Cruelty: Episode One

Cruelty #1

by Edward Lorn

CRUELTY is a serial novel in ten parts.

Episode One.

On a lonely stretch of deserted Texas highway, Will Longmire breaks down. But he’s not alone.

In the dead of night, Innis Blake hits someone, or something, with her car. The figure shouldn’t be getting up. But it is.

An unstoppable force now stalks Will and Innis. And before the night is over, both strangers will know the face of Cruelty.

Forgiveness is only a few miles down the road, but safety is nowhere in sight.

Genres: Horror

53 pages, ebook

First published October 5, 2013

About the author

Edward Lorn (E. to most) is a reader, writer, and content creator. He's been writing for fun since the age of six, and writing professionally since 2011. He can be found haunting the halls of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

E. lives in Alabama with his wife and two children. He is currently working on his next novel.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Will Longmire went to a prostitute's house, he didn't think she'd kidnap him at gunpoint and he damn sure didn't think he'd see her run over by a grotesque baby doll driving a car...

Yeah, you read that right. This is one messed up little story. Cruelty is a Kindle serial novel by Edward Lorn, a self-published author who seems to do everything right. Other author-publishers take note: Having someone else edit your stuff and getting a professional do to the cover goes a long way. Being a talented writer doesn't hurt either.

This is the first episode and if the quality holds, this thing this is going to take off like a wildfire by the time its finished. A giant murdering baby doll named Cruelty is scary enough but having it call its victims mama is the icing on the creepy cake.

At the end of the tale, there's an author's note saying you're probably cursing at your ereader at the way the first episode ends. He wasn't wrong. The first episode of Cruelty is satisfying as a short story but hints at greater and gorier things to come.

If you're looking for an example of self-publishing done right, look no further. Four out of Five stars.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is short, it's Lorn being his Lorniest....it's an introduction to the series and a good one. It's violent. But the characters are still well drawn. There's the one thing here that really does creep me out....an old cracked doll. This one happens to be super sized; with a father that seems to be a sort of mechanical Dr. Frankenstein.


I know Lorn. He's a great guy and he can right damn good....I'd say go for the series...looks good, wish I had more of it (could use the wonderful distraction only he can bring--really pulls you into his stories like no other!)....but you need to be able to take some violence. Oh...and at least for now you can try this one for free--hurry, because I don't know how long that will last, stick your toes in the water--check if it's too hot before committing.

So...what are you waiting for?

oh...love the cover. Perfect.

[Nick Pageant · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 I'm sleeping with the lights on stars!

Wow! This was some creepy goodness. So creepy, in fact, that I cannot search for the appropriate gif, which would be a giant, homicidal doll! Sorry, but I'm not looking for that; I'm just going to settle, and make you settle, for the next scariest thing I can think of...



The plot of this little beauty starts off with a deaf man named William being kidnapped by a meth-addicted prostitute. The prostitute forces William down a country road at gunpoint; things aren't looking good for William until the prostitute is run over by a car being driven by a giant, fucking doll! William does the appropriate thing by skedaddling the hell out of there... but things just get worse.

The writing in this is fantastic. The prose is gorgeously disturbing, the descriptions are wittily gruesome. I loved the whole bloody mess!

P.S. Just so nobody gets confused this is just part one of a collection. I'm gonna read them all!

[Paul Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I’ll mention the fantastic covers of this 10 part series, Cruelty by Edward Lorn, designed by Elderlemon and Kealan Patrick Burke, if you check out their website, you will see some of the best book covers going and the covers for this series all look seriously creepy.

Will’s car just broke down but a bigger concern is the prostitute digging a gun into his ribs as they walk to town, he should have “headed on home for a cold shower or a rigorous coupling with Sally Palmer and her five sisters” but no he didn’t, being a typical 19 year old he wanted more. He’d got Jennifer’s address from his roommate Kirk and she was recommended, right up to the point she disappeared, crumpled as a car literally swept her away.

This sets in to action a chain of events that are simply creepy, violent and totally mesmerizing.
The car stops and the most distressing thing Will has ever seen waddles towards him, smiling.

I won’t give any more away but for something you’ll read in an hour, this feels like a hell of a lot more and at this price, you have to give Cruelty a go.

Looking at Edward’s blog, the first 5 of the series have been released individually and the last 5 will be released in one volume in September 2014, I have to say I’m on Part 3 already and am totally gripped by this, absolutely superb.

Edward Lorn writes in the style of some of my favourite authors, a prose that means you literally can’t skip a word for fear of missing out, he brings character depth to the table almost unnoticeably, you suddenly without awareness feel you know someone and you desperately need to see what happens to them. Coupled with an enthralling plot, I almost feel like I’ve stumbled onto something immense and unquestionably riveting, this is horror done exceptionally well.

It’s just damned good.

Highly recommended.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This offering by E. Lorn is typical in some ways of other stories of his that I have read. His characters--the human ones, at least--feel much as a mouse feels when a cat is staring it in the face and then begins to play with it. In the natural world, there's an explanation of why a cat toys with its prey: it is building up the level of excitement necessary for it to deliver the killing blow.

Similarly, there's a reason why the creature in this story toys with its victims; it is not simply a matter of cruelty [wordplay intentional]. There's a better reason. There just has to be. E. Lorn has explained to me that he does not have his characters perpetrate violence for no reason. We do not find out exactly why it happens here, but that's probably because this is only the beginning of the story. There are, however, disturbing hints, which will probably be further elaborated in future segments.

Is the author toying with his readers by offering this tale of terror in installments? He says he isn't, but... can we really be sure?

[Cue lurid organ music heavy on the vibrato, accompanied by evil laughter. Fade to black--the black of night!]

[Adam Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will review more thoroughly once I finish the serial, but for now I will say the first installment was very good, drawing me into the strange and creepy world Lornhas created. On to part two!

[Tony Vacation · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which we are introduced to a deaf teen kidnapped by a tweaker prostitute, a woman who picked the wrong day to find out her boyfriend is bi-curious, and the clockwork behemoth sporting a baby doll mask that wants to do terrible things to them all. A fast-paced opening act that reinvigorates the cat-and-mouse thrills of old-school slasher flicks.

[megHan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure that the people involved in this story, when they woke up that morning, had no idea that they would be meeting someone, someone that would lead to events these people will never forget. And it all happens in a small town in Texas (coincidentally, a small town that is located about an hour from my home - I think it's time to move).

The awesome cover that the author showed off on BookLikes now makes COMPLETE sense and the way it ended, leaving me wanting more, leaving me wondering if things can possibly get even worse than they are already, was perfect, especially since I know more is to come (several more episodes). To say this story freaked me out would be a total understatement. This is a DEFINITE recommend to ANYONE who loves horror!!

Note: I received a copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you dig serials, then this one is for you. I am not a fan of serials, in general, but I have been chomping at the bit for a Lorn story, so I gave this one a go on audio. As it turns out, the narration was very good and the story was even better.

Running across Cruelty on a stretch of lonely highway, two strangers, Will and Innis, are in for a wild and bloody ride on the road to Forgiveness. All they have to do is avoid the baby doll and stay alive…not as easy as it sounds…

Edward warned me in the preface that I may be a wee pissed the way this one ends in a cliffhanger. He was right. Just as this one was getting flipping crazy, it was over. Damn. That’s one way to hook you. I need to find out wtf is going on in episode two! Problem with serials though is I hope I can get to it soon enough. Solid 4 stars, possibly on the way to even more, but the serial thing might just get in the way.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loathe serials and it's only out of my high regard for Lorn (who is an excellent author and a nice guy) that I checked this out. I have to say I'm glad I did, if for no other reason than to see how serial is suppose to be done, because Episode 1 does precisely what I'd imagine a serial ought to do, leaves the reader eager for the next installment. In fact it's a kind of cruelty to create a story that compelling, a grotesque protagonist that original and terrifying and drag out a story like that. Although in all fairness the author does warn its audience in the story's preface of exactly what to expect. I have no idea whether the subsequent episodes sustain the quality (although from what I've read of Lorn it's a safe bet), but the introduction was most auspicious. Highly recommended.

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this on one of the giveaways on Booklikes. I love audiobooks and this one did not disappoint. So far I'm not a fan of serial books which this one is, but hey I gave it a try. When I started it I was a bit disappointed the narration sounded robotic, with out any feeling into the words. That changed quickly as the emotions grew more intense so did the narrator, it was very well done. I felt the horror of these people as they met with Cruelty. Oh and Cruelty what a nasty evil he is, shutter worthy. The author is evil, he fit in just about every phobia in to the story. Remember the killer dolls from Twilight Zone, the running from a hour on the road in Christine ? Well if you do the terror may be worse for you. :D Oh then lets add, dark roads, all alone with no phone, and how about some deafness so you can't hear the big bad sneak up on you ? Yep, it is in the book. Holy Burnt Toast, this author had me cringing in fearful delight. He warns you, kind of him right ? He tells you that there is no HEA, no wrap up that you will be left hanging on for the nest installment. I know, he just keeps getting more kind. He understated, my fingernails are stuck in solid rock and I'm hanging off the dang cliff. Bravo Mr. Lorn, you are truly wicked and I want more.

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruelty's Coming...

*First off, big thanks to Grimlock for graciously gifting me this audiobook! I honestly wasn't sure exactly what I was in for but I've been wanting to try some of E's books & after reading the premise of this one I knew I wanted to check it out. Cruelty had all the makings of a good slasher movie which is just what I was in the mood for. I don't know how many times I yelled RUN, just Run damn it- RUN! Of course, the characters never listen to me- to their own detriment but hey I tried to tell them. : ) I really loved the ending too. It was not what I was expecting but it left me wanting more so I definitely plan to see what Cruelty is up to next. Nice job E!

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Book source ~ Purchased on Amazon

There’s a serial killer out there and it’s name is Cruelty. But Cruelty is just the tool for the true serial killer. Who else is out there waiting for some unsuspecting stranger to cross paths with Cruelty?

This is Episode One of a 10-part serial and it starts out with a prostitute and a deaf guy walking down the road. No, really. I was like…wtf is going on here? But having read Lorn’s work before I knew this was only the benign beginning and everything was about to go to shit for the characters. I hate when I’m right.

Poor 19-yr-old Will only wants to get laid. His friend Kirk sets him up with a prostitute he happens to know to get the job done, but Will has no idea this one little decision by his small head is going to be the absolute worst one in his entire life. I’m sure there are many guys who have made those same kinds of decisions at one point or another, but for Will it means his decision puts him in the path of Cruelty.

Then there’s Innis who catches her skunk of a boyfriend cheating on her. Her heat of the moment decision to grab her dog Merlo and take off is another such bad decision that certainly didn’t seem bad at the time.

Texas State Trooper Tom Morgan is on his routine nightly patrol when the B&E call comes in. He probably figured it would be a typical call, teens causing trouble or drug addicts trying to score some cash. Little does he know…

This story is well-written and the different POVs come together to dovetail very nicely. The creepiest POV is Cruelty’s. Who wants to be in the mind of a giant baby doll serial killer? Not me. My only complaint about this story is Cruelty’s physical self. I just can’t seem to get scared enough of a giant baby doll. Yes, it is a serial killer. That part of Cruelty is definitely Depends-worthy, but maybe I’m not appropriately scared of Cruelty because baby dolls don’t creep me out. I’m not sure, but the rest of this story is creeptastic and horrifying in a Holy Shit! kind of way and don’t get me started on Cruelty’s Master. Gah! I’m hooked and can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Cookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Edward Lorn work I've read so far.

Good imagery, great pacing, creepy set up...

I was very pleased with the character Will, who is both vulnerable and conflicted. I want to continue reading to find out if he is the hero of this story. Neither of the other two Lorn books I've read have a hero, they're purely monster books. Although Cruelty is most definitely a monster, the serial nature of this series tells me that we are going to get more...that's just a paltry prediction though.

I was really surprised when Cruelty returned to his home - this is where the story took a turn from just another creepy killer to something vastly more interesting. Exciting!

[Kaisersoze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I have my reservations about novels in serialised format, Edward Lorn here does more than enough in constructing a blood-soaked homage to 80s slasher films (with an intriguing twist) to leave me chafing at the bit for more. Solid characterisations, a memorable slasher, one particularly fun kill, and a quality cliffhanger have basically added up to me shelling out $3.99 for the combined first five episodes.

Recommended for those who miss Jason Vorhees in mid-rampage.

4 Armed Toilets for Cruelty: Episode One.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

William wishes she’d point the gun another way. The strung out hooker wouldn’t get any money out of him if he was dead. The way she keeps screaming at him, it’s a wonder he can’t hear her, even though he’s deaf.

Too bad his car broke down. Now here they are. Walking down the road in the dead of night. Even if someone did come along, it’s doubtful they’d stop and offer them a ride. Especially with her waving that gun around.

Jennifer finally realizes she’s been screaming at a deaf guy and she bends over laughing. Then, she’s not. She’s gone.

Now, imagine yourself driving down the road. You’re distracted, it’s dark outside, and you glance away from the road for just a second.

Wham, you’ve hit something. Do you get out and walk over to see what it is? No way. It’s dark out there. But what if it’s a person. They could be still alive, even though it’s not likely. You plowed into it without touching your brakes.So, you open the door and go see. Oh jesus, it’s a woman, or what’s left of one.

Here’s where the story goes to the dark side. If you haven’t read any of Edward Lorn’s stories, I’ll warn you, they are gritty and in your face. Every character flaw is brought forth, bared to you in dramatic fashion. You don’t have to like them, but you will suffer with them.

The author is really good at getting you focused, really into a scene, and then. like a punch to the gut, he stops you in your tracks.

There it is. The what the…? moment when you wonder what you’ve got yourself into. Keep on reading. The real horror is waiting just around the corner.

A word about Cruelty. Yes it’s a 10 part serial novel, with a new episode releasing each month. Think about it like this. Do you have a series you love? Do you wait anxiously for the next book even though it could be months or even over a year before it’s released? With Cruelty, you know you’ll be getting a new episode in a month. Not such a long wait. Sure the ending leaves you hanging by your finger tips, but it’s well worth it. A few broken nails and bloody fingers is nothing.

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a serial story. Each installment is fairly short. There is going to be 10 parts. As of this writing there are only 3 parts out so far.

I am going to skip a summary with these because it will be too hard to not give away too much of the story.

The author points out a couple of things in his foreword. The first is that you should not assume that he is making his story a serial because he wants to get more of your money. Considering I got the first installment for free and the next two for 99 cents each, I would have to agree. But you still might be saying you will spend almost ten dollars for an ebook. I would say that if you add each installment up(assuming length stays about the same), this story will be about 1.5 to 2 times the length of your average book. So again' not a bad deal.

The second thing the author points out is that you should not expect answers(or even a real ending) with this installment. In fact, he fully expects people to be screaming in frustration when they reach the stopping point(like I said, it doesn't really end). He is right on this point. You will be hating the way the book ends because it leaves almost everything hanging.

This is a creepy story. An unstoppable killer with a doll's face would send me running. The dog shows the most common sense. There is some strong language, descriptive sexual references, and some gory scenes. So I would have to say that this book would get an R-rating. But I also don't think the book crossed any lines. Definitely not for younger readers.

[Nettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was short, but packed full of details. I had no idea that there was going to be a baby doll involved, much less, an evil baby doll. Porcelain dolls were part of my horror growing up, and Edward Lorn kind of made those fears resurface with a concise, fast-paced thriller that had me jaw-dropping at times.
The characters were believable, every last one, and that only added to my horror.
This was slick. I've read nearly everything this man has written, and this is probably my favorite. It's to-the-point horror that keeps me guessing.
I've recommended this to countless friends because it is genuinely creepy and unforgiving. To make matters worse (or technically, better), I can see everything written clearly as if I am there.
If you want a quick read that will unsettle you, get the first episode of Cruelty. If you can't take horror that makes your mind wander, then I suggest going with a lighter read. This is heavy and brief, but it keeps you on the hook.
Looking forward to Episode Two!

[Barry Simiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of E. He writes in the New Wave of Horror that is growing larger and better all the time, along with other new faves like Matthew Tait.

I was surprised by this book. To be fair, I wasn't sure I was going to like it but by about page ten i was flipping thru, wanting to know more about the mysterious Doll-thing, the people he/she/it was hunting and most of all why. Part of that answer comes at the end of Ep1, but there are more than enough questions, new and old, to have me wanting Episode 2.

E's writing is growing tighter, the old "less is more" starting to shine through. Hey, it's descriptive enough, at times a little painfully so, but there is a minimilising of words to give the most impact, no wasting time. Let's get down to bidnuss.

If you are a fan of psychological as well as graphic horror, you cannot go past this series. If Episode one is anything to go by, the rest is going to be a rollercoaster of fear that will elevate you heart-rate to uncomfortable levels.

A very GoodRead.

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with another reviewer that the less we know about the "bad guys" the better. Especially in a situation where he/it is constantly terrorizing the "good guys/gals." It may make some readers lose a certain amount of fear or suspense since they already know who's coming.

On the other hand, Edward writes his characters with such Edwardism (that's realism E. Lorn style) that their emotions seem palpable. Edward excels at this. I'm cool with this trade.

The story started off with Will, a deaf guy, going to see a prostitute. Things don't go as planned and his getaway sets the stage for the chaos that ensues as he's pursued by an enemy that should not exist.

This is a serial, but Mr. Lorn has put them out pretty darn fast.

I will definitely be reading the next one! A recommended read for fans of action, gore and dare I say B movies.

*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

www.HorrorAfterDark.com

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence with this one. The beginning of the story was slow in my opinion despite the wealth of blood and gore it dispensed. It definitely read like a TV show episode and I enjoyed that aspect but there wasn't enough detail of the setting or character description to really get me going. I could not get a picture in my head for any of the characters and this is a problem for me because I like to visualize the story as I am reading. With this criticism, I will offer some praise. The last chapter of the story was enough to get me hooked into wanting to read the next episode. I was left with a curiosity about Cruelty, Regret and Forgiveness and definitely want to know more about them. So, I suppose in the realm of a serial, mission accomplished. I will be giving episode 2 a chance and will see where things go from there before committing to anything further.

[Emma Sea]

so, this is a 10 part serial, which I do not love. But part one is free on amazon, so what the hell, I'll give it a shot. (Last time I did this I ended up paying $17 for a short novella. Stoopid ems, stoopid).

[Angela]

26 February 2014: $0.00 FREE on Kindle

[Robert Zimmermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first episode of Cruelty and I'll throw it out there that I'm not sure if I'll continue onto the next one. It wasn't poorly written or anything like that, but it all felt a bit mundane and was lacking something to hook me in. I was expecting more to the horror elements, but it didn't seem to "scare" or "shock" me. It had a "wtf, that's gross" thing going for it, for some readers, but I felt that it was telling it too much of it, not showing it. Showing would have allowed for more emotional attachment to the scenes.

Still it wasn't a total loss for me if I look at the last bit. While it might have revealed a lot early on (first of ten episodes), I felt it was the only part of the story that really grabbed my attention. I might keep on with the serial to see where it goes from here, because of the ending, but as for the other stuff, it wasn't my thing.

[Kayleigh Dyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. I got into it more around half way through. The baby-doll concept was good but I wasn't petrified by it, and I think it would have been better if we didn't know who Forgiveness was or how Cruelty was created. Maybe. I thought it made him slightly vulnerable when we found out about that, it was better when we saw him as just a killer - who was mechanical and 'clicking' all the time..that was the good part. Cruelty seemed to be intelligent - he made comments about which sculptures he liked when he got home but then all he could say was 'ma-ma'..I get that he was made that way but..I don't know. For me, that wasn't great. And I didn't think the ending was the dramatic cliff-hanger the author made it out to be.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received through Booklikes in exchange for an honest review.

This was a terrifyingly creepy story and I enjoyed every minute of it. Good descriptions and loved the multiple perspectives. There were some pretty standard horror story themes, most notably active males and fairly passive females who don't do much and die quickly, but overall it was well done.

[Silver_Neurotic · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review can be read at The Nearly Reader.

http://nearlyreader.blogspot.com/2015...

[Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

**2015 Reading Challenge W/Josh: #22 A Book That Scares You**

[Roy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Edward: Don't give up your day job.