Sanctuary 12

Fallen Gods Saga #1

by T.W. Malpass, Kate Dunn (Editor), Michael Buxton (Illustrator)

FOLLOW HER VOICE

Nine strangers, linked by the inner whisperings of a mysterious little girl. Each must piece together the origins of their other-worldly abilities and the location of the white manor, where they will be reunited, and the questions that have plagued their existence will finally be answered. But someone else marks their every step. The sinister Mr Cradleworth has other plans for them, plans that could bring about catastrophic consequences, not just for earth, but the whole universe.

This epic tale covers half the globe, as it follows each character into the darkest recesses of their soul. Combining eighties-style horror with science fiction, this dark fantasy will take you on a journey you will never forget.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Ebooks, Fiction, Paranormal, Mystery

489 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2013

About the author

I’m 40 years old and live in Staffordshire in the UK. I’m as much in love with the world of film as I am with literature. My tastes are varied, but the horror genre feeds my imagination the most.

I regularly attend Film 4’s Frightfest film festival in London, and have met some of my heros and heroines there. I’m hoping one day to meet my all time favourite author, Clive Barker...we’ll see.

Until then, I’m working hard on my horror/fantasy trilogy, the Fallen Gods Saga. Book 1, Sanctuary 12, and Book 2, Fallen Gods: Infanticide, are available now. The final instalment, Fallen Gods: Mind over Matterless is my current project and should be ready early 2015.

I have several more projects lined up, including Fallen Gods Origins and a possible comic book! I hope you will find something you like within my work. If you like your romance dark and bloody, why not try my novella, The Last Cut is Always the Deepest.

One of the biggest tragedies in modern fiction is the lack of strong female characters. I don’t subscribe to this idea that a strong female in fantasy has to jump around doing martial arts in a tight costume. My female characters distinguish themselves by having a strong moral core, and being able to think under pressure without giving in to fear-induced aggression. I hope my characters offer something a little different for both female and male readers.

You may find my love for monsters quite apparent in my books. That’s because I adore them. We are all monsters in the end, aren’t we? Some beautiful, some not so much.

I would be very interested to speak to you, even if it’s just to talk about horror in general. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or drop a comment on my website. Take care until then, fellow monsters.

Reviews

[Krisztal Rangel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a pretty slow start and I honestly just keep reading to see if it got better. It didn't really. There were a lot of different characters but I couldn't find myself caring about a single one... maybe the dog... maybe, just for the fact that he's a dog. But even then, he didn't really have a personality or background. Story dragged on some more then a rushed reveal towards the very end. It wasn't scary at all, but had some creepy scenes that showed potential. My main problem though was I kept having to re-read certain parts because the layout or descriptions were confusing and hard to put together. Don't think I'll continue the series.

[Filipa Barbosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review .
First of all I want to thank the author for this opportunity.
In Sanctuary 12 (Fallen Gods Saga), author T.W. Malpass introduces the readers to a dark world filled with dark characters.
The beginning of the story is more like several short separate stories, but this is to give you a really good feel for each individual character and their backgrounds.
The book concerns itself with the journey, that each of these 9 individuals must make to reach each other.
I really enjoy this book and I can't wait for the next one .

[Mark M J Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanctuary 12 opens with a grisly murder in 1930's London and from there jumps to 2006 as it follows various characters and the struggles they are dealing with in their lives.
All that seemingly links these characters (that range from a small time crook who lives in a trailer park in America, a London shop owner that specialises in hard to find comics and other rare memorabilia, to a Russian gangster) is that they've all been experiencing similar visions of a young girl in a dolphin patterned nightdress. They will see this girl in dreams, or even hear her voice in their heads; but what she wants, and where their destiny will take them remains unknown.

It's that unknown factor that really drew me to the story; that mystery of not knowing what is going to happen with only a suspicion that the fates of these characters are intertwined and that eventually, their paths would cross. The 'Fallen Gods' part of the title gave me a few ideas, but ultimately; I was in the dark as to where the journey would end up.

Obviously, a good story needs more that just a mystery and fortunately, Sanctuary 12 has those extra elements that are needed.
It's very well written and I couldn't help but be drawn into the characters lives as their individual tales started to unfold.
When the narrative went from one character to another, it never felt detrimental to the story as each character's tale drew me in, with just enough hints to the overall story-arc to slowly tie things together.

Mostly though, it was the mystery of where the tale was heading that drew me in and kept me turning the pages (well, swiping on my phone) as it's not often that I read something with no idea of where the story is heading. What I mean by that is that the endgame always remained elusive right until the conclusion. Where in most stories there are only a few possible outcomes that you can expect to see by the end, this time around I had no idea what I was going to get once I reached the final chapters and I thoroughly enjoyed that mystery of not knowing.

My only real issue with the story is that when all was revealed, it did go in such an unexpected direction that I wasn't ready for it and it did seem a little bit jarring to suddenly be dealing with a sci-fi element that it took me a few moments to adjust, which resulted in me having to stop reading and go back to the start of that chapter to get my brain around it.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable story and I cant wait to get stuck into the rest of the series, with the only problem being that I have quite a backlog of books at the moment, which means that I don't know when I'll read the next one, but at some point I'll find the time and I'm really looking forward to it.

If you're looking for something interesting with equal mixtures of mystery, horror and drama; Sanctuary 12 is most definitely worth taking the time to read.

[Joke · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me longer to finish this book than I had anticipated. While the description made me think I would enjoy it immensely, I did have the feeling it dragged on a bit and my attention often wavered.

On top of that, some of the dialogues really annoyed me from the beginning. Like Martha’s argument with her mother and a lot of things Jerrico said.

I feel like I would have been easier for me to get through without losing my interest if the plot progressed a little faster or if the book had less pages.

I did like the way of Malpass’ writing, which is why I gave it 3 stars anyway. But I’m not sure if I’ll be reading the rest of the books in the series.

[Lel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I dont know what I was expecting other than an ok-ish read but I ws pleasantly surprised by the depth of characters, the creepiness of some of the scenes and the range of emotions I felt during the book. If it wasnt the end of the month I would have gone straight into book two. Alas I have to wait till pay day. But a great start to a series. I cannot wait to see where it goes.

[Carlton Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

T.W. Malpass was born in 1976 and lives in Staffordshire, UK. Malpass loves with the world of film just as much as literature. His taste are varied, but the most inspiration comes from the horror genre. Many of those that read his books, will find that his love for monsters is apparent. He loves them and believes that we all represent monsters in one form or another.

Fallen Gods: Sanctuary 12 is a horror / science fiction series surrounding a group of characters. While unknown amongst themselves, each one of them are guided towards meeting with others in a group. All of these people are connected by the voice of a girl, Celeste, who speaks to them telepathically. She is the influential leader of them even though she is in a physical coma. She was badly injured when young and required an overwhelming amount of technology to keep her alive. Her mission is to ensure the safety of a group and consul them on the next steps.

Jerrico is a social outcast. He witnessed his parent brutally murder and was tortured afterward as a child. As an adult is attempting to make sense out of life and sustaining. Through several experiences and a discussion, readers discover that he can manifest physical entities.

Stuart is a telekinetic boy who is bound to a wheelchair. Upon discovering his power, he practiced but kept it hidden. Running from protective parents, Stuart meets a dog named Barnes that guides him to meet the others.

Josie is a blind girl. Since her recovery from an accident, she has a premonition forecasting the person’s death whenever she touches them. Attempting to jump off a bridge to end the visions, Kaleb comes to prevent her from jumping. Kaleb is a sculptor who has the ability to heal living beings.

Another character that plays an important role is Evelyn. She is the widow of a farmer. For years she didn’t leave her house. Upon leaving she discovered that she controls a flock of crow known as the Unkindness. Martha is a thief running from the police and searching for a better life for her Brother and girlfriend. Vladimir is escaping the assassin, Duma, his mother hired. Heven is a guy with an influential father and family. He is wanted for several counts of murder.

The villain of this story is Charles Cradleworth. He looks like a middle aged suburbanite whose face was set smiling as wide as possible. Once close enough, his eyes became black pits full of deep space. Many found on their encounter with him to be eerie or terrifying to be around. Mr. Cradleworth is a menacing being focused on death and consumption.

Most of the book builds on character definition. Malpass crafted each person’s experience in a way that made the characters personality stand out. The presence of Celeste urged them all to come together to escape danger. Upon escaping their situations, some of the characters encounter Mr. Cradleworth. Fortunately Mr. Cradleworth isn’t interested in engulfing the characters or world just yet but preparing the individuals. Some are capable of escape, others witness blood and death.

The way the story is written had me guessing how these characters were all connected or when they were going to meet. The plot thickened 10 fold when characters are introduced to their true history and the interstellar war that is raging. It places an insurmountable weight on the situation. This doesn’t not even arise until the last several pages of the novel. I felt that it was quite jarring to end. I didn’t’ feel at piece with the placement which inevitably will have me reading the second novel.

One of the interesting aspects that I felt was that I agreed with was the aspect of going with your gut or the signs that are apparent. Sometimes in life, the only choice that offers any chance of survival is going on what’s ahead of you. One of the characters that emphasized this the most was Martha. It makes me wonder what happens to her and her placement within the group.

Another alluring aspect to the novel was the latent abilities of Jerrico. Through him readers discover that he creates two entities, Clover and flying monsters known as Urkers, which inflict damage to those around them. Both gruesome and mysterious, these creatures represent an almost artistic impression of how aspects of the world impact Jerrico.

Ultimately, every person within the novel is forced to look within themselves and analyze their life. They attempt to make sense out of their life and the situation as it unfolds. For some, their unique gift creates another barrier that they must learn and leap over. For others, it’s too much to manage. Readers of Fallen Gods: Sanctuary 12 will be immersed in a dark and confusing place. Characters that are flawed or misguided become the hero of the world and possibly the Universe. It leaves you wondering will they make it or does it matter at all? One way or another we’ll find out… Follow the voice.

[Kayla Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

aliens but also ghosts but also just supernatural phenomenon, but also mythical beasts??? I want to hate it but I don't, because I love the characters. so I guess I'll be reading the other 2 books in the trilogy. 

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are a lot of reasons not to like this book. First, it starts out as a variety of stories and characters with little in common. Eventually, the stories merge, but until they do it's difficult to follow. Second, characters vacillate between being good guys and bad guys and back again. I suppose if you were to analyze the characters' motives and backgrounds, etc. it may make a little more sense, but trust me, it's not worth the effort. Thirdly, near the end of the story everything gets twisted around 180 degrees and what was a paranormal story suddenly became a sci-fi novel. Then just as suddenly, it goes back to the original narrative. Lastly, the book has no ending. I'm sick of that. If you're going to commit to writing a book, commit to ending it as well. This was a waste of my time.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. Very original.

[R. M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a common case of the author making the first book in their series free in the hopes of enticing the reader to buy the rest of the series. And for the first time this has worked on me.
It's gory. It's crazy. It's atmospheric. It's a bravely broad array of characters being pulled together by being the most special beings in the universe. It shouldn't work, it should seem silly, but the narration and the atmosphere just hit right.
The closest comparison I can think of for this book is that it's Darren Shan for grown ups. Yes, even in comparison to Darren Shans own books for grown ups. As someone who grew up loving Darran Shans works and constantly looking for a series that recreated that "what is going on oh my god I have to read all of it" feeling, this series holds a lot of promise for me.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good creep factor! Interesting characters. Personally found it a real page turner, I couldn't wait to see how these obviously special people came together and how they would defeat an obvious DARK dangerous threat. I can't wait to read the next one! Author T.W. Malpass, in his book, Sanctuary 12 (Fallen Gods Saga), introduces the readers to a dark world filled with dark characters. The beginning of the story is more like several short separate stories, but this is to give you a really good feel for each individual character and their backgrounds.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so yes this does start slowly and introduces a lot of characters, but I did find all of them (except maybe Martha's story) pretty interesting. And once it starts going, it really clips along nicely. The one thing I'm not sure about is "the big reveal", or the reason all these people are the way they are. It was just sort of dumped out in one long, odd glut, and it really was the least realistic section of the book somehow, both in style and in content. And it wasn't really the direction I was hoping for either... Still, I'll likely read the next book and see where they go with it.

[E.D. Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, a very well written book which brings follows the stories of a number of individuals before finally drawing them all together at the end, which reminded me of Stephen King's 'The Stand' in its structure. For me, the reason why I have given it three stars and not more is the ending. While I appreciate that this is the first novel in a series I felt that the last chapter is somewhat detached from the rest of the story. Too much the start of the second volume rather then the end of the first.

[Ron D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very mixed emotions

This is a series book. Make no mistake, as you will not get a complete story. It’s also British in its writing, complete with slang; even for the characters and scenes that take place in America. I tolerated it because I thought the characters had merit. I liked the way the author pulled the characters and their back stories into the writing. But this material took a wrong turn for me with the introduction of science fiction. This book had the potential for a great horror read; but has let me down, so much so that I won’t waste anymore time on it.

[Indigo Crow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I guess I can see why this was free...
The writing is good, but there are too many characters and the plot never goes anywhere. I only even cared about one or two of the characters at all, but with as many as there are to try to keep up with, it hurt the story rather than helped it.
I got probably about halfway through before I broke down and started to skim through it, hoping the plot was going to pick up into something with a purpose. It basically never did, though.

[Michelle Bacon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed

This book was so difficult to get through because it was so hard to follow. Things that I found wrong were that there were so many characters to keep up with and so many different story lines that I frequently had to go back and check myself. It also seemed forced when it came to incorporating a horror feel to it. It fell flat.
Not a series I plan to get too deep into.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow burning thriller with a Sci fi twist

This book starts off slowly, building up a background for each of the main characters with unusual /supernatural moments increasing until at 90% there is a sudden revelation that aliens are involved. Quite odd, not sure about reading book 2.

[Nathan Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little hard to get into at first due to how much the book jumped around between characters; however, once the story started moving it really pulled me in. Overall, the author did a good job of keeping me guessing as to what the cause of all of the strange events could be. With that said, I found the explanation of what was happening to be a bit underwhelming. I don't feel it necessarily took away from the overall story, but it just felt out of place to me.

It was a good enough story I will be buying the next one to see how the story progresses.

[Derith Rolfe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely absorbing

This is captivating from the first page. I would have read it in One sitting, but this things kept getting in the way.
Very original writing, can't wait to dive into the next one.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ehh...

I gave this book 4 stars because towards the end i could not put it down. But the beginning was alot of jumping around. Alot of characters introduced yes, it all came together at the end. I will be continuing to the next book

[Stefanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow but intriguing

I would give it a 5 but I'm having a hard time following the reveal. And this is not a stand alone book, it is a prologue for the next book i have a feeling. I am anxious to read the next one.

[Miss Sharon L Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read with plenty to keep you gripped

During my reading of this book I was faintly reminded of ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King. But then the story took a twist and a turn and I will continue to read the rest of the series.

[Micky Parise · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading T.W. Malpass and was rather impressed. Writing style and plot reminded me of Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Peter Straub all rolled into one. Loved the characters and the story line. Recommend highly.

[Sam Quevillon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow moving until the end. If you don't like books that jump around a lot then this is not for you. The stories of each person themselves got interesting as it went but took a long time to pick up.

[Debra H. Wruble]

Intense

Well written story about a group of people who are brought together from various locations by an unknown force for a reason they have yet to find out, but they know they are up against a terrible evil. Great read

[Mauricio Ortuno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get engaged.

Too many plot lines to follow without letting you engage with the main characters. Will not read the rest of the series.

[Ingrid Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow start. Also, very confusing. Finished it just because I was hoping it would get better. It did, but only a little.

[Bj Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to follow

[Susan black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story

The author did a fantastic job of tying all of the pieces ❤. Very suspenseful. I couldn't put the book down!

[Ashley Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great storyline, but very slow progression of character development.