What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hidden Evil Trilogy #1
Preta's Realm: The Haunting
Drew works hard, pays his taxes, and loves his family. But when a visit from the spirit of his deceased grandfather coincides with the violent murder of two co-workers, Drew falls into a desperate spiral of delusion and betrayal until he finally faces the demons of the past, which threaten to drag him deeper into Preta's Realm.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2011
53 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
About the author
J. Thorn
168 books171 followersWant a story that’s rooted in a fundamental aspect of being human?
I believe reading dark fiction can be healing. My overriding mission is to connect with you through my art, and I hope to inspire you to do the same. I’m a word architect and driven visionary. I’m obsessed with heavy metal, horror films and technology. And I admire strong people who are not afraid to speak their mind.
I grew up in an Irish Catholic, working class family and was the first to go to college. I didn’t have expensive toys, so I used my own imagination for entertainment. And then I abused alcohol for entertainment. I spent the first thirty years of my life convincing myself I wasn’t an addict and the last ten worrying about all the potential threats the substances hid from me.
Anxiety and depression are always hiding in the corner, waiting to jump me when I start to feel happiness.
I had to break through family programming and accept the role of the black sheep. In my 30s I started writing horror and formed a heavy metal band while my family rolled their eyes, sighed and waited for the “phase” to end.
I spent years paralyzing myself with self-loathing and criticism, keeping my creativity smothered and hidden from the rest of the world. I worked a job I hated because that’s what Irish Catholic fathers do. They don’t express themselves, they pay the damn mortgage. I may have left my guilt and faith behind long ago, but the scars remain.
My creativity is my release, my therapy and my place to work through it all. I haven’t had a drink in a long time, but the anxiety and depression are always lurking. Writing novels and songs keeps it at bay. I scream over anxiety with my microphone and I turn my guitar up loud enough to drown out the whispers of self-doubt.
I hope to leave a legacy of art that will continue to entertain and enrich lives long after I’m gone. I want others to see that you don’t have to conform to the mainstream to be fulfilled.
Don’t be afraid of the dark. Embrace it.
Experience:
By the end of 2014, J. Thorn will have published over one million words and sold over 100,000 ebooks, worldwide.
J. Thorn is a Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy (Amazon Author Rank). In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror with his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King at #4 and #2 respectively. He is an official, active member of the Horror Writers Association and a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. J. is a contributor to disinformation.com and a staff writer for HeavyPlanet.net as well as a founding board member of the Author Marketing Institute.
Thorn earned a B.A. in American History from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. from Duquesne University. He has spent the last twenty years researching mysticism and the occult in colonial American history.
I believe reading dark fiction can be healing. My overriding mission is to connect with you through my art, and I hope to inspire you to do the same. I’m a word architect and driven visionary. I’m obsessed with heavy metal, horror films and technology. And I admire strong people who are not afraid to speak their mind.
I grew up in an Irish Catholic, working class family and was the first to go to college. I didn’t have expensive toys, so I used my own imagination for entertainment. And then I abused alcohol for entertainment. I spent the first thirty years of my life convincing myself I wasn’t an addict and the last ten worrying about all the potential threats the substances hid from me.
Anxiety and depression are always hiding in the corner, waiting to jump me when I start to feel happiness.
I had to break through family programming and accept the role of the black sheep. In my 30s I started writing horror and formed a heavy metal band while my family rolled their eyes, sighed and waited for the “phase” to end.
I spent years paralyzing myself with self-loathing and criticism, keeping my creativity smothered and hidden from the rest of the world. I worked a job I hated because that’s what Irish Catholic fathers do. They don’t express themselves, they pay the damn mortgage. I may have left my guilt and faith behind long ago, but the scars remain.
My creativity is my release, my therapy and my place to work through it all. I haven’t had a drink in a long time, but the anxiety and depression are always lurking. Writing novels and songs keeps it at bay. I scream over anxiety with my microphone and I turn my guitar up loud enough to drown out the whispers of self-doubt.
I hope to leave a legacy of art that will continue to entertain and enrich lives long after I’m gone. I want others to see that you don’t have to conform to the mainstream to be fulfilled.
Don’t be afraid of the dark. Embrace it.
Experience:
By the end of 2014, J. Thorn will have published over one million words and sold over 100,000 ebooks, worldwide.
J. Thorn is a Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy (Amazon Author Rank). In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror with his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King at #4 and #2 respectively. He is an official, active member of the Horror Writers Association and a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. J. is a contributor to disinformation.com and a staff writer for HeavyPlanet.net as well as a founding board member of the Author Marketing Institute.
Thorn earned a B.A. in American History from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. from Duquesne University. He has spent the last twenty years researching mysticism and the occult in colonial American history.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 31, 2014
Book Info: Genre: Horror
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of horror
Trigger Warnings: Murder, rape, adultery, betrayal by a best friend, demons
My Thoughts: I had a couple of books by this author I’d picked up on my own about the same time he noticed me and offered me this one, which is why the sudden J. Thorn-fest in my review log. It seems his work wanders all over the place: different genres, different ideas. Which I think is great, of course. No sense pegging yourself into a single hole and getting stuck there, right?
There were aspects of this story that reminded me somewhat of The Shining; not to say that this story is anything like The Shining, just that there were aspects that make me think of it, where Drew, who has had a previous breakdown, suddenly starts to sort of snap, get weird, and hear voices. It led to a sort of creeping horror that was very effective.
I was interested to learn that a Preta is a demon of sorts in Hindu mythology. These sorts of stories particularly interest me, especially with the tie-in to the Japanese gakil. I wish we have been given additional information on the Preta, but I suppose adding more would have made it an infodump. I will simply have to take the time and do the research myself. Anyway, I was particularly interested in the different points of view of the story told by Drew’s grandfather and by Mashoka.
I also enjoyed the minor tie-in with The Seventh Seal (link to review here if you’re reading this where links work), and the bit of meta-fiction where Thorn writes himself in as the singer in a rock-and-roll band. Well, I think it’s actually supposed to be a grunge or heavy-metal band, but you know what I mean. Edit: J. Thorn actually does sing with the band Threefold Law; how cool is that?
If you like horror, be sure to pick up this book (and The Seventh Seal). I don’t believe you need to read the two books in any particular order, but they do tie together. Now, keep reading for my comments on the bonus short story!
Bonus Short Story Retrograde: A short story featuring a vampire, a little girl, savages and what happens when two worlds collide. Chilling, beautifully evocative, with an ending that made me say “uh-oh.” Wonderful. Watch for my review of Reversion: Portal Arcane I later this weekend.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I provided in October, 2012. In February 2013 I edited this book for re-release.
Synopsis (from the flap): Drew works hard, pays his taxes, and loves his family. But when a visit from the spirit of his deceased grandfather coincides with the violent murder of two co-workers, Drew falls into a desperate spiral of delusion and betrayal as the demons of the past drag him into Preta's Realm.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of horror
Trigger Warnings: Murder, rape, adultery, betrayal by a best friend, demons
My Thoughts: I had a couple of books by this author I’d picked up on my own about the same time he noticed me and offered me this one, which is why the sudden J. Thorn-fest in my review log. It seems his work wanders all over the place: different genres, different ideas. Which I think is great, of course. No sense pegging yourself into a single hole and getting stuck there, right?
There were aspects of this story that reminded me somewhat of The Shining; not to say that this story is anything like The Shining, just that there were aspects that make me think of it, where Drew, who has had a previous breakdown, suddenly starts to sort of snap, get weird, and hear voices. It led to a sort of creeping horror that was very effective.
I was interested to learn that a Preta is a demon of sorts in Hindu mythology. These sorts of stories particularly interest me, especially with the tie-in to the Japanese gakil. I wish we have been given additional information on the Preta, but I suppose adding more would have made it an infodump. I will simply have to take the time and do the research myself. Anyway, I was particularly interested in the different points of view of the story told by Drew’s grandfather and by Mashoka.
I also enjoyed the minor tie-in with The Seventh Seal (link to review here if you’re reading this where links work), and the bit of meta-fiction where Thorn writes himself in as the singer in a rock-and-roll band. Well, I think it’s actually supposed to be a grunge or heavy-metal band, but you know what I mean. Edit: J. Thorn actually does sing with the band Threefold Law; how cool is that?
If you like horror, be sure to pick up this book (and The Seventh Seal). I don’t believe you need to read the two books in any particular order, but they do tie together. Now, keep reading for my comments on the bonus short story!
Bonus Short Story Retrograde: A short story featuring a vampire, a little girl, savages and what happens when two worlds collide. Chilling, beautifully evocative, with an ending that made me say “uh-oh.” Wonderful. Watch for my review of Reversion: Portal Arcane I later this weekend.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I provided in October, 2012. In February 2013 I edited this book for re-release.
Synopsis (from the flap): Drew works hard, pays his taxes, and loves his family. But when a visit from the spirit of his deceased grandfather coincides with the violent murder of two co-workers, Drew falls into a desperate spiral of delusion and betrayal as the demons of the past drag him into Preta's Realm.
June 8, 2012
I wrote a much longer review on Amazon for the kindle edition so I'll keep this one short. The three major areas where this book needs work are :
1) Character development : The characters are stale and lack depth. As a result I found that I could not relate to them in any way. Not much effort was put into creating descriptive characters. By the end I honestly didn't care what happened to any of them.
2) Poor back-story development : This book felt like I had been thrown into the middle of a movie. The author provides very little backstory on the characters, their lives, their intentions, their surroundings or the 'creature' itself. This ties in directly with character development. Without a descriptive back-story, the reader ends up with more questions than answers. The only reason I finished the book was the hope that some of these questions would be answered. They were not.
3) Poor use of sub-plots : There are several sub plots in this book. Most are never completed and lack description. For example, what role did the waitress at the cafe where Ravna frequents have to do with anything? Enough pages were devoted to her that it felt like she was going to have a role in the story. She doesn't. After focusing several paragraphs on her, she just vanishes from the book. Other sub plots were poorly executed and felt forced like the wife's 'secret'. It felt as if it was thrown in last minute to plug a hole in the plot. The execution of these sub plots needs quite a bit if work.
All in all it was a frustrating read. The ending left me unsatisfied, full of questions and with plenty of loose ends that are never tied up. This author has talent and potential but as for this book, the three areas mentioned above need some serious work to make this an enjoyable read and not a frustrating one. I hope the author continues to hone his skills. With some work I can foresee his books becoming a delight to read so I will take the risk and read another one of his books to see if his writing style has improved.
I can't say to give this book a pass but I can't recommend it either.
1) Character development : The characters are stale and lack depth. As a result I found that I could not relate to them in any way. Not much effort was put into creating descriptive characters. By the end I honestly didn't care what happened to any of them.
2) Poor back-story development : This book felt like I had been thrown into the middle of a movie. The author provides very little backstory on the characters, their lives, their intentions, their surroundings or the 'creature' itself. This ties in directly with character development. Without a descriptive back-story, the reader ends up with more questions than answers. The only reason I finished the book was the hope that some of these questions would be answered. They were not.
3) Poor use of sub-plots : There are several sub plots in this book. Most are never completed and lack description. For example, what role did the waitress at the cafe where Ravna frequents have to do with anything? Enough pages were devoted to her that it felt like she was going to have a role in the story. She doesn't. After focusing several paragraphs on her, she just vanishes from the book. Other sub plots were poorly executed and felt forced like the wife's 'secret'. It felt as if it was thrown in last minute to plug a hole in the plot. The execution of these sub plots needs quite a bit if work.
All in all it was a frustrating read. The ending left me unsatisfied, full of questions and with plenty of loose ends that are never tied up. This author has talent and potential but as for this book, the three areas mentioned above need some serious work to make this an enjoyable read and not a frustrating one. I hope the author continues to hone his skills. With some work I can foresee his books becoming a delight to read so I will take the risk and read another one of his books to see if his writing style has improved.
I can't say to give this book a pass but I can't recommend it either.
March 14, 2018
When certain people in his life start disappearing, Drew Green struggles to keep his mind and family intact. Something whispers to him at night; a voice of a person no longer living. It tells him of a time long past, and a curse set to haunt the bloodline. As events eventually spin out of control, Drew finds himself at the mercy of a creature that should only reside within nightmares.
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
After about a year or more of having this on my kindle and eventually forgetting about its existence, it finally caught my eye once again. What followed was a last minute read of the month - it's a short book, which I was later thankful for. Initially I didn't know what to expect, but the words akin to "disgusting" and the likes on other reviews piqued my interest. Just how bad could it be? At this point I'd say I'm pretty used to the extreme use of gore and other similar themes, so my curiosity got the better of me. My concluding opinion is that whilst involving some nasty and sensitive elements, it was largely poor in regards to story. I found myself confused most of the time, not only questioning certain plot decisions, but also of how it was paced. A scene would suddenly jump in time without it being properly conveyed, yet I'm not sure if that was supposed to be intentional or not. Either way, it came across as not entirely thought out - like Thorn rushed through the process.
I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters, nor did I understand their actions. I found Drew to be dislikeable as a person; how he treated his family was a large part of that. It was hinted throughout that he suffered from something in the past, perhaps some form of mental illness, yet it was never explained, and thus I settled into a state of aforementioned confusion whilst trying to garner what I could of the backstory. I know Ravna was a decent man in the grand scheme of things, but I didn't get a good first impression of him and unfortunately that stuck. His introduction consisted of him fantasising about a younger waitress, which I honestly found to be offputting. He referred to her as his "gothic princess", and the moment he noticed her in a colour other than black, the fantasy was apparently ruined. Clearly this information wasn't relevant in any way, shape, or form, yet it was still relayed like it was somehow crucial. The others? I don't have much to say about them, other than they lacked memorable presence.
"Preta" and "Gaki" essentially mean the same thing - "hungry ghost" - and is a supernatural being present in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion. I can't say I was familiar with the lore of this creature until I did some homework. It's a good concept - I always like when authors include their on take on weird and wonderful monsters. I did find some discomfort in Thorn's representation, but I was simply too distracted by other elements to really appreciate the depravity. The accounts of the past, told through the spirit of Drew's grandfather, honestly bored me enough that I wanted to skim over; the narrative was written in such a way that didn't pull me in, or make me care for what was happening.
If I were to detail how this could've been a better read for me, then it would go like this; the focus solely upon Drew or Ravna, with either one being fleshed out instead of the back and forth. Drew was supposed to be a devoted family man, yet I didn't see that. Ravna was supposed to be some sort of hunter, yet I felt I was merely given a brief glimpse. Of course, this is my personal opinion; plenty of others thoroughly enjoyed it as it is.
In conclusion: I originally rated this three stars, however I've retracted one to better fit my thoughts. It was a definite miss for me - I didn't like much about it other than the somewhat disturbing scenes of "Gaki".
Notable Quote:
"The 'cesspool' you mention is humanity itself. The 'gateway' is the greed, lust and insatiable suffering of humankind. You can no more rid the universe of Gaki than you can of air or water."
© Red Lace 2018
Wordpress ~ Booklikes ~ Twitter
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
After about a year or more of having this on my kindle and eventually forgetting about its existence, it finally caught my eye once again. What followed was a last minute read of the month - it's a short book, which I was later thankful for. Initially I didn't know what to expect, but the words akin to "disgusting" and the likes on other reviews piqued my interest. Just how bad could it be? At this point I'd say I'm pretty used to the extreme use of gore and other similar themes, so my curiosity got the better of me. My concluding opinion is that whilst involving some nasty and sensitive elements, it was largely poor in regards to story. I found myself confused most of the time, not only questioning certain plot decisions, but also of how it was paced. A scene would suddenly jump in time without it being properly conveyed, yet I'm not sure if that was supposed to be intentional or not. Either way, it came across as not entirely thought out - like Thorn rushed through the process.
I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters, nor did I understand their actions. I found Drew to be dislikeable as a person; how he treated his family was a large part of that. It was hinted throughout that he suffered from something in the past, perhaps some form of mental illness, yet it was never explained, and thus I settled into a state of aforementioned confusion whilst trying to garner what I could of the backstory. I know Ravna was a decent man in the grand scheme of things, but I didn't get a good first impression of him and unfortunately that stuck. His introduction consisted of him fantasising about a younger waitress, which I honestly found to be offputting. He referred to her as his "gothic princess", and the moment he noticed her in a colour other than black, the fantasy was apparently ruined. Clearly this information wasn't relevant in any way, shape, or form, yet it was still relayed like it was somehow crucial. The others? I don't have much to say about them, other than they lacked memorable presence.
"Preta" and "Gaki" essentially mean the same thing - "hungry ghost" - and is a supernatural being present in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion. I can't say I was familiar with the lore of this creature until I did some homework. It's a good concept - I always like when authors include their on take on weird and wonderful monsters. I did find some discomfort in Thorn's representation, but I was simply too distracted by other elements to really appreciate the depravity. The accounts of the past, told through the spirit of Drew's grandfather, honestly bored me enough that I wanted to skim over; the narrative was written in such a way that didn't pull me in, or make me care for what was happening.
If I were to detail how this could've been a better read for me, then it would go like this; the focus solely upon Drew or Ravna, with either one being fleshed out instead of the back and forth. Drew was supposed to be a devoted family man, yet I didn't see that. Ravna was supposed to be some sort of hunter, yet I felt I was merely given a brief glimpse. Of course, this is my personal opinion; plenty of others thoroughly enjoyed it as it is.
In conclusion: I originally rated this three stars, however I've retracted one to better fit my thoughts. It was a definite miss for me - I didn't like much about it other than the somewhat disturbing scenes of "Gaki".
Notable Quote:
"The 'cesspool' you mention is humanity itself. The 'gateway' is the greed, lust and insatiable suffering of humankind. You can no more rid the universe of Gaki than you can of air or water."
© Red Lace 2018
Wordpress ~ Booklikes ~ Twitter
December 3, 2012
I wasn't too sure where this was going when it started and I wasn't really sure that I was going to like it. But, I had promised the author a review and I rarely quit reading something once I've started anyway so I stuck with it and I'm glad that I did.
Preta's Realm isn't the best thing that I've ever come across, but it's a tale that grabs you once it gets going and if it doesn't really pour on the frightening moments, it definitely delivers on gore and tension. Not for the weak of stomach, J. Thorn has filled this short novel to the brim with nauseating, disgusting imagary, brutal murders and sexual encounters, and an unhealthy dosage of violence. Everything that a good shock novel should have.
My main problem with the novel is that I truly disliked the main character from the beginning. I thought that he was an ass from page one on, so I really didn't feel any sympathy towards him when the crap (almost literally) began to hit the fan.
Overall, I found this to be an entertaining, fast-paced read and would give further material from J. Thorn a shot in the future.
Preta's Realm isn't the best thing that I've ever come across, but it's a tale that grabs you once it gets going and if it doesn't really pour on the frightening moments, it definitely delivers on gore and tension. Not for the weak of stomach, J. Thorn has filled this short novel to the brim with nauseating, disgusting imagary, brutal murders and sexual encounters, and an unhealthy dosage of violence. Everything that a good shock novel should have.
My main problem with the novel is that I truly disliked the main character from the beginning. I thought that he was an ass from page one on, so I really didn't feel any sympathy towards him when the crap (almost literally) began to hit the fan.
Overall, I found this to be an entertaining, fast-paced read and would give further material from J. Thorn a shot in the future.
November 5, 2012
I liked the book enough to finish it but can't say I'd read it again or recommmend it to anyone I know. It was full of gems like, "The key felt loose in the lock, like an old prostitute" but at the same time, for every review that said this book kept them up at night and was the scariest they had read... seriously? This is why I give it 3 stars- I didn't HATE it but I wouldn't read it again.
Before I launch into spoilers, this seems like a horror book for people who like saucy sex in their books. The horror is more raunch than spine tingling. It is a really good idea (Gaki is disgusting and vile- really great villain), but I think it suffers from poor editing. There were jumpy and unclear spots, and a lot of places where I was asked to supsend disbelief (not in the supernatural bits but in the real-life bits, details in the spoiler).
I would like to preface my complaints with this: I do not intend to imply this author cannot write a story- if I felt this way, I would not have finished the book. I feel a better editor would have been able to point these confusing/redundant pieces out to the author and have them rectified. However, I do think anyone who finds it interesting from the description or the sample chapter from Amazon should pick it up because one reviewer should not dictate what you read.
SPOILERS (as I explain my gripes)!
Before I launch into spoilers, this seems like a horror book for people who like saucy sex in their books. The horror is more raunch than spine tingling. It is a really good idea (Gaki is disgusting and vile- really great villain), but I think it suffers from poor editing. There were jumpy and unclear spots, and a lot of places where I was asked to supsend disbelief (not in the supernatural bits but in the real-life bits, details in the spoiler).
I would like to preface my complaints with this: I do not intend to imply this author cannot write a story- if I felt this way, I would not have finished the book. I feel a better editor would have been able to point these confusing/redundant pieces out to the author and have them rectified. However, I do think anyone who finds it interesting from the description or the sample chapter from Amazon should pick it up because one reviewer should not dictate what you read.
SPOILERS (as I explain my gripes)!
March 2, 2014
So, Amazon rated this author in the catagory of "A top 100 Horror Author, Amazon Rank 2013".
So it begs to be asked........WE'RE YA'LL DRUNK, cause the book is boring, character is boring and the demon/monster Gaki/Preta when retelling his tales ..............BORING.
Really the only "horror" part of this book is that I was insanely stupid to finish reading it.
No more of this authors thorny dumb, boring books.
Sorry Mr. Thorn, Im sure there are others who enjoyed your book, but I wasnt one of them.
uughhhh
R
So it begs to be asked........WE'RE YA'LL DRUNK, cause the book is boring, character is boring and the demon/monster Gaki/Preta when retelling his tales ..............BORING.
Really the only "horror" part of this book is that I was insanely stupid to finish reading it.
No more of this authors thorny dumb, boring books.
Sorry Mr. Thorn, Im sure there are others who enjoyed your book, but I wasnt one of them.
uughhhh
R
July 1, 2014
If you go by the afterword that J. Thorn includes in this novel, he comes across as a quality type of person who legitimately cares what his readers think and wants to hear back from them. Which only makes this review harder to write, because Preta's Realm: The Haunting is not a particularly good novel.
Though it starts well enough with the banter between main protagonist Drew and his best friend Brian ringing authentically and establishing their solid friendship, it does not take long before Thorn throws the first of numerous curve balls into the mix, choosing to relate Drew's grandfather's POV of long ago events in the form of a first person narrative whispered to Drew while he sleeps. (Why not show the dream rather than tell it?) Then a strange alternative character is introduced who is never well explained or even described in adequate detail - yet it soon becomes apparent he's the eventual hero of the piece (though is offered little to no backstory and seems to be overly concerned about whether he's able to get in the pants of any young attractive thing he comes across). Eventually, as Drew becomes increasingly possessed (for want of a better description), and various ulterior motives are revealed about the others in his life, it's difficult to identify a single likeable or engaging character. As such, the care-factor fades away ...
Thorn's prose is well constructed and flows well. The issues with Preta's Realm are most definitely not technical. Instead they're inherent in the execution of the story and the array of unlikeable characters the reader is expected to empathise with.
This is apparently the first in a trilogy of novels focusing on the supernatural threat detailed here. Perhaps the latter novels are better. Sorry to say, I won't be finding out first hand, though I may seek out some of Thorn's other works to see if this was a one-off "not for me" read.
2 Fecal-Devouring Grey Devils for Preta's Realm: The Haunting.
Though it starts well enough with the banter between main protagonist Drew and his best friend Brian ringing authentically and establishing their solid friendship, it does not take long before Thorn throws the first of numerous curve balls into the mix, choosing to relate Drew's grandfather's POV of long ago events in the form of a first person narrative whispered to Drew while he sleeps. (Why not show the dream rather than tell it?) Then a strange alternative character is introduced who is never well explained or even described in adequate detail - yet it soon becomes apparent he's the eventual hero of the piece (though is offered little to no backstory and seems to be overly concerned about whether he's able to get in the pants of any young attractive thing he comes across). Eventually, as Drew becomes increasingly possessed (for want of a better description), and various ulterior motives are revealed about the others in his life, it's difficult to identify a single likeable or engaging character. As such, the care-factor fades away ...
Thorn's prose is well constructed and flows well. The issues with Preta's Realm are most definitely not technical. Instead they're inherent in the execution of the story and the array of unlikeable characters the reader is expected to empathise with.
This is apparently the first in a trilogy of novels focusing on the supernatural threat detailed here. Perhaps the latter novels are better. Sorry to say, I won't be finding out first hand, though I may seek out some of Thorn's other works to see if this was a one-off "not for me" read.
2 Fecal-Devouring Grey Devils for Preta's Realm: The Haunting.
August 28, 2012
Horribly depressing and disturbing in that sense that something isn't quite right, the story is horrifying and unrelenting in its brutality without a saving grace. It reminds me of the movie "Seven" without the amazing acting, so utterly in your face you try to turn away and yet come back hoping it doesn't end the way you know it will.
April 4, 2013
Sadly disappointing.
I kept asking myself "Who are these people? "
The beginning was good. The ending I think might have been a good one, if I could figure out what & why between the beginning & end.
I kept asking myself "Who are these people? "
The beginning was good. The ending I think might have been a good one, if I could figure out what & why between the beginning & end.
June 28, 2016
Nunca había escuchado de los Gaki, demonio japonés. Original, con escenas violentas y gore.
October 16, 2017
There's no doubt in my mind that J. Thorn can write. Preta's Realm had a lot of the concrete detail and language of a seasoned pro that kept me reading to the end. But for me, the plot and characters weren't up to snuff. There were some parts that I felt unnecessary (the protagonist's grandfather's spirit visiting him when there's a subplot that tells essentially the same story the spirit tells) or unexplained (explosions, a certain murder), and that kind of did the book in for me. Good concept; not-so-strong execution.
December 8, 2021
Okay
This was an okay book. Was interesting but I really didn't like the ending. It's a demon possession on a man named Drew. Drew came about this possession through his grandfather.
Also beware of the racist remarks in this book. I know it's a story that goes back to Vietnam but could've changed the wording.
I really don't recommend this book because it's really not a haunting but a possession.
This was an okay book. Was interesting but I really didn't like the ending. It's a demon possession on a man named Drew. Drew came about this possession through his grandfather.
Also beware of the racist remarks in this book. I know it's a story that goes back to Vietnam but could've changed the wording.
I really don't recommend this book because it's really not a haunting but a possession.
November 13, 2017
Where Evil Dwells
Preta’s Realm tells a harrowing tale of evil which knows no end. Evil that is about to drop itself all over Drew Green and his unsuspecting family. This author’s descriptions will make you want to squirm in your seat and even possibly lose your lunch. Well written horror!
Preta’s Realm tells a harrowing tale of evil which knows no end. Evil that is about to drop itself all over Drew Green and his unsuspecting family. This author’s descriptions will make you want to squirm in your seat and even possibly lose your lunch. Well written horror!
March 25, 2018
To be clear, I never finished this book. I got to a point where the protagonist was being emotionally abusive to his wife (which I'm sure is related to some type of evil possession - it's not really his fault type of story line) and I just had no interest in continuing reading it.
July 10, 2018
One of the few horror novels that gave me nightmares.
October 22, 2013
When a horror book opens up with a “your mama joke”…you’re going to double check the title and genre just to make sure that you are legitimately reading the book that you thought you bought.
At least that’s what I did!
Preta’s Realm is unlike anything I've ever read before.
It was morbidly funny, while being downright scary at times, but over all I thoroughly enjoyed learning about something that I never knew existed until now-Pretas.
The mother fucking Preta in this story kept me up late last night while I finished off the first book in the Hidden Evil Trilogy.
No joke. I was freaking the hell out and wanting to bathe myself in Lysol!
What’s a Preta you may wonder…well brace yourselves folks.
Shit is about to get real.
Literally.
Via Wikipedia:
Pretas are believed to have been false, corrupted, compulsive, deceitful, jealous or greedy people in a previous life. As a result of their karma, they are afflicted with an insatiable hunger for a particular substance or object. Traditionally, this is something repugnant or humiliating, such as human corpses or feces, though in more recent stories, it can be anything, however bizarre.
In Preta’s Realm, it’s feces.
Fresh human shit and every time it was referenced I gagged.
So.fucking.gross.
Anyways, you come about meeting the Preta in this tale, aka Gaki, when the narrator of the book, Drew, finds out that he’s inherited a curse from his deceased Grandfather.
Drew’s Grandfather was a solider during the Vietnam War and after murdering countless lives, he happens upon Gaki, while scoping out a cave in the jungle ridden land of Vietnam.
This is where the tale first took a sharp turn for me.
If I found a grey skinned, fat bellied monster thingamajig with an elongated neck, and eating recently dispelled shit; I'd yell "NOPE" as loud as I could and get the fuck out of there.
Obviously Drew's Grandfather does the complete opposite and instead has some chai tea (not really but why the fuck not) with the Monster made of Nightmares and surprisingly (heavy on the sarcasm there) is bestowed a lovely parting gift, from Gaki, of insatiable greed.
Grandpa relates his tale of living in five years of peace until his greedy appetite kicked in to Drew through a ghostly form? This wasn't explained very well in the book, and honestly left me quite confused, but hey you can't win them all right?
NOPE.
So Drew finds out that his Grandfather was still indebted to Gaki when he died, and that he's the next one to have the curse consume him.
Although greed isn't Drew's clutch...
Drew's vice is sex.
Raunchy.
Borderline rapey sex.
And is something that I did NOT expect out of this book!!!
J. Thorn did a great job, in my opinion, of showing how male writers can bring their A-game to the table when it comes to writing intimate scenes in novels.
This Dirty Little Birdie loved it!
Drew of course tries to fight the inevitable, but Preta's do NOT fuck around and by halfway through the book, Drew is coo-coo for cocoa puffs. I finished out Drew's demise around one in the morning and for the life of me I could not get the mental image of Gaki eating shit out of my head.
That thing seriously FREAKED me the fuck out.
NOPE
And while I really enjoyed the majority of this book I did think that it had a few hiccups that should have been addressed or left out all together.
Here is my biggest issue with this novel.
Ravna.
This guy is a Hunter although it never is specifically stated what he hunts. I wish that there was more of a back story for him because I was intrigued by his situation, but when he was introduced, something just didn't click. Then again he could have a back story somewhere else and I have yet to find my way to it, but as a newbie to J. Thorn's novels, I was a tad confused about some characters and scenarios that arose through out The Haunting.
Preta's Realm is NOT for the faint of heart.
It is gory.
It is scary.
Disgusting in parts, but overall I'd recommend it to those of you who enjoy taking a step into the darker world of literature, and letting your mind explore the monsters and creatures from other parts of the world.
Solid 3 stars from me and I intend on continuing with the series in order to find out if a certain someone is caught!
Til next time!
-B
At least that’s what I did!
Preta’s Realm is unlike anything I've ever read before.
It was morbidly funny, while being downright scary at times, but over all I thoroughly enjoyed learning about something that I never knew existed until now-Pretas.
The mother fucking Preta in this story kept me up late last night while I finished off the first book in the Hidden Evil Trilogy.
No joke. I was freaking the hell out and wanting to bathe myself in Lysol!
What’s a Preta you may wonder…well brace yourselves folks.
Shit is about to get real.
Literally.
Via Wikipedia:
Pretas are believed to have been false, corrupted, compulsive, deceitful, jealous or greedy people in a previous life. As a result of their karma, they are afflicted with an insatiable hunger for a particular substance or object. Traditionally, this is something repugnant or humiliating, such as human corpses or feces, though in more recent stories, it can be anything, however bizarre.
In Preta’s Realm, it’s feces.
Fresh human shit and every time it was referenced I gagged.
So.fucking.gross.
Anyways, you come about meeting the Preta in this tale, aka Gaki, when the narrator of the book, Drew, finds out that he’s inherited a curse from his deceased Grandfather.
Drew’s Grandfather was a solider during the Vietnam War and after murdering countless lives, he happens upon Gaki, while scoping out a cave in the jungle ridden land of Vietnam.
This is where the tale first took a sharp turn for me.
If I found a grey skinned, fat bellied monster thingamajig with an elongated neck, and eating recently dispelled shit; I'd yell "NOPE" as loud as I could and get the fuck out of there.
Obviously Drew's Grandfather does the complete opposite and instead has some chai tea (not really but why the fuck not) with the Monster made of Nightmares and surprisingly (heavy on the sarcasm there) is bestowed a lovely parting gift, from Gaki, of insatiable greed.
Grandpa relates his tale of living in five years of peace until his greedy appetite kicked in to Drew through a ghostly form? This wasn't explained very well in the book, and honestly left me quite confused, but hey you can't win them all right?
NOPE.
So Drew finds out that his Grandfather was still indebted to Gaki when he died, and that he's the next one to have the curse consume him.
Although greed isn't Drew's clutch...
Drew's vice is sex.
Raunchy.
Borderline rapey sex.
And is something that I did NOT expect out of this book!!!
J. Thorn did a great job, in my opinion, of showing how male writers can bring their A-game to the table when it comes to writing intimate scenes in novels.
This Dirty Little Birdie loved it!
Drew of course tries to fight the inevitable, but Preta's do NOT fuck around and by halfway through the book, Drew is coo-coo for cocoa puffs. I finished out Drew's demise around one in the morning and for the life of me I could not get the mental image of Gaki eating shit out of my head.
That thing seriously FREAKED me the fuck out.
NOPE
And while I really enjoyed the majority of this book I did think that it had a few hiccups that should have been addressed or left out all together.
Here is my biggest issue with this novel.
Ravna.
This guy is a Hunter although it never is specifically stated what he hunts. I wish that there was more of a back story for him because I was intrigued by his situation, but when he was introduced, something just didn't click. Then again he could have a back story somewhere else and I have yet to find my way to it, but as a newbie to J. Thorn's novels, I was a tad confused about some characters and scenarios that arose through out The Haunting.
Preta's Realm is NOT for the faint of heart.
It is gory.
It is scary.
Disgusting in parts, but overall I'd recommend it to those of you who enjoy taking a step into the darker world of literature, and letting your mind explore the monsters and creatures from other parts of the world.
Solid 3 stars from me and I intend on continuing with the series in order to find out if a certain someone is caught!
Til next time!
-B
December 27, 2014
Oh man, what a big disappointment. Huge disappointment, especially because this was my pick for our book club selection this month. I believed in you!
TL;DR
The horror was fantastic, I just wish the characters weren't such blatant vehicles for the supernatural mechanic.
The only reasons it gets more than one star:
- Word crafting and world building around the supernatural element was beautiful. It's an unfiltered reflection of the horrors of war, greed and the frailty of the human psyche, which is one of my favorite subjects
- Violence and ugliness was well handled and unapologetic as it should be. There was nothing gratuitous, but enough to get an understanding of the horrifying nature of the subject
HELLO SWEETIE, THE REST OF THE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
DETAILS:
No respect for the characters. There was little development and it felt as if they were just props to deliver an interesting supernatural mechanic.
- Family seemed like an inconvenience to the MC, yet at the end I'm supposed to believe he's being selfless for them? Not believable.
- He absolutely flips his shit on his family but there's no fallout, no confrontation? Kid stares him down once, feels like there's going to be some drama then... nothing!
- Wife seems freaked out at MC behavior, then it's back to normal with no confrontation?
- Too much left unsaid regarding those interactions created complete loss of drama and purpose for those relationships (and hence those characters)
Seems like a thread was left loose
- Early in the story there is allusion to MC going through something similar before; hints at some past drama, then nothing
(When he's sitting in the car in the driveway... wife comes out, asks if he's ok, says she can't go through it again.... does he need to speak with Dr again, then no explanation. W.T.F?)
- One last mention... "I'm coming apart again"... just left me screaming "what happened?" AND furthers the fact there ought to have been more confrontation or at least some thought-sharing from the wife and what her motivation is for being there
- I love subtlety, but that wasn't subtle. It was clumsy and confusing. Don't introduce something if you're not going to bring me into it. It's reminiscent of an inside joke; I can infer a lot, but I don't really know what's going on and I feel like I either need an explanation or for you to stop wasting my time referencing something you don't want to go into
The explanation of the supernatural force lacked drama and intrigue.
- characters involved in investigating the gaki come out of nowhere
- their interest in the gaki, and their acceptance of its existence seems so matter-of-fact it's awkward and not compelling
- feels as if I'm dumped into another story. Actually, felt as if it was *their* story and MC and his issues should have come in after I met the investigators first
- Couldn't form connection to MC, investigators were more interesting and sympathetic. Why wasn't Ravna the perspective we followed from the beginning? Then I could at least have had some sympathy for Drew as a victim of a horrific thing they are trying to hunt
End felt... contrived.
- people are dead and others have moved on, THE END.
- it isn't emotionally convincing or satisfying.
- obvious setup for next book just furthers the impression that I was following the wrong person's perspective all along.
After the end I kept going back to murder #2
- seemed like strange target.
- the motivation for what's done to the females is explicitly clear, so if there's a male target there ought to be a convincing reason, but victim #2 doesn't make sense. He wasn't much of a threat or a complete jerk, so what was the trigger?
Also, author used his own name in the book.
-It was only once, but it pulled me right out of the story and *really* irritated me.
- Had a hard time getting back into it, and that felt really disrespectful to the world the author created and the time I put into it TRYING to immerse myself in it.
- You and your uber coolness are not the subject here dude, love your characters more than yourself eh?
Gave me no interest in reading the next book *whatsoever*.
That said, the author has a lot of promise and I can imagine he'll be a really good writer if he got a really good editor. I would need to forget this travesty before then if I were to ever read another of his books.
TL;DR
The horror was fantastic, I just wish the characters weren't such blatant vehicles for the supernatural mechanic.
The only reasons it gets more than one star:
- Word crafting and world building around the supernatural element was beautiful. It's an unfiltered reflection of the horrors of war, greed and the frailty of the human psyche, which is one of my favorite subjects
- Violence and ugliness was well handled and unapologetic as it should be. There was nothing gratuitous, but enough to get an understanding of the horrifying nature of the subject
HELLO SWEETIE, THE REST OF THE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
DETAILS:
No respect for the characters. There was little development and it felt as if they were just props to deliver an interesting supernatural mechanic.
- Family seemed like an inconvenience to the MC, yet at the end I'm supposed to believe he's being selfless for them? Not believable.
- He absolutely flips his shit on his family but there's no fallout, no confrontation? Kid stares him down once, feels like there's going to be some drama then... nothing!
- Wife seems freaked out at MC behavior, then it's back to normal with no confrontation?
- Too much left unsaid regarding those interactions created complete loss of drama and purpose for those relationships (and hence those characters)
Seems like a thread was left loose
- Early in the story there is allusion to MC going through something similar before; hints at some past drama, then nothing
(When he's sitting in the car in the driveway... wife comes out, asks if he's ok, says she can't go through it again.... does he need to speak with Dr again, then no explanation. W.T.F?)
- One last mention... "I'm coming apart again"... just left me screaming "what happened?" AND furthers the fact there ought to have been more confrontation or at least some thought-sharing from the wife and what her motivation is for being there
- I love subtlety, but that wasn't subtle. It was clumsy and confusing. Don't introduce something if you're not going to bring me into it. It's reminiscent of an inside joke; I can infer a lot, but I don't really know what's going on and I feel like I either need an explanation or for you to stop wasting my time referencing something you don't want to go into
The explanation of the supernatural force lacked drama and intrigue.
- characters involved in investigating the gaki come out of nowhere
- their interest in the gaki, and their acceptance of its existence seems so matter-of-fact it's awkward and not compelling
- feels as if I'm dumped into another story. Actually, felt as if it was *their* story and MC and his issues should have come in after I met the investigators first
- Couldn't form connection to MC, investigators were more interesting and sympathetic. Why wasn't Ravna the perspective we followed from the beginning? Then I could at least have had some sympathy for Drew as a victim of a horrific thing they are trying to hunt
End felt... contrived.
- people are dead and others have moved on, THE END.
- it isn't emotionally convincing or satisfying.
- obvious setup for next book just furthers the impression that I was following the wrong person's perspective all along.
After the end I kept going back to murder #2
- seemed like strange target.
- the motivation for what's done to the females is explicitly clear, so if there's a male target there ought to be a convincing reason, but victim #2 doesn't make sense. He wasn't much of a threat or a complete jerk, so what was the trigger?
Also, author used his own name in the book.
-It was only once, but it pulled me right out of the story and *really* irritated me.
- Had a hard time getting back into it, and that felt really disrespectful to the world the author created and the time I put into it TRYING to immerse myself in it.
- You and your uber coolness are not the subject here dude, love your characters more than yourself eh?
Gave me no interest in reading the next book *whatsoever*.
That said, the author has a lot of promise and I can imagine he'll be a really good writer if he got a really good editor. I would need to forget this travesty before then if I were to ever read another of his books.
October 12, 2012
Review originally featured on Bookluvrs Haven
I wasn't scared one bit. Not for a single second reading this horror novel. Grossed out.. ya, a few times. But not scared. This was a novella filled with shock value.
It was an interesting and original type of story, but I found it a little disjointed. The sequence of events seemed to be a little chaotic and didn't immediately tie in neatly. However, it all starts to tie in a bit better towards the middle. I also felt that at certain parts of the book, it seemed like I had missed a very important scene that would have explained the actions of the characters at that moment. I especially noticed this when the parallel stories of Drew, who is haunted by this demon, and Ravna, a demon hunter (? I think?) start to come together.
Drew's character was very confusing to me as well. I started reading this novel feeling very sympathetic towards him. He seemed like a loyal, loving husband who dodged the affections of a co-worker at his office due to his love for his wife. But not long after that, there are confusing scenes that distorted my perception of this guy. He treats his wife like crap one second, and is completely devoted the next. In turn she seems to take the abuse like it is a normal thing, while in the next moment she is inviting him for a quick tryst in the bedroom. They seem to be very loving and sexual with each other one moment, and the next they are a completely dysfuntional family. I couldn't pin down their relationship or their personalities, and therefore couldn't relate on the most basic of levels. I wasn't invested in a single character as none of them seemed to be consistent...
With the exception of the demon.
Gaki seemed to be the only consistent thing in this novel. But even he didn't scare me, because all I kept envisioning every time he made an appearance was Gollum. I couldn't help it!!! Even in the most shocking of scenes with this creature, I could not help but picture Gollum, and found myself giggling at the absurdity of it.
The ending left a lot to be desired. Not only am I still scratching my head on how the escape actually happened, but the very end scene cut off like the book was missing pages. It was abrupt and completely failed at satisfying me as a reader.
The book got a generous 2.5 star rating from me, based solely on the fact that though I had a lot of issues with it, I had a hard time putting this down. I admit, I liked the shock value. I wanted to know where the writer was going to take this story. I enjoyed that a villain was introduced that had roots in other religions, as opposed to the more used Christian demons. I thought that the introduction of the Gaki into the life of Drew, through his grandfather as a soldier, was original and well thought out, even though the telling of it was slightly disjointed. It was a novella that has potential to be higher rated with the use of a good editor, and had the basics to keep me riveted even through all my complaints.
*I received a eBook copy of this book for free to review from the author; this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*
I wasn't scared one bit. Not for a single second reading this horror novel. Grossed out.. ya, a few times. But not scared. This was a novella filled with shock value.
It was an interesting and original type of story, but I found it a little disjointed. The sequence of events seemed to be a little chaotic and didn't immediately tie in neatly. However, it all starts to tie in a bit better towards the middle. I also felt that at certain parts of the book, it seemed like I had missed a very important scene that would have explained the actions of the characters at that moment. I especially noticed this when the parallel stories of Drew, who is haunted by this demon, and Ravna, a demon hunter (? I think?) start to come together.
Drew's character was very confusing to me as well. I started reading this novel feeling very sympathetic towards him. He seemed like a loyal, loving husband who dodged the affections of a co-worker at his office due to his love for his wife. But not long after that, there are confusing scenes that distorted my perception of this guy. He treats his wife like crap one second, and is completely devoted the next. In turn she seems to take the abuse like it is a normal thing, while in the next moment she is inviting him for a quick tryst in the bedroom. They seem to be very loving and sexual with each other one moment, and the next they are a completely dysfuntional family. I couldn't pin down their relationship or their personalities, and therefore couldn't relate on the most basic of levels. I wasn't invested in a single character as none of them seemed to be consistent...
With the exception of the demon.
Gaki seemed to be the only consistent thing in this novel. But even he didn't scare me, because all I kept envisioning every time he made an appearance was Gollum. I couldn't help it!!! Even in the most shocking of scenes with this creature, I could not help but picture Gollum, and found myself giggling at the absurdity of it.
The ending left a lot to be desired. Not only am I still scratching my head on how the escape actually happened, but the very end scene cut off like the book was missing pages. It was abrupt and completely failed at satisfying me as a reader.
The book got a generous 2.5 star rating from me, based solely on the fact that though I had a lot of issues with it, I had a hard time putting this down. I admit, I liked the shock value. I wanted to know where the writer was going to take this story. I enjoyed that a villain was introduced that had roots in other religions, as opposed to the more used Christian demons. I thought that the introduction of the Gaki into the life of Drew, through his grandfather as a soldier, was original and well thought out, even though the telling of it was slightly disjointed. It was a novella that has potential to be higher rated with the use of a good editor, and had the basics to keep me riveted even through all my complaints.
*I received a eBook copy of this book for free to review from the author; this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*
August 27, 2014
This review was originally published on Invincible Love of Reading under Kurt's Frontier.
Synopsis:
Drew is a hardworking family man, whose life is turned upside down by a visit from the spirit of his deceased grandfather and the murder of two coworkers. Ravna is a demon hunter on the trail of a Gaki, also called a Preta, or Hungry Ghost. Drew’s grandfather was possessed by the Gaki, and now it has Drew. Ravna has to track Drew and the Gaki down before they kill again. Meanwhile, Drew is being forced to submit to the Gaki’s control.
Review:
J. Thorn’s Preta’s Realm: The Haunting takes eastern demonology and drops it into North America. The Gaki proved a formidable antagonist. While frightening in concept, the effect of the Gaki was more of suspense than fear as I read the book. The writing style itself is good and the pacing was fine. The dialogue is believable. I often say “characters drive the plot and the plot drives the story.” The character development was lacking so that it was really hard to care about the people in the story. We start off with hints of Drew being a better person, but the onset of the possession happens so quickly that the Drew the audience sees is very hard to like. Ravna doesn’t get enough development for the audience to develop feelings for him. I would call Petra’s Realm a story with untapped potential. It ends without resolution, and I am curious to see how the trilogy develops.
Synopsis:
Drew is a hardworking family man, whose life is turned upside down by a visit from the spirit of his deceased grandfather and the murder of two coworkers. Ravna is a demon hunter on the trail of a Gaki, also called a Preta, or Hungry Ghost. Drew’s grandfather was possessed by the Gaki, and now it has Drew. Ravna has to track Drew and the Gaki down before they kill again. Meanwhile, Drew is being forced to submit to the Gaki’s control.
Review:
J. Thorn’s Preta’s Realm: The Haunting takes eastern demonology and drops it into North America. The Gaki proved a formidable antagonist. While frightening in concept, the effect of the Gaki was more of suspense than fear as I read the book. The writing style itself is good and the pacing was fine. The dialogue is believable. I often say “characters drive the plot and the plot drives the story.” The character development was lacking so that it was really hard to care about the people in the story. We start off with hints of Drew being a better person, but the onset of the possession happens so quickly that the Drew the audience sees is very hard to like. Ravna doesn’t get enough development for the audience to develop feelings for him. I would call Petra’s Realm a story with untapped potential. It ends without resolution, and I am curious to see how the trilogy develops.
December 30, 2014
I didn't buy this book here; I received it as a free gift from the author for subscribing to his mailing list. The premise intrigued me, so I read it today.
At first I was thinking, what the heck...this is supposed to be horror, but it's some guy at work. But in the back of my mind I suspected that groundwork was being laid for a reason, and it turns out I was right! I was hooked from the first chapter, partially because Thorn's descriptions both made me feel as though I was there and were nicely descriptive in general, setting the scene well enough for me to picture where I was at all times.
The disgusting nature of Gaki make me never want to smell...well, you'll see what I mean when you read it...again. But the lore is wonderfully woven and I *love* how he cut it off so you have to get the next book. As a fellow author, I get it and have done it!
I can't wait to make time to move on to Book 2 of this series, and fully intend to do so. Thorn has created a dark, gritty world so at odds with the "normal" world the book started out in that I am thoroughly hooked. And that's saying something for a woman who hasn't read a piece of horror fiction - or much fiction at all, really - for a very, very long time. Well done.
At first I was thinking, what the heck...this is supposed to be horror, but it's some guy at work. But in the back of my mind I suspected that groundwork was being laid for a reason, and it turns out I was right! I was hooked from the first chapter, partially because Thorn's descriptions both made me feel as though I was there and were nicely descriptive in general, setting the scene well enough for me to picture where I was at all times.
The disgusting nature of Gaki make me never want to smell...well, you'll see what I mean when you read it...again. But the lore is wonderfully woven and I *love* how he cut it off so you have to get the next book. As a fellow author, I get it and have done it!
I can't wait to make time to move on to Book 2 of this series, and fully intend to do so. Thorn has created a dark, gritty world so at odds with the "normal" world the book started out in that I am thoroughly hooked. And that's saying something for a woman who hasn't read a piece of horror fiction - or much fiction at all, really - for a very, very long time. Well done.
May 21, 2012
I'll be honest, initially I struggled to get into this book. I had been offered the book by the author in exchange for an honest review, so having copied it onto my kindle, I sat myself down and prepared for a good read, having no real idea what it was about. As already mentioned, it was not a book that grabbed my attention straight away, but having promised I would review this, I persevered, and I am very glad I did. Preta's Realm is initially slow paced, but then gradually grabs you by the throat and does not let go. Incredibly graphic it had me screwing my face up in horror at many of the scenes, yet eagerly clicking for the next page just to see what would happen next. Not for the feint hearted, J Thorn knows exactly how to grip the reader and keep them holding on for the inevitable horrific finale, and I found myself, at random moments during the day, thinking about a scene I had read and looking forward to the moment I could get back to the story to read more. That, in my opinion, is always a sign of a good, well thought out story. I had not read anything by Mr Thorn before this, but will definitely read more of his work.
November 23, 2014
I've heard J interviewed on a couple of writers' podcasts, and have started listening to The Horror Writers Podcast which J and Richard Brown produce. This is the first book of J's I've read, the first of many, I expect.
It's a gritty book. Plenty of scenes and themes made me squirm in my seat, yet J's skillful writing kept pulling me forward. His descriptions of people, places, and things with just a few well-chosen words sparked vivid pictures in my mind. I loved his frequent heavy metal references, and his use of simile was some of the most clever I've read in a long time. A young woman smells "like incense and heartbreak", a edge creeps into a woman's voice "like smoke seeping under a door", an old cabin sits "like a rotten tooth inside a mouth of naked, spindly trees". Awesome!
I'm always up for some good monster hunting, seeing what happens when people dare to fight evil. J delivers a great battle in Preta's Realm, and he conveniently leaves a gaping hole at the end of the story, which will now suck me into the remaining two books of the trilogy. Nice work, J.
It's a gritty book. Plenty of scenes and themes made me squirm in my seat, yet J's skillful writing kept pulling me forward. His descriptions of people, places, and things with just a few well-chosen words sparked vivid pictures in my mind. I loved his frequent heavy metal references, and his use of simile was some of the most clever I've read in a long time. A young woman smells "like incense and heartbreak", a edge creeps into a woman's voice "like smoke seeping under a door", an old cabin sits "like a rotten tooth inside a mouth of naked, spindly trees". Awesome!
I'm always up for some good monster hunting, seeing what happens when people dare to fight evil. J delivers a great battle in Preta's Realm, and he conveniently leaves a gaping hole at the end of the story, which will now suck me into the remaining two books of the trilogy. Nice work, J.
October 29, 2013
At first, I wasn't even sure if I liked this book or not, but after getting into the story more, I enjoyed the journey it took me on. This is sort of like The Exorcist meet Freddie Krueger. There's a mixture of the two premises told here with a multitude of things going on, but J. Thorn did a really good job in making this story certainly his own. It's very dark and suspenseful, so much so, the reader has to continue to find out what the hell this demon is going to do next.
I love a good horror book for October, and this is one I'm glad I added. Drew was your typical go-to-work-take-care-of-the-family type of man, but was he so typical? Hmmm, Drew was fighting something much stronger than himself, and once you begin to delve into the main character's mind, his thoughts take you to a place you really don't want to linger too long. This was really a good psychological thriller. It truly does mess with the psyche a great deal. Don't read this with the lights out. LOL
I love a good horror book for October, and this is one I'm glad I added. Drew was your typical go-to-work-take-care-of-the-family type of man, but was he so typical? Hmmm, Drew was fighting something much stronger than himself, and once you begin to delve into the main character's mind, his thoughts take you to a place you really don't want to linger too long. This was really a good psychological thriller. It truly does mess with the psyche a great deal. Don't read this with the lights out. LOL
January 7, 2014
the book has promise, but it is so choppy it's hard to follow. You start with the main character, Drew. He seems ok, family man avoiding going out drinking with his work buddy Brian (who he went to college with? maybe? and maybe Brian's seeing his wife? I didn't finish, I don't know). Seems to love his family but snaps into a major d-b around his wife and kids saying cruel things.
Drew can't sleep, he gets weird emails, he talks to his grandfather's ghost who tells him about a creature that literally eats sh*t, and it's Drew's now (??). 2 of Drew's co-workers die horrid deaths, Drew may or may not be responsible. There were editing issues, in one scene, Drew is in a garage with an unnamed woman and all the sudden you read "Turn around" Brian said or something like that, which didn't help.
Even though I was confused, I would have finished but I just could taken reading anymore about a creature eating human feces and vomiting it, with vivid descriptions. ugh.
Drew can't sleep, he gets weird emails, he talks to his grandfather's ghost who tells him about a creature that literally eats sh*t, and it's Drew's now (??). 2 of Drew's co-workers die horrid deaths, Drew may or may not be responsible. There were editing issues, in one scene, Drew is in a garage with an unnamed woman and all the sudden you read "Turn around" Brian said or something like that, which didn't help.
Even though I was confused, I would have finished but I just could taken reading anymore about a creature eating human feces and vomiting it, with vivid descriptions. ugh.
August 8, 2014
First thing I will say is if you like Stephen King's writing style then you will probably like J. Thorn's. With that being said, I love Stephen King movies but sometimes his books come off on the dry side, awesome but long.
An ancient evil is continuously contaminating the human race while they sit oblivious to the terror it contains. It feeds on your greed, your fear, your hatred and you can't stop it. Gaki you must feed it to continue to survive. The only one's who can are hunters and they are few and far between. Drew had Gaki passed on to him by his father who picked it up during 'Nam and now Drew must satisfy the curse. Ravna has been searching for Gaki in hopes of stopping him, but will he be to?
I also like that he wrote himself and his band into the book. :-)
An ancient evil is continuously contaminating the human race while they sit oblivious to the terror it contains. It feeds on your greed, your fear, your hatred and you can't stop it. Gaki you must feed it to continue to survive. The only one's who can are hunters and they are few and far between. Drew had Gaki passed on to him by his father who picked it up during 'Nam and now Drew must satisfy the curse. Ravna has been searching for Gaki in hopes of stopping him, but will he be to?
I also like that he wrote himself and his band into the book. :-)
December 4, 2014
Let me start by saying I liked this book. My review may be a bit jaded, but bear with me. This book is a dark book and it is intended to be a dark, gory, kind of raunchy book. The book turned me off when Drew was talking to Brian and has a chauvinistic dialogue. Actually, Drew is a chauvinistic pig and he is the narrator for most of the book. I'm thinking that this author has an intended audience, and that audience is male. It didn't stop me from reading to the climax (no pun intended), and I enjoyed the story. The characters were pretty fleshed out, and the story had some good twists and turns. I would not recommend this book for a school library, but certainly for a public library. I'd promote it like crazy to the male patron that needs a good book.
December 8, 2013
This book has an interesting concept. I didn't care much for the stories about the hunters because the stories didn't really add much to what the book was about. I understand they had a part in the story as far as destroying the Gaki, but otherwise their stories were pretty boring. Their part in the book was pretty confusing to me since some stuff would be mentioned and then not heard of again. I'm also confused about the ending. What name was on the door and where was Drew? What actually happened? Maybe the second book can shed some light for me, but I really have no interest in reading it after being confused and slightly bored with the first one.
September 22, 2014
Umm...What can I say? The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because I finished reading the book. It's a weird rating rule with me.
The writing wasn't terrible and the author had some original ideas regarding what I'm assuming is actual Japanese legend but I just didn't give a shit about any of the characters (pun partially intended). The main characters were, at best (in the case of Ravna), cardboard and at worst (the married couple & best friend), completely unlikeable. I have the same problem with horror movies--it's hard for me to enjoy it if I don't care who lives or dies.
The writing wasn't terrible and the author had some original ideas regarding what I'm assuming is actual Japanese legend but I just didn't give a shit about any of the characters (pun partially intended). The main characters were, at best (in the case of Ravna), cardboard and at worst (the married couple & best friend), completely unlikeable. I have the same problem with horror movies--it's hard for me to enjoy it if I don't care who lives or dies.
June 5, 2016
I think my review title sums up a large part of this book.
I bought this book when it was one of the ones advertised on bookbub based on the synopsis it gave. I finished reading what I was on and then went to a new book. Since I have a kindle app, I did not know which book I was starting when I decided to read Preta's Realm. I have to say, it was indeed, a rather strange book.
I felt bad for Drew and the choices that he made to essentially save his soul (and kids).
Like someone else said, Ravna needs more back story but at the same time he was a key player to the story.
If you like creepy and a complete mind trip then I strongly suggest this book.
I bought this book when it was one of the ones advertised on bookbub based on the synopsis it gave. I finished reading what I was on and then went to a new book. Since I have a kindle app, I did not know which book I was starting when I decided to read Preta's Realm. I have to say, it was indeed, a rather strange book.
I felt bad for Drew and the choices that he made to essentially save his soul (and kids).
Like someone else said, Ravna needs more back story but at the same time he was a key player to the story.
If you like creepy and a complete mind trip then I strongly suggest this book.
Read
February 5, 2013Could not put this book down!
Don't read this book if gore, madness, gross, foul language or disturbing scenes are out of your range of reading. If you ever read John Saul, Stephen King or VC Andrews and you liked them, then buy this and every book this author writes.
This particular book is grossly engrossing. Had to say that because that's what it is. I can't put it down. The story grabs you. It is haunting and plays with your mind. There is always that wonder about who the true evil is. Just a very good thriller!
Don't read this book if gore, madness, gross, foul language or disturbing scenes are out of your range of reading. If you ever read John Saul, Stephen King or VC Andrews and you liked them, then buy this and every book this author writes.
This particular book is grossly engrossing. Had to say that because that's what it is. I can't put it down. The story grabs you. It is haunting and plays with your mind. There is always that wonder about who the true evil is. Just a very good thriller!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews