Demonic Depression

by Ross Pollitt

Drowning in sorrow,
Cloud covers mind, demon cries,
‘I am alone. Help.’

Lord Ariel, a powerful and immortal being, has depression. He doesn’t understand it, nor can he release himself from it. He craves for it to end so he can find peace.
Ariel has contracted a simple malaise, he believes. Trapped in bed, he is alone. As days turn to years, he ruminates on his myriad of atrocities. They haunt him.
When he was young, his kin cast him out. Nature gave him a home and a purpose. Ariel developed a great love and respect for the wilds. This was corrupted, and he lost the connection. In his solitary existence, he forgets some would still care for him. He must choose to accept their help and make amends with nature or be condemned to a decaying mind.
From wounded human pride, there are those who harbour hatred for Ariel. They will surely amass another army. Attacked from all sides, can Ariel become strong enough to defend his fiefdom? A shattered soul needs sanctuary, not more war.
A tale of light and all-consuming darkness…

405 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2023

About the author

Ross is a writer of necessity. Chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and anxiety ruled his life before he found something he could complete. Having nearly finished a degree in Chemistry he found he could not go on, many nights were spent thinking about his life. A natural writer from a young age, he wrote little stories inspired by small events. Then through therapy, he was forced to begin a story of himself that turned into a novel. It felt cathartic so he wrote this one. Still crippled by fatigue and mental health issues he had to storm on and continue to plug away day after day, word by word to the finished product. Ross is lucky, the nights and days spent thinking about stories while stuck in bed have proven so valuable. Now he has found what he loves and turned a hobby into the physical novel you see now. Perfection is a way off, but undeterred, the words will flow.
Poetry never really flowed the same for Ross. A group changed that. He now writes nonets daily for his Facebook and Instagram pages, thank you to the people who read them. In time Ross hopes to help others through the writing and telling of bed imaginations.

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows Lord Ariel's state of mind, delving deep into his thoughts and feelings. While he digs deep into understanding the reasons behind his depression, he writes and hums songs to push himself to complete a single task and uncovers how his friends and family are. The book is written in the present tense so readers read the narrative in real time. This is a personal pleasant way to read since nothing in the future can be foreseen and readers learn what happens at the same time as the characters. For this story, the present tense is impactful because the subject matter is raw and relatable for many. This is a heavy and lengthy read but the narrative would have been completely different if written in the past tense.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mrs Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark twisty fantasy tale. Raw and gripping.

[Lorna Hanrahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging read

The depiction of depression struck home as I suffer with this as well. Drawn into the story which was difficult at times and I cried a lot.