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Where Dreams Are Entombed #1

Where Dreams Are Entombed: Where Dreams Are Entombed, Book 1

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"How Desperate Are You?"

Tommy knows what it is to be desperate, living in squalor and barely making ends meet while pursuing his rockstar dreams.

When he's sent an invitation to become a collaborator at an experimental art gallery, he's offered a path toward financial security and personal fulfillment.

But big dreams come at a high price...and the owner of the art gallery has her own plans for Tommy.

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Published July 9, 2024

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57 people want to read

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Chase Will

11 books22 followers

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17 (32%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Stitching Ghost.
1,428 reviews372 followers
February 19, 2024
"How desperate are you?"

The initial scene was a little eh-okay but after that it was pretty frigging fantastic.

Graphic enough to make you wince but not gratuitous and featuring a main character that felt very believable.

Because I've seen people say that the premise sounded like saw, it was more along the lines of A Serbian Film than Saw, actually (without the extreme SA stuff), there's no BS moralistic aspect to the situation.

4.5 rounded up.
Profile Image for DA.
Author 2 books120 followers
September 7, 2023
As with most books, I went into this blind. I had no idea what it was about. When I started reading it I was immediately sucked in. What a wild ride! I couldn't even imagine where this story was going to take me, I kept reading just to find out. This is a story about a dreamer and it will make you wonder just what you'd do to make your dream come true?
I also really liked how this story could have turned out to be extremely gross, but the author handled the icky parts with finesse.
526 reviews45 followers
November 14, 2023
" Great art comes only from great suffering." Man what a wild fuckin ride. Chase Will is awesome at creating characters and pulling you in and seriously makes you keep turning pages to find out what's going to happen next. This story is a story of how far will you to reach your dreams and how sometimes the "dream" can be so consuming and controlling that you'll find yourself spiraling into madness just to achieve it. This story goes from creepy to downright brutal and horrific real fast... Just a damn good story. I highly recommend this and anything by Chase Will. Keep your eyes on this guy you'll be hearing his name more and more I guarantee it.
Profile Image for Emilie Haydel.
238 reviews63 followers
February 4, 2024

How desperate are you?

"I'm not sharing my story for the purpose of a theological debate. I'm telling you about my death because it opened my eyes to why we're really here in this life, our prime objective as a species. We're all creators, whether we aim to be or not. What I'm making, Mr. Welter, is an expression of what makes us beasts by nature. The grotesque chaos at our very center." - The Creator

"Comfort is a trapping for true artists," she said. "I think you already know this, deep down. An artist starves. An artist sacrifices for their work. Great art comes from great suffering." - The Creator

HOLY FUCKING SHIT DUDE! This book was weird and disgusting and I absolutely loved it! No book snacks for this book though, it will have you losing weight from no appetite but hey, that’s a win for me anyway 🤣 (gotta lose this weight from giving birth somehow and I’ve always thought reading should burn calories anyway 🤷‍♀️) For real though, I can totally relate with the main character. This is a great novella depicting just what would you do and how desperate you’d be when you’re only trying to make it in this world by doing the right thing for yourself and family but things just keep getting worse.

Anyway, this is a real life horror that you won’t want to sleep on whether you’ve ever been so desperate for things to look better financially or not. It’s a very well written short read that I devoured in one day. I look forward to reading more from this author for sure!

✨I received this book for my honest review
Profile Image for Shannon Reviews.
270 reviews15 followers
September 9, 2025
I will be honest at first I didn’t like this book. I wanted to stop reading it and read something else. But I push forward and made myself finish it. And I’m soooo glad I did. I’m so glad I pushed forward with reading it as it got better. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Tommy, what type of art he was going to make with the “creator” and how the end result would be. I’m looking forward to reading book 2.
Profile Image for Spooky Little Book Nerd.
148 reviews49 followers
February 5, 2024
“…we all have our personal boundaries to start with, a line we’re firmly unwilling to cross for anything. And money has a way of pushing that line further and further back.”

I was pulled into this story from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down. It’s such a unique premise. It is dark, disturbing, and gross at times. All the red flags are there from the beginning with the artist assistant job but Tommy is a desperate man who just can’t catch a break. It shows the lengths people will go to for money, for their family, for their dreams, and in extreme cases…for their art.

“Great art comes from great suffering.”

There were parts that had my heart racing. This is such a wild read. “The Creator” is a just brutal but also a really interesting character. Tommy is very relatable. He’s trying so hard to just survive and make his son proud. I really felt for him and other characters as well. The pacing is perfect and it was so well written. I would definitely read more from this author! Loved it!
Profile Image for Nat Whiston.
Author 29 books56 followers
September 24, 2023
Tommy is not having a good time, a struggling musician with a family to provide for. But he still wants to pursue his dream of making it big in Hollywood, but he still needs a job to keep himself afloat. As someone who worked night shifts for two years, I can tell you that this alone takes a toll on your body. Then to deal with people constantly looking down on you, based on your job status. Understandably, he felt deflated and fed up with being on the job, especially with the clientele being giant douchebags. To be honest, I'm not surprised he snapped because of the 'customer' in question.
Now he is jobless and plagued with guilt, he ends up returning to his apartment. To listen to his son who worships him, talk about how his daddy is a rock star. Compiled with the fact that his son is being raised by someone else, makes for a heartbreakingly desperate character. One that makes him the ideal prey, as an artist approaches him to collaborate on a new project. Chase certainly creates an interesting antagonist, the mystery around the gallery as well as the Creator. When someone gives the excuse 'Oh real names cause limitation,' Yeah mate that is a red flag I wanna know who I'm working for in case I go missing. I mean the whole theme of the story is "How desperate are you?"
That question alone should raise alarm bells as Chase creates a story that is not only brutal but unnerving. When he gets the high-pay cheque after the first visit, he starts to feel comfortable with the idea of more money.
So, it seems that the trap has been set and Tommy has no idea what he has really walked into. The request goes from consultations to gross requests for certain bodily fluids that he won't need. The money seems to be too good to ignore. Even the warning signs, especially after his repeat contact with the Creator should give him the creep factor. Chase builds up the pace of the story going from gross to damn right terrifying, captivating the reader's attention on every page. As Tommy fights his internal need to be someone and the need to go home to be with his family. We see how truly desperate Tommy gets as his dream becomes a nightmare and his family is put at risk. So what will it be you wonder? The dream or his little boy's life. Well, you are just gonna have to keep reading and be as amazed and horrified as I was.
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,723 reviews144 followers
August 23, 2023
Chase Will's 'Where Dreams Are Entombed' took me completely by surprise! I picked it up for review because of the intriguing cover, rather than the synopsis alone. I ended up reading it in one sitting, captivated both by the characters and the plotline. At no point did I know where the story would go, and only thanks to the pervasive atmosphere of dread did I have some idea that things would not go well for Tommy, the central character of the story. Tommy is a father and a husband (separated), who nevertheless decides to leave his family behind for one year in order to pursue his dream of being a musician in Hollywood. He's neither well-off nor well-known; one can imagine how difficult a choice he's made and how tough LA life is going to be. Will describes every uneasy situation, every dilemma, every decision in detail, fairly, and skillfully. Things do become very tight for Tommy. At the moment of almost total despair, though, he gets the chance to make a considerable sum of money, by supporting a female artist, the Creator, by participating in the production of her art. Tommy suspects something fishy is going on; he's absolutely right, but he has no idea how bad things can get. Tempted by the money, he accepts to participate in the Creator's bizarre artistic experiments.

I, too, never suspected how dark and nasty Tommy's life would turn out. I felt actual pity for the guy (we've all been there, I guess), who has to deal with his career prospects vanishing, his family begging him to come back, his car breaking down, his job(s) going down the drain. What would we do for money. then? How far would we go?

The Creator's offers were unusual, indeed, and very tempting. The ending was also good. The writing fit the story perfectly. So a definite 5 stars from me!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Chris Carelse.
153 reviews20 followers
September 2, 2023
Full disclosure: I had fully intended on buying this on godless, and was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book via Booksprout, right before it dropped. I am voluntarily leaving a review.


I’m actually a bit lost for words.
This completely took me by surprise.

This is an incredible gutterpunk book.
It’s a cautionary human horror tale, first and foremost, with elements of body horror.

I honestly can’t rate this book enough.

Profile Image for Paige Ray.
1,103 reviews62 followers
June 25, 2024
Where Dreams Are Entombed is utterly INSANE and beyond creative. Chase is definitely one to keep your eye on. He came up with a story that was so imaginatively DARK and also made me very queasy at times. How far would you be willing go for money?

Tommy is a struggling single dad that lives paycheck to paycheck. He cuts finances down where he needs to in order to make it by but even in doing that, he still finds himself short at times. When Tommy is presented with an opportunity that will pay him generously he can't help but go to this "Creator" to find out what exactly he has to do in exchange. Once "The Creator" enters Tommy's life he quickly realizes that no matter what he does, he will never be rid of her and there will be consequences regardless of his choices.

This book had me in a FRENZY of emotions. Chase wrote this story well and the characters were all very interesting from one another. Tommy was easy to love. He wants to do what's best for his son but also wants to achieve his dreams of being a successful musician. The story was perfectly paced and everything just meshed together seamlessly. I can't wait to see what Chase has in store for us in the second book!
45 reviews
May 1, 2024
Wtf

The artist's struggle is real. This story was so real in so many ways, and as we go through the book with Tommy, we laugh and suffer with him. This story was intense, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out
Profile Image for Kayla Frederick.
Author 23 books124 followers
February 2, 2024
How desperate are you? Some people will do anything to make their dreams come true. For struggling musician, Tommy, he’ll find out the hard way what his limits are.

I literally couldn’t put this book down. I grabbed it out of the mailbox on the way to get my son from school and started reading it in the pickup line. I finished it that night. As a struggling artist myself, I found Tommy to be a very relatable character. His desperate need to make money, to survive and achieve his dreams is something that a lot of people can relate to.

The introduction of the Creator was an intriguing aspect of the story. At first, I didn’t know what to expect of that plot point and thought it might somehow tie into the dark web. The direction the story actually went was far more fascinating.

This was a quick read, but one of my favorites of the year so far. If you’re looking for a story with plenty of intrigue and realistic characters, this is the book for you!
Profile Image for Eve L. Fell.
Author 11 books74 followers
August 20, 2023
4/5⭐️

Release Date: October 10th 2023

Where Dreams Are Entombed was a great horror debut. It’s about a man named Tommy who left his family to pursue his dream of becoming a musician in Hollywood.

Tommy has a girlfriend named Lita who he loves very much. He wants to not only provide for his new girlfriend but he wants to be a good father and be able to provide for his son.

Slowly Tommy realizes his dreams as a famous musician may not become his reality. He becomes very desperate for money as he loses his job.

He gets an invite from an artist to become a collaborator in her art. In turn he will get paid handsomely. She is only known as The Creator. This is where the story turns dark quick.

Will Tommy become a permanent staple in The Creators art? Will he prevail on his own? Will he become the famous musician he’s always wanted?
Profile Image for Kerrie Roylance.
21 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2024
Where Dreams are Entombed by Chase Will…

Tommy has dreams of making it big. He wants to stand on a stage and play music that will make a huge crowd chant his name! He would do anything to make that happen, even move to LA, abandon his only son.
But how desperate is he? And would he really do anything?
The world is a hard and unforgiving place and thousands stream into the city every single day with dreams of stardom and it chews them up and it spits them out and after losing his temper loses him his job, it looks like that’s exactly what is going to happen to Tommy… until he receives an invitation in a red envelope… it’s an offer for money and it sounds too good to be true……
This is an unsettling story of desperation and the depravity a person is capable of when offered their dreams. It seems even desperation and depravity is art and can be brought and sold at the right price. What would you endure for enough money? Or for a chance at your dreams?
Very well written and I really liked it!! I was a bit sad that it ended and now I hear that there is a second book I can’t wait to read that!!
5 super pussy zits out of 5!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Alison Faichney.
401 reviews2 followers
September 1, 2024
This book had an interesting premise. Tommy has moved away from his home (plus child and ex wife) and is hoping to make it big in L.A. Things aren’t going well and he’s struggling. A chance invitation involving money catches his interest and the dominoes fall from there.

The book is well written and accessible for most readers. Tommy is multi faceted and flawed and it was easy to feel sympathize with him as his life spirals. The dialogue was well done and felt true but I struggled with many of the side characters. It also made played on the secret lives of the uber wealthy trope and most of the villains are kind of stereotypically evil.

The book is well paced and written but I did find it difficult to connect as this is a book trope that has seemed super redundant lately. I don’t fault the author for that, but it made it more difficult for me to invest in the story.

It’s a bloody one and super disgusting at times, but if you’re a fan of the how far will one go? type plots then this is a great read. I wouldn’t class this as extreme but it has some heavy body mutilation in it. I enjoyed the ending and would be happy to read more books by Chase Will in the future.
Profile Image for John Ward.
Author 13 books75 followers
February 5, 2025
I recently read Where Dreams Are Entombed by Chase Will. I went into this story blind and not sure what to expect.

We are following Tommy’s journey from Ohio to Los Angeles in his pursuit of making it big as a musician when he gets a mysterious invite to an art gallery that will pay him just to show up. Ignoring his intuition, he allows his desperation for money cloud his judgement as he delves deeper with these people and their grotesque art concepts.

Initially, I found myself strongly disliking Tommy. Everything about him made me more and more mad…BUT at the end of the book when it was revealed that he was essentially chosen long before, it allowed me to forgive some of his choices. Overall, Tommy was still a character I didnt have a lot of love for.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and loved the ending as well. A STRONG 4/5 and I look forward to reading more of Chase’s work!
Profile Image for renee w.
261 reviews
April 10, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This is a story of a man named Tommy who left behind his entire life, including his young son to pursue his dreams as a musician in LA after only a short time, he finds himself struggling to find work and even make enough money to survive day-to-day. When suddenly as luck would have it, he receives a card in the mail, offering him a job as an artist assistant. Sounds simple enough right ? That is until he finds out. they are after more than just his artistic talents. They are after his hopes and his dreams. I devoured this book in one sitting .
Profile Image for Baileigh Limestahl.
70 reviews3 followers
November 28, 2023
This is a fantastic read. It’s a little bit of horror and a little bit of thriller. It’s nearly impossible to put down because you just have to find out what happens next, and it’s always something you didn’t expect. The ending is perfect and will leave you wanting more from this author.
Profile Image for Jade LeVally.
51 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2024
The plot was interesting but it lacked imagery and depth. There were a few places where a scene didn’t match up with the following scene due to a minor detail being left out or changed. So editing could use some work. Otherwise it was a nice story and neat to see cities mentioned from my area.
207 reviews4 followers
February 10, 2024
This was so fun! I was invested in the story from the start, and the writing was great. One scene I shouldn’t have read while eating, but I did, and it was awesomely gross. I 100% recommend this!
Profile Image for Paul.
Author 57 books63 followers
October 26, 2024
Nice solid introduction to Chase's writing. Quick and to the point.
Profile Image for Star Joy.
4 reviews
January 22, 2025
This book was so good!!! My mom and I got it at a little store in Medina and we got to meet chase will! My mom was super excited to read this book but she was too grossed out so I read and finished it!!! I must know if there will be a second book to this!!!
Profile Image for Crimson.
46 reviews12 followers
November 7, 2023
Rating:4/5.
I enjoyed reading this book and I thought the writing was pretty good for a book of this genre.
The only thing I wish was that it was longer or there was a sequel so we could figure out what happens to Tommy next! I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for upcoming books by Chase Will!

Description:
Tommy is an aspiring musician barely making ends meet, struggling to provide for his family while trying to make his dream of making it big come true. His young son idolizes his daddy whose a rock star and Tommy desperately wants to give his son a better life, and be an active parental figure in his life so his son isn’t raised by another man.

He is approached by the owner of an experimental art studio and all the red flags are right in front of Tommy but unfortunately, he’s desperate and he’s enticed to continue working for the studio due to the cash flowing in.. except each work session is more and more depraved.
If only he knew how extreme the requests of him would get. He’s left with a deadly decision.. Will he choose the option of being a big time musician? Or choose to save his little boy’s life that is now endanger due to Tommy’s poor actions?

Check trigger warnings prior to reading!
Profile Image for Alex.
329 reviews12 followers
August 22, 2024
This was my first book by Chase Will and it was an amazing read!

How desperate are you?

Our main character is a musician just trying to make it big in LA, doing menial jobs until he finds his big break, but he has the worst luck you could possibly imagine, which leads him to an eccentric art gallery where maybe his dream will come true.

I absolutely loved this story! I was HOOKED from beginning to end. I felt so bad for our character and all of the misfortunes he endured. A very well written tale with great dialogue, gross but fun scenes, violent and gory, depressing and bleak, and don't even get me started on the twists!

It's a story that all upcoming artists suffer from, so it raises the question:

How desperate are you?

It's very entertaining so you need to check this out asap! I can't wait to check out the sequel!

4/5
5 reviews
December 11, 2023
Summary & Introduction: An at-first simple premise crescendos into a rocking narrative with each menacing measure carrying the reader through a concert of glorious horror. An electrifying tale through and through as his sudden strum of motivation at a strange new opportunity accompanies his hopeful melody that takes him and us down a disturbing ditty turned absolutely gripping tune. A graphic yet glorious, scary song of our protagonist’s empowering, passionate prospect of fortune, fame and familial security. Elements of erotica and pure horror elegantly intertwined to create an awesome album of our protagonist’s “Hell-A” life. The finish a fermata maintaining the theme of unpredictability in a study of a small musician’s desperation. This is Where Dreams Are Entombed.

Main Review: Woah! I went into this book as ignorant as possible to ensure that the content was fresh for me, and it sure did not disappoint! I’m sort of just getting back into the horror genre after mainly relying on my own works for content on the subject, and this book gave me the type of rush I haven’t felt since the good old days of reading other indie works online. I never know where Chase’s books are going to take me and this is surely no exception! This novella is much more on the graphic and at times even gross in its nature, taking no hesitation to delve into themes of bodily substances, even some gorey descriptions, violence, ab*se and more to varying degrees, but depicts it all in a way of careful precision that feels more digestible for a wider audience of horror fans. It also feels fitting for the narrative rather than for mere shock value, especially with foreshadowing twists you may not even pick up on until your first completion of the story. Twists and turns carrying on to the very end left me with a craving for more of his works. You may want to pick up a copy of his newest release: Mandated Smiles as well to curb the desire! He and his writing always find new ways to impress me, and I can assure you with my reading of Mandated Smiles so far that you certainly won’t be disappointed! (I am in no way financially incentivized for this mention or this review. I simply like the stories and think you should check it out too!)

I’d go as far as to recommend you get some other fans in on it and share the experience with pals. I expect a lot of “How can I be so grossed out and yet so turned on?” from your friends! (I had to include that joke somewhere, of course.)

Why are you still reading my review when you can be picking yourself up an affordable and powerfully epic experience right now? I hope you enjoy it if you do and really recommend this title for such fans!
Profile Image for Jesse D'Angelo.
Author 26 books54 followers
February 6, 2024
This book begs the question, "How desperate are you?" That is the cryptic message written on a business given to our protagonist at the beginning. A struggling musician, he's pretty desperate. And as an artist and writer, I can relate! When the money gets tight and things start feeling hopeless, I think we all can relate.

That's one of the talents Chase Will utilizes in this book just as expertly as he does in "Moving Through." He creates believable characters that feel real, do and say things real people would do in their situations. He creates a world that you can believe, and a scenario that could just maybe actually happen. So when our protagonist starts down the dark road presented to him, the reader is shouting, "No! Don't do it!" but can still totally understand why he does.

And then, just when he finally has had too much and decides to get out... he's already in too deep. This book is dark, disturbing, suspenseful, heart-wrenching, well written, well edited, packs a punch, and is a nice, short read. I hear there is a sequel in the works too, and I'm definitely going to check that out. Chase Will is fast becoming one of my favorite new authors. Buy this book, enjoy it, and spread the word, true believers!
476 reviews12 followers
March 2, 2024
“Great art comes from great suffering.”

First time reading anything from Chase, but I immediately pre-ordered the WDAE follow up upon completion. It’s out May 28th.

There’s a lot of filth and beauty throughout this whole experiment. We learn about a down on his luck musician, Tommy, who, gets conned by a sinister art curator that favors blood over paint brushes. LA is an ugly, deceitful place. Just how desperate are you to take it on the City of Angels?
178 reviews14 followers
May 13, 2024
You don’t need to read my review, you just need to read the book. Will is a perfectionist to the upmost! He goes places you can’t even fathom. Also hold onto your hats, because the sequel, is soon to be released, and oh my gosh! 5+ stars for both!
Profile Image for Aaron Lebold.
Author 20 books39 followers
June 22, 2025
This was a very engaging read. I enjoy thought-provoking work, and this one asks questions about what is really important. Art may be subjective, but to me this was a great piece. Definitely want to check out the rest of the series.
8 reviews
April 6, 2025
I really liked this--looking forward to the second book in the series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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