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Eden Green
Contains body horror, contamination, implied eternal suffering, gun use, needles, and spiders. In a single drop of contaminated blood, there writhe millions of needle-shaped cells. When introduced to a host, they spread — healing wounds, replenishing fluids, patching bone. The host becomes unstoppable; even complete destruction of its brain isn’t necessarily the end. All their cells are gradually replaced, enhanced. Eden Green is the third human to see the needles in action, after her best friend Veronica accepts them without thinking. Patient Zero is Tedrin, a shady manipulator who offers the corruption as a path to immortality. Only Eden, a rationalist by nature, questions Tedrin’s motives; she can’t help imagining an eternity as a human weapon trapped in a body made of needles. Armed with reason, humor, and a shotgun, she sets out to learn as much as she can about the parasite — and how to save her sanity, Veronica, and the world.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2015
12 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
Fiona van Dahl
2 books19 followersFiona van Dahl is a novelist who lives with her three black cats in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She likes disturbing fiction that delivers a frisson of truth. In her spare time, she enjoys critiquing and fan-editing movies, and reading and writing fanfiction, getting extra inspiration from psychedelics, and hiking and camping.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 9, 2017
This one is a rather quick and furious read, starting in the middle of some hardcore action, fighting monsters, and then a twist that sends our MC Eden Green down the rabbit hole of altered body and the more subtle horror of altered identity that only gets worse when held up as a mirror against her best friend Ron and the man who names himself Tedrin, both of whom are just as infected as she.
Things are very much centered on Eden's PoV and her relationship with her best friend and the nearly psychopathic patient zero that has infected the two of them... but infected with what? Aliens? Alternate dimension nanotech? Cthulhu-ish monstrosities sending them down an entirely bloody and horror-strewn path in the wilderness with their guns and their individual dawning horrors that they're becoming the monsters?
Nothing is that clear, and we have to rely only on Eden's narration of events. It's really interesting to see how things devolve, and Eden's voice is only one of more delightful aspects of the book. It strikes a very nice balance between bloody action with spiders and needles and rapid healing and on the fly body cloning and the psychological horror of being very aware of everything that's happening to her or that could be happening to her, changing the very makeup of her soul.
This is quite fun and a delight to read. It's also a pretty damn easy and straightforward read, too. I hedged a bit with trying to classify it. The topics are pure horror, psychological horror, and great SF elements, but here's the thing: the relationship stuff and Eden's voice is very close to the category of New Adult, or an older YA category. I can't quite push this one as a standard adult horror. It just has the YA feel to it.
But no worries! There's plenty to enjoy if you need a great Halloween fix. :)
Thanks to the author for an ARC!
Things are very much centered on Eden's PoV and her relationship with her best friend and the nearly psychopathic patient zero that has infected the two of them... but infected with what? Aliens? Alternate dimension nanotech? Cthulhu-ish monstrosities sending them down an entirely bloody and horror-strewn path in the wilderness with their guns and their individual dawning horrors that they're becoming the monsters?
Nothing is that clear, and we have to rely only on Eden's narration of events. It's really interesting to see how things devolve, and Eden's voice is only one of more delightful aspects of the book. It strikes a very nice balance between bloody action with spiders and needles and rapid healing and on the fly body cloning and the psychological horror of being very aware of everything that's happening to her or that could be happening to her, changing the very makeup of her soul.
This is quite fun and a delight to read. It's also a pretty damn easy and straightforward read, too. I hedged a bit with trying to classify it. The topics are pure horror, psychological horror, and great SF elements, but here's the thing: the relationship stuff and Eden's voice is very close to the category of New Adult, or an older YA category. I can't quite push this one as a standard adult horror. It just has the YA feel to it.
But no worries! There's plenty to enjoy if you need a great Halloween fix. :)
Thanks to the author for an ARC!
September 15, 2015
Do you faint at the sight of needles coming at you in the hands of the nurse who says,”You will feel a little poke,” ? Now, imagine one tiny drop of contaminated blood seething with millions of needle-like cells coming in contact with a person. They could get sick, or they could become the host to these “creatures” who can heal wounds and mend bones. Sounds okay so far, but, what if they overtook your body with these needles…yep, coming out of your skin, stitching and mending. Gross, painful, but the host becomes indestructible, an eternal human weapon and a little crazy. The catch, you must accept the needles and Eden Green is not so sure that she trusts “patient zero,” Tedrin enough to do so, even though her friend has.
Now it is up to Eden to stop this madness and save her friend. Can she do so without falling victim to these alien parasites? Who is Tedrin and what he is really trying to do? Is the world destined to become a human pin cushion for alien invaders?
Eden Green is far and away, one of the premier Halloween reads for the season. Fiona van Dahl has a twisted side that is filled with deviantly creative ideas. Ideas that will make you cringe and give you nightmares about needles coming out of your body while you feel every single one. Eden is a practical woman who obviously will go to bat for a friend against evil. By the way, Veronica, her friend, is one of those girls in the movies too stupid to live sometimes. Fiona Dahl will grab you by the throat in a literary chokehold from start to finish, this is sooo off the beaten path, so out there on the edge that even the mental pictures of what is happening won’t be enough to stop you from Just. One. More. Page.
Add this to your fright night reading, trust me, you’ll be on "pins and needles" until the end! Not recommended for do it yourself nips and tucks.
I received this copy from Fiona van Dahl in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 31, 2015
Publisher: Fiona van Dahl
Genre: Sci-fi
Print Length: 242 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Now it is up to Eden to stop this madness and save her friend. Can she do so without falling victim to these alien parasites? Who is Tedrin and what he is really trying to do? Is the world destined to become a human pin cushion for alien invaders?
Eden Green is far and away, one of the premier Halloween reads for the season. Fiona van Dahl has a twisted side that is filled with deviantly creative ideas. Ideas that will make you cringe and give you nightmares about needles coming out of your body while you feel every single one. Eden is a practical woman who obviously will go to bat for a friend against evil. By the way, Veronica, her friend, is one of those girls in the movies too stupid to live sometimes. Fiona Dahl will grab you by the throat in a literary chokehold from start to finish, this is sooo off the beaten path, so out there on the edge that even the mental pictures of what is happening won’t be enough to stop you from Just. One. More. Page.
Add this to your fright night reading, trust me, you’ll be on "pins and needles" until the end! Not recommended for do it yourself nips and tucks.
I received this copy from Fiona van Dahl in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 31, 2015
Publisher: Fiona van Dahl
Genre: Sci-fi
Print Length: 242 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 9, 2015
Eden Green is a blend of sci-fi and horror by Fiona Van Dahl. It begins with the concept of a parasite, one which will merge with and regenerate its host. Functional immortality and heroic endurance are perks. Of course, these things come with a price. There’s also the question of where the parasite came from, and what this means to both the protagonist and to humanity as a whole.
There’s some really interesting ideas in Eden Green. The idea of a symbiont that works to regenerate its host is intriguing. It allows exploration of a couple of themes – most immediately, that of power. When an individual has seemingly superhuman strength, and can recover from repeated mortal wounds, then what does that do to the individual? How do they cope, in a world where they are something other than normal? It’s a theme that has been explored elsewhere, but Eden Green approaches these questions unflinchingly, and with a degree of nuance which was enjoyable to see on the page.
It also approaches the question of identity. As an individual is regenerated by their symbiont, the question arises of whether they are, in fact, human any longer. The role of identity is touched on, and the author isn’t afraid to examine the effects of a changing or even lost sense of self. The actions of the symbiont prove an excellent way to do this, and the interactions between characters as they attempt to resolve who they are, who they think they are, and what defines them as, well, themselves, is an interesting read.
The first section of the book revolves around the protagonist, Eden Green, as she’s drawn into the world of the symbiont, and the creatures that inhabit that world. The author sketches Green well – a focused, rational individual, with a penchant for logic and lists, and a genuine sense of caring for her friend. Her supporting cast includes the aforesaid friend, and a mysterious individual who first provided that friend with the symbiont. Eden’s chum is also well done – a scatty trouble-magnet, with the ability to make extremely dubious decisions, usually for all the wrong reasons. I was quickly joining our protagonist in sighing in frustration at her friend when she appeared on the page and did something incredibly, but plausibly, unfortunately, wrong. The third of this band, the mysterious stranger, I didn’t enjoy as much initially. There’s a sense of power there, certainly, and something of danger, but the character doesn’t quite work in that mould – their dialogue a tad disjointed, their actions not tied together with quite enough narrative rope. On the other hand, there’s some excellent notes of genuine menace there – the character seemed like a solid base, which needed a bit more building up to have the narrative impact required.
As the book progresses, all three of this central core of characters change – the degree of change depending somewhat on the narrative. I give credit to the author for trying something ambitious, showing us the descent of individuals, and the way that they alter as their perceptions of themselves shifts. I think the sense of confusion that laces the text is a great way to convey this mood, but also that the reader could use a few more signposts, even if the characters don’t get to see them – some later segments felt a little scattershot, and I was trying to figure out what was going on as much as Eden. Maybe this is intentional, but I think a little more signposting would have helped the flow of the text.
Plot-wise – there’s some excellent sections here. Eden’s initial encounters with her friend, and with the creatures that seem to be involved with the symbiont, are deliberate, well paced, and explode occasionally in compulsive action sequences. As the scope of the text broadens, the narrative momentum seems to be lost a tad – there’s a middle section which has ramifications for the narrative, but seems either longer or shorter than it needs to be. The author does well at evoking the sense of the human and the alien internally – and the city our protagonist lives in is drawn with enough detail to feel real, but it, and other environments, could use a little more texture in order to make them come alive.
Is it worth reading? I’d say so. There’s some intriguing thoughts in here, ideas about humanity, about what makes us who and what we are, which are worth pursuing. I a little more polishing - and in some instances a cleaner narrative structure – would do wonders for the text, but right now, it’s an interesting, emotionally punishing read, with some interesting things to say.
There’s some really interesting ideas in Eden Green. The idea of a symbiont that works to regenerate its host is intriguing. It allows exploration of a couple of themes – most immediately, that of power. When an individual has seemingly superhuman strength, and can recover from repeated mortal wounds, then what does that do to the individual? How do they cope, in a world where they are something other than normal? It’s a theme that has been explored elsewhere, but Eden Green approaches these questions unflinchingly, and with a degree of nuance which was enjoyable to see on the page.
It also approaches the question of identity. As an individual is regenerated by their symbiont, the question arises of whether they are, in fact, human any longer. The role of identity is touched on, and the author isn’t afraid to examine the effects of a changing or even lost sense of self. The actions of the symbiont prove an excellent way to do this, and the interactions between characters as they attempt to resolve who they are, who they think they are, and what defines them as, well, themselves, is an interesting read.
The first section of the book revolves around the protagonist, Eden Green, as she’s drawn into the world of the symbiont, and the creatures that inhabit that world. The author sketches Green well – a focused, rational individual, with a penchant for logic and lists, and a genuine sense of caring for her friend. Her supporting cast includes the aforesaid friend, and a mysterious individual who first provided that friend with the symbiont. Eden’s chum is also well done – a scatty trouble-magnet, with the ability to make extremely dubious decisions, usually for all the wrong reasons. I was quickly joining our protagonist in sighing in frustration at her friend when she appeared on the page and did something incredibly, but plausibly, unfortunately, wrong. The third of this band, the mysterious stranger, I didn’t enjoy as much initially. There’s a sense of power there, certainly, and something of danger, but the character doesn’t quite work in that mould – their dialogue a tad disjointed, their actions not tied together with quite enough narrative rope. On the other hand, there’s some excellent notes of genuine menace there – the character seemed like a solid base, which needed a bit more building up to have the narrative impact required.
As the book progresses, all three of this central core of characters change – the degree of change depending somewhat on the narrative. I give credit to the author for trying something ambitious, showing us the descent of individuals, and the way that they alter as their perceptions of themselves shifts. I think the sense of confusion that laces the text is a great way to convey this mood, but also that the reader could use a few more signposts, even if the characters don’t get to see them – some later segments felt a little scattershot, and I was trying to figure out what was going on as much as Eden. Maybe this is intentional, but I think a little more signposting would have helped the flow of the text.
Plot-wise – there’s some excellent sections here. Eden’s initial encounters with her friend, and with the creatures that seem to be involved with the symbiont, are deliberate, well paced, and explode occasionally in compulsive action sequences. As the scope of the text broadens, the narrative momentum seems to be lost a tad – there’s a middle section which has ramifications for the narrative, but seems either longer or shorter than it needs to be. The author does well at evoking the sense of the human and the alien internally – and the city our protagonist lives in is drawn with enough detail to feel real, but it, and other environments, could use a little more texture in order to make them come alive.
Is it worth reading? I’d say so. There’s some intriguing thoughts in here, ideas about humanity, about what makes us who and what we are, which are worth pursuing. I a little more polishing - and in some instances a cleaner narrative structure – would do wonders for the text, but right now, it’s an interesting, emotionally punishing read, with some interesting things to say.
September 17, 2015
I don't often say this, but this is a novel has a plot with real originality, although that is obviously only based on my own mix of 'have read'. Yes, even with the millions of English language books pouring out of a million authors liberated from the stranglehold of the old literary mafia, I feel that Dahl has delivered some brand new plot details. She delivers a fresh feeling story backed by an interestingly individualistic and totally weird look at the psychology of survival and its darkest reflections.
This is a well written first person narrative that manages to take science fiction video game scenarios on-board and make them momentarily believable. For me, Dahl actually manages the art of suspending plausibility. I was particularly drawn in by her alien environment, which was painted with such broad and yet convincing brush strokes.
The last chapters perhaps lost its way a little as the main characters 'died' a little too often, but the hanging punchline is brilliantly held, leaving one to fully imagine the end without it ever being actually delivered. This is science fiction delivered in the very gory way central to a lot of our video game influenced age, but with all sorts of throwbacks to the speculative thinking of for example, TV science fiction writer Terry Nation, or the classic contemporary freshness in the plots of Mary Shelley and Wyndham. Clearly Dahl is highly influenced by a host of previous writers and the directions of modern science, as we all are, but there is also just a glimpse of a genuinely new idea or two. Well, that is my view. I'm sure that some will argue that I simply haven't read enough, that everything can be found elsewhere. But if any human is capable of truly original thought then Dahl would be amongst my nominees.
I didn't like this book, as it contains far too much gratuitous violence for me; but as one of the flood of liberated writers struggling to add something new, I certainly appreciate what Dahl has delivered. I haven't the least doubt about giving the book all five of those ridiculously vacuous stars.
This is a well written first person narrative that manages to take science fiction video game scenarios on-board and make them momentarily believable. For me, Dahl actually manages the art of suspending plausibility. I was particularly drawn in by her alien environment, which was painted with such broad and yet convincing brush strokes.
The last chapters perhaps lost its way a little as the main characters 'died' a little too often, but the hanging punchline is brilliantly held, leaving one to fully imagine the end without it ever being actually delivered. This is science fiction delivered in the very gory way central to a lot of our video game influenced age, but with all sorts of throwbacks to the speculative thinking of for example, TV science fiction writer Terry Nation, or the classic contemporary freshness in the plots of Mary Shelley and Wyndham. Clearly Dahl is highly influenced by a host of previous writers and the directions of modern science, as we all are, but there is also just a glimpse of a genuinely new idea or two. Well, that is my view. I'm sure that some will argue that I simply haven't read enough, that everything can be found elsewhere. But if any human is capable of truly original thought then Dahl would be amongst my nominees.
I didn't like this book, as it contains far too much gratuitous violence for me; but as one of the flood of liberated writers struggling to add something new, I certainly appreciate what Dahl has delivered. I haven't the least doubt about giving the book all five of those ridiculously vacuous stars.
March 31, 2016
What do you get if you throw in a blender a stand up comediant and a serial criminal? Blood, lots of blood. Kinda like Eden Green, blood and jokes and gore and drama all spinning around a central axis- the young, badass, always with a punch line Eden Green.
This book has so many faces and they are changing so fast, you will always be caught by surprise! To be honest, i was expecting a chiky adventure with strange encounter. I was wrong. For me Eden Green reached far above that, it sucked me inside it's maddness, made me whip with the characters, made me think about myself, my past and my identity. Eden, Ron and Kazumi are more than our everyday heroes, hell, they are not even that herowy, they are humans who lost their humanity and are trying to regain it without noticing that by doing so they are falling even further into the monstruos waters. But you can't condemn them, you feel their pain, you understand their maddness. Between them are burning cages and they tear themselves apart trying to reach one another, trying to stay together and alive.
I must congratulate Fiona for drawing a disturbingly strange world and the stages of war inside the small american town are so vivid, I could smell the blood and fire from the streets. The nightmare dimension from where she summons her monsters is not only frightening, I think it wakes Eden's curiosity in all us readers.
And finally, the mechanics Fiona uses to give the text living breath are amazing, not often have I been so easily transported into the book, it is so real and dinamic that i could barely believe it to end so quickly.
Fiona van Dahl, you have a new fan! :)
This book has so many faces and they are changing so fast, you will always be caught by surprise! To be honest, i was expecting a chiky adventure with strange encounter. I was wrong. For me Eden Green reached far above that, it sucked me inside it's maddness, made me whip with the characters, made me think about myself, my past and my identity. Eden, Ron and Kazumi are more than our everyday heroes, hell, they are not even that herowy, they are humans who lost their humanity and are trying to regain it without noticing that by doing so they are falling even further into the monstruos waters. But you can't condemn them, you feel their pain, you understand their maddness. Between them are burning cages and they tear themselves apart trying to reach one another, trying to stay together and alive.
I must congratulate Fiona for drawing a disturbingly strange world and the stages of war inside the small american town are so vivid, I could smell the blood and fire from the streets. The nightmare dimension from where she summons her monsters is not only frightening, I think it wakes Eden's curiosity in all us readers.
And finally, the mechanics Fiona uses to give the text living breath are amazing, not often have I been so easily transported into the book, it is so real and dinamic that i could barely believe it to end so quickly.
Fiona van Dahl, you have a new fan! :)
June 17, 2017
First off: I received a copy of this book from the author, with the request that I write a review. So here we are.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I think that with the help of a good editor, there might be some fun genre fiction buried in here somewhere, but it will take a lot of digging to find in any case. The two most pressing issues here for me were the characterization and the pacing, or rather, the lack thereof.
If a story's main questions concern what makes a person human, and what makes a person that person, fleshed out, fully realized characters are an obvious necessity. This book only has three characters in it, and I can't say I know anything about any of them beyond some bare-bones biographical information. One of them is impulsive and prone to making bad choices, and the narrator enjoys the idea of studying biology. That's literally it. I don't understand these people's motivations, and most of their (frequent) enormous emotional outbursts feel devoid of context, and therefore impact. I feel like I can hardly be expected to care that a character is changing from who she once was if I never had the slightest idea of who she was to begin with.
Related to the aforementioned emotional outbursts is the pacing. The entire story rushes from one event to the next, and just assumes that the reader is hanging on for the ride and not asking too many questions, because of course they are! The whole book can be summarized with a repeating sequence of big fight/confusing argument/big fight between characters/confusing apology, ad nauseum. Towards the end, I stopped trying to figure out why on earth anybody was saying or doing the things that they were, because it was easier to just keep trucking along to the end. You know how sometimes you watch a movie and feel like yelling at the screen "if you'd just TELL her X, this would all be over?" Well, that's... more or less the entire second half of the book.
I'm sad that I have to slam a book that was given to me like this, but... I just can't recommend this one to anybody, even as just the fun gory thriller that it wants to be.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I think that with the help of a good editor, there might be some fun genre fiction buried in here somewhere, but it will take a lot of digging to find in any case. The two most pressing issues here for me were the characterization and the pacing, or rather, the lack thereof.
If a story's main questions concern what makes a person human, and what makes a person that person, fleshed out, fully realized characters are an obvious necessity. This book only has three characters in it, and I can't say I know anything about any of them beyond some bare-bones biographical information. One of them is impulsive and prone to making bad choices, and the narrator enjoys the idea of studying biology. That's literally it. I don't understand these people's motivations, and most of their (frequent) enormous emotional outbursts feel devoid of context, and therefore impact. I feel like I can hardly be expected to care that a character is changing from who she once was if I never had the slightest idea of who she was to begin with.
Related to the aforementioned emotional outbursts is the pacing. The entire story rushes from one event to the next, and just assumes that the reader is hanging on for the ride and not asking too many questions, because of course they are! The whole book can be summarized with a repeating sequence of big fight/confusing argument/big fight between characters/confusing apology, ad nauseum. Towards the end, I stopped trying to figure out why on earth anybody was saying or doing the things that they were, because it was easier to just keep trucking along to the end. You know how sometimes you watch a movie and feel like yelling at the screen "if you'd just TELL her X, this would all be over?" Well, that's... more or less the entire second half of the book.
I'm sad that I have to slam a book that was given to me like this, but... I just can't recommend this one to anybody, even as just the fun gory thriller that it wants to be.
November 11, 2016
Eden Green is a brilliant novel. Just absolutely brilliant. Read this book.
Do you want to scream in existential terror as you wonder what it means to change and become something you're not? Read this book!
Do you want to fall in love with the protagonist, and to feel joy at every success? To mourn every failure? Read this book!
Do you want to read about an intelligent protagonist whose every decision actually makes sense? Read this book!
Do you want to read about a slew of (Well, really only two besides the protagonist) well-realized characters that work alongside and against her? Do you want to read how their relationships are forged and changed through tragedy and body horror? Read this book!
Do you want to stay up until midnight, clicking to the next page, telling yourself you'll stop on THIS page and knowing you're lying? Read this book!
Do you want to stave off the inevitable nightmares? Read this book!
Do you NOT want any of these things? READ THIS BOOK!
I'm an avid fanfiction reader, to the point that I tend to read original fiction maybe once a month at best. When I do read original fiction, I'm usually left underwhelmed - maybe somewhat satisfied at best. I'm not underwhelmed now, and I'm more than satisfied. Not since the Martian have I felt so personally engaged within the story, and sympathetic towards the plights of the characters. I love it, you'll love it, pay Fiona Van Dahl her 2.99 and READ THIS BOOK!
(Btw, if you like The Martian, that's not indicative that you'll like this book - they're both absolutely amazing for completely separate and sometimes contradictory reasons. That said, this is an awesome story and you need to read this book.)
Do you want to scream in existential terror as you wonder what it means to change and become something you're not? Read this book!
Do you want to fall in love with the protagonist, and to feel joy at every success? To mourn every failure? Read this book!
Do you want to read about an intelligent protagonist whose every decision actually makes sense? Read this book!
Do you want to read about a slew of (Well, really only two besides the protagonist) well-realized characters that work alongside and against her? Do you want to read how their relationships are forged and changed through tragedy and body horror? Read this book!
Do you want to stay up until midnight, clicking to the next page, telling yourself you'll stop on THIS page and knowing you're lying? Read this book!
Do you want to stave off the inevitable nightmares? Read this book!
Do you NOT want any of these things? READ THIS BOOK!
I'm an avid fanfiction reader, to the point that I tend to read original fiction maybe once a month at best. When I do read original fiction, I'm usually left underwhelmed - maybe somewhat satisfied at best. I'm not underwhelmed now, and I'm more than satisfied. Not since the Martian have I felt so personally engaged within the story, and sympathetic towards the plights of the characters. I love it, you'll love it, pay Fiona Van Dahl her 2.99 and READ THIS BOOK!
(Btw, if you like The Martian, that's not indicative that you'll like this book - they're both absolutely amazing for completely separate and sometimes contradictory reasons. That said, this is an awesome story and you need to read this book.)
October 23, 2017
Yada yada, free copy on promise of honest review.
I think people will enjoy this book if they like thrillers. I don't seek out thrillers, so it wasn't really my cup of tea. I would read for a half hour or so, and then be a bit exhausted. The pacing is good if you're used to thrillers, although it could have done with more chapter breaks instead of just paragraph breaks. The prose is very plain, but there's no real issue with it, and the spacing which is occasionally used as a tool is quite effective. Characterization is a strong suit for this author, and probably the main reason this didn't get chucked in the DNF pile (again, not that it's bad, I just prefer slower pacing and tend to avoid thrillers). The setting as in geographical location is only serviceable, but the setting as in events going on is pretty interesting. The needles are cool, as are the creatures, and the idea of eternal suffering is very well executed. Also, it works great as a standalone, which is good because I'm not likely to continue (again, not fond of thrillers, but if you are, check this series out). I will say that I don't personally know the author, she actually found me on here because i reviewed Worm, and she said her readers and J.C. Mcrae's tend to have a lot of crossover. I think that might be merely coincidence, because Worm's pacing is super slow, despite the enormous scope of it.
Final opinion, if you like thrillers with a scifi kick, definitely, absolutely check this out. If you don't this book isn't likely to change your mind.
I think people will enjoy this book if they like thrillers. I don't seek out thrillers, so it wasn't really my cup of tea. I would read for a half hour or so, and then be a bit exhausted. The pacing is good if you're used to thrillers, although it could have done with more chapter breaks instead of just paragraph breaks. The prose is very plain, but there's no real issue with it, and the spacing which is occasionally used as a tool is quite effective. Characterization is a strong suit for this author, and probably the main reason this didn't get chucked in the DNF pile (again, not that it's bad, I just prefer slower pacing and tend to avoid thrillers). The setting as in geographical location is only serviceable, but the setting as in events going on is pretty interesting. The needles are cool, as are the creatures, and the idea of eternal suffering is very well executed. Also, it works great as a standalone, which is good because I'm not likely to continue (again, not fond of thrillers, but if you are, check this series out). I will say that I don't personally know the author, she actually found me on here because i reviewed Worm, and she said her readers and J.C. Mcrae's tend to have a lot of crossover. I think that might be merely coincidence, because Worm's pacing is super slow, despite the enormous scope of it.
Final opinion, if you like thrillers with a scifi kick, definitely, absolutely check this out. If you don't this book isn't likely to change your mind.
July 21, 2017
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
This book really came together in the third act for me. I found both Ron and Tedrin to be extremely frustrating and unlikeable characters (Ron very realistically so, Tedrin maybe not so much), and I thought both of their fates were very satisfying. I appreciated van Dahl's willingness to not pull any punches; for a lot of the book it felt like Eden was a bit all talk and no action, but I was definitely proven wrong at the end there. The end is really quite satisfying, and even a little bold, and the build-up to it is good as well.
I feel less warmly about the first and second acts, which, while they had some really good twists to them, could be awkward or dull at points. I wasn't a huge fan of the terminology used for a lot of things ("giraffes" especially, because I really just kept picturing giraffes) and whenever Eden would wander off on her own I thought the story dragged. It seriously did feel like the third act had been edited and polished a lot more than the beginning because there was a huge jump in descriptive quality towards the end. I would've liked it if the file Eden had made for herself had come into play after she lost her memory, but beyond that things were wrapped up pretty well for me.
This book really came together in the third act for me. I found both Ron and Tedrin to be extremely frustrating and unlikeable characters (Ron very realistically so, Tedrin maybe not so much), and I thought both of their fates were very satisfying. I appreciated van Dahl's willingness to not pull any punches; for a lot of the book it felt like Eden was a bit all talk and no action, but I was definitely proven wrong at the end there. The end is really quite satisfying, and even a little bold, and the build-up to it is good as well.
I feel less warmly about the first and second acts, which, while they had some really good twists to them, could be awkward or dull at points. I wasn't a huge fan of the terminology used for a lot of things ("giraffes" especially, because I really just kept picturing giraffes) and whenever Eden would wander off on her own I thought the story dragged. It seriously did feel like the third act had been edited and polished a lot more than the beginning because there was a huge jump in descriptive quality towards the end. I would've liked it if the file Eden had made for herself had come into play after she lost her memory, but beyond that things were wrapped up pretty well for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2019
This is a hard one for me to really score. I felt like parts of it worked very well while others fell completely flat. Having a hard time organizing my thoughts right now (how fitting), so I'm just gonna spit them out in bullet point:
- I like the concept of applying the Argo Dilemma to the human consciousness, and it was handled well here.
- On that note, the creatures were also interesting and appropriately alien.
- The bits of introspection that showed up were good, and the writing felt the most "genuine" at these points (for lack of a better description).
- That said, I couldn't stand the way the characters interacted with each other or the world around them. The writing style felt very juvenile.
- Similarly, the humor did not work for me at all.
Overall, it's hard for me to recommend Eden Green, but I don't want to entirely condemn it, either. I had to push myself to finish it (it had been sitting halfway read on my work laptop for two years), but at the same time, I liked the ideas enough to see it through. I'd rate this at 2.5/5 if Goodreads allowed it; it's certainly flawed, but it's got good ideas. I just hope that future good ideas can be sculpted with a little more finesse.
- I like the concept of applying the Argo Dilemma to the human consciousness, and it was handled well here.
- On that note, the creatures were also interesting and appropriately alien.
- The bits of introspection that showed up were good, and the writing felt the most "genuine" at these points (for lack of a better description).
- That said, I couldn't stand the way the characters interacted with each other or the world around them. The writing style felt very juvenile.
- Similarly, the humor did not work for me at all.
Overall, it's hard for me to recommend Eden Green, but I don't want to entirely condemn it, either. I had to push myself to finish it (it had been sitting halfway read on my work laptop for two years), but at the same time, I liked the ideas enough to see it through. I'd rate this at 2.5/5 if Goodreads allowed it; it's certainly flawed, but it's got good ideas. I just hope that future good ideas can be sculpted with a little more finesse.
November 20, 2017
It's a fast paced and fairly light read with elements of body horror and science fiction.
Picking up the pieces of her best friend's bad decisions is a recurring pattern for Eden Green but when the latest call for help results in her being infected with a parasitic alien organism that starts replacing her cell by cell... She is faced with some hard truths and harder choices.
The characters, while relate-able, are quickly drawn with broad strokes to the point of being teen trope caricatures. The fast pace at which events unfold excuse this, but at the same time it is hard to to know if the protagonist's fear of losing her identity or changing is groundless when we have spent so little time with her before those changes start.
There are great ideas here, a symbiotic parasite, the cost of immortality, loss of self, co-dependant relationships, invaders from an alternate dimension... almost all of which deserve more exploration.
All in all, I actually enjoyed it more than I was expecting to. And am genuinely interested to read the followup.
I receieved my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Picking up the pieces of her best friend's bad decisions is a recurring pattern for Eden Green but when the latest call for help results in her being infected with a parasitic alien organism that starts replacing her cell by cell... She is faced with some hard truths and harder choices.
The characters, while relate-able, are quickly drawn with broad strokes to the point of being teen trope caricatures. The fast pace at which events unfold excuse this, but at the same time it is hard to to know if the protagonist's fear of losing her identity or changing is groundless when we have spent so little time with her before those changes start.
There are great ideas here, a symbiotic parasite, the cost of immortality, loss of self, co-dependant relationships, invaders from an alternate dimension... almost all of which deserve more exploration.
All in all, I actually enjoyed it more than I was expecting to. And am genuinely interested to read the followup.
I receieved my copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2017
I received a copy of Eden Green from the author for an honest review.
Overall, I liked it. A combination of sci-fi and horror, but not too horrific for me. I was intrigued by the premise, which had echoes of vampirism in that a person is infected by the blood of an alien creature and receives a sort of immortality along with superhuman abilities. You're dropped into the action immediately, and the story moves along at a good pace. Of the three characters, I really only liked Eden, the narrator. The other two weren't quite as well delineated, but then again, it's all written from Eden's POV so that's to be expected. The biggest problem I had was the lack of defined chapters. This does follow the stream-of-consciousness style of the writing, but I like more definition of scene and temporal changes that come with a more traditional structure. The looser structure does work effectively later in the book, though, giving the reader a better feel for what Eden's experiencing.
I look forward to reading more by van Dahl. I'd like to see how her writing develops.
Overall, I liked it. A combination of sci-fi and horror, but not too horrific for me. I was intrigued by the premise, which had echoes of vampirism in that a person is infected by the blood of an alien creature and receives a sort of immortality along with superhuman abilities. You're dropped into the action immediately, and the story moves along at a good pace. Of the three characters, I really only liked Eden, the narrator. The other two weren't quite as well delineated, but then again, it's all written from Eden's POV so that's to be expected. The biggest problem I had was the lack of defined chapters. This does follow the stream-of-consciousness style of the writing, but I like more definition of scene and temporal changes that come with a more traditional structure. The looser structure does work effectively later in the book, though, giving the reader a better feel for what Eden's experiencing.
I look forward to reading more by van Dahl. I'd like to see how her writing develops.
August 1, 2017
I got a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very quick read for the most part. I found I barrelled through the first third of the book in about an hour. There were some issues with pacing, which can happen when the books kicks off into high gear right from the get go, and then slows down in the middle. (There were a few stops and starts that felt jarring, but there were lots of exciting fight scenes.)
The setting of liminal and abandoned places were really cool and worked well with the monsters and darkness creeping around. These were fun and creepy. They created a cool atmosphere.
The characterization, however, left something to be desired. I found that while Eden, Ron and Tedrin had their own personalities (Eden is logical, Ron is passionate, and Tedrin is... secretive and antagonistic), they didn't feel fully developed, more like caricatures than characters at times. Some of the backstory did help lessen this impression though.
Overall, fun, fast, summer read with sci-fi and horror kicks and shouts!
This was a very quick read for the most part. I found I barrelled through the first third of the book in about an hour. There were some issues with pacing, which can happen when the books kicks off into high gear right from the get go, and then slows down in the middle. (There were a few stops and starts that felt jarring, but there were lots of exciting fight scenes.)
The setting of liminal and abandoned places were really cool and worked well with the monsters and darkness creeping around. These were fun and creepy. They created a cool atmosphere.
The characterization, however, left something to be desired. I found that while Eden, Ron and Tedrin had their own personalities (Eden is logical, Ron is passionate, and Tedrin is... secretive and antagonistic), they didn't feel fully developed, more like caricatures than characters at times. Some of the backstory did help lessen this impression though.
Overall, fun, fast, summer read with sci-fi and horror kicks and shouts!
May 30, 2017
Received this book from the author in exchange for a review.
Sadly, this one wasn't for me. The book jumps right in to the action, but I had a hard time liking the characters and being able to root for any of them. I think some of the sci-fi elements were intriguing, but they weren't as much the focus as I would have liked. The writing style was a bit difficult for me as I felt like I would be missing things that I think were implied, or maybe they just weren't clicking for me. Either way, I would have to stop at times and say to myself, "Wait...what?!" and go back to and reread parts thinking I missed something. I thought it would be a quicker read as it aligns with a genre I enjoy, but this one just wasn't quite there for me.
Sadly, this one wasn't for me. The book jumps right in to the action, but I had a hard time liking the characters and being able to root for any of them. I think some of the sci-fi elements were intriguing, but they weren't as much the focus as I would have liked. The writing style was a bit difficult for me as I felt like I would be missing things that I think were implied, or maybe they just weren't clicking for me. Either way, I would have to stop at times and say to myself, "Wait...what?!" and go back to and reread parts thinking I missed something. I thought it would be a quicker read as it aligns with a genre I enjoy, but this one just wasn't quite there for me.
June 23, 2017
I received an electronic version of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
There's lots of good things to say about this book. The Sci-Fi world and mechanics are thought out well. The first person voice reminded me a bit of the Sandman Slim novels. The work shows an author with lots of promise, but still needs work on subtleties. For example, I felt like the story needed more framing to make the world compelling. In addition, characters changed on a dime. This was inherent to the story (no spoilers) but it was generally not clear they had changed until you reached a point of hindsight. That said, it's a fast, light read so curious readers shouldn't hesitate to try it out. It just wasn't for me.
There's lots of good things to say about this book. The Sci-Fi world and mechanics are thought out well. The first person voice reminded me a bit of the Sandman Slim novels. The work shows an author with lots of promise, but still needs work on subtleties. For example, I felt like the story needed more framing to make the world compelling. In addition, characters changed on a dime. This was inherent to the story (no spoilers) but it was generally not clear they had changed until you reached a point of hindsight. That said, it's a fast, light read so curious readers shouldn't hesitate to try it out. It just wasn't for me.
June 12, 2017
Interesante, especialmente por los personajes y su psicología. Quizás por eso, no me gustó que algunas acciones de la protagonista parecen tener poco sentido tanto de la perspectiva del individuo como del simbionte, o les falta racionalización explícita (entrada al portal a pesar de los ya considerados riesgos asociados con la inmortalidad forzada, la obsesión homicida poco apologética (especialmente al final), etc.).
Hubiera querido un poco más de información sobre la causa de la "invasión" y la naturaleza/origen de la infección, o aunque sea un poco más de especulación e investigación al respecto.
Hubiera querido un poco más de información sobre la causa de la "invasión" y la naturaleza/origen de la infección, o aunque sea un poco más de especulación e investigación al respecto.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2018
Excellent book for a first time writer. Gritty, dark, sarcastic humour always gets me. The internal musings of the protagonist were fun to read. Interesting new fantasy world and rules. Also the tentative exploration of what makes a person a person. I would very much like to see a sequel to this book, showing the new fantasy world more and explain, or at least bring out theories what it might be. And even more existential exploration of if you are still you after all that happened in this book.
The ending seemed like a beginning of a series. Now I want the book 2 of Eden Green.
The ending seemed like a beginning of a series. Now I want the book 2 of Eden Green.
December 27, 2021
I've been wanting to read this book for a while, and it was worth the wait. Very action packed and a main character that I could connect to mentally. Not for the faint of heart, but the author provided trigger warnings and that was very kind of them.
May 20, 2018
Poněkud mimo můj záběr, ale docela mě to bavilo.
December 4, 2017
Can you handle some super creepy action? I'm not a big fan of horror, so I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. It has a lot of unconventional writing (including crazy formatting stuff) and assorted weirdness that kept me off-kilter throughout, and the fights stay fresh all the way up to the end.
Note: I received this book for free from the author with a request for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
Note: I received this book for free from the author with a request for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
March 7, 2017
This was a particularly interesting read for me, as I felt like I was enjoying the novel for things the author didn't meant me to enjoy. The main character's big fear, being infected with alien bio-machinery and slowly changed into something inhuman, was something I felt completely disconnected from. I did enjoy the bio-machinery, the strange and weird transformation Eden and her two associates went through, but this felt less like a source of genuine body horror (which I think was the intention), but the joy at seeing cool and neat transformations.
It probably depends on your reading protocols and interests, which in my case meant the changes, both body and mind, were the meat of the novel, as was the intriguing if somewhat lackluster exploration of an alien world. I found the super-rationalistic attitude of the main character amusing, and I'm not sure if that was intentional and to be taken serious or meant to be perceived as a character flaw. Also her constant resistance to the bio-machinery in her body was initially merely irritating until it became deeply annoying when it was established as the main thrust of the books final part.
Less convincing were the psychological changes. Sure, I completely buy that getting your brain blown up and then re-assembled by alien bio-machinery will force changes to your personality (and the part with the memories was neatly done), but I didn't really bought that it would mean the characters would turn psychotic, just different.
On that account, I found the ending was the typical esoteric ending where the writer thought it was kind of positive and I though it was quite the opposite. If you write from the perspective of monsters (even if I don’t completely buy they are monsters), I want to see them succeed, accept what they are and go on with their lives of murder and mayhem. I’m a fan of happy endings.
It probably depends on your reading protocols and interests, which in my case meant the changes, both body and mind, were the meat of the novel, as was the intriguing if somewhat lackluster exploration of an alien world. I found the super-rationalistic attitude of the main character amusing, and I'm not sure if that was intentional and to be taken serious or meant to be perceived as a character flaw. Also her constant resistance to the bio-machinery in her body was initially merely irritating until it became deeply annoying when it was established as the main thrust of the books final part.
Less convincing were the psychological changes. Sure, I completely buy that getting your brain blown up and then re-assembled by alien bio-machinery will force changes to your personality (and the part with the memories was neatly done), but I didn't really bought that it would mean the characters would turn psychotic, just different.
On that account, I found the ending was the typical esoteric ending where the writer thought it was kind of positive and I though it was quite the opposite. If you write from the perspective of monsters (even if I don’t completely buy they are monsters), I want to see them succeed, accept what they are and go on with their lives of murder and mayhem. I’m a fan of happy endings.
October 24, 2025
Combining fast-paced conflict with alien creatures and creeping bodily change, van Dahl creates a tale that is both science-fiction thriller and cosmic horror.
When the convenience store where Eden’s best friend works burns down under mysterious circumstances, Eden rushes to her side. However, instead of the tale of an accident or mundane crime she expects, Veronica says she was rescued from a monster and is now infected by its blood—an infection that gives her enhanced strength and healing. Tedrin—the man who rescued Veronica—claims the infection offers both a way to defend Earth from the monsters and potentially an escape from death itself. Infected herself while investigating further, Eden resolves to save herself and Veronica from both the monsters and Tedrin—even if her friend doesn’t want to be saved.
The novel opens with the classic science-fiction B-movie story of a few people in a small US town discovering strange creatures have appeared and deciding to act. However, when Eden experiences the infection rebuilding the damaged parts of her with myriad needle-like cells, the novel gains a body horror arc that presents her and the reader with questions about what makes a person themselves.
This uncertainty over whether the infection is enhancing someone or taking away what truly makes them them becomes more intense as Eden discovers the needles can not merely create a seemingly perfect copy of the flesh they replaced but temporarily shape themselves into things such as chitinous blades or armour to improve the user’s survival. The conflict reaches its peak in Tedrin’s belief that the needles can perfectly replicate the brain, making the infected functionally immortal, raising questions of whether the needles do actually create an identical copy of what was there before every time, and even if they do whether a person is solely the biological mechanism.
Van Dahl spins this lack of philosophical certainty into an engaging conflict over the correct response to infection. Eden experiences the needles in her body as a wrongness, so most if not all readers will instinctively support her desire to be cured rather than embrace the change; however, if Veronica and Tedrin see it as a good thing, should Eden have the right to decide they need to be cured?
Although the authorities do become involved later in the book, van Dahl avoids having the infection subjected to proper scientific study; this makes the facts that humans can be infected and that the monsters do not have the same regeneration as human-monster hybrids facts without explanation, both adding an uncertainty that supports the specific questions of whether infection is good or bad and the general horror, and avoiding the risk of immersion being broken by a biological description that a reader knows or believes to be wrong.
The uncertainty and character conflict of the infection arc is skilfully balanced by the tense investigation and fast-paced action of the monster arc, which ramps from a few creatures in one part of the town to a full-on invasion by multiple different alien creatures forcing Eden to work with Tedrin even if she doesn’t trust him.
Although very different both in tone and graphicness from Lovecraft, the otherness of the monsters, the hints of another civilisation that created them or was destroyed by them, and the questions of whether transformation is a blessing or a curse have echoes of The Shadow Over Innsmouth and other works
Eden is a sympathetic protagonist with enough life experience and intelligence that her attempts to both survive the immediate situation and investigate the wider picture seem plausible without the realism-stretching coincidence of being a natural action hero and xeno-biologist in one. The glimpses of her childhood growing up with Veronica both strengthen the sense that this is a strong friendship and imply that her dislike of Tedrin might be tainted by a slight possessiveness.
Tedrin and Veronica each display conflicting drives and desires, both making them seem realistic people and strongly suggesting to the reader that their reasons for their stance on the infection are reasonable given their perception of things rather than because the story needed conflicting opinions.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking horror that neither glosses over the mental trauma of encountering the Other in favour of fast-paced action and external threat nor focuses entirely on philosophy and introspection.
When the convenience store where Eden’s best friend works burns down under mysterious circumstances, Eden rushes to her side. However, instead of the tale of an accident or mundane crime she expects, Veronica says she was rescued from a monster and is now infected by its blood—an infection that gives her enhanced strength and healing. Tedrin—the man who rescued Veronica—claims the infection offers both a way to defend Earth from the monsters and potentially an escape from death itself. Infected herself while investigating further, Eden resolves to save herself and Veronica from both the monsters and Tedrin—even if her friend doesn’t want to be saved.
The novel opens with the classic science-fiction B-movie story of a few people in a small US town discovering strange creatures have appeared and deciding to act. However, when Eden experiences the infection rebuilding the damaged parts of her with myriad needle-like cells, the novel gains a body horror arc that presents her and the reader with questions about what makes a person themselves.
This uncertainty over whether the infection is enhancing someone or taking away what truly makes them them becomes more intense as Eden discovers the needles can not merely create a seemingly perfect copy of the flesh they replaced but temporarily shape themselves into things such as chitinous blades or armour to improve the user’s survival. The conflict reaches its peak in Tedrin’s belief that the needles can perfectly replicate the brain, making the infected functionally immortal, raising questions of whether the needles do actually create an identical copy of what was there before every time, and even if they do whether a person is solely the biological mechanism.
Van Dahl spins this lack of philosophical certainty into an engaging conflict over the correct response to infection. Eden experiences the needles in her body as a wrongness, so most if not all readers will instinctively support her desire to be cured rather than embrace the change; however, if Veronica and Tedrin see it as a good thing, should Eden have the right to decide they need to be cured?
Although the authorities do become involved later in the book, van Dahl avoids having the infection subjected to proper scientific study; this makes the facts that humans can be infected and that the monsters do not have the same regeneration as human-monster hybrids facts without explanation, both adding an uncertainty that supports the specific questions of whether infection is good or bad and the general horror, and avoiding the risk of immersion being broken by a biological description that a reader knows or believes to be wrong.
The uncertainty and character conflict of the infection arc is skilfully balanced by the tense investigation and fast-paced action of the monster arc, which ramps from a few creatures in one part of the town to a full-on invasion by multiple different alien creatures forcing Eden to work with Tedrin even if she doesn’t trust him.
Although very different both in tone and graphicness from Lovecraft, the otherness of the monsters, the hints of another civilisation that created them or was destroyed by them, and the questions of whether transformation is a blessing or a curse have echoes of The Shadow Over Innsmouth and other works
Eden is a sympathetic protagonist with enough life experience and intelligence that her attempts to both survive the immediate situation and investigate the wider picture seem plausible without the realism-stretching coincidence of being a natural action hero and xeno-biologist in one. The glimpses of her childhood growing up with Veronica both strengthen the sense that this is a strong friendship and imply that her dislike of Tedrin might be tainted by a slight possessiveness.
Tedrin and Veronica each display conflicting drives and desires, both making them seem realistic people and strongly suggesting to the reader that their reasons for their stance on the infection are reasonable given their perception of things rather than because the story needed conflicting opinions.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking horror that neither glosses over the mental trauma of encountering the Other in favour of fast-paced action and external threat nor focuses entirely on philosophy and introspection.
November 15, 2016
I received an audio version of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start with the good bits. Firstly, I loved the world and the creatures that van Dahl created in this book. Her needle creatures and the way the creatures' blood effected Eden, Ron, and Tedren was rather ingenious and clever. I loved how it was so very different from your classic "monsters", and gave us another type of apocalypse to fear. :)
I also really appreciated that the characters, for the most part, acted in ways that a normal person might act. This was especially true about Eden in the first half of the book. This change has been thrust on her and she knows there are going to be some very serious consequences that could potentially arise from this change. So she takes appropriate steps to try to combat those consequences. She doesn't just think that she's just become a super hero and run around showing off her new ability. I liked that. Also, since Eden seems to be a bit of an intellectual, I enjoyed watching her thought process as she tried to figure out how these creatures came into being and how these changes could impact humanity.
Lastly, I think that von Dahl was the best voice narrator for Eden. He voice fit perfectly how my mind's eye picture Eden to look and I think it worked so well with Eden's personality.
But, unfortunately, there were some issues that I had with the book as well. As much as I appreciated von Dahl's portrayal of Eden, I think that she read the book entirely too fast. I don't know if she sped up the recording to keep the time down, or if that's just how fast she speaks, but it was very distracting, especially at the beginning. Plus, there were copious times when von Dahl just cut off in mid sentence. At first, I thought it was just that the character's thoughts were being cut off by some action, but as it kept happening over and over and I found myself wondering what happened in the plot, I'm coming to the idea that there is some of the book that's missing in the audio version. This thought was solidified when the end of the book ended in the middle of a word. I'm sure that the book would have been more enjoyable had I not missed out on the last half of all those sentences.
In regards to the content issues I had, well, like some of the other reviewers stated, I found the high amount of language a bit unnecessary. Plus, it seemed like the characters were over dramatic all the time. Also, there were spots where sex was introduced into the narrative, but many of those times it really seemed like it was the wrong time for that. (weird love triangle was weird) While I appreciated Eden's refusal to adjust or compromise her ethical beliefs at the beginning of the book, I found it to be annoying as the book went on, especially when it seemed that it didn't matter who she hurt in order to do what she thought was "right" and her refusal to take anyone else's input on the matter.
All in all, I thought this was a solid debut novel and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more from this author. But, like with most budding writers, there's room for growth.
Let me start with the good bits. Firstly, I loved the world and the creatures that van Dahl created in this book. Her needle creatures and the way the creatures' blood effected Eden, Ron, and Tedren was rather ingenious and clever. I loved how it was so very different from your classic "monsters", and gave us another type of apocalypse to fear. :)
I also really appreciated that the characters, for the most part, acted in ways that a normal person might act. This was especially true about Eden in the first half of the book. This change has been thrust on her and she knows there are going to be some very serious consequences that could potentially arise from this change. So she takes appropriate steps to try to combat those consequences. She doesn't just think that she's just become a super hero and run around showing off her new ability. I liked that. Also, since Eden seems to be a bit of an intellectual, I enjoyed watching her thought process as she tried to figure out how these creatures came into being and how these changes could impact humanity.
Lastly, I think that von Dahl was the best voice narrator for Eden. He voice fit perfectly how my mind's eye picture Eden to look and I think it worked so well with Eden's personality.
But, unfortunately, there were some issues that I had with the book as well. As much as I appreciated von Dahl's portrayal of Eden, I think that she read the book entirely too fast. I don't know if she sped up the recording to keep the time down, or if that's just how fast she speaks, but it was very distracting, especially at the beginning. Plus, there were copious times when von Dahl just cut off in mid sentence. At first, I thought it was just that the character's thoughts were being cut off by some action, but as it kept happening over and over and I found myself wondering what happened in the plot, I'm coming to the idea that there is some of the book that's missing in the audio version. This thought was solidified when the end of the book ended in the middle of a word. I'm sure that the book would have been more enjoyable had I not missed out on the last half of all those sentences.
In regards to the content issues I had, well, like some of the other reviewers stated, I found the high amount of language a bit unnecessary. Plus, it seemed like the characters were over dramatic all the time. Also, there were spots where sex was introduced into the narrative, but many of those times it really seemed like it was the wrong time for that. (weird love triangle was weird) While I appreciated Eden's refusal to adjust or compromise her ethical beliefs at the beginning of the book, I found it to be annoying as the book went on, especially when it seemed that it didn't matter who she hurt in order to do what she thought was "right" and her refusal to take anyone else's input on the matter.
All in all, I thought this was a solid debut novel and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more from this author. But, like with most budding writers, there's room for growth.
February 23, 2017
I was given the book by the author for free.
Eden Green works from an interesting premise. Take an alien contact and horrible parasite plot, but make the main character approach it with reason instead of emotion. Add to that characters that are as media and culture aware as I feel, characters being messy humans who make messy decisions, a bit of aliens being quite alien, mysteries being mysterious. Sounds right up my alley, but somehow it never seems to really connect. Maybe it's the way it never takes the time to settle and let a particular narrative thread simmer. Maybe it's the way it starts out by demanding you care, but only providing context for that much later. Maybe it's because often we're not allowed to see the relevant thoughts of the only viewpoint character, only the resulting action.
Still, it's a pretty good action piece with a low percentage of bullshit. Probably worth a read.
Eden Green works from an interesting premise. Take an alien contact and horrible parasite plot, but make the main character approach it with reason instead of emotion. Add to that characters that are as media and culture aware as I feel, characters being messy humans who make messy decisions, a bit of aliens being quite alien, mysteries being mysterious. Sounds right up my alley, but somehow it never seems to really connect. Maybe it's the way it never takes the time to settle and let a particular narrative thread simmer. Maybe it's the way it starts out by demanding you care, but only providing context for that much later. Maybe it's because often we're not allowed to see the relevant thoughts of the only viewpoint character, only the resulting action.
Still, it's a pretty good action piece with a low percentage of bullshit. Probably worth a read.
November 21, 2016
When author Fiona Van Dahl asked me if I would be willing to review her book Eden Green, I was delighted. This semester’s 90-minute round-trip daily commute has afforded me much time to enjoy audiobooks and music. I’ve looked forward to taking risks on books that I didn’t know much about, like John Dies in the End and Brave New World. Horror fiction, like Eden Green, by an author I had never read before was a welcome addition to my commuting queue.
Published in July 2015, Eden Green is available in ebook on Amazon Kindle, in audiobook Amazon Audible, and in print from Createspace.
Eden Green opens with a disclaimer—“Warning: contains body horror, contamination, implied eternal suffering, gun use, needles, and spiders.” The story begins with narrator Eden Green finding her friend Veronica (“Ron”) with an odd ability of being able to punch through sheet metal, after which her mangled hand somehow miraculously heals in needle-like swaths. Ron’s new boyfriend, Tedrin, seems to have ushered this ability within Ron. He can “needle,” too. Eventually, Eden becomes contaminated with “needling,” which is caused by a blood contamination from an other-dimensional alien symbiote. Eventually, all hell breaks loose in their town, Gothic, AR. As Eden, Ron, and Tedrin come to terms with the nature of their new condition, their values are changed, charged, and challenged.
Van Dahl describes her work as “mind-bending, unsettling, but most of all fun.” I agree. Her description of “needling” and aliens with lamprey-like mouths is inventive and refreshing. While inter-dimensional terror tales are common, Van Dahl presents her vision in a unique and creative way. Van Dahl’s character development and the subsequent ills that befall her characters make the story unsettling at times, which is a good thing. For example, Eden’s memory of an afternoon in a deer stand (also the book’s most endearing moment) anchored my interest in Eden prevailing. Eden Green is quite fun, too. I enjoyed playing with the idea of what it would be like to be immortal if it meant that, when I was injured, my body would “needle” and, eventually, I’d probably overwrite my personality and memories.
Eden Green has several allusions to fantasy fiction, all of which were fun. The extended allusion to Mjölnir helps give a context for an alien stone that plays an important role in the story’s resolution.
Van Dahl wrote and published a sequel to Eden Green called New Night that picks up nine months after the events of Eden Green. I’ll need to check that one out, too.
Published in July 2015, Eden Green is available in ebook on Amazon Kindle, in audiobook Amazon Audible, and in print from Createspace.
Eden Green opens with a disclaimer—“Warning: contains body horror, contamination, implied eternal suffering, gun use, needles, and spiders.” The story begins with narrator Eden Green finding her friend Veronica (“Ron”) with an odd ability of being able to punch through sheet metal, after which her mangled hand somehow miraculously heals in needle-like swaths. Ron’s new boyfriend, Tedrin, seems to have ushered this ability within Ron. He can “needle,” too. Eventually, Eden becomes contaminated with “needling,” which is caused by a blood contamination from an other-dimensional alien symbiote. Eventually, all hell breaks loose in their town, Gothic, AR. As Eden, Ron, and Tedrin come to terms with the nature of their new condition, their values are changed, charged, and challenged.
Van Dahl describes her work as “mind-bending, unsettling, but most of all fun.” I agree. Her description of “needling” and aliens with lamprey-like mouths is inventive and refreshing. While inter-dimensional terror tales are common, Van Dahl presents her vision in a unique and creative way. Van Dahl’s character development and the subsequent ills that befall her characters make the story unsettling at times, which is a good thing. For example, Eden’s memory of an afternoon in a deer stand (also the book’s most endearing moment) anchored my interest in Eden prevailing. Eden Green is quite fun, too. I enjoyed playing with the idea of what it would be like to be immortal if it meant that, when I was injured, my body would “needle” and, eventually, I’d probably overwrite my personality and memories.
Eden Green has several allusions to fantasy fiction, all of which were fun. The extended allusion to Mjölnir helps give a context for an alien stone that plays an important role in the story’s resolution.
Van Dahl wrote and published a sequel to Eden Green called New Night that picks up nine months after the events of Eden Green. I’ll need to check that one out, too.
February 12, 2016
If you're interested in a sci-fi/horror thriller with a personal touch, Eden Green might just be what you are looking for.
It is an excellent effort for a debut novel. Bizarre events that unfold in the book are, well, bizarre is probably too mild of a word for an invasion of needle-symbiont-infested fauna from another dimension. The first person, limited perspective narration from a rational narrator adds to the sense of mystery and sheer strangeness.
The book focuses on three characters, Eden Green herself, her troubled best friend, Veronica, and a mysterious newcomer who literally infects their lives with the symbiont. Eden and her friend are believably dysfunctional with the newcomer being an enigma that keeps shifting for reasons that become apparent later in the novel.
The story flows at a good pace in the beginning and at the end, the middle is a bit of a slog though. While realistic, constant retreading of the same themes in the titular character's head can get somewhat grating.
All characters change as the novel progresses. The author successfully conveys the emotional/mental descent of people thrust into downright alien circumstances. Loss of the sense of self, questioning one's own identity and future is constant throughout the text. The reader is often confused as much as Eden herself, which I suspect is part of the point. The world does seem pretty bare-bones. Three main characters are pretty well fleshed out but everything around them seems murky and out of focus.
Aside from the action, the book does a good job examining the issues of identity and the nature of self. If all of the cells in your body were replaced with needle-infested replicas of yourself, would you still be you? What if your entire brain had to be recreated from scratch? Would you even be human anymore? Would it matter?
All in all, the Eden Green gets a definitive recommendation from me. It's an entertaining read and an ambitious project. While it does get a bit scattershot at times it serves to involve the reader deeper into that fictional world. It poses some interesting questions about the nature of self and humanity and it is an emotionally engaging story. Some more polish wouldn't hurt, along with perhaps another editing pass, but it's a good novel that you should take a look at if you're a fan of introspective sci-fi horror.
Disclaimer: The book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
It is an excellent effort for a debut novel. Bizarre events that unfold in the book are, well, bizarre is probably too mild of a word for an invasion of needle-symbiont-infested fauna from another dimension. The first person, limited perspective narration from a rational narrator adds to the sense of mystery and sheer strangeness.
The book focuses on three characters, Eden Green herself, her troubled best friend, Veronica, and a mysterious newcomer who literally infects their lives with the symbiont. Eden and her friend are believably dysfunctional with the newcomer being an enigma that keeps shifting for reasons that become apparent later in the novel.
The story flows at a good pace in the beginning and at the end, the middle is a bit of a slog though. While realistic, constant retreading of the same themes in the titular character's head can get somewhat grating.
All characters change as the novel progresses. The author successfully conveys the emotional/mental descent of people thrust into downright alien circumstances. Loss of the sense of self, questioning one's own identity and future is constant throughout the text. The reader is often confused as much as Eden herself, which I suspect is part of the point. The world does seem pretty bare-bones. Three main characters are pretty well fleshed out but everything around them seems murky and out of focus.
Aside from the action, the book does a good job examining the issues of identity and the nature of self. If all of the cells in your body were replaced with needle-infested replicas of yourself, would you still be you? What if your entire brain had to be recreated from scratch? Would you even be human anymore? Would it matter?
All in all, the Eden Green gets a definitive recommendation from me. It's an entertaining read and an ambitious project. While it does get a bit scattershot at times it serves to involve the reader deeper into that fictional world. It poses some interesting questions about the nature of self and humanity and it is an emotionally engaging story. Some more polish wouldn't hurt, along with perhaps another editing pass, but it's a good novel that you should take a look at if you're a fan of introspective sci-fi horror.
Disclaimer: The book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2016
I am giving this book huge props for being unique. It is a real challenge, with such a wealth of books to choose from, to find anything that is truly original in any form, whether it is the story line, the character point of view or a new take on an old subject. This story has it all. The premise of the story is alien invasion but in a more subtle manner than anything you will have read previously. It is told from the perspective of the main character, who you will know right from the start, is not your regular bad ass heroine. Eden Green is far from flawless but you will immediately find her relatable. She is horrified to find that she is slowly being taken over by alien needle cells like her best Veronica & her new friend Tedrin. Slowly Eden realizes that the alien cells are changing them all and not necessarily in a good way. This story is not only about Eden's efforts to defeat this insidious alien presence but to hold onto her humanity for as long as she can. Ultimately, she will have to make choices that will change everything for her and her companions and possibly life as they know it.
For most of the story, I found the pace to be fast and relentless and you are literally thrown into the story with no let up until the end. It is refreshing and makes you really think about who you are and who you could become in these same circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride but unfortunately I could not give it the 5 stars which I fully expected to bestow upon finishing. The ending left me feeling like there was at least a chapter or two missing. I have read many stories that leave you to ponder the ending and draw your own conclusions. I felt that this one left me too soon so for this reason, I could only give 4 stars. That being said, I would definitely check out other books from this author.
I received a free copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.
For most of the story, I found the pace to be fast and relentless and you are literally thrown into the story with no let up until the end. It is refreshing and makes you really think about who you are and who you could become in these same circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride but unfortunately I could not give it the 5 stars which I fully expected to bestow upon finishing. The ending left me feeling like there was at least a chapter or two missing. I have read many stories that leave you to ponder the ending and draw your own conclusions. I felt that this one left me too soon so for this reason, I could only give 4 stars. That being said, I would definitely check out other books from this author.
I received a free copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2016
I received a copy of this book at no cost in return for an an honest review.
Summary: Decent but not quite ready for prime time, sadly.
Note This review may contain spoilers, none of which I'm going to hide. Because I'm just a meanie beanie.
I honestly cannot remember the last time I read a work of genre fiction with no chapters breaks, something close to a stream of consciousness narration and such a collection of unlikable characters. In an odd way -- a very odd way -- think David Markson's Vanishing Point meets Charlie Huston's Sleepless, except that this wasn't as good as either. Nothing earth shattering about that, since both of those are pretty damn good.
What worked -- and worked extremely well -- was how the creatures from her alternate universe seemed fairly well grounded in their alternate biology, in a way even Lovecraft never bothered about. The infection vector (if that is the correct term) was also intriguing.
What did not work particularly well was the aforementioned narrative gimmick of no chapters, the shoving of the eponymous main character into the action in media res, and, hell, the three main characters themselves. They just never grabbed me, sorry. Eden followed Ron around because she'd always followed her around. Ron flopped from shit relationships to shit relationship because she'd always done that. Tedrin was transitioning into something out of Lovecraft or at any rate Deviant Art because, well, he was. Meh.
It was better than okay, but nothing I'd feel comfortable recommending on a wide basis. Yet I do think we will be hearing more from Ms. van Dahl in the future, and that this is more likely than not going to be a good thing. My sense is that author has yet to truly find her rhythm.
Summary: Decent but not quite ready for prime time, sadly.
Note This review may contain spoilers, none of which I'm going to hide. Because I'm just a meanie beanie.
I honestly cannot remember the last time I read a work of genre fiction with no chapters breaks, something close to a stream of consciousness narration and such a collection of unlikable characters. In an odd way -- a very odd way -- think David Markson's Vanishing Point meets Charlie Huston's Sleepless, except that this wasn't as good as either. Nothing earth shattering about that, since both of those are pretty damn good.
What worked -- and worked extremely well -- was how the creatures from her alternate universe seemed fairly well grounded in their alternate biology, in a way even Lovecraft never bothered about. The infection vector (if that is the correct term) was also intriguing.
What did not work particularly well was the aforementioned narrative gimmick of no chapters, the shoving of the eponymous main character into the action in media res, and, hell, the three main characters themselves. They just never grabbed me, sorry. Eden followed Ron around because she'd always followed her around. Ron flopped from shit relationships to shit relationship because she'd always done that. Tedrin was transitioning into something out of Lovecraft or at any rate Deviant Art because, well, he was. Meh.
It was better than okay, but nothing I'd feel comfortable recommending on a wide basis. Yet I do think we will be hearing more from Ms. van Dahl in the future, and that this is more likely than not going to be a good thing. My sense is that author has yet to truly find her rhythm.
January 1, 2016
I received a free audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
I'd actually give this book 3 1/2 stars. Eden Green is a sci-fi thrill ride with an interesting concept - a needle-like parasite infects the host and provides healing abilities, leading to what seems like immortality. The titular character, Eden Green, is infected against her will. She also discovers there are monsters lurking in her world. As a scientist, she's interested in what this all means and how to stop it.
The book is a compelling read. I was hooked immediately. There are influences from John Dies at the End, Harry Potter, Twilight, and Lord of the Rings. It's billed as a sci-fi/horror novel. I typically find horror novels to be somewhat campy, and this one is no different. Unfortunately it lost a bit of steam after the first few chapters. I found myself rolling my eyes at some oft-repeated phrases and themes and thinking, "Get on with it already!" The plot thinned out a bit and it felt repetitive in spots, and I wasn't in love with any of the characters. The pace picks up towards the end, however, in the culminating action scenes. Despite feeling a tad too long, I was still curious to see how it all wrapped up.
Listening to the book, there were a few times I was wishing I had a hard copy to refer to. More than a few times the author cuts thoughts off in the middle of sentences, which I found to be a bit distracting. I kept wondering if I'd enjoy the book more had I actually read it versus listened to it.
Another thing this book has going for it is that it's wholly contained within one novel - no long series to see what happens. Overall it was a solid freshman effort, and kudos to Fiona van Dahl.
I'd actually give this book 3 1/2 stars. Eden Green is a sci-fi thrill ride with an interesting concept - a needle-like parasite infects the host and provides healing abilities, leading to what seems like immortality. The titular character, Eden Green, is infected against her will. She also discovers there are monsters lurking in her world. As a scientist, she's interested in what this all means and how to stop it.
The book is a compelling read. I was hooked immediately. There are influences from John Dies at the End, Harry Potter, Twilight, and Lord of the Rings. It's billed as a sci-fi/horror novel. I typically find horror novels to be somewhat campy, and this one is no different. Unfortunately it lost a bit of steam after the first few chapters. I found myself rolling my eyes at some oft-repeated phrases and themes and thinking, "Get on with it already!" The plot thinned out a bit and it felt repetitive in spots, and I wasn't in love with any of the characters. The pace picks up towards the end, however, in the culminating action scenes. Despite feeling a tad too long, I was still curious to see how it all wrapped up.
Listening to the book, there were a few times I was wishing I had a hard copy to refer to. More than a few times the author cuts thoughts off in the middle of sentences, which I found to be a bit distracting. I kept wondering if I'd enjoy the book more had I actually read it versus listened to it.
Another thing this book has going for it is that it's wholly contained within one novel - no long series to see what happens. Overall it was a solid freshman effort, and kudos to Fiona van Dahl.
December 28, 2015
Do you like parasite-caused superpowers, monster fighting and complicated friendship coupled with a shotgun? Then you might like this one!
After breezing through the 220 pages in two days I must say, this one is a keeper.
The premise is simply: Some people discover they have super powers and soon they are embroiled in fierce battle with mysterious enemies, desperately trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that is the source of their superpowers. Okay, let me be honest here: You will not get epic fights against Kaijus, leveling whole cities while some evil menace tries to destroy the world. There are fights, don't you worry, and they are brutal, bloody and quite gruesome but this is not your usual superhero story.
While the plot itself is more about the protagonists trying to find out more about what is happening, the bleeding, pulsing, pumping heart of the story is the complicated friendship between two of the three protagonists. Unlike some TV shows, who take a telenovela plot, change the guy's profession from plastic surgeon to Starship Captain and call it 'Science Fiction with human drama', this book is far, far more cleverer.
In this story, the friendship is tightly interwoven with the plot - you won't get any situations where a fight is imminent only for one protagonist turn to the other and argue about who ate the last cookie and why is it so hard to clean up after taking a shower? Here, every beat in this story has its place presented in a steady rhythm.
The author wrote, that this book was the result of 10 years being a writer and it shows. If you need a quick, fun read, grab this one, it's worth it. Personally, I'm very interested in the author's next book.
After breezing through the 220 pages in two days I must say, this one is a keeper.
The premise is simply: Some people discover they have super powers and soon they are embroiled in fierce battle with mysterious enemies, desperately trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that is the source of their superpowers. Okay, let me be honest here: You will not get epic fights against Kaijus, leveling whole cities while some evil menace tries to destroy the world. There are fights, don't you worry, and they are brutal, bloody and quite gruesome but this is not your usual superhero story.
While the plot itself is more about the protagonists trying to find out more about what is happening, the bleeding, pulsing, pumping heart of the story is the complicated friendship between two of the three protagonists. Unlike some TV shows, who take a telenovela plot, change the guy's profession from plastic surgeon to Starship Captain and call it 'Science Fiction with human drama', this book is far, far more cleverer.
In this story, the friendship is tightly interwoven with the plot - you won't get any situations where a fight is imminent only for one protagonist turn to the other and argue about who ate the last cookie and why is it so hard to clean up after taking a shower? Here, every beat in this story has its place presented in a steady rhythm.
The author wrote, that this book was the result of 10 years being a writer and it shows. If you need a quick, fun read, grab this one, it's worth it. Personally, I'm very interested in the author's next book.
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