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The Altered Planes #1
The Afterlife Experiment
Atra Hart’s shadow has grown teeth. It moves on its own and whispers her name. She calls it Dread, and it threatens to devour her mind.
When a fire breaks out at the asylum where she’s locked up, Atra seizes the chance for freedom, only to witness an electric-purple rift split the sky open. Like Dread, the rift is visible only to her.
Then, she awakens back in the asylum, unharmed, as if the fire, the escape, and the rift never happened. But everything feels wrong. No one remembers her old life. Her family, her friends—even her past—have vanished. The doctors insist she’s delusional, but the messages scribbled on the mirrors suggest otherwise. The darkness beneath her bed whispers secrets. And the black cat that watches from where the veils thin? It doesn’t belong here.
As Atra ventures deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a chilling truth: this isn’t an asylum. It’s a trap woven between broken realities. The rift isn’t a vision. It’s a crack in the barrier between worlds, and something is trying to come through. Dread isn’t a hallucination. It’s a harbinger, connected to something ancient that moves between realities like a parasite, searching for a perfect host.
If Atra can’t sever her connection to Dread, she won’t just lose her grip on sanity—she’ll become the vessel that lets the horror in. She’ll open the door to something that could end reality itself.
When a fire breaks out at the asylum where she’s locked up, Atra seizes the chance for freedom, only to witness an electric-purple rift split the sky open. Like Dread, the rift is visible only to her.
Then, she awakens back in the asylum, unharmed, as if the fire, the escape, and the rift never happened. But everything feels wrong. No one remembers her old life. Her family, her friends—even her past—have vanished. The doctors insist she’s delusional, but the messages scribbled on the mirrors suggest otherwise. The darkness beneath her bed whispers secrets. And the black cat that watches from where the veils thin? It doesn’t belong here.
As Atra ventures deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a chilling truth: this isn’t an asylum. It’s a trap woven between broken realities. The rift isn’t a vision. It’s a crack in the barrier between worlds, and something is trying to come through. Dread isn’t a hallucination. It’s a harbinger, connected to something ancient that moves between realities like a parasite, searching for a perfect host.
If Atra can’t sever her connection to Dread, she won’t just lose her grip on sanity—she’ll become the vessel that lets the horror in. She’ll open the door to something that could end reality itself.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2023
105 people are currently reading
727 people want to read
About the author
Sam Weiss
3 books33 followersSam was named after a dog, a fact her mother disputes to this day.
While she’s terrible at writing “About Me”s about her, she’s been told she’s great at writing about what fictional people do. The more miserable she can make them, the better.
Her love of horror films from the 80s, sci-fi shows from the 90s, and alternative music from the 00s have inspired her to write what she’s calling “Weird Sci-fi Horror” although she’s kind of making that up as she goes along.
When she’s not ready to pull her hair out after discovering another plot hole she’s created, she goes camping with her husband as far away from society as possible. So far, this tactic has been mostly successful and she’s only had to physically converse with a grand total of nine people this year. Next year, she hopes to get that number down to six.
While she’s terrible at writing “About Me”s about her, she’s been told she’s great at writing about what fictional people do. The more miserable she can make them, the better.
Her love of horror films from the 80s, sci-fi shows from the 90s, and alternative music from the 00s have inspired her to write what she’s calling “Weird Sci-fi Horror” although she’s kind of making that up as she goes along.
When she’s not ready to pull her hair out after discovering another plot hole she’s created, she goes camping with her husband as far away from society as possible. So far, this tactic has been mostly successful and she’s only had to physically converse with a grand total of nine people this year. Next year, she hopes to get that number down to six.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
March 12, 2024
I am part of a book tour through Black Tide Book Tours for this book, but my review is my own honest opinion.
Uhm...WOW. I'm speechless. I'll see if I can try to form coherent thoughts to express how much I absolutely loved this book.
Take the topsy turvy world of Alice in Wonderland, sprinkle in the horrific dread of Coraline and Grimms' version of Snow White, and smash it all into a scifi fantasy horror. That's what this book is like. We are taken through a twisted journey so out of this world that you'll be questioning what's real and what isn't, at the same time Atra is questioning the same thing.
It gets confusing at times, but if you've read the bizarreness of books like Alice in Wonderland, you'll be prepared enough to keep reading until things start to make sense. I was here for the jarring ride, honestly.
From start to finish, I was at the edge of my seat, biting at my nails, thanks to the building anxiety and tension. And it really doesn't let up until the very end. And this is going to be a series?! I'm here for it! I want the second book like right now. Thankfully no cliffhangers, so I'm not screaming until the second book comes out.
Uhm...WOW. I'm speechless. I'll see if I can try to form coherent thoughts to express how much I absolutely loved this book.
Take the topsy turvy world of Alice in Wonderland, sprinkle in the horrific dread of Coraline and Grimms' version of Snow White, and smash it all into a scifi fantasy horror. That's what this book is like. We are taken through a twisted journey so out of this world that you'll be questioning what's real and what isn't, at the same time Atra is questioning the same thing.
It gets confusing at times, but if you've read the bizarreness of books like Alice in Wonderland, you'll be prepared enough to keep reading until things start to make sense. I was here for the jarring ride, honestly.
From start to finish, I was at the edge of my seat, biting at my nails, thanks to the building anxiety and tension. And it really doesn't let up until the very end. And this is going to be a series?! I'm here for it! I want the second book like right now. Thankfully no cliffhangers, so I'm not screaming until the second book comes out.
March 18, 2024
This is a sci-fi fantasy horror genre mash up with so many vibes from Fringe and Stranger Things which was told from multiple POVs. There is so much going on, and at times I found myself a bit lost, yet highly entertained. It all comes together in the end brilliantly. So many rabbit holes to go down in this book, so many interesting characters, and you never know what timeline or plane you’re in, who’s real and who’s not. I was there for its weirdness and loved it! and even in different timelines and planes. It was definitely a strange fun ride! Look forward to seeing what book 2 brings!!
September 7, 2023
What I Did Like:
+LOVE the opening. You’re immediately connected to Atra, you’re instantly on her side, and that feeling of being trapped and terrified comes quickly (which is good for a scary book). It perfectly drops you into the right mood for this story.
+Twists and turns that would work in any mystery book. You don’t know everything, although you want to. You get that tingly feeling when you learn something new, and you totally want to keep reading.
+There are shades of things you’ve heard/read about before but they’re brought together in a totally unique way and centered around a character who holds it all together in a perfect way, making this a unique story!
Who Should Read This One:
-Dark fantasy fans, you’ll love the idea of portals and other worlds played around within this one.
-Horror fans, despite this not being where you’d normally go, you’ll love this one! It’s terrifying, multilayered, and doesn’t pull punches on the gore.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Well written and captivating
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2023/09/...
+LOVE the opening. You’re immediately connected to Atra, you’re instantly on her side, and that feeling of being trapped and terrified comes quickly (which is good for a scary book). It perfectly drops you into the right mood for this story.
+Twists and turns that would work in any mystery book. You don’t know everything, although you want to. You get that tingly feeling when you learn something new, and you totally want to keep reading.
+There are shades of things you’ve heard/read about before but they’re brought together in a totally unique way and centered around a character who holds it all together in a perfect way, making this a unique story!
Who Should Read This One:
-Dark fantasy fans, you’ll love the idea of portals and other worlds played around within this one.
-Horror fans, despite this not being where you’d normally go, you’ll love this one! It’s terrifying, multilayered, and doesn’t pull punches on the gore.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Well written and captivating
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2023/09/...
Read
July 30, 2024I received a complementary copy of THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT by Sam Weiss for the purpose of reviewing it for #SPFBOX for the team created by Cassidy @coverswithcassidy.
THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT is the first book in the The Altered Planes series. Atra is a young woman who has been locked up in the Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital for the last seven years. Her shadow has become a separate, though attached, entity she has named Dread. She doesn’t know Dread’s origin, but she’s come to realize that she can’t be given an accurate mental diagnosis because she’s not indeed mentally ill. When someone in the guise of a doctor comes for her and then a fire breaks out in the facility, Atra has the opportunity to escape. When she gets out, however, there is a large rift in the sky and like Dread, she seems to be the only one who sees it.
In addition to Atra, the book opens with alternating chapters from Tom’s perspectives. He’s middle aged and working in an office where he’s been tasked with things that aren’t entirely ethical. That isn’t out of the norm for him, though, because he’s keeping a lot of dark secrets from his past. When someone messages him about those very secrets, strange things begin to happen to him. Further into the book, we also get a third perspective and this one is a Queen coming from the other side of the rift with designs of her own on Atra and Dread.
This book hit on a lot of big buzzwords for me and I had a fantastic time reading it. I found it to be a very quick read and it only took me two days to get through the whole book, even only having a ebook copy. The story really puts the reader quickly into the action and it starts up the intrigue very early on. The alternating POVs between Atra and Tom initially, really keep the pace up and it kept me hooked.
At the beginning of the book, I would have personally called this a dark scifi horror more than fantasy. From Tom we quickly learn about some scientific experiments that come into play with what is going on and a lot of the action around Atra really felt like it was veering into horror territory. I do think that when the Queen enters the story, we get more of the dark fantasy feelings. This is far from a complaint for me as I really enjoy a good, dark genre blend. For the sake of SPFBO, the rule is that if an author calls something fantasy then it is fantasy for the sake of the competition. The author clearly labels this as a dark fantasy in the introductory trigger warnings in the book’s opening.
I thought that the author’s writing was really good. There were a few places where I had stumbles over a word choice or a sentence structure that didn’t quite work for me, but for the most part I really enjoyed the writing. I thin the writing was done in a way to build up both the characters and the world around them very clearly with good description and pacing.
I really liked the character of Atra and the way she was very fierce in standing up for herself. I thought she was well developed and you could see her struggles with questions about her reality and her mental health. As the book opens she’s coming to the realization that there isn’t something “normal” wrong with her and beginning to try to fight the system she’s trapped in. While we’re not seeing a lot of mental health rep directly (since she isn’t in fact mentally ill) I do think the author did a good job of portraying the way people can be easily lost in the mental health system and how easily people can seem to disbelieve anything they say after they get labeled with a diagnosis.
I was really interested in Tom’s perspective as well and the creepy things that seemed to be surrounding him from the beginning. There were elements of what we learn about how he related to his own past, but I think we got good answers for my questions as we got further in. There were some secondary characters in Tom’s POV, particularly thinking about his wife in the opening chapters, that I felt could have been a bit more fleshed out, but we also don’t spend a lot of time with them.
The Queen and the characters tied to her were the biggest mystery to me in the book because we don’t get her POV until a bit further in and the author made it a bit of a slow burn reveal as to all that was going on. I don’t know that I ever felt as connected with these chapters, but I think that is in part because the initial chapters had me very much connecting with Tom and Atra.
I thought that the plot was really well done in this book. The pacing was done really smoothly, keeping up a fairly regular pace throughout. There are some brief moments of recovery for our characters, but the action always picks up quickly. I think the author did a great job of breaking up the story across multiple POVs without losing momentum. I did really like the way the stories wove around each other with plot reveals regularly coming into play. There were some twists along the way that I didn’t expect which I really enjoyed!
In the early portions of the book, the world-building is mostly about the mental health hospital setting for Atra and I think this was well done. It gave the feelings of tension and hopelessness that I think are pretty appropriate given the way Atra has been locked away and left on her own for so long there. The depiction of Dread as part of Atra’s environment was really interesting as well. From the synopsis, I was probably the most curious about Dread and I really liked learning about how this shadow entity interacts with Atra and the world, plus how that evolves as the book progresses.
With Tom, we’re similarly in a fairly real world setting to begin with, but we start getting glimpses of something otherworldly very quickly and this had me really interested in what was going on in Tom’s world to create what we were seeing. As we get to know more and more of Tom’s secrets, the world starts to get fleshed out a lot more, both the world we’d recognize and the world that is something more.
The Queen and the women she’s connected to added some interesting elements and the majority the fantasy being an ancient evil from a different world. I ended the book wanting a bit more about this piece of the puzzle, but given that this is the first book in a series, I would anticipate we may get more in future installments.
This is a book that relies on being a bit confusing at times in the way the world works and the way Atra can navigate the world. I did really appreciate that nothing came too easily for Atra and that she has to hunt down truths and get access to knowledge she needs. She has a lot to overcome with knowing what is real and what is in her mind, plus the fact that she’s been living essentially outside of the real world for seven years. I always appreciate a magic system that has rules and limitations and this definitely shows there are limits to how much Atra can do initially.
I had a lot of fun reading this and it was a book that was very hard to put down. It is the first book in a series and it just came out in February, but I will definitely be looking for book two when it comes out!
THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT is available on KU!
THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT is the first book in the The Altered Planes series. Atra is a young woman who has been locked up in the Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital for the last seven years. Her shadow has become a separate, though attached, entity she has named Dread. She doesn’t know Dread’s origin, but she’s come to realize that she can’t be given an accurate mental diagnosis because she’s not indeed mentally ill. When someone in the guise of a doctor comes for her and then a fire breaks out in the facility, Atra has the opportunity to escape. When she gets out, however, there is a large rift in the sky and like Dread, she seems to be the only one who sees it.
In addition to Atra, the book opens with alternating chapters from Tom’s perspectives. He’s middle aged and working in an office where he’s been tasked with things that aren’t entirely ethical. That isn’t out of the norm for him, though, because he’s keeping a lot of dark secrets from his past. When someone messages him about those very secrets, strange things begin to happen to him. Further into the book, we also get a third perspective and this one is a Queen coming from the other side of the rift with designs of her own on Atra and Dread.
This book hit on a lot of big buzzwords for me and I had a fantastic time reading it. I found it to be a very quick read and it only took me two days to get through the whole book, even only having a ebook copy. The story really puts the reader quickly into the action and it starts up the intrigue very early on. The alternating POVs between Atra and Tom initially, really keep the pace up and it kept me hooked.
At the beginning of the book, I would have personally called this a dark scifi horror more than fantasy. From Tom we quickly learn about some scientific experiments that come into play with what is going on and a lot of the action around Atra really felt like it was veering into horror territory. I do think that when the Queen enters the story, we get more of the dark fantasy feelings. This is far from a complaint for me as I really enjoy a good, dark genre blend. For the sake of SPFBO, the rule is that if an author calls something fantasy then it is fantasy for the sake of the competition. The author clearly labels this as a dark fantasy in the introductory trigger warnings in the book’s opening.
I thought that the author’s writing was really good. There were a few places where I had stumbles over a word choice or a sentence structure that didn’t quite work for me, but for the most part I really enjoyed the writing. I thin the writing was done in a way to build up both the characters and the world around them very clearly with good description and pacing.
I really liked the character of Atra and the way she was very fierce in standing up for herself. I thought she was well developed and you could see her struggles with questions about her reality and her mental health. As the book opens she’s coming to the realization that there isn’t something “normal” wrong with her and beginning to try to fight the system she’s trapped in. While we’re not seeing a lot of mental health rep directly (since she isn’t in fact mentally ill) I do think the author did a good job of portraying the way people can be easily lost in the mental health system and how easily people can seem to disbelieve anything they say after they get labeled with a diagnosis.
I was really interested in Tom’s perspective as well and the creepy things that seemed to be surrounding him from the beginning. There were elements of what we learn about how he related to his own past, but I think we got good answers for my questions as we got further in. There were some secondary characters in Tom’s POV, particularly thinking about his wife in the opening chapters, that I felt could have been a bit more fleshed out, but we also don’t spend a lot of time with them.
The Queen and the characters tied to her were the biggest mystery to me in the book because we don’t get her POV until a bit further in and the author made it a bit of a slow burn reveal as to all that was going on. I don’t know that I ever felt as connected with these chapters, but I think that is in part because the initial chapters had me very much connecting with Tom and Atra.
I thought that the plot was really well done in this book. The pacing was done really smoothly, keeping up a fairly regular pace throughout. There are some brief moments of recovery for our characters, but the action always picks up quickly. I think the author did a great job of breaking up the story across multiple POVs without losing momentum. I did really like the way the stories wove around each other with plot reveals regularly coming into play. There were some twists along the way that I didn’t expect which I really enjoyed!
In the early portions of the book, the world-building is mostly about the mental health hospital setting for Atra and I think this was well done. It gave the feelings of tension and hopelessness that I think are pretty appropriate given the way Atra has been locked away and left on her own for so long there. The depiction of Dread as part of Atra’s environment was really interesting as well. From the synopsis, I was probably the most curious about Dread and I really liked learning about how this shadow entity interacts with Atra and the world, plus how that evolves as the book progresses.
With Tom, we’re similarly in a fairly real world setting to begin with, but we start getting glimpses of something otherworldly very quickly and this had me really interested in what was going on in Tom’s world to create what we were seeing. As we get to know more and more of Tom’s secrets, the world starts to get fleshed out a lot more, both the world we’d recognize and the world that is something more.
The Queen and the women she’s connected to added some interesting elements and the majority the fantasy being an ancient evil from a different world. I ended the book wanting a bit more about this piece of the puzzle, but given that this is the first book in a series, I would anticipate we may get more in future installments.
This is a book that relies on being a bit confusing at times in the way the world works and the way Atra can navigate the world. I did really appreciate that nothing came too easily for Atra and that she has to hunt down truths and get access to knowledge she needs. She has a lot to overcome with knowing what is real and what is in her mind, plus the fact that she’s been living essentially outside of the real world for seven years. I always appreciate a magic system that has rules and limitations and this definitely shows there are limits to how much Atra can do initially.
I had a lot of fun reading this and it was a book that was very hard to put down. It is the first book in a series and it just came out in February, but I will definitely be looking for book two when it comes out!
THE AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENT is available on KU!
Read
August 30, 2024Full RTC with the announcement of my SPFBO Semi-finalist
April 10, 2025
This was like slipping into a fever dream—sharp edges, glitching shadows, and the kind of layered, reality-shattering sci-fi horror that pulls you under.
We follow Atra, Tom, and Ophelia—three people tangled in different threads of trauma, guilt, and unraveling reality, all slowly colliding in ways that feel both fated and brutal.
There’s body horror, yes, but also psychological decay and a haunting quietness underneath it all. One moment you’re holding your breath from the tension, and the next you’re realizing how deeply alone these characters feel. And somehow, you’re right there with them.
This book has some of the most disturbing depictions of madness and memory I’ve read in a while. But beneath the chaos, there’s a pulse—a story about grief, the fear of being forgotten, and the ache of trying to hold onto something real when everything else is falling apart.
It’s messy. Intentionally confusing at times. But that’s the point—Atra doesn’t understand what’s happening, and neither do we. That disorientation makes the small moments of clarity and emotion hit so much harder.
The Afterlife Experiment isn’t just horror for the sake of horror—it’s uncomfortably human. And yeah, I’ll be thinking about that cat.
We follow Atra, Tom, and Ophelia—three people tangled in different threads of trauma, guilt, and unraveling reality, all slowly colliding in ways that feel both fated and brutal.
There’s body horror, yes, but also psychological decay and a haunting quietness underneath it all. One moment you’re holding your breath from the tension, and the next you’re realizing how deeply alone these characters feel. And somehow, you’re right there with them.
This book has some of the most disturbing depictions of madness and memory I’ve read in a while. But beneath the chaos, there’s a pulse—a story about grief, the fear of being forgotten, and the ache of trying to hold onto something real when everything else is falling apart.
It’s messy. Intentionally confusing at times. But that’s the point—Atra doesn’t understand what’s happening, and neither do we. That disorientation makes the small moments of clarity and emotion hit so much harder.
The Afterlife Experiment isn’t just horror for the sake of horror—it’s uncomfortably human. And yeah, I’ll be thinking about that cat.
September 9, 2023
With all of the twists, emotionally complex characters, vivid world building, & reality questioned...I was hooked from the first chapter right to beyond the end.
The start of this book drew me in immediately, leaping into the Atra's headspace, dynamic, & emotional space whilst also conveying action kept me going forward.
Thrown into the chaos of an asylum patient & the crossed boundaries between what's real and what is not. Reality questioned throughout. I found it packed with ominous warnings & occurrences from shadows, silhouettes. These occurrences did great job of conveying mystery, darkness, & eerie emotions.
Not only was the darkness & descriptions beautifully written but a portrayed a realistic character who is genuinely struggling to find the grip on reality that they so desperately need.
It was a delight to be able to ARC read this piece of promising chilling adventure and give my honesty.
The start of this book drew me in immediately, leaping into the Atra's headspace, dynamic, & emotional space whilst also conveying action kept me going forward.
Thrown into the chaos of an asylum patient & the crossed boundaries between what's real and what is not. Reality questioned throughout. I found it packed with ominous warnings & occurrences from shadows, silhouettes. These occurrences did great job of conveying mystery, darkness, & eerie emotions.
Not only was the darkness & descriptions beautifully written but a portrayed a realistic character who is genuinely struggling to find the grip on reality that they so desperately need.
It was a delight to be able to ARC read this piece of promising chilling adventure and give my honesty.
March 21, 2025
*3.5
The Afterlife Experiment is a great dark fantasy w/ science elements. Through multiple POV's, we navigate through a world where alternate planes exist, and we don't know what is real. Imagine a mix of Stranger Things, Alice in Wonderland, and Donnie Darko. That's what this book feels like.
Our main character, Atra, has been locked in a psychiatric hospital for most of her childhood with Dread, her own living shadow, but when she realizes something is quite right, all hell breaks loose. She breaks out of the hospital during a fire, and discovers a massive rift in the sky. Is she hallucinating? Is she actually still in the asylum? Is this real?
I really loved the characters in this book. I truly wanted Atra to be safe and figure out what's going on, but the antagonist and side characters are also very impressive. It takes a while to truly understand the characters and their motives, but once everything clicks into place, it is mind-blowing.
If you like dark books with fantastical and science elements that are also mind-bending, with a slight descent into madness, then you'll love this book!
The Afterlife Experiment is a great dark fantasy w/ science elements. Through multiple POV's, we navigate through a world where alternate planes exist, and we don't know what is real. Imagine a mix of Stranger Things, Alice in Wonderland, and Donnie Darko. That's what this book feels like.
Our main character, Atra, has been locked in a psychiatric hospital for most of her childhood with Dread, her own living shadow, but when she realizes something is quite right, all hell breaks loose. She breaks out of the hospital during a fire, and discovers a massive rift in the sky. Is she hallucinating? Is she actually still in the asylum? Is this real?
I really loved the characters in this book. I truly wanted Atra to be safe and figure out what's going on, but the antagonist and side characters are also very impressive. It takes a while to truly understand the characters and their motives, but once everything clicks into place, it is mind-blowing.
If you like dark books with fantastical and science elements that are also mind-bending, with a slight descent into madness, then you'll love this book!
July 28, 2025
"Because you see something different doesn't mean it isn't real. It's how you
look at it that makes it real to you."
⚠️Content Warning⚠️ The Afterlife Experiment contains themes and topics of violence, death, gore, mental health, abandonment, death of a child, and domestic abuse.
Um, ok... Let me gather my thoughts because this was one crazy as heck ride, and im not even sure how I can put it into words. I am speechless!
This book made me feel like I myself was going to slip into madness, and I loved every single moment of it! There were parts where I had no idea what was going on, and then BAM, something would happen, and it would all make so much sense. The plot twists were certainly twisting, and I was absolutely shook by them. The complexity of the characters and world building were fantastic. The emotions were deep, and the vibes were weird in all the best ways! It will make you scratch your head while your thoughts go wild and give you the creepy chills down your spine.
Atra is 100% badass. Following her twisted journey between worlds had me on the edge. Her self-discovery and seeing her take control of her mind was truly amazing! I didn't want my time with her to end! I loved the POV switch between Atra, Ophelia, and Tom and peicing together all 3 of their stories along the way to make one mind-boggling one.
There are no cliffhangers, but the mystery of this world @samwisestrange has created still feels alive. I am so excited to read the next one, 'In The House of Root and Rot'.
If you like the weird and wonderful worlds of Alice in Wonderland, Stranger Things, Twin Peaks, and enjoy thrilling horror and science fiction vibes, this book is definitely for you!
look at it that makes it real to you."
⚠️Content Warning⚠️ The Afterlife Experiment contains themes and topics of violence, death, gore, mental health, abandonment, death of a child, and domestic abuse.
Um, ok... Let me gather my thoughts because this was one crazy as heck ride, and im not even sure how I can put it into words. I am speechless!
This book made me feel like I myself was going to slip into madness, and I loved every single moment of it! There were parts where I had no idea what was going on, and then BAM, something would happen, and it would all make so much sense. The plot twists were certainly twisting, and I was absolutely shook by them. The complexity of the characters and world building were fantastic. The emotions were deep, and the vibes were weird in all the best ways! It will make you scratch your head while your thoughts go wild and give you the creepy chills down your spine.
Atra is 100% badass. Following her twisted journey between worlds had me on the edge. Her self-discovery and seeing her take control of her mind was truly amazing! I didn't want my time with her to end! I loved the POV switch between Atra, Ophelia, and Tom and peicing together all 3 of their stories along the way to make one mind-boggling one.
There are no cliffhangers, but the mystery of this world @samwisestrange has created still feels alive. I am so excited to read the next one, 'In The House of Root and Rot'.
If you like the weird and wonderful worlds of Alice in Wonderland, Stranger Things, Twin Peaks, and enjoy thrilling horror and science fiction vibes, this book is definitely for you!
November 6, 2023
I had to put down the book at times and pick it up again, really push through to finish it. It felt like just a couple of events on repeat for the entire book.
The storytelling felt very jumbled with new information popping up with no explanation and everyone acting like it’s been revealed already. The characters didn’t know what to do, there was no clear direction till the end. I had no idea who to root for.
There were some intriguing twists towards the end that were surprising. I enjoyed those moments. It was, on the whole, a weird read.
The storytelling felt very jumbled with new information popping up with no explanation and everyone acting like it’s been revealed already. The characters didn’t know what to do, there was no clear direction till the end. I had no idea who to root for.
There were some intriguing twists towards the end that were surprising. I enjoyed those moments. It was, on the whole, a weird read.
Want to read
January 23, 2026This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBOX contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
A girl with a living shadow who is locked in an asylum thinks today she’s finally going home, but then everything goes completely crazy.
I don’t tend to make much of opening lines in these assessments because I try to look at the whole of the work (or at least the tiny part I’m examining), and because a few good lines don’t make an opening.
I’ve read plenty of openings that start with a real attention grabber, only to prove to have little to do with how they start. But, in any case, this does have very good, direct, and expressive opening lines.
It begins with a theme of control and lackthereof - of the inevitability of loss of control, and defiance of that inevitability. Also, madness. That’s why I wanted to highlight these lines. They don’t just sound good or grab the reader, they’re about something.
The prose throughout this opening has a wonderfully expressive, natural quality and a steady rhythm that makes it infinitely readable. The voice of our MC comes through well in the 3rd person close narration.
I feel I could happily keep reading regardless of what happens next. Thankfully, what happens is marvelous and unsettling. It is terrifically active and strange, and it is these things immediately.
The tension of the opening scene tightens and tightens until it suddenly snaps, and the story and, perhaps, reality, flies in all directions. I can’t say anything for certain except that it’s captivating, especially the cat.
This opening is full of desperation as we watch a lonely, not quite helpless girl try to find her way to freedom and safety. Both seem impossible, especially when everywhere she goes, there’s Dread, her shadow.
I’m reminded of Alice in Wonderland, though through a glass darkly. I can’t guess what’s going to happen next on this incredible journey. I’m uncertain exactly exactly what has already happened - what it means - how it came about - what’s real and what’s delusion …
The one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that I want to keep reading to find out. It’s terrific. I’m wow’d. This is pitch perfect, fantastical, mysterious, it’s everything I could want. I’m in!
A girl with a living shadow who is locked in an asylum thinks today she’s finally going home, but then everything goes completely crazy.
I don’t tend to make much of opening lines in these assessments because I try to look at the whole of the work (or at least the tiny part I’m examining), and because a few good lines don’t make an opening.
I’ve read plenty of openings that start with a real attention grabber, only to prove to have little to do with how they start. But, in any case, this does have very good, direct, and expressive opening lines.
It begins with a theme of control and lackthereof - of the inevitability of loss of control, and defiance of that inevitability. Also, madness. That’s why I wanted to highlight these lines. They don’t just sound good or grab the reader, they’re about something.
"Few things in life are certain. For Atra Hart, losing her mind was one of them.
But not here. Not in this place."
The prose throughout this opening has a wonderfully expressive, natural quality and a steady rhythm that makes it infinitely readable. The voice of our MC comes through well in the 3rd person close narration.
I feel I could happily keep reading regardless of what happens next. Thankfully, what happens is marvelous and unsettling. It is terrifically active and strange, and it is these things immediately.
The tension of the opening scene tightens and tightens until it suddenly snaps, and the story and, perhaps, reality, flies in all directions. I can’t say anything for certain except that it’s captivating, especially the cat.
This opening is full of desperation as we watch a lonely, not quite helpless girl try to find her way to freedom and safety. Both seem impossible, especially when everywhere she goes, there’s Dread, her shadow.
I’m reminded of Alice in Wonderland, though through a glass darkly. I can’t guess what’s going to happen next on this incredible journey. I’m uncertain exactly exactly what has already happened - what it means - how it came about - what’s real and what’s delusion …
The one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that I want to keep reading to find out. It’s terrific. I’m wow’d. This is pitch perfect, fantastical, mysterious, it’s everything I could want. I’m in!
October 6, 2025
This is a wonderful, though quite atypical, dark SF fantasy/ sci-fi/ cosmic horror novel; wonderful, because the writing style keeps you on the edge, seduces you with good and balanced prose, and surprises you with nice turns of phrase and similes, not overburdening the admittedly complicated plot - and atypical for the genre it belongs to, because, unusually, the story is almost wholly character-driven: to the point, in fact, that very often in the book itself, the characters spend their time wondering if it's all in their mind, or they're dreaming, or they're delusional, or what have you!
Figuring centrally is the character of Atra, a long-term patient in the Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital, put there by her stepmother. She's haunted by her own shadow, a mysterious entity she calls Dread. The book begins with Atra escaping the asylym, and a series of events (akin to Alice in Wonderland in reverse) start happening to her, the confusion (both hers and ours) increasing exponentially as she tries to make sense of the "real world" outside the mental hospital. Soon more persons are added to the cast, revolving around past (and rather unethical) secret experiments to open a portal to other worlds (reminiscent of the Stranger Things setup). Tom is one such person, experiencing one weird event after another out of the blue, persecuted by unknown callers who seem to know his involvement in said experiments; Ophelia is another, a leading presence in the cult of the Queen, an entity lurking on the threshold of a portal already opened. It takes some time to realize how these characters are connected, but the payoff is worth it; the plot is quite imaginative in combining action and intrigue to come up with a labyrinthine, multi-layered sort of coming-of-age story, with seriously messed up reveals and a cosmic-level threat waiting in the background.
I wouldn't have minded learning more about the mysterious Queen. Since "The Afterlife Experiment" is just the first volume in a series (The Altered Planes series), perhaps future volumes will explore this further.
Although the writing style won't be for everyone (too complex and dense for a dark fantasy novel, even one with strong sci-fi elements), I myself enjoyed it a lot. I wonder what the author is planning for Book 2!
Figuring centrally is the character of Atra, a long-term patient in the Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital, put there by her stepmother. She's haunted by her own shadow, a mysterious entity she calls Dread. The book begins with Atra escaping the asylym, and a series of events (akin to Alice in Wonderland in reverse) start happening to her, the confusion (both hers and ours) increasing exponentially as she tries to make sense of the "real world" outside the mental hospital. Soon more persons are added to the cast, revolving around past (and rather unethical) secret experiments to open a portal to other worlds (reminiscent of the Stranger Things setup). Tom is one such person, experiencing one weird event after another out of the blue, persecuted by unknown callers who seem to know his involvement in said experiments; Ophelia is another, a leading presence in the cult of the Queen, an entity lurking on the threshold of a portal already opened. It takes some time to realize how these characters are connected, but the payoff is worth it; the plot is quite imaginative in combining action and intrigue to come up with a labyrinthine, multi-layered sort of coming-of-age story, with seriously messed up reveals and a cosmic-level threat waiting in the background.
I wouldn't have minded learning more about the mysterious Queen. Since "The Afterlife Experiment" is just the first volume in a series (The Altered Planes series), perhaps future volumes will explore this further.
Although the writing style won't be for everyone (too complex and dense for a dark fantasy novel, even one with strong sci-fi elements), I myself enjoyed it a lot. I wonder what the author is planning for Book 2!
August 16, 2025
Omg this book hooked me from the very first page! I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in just 2 days, which is a record for me. And that ending! I cannot wait for book 2 already!
July 31, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is another book that I had to keep putting down and going back to because it did seem to be repetitive and lack pace and flow at times.
However, overall I did enjoy it. I initially found the names of people and places to be bizarre but that was because I presumed it to be set in the US. The basic idea is nothing new, but I like how the author created a believable sense of tension and ongoing confusion and frustration which also explain and forgive the repetitive nature of it to a certain extent. It did engage me and despite having to take breaks from it, I did keep wanting to keep reading. I felt the characters were well drawn and had depth and there were a couple of surprises I didn't see coming. Despite the whole "I'm in an asylum and no one believes me" thing having been done before I think this would make a really good movie. Well worth a read, especially if you have more patience than I do and read it without interruption!
This is another book that I had to keep putting down and going back to because it did seem to be repetitive and lack pace and flow at times.
However, overall I did enjoy it. I initially found the names of people and places to be bizarre but that was because I presumed it to be set in the US. The basic idea is nothing new, but I like how the author created a believable sense of tension and ongoing confusion and frustration which also explain and forgive the repetitive nature of it to a certain extent. It did engage me and despite having to take breaks from it, I did keep wanting to keep reading. I felt the characters were well drawn and had depth and there were a couple of surprises I didn't see coming. Despite the whole "I'm in an asylum and no one believes me" thing having been done before I think this would make a really good movie. Well worth a read, especially if you have more patience than I do and read it without interruption!
November 24, 2024
This is a 4 rounded up to 4.5
Absolutely excellent scifi read and honestly more horrifying than some of the straight horror books I've read.
Is Atra really experiencing all of this or is it only in her mind, did she really ever escape the asylum??
This is the kind of dark horror, back in the corner of my mind I worry about sometimes, what is real and what isn't.
The not knowing and being partially in the dark as a reader really adds to the tension for me, and makes this a bit of a gripping read for me.
This was something I got in return for a review, but im honestly pretty dissapointed I hadn't found this on my own, this is the exact type of sci-horror I love reading, the reality or unreality, unreliable or reliable narrators and after all, this is an experiment so what does real, actually mean..
Loved it, absolutely check it out.
Absolutely excellent scifi read and honestly more horrifying than some of the straight horror books I've read.
Is Atra really experiencing all of this or is it only in her mind, did she really ever escape the asylum??
This is the kind of dark horror, back in the corner of my mind I worry about sometimes, what is real and what isn't.
The not knowing and being partially in the dark as a reader really adds to the tension for me, and makes this a bit of a gripping read for me.
This was something I got in return for a review, but im honestly pretty dissapointed I hadn't found this on my own, this is the exact type of sci-horror I love reading, the reality or unreality, unreliable or reliable narrators and after all, this is an experiment so what does real, actually mean..
Loved it, absolutely check it out.
May 7, 2024
In the tradition of Blake Crouch and Iain Banks, this story fronts three unreliable narrators. A girl is in an asylum being followed by a misty and hostile apparition, a man receives disappearing emails and is stalked, a woman kills her opponents and feeds them to an extra planar being. Fabulous characters and setting.
June 23, 2024
This is my first ever SPFBOX novel that I’ve read so far this year.
Sam Weiss is on “Covers with Cassidy” SPFBO team.
I won’t give out too much information, but perhaps some comparisons as to the premise of the story, not so much of execution. In many ways, I would cross breed this book with A Nightmare on Elmstreet and Alan Wakes in terms of the various worlds are very close to one another, and through science experiements. We follow Atra, a mental health patient who is having a hard time distinguishing reality from fiction, and Tom, her father, apparently, who opened rifts in times with a team of mad scientists, and thus, are the catalyst for the path forwards leading to the destruction of the world.
Now, this is a self published work, and I feel it necessary to mention that I found no typos as I was reading, which was to say that if there happened to be one, the story is engaging enough where any error of that degree is transparent and does not impede the reading experience.(This is an unfortunate stigma with self publishing so I mention that here).
There is obviously been inspired by many loved pieces of works, and I could throw comparisons all day, but one that also struck out to me is the parental dynamic which reminded me of Silent Hill(the adaptation not the game). Now, I must stop here or else risk giving away details, but I thought it was a nice touch with what Sam did with it, and a little unique in the portrayal of certain relationships. This also reminds me(I don’t draw the conclusion because not everyone willingly reads the Wheel of Time) but I find it reminiscient that dreams, or rather mental psyche attaches realms together, at least for the individual for whom these things apply. And I also couldn’t help but go to that very niche movie called “Lazarus Project”, for that same reason when trying to bring the dead back to life. Highly don’t recommend trying. It’s a whole mess, you know?
As for the positives, I felt the characters were for the most part well realized and more or less 3 dimensional. Each major character had their motivations, and you understood, kind of, why people did the things they did. The only caveat here was “Ophelia” whom had little ink time anyway. The dialogue was consistent with the character voice and whom Sam tried to convey, as to their mental psyche, and this seems written in a way to appeal to a broader audience so it wasn’t overly confusing. This touch, especially in the case of Atra can leave the door open to this question: Is Atra truly insane? Even after the conclusion of the book, I’m unsure if I can accurately answer that question.
Additionally, the pacing of the story kept going. Above I mentioned the possible existence of typos(which unless a book is published by the big 5, I largely ignore them anyway), but the story was engaging and fast paced to the degree that such errors, should they exist, are insible, much like the phrase, “he said” in books. We scan over them like they don’t exist. And this works for this typo of novel especially as things are being released to you, the reader, in enough detail.
What didn’t work for me: as some of you may know I read mostly high and epic fantasy with a particular love of descriptions(yes I love me some Tolkien), and the descriptions are relatively sparse. Now, be careful here, this is more or less contemporary, set in our time so I can appreciate not describing things too, but I would have liked to see more as to what these realms would have looked like and I don’t feel like I got to a place where that is a thing that should have been explored. I imagine this will be described in more detail(I hope) in the sequel. I’m assuming this is a duology.
Tom and his second wife, I forgot her name as she was so minor, only present in a few short chapters, and those chapters were at the beginning. She was a hateful woman who loved money, and probably married Tom because he was somewhat successful? It’s hard to say really because we don’t know the status of Tom’s financials, which were largely irrelevent to the plot anyway. This marriage seemed very unrealistic to me(not to say that people don’t make questionable life choices), but this seemed to me like the poor guy who will take whatever relationship gets thrown at him because he doesn’t think he has many options. Its more like Tom chose a marriage of misery on purpose, but with no real motivation behind it. This portion of the book could have been left out and it wouldn’t really have changed anything.
Additionally, again this is more or less unfair to say because there is at least one other book coming out, but I don’t feel like the characters developed that much. Who they were at the start was more or less who they were at the ending, and the only real change was (A spoiler I won’t get into), but their personalities were the same and they didn’t feel shaped by the things happening to them. The motivations of the characters changed, but it seemed dictated by story rather than character agency.
That being said, my criticisms are opinions only, reflected on what I personally like, and I still think this is worth a read. For me, I’ll rate this 4 out of 3 stars. I said what I said.
If you like fast paced fantasy with lots of intrigue and stakes, you’re going to want to pick this one up.
Sam Weiss is on “Covers with Cassidy” SPFBO team.
I won’t give out too much information, but perhaps some comparisons as to the premise of the story, not so much of execution. In many ways, I would cross breed this book with A Nightmare on Elmstreet and Alan Wakes in terms of the various worlds are very close to one another, and through science experiements. We follow Atra, a mental health patient who is having a hard time distinguishing reality from fiction, and Tom, her father, apparently, who opened rifts in times with a team of mad scientists, and thus, are the catalyst for the path forwards leading to the destruction of the world.
Now, this is a self published work, and I feel it necessary to mention that I found no typos as I was reading, which was to say that if there happened to be one, the story is engaging enough where any error of that degree is transparent and does not impede the reading experience.(This is an unfortunate stigma with self publishing so I mention that here).
There is obviously been inspired by many loved pieces of works, and I could throw comparisons all day, but one that also struck out to me is the parental dynamic which reminded me of Silent Hill(the adaptation not the game). Now, I must stop here or else risk giving away details, but I thought it was a nice touch with what Sam did with it, and a little unique in the portrayal of certain relationships. This also reminds me(I don’t draw the conclusion because not everyone willingly reads the Wheel of Time) but I find it reminiscient that dreams, or rather mental psyche attaches realms together, at least for the individual for whom these things apply. And I also couldn’t help but go to that very niche movie called “Lazarus Project”, for that same reason when trying to bring the dead back to life. Highly don’t recommend trying. It’s a whole mess, you know?
As for the positives, I felt the characters were for the most part well realized and more or less 3 dimensional. Each major character had their motivations, and you understood, kind of, why people did the things they did. The only caveat here was “Ophelia” whom had little ink time anyway. The dialogue was consistent with the character voice and whom Sam tried to convey, as to their mental psyche, and this seems written in a way to appeal to a broader audience so it wasn’t overly confusing. This touch, especially in the case of Atra can leave the door open to this question: Is Atra truly insane? Even after the conclusion of the book, I’m unsure if I can accurately answer that question.
Additionally, the pacing of the story kept going. Above I mentioned the possible existence of typos(which unless a book is published by the big 5, I largely ignore them anyway), but the story was engaging and fast paced to the degree that such errors, should they exist, are insible, much like the phrase, “he said” in books. We scan over them like they don’t exist. And this works for this typo of novel especially as things are being released to you, the reader, in enough detail.
What didn’t work for me: as some of you may know I read mostly high and epic fantasy with a particular love of descriptions(yes I love me some Tolkien), and the descriptions are relatively sparse. Now, be careful here, this is more or less contemporary, set in our time so I can appreciate not describing things too, but I would have liked to see more as to what these realms would have looked like and I don’t feel like I got to a place where that is a thing that should have been explored. I imagine this will be described in more detail(I hope) in the sequel. I’m assuming this is a duology.
Tom and his second wife, I forgot her name as she was so minor, only present in a few short chapters, and those chapters were at the beginning. She was a hateful woman who loved money, and probably married Tom because he was somewhat successful? It’s hard to say really because we don’t know the status of Tom’s financials, which were largely irrelevent to the plot anyway. This marriage seemed very unrealistic to me(not to say that people don’t make questionable life choices), but this seemed to me like the poor guy who will take whatever relationship gets thrown at him because he doesn’t think he has many options. Its more like Tom chose a marriage of misery on purpose, but with no real motivation behind it. This portion of the book could have been left out and it wouldn’t really have changed anything.
Additionally, again this is more or less unfair to say because there is at least one other book coming out, but I don’t feel like the characters developed that much. Who they were at the start was more or less who they were at the ending, and the only real change was (A spoiler I won’t get into), but their personalities were the same and they didn’t feel shaped by the things happening to them. The motivations of the characters changed, but it seemed dictated by story rather than character agency.
That being said, my criticisms are opinions only, reflected on what I personally like, and I still think this is worth a read. For me, I’ll rate this 4 out of 3 stars. I said what I said.
If you like fast paced fantasy with lots of intrigue and stakes, you’re going to want to pick this one up.
December 31, 2025
From the very first pages, the story throws the reader into an action-packed sequence filled with psychological suspense. The opening immediately grips you, introducing two complex characters whose dynamic propels the tension and mystery forward.
The book carries a distinct Alice in Wonderland vibe, with its surreal atmosphere and sense of falling into another reality. The language, tone, and setting evoke both classic literary works of distorted perception and modern parallels such as Stranger Things: stories that explore other dimensions and blurred boundaries between worlds, and those paralleling our own.
The writing itself is richly detailed, immersing readers in a vivid science fiction world that feels both strange and tangible. Each action sequence is executed with precision and energy, while the slower moments allow for thoughtful world-building and emotional depth.
The characters are especially well written, flawed, human, and deeply engaging. Both protagonists are broken in believable ways, which makes them easy to root for. The supporting cast, meanwhile, is complex and morally gray. No one feels entirely good or bad; instead, each character operates according to their own motives and moral compass. This ambiguity creates a sense of mistrust that heightens the tension and keeps readers guessing about who can truly be trusted. The alternating perspectives between Atra and Tom, both unreliable narrators in their own ways, add another compelling layer of psychological intrigue.
Throughout the book, threads of mystery and connection weave through the plot, gradually revealing how characters and events intertwine. While some of these revelations are deeply satisfying, a few connections remain unresolved by the story’s end, leaving a sense of lingering curiosity that may or may not be intentional.
Overall, the author excels at blending horror and science fiction, creating a deeply atmospheric and emotionally charged narrative. The descriptive writing style not only builds a believable world but also draws the reader fully into its chaos and suspense. It’s an engaging, thought-provoking read that balances fast-paced action with psychological depth.
The book carries a distinct Alice in Wonderland vibe, with its surreal atmosphere and sense of falling into another reality. The language, tone, and setting evoke both classic literary works of distorted perception and modern parallels such as Stranger Things: stories that explore other dimensions and blurred boundaries between worlds, and those paralleling our own.
The writing itself is richly detailed, immersing readers in a vivid science fiction world that feels both strange and tangible. Each action sequence is executed with precision and energy, while the slower moments allow for thoughtful world-building and emotional depth.
The characters are especially well written, flawed, human, and deeply engaging. Both protagonists are broken in believable ways, which makes them easy to root for. The supporting cast, meanwhile, is complex and morally gray. No one feels entirely good or bad; instead, each character operates according to their own motives and moral compass. This ambiguity creates a sense of mistrust that heightens the tension and keeps readers guessing about who can truly be trusted. The alternating perspectives between Atra and Tom, both unreliable narrators in their own ways, add another compelling layer of psychological intrigue.
Throughout the book, threads of mystery and connection weave through the plot, gradually revealing how characters and events intertwine. While some of these revelations are deeply satisfying, a few connections remain unresolved by the story’s end, leaving a sense of lingering curiosity that may or may not be intentional.
Overall, the author excels at blending horror and science fiction, creating a deeply atmospheric and emotionally charged narrative. The descriptive writing style not only builds a believable world but also draws the reader fully into its chaos and suspense. It’s an engaging, thought-provoking read that balances fast-paced action with psychological depth.
March 15, 2024
I had no idea what to expect when I first sat down to read The Afterlife Experiment but it immediately sucked me in and I loved it! From the very first page to the last, I was fully absorbed in the story and I did not want to put it down.
I absolutely loved Atra, the main character, who has been locked away in a psychiatric facility for the majority of her childhood. From the very first chapter I felt a connection with Atra and wanted her to be okay while she figured out the craziness of the different planes.
The embodiment of Dread was really intriguing and his presence really brought a sense of fear and isolation into the novel. Ophelia and Tom were also important side characters who had their own chapters and it was really interesting to see their point of view and how they all connected with Atra.
The setting and the world building of the book was also crazy and it had me constantly questioning reality and feeling like everything was upside down. I was forever wondering what could possibly happen next with Atra and the different planes felt like being on a sci-fi roller coaster!
Throughout the novel I was wondering how it would all connect in the end but I needn't have worried. It is fast paced with lots of plane jumping that completely subverted reality and I loved every second when reading.
This is not your typical horror or sci-fi novel. The Afterlife Experiment provides a psychological spin on horror that kept me captivated throughout and I really loved the sci-fi elements that brought it all together to create a thrilling novel.
The best part is that this is only book one in a trilogy! I can't wait to read the next installment and see what else is in store for Atra.
I absolutely loved Atra, the main character, who has been locked away in a psychiatric facility for the majority of her childhood. From the very first chapter I felt a connection with Atra and wanted her to be okay while she figured out the craziness of the different planes.
The embodiment of Dread was really intriguing and his presence really brought a sense of fear and isolation into the novel. Ophelia and Tom were also important side characters who had their own chapters and it was really interesting to see their point of view and how they all connected with Atra.
The setting and the world building of the book was also crazy and it had me constantly questioning reality and feeling like everything was upside down. I was forever wondering what could possibly happen next with Atra and the different planes felt like being on a sci-fi roller coaster!
Throughout the novel I was wondering how it would all connect in the end but I needn't have worried. It is fast paced with lots of plane jumping that completely subverted reality and I loved every second when reading.
This is not your typical horror or sci-fi novel. The Afterlife Experiment provides a psychological spin on horror that kept me captivated throughout and I really loved the sci-fi elements that brought it all together to create a thrilling novel.
The best part is that this is only book one in a trilogy! I can't wait to read the next installment and see what else is in store for Atra.
October 27, 2025
📖 Title: The Afterlife Experiment
✍️ Author: Sam Weiss
⭐️ Rating: (3.5 out of 5)
📅 Date Finished: October 5th, 2025
—————————————————————————
🧵 Quick Summary:
Atra Hart has spent years locked in a psychiatric asylum, haunted by a living shadow she calls “Dread.” During a fire she escapes—and witnesses a strange, electric-purple rift that no one else seems to see. When she wakes back inside the hospital, everyone and everything she once knew has vanished. As she fights to uncover what’s real, she realizes the asylum is a trap between broken realities—and Dread is more than her shadow. If she fails, she could become the vessel for an ancient evil that wants to break through.
💭 What I Loved:
- The suspense that builds up from the very first page
- The TWISTED turns
- Constantly questioning the reality I was reading throughout the book.
😬 What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Miscommunication trope happens frequently here
- Lack of communication at very important moments
📌 Favorite Character:
Atra has to be one of my favorites in the book. Despite all that she’s been put through, she still keeps fighting and existing.
🧠 Notable Quote:
“The night the moon bleeds is the night the world will end. There’s death in the moon. And the moon is you.”
🗣️ Final Thoughts:
This book really blew my mind. It covered many topics that have been covered a lot, but in a completely different way. It starts out with a girl in a psychiatric ward. An event happens and she gets out. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I was going to in the beginning if I’m being honest. I recommend this book and any book that comes after it in the series.
✍️ Author: Sam Weiss
⭐️ Rating: (3.5 out of 5)
📅 Date Finished: October 5th, 2025
—————————————————————————
🧵 Quick Summary:
Atra Hart has spent years locked in a psychiatric asylum, haunted by a living shadow she calls “Dread.” During a fire she escapes—and witnesses a strange, electric-purple rift that no one else seems to see. When she wakes back inside the hospital, everyone and everything she once knew has vanished. As she fights to uncover what’s real, she realizes the asylum is a trap between broken realities—and Dread is more than her shadow. If she fails, she could become the vessel for an ancient evil that wants to break through.
💭 What I Loved:
- The suspense that builds up from the very first page
- The TWISTED turns
- Constantly questioning the reality I was reading throughout the book.
😬 What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Miscommunication trope happens frequently here
- Lack of communication at very important moments
📌 Favorite Character:
Atra has to be one of my favorites in the book. Despite all that she’s been put through, she still keeps fighting and existing.
🧠 Notable Quote:
“The night the moon bleeds is the night the world will end. There’s death in the moon. And the moon is you.”
🗣️ Final Thoughts:
This book really blew my mind. It covered many topics that have been covered a lot, but in a completely different way. It starts out with a girl in a psychiatric ward. An event happens and she gets out. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I was going to in the beginning if I’m being honest. I recommend this book and any book that comes after it in the series.
July 15, 2025
Atra Hart’s shadow has grown teeth—and it whispers her name. That single image locked me in, but The Afterlife Experiment doesn’t stop at unsettling—it spirals downward into a beautifully fractured nightmare that feels like Jacob’s Ladder had a panic attack during a screening of Beyond the Black Rainbow. It’s a genre collision course: part psychological horror, part cosmic mind-melt, part existential ghost story. The result? Unrelenting.
Atra is a magnetic protagonist, spiraling through delusion, grief, and something far worse. Is reality itself sick, just like her in that asylum? The other POVs, Tom and Ophelia, add necessary texture and depth, but let’s be honest: they orbit Atra’s gravitational pull. Together, they form a triad of unreliable narrators who bleed truth in pieces, and I loved every disorienting, gut-punching page of it.
The horror hits on multiple fronts: decaying bodies, fractured memories, and something else I can’t quite put my finger on but that really lingers in the transitions between the scenes.
Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it dares you to keep up. It is NOT for everybody, especially if you need to be able to follow the story with clarity or don’t like ambiguity. But that’s the brilliance of it—this book weaponizes confusion the way Weiss weaponizes fear, turning disorientation into an emotional blade. The Afterlife Experiment is, in some ways, about what it means to be forgotten, to fracture, to remember something no one else believes existed. And it is a wild, unforgettable ride.
Atra is a magnetic protagonist, spiraling through delusion, grief, and something far worse. Is reality itself sick, just like her in that asylum? The other POVs, Tom and Ophelia, add necessary texture and depth, but let’s be honest: they orbit Atra’s gravitational pull. Together, they form a triad of unreliable narrators who bleed truth in pieces, and I loved every disorienting, gut-punching page of it.
The horror hits on multiple fronts: decaying bodies, fractured memories, and something else I can’t quite put my finger on but that really lingers in the transitions between the scenes.
Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it dares you to keep up. It is NOT for everybody, especially if you need to be able to follow the story with clarity or don’t like ambiguity. But that’s the brilliance of it—this book weaponizes confusion the way Weiss weaponizes fear, turning disorientation into an emotional blade. The Afterlife Experiment is, in some ways, about what it means to be forgotten, to fracture, to remember something no one else believes existed. And it is a wild, unforgettable ride.
April 6, 2025
Wow. I’ve never read anything quite like this before, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s a fast paced fever dream of a book, where loose threads slowly entwine, unravel, then entwine again, weaving a captivating narrative that had me hooked from start to finish.
At twenty, Atra Hart is having a rough life. After barely escaping a fire and an unknown pursuer at the Vanishing Planes, a psychiatric ward she’s been forced to live in since she was a child, she finds herself navigating a world that is alien to her. But unfortunately her freedom is short-lived. Soon she finds herself caught up in a multidimensional plot involving a mysterious rift in the sky that bridges the world of the living and the dead. I could say more, but Atra’s mind-bending story is best experienced knowing as little as possible.
Ophelia, the primary antagonist, is on a mission to appease a powerful entity that rules the realm of the dead. A somewhat sympathetic villain, Ophelia nevertheless frightens with her cold, calculated brutality. The lengths she will go to achieve her goal, combined with her supernatural abilities, makes for an interesting character who I couldn’t help but love to hate.
This novel blurs the lines between life and death while tackling themes of consciousness, revenge, and forgiveness. If you’re into dark, twisty fantasy with splashes of bloody, psychological horror, then give this one a read.
At twenty, Atra Hart is having a rough life. After barely escaping a fire and an unknown pursuer at the Vanishing Planes, a psychiatric ward she’s been forced to live in since she was a child, she finds herself navigating a world that is alien to her. But unfortunately her freedom is short-lived. Soon she finds herself caught up in a multidimensional plot involving a mysterious rift in the sky that bridges the world of the living and the dead. I could say more, but Atra’s mind-bending story is best experienced knowing as little as possible.
Ophelia, the primary antagonist, is on a mission to appease a powerful entity that rules the realm of the dead. A somewhat sympathetic villain, Ophelia nevertheless frightens with her cold, calculated brutality. The lengths she will go to achieve her goal, combined with her supernatural abilities, makes for an interesting character who I couldn’t help but love to hate.
This novel blurs the lines between life and death while tackling themes of consciousness, revenge, and forgiveness. If you’re into dark, twisty fantasy with splashes of bloody, psychological horror, then give this one a read.
March 20, 2024
Atra Hart has spent the majority of her life being hunted, taunted and terrified by Dread. There is no escape, no getting away from Dread, it is after all, her shadow. For the last 7 years the torment Dread has inflicted on Atra has seen her locked into the psychiatric facility, Vanishing Planes.
She is looking forward to her visit from her brother when a doctor arrives to tell her that won't be happening, she has no brother. As she looks closer, the details aren't right, this is not a real doctor and she has to get away from him fast! That night, a raging fire breaks out in the asylum, and against all odds, she scrapes through to freedom. As she takes one last look at her prison for so many years, she notices an electro pulse, one that no one seems to have seen.
But why does she find herself back in the asylum? Is it the asylum? Everything is almost the same, with tiny details changed. Did she actually escape or was this some form of hallucination? Where was she now and how did she get here?
If you are a fan of thrillers, if you are a fan of mystery, of sci-fi then I highly recommend this book. This was like a mental assault course, trying to work out what was coming next, who to trust and which way was up. The concept was fascinating, I've definitely not read anything even close to similar to this. Gripping, and highly entertaining.
She is looking forward to her visit from her brother when a doctor arrives to tell her that won't be happening, she has no brother. As she looks closer, the details aren't right, this is not a real doctor and she has to get away from him fast! That night, a raging fire breaks out in the asylum, and against all odds, she scrapes through to freedom. As she takes one last look at her prison for so many years, she notices an electro pulse, one that no one seems to have seen.
But why does she find herself back in the asylum? Is it the asylum? Everything is almost the same, with tiny details changed. Did she actually escape or was this some form of hallucination? Where was she now and how did she get here?
If you are a fan of thrillers, if you are a fan of mystery, of sci-fi then I highly recommend this book. This was like a mental assault course, trying to work out what was coming next, who to trust and which way was up. The concept was fascinating, I've definitely not read anything even close to similar to this. Gripping, and highly entertaining.
August 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️(2/5)
Format: e-book kindly provided by the author
Genre: Sci-Fi, dark fantasy, horror
Series: The Altered Planes, book 1
——
The Afterlife Experiment by Sam Weiss follows Atra Hart, a young woman trapped in a psychiatric hospital, plagued by a sentient shadow named Dread. After escaping a fire, Atra discovers a mysterious rift in the sky leading to the world of the dead. As she uncovers an ancient evil’s plan to control her shadow, Atra must confront her fragile grip on reality and the dark forces threatening her existence.
——
This debut novel had a lot of potential, and I really wanted to love it. The premise immediately caught my attention — a blend of sci-fi and horror with themes of life after death sounded like something right up my alley, especially with the promise of eerie suspense woven into a futuristic storyline.
Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t work for me. While I’m not a regular sci-fi reader, I do like to pick up the genre occasionally, and I appreciate authors who take risks and explore complex, layered ideas. But this book ended up feeling more confusing than compelling. The pacing felt disjointed, jumping rapidly from one scene to another without enough context or cohesion. The multiple POVs, which can often add depth and insight, felt overwhelming here — and Atra’s chapters, in particular, were difficult to follow and interpret.
That said, I can see where the author was aiming. The story is ambitious, and I respect the effort it takes to craft a world that bends the rules of life and death. The bones of a fascinating concept are there — they just needed a bit more refinement. I do plan on reading the next book in the series to see where the story goes and how the author grows from here. There’s promise in the idea, and I’m hopeful that with more clarity and development, it can really take off.
For now, though, The Afterlife Experiment just wasn’t for me — but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what comes next.
Format: e-book kindly provided by the author
Genre: Sci-Fi, dark fantasy, horror
Series: The Altered Planes, book 1
——
The Afterlife Experiment by Sam Weiss follows Atra Hart, a young woman trapped in a psychiatric hospital, plagued by a sentient shadow named Dread. After escaping a fire, Atra discovers a mysterious rift in the sky leading to the world of the dead. As she uncovers an ancient evil’s plan to control her shadow, Atra must confront her fragile grip on reality and the dark forces threatening her existence.
——
This debut novel had a lot of potential, and I really wanted to love it. The premise immediately caught my attention — a blend of sci-fi and horror with themes of life after death sounded like something right up my alley, especially with the promise of eerie suspense woven into a futuristic storyline.
Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t work for me. While I’m not a regular sci-fi reader, I do like to pick up the genre occasionally, and I appreciate authors who take risks and explore complex, layered ideas. But this book ended up feeling more confusing than compelling. The pacing felt disjointed, jumping rapidly from one scene to another without enough context or cohesion. The multiple POVs, which can often add depth and insight, felt overwhelming here — and Atra’s chapters, in particular, were difficult to follow and interpret.
That said, I can see where the author was aiming. The story is ambitious, and I respect the effort it takes to craft a world that bends the rules of life and death. The bones of a fascinating concept are there — they just needed a bit more refinement. I do plan on reading the next book in the series to see where the story goes and how the author grows from here. There’s promise in the idea, and I’m hopeful that with more clarity and development, it can really take off.
For now, though, The Afterlife Experiment just wasn’t for me — but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what comes next.
August 30, 2025
I truly didn’t know what to rate this book. Overall, it was so interesting and there were so many different aspects to it, I usually didn’t know what was going to happen next! I also was extremely confused at times (and that’s at least partially a personal issue - this is not the book to read when you’re really tired and overwhelmed). The confusion made it less enjoyable but if I did a re-read in a better mental state, it would probably be better! I also felt like at times it was slow and other times the pace really picked up.
Another interesting part of this book is that SO MUCH happens but it happens over a short period of time. The different points of view of the characters helped with this because it was like having several juggling balls up in the air even more so than most books with multiple POVs. Aside from the suspense of the cliffhangers when it switches POV, there weren’t really any chapters that felt like a waste of time or nothing happened like often happens with that situation.
There are definitely horror aspects and some gore (not excessive but it’s there). That adds to the creepy and sci-fi vibes. It’s not one genre, it’s a mix and the vibes are very much Stranger Things - I’m a huge fan so that made it a more fun read for me personally.
I received this book from the author in preparation for reading her new book The House of Root and Rot.
Another interesting part of this book is that SO MUCH happens but it happens over a short period of time. The different points of view of the characters helped with this because it was like having several juggling balls up in the air even more so than most books with multiple POVs. Aside from the suspense of the cliffhangers when it switches POV, there weren’t really any chapters that felt like a waste of time or nothing happened like often happens with that situation.
There are definitely horror aspects and some gore (not excessive but it’s there). That adds to the creepy and sci-fi vibes. It’s not one genre, it’s a mix and the vibes are very much Stranger Things - I’m a huge fan so that made it a more fun read for me personally.
I received this book from the author in preparation for reading her new book The House of Root and Rot.
September 14, 2025
An exhilirating start, however a very convoluted and confusing middle and end. The predominance of staccato thoughts and non-stop struggle/action, meant there was very little elaboration on the key elements that would have tied this science fiction together. Whenever working with unfamiliar terms or concepts, it's so important to really ensure readers can anchor themselves into the world, environment and character motives early on. Unfortunately, it felt like all the characters were scrambling for direction, with sprinkles of background and motive further towards the end. As such, I found it quite painful to push myself to read through a plot I didn't understand. I did enjoy a few of Ophelia's scenes, but mostly struggled through Atra's scenes. I couldn't make sense of her asylum sections, the broken realities, the various characters in the asylum, and I wasn't even sure what age she was to conceptualise her. Late teen?
Overall I think it had an interesting and ambitious premise, however delivery focused heavily on interpersonal exchanges and chaos, and would have benefitted from creating pauses in pacing and more environmental elaboration.
While this book was not for me, Im sure there are other readers who would perceive differently. I think I just prefer a certain style of pacing and plot.
I received a digital copy from the author for an honest review.
Overall I think it had an interesting and ambitious premise, however delivery focused heavily on interpersonal exchanges and chaos, and would have benefitted from creating pauses in pacing and more environmental elaboration.
While this book was not for me, Im sure there are other readers who would perceive differently. I think I just prefer a certain style of pacing and plot.
I received a digital copy from the author for an honest review.
March 12, 2024
I received a copy of this for free, to review for Black Tide Book Tours.
When I first started reading, I had an immediate sense of danger and peril. I felt that something was going to happen to these characters. That was something that motivated me to keep reading, like a gut instinct that couldn't be ignored.
I felt that there wasn't much of a chance to get to know the characters before jumping straight into the action of the story, but that didn't seem to matter. I didn't feel any particular connection with any character or identify very much with any of them, but that didn't seem to matter either.
As I read on, I found the writing had a sort of surreal quality, and I actually began to feel a sort of detachment from the characters. That struck me as quite interesting, because I often connect quite deeply with characters I read about. In this case, I somehow felt as though I was merely observing the characters and their behaviour. I found it quite interesting to read about characters that made me feel this way.
I'm a reader with reading moods, so this is a type of book that I would have to be in the mood for, but it was an interesting read.
Thank you to Black Tide Book Tours, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
When I first started reading, I had an immediate sense of danger and peril. I felt that something was going to happen to these characters. That was something that motivated me to keep reading, like a gut instinct that couldn't be ignored.
I felt that there wasn't much of a chance to get to know the characters before jumping straight into the action of the story, but that didn't seem to matter. I didn't feel any particular connection with any character or identify very much with any of them, but that didn't seem to matter either.
As I read on, I found the writing had a sort of surreal quality, and I actually began to feel a sort of detachment from the characters. That struck me as quite interesting, because I often connect quite deeply with characters I read about. In this case, I somehow felt as though I was merely observing the characters and their behaviour. I found it quite interesting to read about characters that made me feel this way.
I'm a reader with reading moods, so this is a type of book that I would have to be in the mood for, but it was an interesting read.
Thank you to Black Tide Book Tours, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
April 19, 2025
💜🔪✨
Book Review: The Afterlife Experiment
Author: @samwisestrange
Genre: Dark Science Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
Venturing into the realm of psychological thrillers is uncharted territory for me, but “The Afterlife Experiment” by Sam Weiss proved to be an enthralling journey that was well worth the risk.
The story centers on Atra Hart, plunging readers into a mind-bending narrative woven with dark science fantasy elements. This debut novel explores alternate dimensions, eerie Alice-in-Wonderland vibes, and eldritch evils that grip you from the first page. Unveiling dark family secrets and witchy undertones, all wrapped in an atmosphere heavy with paranoia. It’s a fascinating exploration of what happens when a science experiment takes a wrong—and terrifying—turn.
What sets this book apart is its ability to evoke vivid, almost hallucinatory imagery while maintaining a narrative pace that keeps you turning the pages. It’s a blend of genres and tropes that felt fresh and unexpected, making it a thrilling ride for even a cautious reader like me.
With “The Afterlife Experiment,” Sam Weiss has created a world that leaves readers eager to know more. Luckily, the wait won’t be long, as Book 2 is set to release this fall.
Book Review: The Afterlife Experiment
Author: @samwisestrange
Genre: Dark Science Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
Venturing into the realm of psychological thrillers is uncharted territory for me, but “The Afterlife Experiment” by Sam Weiss proved to be an enthralling journey that was well worth the risk.
The story centers on Atra Hart, plunging readers into a mind-bending narrative woven with dark science fantasy elements. This debut novel explores alternate dimensions, eerie Alice-in-Wonderland vibes, and eldritch evils that grip you from the first page. Unveiling dark family secrets and witchy undertones, all wrapped in an atmosphere heavy with paranoia. It’s a fascinating exploration of what happens when a science experiment takes a wrong—and terrifying—turn.
What sets this book apart is its ability to evoke vivid, almost hallucinatory imagery while maintaining a narrative pace that keeps you turning the pages. It’s a blend of genres and tropes that felt fresh and unexpected, making it a thrilling ride for even a cautious reader like me.
With “The Afterlife Experiment,” Sam Weiss has created a world that leaves readers eager to know more. Luckily, the wait won’t be long, as Book 2 is set to release this fall.
September 30, 2025
⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Firstly I want to say I really enjoyed this book it was a really fun read for me especially with all the aspects of what is real till the very end!
The multiple POV's gave it a fun puzzling aspect that kept you guessing what was happening and what was going on like a fun mystery game. You follow 3 main characters as they all try to make it in time to close a rift or run away from it and all have a connection to it in very sad or disturbing ways. The main character Atra has to learn some disturbing truths while being trapped in a psych ward trying to escape. Eventually all 3 come crashing together for a massive truth Atra needs to accept quick or fail and let the unknown into the world.
The darker aspects of this book I thought could have been explored a lot more but that's just a personal opinion and not something that took me out of the story in any way.
The different layers of reality and learning what was actually happening was a really interesting take on the afterlife/altered reality and I really look forward to the next book which is my next ARC read!
Definitely trigger warnings with this one so make sure to pay attention to them but I recommend this for a start to the spooky season! 🧬
Firstly I want to say I really enjoyed this book it was a really fun read for me especially with all the aspects of what is real till the very end!
The multiple POV's gave it a fun puzzling aspect that kept you guessing what was happening and what was going on like a fun mystery game. You follow 3 main characters as they all try to make it in time to close a rift or run away from it and all have a connection to it in very sad or disturbing ways. The main character Atra has to learn some disturbing truths while being trapped in a psych ward trying to escape. Eventually all 3 come crashing together for a massive truth Atra needs to accept quick or fail and let the unknown into the world.
The darker aspects of this book I thought could have been explored a lot more but that's just a personal opinion and not something that took me out of the story in any way.
The different layers of reality and learning what was actually happening was a really interesting take on the afterlife/altered reality and I really look forward to the next book which is my next ARC read!
Definitely trigger warnings with this one so make sure to pay attention to them but I recommend this for a start to the spooky season! 🧬
November 19, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS.COM
I read this book as part of the SFFI Insiders Team judging for SPSFC4.
Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed overall but also when you finished you just had to look around asking yourself where you went just now? I’m genuinely not entirely sure what I’ve just experienced other than it felt like a fever dream of dimensions, taking the randomly appearing Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and some science from Stranger Things.
Admittedly I also felt like I was in those Old Spice commercials where the guy told you to look up, look down, he’s on a horse, he’s got diamonds or something. Atra was just in all these different places and planes of existence.
Ok so the book. It focuses on three main people: Atra, Tom and Ophelia. How they connect you don’t really know until further in the story. But Atra is in an asylum with a shadow that may or may not be real and doing things. This is kind of less of a major than the blurb would have you believe, and I think part of that is because Atra doesn’t know what it is herself other than she hates it and make it stop. So in a way it’s interesting that we’re finding out everything happening to the MC at the same time she is. Except in one note where I was like ‘This is definitely what’s going to happen.’ and it did. I’m usually wrong about these things so it was an achievement for me. The connection thereafter I didn’t see coming but I think my note on that was ‘Oh…oh dip.’
Tom is more interesting at the start because he’s being stalked by someone who knows what he did, not last summer, but over a decade ago. Then he seems to largely just go around making some bad choices. I loved the scenes with him driving and the shadows following him. That got my heart racing. Beyond that, he does a lot of things that if this were a film I’d be shouting at the screen not to do.
We meet the third focal character in the start of part II. To be honest, I didn’t really get her storyline. I’m not sure it needed to be there and I don’t really think it added much. So other than this bit, I’m going to focus on Atra and Tom.
So many of Atra’s scenes genuinely had me wide eyed and heart racing. Some of the character interactions she has are terrifying and arguably where a lot of the content warnings outlined in the book come into play. I’m pretty ok with gore, or so I thought. Now my amendment to that is I’m pretty ok with gore, unless eyes are involved. Heed the content warnings on this book is my advice.
The bit that let things down for me, aside from so many things happening in all different directions I felt like I was reading an MC Escher painting, was this bit in the blurb: Atra’s already loose grip on reality unravels when she learns the rift is a gateway to the world of the dead.
Between that and the shadows chasing Tom initially, I really thought the world/planes/land of the dead would be a bigger thing and it was more mysterious planes of buildings where a cat occasionally roamed between to possibly help? I’m actually not sure. The cat sounds a little suspicious. I am suspicious of this cat.
A lot of this happens in Part IV of the book, Cold Blood Moon. So I guess I would have to say the bit that let me down was that part of the blurb and this last section of the book. None of that is to say it was bad. I enjoyed the book. The eye gore may put it in the ‘I never want to read this again pile’ cause I might throw up, but I did enjoy the book. I think with just how intense everything else had been set up, how all over the place and sci-fi words things had been, I had different expectations for how things would have settled.
Honestly, I am still wrapping my head around everything that happened in the pages. I think I’ll be untangling these threads for quite a while. This is certainly a book that sticks with you.
If you like your sci-fi with threads of horror, thriller and suspense, you will almost definitely enjoy this book overall. If you enjoy your sci-fi without things happening to people’s eyes, I am apparently also in this camp with you.
I read this book as part of the SFFI Insiders Team judging for SPSFC4.
Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed overall but also when you finished you just had to look around asking yourself where you went just now? I’m genuinely not entirely sure what I’ve just experienced other than it felt like a fever dream of dimensions, taking the randomly appearing Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and some science from Stranger Things.
Admittedly I also felt like I was in those Old Spice commercials where the guy told you to look up, look down, he’s on a horse, he’s got diamonds or something. Atra was just in all these different places and planes of existence.
Ok so the book. It focuses on three main people: Atra, Tom and Ophelia. How they connect you don’t really know until further in the story. But Atra is in an asylum with a shadow that may or may not be real and doing things. This is kind of less of a major than the blurb would have you believe, and I think part of that is because Atra doesn’t know what it is herself other than she hates it and make it stop. So in a way it’s interesting that we’re finding out everything happening to the MC at the same time she is. Except in one note where I was like ‘This is definitely what’s going to happen.’ and it did. I’m usually wrong about these things so it was an achievement for me. The connection thereafter I didn’t see coming but I think my note on that was ‘Oh…oh dip.’
Tom is more interesting at the start because he’s being stalked by someone who knows what he did, not last summer, but over a decade ago. Then he seems to largely just go around making some bad choices. I loved the scenes with him driving and the shadows following him. That got my heart racing. Beyond that, he does a lot of things that if this were a film I’d be shouting at the screen not to do.
We meet the third focal character in the start of part II. To be honest, I didn’t really get her storyline. I’m not sure it needed to be there and I don’t really think it added much. So other than this bit, I’m going to focus on Atra and Tom.
So many of Atra’s scenes genuinely had me wide eyed and heart racing. Some of the character interactions she has are terrifying and arguably where a lot of the content warnings outlined in the book come into play. I’m pretty ok with gore, or so I thought. Now my amendment to that is I’m pretty ok with gore, unless eyes are involved. Heed the content warnings on this book is my advice.
The bit that let things down for me, aside from so many things happening in all different directions I felt like I was reading an MC Escher painting, was this bit in the blurb: Atra’s already loose grip on reality unravels when she learns the rift is a gateway to the world of the dead.
Between that and the shadows chasing Tom initially, I really thought the world/planes/land of the dead would be a bigger thing and it was more mysterious planes of buildings where a cat occasionally roamed between to possibly help? I’m actually not sure. The cat sounds a little suspicious. I am suspicious of this cat.
A lot of this happens in Part IV of the book, Cold Blood Moon. So I guess I would have to say the bit that let me down was that part of the blurb and this last section of the book. None of that is to say it was bad. I enjoyed the book. The eye gore may put it in the ‘I never want to read this again pile’ cause I might throw up, but I did enjoy the book. I think with just how intense everything else had been set up, how all over the place and sci-fi words things had been, I had different expectations for how things would have settled.
Honestly, I am still wrapping my head around everything that happened in the pages. I think I’ll be untangling these threads for quite a while. This is certainly a book that sticks with you.
If you like your sci-fi with threads of horror, thriller and suspense, you will almost definitely enjoy this book overall. If you enjoy your sci-fi without things happening to people’s eyes, I am apparently also in this camp with you.
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