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Siren of Depravity
Harry Keyes hasn’t seen his brother Dexter for over ten years, but during his daughter’s seventh birthday party, he gets an unexpected call claiming that Dex has found something which may change their dysfunctional family forever. Asking for Harry’s help to locate his mother, what is Dexter trying to achieve? Is it anything to do with the dark experiments he’d practiced as a boy? And will it really involve terrible entities rumored to occupy different underground parts of the country? So begins a chilling investigation into their childhoods, growing up in a rural village with a cruel father and possibly worse monsters. Harry learns about many terrible things, including kidnappings, torture, and attempts to summon undead creatures from the earth’s ancient past. And all that’s needed to waken them is a siren…a siren of depravity.
- GenresHorrorLovecraftian
260 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 6, 2016
When Harry Keyes learns his brother was adopted and actually his half brother, he starts digging into his family's sordid past...
I got Siren of Deparvity from DarkFuse via Netgalley. Darkfuse ftagn! Since I'm a sucker for Lovecraft-flavored fiction and whatever DarkFuse puts out, this one was a no brainer.
Siren of Depravity is a dark tale of a man digging into things best left unearthed, both figuratively and literally. Harry Keys learns a family secret and tugs on that thread, unraveling the curtain his father put between his family and himself, revealing the rotting corpses and otherworldly horrors on the other side. It's part extreme horror, part Lovecraft, like The Girl Next Door with echoes of cosmic horror. Black magic, torture, rape, and buried alien evil are all on the menu.
The writing is pretty powerful, although Gary Fry uses the word 'furtive' like he had a fistful of coupons for it. Harry's a little on the thick side, always a a leap or behind of where I was in his investigation.
The rest of the characters are a little on the thin side, not much more than stock characters, although a tale like this doesn't really call for subtle characterization.The ending surpassed my expectations and actually made me shudder a couple times. As in most good horror, there is no happily ever after.
At its best, Gary Fry's Siren of Depravity reads like Jack Ketchum writing a Lovecraft pastiche. I mean that in the best ways. Three out of five stars.
I got Siren of Deparvity from DarkFuse via Netgalley. Darkfuse ftagn! Since I'm a sucker for Lovecraft-flavored fiction and whatever DarkFuse puts out, this one was a no brainer.
Siren of Depravity is a dark tale of a man digging into things best left unearthed, both figuratively and literally. Harry Keys learns a family secret and tugs on that thread, unraveling the curtain his father put between his family and himself, revealing the rotting corpses and otherworldly horrors on the other side. It's part extreme horror, part Lovecraft, like The Girl Next Door with echoes of cosmic horror. Black magic, torture, rape, and buried alien evil are all on the menu.
The writing is pretty powerful, although Gary Fry uses the word 'furtive' like he had a fistful of coupons for it. Harry's a little on the thick side, always a a leap or behind of where I was in his investigation.
The rest of the characters are a little on the thin side, not much more than stock characters, although a tale like this doesn't really call for subtle characterization.The ending surpassed my expectations and actually made me shudder a couple times. As in most good horror, there is no happily ever after.
At its best, Gary Fry's Siren of Depravity reads like Jack Ketchum writing a Lovecraft pastiche. I mean that in the best ways. Three out of five stars.
November 14, 2016
This is book seven of books I have read by Gary Fry. Gary has been kind of hit and miss with me at times. If you know what I mean. With Lurkers and Conjure House it was hit. But with Savage it was miss. Not that I didn't like reading all his books, which I have. Like this book, the beginning was slow and a little boring at times. This made it a little hard for me to keep reading. Once I got further into the story I didn't have that problem. I started to get into the story. I've always enjoyed a Lovecraft type story which this was. I just wish the first half of the story was as good as the second half of the story. If I was to rate it only on the second half it would get 4 stars. But sadly one half does not make a whole. So I have to give Siren Of Depravity 3 stars.
I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.
I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2016
THE SIREN OF DEPRAVITY, by Gary Fry, is a difficult book for me to review, as a whole. The first half of the book I found rather "dry" as the main character, Harry Keyes, is a stuffy, academic man who has a tendency to restate his thoughts and observations multiple times. I also felt that quite a bit of the more mundane day-to-day activities didn't need to be stated in such detail, and others could easily have been omitted altogether without losing anything crucial to the plot. The set-up established that although Harry and his estranged brother, Dex, had endured a less-than-happy childhood with their violent, degrading father and long-suffering mother, Harry was now happily married with a young daughter, Eva.
When Dex calls out of the blue, requesting to see Harry, the story slowly begins to move forward.
The majority of the characters didn't feel like they had any real depth to them, but I honestly don't believe that they needed to when the subject matter was clearly the main focus. Aside from Harry--who I really couldn't connect with simply because of his mannerisms--the rest felt like they were there solely for the purpose of advancing the plot.
Despite Harry's too-academic personality, the second half of the book had a much more engaging storyline, and the reading of this practically flew by for me. Part Lovecraftian, part human brutality and torture, this section felt truly unique; I was captivated and continuously surprised by events all the way to the end.
". . . what the mind doesn't understand, it supplements . . . seeking the kind of compete knowledge that allows us to cope with life . . ."
Although I felt it had a weak start (2-stars), the second half more than made up for what the first was lacking (4-stars). I'm going with an overall rating of 3-stars.
*I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
When Dex calls out of the blue, requesting to see Harry, the story slowly begins to move forward.
The majority of the characters didn't feel like they had any real depth to them, but I honestly don't believe that they needed to when the subject matter was clearly the main focus. Aside from Harry--who I really couldn't connect with simply because of his mannerisms--the rest felt like they were there solely for the purpose of advancing the plot.
Despite Harry's too-academic personality, the second half of the book had a much more engaging storyline, and the reading of this practically flew by for me. Part Lovecraftian, part human brutality and torture, this section felt truly unique; I was captivated and continuously surprised by events all the way to the end.
". . . what the mind doesn't understand, it supplements . . . seeking the kind of compete knowledge that allows us to cope with life . . ."
Although I felt it had a weak start (2-stars), the second half more than made up for what the first was lacking (4-stars). I'm going with an overall rating of 3-stars.
*I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
November 29, 2016
Warnings for animal violence, sexual violence.
The writing here isn't very good (it's simplistic and repetitive); the narrator's first-person voice is annoying (he's a stuffy intellectual, or so he thinks, so that's the reason), and the majority of this book is a huge info dump.
But I'm still giving it 3 stars (I liked the book) because I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. No spoilers but I was actually spooked a time or two reading, and this genre of horror is one of my favorites. A fun, fast read if you enjoy horror novels.
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
The writing here isn't very good (it's simplistic and repetitive); the narrator's first-person voice is annoying (he's a stuffy intellectual, or so he thinks, so that's the reason), and the majority of this book is a huge info dump.
But I'm still giving it 3 stars (I liked the book) because I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. No spoilers but I was actually spooked a time or two reading, and this genre of horror is one of my favorites. A fun, fast read if you enjoy horror novels.
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
October 16, 2016
Siren of Depravity is a pretty good Lovecraftian tale of a man’s quest to uncover the dark beasties that lurk in his past. There are many and Harry must weed thru his childhood recollections to find out the true from the false. Some secrets are better left buried.
The first half of this one moves pretty slow and is dry in parts. It’s funny because it really picks up at the end and has plenty of action and horror nasties. I don’t mind slow burn reads, but this one was almost like night and day and read a bit like two different authors penned it as a collaboration rather than a single author work. Not necessarily a bad thing, but did throw me off a little. Overall, I thought it was a good tale that could have used a kick start in the beginning to engage the characters (and the reader) sooner.
*As a member of the DRG DarkFuse readers club, I received an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
The first half of this one moves pretty slow and is dry in parts. It’s funny because it really picks up at the end and has plenty of action and horror nasties. I don’t mind slow burn reads, but this one was almost like night and day and read a bit like two different authors penned it as a collaboration rather than a single author work. Not necessarily a bad thing, but did throw me off a little. Overall, I thought it was a good tale that could have used a kick start in the beginning to engage the characters (and the reader) sooner.
*As a member of the DRG DarkFuse readers club, I received an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2016
Let me get this out of the way here at the outset - the first half of this novel is about as boring as can be. The second half, once the plot starts snapping into focus, makes up for the tedium and left me pretty well satisfied.
Siren of Depravity is a book about familial secrets, abuse, torture, and Lovecraftian creatures of sex and destruction. For the most part, this is pretty good stuff, and after a rather lengthy and laborious build-up, author Gary Fry manages to inject a pretty high creep factor and plenty of disquieting grotesqueness.
My main issue comes down to one of pacing and an odd fixation on describing modern technology as if it were something new and alien to most readers. In 2016, I'd think it's pretty safe to say that the majority of readers are familiar with things like e-mail and text messaging. Rather than let readers know that central character Harry Keyes has an e-mail, our first person narrator via Fry, must always let us know that he has to open up a connection to the Internet, log into his e-mail account, and discover by way of modern technology that, lo and behold, he has an e-mail! When he receives a text, rather than simply say, "I got a text," Keyes tells us he receives a text, not an e-mail, because he would have to be logged into his e-mail account on his phone to receive an e-mail there, and since he wasn't logged in, it could not have been e-mail, and thus it was a text. I can't help but wonder if this book was written a the turn of the century when text messages were less ubiquitous than now and given a soft update for the years and character's ages. Either that, or it was an issue of Fry hitting a specific word count. This type of stuff could have been left out and quickened the pace considerably.
As far as the book's first half goes, while dull, there's actually a lot of stuff in there that pays off tremendously in the second half. Fry must have outlined the heck out of this work, and, techie issues aside, there's a thoughtfulness to the story's execution that I respect and admire. While I trudged through a lot of those early details about Keyes and his family life demanding that Fry just get on with it already, the vast majority of it feeds into what comes later with a sort of inevitability, and it's really impressive to see all the various story threads come together in the climax. Details that initially felt small and somewhat meandering take on supreme significance and a much broader scope by book's end.
Siren of Depravity is a book that starts off tiny and meek, but builds up a wonderful sense of dread as it progresses toward a big finish. Still, I would have liked a bit more impetus in the first half, which read a little too dry for my tastes.
[Note: I am a member of the DarkFuse Readers Group and received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher for review via NetGalley.]
Siren of Depravity is a book about familial secrets, abuse, torture, and Lovecraftian creatures of sex and destruction. For the most part, this is pretty good stuff, and after a rather lengthy and laborious build-up, author Gary Fry manages to inject a pretty high creep factor and plenty of disquieting grotesqueness.
My main issue comes down to one of pacing and an odd fixation on describing modern technology as if it were something new and alien to most readers. In 2016, I'd think it's pretty safe to say that the majority of readers are familiar with things like e-mail and text messaging. Rather than let readers know that central character Harry Keyes has an e-mail, our first person narrator via Fry, must always let us know that he has to open up a connection to the Internet, log into his e-mail account, and discover by way of modern technology that, lo and behold, he has an e-mail! When he receives a text, rather than simply say, "I got a text," Keyes tells us he receives a text, not an e-mail, because he would have to be logged into his e-mail account on his phone to receive an e-mail there, and since he wasn't logged in, it could not have been e-mail, and thus it was a text. I can't help but wonder if this book was written a the turn of the century when text messages were less ubiquitous than now and given a soft update for the years and character's ages. Either that, or it was an issue of Fry hitting a specific word count. This type of stuff could have been left out and quickened the pace considerably.
As far as the book's first half goes, while dull, there's actually a lot of stuff in there that pays off tremendously in the second half. Fry must have outlined the heck out of this work, and, techie issues aside, there's a thoughtfulness to the story's execution that I respect and admire. While I trudged through a lot of those early details about Keyes and his family life demanding that Fry just get on with it already, the vast majority of it feeds into what comes later with a sort of inevitability, and it's really impressive to see all the various story threads come together in the climax. Details that initially felt small and somewhat meandering take on supreme significance and a much broader scope by book's end.
Siren of Depravity is a book that starts off tiny and meek, but builds up a wonderful sense of dread as it progresses toward a big finish. Still, I would have liked a bit more impetus in the first half, which read a little too dry for my tastes.
[Note: I am a member of the DarkFuse Readers Group and received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher for review via NetGalley.]
September 27, 2016
Review of SIREN OF DEPRAVITY by Gary Fry
British psychologist-academic Harry is a man who has it made--on the surface. A lovely and devoted wife, a musician and academic; an adorable and clever daughter, just turned seven; a firm bond with his widowed mother. But just as scratching a painting reveals the brushstrokes underneath, scratching Harry's surface reveals horrors with which he has never really come to grips--horrors which suddenly begin to surface, like dinosaurs scrambling from a tar pit.
Horror readers will delight at the dark shadows of masters such as Lovecraft and M. R. James hovering like black storm clouds above this tale, and more than a few nightmares will be engendered.
British psychologist-academic Harry is a man who has it made--on the surface. A lovely and devoted wife, a musician and academic; an adorable and clever daughter, just turned seven; a firm bond with his widowed mother. But just as scratching a painting reveals the brushstrokes underneath, scratching Harry's surface reveals horrors with which he has never really come to grips--horrors which suddenly begin to surface, like dinosaurs scrambling from a tar pit.
Horror readers will delight at the dark shadows of masters such as Lovecraft and M. R. James hovering like black storm clouds above this tale, and more than a few nightmares will be engendered.
October 4, 2016
Siren of Depravity is a strange combination of extreme horror and traditional early 20th century horror writing. When done correctly this kind of juxtaposition can be a lot of fun (see the recent works of Edward Lee). I didn't get the same kind of joy from Siren of Depravity.
The story is told in the first person, and Harry is so stuffy, stodgy, and stereotypically "British" that it seems like a put-on. I was convinced through the first portion of the book that this "stiff upper lip" attitude was a trick, and we would learn that our unreliable narrator was hiding something monstrous about himself. But no, Harry is just a bore. The characters of his wife and daughter don't go much beyond "kind of bitchy" and "treacle-y child."
The plot of Siren of Depravity is fun and done in a different way would make an exciting novel. Harry's old-time narration robs the story of most of the pleasure it could have provided. I did particularly liked the climax and aftermath however, which contain some great imagery.
Tastes vary, and some may really like this strange combination of story elements, but it didn't work for me. There are some good bits in Siren of Depravity, but not enough to recommend it. 2.5 stars.
The story is told in the first person, and Harry is so stuffy, stodgy, and stereotypically "British" that it seems like a put-on. I was convinced through the first portion of the book that this "stiff upper lip" attitude was a trick, and we would learn that our unreliable narrator was hiding something monstrous about himself. But no, Harry is just a bore. The characters of his wife and daughter don't go much beyond "kind of bitchy" and "treacle-y child."
The plot of Siren of Depravity is fun and done in a different way would make an exciting novel. Harry's old-time narration robs the story of most of the pleasure it could have provided. I did particularly liked the climax and aftermath however, which contain some great imagery.
Tastes vary, and some may really like this strange combination of story elements, but it didn't work for me. There are some good bits in Siren of Depravity, but not enough to recommend it. 2.5 stars.
November 11, 2016
I don't know If Lovecraft understood what a rich tableau he was creating with the Cthulhu Mythos when he first started putting his ideas to paper. Even in the 21th century, horror writers still find new things to add and embellish to the Lovecraftian universe.
Gary Fry is one of the newer writers in the ever-growing Lovecraftian Circle, so to speak. Almost all of the books he has written have clear Lovecraftian elements if not thoroughly entrenched. Siren of Depravity is full blown Mythos with the Old Ones threatening to emerge into reality. Harry Keyes, a college professor with a wife and daughter gets a phone call from his estranged brother Dexter. His brother always seemed a bit off in some very disturbing ways and some of it starts to make sense when he tell harry why he wanted to see him. it also helps Harry understand their abusive father and why his father focused that abuse more on Dexter than Harry, the older brother. Harry goes on a quest for the truth and the terrors that accompany that truth are not far behind.
Nothing supernatural or Lovecraftian shows up until about a third into the book. The author spends that time giving us a portrayal on Harry and his family that set up the tensions. This is what makes Siren of Depravity his best novel to date. It is as much as a family drama as a horror novel and Fry has melded both together quite well. Again we see quite a bit of influence from fellow Lovecraftian writer and Britisher Ramsey Campbell. This blending of suburban domesticity and academia is noted in Fry's other works but it really stands out here. When we do discover the "skeletons" in the Keyes family, they are revealed to us a little at a time to let the terror build up. The end is quite powerful but it is also open-ended enough to take the fear and the angst with us.
As stated, this is so far the best of quite a few novels I have read by the author. It has one of the nicest build-ups I've read in this genre and has elements of true terror. Some of it involves themes of physical and sexual abuse that may be uncomfortable to some readers but are far from gratuitous. For those looking for good horror, Lovecraftian or not, this gets a high recommendation.
Gary Fry is one of the newer writers in the ever-growing Lovecraftian Circle, so to speak. Almost all of the books he has written have clear Lovecraftian elements if not thoroughly entrenched. Siren of Depravity is full blown Mythos with the Old Ones threatening to emerge into reality. Harry Keyes, a college professor with a wife and daughter gets a phone call from his estranged brother Dexter. His brother always seemed a bit off in some very disturbing ways and some of it starts to make sense when he tell harry why he wanted to see him. it also helps Harry understand their abusive father and why his father focused that abuse more on Dexter than Harry, the older brother. Harry goes on a quest for the truth and the terrors that accompany that truth are not far behind.
Nothing supernatural or Lovecraftian shows up until about a third into the book. The author spends that time giving us a portrayal on Harry and his family that set up the tensions. This is what makes Siren of Depravity his best novel to date. It is as much as a family drama as a horror novel and Fry has melded both together quite well. Again we see quite a bit of influence from fellow Lovecraftian writer and Britisher Ramsey Campbell. This blending of suburban domesticity and academia is noted in Fry's other works but it really stands out here. When we do discover the "skeletons" in the Keyes family, they are revealed to us a little at a time to let the terror build up. The end is quite powerful but it is also open-ended enough to take the fear and the angst with us.
As stated, this is so far the best of quite a few novels I have read by the author. It has one of the nicest build-ups I've read in this genre and has elements of true terror. Some of it involves themes of physical and sexual abuse that may be uncomfortable to some readers but are far from gratuitous. For those looking for good horror, Lovecraftian or not, this gets a high recommendation.
October 31, 2016
Gary Fry's writing always takes place around his native North East and interweaves good storytelling with frightening horror elements and outer worldly cosmic happenings.
Siren of Depravity introduces us to Harry Keyes, his wife Olivia and daughter Eva, but all is not normal in the Keyes Household. During his daughter's 7th birthday he receives a call from his brother Dexter who he last had contact with some 10 years ago. His brother requests help to locate his mother (not the same as Harry's mum) and this investigation will send Harry on a path of no return....a path of depravity and torture...a path that will see Harry come face to face with "ancient entities existing underground in the North York Moors".....and more especially...."the notion of occult practices, of creatures living under the earth in North Yorkshire, and of attempts to resummon such entities through dark practices."
An enjoyable and well paced story with a slow and well written introduction culminating and concluding in scenes of depravity, but never overdone and essential to the overall structure of the narrative. I think at heart this is a novel about the importance of family and how the destructive influence of an evil and abusive parent (Harry and Dexter's cruel father) can be used to intimidate and threaten.
Siren of Depravity introduces us to Harry Keyes, his wife Olivia and daughter Eva, but all is not normal in the Keyes Household. During his daughter's 7th birthday he receives a call from his brother Dexter who he last had contact with some 10 years ago. His brother requests help to locate his mother (not the same as Harry's mum) and this investigation will send Harry on a path of no return....a path of depravity and torture...a path that will see Harry come face to face with "ancient entities existing underground in the North York Moors".....and more especially...."the notion of occult practices, of creatures living under the earth in North Yorkshire, and of attempts to resummon such entities through dark practices."
An enjoyable and well paced story with a slow and well written introduction culminating and concluding in scenes of depravity, but never overdone and essential to the overall structure of the narrative. I think at heart this is a novel about the importance of family and how the destructive influence of an evil and abusive parent (Harry and Dexter's cruel father) can be used to intimidate and threaten.
November 12, 2016
I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Darkfuse, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I hope this one isn’t too honest.
I have read several of Mr. Fry’s books through Darkfuse and can say that I have liked several of them. I especially enjoyed “Lurker,” “Emergence,” and “The House of Canted Steps.” However, I did not like “Siren of Depravity” at all. I even disliked the title.
I found the whole novel, in my opinion, to be as overwrought as the title (which I hated) and the main character to be not believable, which hurt the whole story, obviously. Mr. Fry’s protagonists in several of his works suffer from some form of OCD that leads to over self analysis and over explanation, as if they are trying to educate or convince the reader or perhaps to justify their own actions. While it worked to some extent in “The House of Canted Steps”—mainly because there was a plot driven reason for the character being so driven to distraction, it really doesn’t work here at all.
It is especially a problem when you are trying to scare the reader. Distractions about how annoying the main character is does not help create suspense. I want to either love or perhaps even loathe the main character (the novels “Damage” or “A Debt to Pleasure” come to mind) but I don’t want to be tired of them.
I will continue to read Mr. Fry’s work and continue to recommend “Emergence” and “Lurker” to friends, but not “Siren of Depravity.”
I have read several of Mr. Fry’s books through Darkfuse and can say that I have liked several of them. I especially enjoyed “Lurker,” “Emergence,” and “The House of Canted Steps.” However, I did not like “Siren of Depravity” at all. I even disliked the title.
I found the whole novel, in my opinion, to be as overwrought as the title (which I hated) and the main character to be not believable, which hurt the whole story, obviously. Mr. Fry’s protagonists in several of his works suffer from some form of OCD that leads to over self analysis and over explanation, as if they are trying to educate or convince the reader or perhaps to justify their own actions. While it worked to some extent in “The House of Canted Steps”—mainly because there was a plot driven reason for the character being so driven to distraction, it really doesn’t work here at all.
It is especially a problem when you are trying to scare the reader. Distractions about how annoying the main character is does not help create suspense. I want to either love or perhaps even loathe the main character (the novels “Damage” or “A Debt to Pleasure” come to mind) but I don’t want to be tired of them.
I will continue to read Mr. Fry’s work and continue to recommend “Emergence” and “Lurker” to friends, but not “Siren of Depravity.”
December 6, 2016
Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Fry is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the modern horror field!
I like psychological horror, but I also like Lovecraftian abominations, and luckily for me this novel delivered both in spades. So hurrah!
Highly recommended.
I like psychological horror, but I also like Lovecraftian abominations, and luckily for me this novel delivered both in spades. So hurrah!
Highly recommended.
January 3, 2018
The second half of this book is incredibly disturbing.
Want to read
February 8, 2017This hardcover copy of "Siren of Depravity" is copy 88 of 100 copies and is signed an numbered by Gary Fry.
February 21, 2017
The idea of a story about a dark, tormented, and dysfunctional family with Lovecraftian undertones is definitely something I'm interested in; however, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed at the execution.
Written in first person perspective, Siren of Depravity is narrated by the main character, Harry Keyes. Harry is anything but the perfect husband: he's cheated on his wife and has a habit of lying to her. His pride and joy is his little girl, Eva. Harry also has a brother, Dexter, who just found out that he's actually adopted: they have different mothers.Coming from abusive childhoods, the two are haunted by their monster of a father. While Harry grew up, married, and found a career, Dexter bought the family house from his parents and became a bit of a recluse, burying himself in necromantic studies. The other characters, including Harry's wife and child, are largely minor characters until the end and, while most of them are fairly flat and static, Eva appears to be the only one that undergoes any sort of change.
Upon discovering the nature of his maternity, Dexter calls his brother up on the telephone for the first time in ages, divulging to Harry that he has discovered something that he absolutely must show him. Naturally, Harry casts aside all reason to travel two hours to visit his brother and learn what he has discovered, despite knowing how dark Dexter's interests are. It is at this point that Siren of Depravity starts hinting at old and terrible creatures that are inspired by Lovecraft, suggesting that they are buried deep underground. Dumbfounded by the knowledge that Dexter has a different mother, Harry takes it upon himself to solve the mystery and thus readers are led on a journey filled to the brim with horror after horror, from necromancy to human experimentation, Fry doesn't hold back on the grisly details that define the Keyes family's past.
Though the book begins a bit slowly, the action is nonstop and picks up speed further along. Fry has a knack for painting gruesome images with his words; however, I feel that his writing style would be better suited in third person, rather than first. Harry's perspective seems to be a bit heavily diluted by his own personal regrets, and the constant mention of his affair and of being swatted with a newspaper by his father throughout the book really takes away from many of the scenes. What bothered me more than how repetitive these moments were, was the constant beginning of a sentence with the word "but." "But" is a conjunction, and as such is meant to connect two thoughts. Many of the instances in which it was used, the word could have been omitted entirely, which would have helped the flow of the story. Instead, it gives the book a bit of a jerky feeling. Hopefully this will be addressed before publication.
I would like to thank NetGalley, DarkFuse, and Gary Fry for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Written in first person perspective, Siren of Depravity is narrated by the main character, Harry Keyes. Harry is anything but the perfect husband: he's cheated on his wife and has a habit of lying to her. His pride and joy is his little girl, Eva. Harry also has a brother, Dexter, who just found out that he's actually adopted: they have different mothers.Coming from abusive childhoods, the two are haunted by their monster of a father. While Harry grew up, married, and found a career, Dexter bought the family house from his parents and became a bit of a recluse, burying himself in necromantic studies. The other characters, including Harry's wife and child, are largely minor characters until the end and, while most of them are fairly flat and static, Eva appears to be the only one that undergoes any sort of change.
Upon discovering the nature of his maternity, Dexter calls his brother up on the telephone for the first time in ages, divulging to Harry that he has discovered something that he absolutely must show him. Naturally, Harry casts aside all reason to travel two hours to visit his brother and learn what he has discovered, despite knowing how dark Dexter's interests are. It is at this point that Siren of Depravity starts hinting at old and terrible creatures that are inspired by Lovecraft, suggesting that they are buried deep underground. Dumbfounded by the knowledge that Dexter has a different mother, Harry takes it upon himself to solve the mystery and thus readers are led on a journey filled to the brim with horror after horror, from necromancy to human experimentation, Fry doesn't hold back on the grisly details that define the Keyes family's past.
Though the book begins a bit slowly, the action is nonstop and picks up speed further along. Fry has a knack for painting gruesome images with his words; however, I feel that his writing style would be better suited in third person, rather than first. Harry's perspective seems to be a bit heavily diluted by his own personal regrets, and the constant mention of his affair and of being swatted with a newspaper by his father throughout the book really takes away from many of the scenes. What bothered me more than how repetitive these moments were, was the constant beginning of a sentence with the word "but." "But" is a conjunction, and as such is meant to connect two thoughts. Many of the instances in which it was used, the word could have been omitted entirely, which would have helped the flow of the story. Instead, it gives the book a bit of a jerky feeling. Hopefully this will be addressed before publication.
I would like to thank NetGalley, DarkFuse, and Gary Fry for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
May 24, 2017
I’ve read a number of Gary Fry’s works and I think this is one of the best, if not the best, narratives he’s written. A number of reviewers draw comparisons to Lovecraft. I can’t comment on the accuracy of this. I’ve read only one Lovecraft tale and didn’t like it at all. Siren of Depravity, though, is one mind-blowing read and I was hooked from the beginning. The tale is a slow burn, no doubt about it. But, this slow burn is insidious. There’s an icy chill just below the surface, and I found myself being propelled forward with the occasional nuggets of sheer creepiness that would appear in the story. Clues about the past of the characters are disclosed in a well-paced manner and the story-arc is unsettling and gruesome. The finale is pulse-pounding with a couple of jolts that I didn’t see coming. The characters are fully realized, even the secondary ones, which really enhances this well-told tale. A solid horror novel.
June 20, 2023
It was interesting for the most part but tedious to read.
November 21, 2016
Siren of Depravity is the new novel from Gary Fry and is published by Darkfuse. It’s been two years since his last novel, Severed, although in that time he’s written a number of high quality novellas and short stories. I’ve enjoyed all the novellas but often felt that the ideas and philosophical musings contained within would be better suited to a longer form, allowing them a little more breathing space, room to expand – or expound even.
So it was with much anticipation that I delved into this new novel. Depravity’s not really my thing (not since that damned restraining order anyway) but I knew that the novel would contain a whole new take on the subject matter, would engage the intellect as well as the emotions.
The story begins innocently enough, at the seventh birthday party of Eva, the daughter of the book’s narrator Harry Keyes. It’s a small, family affair with a few school friends, Harry’s mother and his wife Olivia. When Harry receives a phone call from his estranged brother Dexter, things begin to get a lot worse…
A visit to Dexter uncovers a shock revelation about the family and sets the wheels of the narrative of the novel firmly into motion. The meeting between the two brothers is a beautifully crafted scene, slowly introducing a sense of unease and themes which will develop throughout the course of the novel. Harry’s brother is presented as a frail, shadowy figure and come its conclusion, the reader is left with the impression that there is much more to his request for a visit from Harry, it’s more than apparent that Dexter is sinister.
So begins Harry’s investigations into the dark secrets of his family’s past, in particular that of his abusive father, long dead. I loved this first half of the book, felt the first person narrative worked extremely well, involving the reader in each of Harry’s new discoveries, uncovering revelations and clues.
The story Harry uncovers is, I have to say, incredibly dark – perhaps the darkest I’ve seen from Gary. His travels take him into the depths of Northumberland, somewhat eerily to the towns of Morpeth – just down the road from where I now live – and Crawcrook, just down the road from where I was born and raised. Man, that’s dark… Joking aside, the story is grim, more than fulfilling the promise of the novel’s title.
Given the investigative/revelatory nature of the story I shall say no more about the plot for fear of spoilers. What I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes Gary’s stories are really just devices for putting across his ideas and suffer slightly because of that but this is a proper narrative, gripping and thought-provoking. There are nods here to Stephen King’s Revival – acknowledged by the author – with its considerations of the similarities between science and, not so much religion in this case but certainly arcane beliefs and rituals but also, I felt to Pet Sematery. Yes, it’s that dark. Much of the really grim stuff is related second and even third-hand but this distancing does little to diminish the impact.
The plot is full of twists and misdirection. As more dark secrets are uncovered, you’ll find yourself doubting all of the characters, believing them pretty much capable of anything. Is Harry’s journalist contact all he says he is? What of his wife – will there be an Olivia Twist? In the pre-publicity for the book, mention was made of the twists in the tale but rather than distract from the reading experience, I felt this enhanced it. No gimmicks here though, the revelations aren’t simply for shock value (though many are shocking), all of them are integral to the plot and serve the narrative admirably.
I loved Siren of Depravity, in my humble opinion it’s one of the best things Gary has written – certainly his best novel. It’s dark, grim and pretty unrelenting but I do recommend you read it.
So it was with much anticipation that I delved into this new novel. Depravity’s not really my thing (not since that damned restraining order anyway) but I knew that the novel would contain a whole new take on the subject matter, would engage the intellect as well as the emotions.
The story begins innocently enough, at the seventh birthday party of Eva, the daughter of the book’s narrator Harry Keyes. It’s a small, family affair with a few school friends, Harry’s mother and his wife Olivia. When Harry receives a phone call from his estranged brother Dexter, things begin to get a lot worse…
A visit to Dexter uncovers a shock revelation about the family and sets the wheels of the narrative of the novel firmly into motion. The meeting between the two brothers is a beautifully crafted scene, slowly introducing a sense of unease and themes which will develop throughout the course of the novel. Harry’s brother is presented as a frail, shadowy figure and come its conclusion, the reader is left with the impression that there is much more to his request for a visit from Harry, it’s more than apparent that Dexter is sinister.
So begins Harry’s investigations into the dark secrets of his family’s past, in particular that of his abusive father, long dead. I loved this first half of the book, felt the first person narrative worked extremely well, involving the reader in each of Harry’s new discoveries, uncovering revelations and clues.
The story Harry uncovers is, I have to say, incredibly dark – perhaps the darkest I’ve seen from Gary. His travels take him into the depths of Northumberland, somewhat eerily to the towns of Morpeth – just down the road from where I now live – and Crawcrook, just down the road from where I was born and raised. Man, that’s dark… Joking aside, the story is grim, more than fulfilling the promise of the novel’s title.
Given the investigative/revelatory nature of the story I shall say no more about the plot for fear of spoilers. What I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes Gary’s stories are really just devices for putting across his ideas and suffer slightly because of that but this is a proper narrative, gripping and thought-provoking. There are nods here to Stephen King’s Revival – acknowledged by the author – with its considerations of the similarities between science and, not so much religion in this case but certainly arcane beliefs and rituals but also, I felt to Pet Sematery. Yes, it’s that dark. Much of the really grim stuff is related second and even third-hand but this distancing does little to diminish the impact.
The plot is full of twists and misdirection. As more dark secrets are uncovered, you’ll find yourself doubting all of the characters, believing them pretty much capable of anything. Is Harry’s journalist contact all he says he is? What of his wife – will there be an Olivia Twist? In the pre-publicity for the book, mention was made of the twists in the tale but rather than distract from the reading experience, I felt this enhanced it. No gimmicks here though, the revelations aren’t simply for shock value (though many are shocking), all of them are integral to the plot and serve the narrative admirably.
I loved Siren of Depravity, in my humble opinion it’s one of the best things Gary has written – certainly his best novel. It’s dark, grim and pretty unrelenting but I do recommend you read it.
December 1, 2016
Normally I absolutely love the titles Dark Fuse puts out. This one was ok, but really didn't thrill me. It's starts out slow and doesn't really pick up until you are almost done with the book.
Harry Keyes hasn't spoken to his brother in years. One day he gets a call out of the blue and decides to go see him (on Dexters request). Harry and his brother had a rough childhood, dealing with an abusive father. When Harry goes to see Dex, his brother spills that he found adoption papers that show his mother isn't really his mother, so now brother is now his half brother. Harry decides to do some digging and that's when things go from bad to worse. Without spoiling things, he finds some very disturbing things in his fathers past that explain some disturbing events from his childhood involving Dex. The more research he does the more disturbing things get, and then they just get weird.
I wanted to like this book, I really did, but with most of the book being a set up for the last 5% or so I just never really cared about the characters or what happened. Less exposition and more action would have made this a better read.
I received a copy from Dark Fuse and NetGalley as part of the Dark Fuse readers group in exchange for an honest review.
Harry Keyes hasn't spoken to his brother in years. One day he gets a call out of the blue and decides to go see him (on Dexters request). Harry and his brother had a rough childhood, dealing with an abusive father. When Harry goes to see Dex, his brother spills that he found adoption papers that show his mother isn't really his mother, so now brother is now his half brother. Harry decides to do some digging and that's when things go from bad to worse. Without spoiling things, he finds some very disturbing things in his fathers past that explain some disturbing events from his childhood involving Dex. The more research he does the more disturbing things get, and then they just get weird.
I wanted to like this book, I really did, but with most of the book being a set up for the last 5% or so I just never really cared about the characters or what happened. Less exposition and more action would have made this a better read.
I received a copy from Dark Fuse and NetGalley as part of the Dark Fuse readers group in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2016
I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.
After over 10 years with no contact, Harry Keyes suddenly hears that his brother Dexter has found something that could change their family forever. This begins a chilling and thrilling adventure into depravity.
I highly recommend this book to fans of horror looking for a unique read. I found this one to be thrilling, full of adventure, and a true-page turner. I look forward to reading further books from this author.
After over 10 years with no contact, Harry Keyes suddenly hears that his brother Dexter has found something that could change their family forever. This begins a chilling and thrilling adventure into depravity.
I highly recommend this book to fans of horror looking for a unique read. I found this one to be thrilling, full of adventure, and a true-page turner. I look forward to reading further books from this author.
December 6, 2016
Simply the author's best novel to date. The acknowledged inspiration from Stephen King's Revival is evident, Fry has even nailed the way King has of really hooking the reader at the end of each chapter so you just have to go on to the next, but this is still very much a Gary Fry story with his Psychologist's touch all over this complex tale. To go into too much detail of the story would be to do potential reader's a disservice as the plethora of revelations and twists are best experienced with as little fore-knowledge as possible. Masterful.
November 13, 2016
Great premise, story dragged on and on
While I've enjoyed several of Gary Fry's previous offerings from DarkFuse (Severed and Mutator), Siren of Depravity just didn't do it for me. While I'm sure it wasn't the case but it seemed as if this was a story that the author was getting paid per word and consequently, it seems unnecessarily padded. A leaner, meaner story might have impressed me more.
While I've enjoyed several of Gary Fry's previous offerings from DarkFuse (Severed and Mutator), Siren of Depravity just didn't do it for me. While I'm sure it wasn't the case but it seemed as if this was a story that the author was getting paid per word and consequently, it seems unnecessarily padded. A leaner, meaner story might have impressed me more.
November 28, 2016
A very good mix of Lovecraft and extreme horror!
For a full review, please go to http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter @josenher
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