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The Peninsula
The Martyrs
“In my role as omissioner, I receive summonses from all over the settlements. My function is to offer an ear, a valve for the bleeding of grief or worry or simply unspent chat, and to do this well I must adapt myself to those who live in different settlements. Anyone can call me. It costs nothing, and I offer no advice: all an omissioner does is listen, finding worth in words that would otherwise remain unspoken or forgotten.”
The Martyrs is a return to the “eerie mental eavesdropping” of The Settlements and The Revenants, and although not in any way a sequel, the book listens to the voices of the peninsula, following meandering tales according to a dream logic—
The Martyrs is a return to the “eerie mental eavesdropping” of The Settlements and The Revenants, and although not in any way a sequel, the book listens to the voices of the peninsula, following meandering tales according to a dream logic—
214 pages, Hardcover
Published April 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 25, 2026
"When a person recognises the truth of cliché, he or she understands also that they are old, and the world can only be met with resignation and acceptance moving forwards."
August 7, 2026
Walsh, O. Jamie - The Martyrs
Following a crime, narrator Jamie is sentenced to the Settlement Of Fear.
His role is that of omissioner (sic). Fit in with the settlement, then ascertain what is going wrong.
Clowns dominate that part of the Peninsula, but now, instead of frightening, they are damaging.
Physical inflictions, bloodletting, eventually homicide.
Early on, our omissioner is drawn into the Settlement Of Fear, allowing us to observe the area peculiarities and odd characters, who may not actually be that way.
Speculating: are all martyrs, in essence, narcissists?
The overall narrative thrust is quite loose, however. The author dawdles off into tangents or sidetracks into digressions repeatedly.
Poems are scattered about, which often have no bearing. Confession: I don’t care for poetry, although there is a delightful poem about the potato, which the author must have found amusing as it is told twice.
I enjoy Broodcomb titles, although this wanders all over the map, akin to A Journal. The author is playing with form, experimenting, following self-imposed rules at the expense of storytelling.
The enigma. Not others, self. Not self, others.
For those who appreciate exercises, this makes a fascinating read.
Me? I didn’t care for this so much.
Following a crime, narrator Jamie is sentenced to the Settlement Of Fear.
His role is that of omissioner (sic). Fit in with the settlement, then ascertain what is going wrong.
Clowns dominate that part of the Peninsula, but now, instead of frightening, they are damaging.
Physical inflictions, bloodletting, eventually homicide.
Early on, our omissioner is drawn into the Settlement Of Fear, allowing us to observe the area peculiarities and odd characters, who may not actually be that way.
Speculating: are all martyrs, in essence, narcissists?
The overall narrative thrust is quite loose, however. The author dawdles off into tangents or sidetracks into digressions repeatedly.
Poems are scattered about, which often have no bearing. Confession: I don’t care for poetry, although there is a delightful poem about the potato, which the author must have found amusing as it is told twice.
I enjoy Broodcomb titles, although this wanders all over the map, akin to A Journal. The author is playing with form, experimenting, following self-imposed rules at the expense of storytelling.
The enigma. Not others, self. Not self, others.
For those who appreciate exercises, this makes a fascinating read.
Me? I didn’t care for this so much.
June 9, 2026
"A storm came, welcome after the heat of the week, and I found myself again in touching distance of a version of living where the insistence of anxiety simply vanishes into the sound of the rain. So many of my hours are crumpled like tinfoil, with no hope of them--despite the most diligent smoothing--returning to an unharmed state."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews