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Deusetta
Eleven strangers. Six rooms. One Speak Truth to Exit Hell.
In 1936, a misfit cast of international captives awakens in a sealed iron bunker with no memory of how they arrived. They’re peasants and soldiers, socialites and spies. But none of that matters now. When they uncover a single cryptic command, the game begins.
Each room in the bunker hides a lethal puzzle, demanding blood in exchange for impossible riddles. The answers promise a way out, but only if they can survive long enough to uncover what “The Truth” really means.
As tensions rise and trust withers, paranoia takes root. Every trap is crueler than the last, every enigma more ambiguous. Before long, the remnants begin to suspect they are only pawns, not players.
When the deadly escape room spirals into psychosis, whoever outlasts insanity will discover something far more sinister than any of them imagined.
And the real test hasn’t even begun yet.
Deusetta is a gripping blend of historical horror, Lovecraftian dread, and psychological suspense set against the smoke-and-silk backdrop of 1930s Europe. Fans of cult thrillers, cosmic horror, and ensemble mysteries will fall into a claustrophobic world of mind games, brutal puzzles, and shifting allegiances. Beneath the surface lingers a web of corruption, social satire, and occult intrigue. The bunker is only the beginning.
In 1936, a misfit cast of international captives awakens in a sealed iron bunker with no memory of how they arrived. They’re peasants and soldiers, socialites and spies. But none of that matters now. When they uncover a single cryptic command, the game begins.
Each room in the bunker hides a lethal puzzle, demanding blood in exchange for impossible riddles. The answers promise a way out, but only if they can survive long enough to uncover what “The Truth” really means.
As tensions rise and trust withers, paranoia takes root. Every trap is crueler than the last, every enigma more ambiguous. Before long, the remnants begin to suspect they are only pawns, not players.
When the deadly escape room spirals into psychosis, whoever outlasts insanity will discover something far more sinister than any of them imagined.
And the real test hasn’t even begun yet.
Deusetta is a gripping blend of historical horror, Lovecraftian dread, and psychological suspense set against the smoke-and-silk backdrop of 1930s Europe. Fans of cult thrillers, cosmic horror, and ensemble mysteries will fall into a claustrophobic world of mind games, brutal puzzles, and shifting allegiances. Beneath the surface lingers a web of corruption, social satire, and occult intrigue. The bunker is only the beginning.
- GenresHorror
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2025
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 14, 2025
ARC for review. Published October 3, 2025.
4 stars
By about twenty pages into this I made a guess that I probably wasn’t going to “get” the ending to this book. And I was right. Liked it pretty well anyway though.
A group of strangers wake to find themselves trapped in a bunker with no idea how they got there or what they are to do to escape. They don’t all share a common language and some can’t speak with anyone there. It appears that, perhaps, they must solve some esoteric riddles to gain access to additional rooms in the bunker and all the rooms are lethal but this isn’t much like your friendly neighborhood escape room, unfortunately.
I really loved this as a character study of some very smart resourceful people (and some less so) and it bothered me when they ignored something that was so obvious it was even commented upon. And points off for the ending (although now that I think about it I can’t think of an end that would have satisfied me more.) If the description appeals to you and you think more philosophy less Dan Brown you may be interested.
4 stars
By about twenty pages into this I made a guess that I probably wasn’t going to “get” the ending to this book. And I was right. Liked it pretty well anyway though.
A group of strangers wake to find themselves trapped in a bunker with no idea how they got there or what they are to do to escape. They don’t all share a common language and some can’t speak with anyone there. It appears that, perhaps, they must solve some esoteric riddles to gain access to additional rooms in the bunker and all the rooms are lethal but this isn’t much like your friendly neighborhood escape room, unfortunately.
I really loved this as a character study of some very smart resourceful people (and some less so) and it bothered me when they ignored something that was so obvious it was even commented upon. And points off for the ending (although now that I think about it I can’t think of an end that would have satisfied me more.) If the description appeals to you and you think more philosophy less Dan Brown you may be interested.
October 5, 2025
"A heavy clang vibrated the metallic cauldrons. A jingle and chime. The swinging chains began to enthusiastically dance in the blackness. A red halo flared among the pitch. Then came the fire’s roar, which sounded like a bloodhound’s siren."
September 28, 2025
This book is definitely a slow burn, but worth the wait. The cast of characters is impressively diverse, though keeping track of all the names was a bit confusing at first. I went in expecting more graphic scenes and prolonged punishments, so it was tamer than anticipated — but still thoroughly enjoyable. The writing, however, was absolutely superb.
January 15, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Esoteric Saw which sounds like a banger, but you're gonna be frustrated all the way to the unsatisfying end.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
Samantha, you have to stop picking books up just for the cover- Make me.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Mr. Body, that you?
This is a digestible intro to all the characters.
Ye olde Saw?
Whether he would die a liar? I’m so intrigued!
How does no one have to go to the bathroom by now?
I’m glad she can understand it because I don’t.
Again, if they’re down there for a month, how are they going to the bathroom? There’s no bathroom.
The gore in this keeps making me wince.
I’m halfway through, and I still have no clue what’s going on.
I’m getting a little frustrated because there’s no relief from the schtick they have going. It’s not bad per se, but I’m running out of patience for narrative advancement.
The little boy has to have some theory about the hound painting, no?
How have none of the women had periods?
I love hyenas.
I mean, there’s someone finally mentioning periods but like there’s no sense of time actually passing in this puzzle.
They’re so cavalier about hurting themselves, and I’m like you guys have access to furniture. Like you could make weapons.
So America, Russia, and England survive? Survive/win WWII? Is that what they’re getting at?
The shepherd has to be the dude who got electrocuted, no?
I’m also not convinced.
Post-reading:
Girl, I read it, but I don’t think I got it. Concept wise, it’s super fun. Lock some randos in a deadly escape room and let their deaths predict the outcome of WW2? Down.
But fuck me, this is so muddy! You’re gonna be frustrated and scratching your head all the way to the very end. The reveals aren’t satisfying moments because they’re still so obscure to the general audience. It’s like okay, you’ve solved a Latin riddle to get a buzzword. Do it like 6 times. It kinda kills the book’s tension because it never advances. You’re stuck in this limbo of not knowing what you’re solving for. I’m a patient reader, and even I was so over it by the end. The general public is gonna DNF this a lot faster.
It’s hard to connect to any of the characters. They’re not very likable. I think a lot of people are going to pick this up and immediately liken it to Clue or And Then There Were None, but they’re not totally apt comparisons because the book doesn’t move. You don’t really have a chance of figuring this out yourself. I prefer fair play mysteries. I don’t love having to wait for a book to hold my hand and explain to me why it’s actually very clever. Especially when it’s not all that clever! It comes off overly pretentious and even the book’s characters point out plot holes and inconsistencies that we never get a satisfying explanation for.
There’s a lot of droning monologues in here that you can argue are class commentary, but they’re not saying anything new, and they will most likely make an audience check out. A lot of readers are gonna wind up skimming because they want to race ahead to the next puzzle and its solution.
I know this is supposed to be a series so maybe there’s more explanation to come but as a book on its own, this doesn’t have a satisfying arc. I’m not interested enough to continue it. I don’t trust it to reward my time if I keep going.
Who should read this:
Vita Nostra fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
Nope
Would I buy this:
No, and I wouldn't continue the series.
Similar books:
* Vita Nostra by Maryna Dyachenko-dark academia
* The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton-dystopian, historical, mystery
* The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw-dark academia, horror, thriller, myth retelling
* And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie-locked room mystery
* The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling-historical, psychological horror, queer, cults
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Esoteric Saw which sounds like a banger, but you're gonna be frustrated all the way to the unsatisfying end.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
Samantha, you have to stop picking books up just for the cover- Make me.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Mr. Body, that you?
This is a digestible intro to all the characters.
Ye olde Saw?
Whether he would die a liar? I’m so intrigued!
How does no one have to go to the bathroom by now?
I’m glad she can understand it because I don’t.
Again, if they’re down there for a month, how are they going to the bathroom? There’s no bathroom.
The gore in this keeps making me wince.
I’m halfway through, and I still have no clue what’s going on.
I’m getting a little frustrated because there’s no relief from the schtick they have going. It’s not bad per se, but I’m running out of patience for narrative advancement.
The little boy has to have some theory about the hound painting, no?
How have none of the women had periods?
I love hyenas.
I mean, there’s someone finally mentioning periods but like there’s no sense of time actually passing in this puzzle.
They’re so cavalier about hurting themselves, and I’m like you guys have access to furniture. Like you could make weapons.
So America, Russia, and England survive? Survive/win WWII? Is that what they’re getting at?
The shepherd has to be the dude who got electrocuted, no?
I’m also not convinced.
Post-reading:
Girl, I read it, but I don’t think I got it. Concept wise, it’s super fun. Lock some randos in a deadly escape room and let their deaths predict the outcome of WW2? Down.
But fuck me, this is so muddy! You’re gonna be frustrated and scratching your head all the way to the very end. The reveals aren’t satisfying moments because they’re still so obscure to the general audience. It’s like okay, you’ve solved a Latin riddle to get a buzzword. Do it like 6 times. It kinda kills the book’s tension because it never advances. You’re stuck in this limbo of not knowing what you’re solving for. I’m a patient reader, and even I was so over it by the end. The general public is gonna DNF this a lot faster.
It’s hard to connect to any of the characters. They’re not very likable. I think a lot of people are going to pick this up and immediately liken it to Clue or And Then There Were None, but they’re not totally apt comparisons because the book doesn’t move. You don’t really have a chance of figuring this out yourself. I prefer fair play mysteries. I don’t love having to wait for a book to hold my hand and explain to me why it’s actually very clever. Especially when it’s not all that clever! It comes off overly pretentious and even the book’s characters point out plot holes and inconsistencies that we never get a satisfying explanation for.
There’s a lot of droning monologues in here that you can argue are class commentary, but they’re not saying anything new, and they will most likely make an audience check out. A lot of readers are gonna wind up skimming because they want to race ahead to the next puzzle and its solution.
I know this is supposed to be a series so maybe there’s more explanation to come but as a book on its own, this doesn’t have a satisfying arc. I’m not interested enough to continue it. I don’t trust it to reward my time if I keep going.
Who should read this:
Vita Nostra fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
Nope
Would I buy this:
No, and I wouldn't continue the series.
Similar books:
* Vita Nostra by Maryna Dyachenko-dark academia
* The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton-dystopian, historical, mystery
* The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw-dark academia, horror, thriller, myth retelling
* And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie-locked room mystery
* The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling-historical, psychological horror, queer, cults
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2025
Think Saw set in the 30's against the backdrop of the war in Europe and you have this story. Hal does a great job of assembling a diverse cast that are trapped in this bunker and don't know how to get out. They have to solve puzzles that lead to life or death and learn about each other along the way. A dark and tense story that puts you on the edge of your seat at times. The setting plays a character in itself with the puzzles and the atmosphere the characters are trapped in. An enjoyable story that was fun to read.
November 6, 2025
This literary work presents an intriguing narrative. However, the pacing is notably slow, which can hinder the reader’s engagement. The character development is commendably well-crafted. Despite these positive aspects, I have only awarded the book two stars. Throughout the story, the author’s choice of descriptive words clashed with the situations being portrayed, resulting in a dissonant impression. Consequently, I am unlikely to continue reading the remainder of the series.
January 5, 2026
Thanks to @netgalley for a advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.
This really gripped me, the psychological suspense was fantastic. Alot of mind games, corruption and intrigue. The variety of characters was refreshing and fun to learn about, from different walks of life. It was a slow burn but worth it. The writing was excellent and am so pleased I found this book which will be part of a trilogy.
This really gripped me, the psychological suspense was fantastic. Alot of mind games, corruption and intrigue. The variety of characters was refreshing and fun to learn about, from different walks of life. It was a slow burn but worth it. The writing was excellent and am so pleased I found this book which will be part of a trilogy.
October 29, 2025
I went into this expecting an abstract "Saw" type thing with a cowpunk feel. The first few chapters deliver, but the European philosophy, which I generally love when it's properly utilized in a novel like this, hinders all progress with the gore, puzzles and traps. Beautifully crafted, but not for me.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews