What do you think?
Rate this book
Stygian Rift
What would you do if you woke up in hell and couldn’t remember a thing?
Set in a dystopian society about 150 years from the 21st century……
Suddenly rousing in a place completely different from his world, seventeen-year-old Robert is greeted with accusations, bullying, and fear from the teenagers around him. Life isn’t easy in the new place, especially if it’s the direct opposite of how and where he was raised.
However, there’s something more about the place that gives him the chills. Is it the fact that monsters and demons always get to massacre someone every night, and then leave when dawn comes? Or that he can’t recall what his surname is? Maybe it’s that the locals are always blaming him for what happened to Cleo, a girl whom Robert doesn’t even know.
Determined to find out what happened, how he got there, and how to get out, Robert and his unreliable fox companion tries to persuade the most stubborn party of defeatists to help them on their crusade, or go off on their own. Filled with thrills, devotion, realism and originality, Stygian Rift is one unforgettable, emotional journey!
Set in a dystopian society about 150 years from the 21st century……
Suddenly rousing in a place completely different from his world, seventeen-year-old Robert is greeted with accusations, bullying, and fear from the teenagers around him. Life isn’t easy in the new place, especially if it’s the direct opposite of how and where he was raised.
However, there’s something more about the place that gives him the chills. Is it the fact that monsters and demons always get to massacre someone every night, and then leave when dawn comes? Or that he can’t recall what his surname is? Maybe it’s that the locals are always blaming him for what happened to Cleo, a girl whom Robert doesn’t even know.
Determined to find out what happened, how he got there, and how to get out, Robert and his unreliable fox companion tries to persuade the most stubborn party of defeatists to help them on their crusade, or go off on their own. Filled with thrills, devotion, realism and originality, Stygian Rift is one unforgettable, emotional journey!
318 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2014
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Jayra Almanzor
1 book4 followersBorn and raised in the Philippines, Jayra Almanzor began studying in Canada in the year 2011. Though she only knows how to speak three languages (English, Tagalog, and some French), she’s learned to treasure them. She enjoys writing, digital painting, playing video games, and most of all, eating bitter gourd. Whenever she’s not writing, she’s either playing League of Legends (or Pokémon) or drawing something that looks like a drawing a five-year-old would have drawn. Jayra is the author of the science fiction horror/fantasy STYGIAN RIFT, winner of the 2013 English Academic Award, St. Justin Martyr, C.S.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 13, 2014
original review @ JC's Book Haven.
"Monsters?" I ask, both captivated and astonished by what he said. "for real?"
"You'll know when you see one," he says, his hands balling into fists. "They mutate from your average pooch and kill one of us every single night. I hate 'em. When it gets dark up there, we run, find a hiding place, and hope to live at least one more day."
The Good
I enjoyed the different creatures in Stygian Rift and I enjoyed the concept of waking up and trying to survive in a death trap...not only lacking the memory of how you got there but not knowing who you can trust or why you're even there. I also liked that some of the kids who had been there a while and seen too many deaths had grown to be a bit harsh toward the new kids. Kind of a "I’ll learn your name if you live more than a few days and only if you can live a few days" type attitude.
The Bad
When the main character Rob first gets there, he is a bit confused for the first half of the book it seems which is fine but it felt like Almanzor wanted the reader to take that confused ride with Rob. So yeah I spent a good deal of the book skipping back and forth trying to shake that confused feeling before just kind of rolling with it.
The Romance
There is romance in the book but it all seems to be dead-end romance. You know I like you but you like her, why won't you notice me type romance. With all the other suffering they deal with, you kind of feel bad for them that they can't at least get on the same page in their love lives.
Conclusion
Overall I did enjoy the book. It was a fun concept with an ending that I didn't see coming. I had pictured a couple different endings and none of them came to pass, so I was very surprised with how it wrapped up. The characters were fun and the monsters and demons interesting. If you're looking for something different this is it.
"Monsters?" I ask, both captivated and astonished by what he said. "for real?"
"You'll know when you see one," he says, his hands balling into fists. "They mutate from your average pooch and kill one of us every single night. I hate 'em. When it gets dark up there, we run, find a hiding place, and hope to live at least one more day."
The Good
I enjoyed the different creatures in Stygian Rift and I enjoyed the concept of waking up and trying to survive in a death trap...not only lacking the memory of how you got there but not knowing who you can trust or why you're even there. I also liked that some of the kids who had been there a while and seen too many deaths had grown to be a bit harsh toward the new kids. Kind of a "I’ll learn your name if you live more than a few days and only if you can live a few days" type attitude.
The Bad
When the main character Rob first gets there, he is a bit confused for the first half of the book it seems which is fine but it felt like Almanzor wanted the reader to take that confused ride with Rob. So yeah I spent a good deal of the book skipping back and forth trying to shake that confused feeling before just kind of rolling with it.
The Romance
There is romance in the book but it all seems to be dead-end romance. You know I like you but you like her, why won't you notice me type romance. With all the other suffering they deal with, you kind of feel bad for them that they can't at least get on the same page in their love lives.
Conclusion
Overall I did enjoy the book. It was a fun concept with an ending that I didn't see coming. I had pictured a couple different endings and none of them came to pass, so I was very surprised with how it wrapped up. The characters were fun and the monsters and demons interesting. If you're looking for something different this is it.
April 11, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the talent of such a young author. She was able to create a convincing dystopian world full of interesting characters and frightening monsters. I thought that her writing was very good, especially when describing the Chamber and its monsters. I had a very clear picture of how the Chamber appeared and the cells that it contained.
I also liked many of the characters in the book. My favorite character was Bo. I thought that he had very realistic reactions, thoughts and dialogue throughout the book. The devil inside of Bo’s head was also an interesting part of Miguel’s psyche. I liked the reactions that the imp would have to Bo’s thoughts and to what was happening around Bo. I also liked Miguel as well. I thought that it was interesting how the reader didn’t know if he would help Bo at first. This made the interactions between them more interesting. Anise was a character that I liked as well and I thought that the descriptions of all the monsters were all very good. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a great dystopian novel.
By Avery Griffin- Author of The Demon Rolmar
I also liked many of the characters in the book. My favorite character was Bo. I thought that he had very realistic reactions, thoughts and dialogue throughout the book. The devil inside of Bo’s head was also an interesting part of Miguel’s psyche. I liked the reactions that the imp would have to Bo’s thoughts and to what was happening around Bo. I also liked Miguel as well. I thought that it was interesting how the reader didn’t know if he would help Bo at first. This made the interactions between them more interesting. Anise was a character that I liked as well and I thought that the descriptions of all the monsters were all very good. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a great dystopian novel.
By Avery Griffin- Author of The Demon Rolmar
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews