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Snow Globe
Trapped in a bar by the biggest snowstorm in over a century, Ben Clary will soon learn that sometimes the worst monsters are the human ones.
DESCRIPTION
Ben Clary is an everyday workingman who caps off an afternoon of holiday shopping with a drink at his favorite watering hole. Before long, he is intoxicated, and a brutal winter storm descends, trapping him and his fellow bar patrons. Being trapped by a storm is bad enough; finding out something terrible and deadly lurks in the blizzard outside is far worse.
One by one, unseen assailants pick off the patrons until a local historian claims the attackers may be the remnants of a clan caught up in an ancient blood feud, said to have occurred at the site of the tavern. And, worse, they eat human flesh.
Before long Ben learns the cannibal clansmen are the least of his worries—the true monsters are way more terrifying... and closer to home.
PRAISE
"Icily impressive." —David Sakmyster, author of Escape Plans
"The menace is revealed in all its blood-crazed glory very early in proceedings... after a spate of initial deaths...things settle right down and the story becomes far more about the lengths people will go to save their own skin and that of their loved ones, regardless of the cost."
—Paul @ Horror After Dark
DESCRIPTION
Ben Clary is an everyday workingman who caps off an afternoon of holiday shopping with a drink at his favorite watering hole. Before long, he is intoxicated, and a brutal winter storm descends, trapping him and his fellow bar patrons. Being trapped by a storm is bad enough; finding out something terrible and deadly lurks in the blizzard outside is far worse.
One by one, unseen assailants pick off the patrons until a local historian claims the attackers may be the remnants of a clan caught up in an ancient blood feud, said to have occurred at the site of the tavern. And, worse, they eat human flesh.
Before long Ben learns the cannibal clansmen are the least of his worries—the true monsters are way more terrifying... and closer to home.
PRAISE
"Icily impressive." —David Sakmyster, author of Escape Plans
"The menace is revealed in all its blood-crazed glory very early in proceedings... after a spate of initial deaths...things settle right down and the story becomes far more about the lengths people will go to save their own skin and that of their loved ones, regardless of the cost."
—Paul @ Horror After Dark
- GenresHorror
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2014
2 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Gudmunson
18 books30 followersAaron Gudmunson lives and writes in the Chicagoland area. His work has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. He is the author of the novels Snow Globe, The Slingerman, Farmland, and Emma Tremendous and the collection From the Dusklands. His latest novel, When at Last I Find You, is now available. Follow him on Twitter @ADGudmun.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 3, 2014
Review copy
Snow Globe starts with the best opening paragraph I've read this year, "They came with the snow, or else they brought it with them. I'm not clear on that point yet. It doesn't really matter. What matters is they came." That one sentence says it all. End of review.
Just kidding about the end of review part. Benjamin Clary stops by his favorite watering hole before heading home to his wife. Just for a quick one before the snow starts. This will prove to be the worst decision of his life.
Before you know it, the snow comes and comes hard, "Outside the snow fell fast and furious in flakes the size of quarters. Looking out past the two Christmas pines into the field, you'd think we were living in a snow globe. Pretty as a picture. Our breath steamed, wisping away like banished spirits."
With the snow comes something deadly, killing those who try to leave and trapping the others inside. Soon, however, there's unrest inside the bar that could prove to be just as deadly as the horror in the snow.
There are times when it looks like no one will survive the ordeal and there is certainly no happy ending to the tale, but the story is compelling and the twists are unexpected.
Snow Globe is available as a paperback and in a variety of e-formats from Angelic Knight Press through major retailers including Amazon.com.
Snow Globe starts with the best opening paragraph I've read this year, "They came with the snow, or else they brought it with them. I'm not clear on that point yet. It doesn't really matter. What matters is they came." That one sentence says it all. End of review.
Just kidding about the end of review part. Benjamin Clary stops by his favorite watering hole before heading home to his wife. Just for a quick one before the snow starts. This will prove to be the worst decision of his life.
Before you know it, the snow comes and comes hard, "Outside the snow fell fast and furious in flakes the size of quarters. Looking out past the two Christmas pines into the field, you'd think we were living in a snow globe. Pretty as a picture. Our breath steamed, wisping away like banished spirits."
With the snow comes something deadly, killing those who try to leave and trapping the others inside. Soon, however, there's unrest inside the bar that could prove to be just as deadly as the horror in the snow.
There are times when it looks like no one will survive the ordeal and there is certainly no happy ending to the tale, but the story is compelling and the twists are unexpected.
Snow Globe is available as a paperback and in a variety of e-formats from Angelic Knight Press through major retailers including Amazon.com.
October 7, 2014
The following is based on an ebook provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cutting right to the heart of the matter, Snow Globe is an intriguing and well-written book – even if I found myself reading something different from what I was expecting based on its synopsis.
Told from the perspective of almost-everyday tradesman Ben Clary, Snow Globe sets itself up to be a nice little riff on a typical survival horror story. Bunch of people trapped in an isolated location – in this case, a bar that has been snowed in just outside of town – and picked off one by one by some form of terrifying menace that slowly reveals itself as numbers dwindle. Gudmunson, however, has grander ideas. For one, the menace is revealed in all its blood-crazed glory very early in proceedings. For two, after a spate of initial deaths to establish the threat the survivors are facing, things settle right down and the story becomes far more about the lengths people will go to save their own skin and that of their loved ones, regardless of the cost. In other words, as relationships strain and allegiances shift, the supernatural menace effectively goes missing.
But the biggest deviation from the norm is that Ben Clary – our guide through the twisted events of this read – is waging an internal battle that takes up almost as much run-time as the one he is embroiled in versus the unseen menace outside the bar. That battle being alcoholism. Gudmunson deserves praise for the way he weaves Ben’s drinking into the narrative so that it gradually becomes apparent just how serious his problem is. It quickly costs him his relationship, and as the story progresses, it could come to jeopardize the lives of himself and the others holed up within his favourite watering hole. His drinking also serves to call into question at least some of his narration, and though Gudmunson stops short of making this a quintessential part of the read, I found myself wondering on more than occasion if what Ben was saying could be believed, given how hammered he often was.
So as much as Ben’s problem adds an unusual dramatic gravitas (for this type of read) to proceedings, it’s another factor that takes away from the horror of being attacked by something deadly that is trying to get in. I missed the thrill of waiting for the next attack and who would fall. But perhaps that’s just me. Others may not mind the shift in focus, especially since Gudmunson’s prose lends itself to a swift and enjoyable read.
Recommended for those who like a little more depth to their horror than might be apparent at first glace.
3.5 Shiny New Hammers for Snow Globe.
Find this review and others like it at Horror After Dark.
Cutting right to the heart of the matter, Snow Globe is an intriguing and well-written book – even if I found myself reading something different from what I was expecting based on its synopsis.
Told from the perspective of almost-everyday tradesman Ben Clary, Snow Globe sets itself up to be a nice little riff on a typical survival horror story. Bunch of people trapped in an isolated location – in this case, a bar that has been snowed in just outside of town – and picked off one by one by some form of terrifying menace that slowly reveals itself as numbers dwindle. Gudmunson, however, has grander ideas. For one, the menace is revealed in all its blood-crazed glory very early in proceedings. For two, after a spate of initial deaths to establish the threat the survivors are facing, things settle right down and the story becomes far more about the lengths people will go to save their own skin and that of their loved ones, regardless of the cost. In other words, as relationships strain and allegiances shift, the supernatural menace effectively goes missing.
But the biggest deviation from the norm is that Ben Clary – our guide through the twisted events of this read – is waging an internal battle that takes up almost as much run-time as the one he is embroiled in versus the unseen menace outside the bar. That battle being alcoholism. Gudmunson deserves praise for the way he weaves Ben’s drinking into the narrative so that it gradually becomes apparent just how serious his problem is. It quickly costs him his relationship, and as the story progresses, it could come to jeopardize the lives of himself and the others holed up within his favourite watering hole. His drinking also serves to call into question at least some of his narration, and though Gudmunson stops short of making this a quintessential part of the read, I found myself wondering on more than occasion if what Ben was saying could be believed, given how hammered he often was.
So as much as Ben’s problem adds an unusual dramatic gravitas (for this type of read) to proceedings, it’s another factor that takes away from the horror of being attacked by something deadly that is trying to get in. I missed the thrill of waiting for the next attack and who would fall. But perhaps that’s just me. Others may not mind the shift in focus, especially since Gudmunson’s prose lends itself to a swift and enjoyable read.
Recommended for those who like a little more depth to their horror than might be apparent at first glace.
3.5 Shiny New Hammers for Snow Globe.
Find this review and others like it at Horror After Dark.
July 21, 2016
It takes a lot to keep me interested in a book, and I finished SnowGlobe in two days! Fantastic story with a great thriller element.
I'm not a great reviewer, but my point is that I really liked this book, and if you like these kinds of stories, READ IT!!
I'm not a great reviewer, but my point is that I really liked this book, and if you like these kinds of stories, READ IT!!
Read
August 27, 2014Review coming soon!
January 16, 2021
I like it however a lot of things where not explained
June 17, 2015
Excellent horror story! When I learned this was a first novel I couldn't believe it. It reads like early Stephen King with developed characters and plot and dripping with dread. When the bad things start happening you want to scream at the book in hopes they'll hear you! If I have a criticism, it's that the book is too short. It seemed to end more quickly than I had anticipated but the end is at least very satisfying. Highly recommended for fans of horror..really glad I read this one in summer!
June 20, 2015
This was a quick and enjoyable read. The pace and the string of actions kept me in suspense throughout the book. I'm glad I picked it up.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews