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Metamorphoses of Flynn Keahi #2
Somnalia
In this sequel to Happiness and Other Diseases, turmoil consumes the Underworld when the death of a god leaves a power vacuum. Phobetor, the stern and ambitious god of Nightmares seeks to fill the gap at any cost. Murderous nightmare daemons escape to the mortal realm, placing all of mankind in peril. In the midst of the unrest, star-crossed lovers yearn for one another across the void, one disempowered and bound to the Earth, the other trapped in the land of dreams by a grave sacrifice. Will love conquer all, or is the world’s only salvation a god with an iron fist?
ebook
First published March 6, 2015
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About the author
Sumiko Saulson
78 books136 followersSumiko Saulson (ze/hir) is a 2x Bram Stoker Nominated and Elgin Nominated poet, graphic novelist, zinemaker, and an award-winning author of Afrosurrealist and multicultural sci-fi and horror. Editor of the Black Magic Women, Scry of Lust, Scry of Lust 2, Black Celebration, and Wickedly Abled. Winner of the StokerCon Scholarship from Hell (2016), 2nd Place Carry the Light Awards (2016, 2017 and 2018) for short fiction, essays and blogging. Mixy Award (2017). BCC Voice Grand Prize Reframing the Other Essay Contest (2017), Afrosurrealist Writer Award (2018). Semifinalist: HorrorAddicts Next Great Horror Writer’s Contest, (2018). Horror Writers Association Diversity Grant (2020).
Member, Horror Writers Association.
AA in English from Berkeley City College. Staff writer, Search Magazine. Proofreader, Mocha Memoirs Press. Columnist (“Writing While Black”) for The San Francisco BayView. Host, Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District’s Erotic Storytelling Hour. Social Media Team, Horror Writers Association.
Novels: Solitude, The Moon Cried Blood, Warmth. Short fiction collections Things That Go Bump in My Head, The Void between Emotions, Spit and Pathos and Within Me Without Me
Short works in anthologies: Horror Addicts Guide to Cats (Horror Addicts Guide), Ashes and Coffee (Death’s Café), Enclosures (Tales from the Lake, Vol 3), Jacob’s Reunion (Forever Vacancy), Clockwork Valentine (Clockwork Wonderland) Sweetness (Beasts and Babes), Agrippa (Carry the Light, Vol 5), Character Flaws (Carry the Light, Vol 5), Under the Water (Horror Bites Next Great Horror Writer, Horror Addicts), Unheard Music in the Dank Underground (Tales from the Campfire), Shades of Domesticity (Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase Volume VII), Asi’s Horror and Delight (Slay: Tales of the Vampire Noire)
Graphic novels: Agrippa, Dreamworlds, Living a Lie (illustrator), The Complete Mauskaveli.
An American author of African American and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. Native Californian, living in Oakland, California. Pronouns: ze/hir or they/them. Find hir on social media at sumikoska (Twitter, Facebook, Tik-Tok), sumikosaulson (Instagram), skavibe (Twitch) and www.SumikoSaulson.com
Member, Horror Writers Association.
AA in English from Berkeley City College. Staff writer, Search Magazine. Proofreader, Mocha Memoirs Press. Columnist (“Writing While Black”) for The San Francisco BayView. Host, Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District’s Erotic Storytelling Hour. Social Media Team, Horror Writers Association.
Novels: Solitude, The Moon Cried Blood, Warmth. Short fiction collections Things That Go Bump in My Head, The Void between Emotions, Spit and Pathos and Within Me Without Me
Short works in anthologies: Horror Addicts Guide to Cats (Horror Addicts Guide), Ashes and Coffee (Death’s Café), Enclosures (Tales from the Lake, Vol 3), Jacob’s Reunion (Forever Vacancy), Clockwork Valentine (Clockwork Wonderland) Sweetness (Beasts and Babes), Agrippa (Carry the Light, Vol 5), Character Flaws (Carry the Light, Vol 5), Under the Water (Horror Bites Next Great Horror Writer, Horror Addicts), Unheard Music in the Dank Underground (Tales from the Campfire), Shades of Domesticity (Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase Volume VII), Asi’s Horror and Delight (Slay: Tales of the Vampire Noire)
Graphic novels: Agrippa, Dreamworlds, Living a Lie (illustrator), The Complete Mauskaveli.
An American author of African American and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. Native Californian, living in Oakland, California. Pronouns: ze/hir or they/them. Find hir on social media at sumikoska (Twitter, Facebook, Tik-Tok), sumikosaulson (Instagram), skavibe (Twitch) and www.SumikoSaulson.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 30, 2015
Whoa! First off, I would like to say, there have been only 3 books in my reading history, that have been able to make me cringe, scream out loud, sweat in fear, a combination of whatever you show as being scared as all get out! Those books would be written by folks like Anne Rice, Stephen King, and a few other ones. Which brings me to my first thought. This book reminds me of a production if Sumiko and Shakespeare co-wrote. Not like this book reads like a play, but I can see the total convergence of it!
Ok, now that we are past the intro, lets rock into the good parts of this. The story starts at it's usual even tempered tempo. But it does not take long before the, demisomnali girl, we have come to love is high on the scene keeping the likes of Phobetor in line. Keeping her kingdom at bay from the dream world and raising a 2 year old, beautiful, Faelyn! Who is incredible adorable! Charolette is a super mom by dad, a dream lover by night!
Look, there is so much I can write about this story, but it would be full of spoilers! If you hate that as much as I do, then lets just write this:
I wasn't kidding when I said the book freaked me out! Like totally heart pounding fear! The best thing about Sumiko is her ability to grab the audience and never let them go. You are reading this "book" but it feels like you are really there! At one point, a person reads the headlines of the newspaper. After the person was done, I knew exactly what was going to happen! I didn't know where, how, or who. But I knew something was coming. I found myself bracing for it. I found myself thinking about the other characters and worrying about them and thinking, "who could be next?" It's some pretty trippy writing and huge props to Sumiko Saulson for taking an amazing book 1 and blowing it out of the water with its sequel!!!!!! Go read folks! It's her scariest one yet!!!!!!!!
Ok, now that we are past the intro, lets rock into the good parts of this. The story starts at it's usual even tempered tempo. But it does not take long before the, demisomnali girl, we have come to love is high on the scene keeping the likes of Phobetor in line. Keeping her kingdom at bay from the dream world and raising a 2 year old, beautiful, Faelyn! Who is incredible adorable! Charolette is a super mom by dad, a dream lover by night!
Look, there is so much I can write about this story, but it would be full of spoilers! If you hate that as much as I do, then lets just write this:
I wasn't kidding when I said the book freaked me out! Like totally heart pounding fear! The best thing about Sumiko is her ability to grab the audience and never let them go. You are reading this "book" but it feels like you are really there! At one point, a person reads the headlines of the newspaper. After the person was done, I knew exactly what was going to happen! I didn't know where, how, or who. But I knew something was coming. I found myself bracing for it. I found myself thinking about the other characters and worrying about them and thinking, "who could be next?" It's some pretty trippy writing and huge props to Sumiko Saulson for taking an amazing book 1 and blowing it out of the water with its sequel!!!!!! Go read folks! It's her scariest one yet!!!!!!!!
March 21, 2015
Last time we saw Flynn and Charlotte in Happiness And Other Diseases things were not going well for the young couple in love. In Sumiko Saulson’s Somnalia things have gotten worse for them and the gods of the underworld. With Brash the god of erotic nightmares gone, Phobetor the god of nightmares is looking to expand his kingdom. He tries to win the trust of Flynn and Charlotte, while another god releases two dream demons in the form of children into the real world to wreak havoc. Chaos reins supreme in the land of dreams and in reality. Earth’s only hope is in the hands of two lovers who have been separated after making a supreme sacrifice.
The best part of this book for me was the interactions between Phobetor and Flynn. The early scenes with these two were like a therapy session and as the book goes on, you see their relationship change. Both characters manage to learn something about themselves from the other. While Phobetor does have an agenda, Flynn is too trusting and they are both different characters by the end of the book.
One thing Sumiko Saulson does well in her novels is use characters that you don’t see in most books. Some of her characters suffer from mental illness, many are minorities and the main hero in the book, Flynn is a person who doesn’t want to be a hero. Flynn is someone who fell in love and got much more than he bargained for. He has power over a kingdom and other gods want him dead. All he really wants is to be with Charlotte and be happy. The characters are what really make this book interesting because they all are like people whom you would meet in everyday life.
Another character I liked was Sympathy. She starts the book as part demon and works with her sister Mercy to bring destruction to everyone they come across. As the story moves along Sympathy changes and the story gets suspenseful as she tries to escape with her sick mother. Somnalia is an interesting look at what makes a person do what they do and how they change when they see the error of their ways.
Somnalia is not your average horror novel. There are no monsters jumping out at people, it’s light on the gore and, until you get into the last half of the book, there isn’t much suspense. Somnalia is a psychological thriller or in other words an intellectual horror novel. Sumiko brings a lot of different mythological figures to life and lets you see everything that’s going on in their heads. This book also gets heavily into the theme of redemption, loyalty, love and even has an interesting section that focuses on the grieving process. Somanlia is a book for readers who like complex characters and like to look for a deeper meaning in literature. It also has some good humor and some good horror scenes. You might not look at twins the same way again.
The best part of this book for me was the interactions between Phobetor and Flynn. The early scenes with these two were like a therapy session and as the book goes on, you see their relationship change. Both characters manage to learn something about themselves from the other. While Phobetor does have an agenda, Flynn is too trusting and they are both different characters by the end of the book.
One thing Sumiko Saulson does well in her novels is use characters that you don’t see in most books. Some of her characters suffer from mental illness, many are minorities and the main hero in the book, Flynn is a person who doesn’t want to be a hero. Flynn is someone who fell in love and got much more than he bargained for. He has power over a kingdom and other gods want him dead. All he really wants is to be with Charlotte and be happy. The characters are what really make this book interesting because they all are like people whom you would meet in everyday life.
Another character I liked was Sympathy. She starts the book as part demon and works with her sister Mercy to bring destruction to everyone they come across. As the story moves along Sympathy changes and the story gets suspenseful as she tries to escape with her sick mother. Somnalia is an interesting look at what makes a person do what they do and how they change when they see the error of their ways.
Somnalia is not your average horror novel. There are no monsters jumping out at people, it’s light on the gore and, until you get into the last half of the book, there isn’t much suspense. Somnalia is a psychological thriller or in other words an intellectual horror novel. Sumiko brings a lot of different mythological figures to life and lets you see everything that’s going on in their heads. This book also gets heavily into the theme of redemption, loyalty, love and even has an interesting section that focuses on the grieving process. Somanlia is a book for readers who like complex characters and like to look for a deeper meaning in literature. It also has some good humor and some good horror scenes. You might not look at twins the same way again.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews