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The Burning Time
An ancient evil has come to Hastings Mills, and only one man can stop it. Wherever The Stranger goes, evil follows. Wild dogs roam the fields. Townspeople turn on each other in murderous fury. Innocent women throw themselves off bridges. Swimmers disappear, victims of a deadly beast that haunts their waters. And the worst is still yet to come. The Stranger plans to open a gateway to the nether realms and release the Elder Gods to bring forth Chaos on Earth. Only one man knows the truth, a country mage whose family has fought The Stranger before. But can he defeat his ageless enemy before Hastings Mills is nothing but a smoking ruin and the townspeople become unwilling blood sacrifices to the Old Ones? With only the help of a young woman and her teenage son, he will have to use all of his arcane knowledge to thwart his adversary and prevent the final apocalypse. In Hastings Mills, The Burning Time has arrived.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2013
3 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
J.G. Faherty
89 books138 followersJG Faherty is a Bram Stoker Award® and ITW Thriller Award nominee and the author of six novels, nine novellas, and more than 50 short stories. He writes adult and YA horror/sci-fi/fantasy, and his works range from quiet, dark suspense to over-the-top comic gruesomeness.
His novels and novellas, all of which are listed on Goodreads, include THE CURE, CARNIVAL OF FEAR, GHOSTS OF CORONADO BAY, CEMETERY CLUB, THE BURNING TIME, LEGACY, CASTLE BY THE SEA, FATAL CONSEQUENCES, THIEF OF SOULS, THE COLD SPOT, and HE WAITS.
He enjoys urban exploring, photography, classic B-movies, good wine, and pumpkin beer. As a child, his favorite playground was a 17th-century cemetery, which many people feel explains a lot. His personal motto is "Photobombing people since 1979!" You can follow him at www.twitter.com/jgfaherty, www.facebook.com/jgfaherty, http://about.me/jgfaherty, and www.jgfaherty.com.
His novels and novellas, all of which are listed on Goodreads, include THE CURE, CARNIVAL OF FEAR, GHOSTS OF CORONADO BAY, CEMETERY CLUB, THE BURNING TIME, LEGACY, CASTLE BY THE SEA, FATAL CONSEQUENCES, THIEF OF SOULS, THE COLD SPOT, and HE WAITS.
He enjoys urban exploring, photography, classic B-movies, good wine, and pumpkin beer. As a child, his favorite playground was a 17th-century cemetery, which many people feel explains a lot. His personal motto is "Photobombing people since 1979!" You can follow him at www.twitter.com/jgfaherty, www.facebook.com/jgfaherty, http://about.me/jgfaherty, and www.jgfaherty.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 18, 2013
The Burning Time is a supernatural thriller set in a small town in New York. In an otherwise normal, ho-hum kind of town a preacher of sorts comes to town, and when he does all hell breaks loose. People start to die in horrific fashion. Otherwise normal folk lose their mind. The town is on the verge of complete chaos until a travelling mage comes to counteract the stranger. He and his ancestors have battled the stranger before. After befriending a woman and her younger brother, he must do everything in his power to prevent the stranger from creating a passageway to the Elder Gods and letting all hell loose on Earth.
The Burning Time combines strong elements of suspense and terror. Author JG Faherty uses a slow build, not making it clear what the characters intentions are. The story builds tension and makes the reader crave for more. What mostly impressed me is the progression and maturity that Faherty has made as a writer. The Burning Time shows a real mastery of the craft of writing with three dimensional characters that resonate. It reminds me in many ways of Stephen King’s Needful Things, one of the horror master’s greatest works. Although there are a few logic holes to get past in the plot, the story-telling is of high quality. This is a book that any reader will truly enjoy – a must read.
The Burning Time combines strong elements of suspense and terror. Author JG Faherty uses a slow build, not making it clear what the characters intentions are. The story builds tension and makes the reader crave for more. What mostly impressed me is the progression and maturity that Faherty has made as a writer. The Burning Time shows a real mastery of the craft of writing with three dimensional characters that resonate. It reminds me in many ways of Stephen King’s Needful Things, one of the horror master’s greatest works. Although there are a few logic holes to get past in the plot, the story-telling is of high quality. This is a book that any reader will truly enjoy – a must read.
January 15, 2013
Review Copy
Exceptional storytelling from J G. Faherty.
There's an unbearable heat wave embracing Hastings Mills in upstate New York. As if the heat wasn't enough stress on this small town of 15,000 there seems to be a spat of strange suicides, as well. All young women, all jumping from a bridge into the Allegheny below.
Faherty has filled this tale with a number of memorable characters. The new preacher in town, Reverend Cyrus Christian. Billy Ray Capshaw who returns to the town of his youth looking for a quick score. Harry Showalter, the rather crooked Chief of police. Young Mitch Anderson and his sister/guardian Danni. And then there's John Root the stranger in town. Each one with a pivital role to play as the lives of those who live in Hastings Mills and the future of the town itself hang in the balance.
There's a good deal of action, right from the beginning, as the story pulls you in and continues to intensify right to the chaotic final scenes.
It's no great secret that this story involves the Lovecratian mythos. Something I've never been a big fan of, but I must say, in the hands of J. G. Faherty, I very much enjoyed every bit of that aspect of the book.
"The time approaches, my friends. The Old Ones prepare to wake. For eons they have waited, waited for the stars to align themselves in the heavens. They are those who cannot die, who always have been and always will be. From beyond space and time they will come, from below the seas they will rise, from beneath the Mountains of Madness they will emerge. Invulnerable and unstoppable." And this just scratches the surface.
It's been a while since I've gotten so caught up in a story. I wanted to scream one minute and cheer the next, but there were other family members in the house, so I did my best to keep myself under control.
This is the first book I've read, by J. G. Faherty and it won't be the last. Although for adults only, I can strongly recommend The Burning Time. Look for it, January 18th, from the great folks at Journalstone Publishing.
Exceptional storytelling from J G. Faherty.
There's an unbearable heat wave embracing Hastings Mills in upstate New York. As if the heat wasn't enough stress on this small town of 15,000 there seems to be a spat of strange suicides, as well. All young women, all jumping from a bridge into the Allegheny below.
Faherty has filled this tale with a number of memorable characters. The new preacher in town, Reverend Cyrus Christian. Billy Ray Capshaw who returns to the town of his youth looking for a quick score. Harry Showalter, the rather crooked Chief of police. Young Mitch Anderson and his sister/guardian Danni. And then there's John Root the stranger in town. Each one with a pivital role to play as the lives of those who live in Hastings Mills and the future of the town itself hang in the balance.
There's a good deal of action, right from the beginning, as the story pulls you in and continues to intensify right to the chaotic final scenes.
It's no great secret that this story involves the Lovecratian mythos. Something I've never been a big fan of, but I must say, in the hands of J. G. Faherty, I very much enjoyed every bit of that aspect of the book.
"The time approaches, my friends. The Old Ones prepare to wake. For eons they have waited, waited for the stars to align themselves in the heavens. They are those who cannot die, who always have been and always will be. From beyond space and time they will come, from below the seas they will rise, from beneath the Mountains of Madness they will emerge. Invulnerable and unstoppable." And this just scratches the surface.
It's been a while since I've gotten so caught up in a story. I wanted to scream one minute and cheer the next, but there were other family members in the house, so I did my best to keep myself under control.
This is the first book I've read, by J. G. Faherty and it won't be the last. Although for adults only, I can strongly recommend The Burning Time. Look for it, January 18th, from the great folks at Journalstone Publishing.
January 15, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Horror; Lovecraftian Fiction; Cthulhuian mythos
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of Lovecraft, horror, Cthulhu
Book Available: January 19, 2013
Trigger Warnings: Really? Lovecraftian fiction; do I really need to say any more? Okay, details: rape, murder, defilement of all that is right, dawning of the darkness, demons, creatures of the Elder Gods... Need I really go on? Not for the faint of heart.
Animal abuse: implied goat sacrifice, two single-sentence cat injuries with implication that they would probably end up dead. However, several dogs have their revenge, including a toe-chewing Chihuahua.
Disclosure: I was asked by the author to read and review this book prior to the publication date, and provided an ARC for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: An ancient evil has come to Hastings Mills, and only one man can stop it.
Wherever The Stranger goes, evil follows. Wild dogs roam the fields. Townspeople turn on each other in murderous fury. Innocent women throw themselves off bridges. Swimmers disappear, victims of a deadly beast that haunts their waters. And the worst is still yet to come. The Stranger plans to open a gateway to the nether realms and release the Elder Gods to bring forth Chaos on Earth.
Only one man knows the truth, a country mage whose family has fought The Stranger before. But can he defeat his ageless enemy before Hastings Mills is nothing but a smoking ruin and the townspeople become unwilling blood sacrifices to the Old Ones? With only the help of a young woman and her teenage son, he will have to use all of his arcane knowledge to thwart his adversary and prevent the final apocalypse.
In Hastings Mills, The Burning Time has arrived.
My Thoughts: I had meant to read and review this book last weekend, but I completely lost track of time and forgot. However, I am managing the review prior to publication, so all is still well... This is the second J.G. Faherty book I’ve read, following Cemetery Club, which I read and reviewed in December of 2011 after winning it through LibraryThing Early Reviewers (and you can see my review here if you’re reading this review on one of the few sites that allows formatting with HTML).
This is a seriously creepy story, strongly Lovecraftian and directly referencing the Elder Gods on several occasions, R’lyeh, even Cthulhu and Shub-Nggurath. Which especially startled me during the Reverend’s sermons, not to mention that fact that not a single townsperson thought it totally strange that their Reverend was talking about “Gods” and “the Ancients” and such. If a preacher, pastor or priest in my tiny, little hometown had started talking like that, he’d probably have been tarred, feathered, and run out on a rail. Just sayin’, it seemed a little weird that only John Root (and Mitch) seemed to have noticed that...
There were a couple of other weird inconsistencies that were more than a little confusing. First of all, Christian was a “Reverend” and emphatically denied being a priest. Despite the name of the church, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, that tells me this was not a Catholic church of which he was the head. Therefore, he could not have been officiating at a Mass. (Note: my husband has pointed out he believes that both Episcopalians and Anglicans do, indeed, celebrate Mass under a Reverend. So take my concerns with a grain of salt on this matter.) Then there was the situation with the snakes when John Root saves Mitch from a beating—they are described as green, but later Root says they were cottonmouth. Cottonmouths are emphatically not green; I’ve seen one up-close-and-personal like (I’m talking about from less than a foot away, when it was twined up on a road sign across the way, and I, being the person I am, said, “Cool!” and walked right up to take a good look at it), and from even a short distance they look black. When you’re very close, however, you can see they have a very subtle pattern, which is really quite lovely, but they are not—I repeat—green.
As I mentioned, I’m originally from a small town, so to me the creepiest aspect of this book was how the normal exclusionary, us-versus-them attitude of a small town is exaggerated and perverted by the Stranger to create overt suspiciousness. I could so see that happening, and so easily, even in the larger area where I live now. People have a distressing tendency to believe the worst about other people in too many instances. At any rate, other than the supernatural aspects, the sheer, horrifying plausibility of the whole thing is what really freaked me out.
However, it also horribly misrepresented the Trickster. While it is true the Trickster causes chaos, it is never evil; there is always a reason, a greater good, for the mischief the Trickster causes. This is often quite misunderstood by cultures in which a Trickster is not a normal part of the pantheon or culture, which probably explains the use of Trickster as a scapegoat in this story. John’s musings that Chaos is an integral part of nature is absolutely true, and what the Stranger represents is not truly Chaos, but Evil, and despite what this book would lead one to expect, there is a difference.
Taking into account that this is an ARC, I will assume that most of the typos will be fixed, especially the consistent misuse of the word “tomb” where, based on the context the word referring to a large book, the meaning is clearly “tome.” There are also several instances of “where” and “were” being mixed up, but this is fairly common and will hopefully have been caught before the book’s release.
The “undated Southern myth” that is quoted before each part of the book sounded eerily familiar to me. I finally figured it out: it is very similar to the song by Credence Clearwater Revival called “The Old Man Down the Road.” I imagine this song strongly influenced this book, but only the author can confirm that.
Despite any problems I may have mentioned, I enjoyed this book. This is top-notch horror, freakishly plausible and terrifying for that exact reason. If you enjoy horror, if you are a fan of Lovecraft, and have been looking for a new chapter in Cthulhuian mythos, don’t hesitate to grab this one as soon as it is available.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of Lovecraft, horror, Cthulhu
Book Available: January 19, 2013
Trigger Warnings: Really? Lovecraftian fiction; do I really need to say any more? Okay, details: rape, murder, defilement of all that is right, dawning of the darkness, demons, creatures of the Elder Gods... Need I really go on? Not for the faint of heart.
Animal abuse: implied goat sacrifice, two single-sentence cat injuries with implication that they would probably end up dead. However, several dogs have their revenge, including a toe-chewing Chihuahua.
Disclosure: I was asked by the author to read and review this book prior to the publication date, and provided an ARC for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: An ancient evil has come to Hastings Mills, and only one man can stop it.
Wherever The Stranger goes, evil follows. Wild dogs roam the fields. Townspeople turn on each other in murderous fury. Innocent women throw themselves off bridges. Swimmers disappear, victims of a deadly beast that haunts their waters. And the worst is still yet to come. The Stranger plans to open a gateway to the nether realms and release the Elder Gods to bring forth Chaos on Earth.
Only one man knows the truth, a country mage whose family has fought The Stranger before. But can he defeat his ageless enemy before Hastings Mills is nothing but a smoking ruin and the townspeople become unwilling blood sacrifices to the Old Ones? With only the help of a young woman and her teenage son, he will have to use all of his arcane knowledge to thwart his adversary and prevent the final apocalypse.
In Hastings Mills, The Burning Time has arrived.
My Thoughts: I had meant to read and review this book last weekend, but I completely lost track of time and forgot. However, I am managing the review prior to publication, so all is still well... This is the second J.G. Faherty book I’ve read, following Cemetery Club, which I read and reviewed in December of 2011 after winning it through LibraryThing Early Reviewers (and you can see my review here if you’re reading this review on one of the few sites that allows formatting with HTML).
This is a seriously creepy story, strongly Lovecraftian and directly referencing the Elder Gods on several occasions, R’lyeh, even Cthulhu and Shub-Nggurath. Which especially startled me during the Reverend’s sermons, not to mention that fact that not a single townsperson thought it totally strange that their Reverend was talking about “Gods” and “the Ancients” and such. If a preacher, pastor or priest in my tiny, little hometown had started talking like that, he’d probably have been tarred, feathered, and run out on a rail. Just sayin’, it seemed a little weird that only John Root (and Mitch) seemed to have noticed that...
There were a couple of other weird inconsistencies that were more than a little confusing. First of all, Christian was a “Reverend” and emphatically denied being a priest. Despite the name of the church, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, that tells me this was not a Catholic church of which he was the head. Therefore, he could not have been officiating at a Mass. (Note: my husband has pointed out he believes that both Episcopalians and Anglicans do, indeed, celebrate Mass under a Reverend. So take my concerns with a grain of salt on this matter.) Then there was the situation with the snakes when John Root saves Mitch from a beating—they are described as green, but later Root says they were cottonmouth. Cottonmouths are emphatically not green; I’ve seen one up-close-and-personal like (I’m talking about from less than a foot away, when it was twined up on a road sign across the way, and I, being the person I am, said, “Cool!” and walked right up to take a good look at it), and from even a short distance they look black. When you’re very close, however, you can see they have a very subtle pattern, which is really quite lovely, but they are not—I repeat—green.As I mentioned, I’m originally from a small town, so to me the creepiest aspect of this book was how the normal exclusionary, us-versus-them attitude of a small town is exaggerated and perverted by the Stranger to create overt suspiciousness. I could so see that happening, and so easily, even in the larger area where I live now. People have a distressing tendency to believe the worst about other people in too many instances. At any rate, other than the supernatural aspects, the sheer, horrifying plausibility of the whole thing is what really freaked me out.
However, it also horribly misrepresented the Trickster. While it is true the Trickster causes chaos, it is never evil; there is always a reason, a greater good, for the mischief the Trickster causes. This is often quite misunderstood by cultures in which a Trickster is not a normal part of the pantheon or culture, which probably explains the use of Trickster as a scapegoat in this story. John’s musings that Chaos is an integral part of nature is absolutely true, and what the Stranger represents is not truly Chaos, but Evil, and despite what this book would lead one to expect, there is a difference.
Taking into account that this is an ARC, I will assume that most of the typos will be fixed, especially the consistent misuse of the word “tomb” where, based on the context the word referring to a large book, the meaning is clearly “tome.” There are also several instances of “where” and “were” being mixed up, but this is fairly common and will hopefully have been caught before the book’s release.
The “undated Southern myth” that is quoted before each part of the book sounded eerily familiar to me. I finally figured it out: it is very similar to the song by Credence Clearwater Revival called “The Old Man Down the Road.” I imagine this song strongly influenced this book, but only the author can confirm that.
Despite any problems I may have mentioned, I enjoyed this book. This is top-notch horror, freakishly plausible and terrifying for that exact reason. If you enjoy horror, if you are a fan of Lovecraft, and have been looking for a new chapter in Cthulhuian mythos, don’t hesitate to grab this one as soon as it is available.
January 29, 2013
Won this from the Library Thing Early Reviewers and I was not disappointed. A great start to finish supernatural horror story with such life like characters. It was difficult to put the book down.
February 11, 2013
NOTE: This review is from the paperback ARC of this title won through LibraryThing.
I haven't read anything from Lovecraft yet, but I am familiar with some of the basics, such as Cthulhu and the Elder Gods (though not the names), so I suspected the links with the first mention of Gods, which was then confirmed with the mention of Elder Gods and Cthulhu. Since I am not very familiar with them I cannot attest to how faithful he was with these things, so that will not play into how I rate this title.
While this book was good, it was definitely not the best I've read lately. While I cannot blame the author for this as the publisher is responsible, there were several errors with spelling, consistency in referencing characters, and other issues I have never seen so much of in a title. I have read several ARCs in the past, mostly from Cemetery Dance Publications, and I've never seen these issues in them. Those are usually at about the state they are published in. I hope for both the author and publisher's sake that this ARC is not how it appears as published. I also saw inconsistent references to Reverend Cyrus Christian, including calling him Cyrus a few times, only to be followed by calling him Christian. There was even an instance of calling him Christian Cyrus! Maybe this is how the author had it, but it shouldn't have escaped the attention of editors. Since this is just an ARC it won't impact my final rating. If this were the final published edition and I paid money for it though it would make me nervous about purchasing from this publisher in the future. Even though those issues won't be included in the overall rating I'm giving this title, I did want to make readers aware of the issue with the hope that it isn't an issue in the edition people buy, but with making people aware of what to watch out for.
One other issue that I have that is caused by the publisher is the back of the book. The info about the book is in a red font, which is very difficult to read since it is on a red background.
One issue I had with this that do play into my final rating include being repetitive in the beginning when it comes to the women jumping off bridges that is mentioned on the back of the book. The author describes the same thing (with some differences, of course) three times I think in the early stages. What I think would be a better idea is to mention it a couple times, providing more or different information each time until finally describing it in detail once. This could prevent that from being repetitive and even create more of a sense of mystery and dread.
The other big issue I had with this was with being realistic about the normal things. At one point the author has the good guy going for a 2 mile walk to the store to pick up some things that he can 'easily' accomplish in under an hour. The very next section of the book has the character arriving in 15 minutes. While I was in the Army I had back problems, so instead of running 2 miles for my fitness test I had to walk 2.5 miles. While the slowest time I ever had around 30 minutes, which means it is obviously possible to walk 2 miles in 15 minutes, I also know it is not just a stroll to the store. It is a work out, especially in the heat and extreme humidity described in the story. Add to that shopping for larger things in a store, walking around to look at and find the items, and then walking back another 2 miles in the heat and humidity, and you have a very unrealistic situation being described. The grand total is 4 miles in the heat and humidity, walking around a store, buying things and carrying them back halfway through those 4 miles, and having it described as something he could accomplish in under an hour jarred me out of the story. I did force myself to finish that paragraph before I stopped reading, but it did keep me from reading anywhere past that for the day. I likely could have read some more, but it wouldn't have been fair as I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the story properly, especially not for something I was going to review.
I am not an expert on Gods as I have not used any in my own writing, but when I think of Trickster I do NOT think of something that in inherently evil. Something that represents Chaos perhaps, but not evil. Chaos is also not inherently evil, not is it inherently good. Chaos represents both sides of the coin and doesn't really favor one over the other. I would suggest the author do a lot of research of the Gods, such as a/the Trickster, as well as things like the nature of Chaos. I know if I delve into the Gods I will definitely do my research, and might actually do that with no intention of writing about that as I am a nerd and they interest me.
Overall an enjoyable and passable read, but one that could have definitely been better. Overall rating from me is 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads since there are no half star ratings here unfortunately.
I haven't read anything from Lovecraft yet, but I am familiar with some of the basics, such as Cthulhu and the Elder Gods (though not the names), so I suspected the links with the first mention of Gods, which was then confirmed with the mention of Elder Gods and Cthulhu. Since I am not very familiar with them I cannot attest to how faithful he was with these things, so that will not play into how I rate this title.
While this book was good, it was definitely not the best I've read lately. While I cannot blame the author for this as the publisher is responsible, there were several errors with spelling, consistency in referencing characters, and other issues I have never seen so much of in a title. I have read several ARCs in the past, mostly from Cemetery Dance Publications, and I've never seen these issues in them. Those are usually at about the state they are published in. I hope for both the author and publisher's sake that this ARC is not how it appears as published. I also saw inconsistent references to Reverend Cyrus Christian, including calling him Cyrus a few times, only to be followed by calling him Christian. There was even an instance of calling him Christian Cyrus! Maybe this is how the author had it, but it shouldn't have escaped the attention of editors. Since this is just an ARC it won't impact my final rating. If this were the final published edition and I paid money for it though it would make me nervous about purchasing from this publisher in the future. Even though those issues won't be included in the overall rating I'm giving this title, I did want to make readers aware of the issue with the hope that it isn't an issue in the edition people buy, but with making people aware of what to watch out for.
One other issue that I have that is caused by the publisher is the back of the book. The info about the book is in a red font, which is very difficult to read since it is on a red background.
One issue I had with this that do play into my final rating include being repetitive in the beginning when it comes to the women jumping off bridges that is mentioned on the back of the book. The author describes the same thing (with some differences, of course) three times I think in the early stages. What I think would be a better idea is to mention it a couple times, providing more or different information each time until finally describing it in detail once. This could prevent that from being repetitive and even create more of a sense of mystery and dread.
The other big issue I had with this was with being realistic about the normal things. At one point the author has the good guy going for a 2 mile walk to the store to pick up some things that he can 'easily' accomplish in under an hour. The very next section of the book has the character arriving in 15 minutes. While I was in the Army I had back problems, so instead of running 2 miles for my fitness test I had to walk 2.5 miles. While the slowest time I ever had around 30 minutes, which means it is obviously possible to walk 2 miles in 15 minutes, I also know it is not just a stroll to the store. It is a work out, especially in the heat and extreme humidity described in the story. Add to that shopping for larger things in a store, walking around to look at and find the items, and then walking back another 2 miles in the heat and humidity, and you have a very unrealistic situation being described. The grand total is 4 miles in the heat and humidity, walking around a store, buying things and carrying them back halfway through those 4 miles, and having it described as something he could accomplish in under an hour jarred me out of the story. I did force myself to finish that paragraph before I stopped reading, but it did keep me from reading anywhere past that for the day. I likely could have read some more, but it wouldn't have been fair as I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the story properly, especially not for something I was going to review.
I am not an expert on Gods as I have not used any in my own writing, but when I think of Trickster I do NOT think of something that in inherently evil. Something that represents Chaos perhaps, but not evil. Chaos is also not inherently evil, not is it inherently good. Chaos represents both sides of the coin and doesn't really favor one over the other. I would suggest the author do a lot of research of the Gods, such as a/the Trickster, as well as things like the nature of Chaos. I know if I delve into the Gods I will definitely do my research, and might actually do that with no intention of writing about that as I am a nerd and they interest me.
Overall an enjoyable and passable read, but one that could have definitely been better. Overall rating from me is 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads since there are no half star ratings here unfortunately.
March 26, 2013
My Rant:
Excitingly twisted. I was horrified, mortified and completely surprised by The Burning Time. I really did not expect this book to be as good as it was. The Burning Time kept me at the edge of my seat the whole way through. The plot was amazingly written. The Author took the time to draw out the vivid details of the story, which kept me, the reader constantly wanting to read more knowing that I would be up all night doing so and would have to go to work so tired I could barely keep my eyes open but that’s the price you pay for reading a story that draws you in completely.
You begin to feel attached to the story and the characters and as the book progresses the plot changes and things are spiraling out of control and your eager to want to know what is going on. On the other hand the book hits home because the plot reminds you of how evil and twisted people can be giving that they are influenced by negative spirits or beings.
When I began to read the book I thought I knew how the plot was going to play out. It seems from the beginning that the man you thought should have been the villain was not and the one that was good turned out to be the villain. (Shaking my head). I was so confused.
It pained me to see how the town’s people were brained wash so quickly. At first it seemed that the villain was out to get money from the church but it turned out to be something more sadistic. The villain was out to cause discord in order to feed his own cause and the town’s people never stopped to realize that things were not as they should have been. The Author takes you on this tormented ride that displayed the darkest events such as exploiting the weakness of people by showing that fear can turn us to be so wicked in the order of self-preservation. The author exposed how easy it was for the villain to manipulate the town’s people and before anyone could stop what was happening the towns people fed off of the villain’s words and began to adapt his behavior of influence. I was fascinated at the fact that even though the town’s people actions were outrages, what was interesting was how they circumvented their own conscious to make the deed look like they were completely innocent.
The battle between good and evil is present throughout the story and the weight of the battle drains you because you want the good to succeed. I wanted John to succeed; it wasn’t just because he was on the good side, John had struggles of weakness and the author displayed them and laid them bare to the audience. John (the hero) of the story was an amazing character because throughout the story he is constantly tested on what he believed in and should stand up for. But there were times just like anyone on else when you want to just give up and walk away and let someone else take on the burden of saving the world. But when you thought John was going to give up somehow he began to get the courage to keep pressing on even if it meant the cost of his own life. I completely fell in love with this character just because of his courage.
Danni and Mitchell added to flavor to the story because they had their own issues to deal with. I like Danni but Mitchel also stole my heart. He was so young and brave and amazingly smart for such a young character. Mitchell and John kept me wound so tight that my emotions were all over the place. John sadness ripped through me at times but Mitchell wittiness kept me grounded but I also felt fear. Yes through reading this story I felt fear because the things that were happening in this town completely caught me off guard.
My Recommendation:
I rated this book 5 out of 5 purple rant hearts. The burning time was one of the best horror and thrilling stories I have read. It was like watching a movie in your mind. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good horror story with an explosive plot.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author, editor, publisher, or Promo Host. This is my honest opinion about this book and I did not receive any monetary compensation for writing this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.
Excitingly twisted. I was horrified, mortified and completely surprised by The Burning Time. I really did not expect this book to be as good as it was. The Burning Time kept me at the edge of my seat the whole way through. The plot was amazingly written. The Author took the time to draw out the vivid details of the story, which kept me, the reader constantly wanting to read more knowing that I would be up all night doing so and would have to go to work so tired I could barely keep my eyes open but that’s the price you pay for reading a story that draws you in completely.
You begin to feel attached to the story and the characters and as the book progresses the plot changes and things are spiraling out of control and your eager to want to know what is going on. On the other hand the book hits home because the plot reminds you of how evil and twisted people can be giving that they are influenced by negative spirits or beings.
When I began to read the book I thought I knew how the plot was going to play out. It seems from the beginning that the man you thought should have been the villain was not and the one that was good turned out to be the villain. (Shaking my head). I was so confused.
It pained me to see how the town’s people were brained wash so quickly. At first it seemed that the villain was out to get money from the church but it turned out to be something more sadistic. The villain was out to cause discord in order to feed his own cause and the town’s people never stopped to realize that things were not as they should have been. The Author takes you on this tormented ride that displayed the darkest events such as exploiting the weakness of people by showing that fear can turn us to be so wicked in the order of self-preservation. The author exposed how easy it was for the villain to manipulate the town’s people and before anyone could stop what was happening the towns people fed off of the villain’s words and began to adapt his behavior of influence. I was fascinated at the fact that even though the town’s people actions were outrages, what was interesting was how they circumvented their own conscious to make the deed look like they were completely innocent.
The battle between good and evil is present throughout the story and the weight of the battle drains you because you want the good to succeed. I wanted John to succeed; it wasn’t just because he was on the good side, John had struggles of weakness and the author displayed them and laid them bare to the audience. John (the hero) of the story was an amazing character because throughout the story he is constantly tested on what he believed in and should stand up for. But there were times just like anyone on else when you want to just give up and walk away and let someone else take on the burden of saving the world. But when you thought John was going to give up somehow he began to get the courage to keep pressing on even if it meant the cost of his own life. I completely fell in love with this character just because of his courage.
Danni and Mitchell added to flavor to the story because they had their own issues to deal with. I like Danni but Mitchel also stole my heart. He was so young and brave and amazingly smart for such a young character. Mitchell and John kept me wound so tight that my emotions were all over the place. John sadness ripped through me at times but Mitchell wittiness kept me grounded but I also felt fear. Yes through reading this story I felt fear because the things that were happening in this town completely caught me off guard.
My Recommendation:
I rated this book 5 out of 5 purple rant hearts. The burning time was one of the best horror and thrilling stories I have read. It was like watching a movie in your mind. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good horror story with an explosive plot.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author, editor, publisher, or Promo Host. This is my honest opinion about this book and I did not receive any monetary compensation for writing this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.
January 24, 2013
Not really what I expected, but still very entertaining. The only issue I had was why Billy Capshaw was immune to the Stranger's influence while so many others were not. Considering all that could have gone wrong with this book, that's really nothing to hold a grudge for.
I was entertained from beginning to end, with only slight confusion when all characters were being introduced. After you got to know who everyone was, the story started moving. I think what I really liked was all the gore. At first, I was wondering why some of these characters were hurting others. The police do a lot of murdering random townspeople and beating the crap out of suspects. I wondered how they got away with it and then once I realized it was just the influence of the Stranger, I more readily accepted it. The general gore level was very high and very graphic and I loved it. The average reader probably won't be okay with it, but I have always loved gory stories and movies. If I had to compare the gore level to a movie, I'd say The Departed because of all the seemingly senseless violence and murder that goes on.
Really, that's what kept me going. I read it for the review, but continued reading it for the gore. Had it not been present, I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much. The magical fight scenes were fun, but since this is really just a Good versus Evil story line, we all knew who would win. The Stranger's attacks were so much more interesting visual wise than John's were because John used mainly words and defensive spells whereas the Stranger focused on physical attacks and making the town fearful and hateful. It was interesting that he brainwashed most of the town into killing each other and believing in ancient Gods of Chaos while they assumed they would be going to a normal church sermon.
I still can't get my mind off of Billy Capshaw. I just feel like there's something missing with his story.
All in all, it was an entertaining story with plenty of gore. I enjoyed it.
I was entertained from beginning to end, with only slight confusion when all characters were being introduced. After you got to know who everyone was, the story started moving. I think what I really liked was all the gore. At first, I was wondering why some of these characters were hurting others. The police do a lot of murdering random townspeople and beating the crap out of suspects. I wondered how they got away with it and then once I realized it was just the influence of the Stranger, I more readily accepted it. The general gore level was very high and very graphic and I loved it. The average reader probably won't be okay with it, but I have always loved gory stories and movies. If I had to compare the gore level to a movie, I'd say The Departed because of all the seemingly senseless violence and murder that goes on.
Really, that's what kept me going. I read it for the review, but continued reading it for the gore. Had it not been present, I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much. The magical fight scenes were fun, but since this is really just a Good versus Evil story line, we all knew who would win. The Stranger's attacks were so much more interesting visual wise than John's were because John used mainly words and defensive spells whereas the Stranger focused on physical attacks and making the town fearful and hateful. It was interesting that he brainwashed most of the town into killing each other and believing in ancient Gods of Chaos while they assumed they would be going to a normal church sermon.
I still can't get my mind off of Billy Capshaw. I just feel like there's something missing with his story.
All in all, it was an entertaining story with plenty of gore. I enjoyed it.
January 11, 2013
**MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -- PROCEED WITH CAUTION**
"The Burning Time" is a classic good v. evil tale that pits one lone wandering white magician against the Trickster of folklore. In this re-telling, the Trickster sets up shop in a small, rural New York town with the purpose of concentrating enough negative energies to call forth the ancient gods.
I found the story at first to be very intriguing, seeing how the townspeople were initially slowly and methodically brainwashed and brought into his power. The timing of which coincided with the arrival of the white magician, John Root and his befriending of a young man named Mitch and his sister, Danni. Shortly after this, however, the book took a more base turn that moved it out of the realm of a classic psychological to a more crass horror novel. Extremely graphic imagery and language abounds as the town descends into chaos before the inevitable conclusion.
There were many good points in the novel. It is very fast paced and makes for a quick read and the overall plot and writing is well done, even if the general story had been attempted many times before. My only real critiques would be the fact that some background characters start developing side plots that seem to be abandoned but would have helped give the town much more flavor and I am still confused about John Root's age and origins. We are told that he had a family at one point, but the timeline set forth in the book didn't mesh with some of the actions he takes, including what seems to be a forced and hurried love story with Danni put in place more as a plot device than as character development.
None of these questions kept me from enjoying the work, however. I did find it quite entertaining and would definitely look forward to reading works from this author in the future as he progresses through his career.
"The Burning Time" is a classic good v. evil tale that pits one lone wandering white magician against the Trickster of folklore. In this re-telling, the Trickster sets up shop in a small, rural New York town with the purpose of concentrating enough negative energies to call forth the ancient gods.
I found the story at first to be very intriguing, seeing how the townspeople were initially slowly and methodically brainwashed and brought into his power. The timing of which coincided with the arrival of the white magician, John Root and his befriending of a young man named Mitch and his sister, Danni. Shortly after this, however, the book took a more base turn that moved it out of the realm of a classic psychological to a more crass horror novel. Extremely graphic imagery and language abounds as the town descends into chaos before the inevitable conclusion.
There were many good points in the novel. It is very fast paced and makes for a quick read and the overall plot and writing is well done, even if the general story had been attempted many times before. My only real critiques would be the fact that some background characters start developing side plots that seem to be abandoned but would have helped give the town much more flavor and I am still confused about John Root's age and origins. We are told that he had a family at one point, but the timeline set forth in the book didn't mesh with some of the actions he takes, including what seems to be a forced and hurried love story with Danni put in place more as a plot device than as character development.
None of these questions kept me from enjoying the work, however. I did find it quite entertaining and would definitely look forward to reading works from this author in the future as he progresses through his career.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2013
I greatly enjoyed J.G. Faherty's Cemetery Club, so when the author approached me to read his latest I was rather excited and I was not let down.
The Burning Time starts out as somewhat of a mystery as the reader is introduced to several characters as they enter the town of Hastings Mills. The town's new priest Cyrus Christian, a young man known for causing a bit of mischief who once lived in Hastings Mills, Billy Ray Capshaw and the silver haired newcomer John Root. We also meet and get to know various townspeople, such as Marge Chilton, owner of the Chilton Arms, Mitch and Danni Anderson, a brother and sister who have been left on their own due to the death of their parents and the town's sheriff Chief Showalter who definitely seems to enjoy his position of authority...maybe a little too much. Now I mentioned a mystery revolving around these characters, didn't I? Well, there is an evil in town and, like all, tales of evil, there is also someone in the town who is there to fight the evil. The question is figuring out who is who and how does the rest of the town react to these two people and what is happening in their town.
Eventually, we do learn the names of the two people who are going up against each other and the rest of The Burning Time is spent learning what will happen if the evil is not vanquished and how he/she will be defeated in order to save the town. The story progresses at a fairly quick pace and keeps the reader engaged wanting to know what will happen next and how.
I do not want to go into any more detail because The Burning Time is a tale that keeps the reader wanting more just by the sheer detail and description given as the story unfolds. A definite read for anyone who enjoys a fun yarn of good vs evil.
The Burning Time starts out as somewhat of a mystery as the reader is introduced to several characters as they enter the town of Hastings Mills. The town's new priest Cyrus Christian, a young man known for causing a bit of mischief who once lived in Hastings Mills, Billy Ray Capshaw and the silver haired newcomer John Root. We also meet and get to know various townspeople, such as Marge Chilton, owner of the Chilton Arms, Mitch and Danni Anderson, a brother and sister who have been left on their own due to the death of their parents and the town's sheriff Chief Showalter who definitely seems to enjoy his position of authority...maybe a little too much. Now I mentioned a mystery revolving around these characters, didn't I? Well, there is an evil in town and, like all, tales of evil, there is also someone in the town who is there to fight the evil. The question is figuring out who is who and how does the rest of the town react to these two people and what is happening in their town.
Eventually, we do learn the names of the two people who are going up against each other and the rest of The Burning Time is spent learning what will happen if the evil is not vanquished and how he/she will be defeated in order to save the town. The story progresses at a fairly quick pace and keeps the reader engaged wanting to know what will happen next and how.
I do not want to go into any more detail because The Burning Time is a tale that keeps the reader wanting more just by the sheer detail and description given as the story unfolds. A definite read for anyone who enjoys a fun yarn of good vs evil.
April 11, 2013
Disclosure: I was given this book for free as part of the ARC giveaway program.
I liked the concept behind this book. The problem though, is in the execution. This was not a well-written book. The good versus evil and Cthulhu mythos was a great concept. It's interesting to see how good battles against evil time and again.
There were many problems with pacing, time gaps, and other unbelievable aspects in the story though. Continuity is a continued problem throughout. For example, there is no realistic measure of time (ex: a four mile walk in 100+ degree heat takes under an hour? Not possible). There is little follow through on any action (ex: girls are killing themselves unexpectedly, but there's little follow up on what's going on with that scenario and only a slight connection to how it's related to the story line overall). Pacing rushes through and then dies off unexpectedly.
The main characters go through a whirlwind of emotions in a matter of seconds. There is little dedication put into character development which makes all of their decisions seem illogical and "off" throughout the story. Even knowing that there is an evil force pulling on the characters to make them behave in certain ways, when they are reacting and interacting of their own volition, that's where there are problems.
One of the biggest problems I had, was the love story as a sub-plot and theme. It was an unbelievable theme, much too predictable and wasn't strong enough to carry the plot the way it was meant.
Overall, this story is not good. The writing isn't good and the story line isn't very strong or engrossing.
I liked the concept behind this book. The problem though, is in the execution. This was not a well-written book. The good versus evil and Cthulhu mythos was a great concept. It's interesting to see how good battles against evil time and again.
There were many problems with pacing, time gaps, and other unbelievable aspects in the story though. Continuity is a continued problem throughout. For example, there is no realistic measure of time (ex: a four mile walk in 100+ degree heat takes under an hour? Not possible). There is little follow through on any action (ex: girls are killing themselves unexpectedly, but there's little follow up on what's going on with that scenario and only a slight connection to how it's related to the story line overall). Pacing rushes through and then dies off unexpectedly.
The main characters go through a whirlwind of emotions in a matter of seconds. There is little dedication put into character development which makes all of their decisions seem illogical and "off" throughout the story. Even knowing that there is an evil force pulling on the characters to make them behave in certain ways, when they are reacting and interacting of their own volition, that's where there are problems.
One of the biggest problems I had, was the love story as a sub-plot and theme. It was an unbelievable theme, much too predictable and wasn't strong enough to carry the plot the way it was meant.
Overall, this story is not good. The writing isn't good and the story line isn't very strong or engrossing.
January 19, 2017
Chapter by chapter the book became annoying and cliche. I just had to do a big eye roll at one chapter in which the officers get a call that a new comer into town was seen taking a boy to his hotel room and coming out 20 mins later. What is their first thought of this? "Do you think he's the one who has been killing all those young ladies?" (not an actual quote). WTF? He wasn't even in town when the first murder happened! AND, why would you suspect him of killing girls (teens and older it seems) over the fact that he took a child to his hotel. Shouldn't your first thought be...child molestation? After the run in with the police, the next day our character finds that everyone in town thinks he's a child molester or the murderer of all those teen girls. So what does he do? When a beautiful teen girl comes in asking him out of 20 plus men from her small town, to help with her car he says yes. When she offer's him a ride he jumps on in with the whole world watching knowing that no one will be around when she drops him off. And when she comes up dead he's just shocked by it all. Ummm...they have already told you they suspect you of the killings of teenage girls...why are you driving around in the car of a teenage girl...*sigh*...and it continues...all for the sake of moving the plot along that is. This book is filled with little things of this sort.
The good part is that the general idea is really good and the writing style is not bad at all. Just so many eye rolls throughout the whole mess.
The good part is that the general idea is really good and the writing style is not bad at all. Just so many eye rolls throughout the whole mess.
March 8, 2013
This book made me think of Stephen King or Dean Koontz. In fact, Stephen King is mentioned once in the story, so I'm thinking the author must be a fan! This is a fairly short, intense, strange, and thrilling read! The book starts right off the bat with strange things happening and people dying, and it drew me right in!
I was a little confused at the beginning, but I was up to speed pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the MC, John Root, and also his eventual love interest, Danni, and her little brother, Mitch. I despiced Billy Ray Capshaw, another character that seemed like a side part until the end. These four were the most fleshed out characters of the novel. The rest were all side characters, most of them victims. The main evil character, Christian (so ironic!) was not nearly as interesting as far as villains go, but he was scary!
Most of the story was either following John, battling evil, or Christian, who was creating the evil! All of the evil things and crazy incidents of the townspeople was told through their eyes, and it was just insane! The things that these normal people did to each other...it really showed the worst of humanity. In the middle of all this evil is Danni and Mitch, and they definitely show the best of humanity!
There is a lot of sex and violence, so I would definitely recommend this one for older readers! If you love a good thriller with a lot of fantasy and mythology, you will like this one!
I was a little confused at the beginning, but I was up to speed pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the MC, John Root, and also his eventual love interest, Danni, and her little brother, Mitch. I despiced Billy Ray Capshaw, another character that seemed like a side part until the end. These four were the most fleshed out characters of the novel. The rest were all side characters, most of them victims. The main evil character, Christian (so ironic!) was not nearly as interesting as far as villains go, but he was scary!
Most of the story was either following John, battling evil, or Christian, who was creating the evil! All of the evil things and crazy incidents of the townspeople was told through their eyes, and it was just insane! The things that these normal people did to each other...it really showed the worst of humanity. In the middle of all this evil is Danni and Mitch, and they definitely show the best of humanity!
There is a lot of sex and violence, so I would definitely recommend this one for older readers! If you love a good thriller with a lot of fantasy and mythology, you will like this one!
January 8, 2013
I got this book for free from LibraryThings Early Reviewer Program
This book is sorta similar to a modern day version of summoning Cthulhu, and only one man can stop it, but honestly I think that description makes the book sound way more awesome than the book actually is. The plot line was interesting, but extremely confusing, I didn't even understand what was the plot till almost half way through the book. For the fist have of the book, the writing is confusing because it switches POV to multiple people multiple time per chapter. The second half seems to do it less often, and is more understandable. Sometimes it switches POV to a random person in town, and at first i found it confusing, but further in it started to give a really nice view of the happenings in town.Two characters that had alot of POV spotlights was almost completely forgotten about for a long time. The writing is extremely detailed and graphic, there are alot of graphic details of random murders in the town. The story did not leave on a cliffhanger, but did leave room for another book to come.
*****SLIGHT SPOILERS****
I hated the love story that appeared on later in the book, it seemed to come out from no where, and all of the sudden they are both in love with each other
This book is sorta similar to a modern day version of summoning Cthulhu, and only one man can stop it, but honestly I think that description makes the book sound way more awesome than the book actually is. The plot line was interesting, but extremely confusing, I didn't even understand what was the plot till almost half way through the book. For the fist have of the book, the writing is confusing because it switches POV to multiple people multiple time per chapter. The second half seems to do it less often, and is more understandable. Sometimes it switches POV to a random person in town, and at first i found it confusing, but further in it started to give a really nice view of the happenings in town.Two characters that had alot of POV spotlights was almost completely forgotten about for a long time. The writing is extremely detailed and graphic, there are alot of graphic details of random murders in the town. The story did not leave on a cliffhanger, but did leave room for another book to come.
*****SLIGHT SPOILERS****
I hated the love story that appeared on later in the book, it seemed to come out from no where, and all of the sudden they are both in love with each other
May 25, 2013
A story of good versus evil set against a small town backdrop, The Burning Time flows well with characters that you can root for and those you can despise with equal measure. For me the only negative was the spattering of Cthulhu mythos as there wasn’t enough of it to actually justify its inclusion. That aside, this is a fast paced read and Faherty excels at bringing his characters to life (in the case of Cyrus you’ll find yourself thankful he’s only make believe because he’s not someone you would want to meet in person, not if you valued your life) and he paints an excellent picture of a small town besieged by madness as a far larger battle looms on the horizon. As for the gore that some people mention, I guess it depends where your level is set, because I didn’t find it too gory at all, but perhaps that says more about me than the story. A good read that horror fans won’t want to miss.
March 16, 2013
I am a huge fan of horror the Burning Time didn't disappoint. I loved the main character Billy Capshaw and how he wanders into town to save the day. The book was a quick read of just a few days and it was filled with plenty of plot twists and non stop horror action. The author does a good job with vivid descriptions and the horror scenes are very graphic! This author reminded me of some of my favorite authors including Brian Keene and the great late Richard Laymon. I love darker books that keep you entertained the entire time. I hope J.G. Faherty will continue the story with Billy Capshaw and write another novel! I have added J.G. Faherty to my list of authors to read!!!
March 31, 2013
I've not read a huge amount from this specific genre. But after reading this, I want to read more. This book is fun and exciting. JG does a great job of keeping you wondering what's going to happen. You want to know what will, but you don't. It's a great read.
I love the characters. JG does a great job of creating an awesome character arc and storyline that surround them. You get really invested in them and what to see what JG is going to throw at them next.
The mixing of the myths in, add another flavor to it.
This is a great book, I recommend it those that enjoy Lovecraft and this genre.
I love the characters. JG does a great job of creating an awesome character arc and storyline that surround them. You get really invested in them and what to see what JG is going to throw at them next.
The mixing of the myths in, add another flavor to it.
This is a great book, I recommend it those that enjoy Lovecraft and this genre.
January 14, 2013
Anyone who has ever read Faherty's work knows that he is a real talent. I was delighted to receive an early copy of this novel, and I liked it so much I gave it the following endorsement.
"JG Faherty has delivered a fantastic novel that will delight fans of dark fiction. Horror drips from every page, and his mastery of folklore and the Cthulhu mythos adds an air of reality to THE BURNING TIME that’s impossible to ignore. I highly recommend it."
Great book, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
"JG Faherty has delivered a fantastic novel that will delight fans of dark fiction. Horror drips from every page, and his mastery of folklore and the Cthulhu mythos adds an air of reality to THE BURNING TIME that’s impossible to ignore. I highly recommend it."
Great book, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
March 4, 2013
A supernatural thriller - Good vs Evil set in a small town in New York. When a new preacher comes to town all Hell breaks loose. People begin to die.Normal people loose their minds. The town is on the edge of complete chaos until a traveling mage comes to town To confront the Evil He and his ancestors have battled the stranger before. If you like horror stories than i highly recommend you read this book
January 19, 2013
J.G. Faherty pens "The Burning Time" in an well written, exciting plot, with extremely well developed and interesting characters. This is one book that will hook you right from the start and won't let go until your finished. I loved how the author was able to keep me guessing throughout the book, which is a rare thing to do. Highly recommended for all adult readers.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
January 25, 2013
This was a good book. I am a huge Stephen King fan, and this book had so many aspects of a King novel as to make me think that's what I was reading at times. The genre is a lot alike, except for the religious references. I was a bit confused at times because the storyline jumps so much from one POV to another, with no break in chapters.
Overall it was a good read, I did this in just a few hours. I enjoyed the concept.
Overall it was a good read, I did this in just a few hours. I enjoyed the concept.
March 6, 2013
As a fan of H. P. Lovecraft, I enjoyed the Cthulhu mythos in the book. The Burning Time was well paced, the main characters were interesting, and the story kept me engaged.
November 24, 2022
On the same day, Evil and Good arrive in a small town. Evil arrives in the form of a preacher who will contaminate the congregation and population as they help him destroy the town in return. Good arrives as a hunter of this creature disguised as a handyman, who tries to stop the fall of the town using his own magic. The book is non-stop action and a lot of fun. The cosmic horror shows up fairly early and this book will be a hit with fans. I enjoyed the pace and the characters. This is my 2nd book of Faherty's and I;ll read him again.
March 2, 2013
Disclaimer: This Kindle book was received via LibraryThing's Early Reviewer giveaway.
I'll start this one out with two points: first, I'm torn as I both like and dislike this book, and second, the reasons for point one are spoilers. As the reader will encounter those reasons within the first quarter of the book, I don't think they're large spoilers. However, spoilers are spoilers so bypass this review if you really want a clean slate.
There's a duality here as I really do like and dislike nearly everything about this book. The major characters on both sides of the great conflict each have a unique voice and Faherty does a good job at staying faithful to those voices as the characters arc. John Root takes a very active role in moving things forward and doesn't just react to developments. Cyrus Christian is playing the long game but is forceful in getting the pieces set properly across the board. However, minor characters are introduced with just as much gravitas as major characters and they're either gone before you can wonder why so much time was spent on Random Townie #26 or they disappear for chapters only to pop up and perform a single function before vanishing again. I get the appeal to empathy by providing names and motivations to everyone but it can get tedious after the initial few events.
While we are skirting the topic of realism, if Faherty is basing the tween characters on what he sees kids do in reality, there's a fierce parenting failure occurring. The young characters just seem to be mini-adults. Twelve-year-olds can be cliquish and bullying but dropping constant f-bombs? Hardly, even if you lend credence to the effects of intruding chaos.
The pacing progresses as a wave form throughout. There are times when things pick up and it's easy to burn through a few chapters with a quickness. There are also times when the dash to a pinch or conflict feels like a slog through the mud. Granted, I don't think there are too many of those but they stand out a bit in stark contrast to the well-paced chapters.
I think the thing that just really ground my gears was the stretch of believing Cyrus Christian could walk into a church in small town America with a white collar for a disguise and immediately start chanting about death and elder gods and win over nearly the entire congregation. The Cthulhu mythos is all about the slow burn, the evil working beyond our sight or understanding until it is too late and man is forced to choose between madness and oblivion. Christian comes into town, mind-whammies a church, and just has a bunch of zombies performing escalating crime sprees. Not quite the cultists I was hoping for.
In summary, I think it was a pretty average read. That's really not the slight that I fear it may sound like though. While it relies heavily on the mythos I don't think it's an accurate representative work as it misses the mark on many of the things I think make the mythos enjoyable. It's a good, quick read that has some strengths along with some trip-ups but I'd be very interested to see what Faherty can do with future works.
I'll start this one out with two points: first, I'm torn as I both like and dislike this book, and second, the reasons for point one are spoilers. As the reader will encounter those reasons within the first quarter of the book, I don't think they're large spoilers. However, spoilers are spoilers so bypass this review if you really want a clean slate.
There's a duality here as I really do like and dislike nearly everything about this book. The major characters on both sides of the great conflict each have a unique voice and Faherty does a good job at staying faithful to those voices as the characters arc. John Root takes a very active role in moving things forward and doesn't just react to developments. Cyrus Christian is playing the long game but is forceful in getting the pieces set properly across the board. However, minor characters are introduced with just as much gravitas as major characters and they're either gone before you can wonder why so much time was spent on Random Townie #26 or they disappear for chapters only to pop up and perform a single function before vanishing again. I get the appeal to empathy by providing names and motivations to everyone but it can get tedious after the initial few events.
While we are skirting the topic of realism, if Faherty is basing the tween characters on what he sees kids do in reality, there's a fierce parenting failure occurring. The young characters just seem to be mini-adults. Twelve-year-olds can be cliquish and bullying but dropping constant f-bombs? Hardly, even if you lend credence to the effects of intruding chaos.
The pacing progresses as a wave form throughout. There are times when things pick up and it's easy to burn through a few chapters with a quickness. There are also times when the dash to a pinch or conflict feels like a slog through the mud. Granted, I don't think there are too many of those but they stand out a bit in stark contrast to the well-paced chapters.
I think the thing that just really ground my gears was the stretch of believing Cyrus Christian could walk into a church in small town America with a white collar for a disguise and immediately start chanting about death and elder gods and win over nearly the entire congregation. The Cthulhu mythos is all about the slow burn, the evil working beyond our sight or understanding until it is too late and man is forced to choose between madness and oblivion. Christian comes into town, mind-whammies a church, and just has a bunch of zombies performing escalating crime sprees. Not quite the cultists I was hoping for.
In summary, I think it was a pretty average read. That's really not the slight that I fear it may sound like though. While it relies heavily on the mythos I don't think it's an accurate representative work as it misses the mark on many of the things I think make the mythos enjoyable. It's a good, quick read that has some strengths along with some trip-ups but I'd be very interested to see what Faherty can do with future works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2013
Things aren't going well in Hastings Mills. The weather is unbearably hot, a man chased his wife through a street and beat her to death, women keep jumping off a bridge to their deaths and a husband who says he won't go to church is killed by his wife. Things started to change when two strangers arrived in town. One man, Reverend Cyrus Christian is collecting blood sacrifices to offer the Old Ones in his attempt to release Hell on Earth. Whatever town he goes to, evil reigns supreme and Hastings Mills may never be the same. The other stranger, John Root is the only one who can stop him but he has troubles of his own and it will not be easy keeping the elder gods from inheriting the Earth and bringing chaos in their wake.
The Burning Time by J.G. Faherty is a classic story of good versus evil in a small New England town. Fans of H.P. Lovecraft will enjoy The Burning Time because it dives deep into the Cthulhu mythos and there is an atmosphere of despair and dread that hangs in the air throughout the book. What I really enjoyed about this book was the character of John Root. John isn't your normal everyday hero. He isn't confident in himself and he doesn't really want to be who he is. He comes from a family who practiced magic and he feels his life purpose is to stop evil because that's what his mother did.
John has fought many supernatural creatures in his time and he carries all the scars with him. When he sleeps he has constant nightmares and everyday he relieves his failures. Despite his feelings he does his duty and doesn't complain about it, which is what makes him such an excellent character.
One of my favorite scenes was when John realizes that a boy he is helping looks at him as a hero. Instead of enjoying the fact that someone looks up to him, he wonders when he's going to fail and disappoint the boy. There was also a good scene where three hell hounds attacked the house that John is staying in that was very well done.
The only bad thing in this book is while the atmosphere is great, it lacks suspense because things get so bad in Hastings Mills that it feels like evil has already won. I think the theme J.G. Faherty was going for though was that no matter how bad things get, there will still be some good. You can't have good without evil and the battle will always rage on between the two. There were also two main characters that were introduced in the book that I would have liked to have seen become a bigger part of the story.
There are quite a few terrifying scenes in this book. Hastings Mills is a town where everyone is loosing their minds and there are stories within the story that were disturbing. The Burning Time is a hard-core horror story that takes a close look at a whole town that is collectively loosing its mind and it will have you shaking in fear anytime you see a stranger enter a small town.
The Burning Time by J.G. Faherty is a classic story of good versus evil in a small New England town. Fans of H.P. Lovecraft will enjoy The Burning Time because it dives deep into the Cthulhu mythos and there is an atmosphere of despair and dread that hangs in the air throughout the book. What I really enjoyed about this book was the character of John Root. John isn't your normal everyday hero. He isn't confident in himself and he doesn't really want to be who he is. He comes from a family who practiced magic and he feels his life purpose is to stop evil because that's what his mother did.
John has fought many supernatural creatures in his time and he carries all the scars with him. When he sleeps he has constant nightmares and everyday he relieves his failures. Despite his feelings he does his duty and doesn't complain about it, which is what makes him such an excellent character.
One of my favorite scenes was when John realizes that a boy he is helping looks at him as a hero. Instead of enjoying the fact that someone looks up to him, he wonders when he's going to fail and disappoint the boy. There was also a good scene where three hell hounds attacked the house that John is staying in that was very well done.
The only bad thing in this book is while the atmosphere is great, it lacks suspense because things get so bad in Hastings Mills that it feels like evil has already won. I think the theme J.G. Faherty was going for though was that no matter how bad things get, there will still be some good. You can't have good without evil and the battle will always rage on between the two. There were also two main characters that were introduced in the book that I would have liked to have seen become a bigger part of the story.
There are quite a few terrifying scenes in this book. Hastings Mills is a town where everyone is loosing their minds and there are stories within the story that were disturbing. The Burning Time is a hard-core horror story that takes a close look at a whole town that is collectively loosing its mind and it will have you shaking in fear anytime you see a stranger enter a small town.
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February 27, 2013This review is part of JG Faherty's blog tour for The Burning Time.
My Rating: 3.5/5
When the Stranger comes to town, you should probably take off for parts unknown to him. When he comes to town, all the dark and chaotic energies in the universe come out to play. Wild dogs, tempers flaring to the extreme, sinister and senseless deaths. With the body count rising, and hell coming to fruition in Hastings Mill, it looks like there will be a burning time. Only one man has a chance at stopping it. With a town set against him, will he be able to stop the Stranger from burning through Hastings Mill?
John is an interesting character. He has been around fighting evil in all entities as well as collecting lore for years. He has lost many loved ones to the Stranger in previous years. He is weary, yet dedicated to eradicating the world of the Stranger once and for all. He is flawed, yet all the more human for his flaws.
The premise of The Burning Time makes this book sound like a good read, and it does not disappoint. It reads fluidly, though I would have liked more rounding out of the characters and situations. The horror instilled although sinister and insidious, was not bone-chilling. The book is dark, though not dark throughout, there was enough "light" when it came to John and his newfound companions. As their story unfolded, you couldn't help but like Danni and Mitch.
The Stranger is pure evil and chaos. He alone will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up while reading. He is fanatical in his obsession to bring about the burning time.
All in all, The Burning Time was essentially an 'easy' read as everything unfolded. I was absorbed in the tale and didn't find the horror too overbearing. That is not to say that it wasn't dark, because it had its share of darkness and death. One would not want to go to Hastings Mill anytime soon, what with all the macabre and senseless violence happening there. Fans of horror will enjoy The Burning Time.
My Rating: 3.5/5
When the Stranger comes to town, you should probably take off for parts unknown to him. When he comes to town, all the dark and chaotic energies in the universe come out to play. Wild dogs, tempers flaring to the extreme, sinister and senseless deaths. With the body count rising, and hell coming to fruition in Hastings Mill, it looks like there will be a burning time. Only one man has a chance at stopping it. With a town set against him, will he be able to stop the Stranger from burning through Hastings Mill?
John is an interesting character. He has been around fighting evil in all entities as well as collecting lore for years. He has lost many loved ones to the Stranger in previous years. He is weary, yet dedicated to eradicating the world of the Stranger once and for all. He is flawed, yet all the more human for his flaws.
The premise of The Burning Time makes this book sound like a good read, and it does not disappoint. It reads fluidly, though I would have liked more rounding out of the characters and situations. The horror instilled although sinister and insidious, was not bone-chilling. The book is dark, though not dark throughout, there was enough "light" when it came to John and his newfound companions. As their story unfolded, you couldn't help but like Danni and Mitch.
The Stranger is pure evil and chaos. He alone will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up while reading. He is fanatical in his obsession to bring about the burning time.
All in all, The Burning Time was essentially an 'easy' read as everything unfolded. I was absorbed in the tale and didn't find the horror too overbearing. That is not to say that it wasn't dark, because it had its share of darkness and death. One would not want to go to Hastings Mill anytime soon, what with all the macabre and senseless violence happening there. Fans of horror will enjoy The Burning Time.
July 15, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Two strangers enter a small town, one is Evil disguised as a raving preacher, the other a drifter set on saving the town from the Evil. Both enter a battle of wills and magic to try to defeat the other while murder, rape and destruction are committed by people in town under the preacher's influence.
This is the third book I've read by the author and the first one that I didn't really like but hey, I didn't like all of Richard Laymon and Stephen King's books either and it never put me off picking up the next one. So it won't put me off reading more work by the author as I really enjoyed the other books I tried. The issues I had with this book were more about what I like and don't like in plot than anything that the author did. I got tired of the constant religious rants of the preacher at every church service and in the end I started to skip these parts of the book totally. Also the bits about these Gods and stuff just didn't really interest me. Other reviews have indicated that this stuff is covered in the writing of Lovecraft. Well maybe it is because I don't read Lovecraft that these parts held little interest for me and went a bit over my head. I don't know if reading Lovecraft makes a difference or not, but added to the religious rants, it just didn't hold my attention.
There were good things about the book. The sequences where the people were being killed or doing evil under the influence of the preacher were well written as always and our boy hero is very likeable. I didn't personally find any fault in the writing or the way the story was told. It was just the plot that I didn't enjoy. I think that plenty people will enjoy this horror tale so don't let my review put you off reading it.
As I said, I will continue to try other books by this author.
Two strangers enter a small town, one is Evil disguised as a raving preacher, the other a drifter set on saving the town from the Evil. Both enter a battle of wills and magic to try to defeat the other while murder, rape and destruction are committed by people in town under the preacher's influence.
This is the third book I've read by the author and the first one that I didn't really like but hey, I didn't like all of Richard Laymon and Stephen King's books either and it never put me off picking up the next one. So it won't put me off reading more work by the author as I really enjoyed the other books I tried. The issues I had with this book were more about what I like and don't like in plot than anything that the author did. I got tired of the constant religious rants of the preacher at every church service and in the end I started to skip these parts of the book totally. Also the bits about these Gods and stuff just didn't really interest me. Other reviews have indicated that this stuff is covered in the writing of Lovecraft. Well maybe it is because I don't read Lovecraft that these parts held little interest for me and went a bit over my head. I don't know if reading Lovecraft makes a difference or not, but added to the religious rants, it just didn't hold my attention.
There were good things about the book. The sequences where the people were being killed or doing evil under the influence of the preacher were well written as always and our boy hero is very likeable. I didn't personally find any fault in the writing or the way the story was told. It was just the plot that I didn't enjoy. I think that plenty people will enjoy this horror tale so don't let my review put you off reading it.
As I said, I will continue to try other books by this author.
February 4, 2013
The Burning Time presents the classic tale of good versus evil, as played out in small town America. Two strangers arrive around the same time that a string of young women from the town start committing suicide by jumping off a local bridge. One stranger is on the side of good, the other on the side of evil. Although ambiguous at first, it becomes clear pretty quickly in the book who is who. The violence in the town begins to escalate at a rapid pace, and is quite graphic at times. One could argue it is necessary, however, to show just how far the townspeople have fallen under the spell of chaos. Friends turn on each other, the police become gleefully vicious with their prisoners, and eventually random acts of violence are everywhere. The race is on to see if any of the townspeople can be saved before the town is completely destroyed.
I’m not typically into a lot of detailed violence in books, so that took away from the enjoyment for me a bit. Just as disturbing was the author’s preoccupation with messy eating habits; there was one too many descriptions of the sight or smell of folks spewing food particles while they spoke or dripping onto their shirt while they ate. Likewise the descriptions of the extreme sweating were excessive – we get that it’s unnaturally hot with the first few accounts. That said, I thought this was a good read. It was pretty fast paced and I was definitely interested in how it would end and how many characters would make it out alive. I found this book somewhat reminiscent of the The Word and the Void trilogy by Terry Brooks, also not my personal favorites but interesting reads nonetheless.
Book received free from LibraryThing for Early Reviewers.
I’m not typically into a lot of detailed violence in books, so that took away from the enjoyment for me a bit. Just as disturbing was the author’s preoccupation with messy eating habits; there was one too many descriptions of the sight or smell of folks spewing food particles while they spoke or dripping onto their shirt while they ate. Likewise the descriptions of the extreme sweating were excessive – we get that it’s unnaturally hot with the first few accounts. That said, I thought this was a good read. It was pretty fast paced and I was definitely interested in how it would end and how many characters would make it out alive. I found this book somewhat reminiscent of the The Word and the Void trilogy by Terry Brooks, also not my personal favorites but interesting reads nonetheless.
Book received free from LibraryThing for Early Reviewers.
April 2, 2013
“Fear the Stranger, people. He brings the fire that will burn your town to ashes.”
Two strangers have arrived in the town of Hastings Mills: the Reverend Cyrus Christian and John Root, itinerant collector of stories. One sows evil and the other seeks to oppose him. As hatreds seethe and passions erupt into violence, it seems the forces for good must surely be overmatched. Yet evil never understands the power of love and good may yet triumph in the end.
J.G. Faherty does a marvelous job describing the evil influence spreading through the town like a miasma, causing people to commit unthinkable and once unimaginable acts. The intensification of the evil is apparent in the escalating levels of violence in response to increasingly minimal provocation throughout the town. The descriptions of the indifferent unconcern of passersby and onlookers (if they haven’t gleefully joined the mayhem) are chillingly effective. Unfortunately the prose is not quite as strong when describing the romantic relationship that develops and is meant to be necessary for evil’s defeat. Even with that weakness, this was an enjoyable read and there were many very evocative descriptions throughout the book. The antagonist was a mixture of a typical ‘devilish’ persona and something out of Buffy the Vampire slayer (calling up his monsters from ‘below’). The manifestation of the growth of his evil influence on the people of the town was quite well done. And kudos to the author for assuming an intelligent reader by allowing the action to speak for itself rather than falling back on over-explanation.
Overall a book I would recommend to people looking for an atmospheric horror story.
Two strangers have arrived in the town of Hastings Mills: the Reverend Cyrus Christian and John Root, itinerant collector of stories. One sows evil and the other seeks to oppose him. As hatreds seethe and passions erupt into violence, it seems the forces for good must surely be overmatched. Yet evil never understands the power of love and good may yet triumph in the end.
J.G. Faherty does a marvelous job describing the evil influence spreading through the town like a miasma, causing people to commit unthinkable and once unimaginable acts. The intensification of the evil is apparent in the escalating levels of violence in response to increasingly minimal provocation throughout the town. The descriptions of the indifferent unconcern of passersby and onlookers (if they haven’t gleefully joined the mayhem) are chillingly effective. Unfortunately the prose is not quite as strong when describing the romantic relationship that develops and is meant to be necessary for evil’s defeat. Even with that weakness, this was an enjoyable read and there were many very evocative descriptions throughout the book. The antagonist was a mixture of a typical ‘devilish’ persona and something out of Buffy the Vampire slayer (calling up his monsters from ‘below’). The manifestation of the growth of his evil influence on the people of the town was quite well done. And kudos to the author for assuming an intelligent reader by allowing the action to speak for itself rather than falling back on over-explanation.
Overall a book I would recommend to people looking for an atmospheric horror story.
June 2, 2013
I was asked to read his latest work I was excited since paranormal thrillers are a favorite genre of mine. This one was particularly terrifying in it's descriptions of a person's capacity for evil and destruction. That being said it was also a great depiction of a good versus evil, one of the best I've read.
The "good" characters were strong in their depictions of humanity and the willingness to fight evil, and the "evil" character was just blessedly evil. I loved it! Probably my favorite aspect of the story was the "evil" character, Cyprus Christian, a preacher who strolls into town and easily converts the otherwise peaceful "Christian" town into one who worships the evil gods of chaos, causing them to commit acts of a predatory nature: bludgeoning a husband for not taking out the garbage, a neighbour for not cutting their grass or a customer taking too long to count their change. All things most would find annoying and sometimes wish we could act out the violence in our head (Just me? Okay stay in denial!).
It was a liberating story in that while the battle was won, the war between good and evil will never be over. It is a continuous cycle that sometimes works for good or ill. It's the ever waged war that we hold within ourselves, the one that society battles daily and the one the world has yet to experience.
A definite good read, not just because it was supernatural thriller but because it describes what society would be like if chaos reigned and morals didn't exist.
November 27, 2016
I received The Burning Time from Librarything for free, In return for an honest review.
Reverend Cyrus Christian is the vessel of evil. When he comes to the town of Hasting Mills, he rings an incredible heat wave which causes the citizen's to be easily aggravated and short tempered. His evil presence emanates through town causing normally good, kind people to do outrageous things in fits of rage.
John Root is on the side of good. He has been searching for the being inside the Reverend for many years. This "trickster", as John calls it, has destroyed Johns hometown and killed many members of John's family
This is the typical battle of good vs. evil, God vs. Devil, Heaven vs. Hell that has been done many times before. J.G. Faherty does it flawlessly. He grabs your attention from the moment Cyrus, John, and a young man named Billy enter town.
There were a couple of times in my version of ebook (it may have been updated and fixed by now) that the Reverend's name was inverted (Christian Cyrus instead of Cyrus Christian). Overall, I was thrilled and enthralled by this book. If you enjoyed The Burning Time, then check out Cemetary Club also by J.G. Faherty.
Reverend Cyrus Christian is the vessel of evil. When he comes to the town of Hasting Mills, he rings an incredible heat wave which causes the citizen's to be easily aggravated and short tempered. His evil presence emanates through town causing normally good, kind people to do outrageous things in fits of rage.
John Root is on the side of good. He has been searching for the being inside the Reverend for many years. This "trickster", as John calls it, has destroyed Johns hometown and killed many members of John's family
This is the typical battle of good vs. evil, God vs. Devil, Heaven vs. Hell that has been done many times before. J.G. Faherty does it flawlessly. He grabs your attention from the moment Cyrus, John, and a young man named Billy enter town.
There were a couple of times in my version of ebook (it may have been updated and fixed by now) that the Reverend's name was inverted (Christian Cyrus instead of Cyrus Christian). Overall, I was thrilled and enthralled by this book. If you enjoyed The Burning Time, then check out Cemetary Club also by J.G. Faherty.
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