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Awake in the Dark #1-3
Awake in the Dark Box Set
The first three novels in the series that readers are describing as "so dark and so funny."
This omnibus edition includes the first THREE books in the best-selling Awake in the Dark series.
A 27 year old slacker has seizures during which he may or may not be astral projecting.
What he learns might have the power to change the world.
One second JEFF GROBNAGGER is standing in line at the grocery store, and the next he's in an alley where a hooded figure strangles him to death.
So that sucks.
This happens over and over again, every time Grobnagger has a seizure. Alley. Choking. Death. Repeat. What for? Why would anyone want to kill him repeatedly? Is it just a recurring seizure dream? When a sniper's bullet shatters his apartment window, he realizes two things: he's in serious danger, and there's no way he's getting his security deposit back.
Who is the hooded man? And who tried to kill Grobnagger in real life? His quest for answers leads to a missing girl, cults obsessed with astral projection, an arcane puzzle sphere, an evil book, a private detective named Louise and a mustached man named Glenn that makes the most delicious food he's ever tasted.
No one he meets is who they seem, and every answer leads to more questions, more seizures and more horrific deaths that may or may not be transpiring on some mysterious plane beyond the physical world.
Scroll up and hit LOOK INSIDE to check out the first few chapters.
BLED WHITE (Book 2)
All Jeff Grobnagger wanted was to be left alone. The events of Fade to Black (Awake in the Dark #1) shifted his goal from a life of solitude to figuring out what the hell is happening to him ASAP, so he can, you know, get back to the solitude.
His journey takes another twist when a burned corpse sporting a League of Light robe turns up in a vacant lot. Working undercover to solve the murder reveals bigger and bigger clues about his seizures. Solve the murder, solve the seizures? Maybe. He meets new people and is shown new places on the other side. But who and what can he trust? Just as he realizes that someone close may be working against him, he gets blindsided by the biggest shock yet.
RED ON THE INSIDE (Book 3)
The events of the first two books leave Grobnagger drained, often struggling to stay awake. He shuffles through life half awake, half tethered to reality. He still has no idea what is happening to him, but he's not sure he even cares anymore.
When those that mean him harm finally begin to assert themselves, however, Grobnagger finds himself and his friends under direct threat of death. Plans are made to cross over and rescue Amity once and for all from her vulnerable position in the other world. But his adversaries are one step ahead and a violent spectacle becomes inevitable.
Praise for the Awake in the Dark series:
"Fade to Black is the funniest book I've read in... I can't remember how long. Seriously funny. I think I laughed out loud roughly once every three pages. That's a lot of funny packed into one book! And not just an internal chuckle here and there, but an honest to goodness laugh out loud that made my significant other call, 'What?' from the next room repeatedly." - Lisbeth Ames
"(FADE TO BLACK) weirdly resonates with me. It is sneaky in a way – it holds the things we fear up to the light – opening the reader up to honesty – to love and hope and the truths of our souls found in the darkest of nights.
This omnibus edition includes the first THREE books in the best-selling Awake in the Dark series.
A 27 year old slacker has seizures during which he may or may not be astral projecting.
What he learns might have the power to change the world.
One second JEFF GROBNAGGER is standing in line at the grocery store, and the next he's in an alley where a hooded figure strangles him to death.
So that sucks.
This happens over and over again, every time Grobnagger has a seizure. Alley. Choking. Death. Repeat. What for? Why would anyone want to kill him repeatedly? Is it just a recurring seizure dream? When a sniper's bullet shatters his apartment window, he realizes two things: he's in serious danger, and there's no way he's getting his security deposit back.
Who is the hooded man? And who tried to kill Grobnagger in real life? His quest for answers leads to a missing girl, cults obsessed with astral projection, an arcane puzzle sphere, an evil book, a private detective named Louise and a mustached man named Glenn that makes the most delicious food he's ever tasted.
No one he meets is who they seem, and every answer leads to more questions, more seizures and more horrific deaths that may or may not be transpiring on some mysterious plane beyond the physical world.
Scroll up and hit LOOK INSIDE to check out the first few chapters.
BLED WHITE (Book 2)
All Jeff Grobnagger wanted was to be left alone. The events of Fade to Black (Awake in the Dark #1) shifted his goal from a life of solitude to figuring out what the hell is happening to him ASAP, so he can, you know, get back to the solitude.
His journey takes another twist when a burned corpse sporting a League of Light robe turns up in a vacant lot. Working undercover to solve the murder reveals bigger and bigger clues about his seizures. Solve the murder, solve the seizures? Maybe. He meets new people and is shown new places on the other side. But who and what can he trust? Just as he realizes that someone close may be working against him, he gets blindsided by the biggest shock yet.
RED ON THE INSIDE (Book 3)
The events of the first two books leave Grobnagger drained, often struggling to stay awake. He shuffles through life half awake, half tethered to reality. He still has no idea what is happening to him, but he's not sure he even cares anymore.
When those that mean him harm finally begin to assert themselves, however, Grobnagger finds himself and his friends under direct threat of death. Plans are made to cross over and rescue Amity once and for all from her vulnerable position in the other world. But his adversaries are one step ahead and a violent spectacle becomes inevitable.
Praise for the Awake in the Dark series:
"Fade to Black is the funniest book I've read in... I can't remember how long. Seriously funny. I think I laughed out loud roughly once every three pages. That's a lot of funny packed into one book! And not just an internal chuckle here and there, but an honest to goodness laugh out loud that made my significant other call, 'What?' from the next room repeatedly." - Lisbeth Ames
"(FADE TO BLACK) weirdly resonates with me. It is sneaky in a way – it holds the things we fear up to the light – opening the reader up to honesty – to love and hope and the truths of our souls found in the darkest of nights.
668 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2015
402 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 28, 2015
So far, this has been an incredible series. Grobnagger's story isn't just fluff and filler with cool magical fights and mystical powers you can escape into. It forces you to consider the world differently, take a deeper look. It searches for the meaning in life and the meaning in all of us. It's fun and funny, absurd, heartbreaking, awful, and beautiful. I'm going to be devastated when this ride is over, but I can tell I'm also going to feel like I learned something, like I grew as a person, and be glad I read the Awake in the Dark series.
Now for the individual books:
FADE TO BLACK
I used to have a friend who would say "This hurts like real life" when a book or comic hit on something particularly truthful. That was the highest compliment he could give a book. For me, Fade to Black hurts just like real life. Jeff Grobnagger, our narrator and very reluctant hero, is trapped in that ironic detachment so prevalent in our generation, trying desperately to stay away from relationships of any kind--friendship, dating, random social interaction, you name it. There were times while reading when I cringed because I've heard myself and some of my friends voice the things Grobnagger says. There's a moment near the middle of the book that made my stomach hurt it was so real.
All of that said, Fade to Black isn't some long-winded psychological rumination of a chronic sad-sack. It's full of action and Grobnagger's narration is hilarious. There are going to be times while reading this that you find yourself laughing even while he's breaking your heart. That old saying about writers sitting down at their typewriters and bleeding? McBain and Vargus nailed that, but also somehow managed to be funny and keep the pace fast. For a book that takes such a hard look at self-loathing, isolation, and emotional responsibility, Fade to Black sure has a lot of kick-a** fight scenes...and magic...and other cool stuff I can't tell you about without spoiling it. I'm only giving it five stars because I'm not allowed to give it more.
BLED WHITE
Like Fade to Black, the places Bled White really shined for me were Grobnagger's moments of heartbreaking vulnerability. Grobs is an awesome narrator. He's hilarious, he's making a self-effacing joke, a wry observation about farmers markets or the use of the word "bro," doing the nonchalant shrug, then BAM!--he's twisting the knife in your chest just by eating pickles or sitting on the couch in the dark. Grobnagger is trying to grow and change, but his fear of rejection and abandonment just keeps dragging him back into existential meaninglessness. He finds a shiny new way to escape the dark, but the people who've gotten closest to him--a pretty serious feat considering his attempts in FTB to avoid any and all relationships--start to notice that something's not right.
Meanwhile, things with the League of Light are going crazy. People on all sides of Grobnagger start pushing and pulling him toward ends he doesn't really care about and doesn't want to be caught up in. Grobs just wants to be left alone, but destiny or murderers or his girlfriend or something won't let him.
Altogether, Bled White is even more fun and heart-wrenching than Fade to Black. It builds exponentially on the previous book. And, as a side note, Tim McBain and LT Vargus have some of the best endings I've ever read. Once you read the last sentence of Bled White, you'll see what I'm talking about.
RED ON THE INSIDE
When you're reading a series with characters who grow and change, and worlds that develop and are either saved or lost or at the very least finally understood, you expect one of the books (usually the middle one) to be a building book. You know, where not much happens, but things start to get set up for the Big Finale. Not so with the Awake in the Dark series. So much happens in Red on the Inside that it's hard to talk about without dropping a ton of spoilers. I can say, "HOLY COW, IT'S SO CRAZY WHEN--" or "IT KILLED ME WHEN--" but I don't want to ruin even the smallest thing for you. Suffice to say that if you liked Fade to Black and Bled White, you're going to love Red on the Inside. There's action, intrigue, debilitating sadness, the search for meaning, and even a glimpse of what might be a light at the end of the tunnel for Grobnagger.
The thing I love most about Grobs is that he isn't some stationary character who gets fed all the answers and then miraculously saves the day. He's like us. When nothing makes sense, he gets frustrated. When the people he's come to love betray him, he gets hurt. Sometimes he even thinks it would be easier to just give up. Jeff Grobnagger is a real person. He gets tired of all the crap and just wants something--anything--to work out or to make sense. He wants there to be some kind of meaning to life, but he's afraid there isn't.
As much of a downer as I'm making Red on the Inside sound like, these feelings of pointlessness and defeat are rendered in absurd trips to Chili's, drunk dudes trying to cross over into the white world without falling on their faces, and conversations with mysterious disembodied voices. Enemies lash out in horrifying ways, do unforgivable things, and then paint themselves as the better man. And who knows? Maybe they are. And the ending...the ending will cut your heart out in a way that also, weirdly, makes you feel a little bit better about the world. Which is exactly what fans have come to expect from McBain and Vargus.
My point is that Red on the Inside isn't just some throwaway building book to get you psyched about the series's Big Finish. It's a complex story unto itself, completely different from the previous two books, but still unmistakably the next step in Grobnagger's journey. I can't wait to find out what happens next. The whole gang has come so far that life can never be the same for any of them. Where will Grobs go from here?
Now for the individual books:
FADE TO BLACK
I used to have a friend who would say "This hurts like real life" when a book or comic hit on something particularly truthful. That was the highest compliment he could give a book. For me, Fade to Black hurts just like real life. Jeff Grobnagger, our narrator and very reluctant hero, is trapped in that ironic detachment so prevalent in our generation, trying desperately to stay away from relationships of any kind--friendship, dating, random social interaction, you name it. There were times while reading when I cringed because I've heard myself and some of my friends voice the things Grobnagger says. There's a moment near the middle of the book that made my stomach hurt it was so real.
All of that said, Fade to Black isn't some long-winded psychological rumination of a chronic sad-sack. It's full of action and Grobnagger's narration is hilarious. There are going to be times while reading this that you find yourself laughing even while he's breaking your heart. That old saying about writers sitting down at their typewriters and bleeding? McBain and Vargus nailed that, but also somehow managed to be funny and keep the pace fast. For a book that takes such a hard look at self-loathing, isolation, and emotional responsibility, Fade to Black sure has a lot of kick-a** fight scenes...and magic...and other cool stuff I can't tell you about without spoiling it. I'm only giving it five stars because I'm not allowed to give it more.
BLED WHITE
Like Fade to Black, the places Bled White really shined for me were Grobnagger's moments of heartbreaking vulnerability. Grobs is an awesome narrator. He's hilarious, he's making a self-effacing joke, a wry observation about farmers markets or the use of the word "bro," doing the nonchalant shrug, then BAM!--he's twisting the knife in your chest just by eating pickles or sitting on the couch in the dark. Grobnagger is trying to grow and change, but his fear of rejection and abandonment just keeps dragging him back into existential meaninglessness. He finds a shiny new way to escape the dark, but the people who've gotten closest to him--a pretty serious feat considering his attempts in FTB to avoid any and all relationships--start to notice that something's not right.
Meanwhile, things with the League of Light are going crazy. People on all sides of Grobnagger start pushing and pulling him toward ends he doesn't really care about and doesn't want to be caught up in. Grobs just wants to be left alone, but destiny or murderers or his girlfriend or something won't let him.
Altogether, Bled White is even more fun and heart-wrenching than Fade to Black. It builds exponentially on the previous book. And, as a side note, Tim McBain and LT Vargus have some of the best endings I've ever read. Once you read the last sentence of Bled White, you'll see what I'm talking about.
RED ON THE INSIDE
When you're reading a series with characters who grow and change, and worlds that develop and are either saved or lost or at the very least finally understood, you expect one of the books (usually the middle one) to be a building book. You know, where not much happens, but things start to get set up for the Big Finale. Not so with the Awake in the Dark series. So much happens in Red on the Inside that it's hard to talk about without dropping a ton of spoilers. I can say, "HOLY COW, IT'S SO CRAZY WHEN--" or "IT KILLED ME WHEN--" but I don't want to ruin even the smallest thing for you. Suffice to say that if you liked Fade to Black and Bled White, you're going to love Red on the Inside. There's action, intrigue, debilitating sadness, the search for meaning, and even a glimpse of what might be a light at the end of the tunnel for Grobnagger.
The thing I love most about Grobs is that he isn't some stationary character who gets fed all the answers and then miraculously saves the day. He's like us. When nothing makes sense, he gets frustrated. When the people he's come to love betray him, he gets hurt. Sometimes he even thinks it would be easier to just give up. Jeff Grobnagger is a real person. He gets tired of all the crap and just wants something--anything--to work out or to make sense. He wants there to be some kind of meaning to life, but he's afraid there isn't.
As much of a downer as I'm making Red on the Inside sound like, these feelings of pointlessness and defeat are rendered in absurd trips to Chili's, drunk dudes trying to cross over into the white world without falling on their faces, and conversations with mysterious disembodied voices. Enemies lash out in horrifying ways, do unforgivable things, and then paint themselves as the better man. And who knows? Maybe they are. And the ending...the ending will cut your heart out in a way that also, weirdly, makes you feel a little bit better about the world. Which is exactly what fans have come to expect from McBain and Vargus.
My point is that Red on the Inside isn't just some throwaway building book to get you psyched about the series's Big Finish. It's a complex story unto itself, completely different from the previous two books, but still unmistakably the next step in Grobnagger's journey. I can't wait to find out what happens next. The whole gang has come so far that life can never be the same for any of them. Where will Grobs go from here?
April 28, 2015
This is a promising series.Fade to Black takes psychological horror to a new level. Equal turns terrifying and mystical, brain-teasing and strange, this book makes you feel smart. It takes some deep looks at the human psyche, quantum physics, and mysticism all while scaring the heck out of you. I would happily recommend this to my friends.
So, Bled White...Oh my God! This was one of the greatest friggin books I've ever read! Seriously, I'm not just gushing. Totally cerebral, scary, and amazing, this story needs to get finished so I can read the rest! I called my older brother last night at 9:30 in the evening to tell him to read this series! That is a HUGE thing for me. I read 2-3 books per day , usually, and this book took me 2 days to finish! I had to keep putting it down to contemplate.... It's like this was written about me, which threw me off when he, the main character, would talk about his "dangly bits" , as I have none... All in all, a book bound to become a classic, if you liked book 1: Fade To Black , you will LOVE book 2! All of that is great, BUT.... If you are anything like me, you should probably wait until the series is finished, because it will eat your mind and curse you to wonder..... What happens next?????
Wow! Book 3 totally blew me away...It was actually worth the wait. "Red on the Inside" is a metaphysical mindfreak that had me pondering my existence for hours after I put the book down. I recommend re-reading Fade to Black and Bled White first, unless you have really good retention, so you don't get lost in book 3. Grobnagger and Glenn have many "astral adventures" in this continuation of the series. There's murder and mayhem, resurrections, bloody gore, and existentialism. Everything I liked about the series, so far, multiplied! The ending was a complete surprise. Absolutely worth every penny you pay for it. Love, love, love it!
So, Bled White...Oh my God! This was one of the greatest friggin books I've ever read! Seriously, I'm not just gushing. Totally cerebral, scary, and amazing, this story needs to get finished so I can read the rest! I called my older brother last night at 9:30 in the evening to tell him to read this series! That is a HUGE thing for me. I read 2-3 books per day , usually, and this book took me 2 days to finish! I had to keep putting it down to contemplate.... It's like this was written about me, which threw me off when he, the main character, would talk about his "dangly bits" , as I have none... All in all, a book bound to become a classic, if you liked book 1: Fade To Black , you will LOVE book 2! All of that is great, BUT.... If you are anything like me, you should probably wait until the series is finished, because it will eat your mind and curse you to wonder..... What happens next?????
Wow! Book 3 totally blew me away...It was actually worth the wait. "Red on the Inside" is a metaphysical mindfreak that had me pondering my existence for hours after I put the book down. I recommend re-reading Fade to Black and Bled White first, unless you have really good retention, so you don't get lost in book 3. Grobnagger and Glenn have many "astral adventures" in this continuation of the series. There's murder and mayhem, resurrections, bloody gore, and existentialism. Everything I liked about the series, so far, multiplied! The ending was a complete surprise. Absolutely worth every penny you pay for it. Love, love, love it!
May 23, 2017
This is a compendium of the first three books of the Awake in the Dark series (Fade to Black, Bled White, and Red on the Inside) which someone recommended to me (can't recall who). On the one hand, I'm glad I bought the box set because I doubt I would have read past book 1 if I hadn't. On the other hand, I've now read three books into a series that I don't find hugely compelling or engaging.
So there's that.
The good:
The fact that Grobnagger suffers from what appears to be a combo of anxiety and depression is interesting. The world McBain and Vargus create is engaging enough that I went ahead and finished the box set.
The bad:
None of the characters ever make it to "fully realized" for me. The plot doesn't really go anywhere...and three books is a long time for that. If I had purchased each book singly I'd be PISSED because they don't seem to end so much as just stop, and that includes the last book. It has more of an ending than the previous two but, well, yeah...they all just kind of stop and leave you there.
Overall I found myself feeling pretty "meh" about the whole experience. It was OK. I doubt I would recommend this series to anyone.
So there's that.
The good:
The fact that Grobnagger suffers from what appears to be a combo of anxiety and depression is interesting. The world McBain and Vargus create is engaging enough that I went ahead and finished the box set.
The bad:
None of the characters ever make it to "fully realized" for me. The plot doesn't really go anywhere...and three books is a long time for that. If I had purchased each book singly I'd be PISSED because they don't seem to end so much as just stop, and that includes the last book. It has more of an ending than the previous two but, well, yeah...they all just kind of stop and leave you there.
Overall I found myself feeling pretty "meh" about the whole experience. It was OK. I doubt I would recommend this series to anyone.
April 19, 2015
Read this series. It will be the best thing you do.
It’s not often that I read a story that hits me like the Awake in the Dark series has. There’s just something about it; a wonderful concoction of suspense, hilarity and amazingly layered characters.
Meet Grobs; Awake in the Dark series’ leading man. He’s an introvert, an unsuspecting hero, and a guy so in need of pep talk you’ll be rooting for him until the very last page, every time.
Jeff Grobnagger begins his journey in an alley, tied by his ankle and awaiting his death from the Hooded Man. He’s been there before, over and over again, each time meeting his demise. That’s just chapter one of book one. You’ll be hooked by the first paragraph, or at least by the time Grobs begins stroking a dead dog’s corpse while hiding in a dumpster.
Read my full review here: http://gcmacquarie.weebly.com/reviews...
It’s not often that I read a story that hits me like the Awake in the Dark series has. There’s just something about it; a wonderful concoction of suspense, hilarity and amazingly layered characters.
Meet Grobs; Awake in the Dark series’ leading man. He’s an introvert, an unsuspecting hero, and a guy so in need of pep talk you’ll be rooting for him until the very last page, every time.
Jeff Grobnagger begins his journey in an alley, tied by his ankle and awaiting his death from the Hooded Man. He’s been there before, over and over again, each time meeting his demise. That’s just chapter one of book one. You’ll be hooked by the first paragraph, or at least by the time Grobs begins stroking a dead dog’s corpse while hiding in a dumpster.
Read my full review here: http://gcmacquarie.weebly.com/reviews...
July 13, 2015
I enjoyed this series far more than I thought I would because I heard it compared to Dean Koontz novels. I found it superior to much of Koontz's work that I've read: less predictable, characters that seemed like real people, and a plot that sailed along without being bogged down in needless details.
Each of these books was an extremely quick read, and there were times when I would've liked more details rather than what seemed like a Cliff Notes version of a novel. However brief, McBain got his plot across, established his characters and their flaws, and made me care about a main character that defied people to care about him. I'll definitely check out the next in the series.
Each of these books was an extremely quick read, and there were times when I would've liked more details rather than what seemed like a Cliff Notes version of a novel. However brief, McBain got his plot across, established his characters and their flaws, and made me care about a main character that defied people to care about him. I'll definitely check out the next in the series.
July 13, 2015
Awake in the dark is a three book series, the first book Fade to Black is a psychological horror story, Bled white is a scary and truly amazing story, Red on the inside is just fantastic Grobnagger and Glenn have a lot of astral adventures, there is mayhem , murder, resurrections , and plenty of bloody gore. The ending was well worth the wait. A fantastic read.
July 13, 2015
Review to come.
September 29, 2017
Awake in the Dark Series - Books 1-3
Book 1
This book is deep, but not because it's full of esoteric symbolism, which it is. It's deep because of the surprisingly thought-provoking internal dialogue of the protagonist. These internal ramblings feel confessional and totally sincere, and just kind of surprised me. I was expecting thrills and chills and possibly some occult subject matter, but I wasn't expecting such a good story on all these other levels - character development and dialogue and everything are all really well done. Totally worth the time to check out. I'm about to start book two now :)
Book 2
These books are great! I really like how the protagonist talks exactly like your best friend would talk to you in private. It feels so natural and realistic. Honestly, it's hard to find such realistic dialogue in books. Most of the time I feel like the characters are talking like characters in books, but this feels like how real people talk. If that makes sense. And also there's supernatural stuff and murders and cults and love and mysteries and lots of soul-searching and whatnot. Fun read. Worth your time.
Book 3
This one was hard for me to read. I love the series, and its a great book, but its very emotionally charged and painful at times. Read the whole series, and after you read this one you will definitely want to read the next book immediately.
Summary
This series is a special pleasure for me because it is so unique. I don't know any other book or series that explores the world of the psyche so directly and imaginatively. This story is told like a comedic memoir that starts with a horrifying mystery and leads the reader on an epic journey if the soul - it's written like a journal of self discovery by a charming madman or your best friend...it's hard to describe but easy to recognize and jump into.
I became very attached to the characters in this series, and it's what introduced me to two of my favorite authors! All fans will want to read this series, and if you're not a fan already you will be after this.
Book 1
This book is deep, but not because it's full of esoteric symbolism, which it is. It's deep because of the surprisingly thought-provoking internal dialogue of the protagonist. These internal ramblings feel confessional and totally sincere, and just kind of surprised me. I was expecting thrills and chills and possibly some occult subject matter, but I wasn't expecting such a good story on all these other levels - character development and dialogue and everything are all really well done. Totally worth the time to check out. I'm about to start book two now :)
Book 2
These books are great! I really like how the protagonist talks exactly like your best friend would talk to you in private. It feels so natural and realistic. Honestly, it's hard to find such realistic dialogue in books. Most of the time I feel like the characters are talking like characters in books, but this feels like how real people talk. If that makes sense. And also there's supernatural stuff and murders and cults and love and mysteries and lots of soul-searching and whatnot. Fun read. Worth your time.
Book 3
This one was hard for me to read. I love the series, and its a great book, but its very emotionally charged and painful at times. Read the whole series, and after you read this one you will definitely want to read the next book immediately.
Summary
This series is a special pleasure for me because it is so unique. I don't know any other book or series that explores the world of the psyche so directly and imaginatively. This story is told like a comedic memoir that starts with a horrifying mystery and leads the reader on an epic journey if the soul - it's written like a journal of self discovery by a charming madman or your best friend...it's hard to describe but easy to recognize and jump into.
I became very attached to the characters in this series, and it's what introduced me to two of my favorite authors! All fans will want to read this series, and if you're not a fan already you will be after this.
May 8, 2021
A very Lewis Carroll-like experience for me...I went down the “rabbit hole”, got immersed in experiencing the weird world of Jeff Grobnagger, and started believing the unbelievable. Nicely done twists that left me hanging as to whether or not I was inside the mind of a person in a world gone crazy or inside the mind of a crazy person...or perhaps both. Regardless, I had to continue on to find out what happened next. On the one hand, reading this series was compelling, but on the other hand it was a slower reading experience for me because I found myself needing to digest and think about it all—and take the time to wrap my head around how the developments were affecting me. The situations got unreal, but the lessons learned or examined were very pertinent, incredibly real. Many interspersed spiritual explorations here.
Once again I'm amazed by the range and imagination of these authors. Although they've succeeded to grab my attention—along with many others—in the suspense genre, they haven't shied away from going “outside the box” and, for readers like me with varying appetites for devouring books, it's like a thrilling trip to Baskin-Robbins with all of the different flavor possibilities. Thanks for another mind-blowing treat.
I see book 3 of the Charlotte Winters series is in my queue and I look forward to getting into that, but now I need to find out Jeff Grobnagger's fate—and Amity's and Farber's--for the remainder of this Awake in the Dark series, so I'll have to wait to crack open “Watch Her Sleep”. It's not a bad problem to have. Thanks for that as well.
Once again I'm amazed by the range and imagination of these authors. Although they've succeeded to grab my attention—along with many others—in the suspense genre, they haven't shied away from going “outside the box” and, for readers like me with varying appetites for devouring books, it's like a thrilling trip to Baskin-Robbins with all of the different flavor possibilities. Thanks for another mind-blowing treat.
I see book 3 of the Charlotte Winters series is in my queue and I look forward to getting into that, but now I need to find out Jeff Grobnagger's fate—and Amity's and Farber's--for the remainder of this Awake in the Dark series, so I'll have to wait to crack open “Watch Her Sleep”. It's not a bad problem to have. Thanks for that as well.
May 4, 2019
What a strange series
I guess if you believe in astral planes this book is for you. It's a metaphysical story yet it's more about how you feel in your life. Do you hide behind closed doors and think that nothing matters because you are afraid to discover that every choice, including ones you reject, aren't real? Do you really just want to be left alone in your solitude? Is it an excuse for protecting yourself from being hurt? This book was a very interesting experience because I like to be alone so I can always find protection because I only trust myself. I also know that if I don't reach out and explore, I'll not have lived life yet watched it pass me by.
I guess if you believe in astral planes this book is for you. It's a metaphysical story yet it's more about how you feel in your life. Do you hide behind closed doors and think that nothing matters because you are afraid to discover that every choice, including ones you reject, aren't real? Do you really just want to be left alone in your solitude? Is it an excuse for protecting yourself from being hurt? This book was a very interesting experience because I like to be alone so I can always find protection because I only trust myself. I also know that if I don't reach out and explore, I'll not have lived life yet watched it pass me by.
August 31, 2021
Ok
Bit confusing and slow at times and I did t like the ending (one of those endings where it raves you thinking “what the ….”) It’s a weird one because I really liked it at start and had to read it till the end as I wanted to understand all that had happened but it started to drag and I struggled to carry on. But I persevered and got to the end only to feel more confused and frustrated than anything else! I didn’t hate the book but I can’t say I loved it either.
Bit confusing and slow at times and I did t like the ending (one of those endings where it raves you thinking “what the ….”) It’s a weird one because I really liked it at start and had to read it till the end as I wanted to understand all that had happened but it started to drag and I struggled to carry on. But I persevered and got to the end only to feel more confused and frustrated than anything else! I didn’t hate the book but I can’t say I loved it either.
August 8, 2019
Disappointing
Nothing like the other books I've read by Vargus. I kept reading, and read the whole series and it had a horrible non-ending. I really hated it. There were a few laughs, but I would not recommend it to anyone.
Nothing like the other books I've read by Vargus. I kept reading, and read the whole series and it had a horrible non-ending. I really hated it. There were a few laughs, but I would not recommend it to anyone.
July 9, 2019
Really funny in some parts
September 7, 2021
I think the authors channeled Kurt Vonnegut and Rod Serling on acid for this story. Kept me smiling all the way through it though. Actually it's quite brilliant. I think.
October 21, 2015
Interest concepts
The series started out well. The main character is mostly believable but ends up a bit two dimensional. (Still amusing as hell though). There's a lot of exposition in the 3rd book that was just over the top. While I think the author was attempting to share a philosophy or approach to life with us through these passages, they felt like an abrupt departure from the story. I suspect that these are meant to be seen as growth of the main character; I would have enjoyed this growth more in the form of action or interaction with others.
This also isn't a series that's big on answers. You way want to know how or why, but as of yet, we've got very little in the way of answers. This maybe be another message from the authors, but it's their world, they could share if they wanted to :)
All that said, I read all 3, and will likely read the 4th because I am invested in the characters. I'd rate these good but not great. The story and concepts are pretty unique.
The series started out well. The main character is mostly believable but ends up a bit two dimensional. (Still amusing as hell though). There's a lot of exposition in the 3rd book that was just over the top. While I think the author was attempting to share a philosophy or approach to life with us through these passages, they felt like an abrupt departure from the story. I suspect that these are meant to be seen as growth of the main character; I would have enjoyed this growth more in the form of action or interaction with others.
This also isn't a series that's big on answers. You way want to know how or why, but as of yet, we've got very little in the way of answers. This maybe be another message from the authors, but it's their world, they could share if they wanted to :)
All that said, I read all 3, and will likely read the 4th because I am invested in the characters. I'd rate these good but not great. The story and concepts are pretty unique.
May 2, 2015
To be honest, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this series so far. It took me awhile to get into the first book, which is rare for me, but I chalked it up to just not being in the mood to read.
As I started getting more into the story, though, I found myself wondering more than once what the point was. Okay, find the girl. Okay, figure out the seizures and how to move on in the dream. Life is crappy, no one likes me. Oh, hey, cult people. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I wanted so much to love the story. I still do. I'm hoping as the series continues, the pace will pick up and it won't be more of the same kind of meandering plot line.
As I started getting more into the story, though, I found myself wondering more than once what the point was. Okay, find the girl. Okay, figure out the seizures and how to move on in the dream. Life is crappy, no one likes me. Oh, hey, cult people. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I wanted so much to love the story. I still do. I'm hoping as the series continues, the pace will pick up and it won't be more of the same kind of meandering plot line.
July 10, 2015
There are some intriguing concepts in here, but not a single strong character. The first person perspective helps a lot, but the main character comes off as an attempt to create an Agoraphobic Odd Thomas (Dean Koontz). The story dragged on in places and there seemed to be a lot of trouble ending story arcs with the right inertia and timing. Had to force myself through most if it. I guess it just didn't catch me.
November 20, 2016
I think there's an interesting story here, but I just can't get there. The "he says" "he said" after every statement is really annoying and borders on insulting. I would like to think I'm smart enough to figure out when the characters are speaking. I haven't given up on it but only because I paid for it and feel like I should at least try to finish it.
August 10, 2015
I enjoyed this series much more than I thought I would. I normally don't go so psychological thriller but this book is amazing. They had me laughing out loud more than once and these books are full of amazing lines I like to quote. Great concept and overall a well thought out series.
August 31, 2015
Baudiness
I like the style of writing-darkly humorous. I was lured by a comparison to my favorite author Christopher Moore. Close enough to be good reading. I found the ending to be a big disappointment.
I like the style of writing-darkly humorous. I was lured by a comparison to my favorite author Christopher Moore. Close enough to be good reading. I found the ending to be a big disappointment.
August 26, 2015
Didn't actually finish the series, it went on too long on the same theme for me.
October 14, 2015
It's been a long time since I've read such a bad book series.
January 26, 2017
It had humor and insight. I enjoyed it.
November 10, 2015
Read my review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-rev...
February 6, 2016
It's not prize-winning lit or anything, but these are just so much goddamn fun to read.
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