The City of Floria has a tragic history. Something haunts its streets, something dark, something evil. For centuries, thousands of peasants and merchants have vanished without a trace, with no explanation or motive. Out of fear, the port’s inhabitants have never investigated what is happening, merely accepting this curse that plagues their city. Not until a troubled man running from his past calls the forsaken city his new home. After a brief, terrifying encounter, he must face his own demons in order to keep his sanity. Once the probing begins, and discoveries are made, he joins some new friends on a quest to solve the the mystery of The Streets of Floria.
J. B. Arnold is a thriller and horror writer who crafts his darkest tales under the bright California sun. He lives with his beautiful wife, their four children, and his most dedicated writing companion—Max, a gray tabby with impeccable taste in plot twists. When he's not exploring the shadows of the human psyche on the page, he can be found navigating the cheerful chaos of family life, proving that the best horror writers know how to balance the macabre with the mundane.
Just finished this gem of a book! First and foremost thank you J.B. Arnold for the copy in exchange for an honest review!
Take a look at this cover, guys! Fantastic job to the artist!
This gem takes place in a place called Floria, a divided area full of poverty and the rich. The author did a wonderful job of describing where everything is that you absolutely feel you are there. The details of the sights, smells and sounds made everything so easy to picture in your mind as you read his tale. Also when getting to the ending a picture of the docks for reference was an added bonus.
Taking you into the streets of Floria comes a twisted tale of something dark and morbid. Not only do you get a feeling of dread from how so many poverty stricten people loiter the streets there is an evil lurking about. Following three friends through their journey to discover the whereabouts of a missing father you also get a mystery told of what comes in the dark. The gore was mild but hit hard when it reared its head. A real page turner for sure.
So this was Arnold's debut novel, and honestly, that's incredibly impressive. Arnold is one hell of a world builder. Floria felt so real to me, I was truly transported there.
Arnold blended horror, fantasy, mystery, and even a little bit of love to create quite the literary masterpiece. It's packed with details, but it didn't make the story feel bogged down for me, which was a pleasant surprise. There is a lot of suspense, and I was eager to see exactly who or what was leading to all the mysterious disappearances. I felt like I was living through Odin, and the story even had me shedding a few tears along the way.
I greatly enjoyed this audiobook. I loved the narrators voice, I found it matched the story perfectly and was very soothing.
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
JB Arnold’s debut novel lived up to what I hoped for!
First of all, I love the way that he describes Floria and the citizens. The way it’s worded, I could picture myself in the middle of the market, just watching the peasants and merchants move about.
I did feel like Lilly and Odin’s relationship was rushed. On the other hand, the basic timeframe is set in the 1700s so it’s not too far fetched.
I’m not generally one for slow paced stories but The Streets of Floria was done quite well! I think the biggest thing that helped that was there was so much foundation and building on every aspect. I love deeper dives into the characters, history, and just having a solid thought as to understanding.
Overall, I truly loved this book! It was wonderfully written, has a solid foundation, I’m left with little questions, and there’s still room to explore a sequel.
Thank you so much to the author for gifting me The Streets of Floria to review!
Before I even get into my review, can we just take a minute to fully appreciate this cover? Because it’s perfection.
There’s a lot of detail in this story which I really appreciate. The cast of characters is definitely diverse and the story itself is so mysterious and terrifying, I couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed trying to piece together what was going on along with the characters as the streets of Floria are terrorized by a mysterious entity.
All-in-all I thought this was a pretty good read with some good horror elements as well as a little mystery.
A debut novel of dark fantasy with some romantic and supernatural aspects.
I absolutely loved the world building of Floria. The descriptions transported me to the docks and the market and the taverns, and I could almost reach out and touch this fantastical land.
The monster was definitely creepy and it’s killing method horrendous. I would love to know more about it’s true origins. The method of controlling it seemed a little too basic, couldn’t a number of people have interacted with it?
Lilly’s character was my favourite! She was sassy and a go getter, strong and loyal. The instant love trope didn’t work for me though, I would’ve much preferred she and Odin to be friends. It felt kind of “yuck” that they were willing to die for each other after knowing each other for 24hrs.
There were a few other things I struggled with while reading: -language: I appreciate that the author was giving some characters their own dialects and inflections, but I didn’t like them using “dad”, “daddy”, “bro”. It didn’t fit with the portrayed timeframe (yes it is a fantasy land, but they use other historical speech and terms). -the baby is told he’ll be like his big brother, shouldn’t that be his uncle instead? -I didn’t understand the significance of the children reaching 25 years of age and the parent disappearing. Why would that benefit the lord to have all these people locked away instead of being productive for him?
The ending leaves room for a potential sequel, so I’m looking forward to seeing if there is more Floria in works!
A brilliant dark fantasy, it was probably the most immersive book i read of late. J.B. Arnold is an absolute mastermind when it comes to descriptive writing! You want to learn how to do descriptions properly? Read this book. He makes you hear and taste and smell Floria, see it in extreme vividity. He puts you right there, and keeps you there. Slow paced and detailed, but with a constant threat hanging over your head, it's like a leisurely stroll on a balmy night through your friendly local dungeon. The last 20% (60 pages) switched to an much darker horror, which made the ending even better. I wish the romance and the bromance took less of the spotlight, but that could be just my dark wee heart speaking... It was cute to start with but it became a bit cheesy so i was keen to get back to the action. The author's descriptive talent maybe worked against him there, as sometimes it does slow things a bit. Again that's probably more of a personal choice, i can see many people loving it. Overall, a great story in a fascinating world, very much worth your time!
After experiencing a heartbreaking tragedy, Odin traveled on a long journey to start a new life in Floria. After arrival and getting settled in. Odin starts adjusting and making his way around town to learn his new surroundings. While everything is finally looking up for Odin, a night on the town showed him that he traveled afar to escaped tragedy, only for it to be waiting around the corner for him. Odin is completely haunted by this tragedy and learns of rumors in town that seem to match what happened to him. Odin and his new friends Lilly and Simon are determined to get to the bottom of what is happening to Floria and will do anything to make it stop. But it keeps coming back for more.
I couldn't put it down until I finished the book. I had to know what was going to happen next. Definitely will read the next one. Is there a next one? There needs to be a next one, hope so.
The City of Floria has a dark history. Rumor has it that something haunts the streets, something dark, something evil. For centuries, thousands of peasants and merchants have vanished without a trace, with no explanation or motive. Out of fear, the port’s inhabitants have never investigated what is happening, merely accepting this curse that plagues their city out of fear. Not until a troubled man running from his past decides to call Floria his new home. After a brief, terrifying encounter, he is forced to face his own demons in order to retain any sense of sanity. Once the probing begins and discoveries are made, the man joins some new friends on a quest to solve the mystery: the mystery of the Streets of Floria.
My Review
First, I would like to thank J.B. Arnold for my eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
The Streets of Floria is a suspenseful mystery that kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat throughout. Arnold does an amazing job of world-building, bringing to life the city of Floria on the page. I could imagine the sights, sounds and smells of the docks amongst the hustle and bustle of the peasants and merchants, and this immersed me in the story and a world that I could believe in. Each character was well written, with their traits being very different and distinctive. The characters Odin, Lilly and Simon had me rooting for them throughout, with the less flavoursome ones, such as Lord Randall and Jardin, having me wishing they would meet a gruesome demise. This dark fantasy, with elements of paranormal horror, is an original story with many twists and turns that will leave you guessing and wanting to read more.
Overall this is a fantastic debut novel from Arnold, and I can't wait to read more from this author. I look forward to being thrown deeper into the dark and mysterious secrets of Floria and other places in this world in the future.
“The locals in the city have many names for it; darkness, beast or even creature, but it is referred to most commonly as The Eyes.”
Streets of Floria is JB Arnold’s debut novel. Set in the port city of Floria, we follow Odin, a man who has just arrived in the city, looking for work and a new beginning. However, Odin quickly discovers that there is alot more to the city of Floria and a deep rooted mystery of “The Eyes” which haunts this city.
The setting of the story was interesting and familiar, peasants scrapping to survive, merchants plying their trade and rich lords living in huge manors who rule the city. There is a lack of politics or bigger world building in the story, with the story falling into more of a mystery horror story. I loved the depiction of the bakeries and the markets, the manors and the lords who rule Floria, and wished there was more world building about this and the history of the city.
Odin as the main character comes of as somewhat of an emotional mess at times, and there is a strong display of emotion throughout the story. The other characters were interesting, but lacked a deeper dive into their lifes to be fully invested in.
The story itself starts of a little slow but does get much more interesting and intense towards the final few chapters. We also get pieces of information about why Odin left his hometown along the way.
The ending was intense, with alot of spooky and mysterious elements thrown in, however I wished we had gotten a bit more in terms of the history of the characters and the mystery of the eyes as well as the lords.
Thank you JB Arnold for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Look out for this book releasing 10 April 2023!
First, let me start by saying this is not the typical genre that I read, so keep that in mind while reading my review. Even though this wasn’t a typical genre for me, I still found myself enjoying the plot and characters immensely. Arnold spins a tale of another world, Floria, that has a haunting history. People disappear from the city with no explanation, and they are never heard from again. There are rumors of a dark force at work, something that takes people off the street, but no one knows what this thing is or why it chooses its victims this way. The city of Floria runs on a system of hierarchy. The peasants beg to survive, the middle class is the work horse, and the Lords run the city, they have control. Odin moves to Floria for a new start, a chance to escape his past. He befriends Lilly and Simon and together the trio take on the mystery and horror that is happening in Floria. This story is a thrilling read, and you can picture Floria as the details emerge from the page. You can see the peasants, the market, the brothels and pubs. You can hear the men working on the docks, smell the beer from the barrooms. You can see The Eyes, the creature that is haunting the streets. As a debut novel, this is definitely a good one. I really enjoyed the interaction between characters that invited some humor into the story as well as found myself rooting for them to find out what is going on in their city and to win against evil. Give this dark fantasy, horror novel a try, you won’t be disappointed.
The author contacted me and sent me an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is how he described the book to me, just to give you a good book blurb:
"Think of a bustling port city, 1700s Europe. This city is plagued. Thousands have disappeared without a trace. Rumors swirl of something evil haunting the streets. A new inhabitant, running from his past, has a first-hand encounter with the entity. With the help of his new friends, he discovers the truth, which opens up a centuries old scandal."
With that description I was thinking this would be more of an action packed horror story. But, in reality, it was a lovely, enjoyable, slow paced story that concentrated on world building, character friendships/relationships and background stories.
The horror part of the story, the entity mentioned in the blurb, was frightening and definitely made those it encountered suffer. It was mysterious and kept me reading in hopes of finding out what it was and the secrets behind it.
While the ending does leave room for a sequel, all questions are answered by a pretty satisfying ending.
As I read this book, I could see every situation, every action and the horror of the beast play out in my imagination. I felt Odin’s confusion when he would come back to consciousness and not know what had taken place. The terror was very real for Simon and Odin discovered Lilly was missing. The rage came through the words loud and clear any time Odin was made to feel pain. I was heartbroken when Odin found James. I was glad Lord Randall could no longer use his power to just inflict pain on others. All these emotions came out as I read this story to the end.
**I received this ARC in exchange for a honest review**
This book has good world building. Its fast paced, but still keeps interest and suspense. Odin is a likable main character and the creature is well done and unique.
I do think the story would of greatly benefit with a friend's to lover arch rather then its insta love arch. There was a struggle with being told things rather then shown within the writing.
The Streets of Floria by J.B. Arnold Narrated by Danni Deguire 🌟🌟🌟🌟 This is an exciting and thrilling mystery/dark fantasy. People are vanishing off the streets in Floria, where the city has a history of darkness. Three friends are on a mission to find some answers. The story is very well written and has great imagery! There’s lots of character development, as well as history.
I listened to the audio and the narrator did a very good job! *Check out this unique and complex story!*
The author did an awesome job painting the scenery. I could vividly see the cobblestone alleys at night and I could clearly see the docks & market place full of merchants and peasants during the day. The scenes that involve the malevolent creature that haunts the streets of Floria as it consumes its victims is what nightmares are made of. These scenes were very creepy.
You will find yourself rooting for the characters which is always a plus. Looking forward to reading more from J.B. Arnold
**Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
The Streets Of Floria takes place in the historic port city of Floria, and follows a crew of likable characters as they navigate something….sinister.
People are disappearing in Floria - and have been for as long as anyone can remember. I loved the world building in this one and the story was very original which I can appreciate.
While I wanted this book to be a 5 star read, the dialogue was a bit clunky at points and the ending felt unnecessarily rushed. I’m all for open-ended explanations but this one seemed to answer all the questions I had in an almost trivial matter in the last few pages.
All that being said, this book was a page turner and definitely picked up speed as it went along. I would definitely check out more from this author in the future.
Check this out if you like historical fiction, horror, and supernatural thrillers!
THE STREETS OF FLORIA IS A SCAREY PLACE TO BE AT NIGHT. THERE IS SOMETHING EVIL HAUNTING THE STREETS. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARING FOR CENTURIES AND NO ONE HAS BEEN BRAVE ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE UNTIL ODIN. ODIN, WHO HAS A PAST OF HIS OWN AND AFTER HAVING HIS OWN TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE WHICH HE SURVIVED SETS OUT TO TO FIGURE OUT THE TRUTH ALONG WITH HIS NEWFOUND FRIENDS.
THE STREETS OF FLORIA TOOK ME COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE. THE STORY AND CHARACTERS ARE BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND THE STORY DRAWS YOU IN AND KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT AS YOU TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN AS YOU FOLLOW THE STORY OF THIS CREEPY PLACE. J.B. ARNOLD, AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB IN DESCRIBING THIS TIME PERIOD, THAT THE READER CAN JUST CLOSE ONE'S EYES AND PICTURE THE STREET OF FLORIA AND THE PEOPLE. I LOVE THE STORYLINE WHICH IS UNIQUE COMBINING SEVERAL GENRES INCLUDING HISTORY, HORROR, MYSTERY, ROMANCE, SUSPENSE, AND PARANORMAL. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE STORIES BY J.B. ARNOLD. I REALLY LOVED THIS STORY AND I NOW HAVE A FAVORITE AUTHOR.
This book had a lot of turns throughout it that keep me into the book to where I couldnt put it down until I figured out what was going to happen next. As I was reading, I was visualizing everything happening in my mind. I really enjoyed the book.
I normally don’t read historical fiction books but this one is different. What intrigued me was all the supernatural and the torture scenes really made me get into more of the story. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this book I just had to know what was going to happen next. Really great writing. I really enjoyed how the author described the Place, the Street, the super natural mass that was haunting the streets, and the torture scenes were my favorite because I could feel the pain of the character.
If you like Horror/thrillers this is the book for you.
The first thing I noticed was that I really liked the writing style. I enjoyed the characters, they all had their own distinct personalities which is always a huge plus for me. Then there is the story itself. It's fast paced and keeps you guessing and wanting MORE. This one is an easy 5* for me.
A book you won't want to put down. It's an exciting, thrilling horror book that will have you turning page after page to find out what is happening.
I joked with the author that after reading just a bit of the book, I wouldn't be walking in any alleyways. Now that I've finished the book, no alleyways for sure.
Very well written, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't believe the twists and turns J.B. wrote. It definitely took me on a roller coaster ride. Fear, love, passion, death, friendship. This book has it all. I'd say grab yourself a copy of this book, a cup of coffee or tea, and hunker down for an amazing book.
Wow. First, can we just take a moment to appreciate this cover?! Amazing. The story— equally as great. It was slow paced, which I’m usually not a fan of, but it was so descriptive and detailed that it held my attention the entire time. It was a hard one for me to put down because I just had to see what Odin and his new friends would discover about Floria..and it was definitely worth it! I’m excited to see what the author does with this one, because even though everything was well-explained in the end it definitely felt like there could be a sequel!