounding the home were supposedly haunted, and the house itself inhabited by a witch; but he never believed the rumors. However, after a home invasion plot gone horribly wrong, Lee finds himself on a mission to uncover the secrets of the Maxim home and learns that there might be something more to the rumors after all. Whatever Remains Of Us In The End is a dark, bloody, and emotional supernatural thriller, and is the first full length novella from author Brandon Baker.

Genres: Horror, Novella, Queer, LGBT, Thriller, Horror Thriller, Fiction

132 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2023

About the author

So far, I've only authored two books: The Endless and Other Stories and Whatever Remains Of Us In The End. The other books that are showing on my author profile are not written by me. Just a heads up haha

Reviews

[Brandon Baker]

Just like with my other lil book, I will not be checking these reviews now that the majority of my ARC readers have given their feedback.

A request though: please do not attack/argue with people if they leave a negative review. I can understand where you might be coming from, but negative reviews are great! If someone doesn’t like it, I would prefer they express their thoughts and dissuade other reviewers who might not enjoy my book. Just like content creating, I’m writing/putting out books for fun- I know my content isn’t going to be for everyone, just like my book will not be for everyone.

So, for me, please respect other reviewers space+opinions. Thank you all!

[Peter Topside · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I’m going to start with my critiques here…I think that the author tried to fit way too many things into such a short story. And this also needed to be edited quite a bit futher, both from content and copy edit positions. It was seeing lines that said things like Lee was shot in the arm, which fractured his femur (Thigh bone) that left me a bit confused. And repeat verbiage and even a few formatting issues just kept distracting me. And the pacing was all over the place, too. It was very slow for the first half, then a nonstop sensory assault for the latter half. The content wasn’t bad at all, but there just needed to be a lot more development and fine tuning here to make it all work the way the author intended on it being put across to readers. Lee was a good character to follow, and we watch him from his current unsavory lifestyle and his scumbag associates, to being given a second chance at a more meaningful and important role with Claudine. So the character arc was there and made total sense, but it was just weighed down by all of the imperfections of the story. And, especially with the open ending, there was no reason to jam so much into a single book. The book should have been much longer with a definitive finale, or Brandon Baker needed to save some of the plot for the subsequent book in this possible series. But the effort was there and it was an ok experience, but had more working against it than in its favor.

[Sadie Hartmann]

Review soon! Patreon/Goodreads/Amazon

[Madison Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me on the edge of my seat. Such an incredible and creepy read

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandon Baker's newest horror thriller is sure to set your blood ablaze. This book also might make you stare too long at the shadows in the corner of the room just to make sure they aren't moving

It goes without saying that Baker understands and knows the horror genre through and through. (If you don't believe me go follow them @baker.reads)! This book has a little bit for everybody! At its core, I found myself sucked in like a thriller novel. I was racing to the climax of the novel and needed to find out how the story would resolve. It's such a good storyline and you truly are rooting for the characters in this novel even if they don't always make the right choice initially. But not only is it a thriller the horror aspects - move this story to the next level.

Baker gave me the ICK several times, and honestly kudos on that, because the body horror was gross (aka great). Body horror, gore, and buckets of blood abound in this book. Throw in a supernatural entity that blends beautifully with the rest of the story and you'll see exactly what I mean when I say - this novella was great!!

Stop right now - and GO BUY THIS BOOK! You'll thank me later and then probably have a few nightmares too!

TW - Thank you to Brandon for including the trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel!

Thank you also to Brandon for sending me a copy of this book!

[Kirsten Craig (TheSpineOfMotherhood) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandon does it again with a truly awesome, deliciously creepy horror read!

What I loved about this novella:
-Vibrant characters that I immediately became invested in
-A plot that feels comfortable but is written in an entirely unique way
-Action packed! I was seriously hooked from the beginning of this story.
-Paranormal and thriller elements with a fantastically violent sprinkling
-Just overall such a fun read!

Add it to your list!

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baker offers us a tale of the supernatural meeting grief and gang violence and it does not disappoint. Whatever Remains Of Us In The End is both brutal and gruesome (tiptoeing toward an almost splatterpunk vibe here, do take the warnings seriously).

The story never drags its feet, it takes off like a gun and just keeps going until the very end.

[Escapereality4now · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded from 3.5 stars
The atmosphere in this book was on point. The author was able to create an eerie atmosphere. The details were so well written that I saw myself in the setting.

This novella was a mixture of action and horror. The pacing was pretty quick from the beginning until the end. Body horror and gore were sprinkled into the novella.

The characters were fun but lacked enough development. I got attached to these characters but wanted to know a little more about them, especially the witch. The ending also felt a bit rushed. There was a bit of everything: haunted house, witch, gore, supernatural entity and violence. This easily could have been a full-length book.

[Hannah (hngisreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intense, quick read. Once I started I couldn’t stop! A very unique premise that at times feels a bit silly but overall an engaging read.

[Kathy Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some of the best, detailed imagery I have ever read! Seriously! The descriptions were written so well I could picture everything happening in my head just like a movie! The only thing I didn't really like was all the "action" sequences. I wanted more like a horror, spooky, supernatural feel overall and at times I felt it strayed a little away from the horror element. Like a gang, shoot out, action movie....not horror. But other than that, it was an interesting story for sure!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever Remains of Us In the End was the first of several books I was reading that dealt with addiction. It might have been my weird mood reading sense and I just pulled those books to me. Addiction of any kind has always been pretty uncomfortable for me to read about and sometimes it’s hard to not lecture the characters in my head. With that being said, I adored the main character, Lee, in this book. Although he suffered from addiction and sometimes that lead him down shady rabbit holes, he’s endearing, kind and a wonderful friend.

The friendship between Lee and his old high school bully, Ethan was my favorite in the book. I understand that addiction causes strange alliances, but this didn’t feel like that. It felt genuine. Lee and Ethan were best friends first, addicts second.

The story was mixed with supernatural/black magic and organized crime. The bad guys weren’t necessarily who you would think. But really it was a character driven novella about friendships new and old and coming to terms with loss. My first read by Brandon Baker, but won’t be my last.

[Aemie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is… wow! 💯

Whatever Remains Of Us In The End by Brandon Baker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another 5 star read for me! I love this book because first, this is a quick read. And second, the descriptions and imagery on this is amazingly written — every bloody, gory detail!🩸

Reding this book felt like I was watching a Supernatural episode. I kept picturing Lee as Jared Padalecki. 🫣😂

The only thing I hate about it is how short it is. I NEED A SEQUEL!!! Maybe along the lines of Tristan being something like the twins and helping them protect the manor lol

Overall, definitely a good read! 📚

[Kaitlyn]

I read this in one sitting. I was so captivating and the suspense and action made it hard to put down.

This book seemed to go beyond horror and bring in elements of fantasy in order to comment on grief, guilt and loss, which I absolutely adored.

Baker managed to build strong relationships between characters in a short amount of time, which is quite impressive. Sometimes in horror, characters fall short of their potential and that didn’t happen here.

Speaking of, I am a Claudine stan for life. Would love to see more stories with her character. A prequel perhaps? 🤔

[David James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoy following the author on TikTok — but this book just didn’t do it for me.

Similar to how I felt in my review for The Visitor last year, I struggle with self-published books. As an editor, it’s hard for me to brush past consistent repetitive language, passive voice, and grammatical errors.

Story-wise, I didn’t know how to feel. There were some really fun moments — the gore was beautifully detailed and made me wince. But everything else just kinda happened in service of the plot and a gory, tower-defense-esque final battle.

It’s especially hard for me to believe that the protagonist was special enough to warrant what happens in the climax — I unfortunately didn’t buy anything that happened with the entity (its powers, why it ignored Claudine’s grief and chose to bind with Lee’s, or what it’s even doing there in the first place). This story could benefit from more foreshadowing and depth.

Rankings for 2023:
1 star: DNF
2 stars: Finished but wanted to quit
3 stars: Liked the book but there were problems
4 stars: Really enjoyed the book
5 stars: Loved the book. Will recommend to friends.


Follow me on StoryGraph: @daveyjames

[vee. · Rating 1 out of 5]

i'm free worst experience of my fucking life

[Antonia Maycunich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the idea behind this. I almost wish it hadn't been a short story so it could've been developed more.

[Leah Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic

I adore Brandon he is going to get great things can’t wait to read what he comes up with next! Thank you TikTok for bringing me this awesome guy!!

[Estella Eisenman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting premise and definitely delivered on the gore. I kind of hope this becomes a series of some sorts because I really loved all the characters.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing and entertaining tale! I chose it because I recently followed the author on Instagram, and I'm quite excited! Actually ( if I could close my eyes during the gory scenes) I could read it again!

Seriously: yes, gory; but also in the service of the plot and the characterizations! The story has STRONG LGBTQ + Rep, and of course in the nature of balance, homophobia [shades of Matthew Shepard 😢]. Some of these characters are psychotic [and not just the villains]. The author's riff on the evil club is realistic and suspension of disbelief not needed.

My favorite aspects were two of the main characters: the Protagonist, and another who unexpectedly stepped into the role of a main; and the delightful Supernatural elements, which were multiple! I saw a review which postulated too many threads were attempted here; but in my view, author Brandon Baker wove in multiple themes, and did it well. I really liked this story; I believe it's only his second publication, and I am eagerly anticipating what he brings us next. My only "complaint" is that the published version could benefit from another proofreading run. Nonetheless, I liked it well enough I'm rating it 5 stars. Hey, could we revisit Lee and Claudine in future? After all, Lee's got his future set up for him now....

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novella. The charactera were great and I loved the back stories. I loved the overall plot, very creative! It was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

First up, two things:

1. I love books that start with trigger warnings. There is nothing I hate more than going into a book or a piece of media and when I’m not expecting it, be hit in the face with something - well, ya know, triggering. My everyday existence is enough trauma on its own, thank you very much.
2. I can’t imagine the guts it takes to publish a book. In this economy *? (*and by economy I mean the age of social media where people will tell authors to unalive themselves simply for having published a book said people didn’t like? Wack) but ESPECIALLY as someone with a following online as a “book” person. So all that in mind, and knowing the author is respectful of reviews being a reader space? You would think it’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised!

Here’s the skinny:

Don’t make my mistake and go in expecting this book to take itself seriously. I think my feelings of this story are largely unfair in that I went in expecting serious, mysterious, spooky(licious), and it just ain’t that.

I do think maybe this could have been conveyed a bit better in the first few pages which would have given me the right frame of mind as I read, or given me a sign to put down and come back in the mood for the vibe, but since it was short I decided to plow through.

Does this book wax poetic? Is it deep and thought-provoking? No. Is it entertaining? Yes? I think if I had had the right frame of mind, my review would sway a bit.

Overall I would say I feel mostly neutral about this book - and based on some reviews I read, I feel like I’m not the only one to feel a bit confused on what the tone of this was meant to be.

Additional plug:

Brandon is super fun to follow - I love watching his TikToks with recommended books, and he has contributed greatly to the obscene number of books on my TBR. Especially if you like horror, check him out!

[Ali Dade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I love following this author on social media and he gives great horror recommendations, but this book was rough in every way imaginable. The book was clearly not edited (in formatting, grammar, and plot holes) and felt like extremely little thought was put into the plot and characters. The two main characters are drug addicts who feel like they are written by someone who only has a surface-level, pigeon-holed idea of how addicts behave.
The bare bones of the plot could’ve been good, but it feels like not enough time and effort were put into making it a “good book”.

Trigger/Content Warnings (potential spoilers ahead, read TW at your own risk): addiction, drug use, body horror, neo-nazi characters, gang-type violence, brief mention of injured animal, child/parental death, gore, monsters

[Madeline Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We think that there’s something like them living inside of all of us, that they’re basically whatever remains of us in the end.”
•
Lee had an almost perfect life until he didn’t and his life completely turned upside down. Lee has spent the last few years in a stupor with his only friend Ethan. Ethan has come up with a plan with a friend he made in jail. Go to the creepy house in town during a wake, case the house, report back, rob the house. Simple, right? But of course, it could never be that simple. Now Lee is roped into a plot that could get him killed if not by Ethan’s friend, then by something else, something not human. The house and the woods that surround it have secrets and a magic that could both save and maim, and it’s up to Lee to finish what he never wanted to start.
•
This is my first horror book of the year and it was pretty good! This is the second book from the author but the first I had read. When I read books from new authors I always try to give grace to them and understand authors learn and grow just like anyone else. I’m not saying there aren’t things I would change with this novel but for being one of his first, this was excellent. It was such a cool premise and it kept me on my toes. The only criticism I can give is working on the dialogue. Sometimes it felt forced and not natural, especially from Hopper. And if there’s a prequel I’d love to get more into the lore of the house and the land and the entities! That is something I wanted more of when I got to the end! Otherwise, a good second novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Kei ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It isn't very often that you come across a book that is well planned from the get go. This was creepy and left me wanting more. This felt like a really great episode of Supernatural, which made it so much easier to read - if I imagined Jensen Ackles running around helping the (not-so)damsel in distress. There were a few gory parts, not for the feint of heart, but otherwise a well rounded and fun horror story to read.

[Valerie Van Egmond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhhhh I hate to do this because I love Brandon’s reviews on Tik Tok but this was not one of my favourite reads. 5 stars for imagination though. This novella had A LOT happening and a lot of loose ends. WHAT ARE THE TOTEMS, BRANDON???? The Shakespearean monologues were a bit over the top. The descriptive killings though? Absolutely top notch. It was just the story that I couldn’t get into. Not a bad read, just not something I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to my horror-loving friends.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was pretty damn good! i think the last two chapters before the epilogue were a little too quick and i wouldve liked it to be extended a little bit, but i loved the story that led up to it, and the epilogue surprisingly got me a little bit emotional! this was a great story from Brandon Baker and im looking forward to reading his future works!

[Vicki Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! I look forward to more.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandon has done it again with this book, fantastic! Really enjoyed this book. The characters are great and I was rooting for them throughout! Can’t wait to read more from Brandon. Read this on kindle unlimited but I will be ordering a physical copy also. 5 ⭐️ read. Well done 👏 x

[Samantha Maasbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how atmospheric this novella was. I grew attached to the characters quickly and can't wait to see more from this author!