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The Pipe: Dreams of Tashokia
What if your dreams weren't just dreams?
When Daniel and his friends arrive at a remote holiday lodge for a climbing trip, they find something impossible—a mysterious black pipe rising from the middle of the floor. Strange sounds echo from its depths, and the dark liquid that fills it hides a gateway to another world. Daniel has dreamed of Zhenah and her golden hair his entire life. Now she's calling to him through the pipe, offering everything he's ever wanted... if he's brave enough to follow.
What begins as a simple climbing holiday becomes a journey that will test the limits of friendship, challenge their understanding of reality, and force them to question what they're willing to sacrifice for love.
As Daniel and his friends are drawn into the mysterious world of Tashokia, with its bizarre customs and beautiful inhabitants, they discover that some dreams are worth chasing—even if it means leaving everything behind.
A spellbinding portal fantasy with its own meticulously crafted language, THE PIPE will transport you to a world you won't want to leave.
When Daniel and his friends arrive at a remote holiday lodge for a climbing trip, they find something impossible—a mysterious black pipe rising from the middle of the floor. Strange sounds echo from its depths, and the dark liquid that fills it hides a gateway to another world. Daniel has dreamed of Zhenah and her golden hair his entire life. Now she's calling to him through the pipe, offering everything he's ever wanted... if he's brave enough to follow.
What begins as a simple climbing holiday becomes a journey that will test the limits of friendship, challenge their understanding of reality, and force them to question what they're willing to sacrifice for love.
As Daniel and his friends are drawn into the mysterious world of Tashokia, with its bizarre customs and beautiful inhabitants, they discover that some dreams are worth chasing—even if it means leaving everything behind.
A spellbinding portal fantasy with its own meticulously crafted language, THE PIPE will transport you to a world you won't want to leave.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 25, 2025
[I'm sometimes asked by other book reviewers to write (or significantly contribute to) a review that they can then submit to other websites under their own names. This is one of those. - Avril]
At first glance, The Pipe seems like it might be a simple cabin-in-the-woods horror tale, complete with an unexplained artifact and a group of unsuspecting holidaymakers. And for a few chapters, that’s more or less what it is. But then the bottom drops out — literally — and what follows is something far weirder, more poetic, and surprisingly moving.
The story is centered around Daniel, a man whose recurring dreams of a mysterious woman named Zhenah have followed him since childhood. When he and his friends arrive at an isolated lodge for a climbing holiday, they find a strange pipe in the center of the living room — an anomaly that quickly becomes the nexus of increasingly surreal events. The pipe doesn’t just unsettle; it beckons.
What works especially well is the book’s tone shift. What begins as a jokey, familiar banter between friends — full of climbing lingo, awkward romantic tension, and mildly crude jokes — slowly transforms into a mythic exploration of love, longing, and the question of what we’re willing to give up to feel like we belong. The transitions are not always smooth, but they’re emotionally honest. Daniel's obsession with Zhenah, initially played for laughs, takes on a haunting gravity as reality begins to blur around him.
There's something oddly comforting in the way the characters stick to their personalities even as the world becomes increasingly bizarre. Bob, the grumpy guitarist and climber, has his own quiet arc that earns more empathy than expected. Sarah, initially a bit of a comedic foil, turns into a surprisingly brave presence — skeptical but open to wonder.
The book walks a tightrope between horror and hope, between sci-fi and folklore. It’s not afraid to indulge in absurdity (there’s a moment involving beer cans and a disappearing guitar that’s both funny and foreboding), but it also doesn’t wink at the reader too much. Once we descend into the oily void, the author commits — and it works.
That said, this isn’t a novel for readers who need airtight plotting or crystal-clear explanations. The world of Tashokia is strange and dreamlike, and some may find its logic elusive or its symbolism heavy-handed. But if you’re the kind of reader who’s willing to follow a story wherever it leads, and if you’ve ever longed for a place that feels more real than the one you're in, The Pipe might just strike a nerve.
I wouldn't call it flawless — but I’m still thinking about it. And that counts for something.
4.5 stars, rounded to 5 for originality and emotional resonance.
At first glance, The Pipe seems like it might be a simple cabin-in-the-woods horror tale, complete with an unexplained artifact and a group of unsuspecting holidaymakers. And for a few chapters, that’s more or less what it is. But then the bottom drops out — literally — and what follows is something far weirder, more poetic, and surprisingly moving.
The story is centered around Daniel, a man whose recurring dreams of a mysterious woman named Zhenah have followed him since childhood. When he and his friends arrive at an isolated lodge for a climbing holiday, they find a strange pipe in the center of the living room — an anomaly that quickly becomes the nexus of increasingly surreal events. The pipe doesn’t just unsettle; it beckons.
What works especially well is the book’s tone shift. What begins as a jokey, familiar banter between friends — full of climbing lingo, awkward romantic tension, and mildly crude jokes — slowly transforms into a mythic exploration of love, longing, and the question of what we’re willing to give up to feel like we belong. The transitions are not always smooth, but they’re emotionally honest. Daniel's obsession with Zhenah, initially played for laughs, takes on a haunting gravity as reality begins to blur around him.
There's something oddly comforting in the way the characters stick to their personalities even as the world becomes increasingly bizarre. Bob, the grumpy guitarist and climber, has his own quiet arc that earns more empathy than expected. Sarah, initially a bit of a comedic foil, turns into a surprisingly brave presence — skeptical but open to wonder.
The book walks a tightrope between horror and hope, between sci-fi and folklore. It’s not afraid to indulge in absurdity (there’s a moment involving beer cans and a disappearing guitar that’s both funny and foreboding), but it also doesn’t wink at the reader too much. Once we descend into the oily void, the author commits — and it works.
That said, this isn’t a novel for readers who need airtight plotting or crystal-clear explanations. The world of Tashokia is strange and dreamlike, and some may find its logic elusive or its symbolism heavy-handed. But if you’re the kind of reader who’s willing to follow a story wherever it leads, and if you’ve ever longed for a place that feels more real than the one you're in, The Pipe might just strike a nerve.
I wouldn't call it flawless — but I’m still thinking about it. And that counts for something.
4.5 stars, rounded to 5 for originality and emotional resonance.
April 19, 2025
Cool fantasy story!
I just really enjoyed this book. Interesting journey through a unique wormhole to a whole different planet, Tashokia.
A woman leader of a tribe calls through years of dreams to a young man from a different planet. Her tribe stopped conceiving male babies. The young man is part of a plan to address possible extinction.
Not quite the way planned....
Three friends accompany the young man through the wormhole. Their exploits add to the fun. Of course romance, culture shock, change and skills brought from Earth contribute to this fast read.
I just really enjoyed this book. Interesting journey through a unique wormhole to a whole different planet, Tashokia.
A woman leader of a tribe calls through years of dreams to a young man from a different planet. Her tribe stopped conceiving male babies. The young man is part of a plan to address possible extinction.
Not quite the way planned....
Three friends accompany the young man through the wormhole. Their exploits add to the fun. Of course romance, culture shock, change and skills brought from Earth contribute to this fast read.
July 23, 2025
Suspenseful Adventure
The Pipe Dreams of Tashokia is a suspenseful adventure about a group of friends on a climbing holiday. I was hooked from the beginning. Daniel and his friends discover a pipe in a remote lodge that turns out to be a secret portal into a dreamworld. Tashokia is an enchanting place. The tension builds and the story weaves through themes of love and sacrifice. I highly recommend this book.
The Pipe Dreams of Tashokia is a suspenseful adventure about a group of friends on a climbing holiday. I was hooked from the beginning. Daniel and his friends discover a pipe in a remote lodge that turns out to be a secret portal into a dreamworld. Tashokia is an enchanting place. The tension builds and the story weaves through themes of love and sacrifice. I highly recommend this book.
January 10, 2025
Another cracker from David Kuziara. What a great book.
January 16, 2025
Absolutely amazing book. Highly recomended. Fantasy with a difference!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews