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This Calling Master
Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.
After the job market deposits recent college graduate Michael into a city far from his friends, his social life, and his girlfriend, an old hobby resurfaces to help occupy his time in his solitude. A hobby he calls urban exploration — the breaking into derelict buildings so he can view a past life untouched by historical renovations.
Hesitant yet determined to break life’s ennui, Michael hastily explores a newly discovered abandoned mansion and with great success. But an unexpected snowfall forces him to stay overnight.
Five men then arrive.
In the mansion Michael finds an illicit remedy to his humdrum life. With each passing day, he finds himself more and more drawn to it. It becomes the object of his fascination. But he knows what’s calling to him. Something different. Something he wishes not to acknowledge. Something deeper inside him.
After the job market deposits recent college graduate Michael into a city far from his friends, his social life, and his girlfriend, an old hobby resurfaces to help occupy his time in his solitude. A hobby he calls urban exploration — the breaking into derelict buildings so he can view a past life untouched by historical renovations.
Hesitant yet determined to break life’s ennui, Michael hastily explores a newly discovered abandoned mansion and with great success. But an unexpected snowfall forces him to stay overnight.
Five men then arrive.
In the mansion Michael finds an illicit remedy to his humdrum life. With each passing day, he finds himself more and more drawn to it. It becomes the object of his fascination. But he knows what’s calling to him. Something different. Something he wishes not to acknowledge. Something deeper inside him.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2016
22 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 29, 2017
Let me just sum up my experience of reading this book:
3% okay, urban exploration? Interesting. But why is this guy breaking into his own apartment?
8% alright, this is alright.
13% alright, this is kind of boring.
27% o….kay, what is this guy doing? Why would he possibly do something so stupid? What's in it for him?
34% WHAT.
51% so he goes to the doctor for his insomnia and “is suddenly experiencing visitations that transfer from his dreams to his waking life”. From what I gathered, he was just having bad dreams. And they weren't even the focus of the story. I am totally missing something here.
56% it's getting hopelessly boring :/ I do realize this is the guy's diary, but it's also a book, and what reader would be interested in this guy's ramblings about how he only ever wants to watch television? Or about the different sales divisions in his insurance company??
60% so is it trying to introduce paranormal, or mental illness? Either of the two seems unrelated to the entire book up to this point.
64% oh, okay… it was neither. Curious.
75% more corporate boredom that doesn't seem to be connected to the story… wait, what story?
77% a fleck of actual meaningful philosophy. Pleasant surprise.
84% I can finally sort of see where the book is going.
95% utterly depressing, but at least the plot finally happened.
100% well, the ending was alright.
So despite the ending being alright, you can probably see that the actual story happened somewhere between 70% and 95%. Needless to say, I don't feel most of the other pages were extremely necessary. Seems like others liked this book, but it was just not for me.
I have received this book in exchange to my honest review.
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3% okay, urban exploration? Interesting. But why is this guy breaking into his own apartment?
8% alright, this is alright.
13% alright, this is kind of boring.
27% o….kay, what is this guy doing? Why would he possibly do something so stupid? What's in it for him?
34% WHAT.
51% so he goes to the doctor for his insomnia and “is suddenly experiencing visitations that transfer from his dreams to his waking life”. From what I gathered, he was just having bad dreams. And they weren't even the focus of the story. I am totally missing something here.
56% it's getting hopelessly boring :/ I do realize this is the guy's diary, but it's also a book, and what reader would be interested in this guy's ramblings about how he only ever wants to watch television? Or about the different sales divisions in his insurance company??
60% so is it trying to introduce paranormal, or mental illness? Either of the two seems unrelated to the entire book up to this point.
64% oh, okay… it was neither. Curious.
75% more corporate boredom that doesn't seem to be connected to the story… wait, what story?
77% a fleck of actual meaningful philosophy. Pleasant surprise.
84% I can finally sort of see where the book is going.
95% utterly depressing, but at least the plot finally happened.
100% well, the ending was alright.
So despite the ending being alright, you can probably see that the actual story happened somewhere between 70% and 95%. Needless to say, I don't feel most of the other pages were extremely necessary. Seems like others liked this book, but it was just not for me.
I have received this book in exchange to my honest review.
Read Post On My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
December 1, 2016
Michael is alone, but he believes he has found the perfect hobby to occupy his time in his solitude. A hobby he calls urban exploration — the breaking into derelict buildings so he can vicariously experience a past life untouched by historical renovations.A new, promising candidate emerges — an abandoned mansion. Just days after discovering its existence, Michael reviews the exterior, forms a plan, and returns a few days later. The interior exploration is a great success—another notch in his urban explorer's belt—but his planning didn't account for an unexpected snowfall, which forces him to stay overnight in the mansion.
Five men arrive. One dies.
I found this book fairly interesting as my husband and I are into urbexing, although there aren't a great deal of places to do it where I live. I love it mostly for the photography because abandoned buildings are beautiful to photography. So, this book seemed interesting to me from the beginning, because the main character, Michael, also is into urban exploring as a hobby. During one of his urbexing trips into an abandoned mansion, he encounters several gang members and basically becomes absorbed in their life, although they are not really aware of his presence. He followed their crimes, watches them on the news and even tries to get in touch with them for several different reasons.
The story is written from the main characters perspective but through a series of journal entries. Although I found the story to be interesting, as mentioned above, I didn't find myself overly concerned about any of the characters because I didn't feel that the character development was that great. However, it was an interesting read and an interesting narration from the main character. Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book.
Five men arrive. One dies.
I found this book fairly interesting as my husband and I are into urbexing, although there aren't a great deal of places to do it where I live. I love it mostly for the photography because abandoned buildings are beautiful to photography. So, this book seemed interesting to me from the beginning, because the main character, Michael, also is into urban exploring as a hobby. During one of his urbexing trips into an abandoned mansion, he encounters several gang members and basically becomes absorbed in their life, although they are not really aware of his presence. He followed their crimes, watches them on the news and even tries to get in touch with them for several different reasons.
The story is written from the main characters perspective but through a series of journal entries. Although I found the story to be interesting, as mentioned above, I didn't find myself overly concerned about any of the characters because I didn't feel that the character development was that great. However, it was an interesting read and an interesting narration from the main character. Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book.
May 27, 2016
Michael has a hobby he calls urban exploration and it is basically breaking into abandoned buildings so he can explore the old buildings. He discovers a mansion and is exploring it when a snow storm forces him to spend the night in the building. Now there are other men in the building with him and he is an unwilling witness to their actions. Will his obsession with his hobby be the end of him and just what makes him so fascinated with his explorations of abandoned buildings that he would risk it all? What is missing from his life? I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
October 21, 2016
I received this book after winning a giveaway on LibraryThing website which came with a note from the author himself to write an honest review after reading it.
"This hobby consists of breaking into abandoned buildings for the pure enjoyment of viewing what was left behind irrespective of any future retrospect".
The story is about Michael, who takes Urban Exploration as a hobby, and then encounters gang members in an abandoned mansion and somehow becomes involved in their lives without them noticing at first. He follows their crimes on the news and tries to get in touch with one of the gang members hoping to know more about them just for curiosity, or maybe saving them, or one of them!
The events of the story are narrated through journal entries by the narrator himself, back when he was young. The events move slowly, you'll feel bored and not want to continue but then you'll get hooked to the story, especially after Michael makes contact with one of the gang members.
I felt that the characters lacked a lot of depth and feelings, I couldn't connect with them that much. But the at the end of the story we witness an act of vengeance from Michael for the death of someone he liked and that moved me a bit.
This was an ok read, it's worth your time if you're into twisted reads.
"This hobby consists of breaking into abandoned buildings for the pure enjoyment of viewing what was left behind irrespective of any future retrospect".
The story is about Michael, who takes Urban Exploration as a hobby, and then encounters gang members in an abandoned mansion and somehow becomes involved in their lives without them noticing at first. He follows their crimes on the news and tries to get in touch with one of the gang members hoping to know more about them just for curiosity, or maybe saving them, or one of them!
The events of the story are narrated through journal entries by the narrator himself, back when he was young. The events move slowly, you'll feel bored and not want to continue but then you'll get hooked to the story, especially after Michael makes contact with one of the gang members.
I felt that the characters lacked a lot of depth and feelings, I couldn't connect with them that much. But the at the end of the story we witness an act of vengeance from Michael for the death of someone he liked and that moved me a bit.
This was an ok read, it's worth your time if you're into twisted reads.
March 9, 2020
The story of an avenging insurance clerk made me laugh. The author quickly took me into the skewed world of a socially awkward, misfit-graduate trying to locate himself in a world he despises. I read it as a satirical novel that explores the world of a disturbed, morally ambigous (anti) hero. The narrator tells his story through his journal entries mostly concerning his nocturnal activities as a remedy to his stultifying life. His increasing secret admiration for Parker, an obnoxious work-mate, tells us much about the narator's declining mental state. Some of the sentence structure is annoying, in an attempt to vary the commonplace - into the room I came - type of thing. There were far too many 'I' led sentences that made some sections a little boring to read. But the story's climax thoroughly made up for this in its tight, visceral prose. For a first novel I found it engrossing, wry and very amusing. I would recommend it to those with a taste for dark wit. I look forward to the next novel by Steven Evans.
May 14, 2016
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Steven Evans!
This book wasn't what I was expecting. There is a creepy abandoned mansion where Michael, an urban explorer, gets stranded during a snowstorm, getting to witness the meeting of some “pseudo gangsters” (how he calls them) who are up to no good. There is a dark shadowy presence that prevents Michael from having a restful night's sleep. But this is not a ghost story, nor a crime novel. We are literally reading Michael's journal, so we really delve into his life, mind, nightmares and dreams. He is writing in the 80's and refers to the people who will read his diary in the future as "futurians," which I guess are all the readers. I found the parts where he talks about his job a little slow, but there are some philosophical discussions with his coworkers that were really profound. Some other passages made me want to strangle Michael: yes, his life is boring and empty but does he really have to put himself in danger for absolutely no reason? I guess if he were a more voracious reader, he would have had adventures vicariously through the stories of people just like himself. But then we would not have followed him in his exploits. That would have just been too sad.
This book wasn't what I was expecting. There is a creepy abandoned mansion where Michael, an urban explorer, gets stranded during a snowstorm, getting to witness the meeting of some “pseudo gangsters” (how he calls them) who are up to no good. There is a dark shadowy presence that prevents Michael from having a restful night's sleep. But this is not a ghost story, nor a crime novel. We are literally reading Michael's journal, so we really delve into his life, mind, nightmares and dreams. He is writing in the 80's and refers to the people who will read his diary in the future as "futurians," which I guess are all the readers. I found the parts where he talks about his job a little slow, but there are some philosophical discussions with his coworkers that were really profound. Some other passages made me want to strangle Michael: yes, his life is boring and empty but does he really have to put himself in danger for absolutely no reason? I guess if he were a more voracious reader, he would have had adventures vicariously through the stories of people just like himself. But then we would not have followed him in his exploits. That would have just been too sad.
May 27, 2016
What to say about this book. Well for 82% I genuinely thought about not finishing, something I rarely do but I couldn't find anyone to care about, especially the navel gazing narrator. But at the same time I could sense it was heading somewhere and so I stuck with it. I think a part of the problem is the people that Michael cares about the most are hardly in the book. And so when the event that finally centres his attention happens you don't feel his pain like you should not his anger. But his actions and the subsequent events make the slower moving parts worth reading. I really didn't get the whole sleeping issue, maybe I had lost focus, it didn't make sense to me. But on the whole apart from the authors habit of saying someone "shook their head yes" (I mean what's that about? Shaking head no, nodding head yes. It ain't rocket science) this is worth a read - it's an ok read and not overlong. However I think the marketing needs to be tweaked a bit as I was expecting something different, and I don't seem to be the only one to think this.
October 4, 2016
Michael has returned to St. Louis to destroy his old journal which told of his younger days in St. Louis. Bored and feeling desperate over the possibility of losing his girlfriend he begins urban exploring. While exploring the Bronbauer mansion he overhears a gang of petty thieves let one of their brothers die of a gunshot wound. Michael follows the gangs ever more violent crimes on the news and when a man he greatly admires is killed by the leader of the gang he gets his revenge on the much bigger man. Michael then erases all records of himself in St. Louis and moves to San Francisco where he starts a new life and eventually a family. Michael finds that he can not destroy the journal as he had originally planned to do to protect his family but takes it with him instead as a reminder that his early days did mean something. A moving story of loss and growing up, of the missed opportunity to stop a gang of thieves before they killed someone and the vicious revenge that one act created.
October 26, 2016
This is the diary of Michael [Name Redacted], an insurance salesman who takes up urban exploration as a hobby to get out of the doldrums. The suspense builds as he gets some uninvited interlopers, but after a while things settle down before building up to a surprising conclusion.
Free review copy.
Free review copy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews