Mestlven: A Tale from Perilisc

Perilisc

by Jesse Teller

Revenge, Insanity, and the Bloody Diamonds


Meredith Mestlven was abused and betrayed by her nobleman husband. After a desperate fit of retaliation, she fled for her life and lost her sanity. Now nearly 20 years later, she returns to her home at Sorrow Watch to destroy her enemies and reclaim her jewels. How far will she go to satisfy her revenge? Dark, cunning and beautiful, Mestlven will win your heart or devour your mind.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy

330 pages, ebook

First published April 15, 2017

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ready to lurk on the dark, vile and vengeful side of life? Meredith Mestlven had no idea what kind of a nightmare her life would become until her husband, betrayed and brutalized her physically, mentally and emotionally. Perhaps revenge IS a dish best served cold, because after fleeing for her life, poor Meredith’s mind shattered. Now, twenty years later Sob has returned, warped, wicked and consumed with seeking the perfect recipes for revenge on all who wronged her. Her time is now, she is setting the monster free. She is totally chill, hardened and more than ready to make the world pay for the destruction of Meredith.

With young Emily as her protégé, she will shed blood, gore, humiliation and her own brand of paybacks throughout the town that is already well-versed in the obscene and cruel. Meet three characters that will make unlikely allies, a priestess, a wizard and a teenaged boy who leads a massive crime ring with an iron fist. Will Sob find the peace she seeks? Will a piece of her seek justice for all who still suffer the debasement she felt? No one knows what goes on in the mind of a madwoman.

MESTLVEN by Jesse Teller is NOT for the delicate of constitution. Prepare to enter a brittle and bloody world where evil reign’s supreme and no details are left unexposed as the butchery and mutilation, not to mention the torturous deaths are front and center. What would it take for YOU to leave your humanity behind to exact revenge? How far would YOU go to feel vindicated? Could you be as thorough as Sob? Would you risk your soul to avenge the person you once were? It takes a talented author to turn a crazed monster into a sympathetic being and I felt Sob's pain and understood her actions.

I received this copy from Jesse Teller in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Publication Date: April 15, 2017
Publisher: Jesse Teller
Genre: Dark Fantasy | Horror
Print Length: 330 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perilisc is the creation of Jesse Teller’s imagination, a fantasy world that has an ancient feel about it. It is brutal, sexual and very descriptive so if I have told you something that you are not easy with, this book isn’t for you
This story, set in Sorrow Watch, is one of ultimate revenge dished out by Meredith Mestlven. Twenty years ago Meredith had escaped her marriage to a brutal man that had crushed her physically and mentally, breaking her spirit, heart and mind. There was no doubt that he would have eventually killed her, he came to regret that he hadn’t because the loss she has had to deal with drove her passed the brink of insanity to something much darker. Her goal was to destroy him, his following and everyone that took part in crushing her life. It had taken 20 years but hate is what kept her heart beating and vengeance was her soul, strong, beautiful and now returning with a new name, Sob.
This is the first of Jesse Teller’s books that I have read and because the story is so full of action and had characters from previous stories I did wish that I had read the other books first, just so that I had more background on some of them. I would recommend that they are read in order to get the full impact of all the characters. There are a lot of people to get to know in this book but it is well worth persevering, it really is a brilliant story that comes together at the end. There are some pretty wicked people too, and I mean wicked like you really wouldn’t want to make eye contact with them wicked. Cruel and very dangerous.
I wouldn’t have thought that I could have got behind this vengeful crazy woman but the more you learn, the more you want her to have her pound of flesh. Is 20 years of hate enough though. She is what an evil man has made, not what she was born like but then throw in a touch of wizardry and the story becomes even more dark and twisted.
Some stories are good others come from the soul of the author and this is one is the latter. Jesse Teller is the creator not just of the characters but the entire essence of this world. You can’t read about it anywhere else it is unique but once your read about it you won’t ever forget.
I wish to thank the author for a copy of this book which I have honestly reviewed.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: MESTLVEN by Jesse Teller

MESTLVEN is grimdark epic fantasy, or in my categorizing, fantasy noir. Set in the author's created world Perilisc, it weaves neatly back and forth between present and past, relating the tale of a young woman, a mother, who undergoes grievous tragedies and is led astray. Meredith, once the wife of a well-to-do nobleman, instead mutates into a talented and seemingly invisible and invincible assassin. Internally, her psyche is all darkness, yet she can't retrieve the memories to explain why. Readers will become inextricably attached to many of these characters, vicariously suffering with them.

Caution: This is NOT your ancestors' Happily-Ever-After Fairy Tale.

I read a digital copy generously provided by the author, via Shut Up and Read Goodreads Group, at no cost. I chose to review MESTLVEN.

[Karola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebekah sent me the latest instalment of the Perilisc series (thanks!!) and again the book got me totally hooked and I couldn't put it down until I finished it (4 am in the morning....).Again it is pretty dark but it was like it was with the other Jesse Teller books I read... I was compelled to read it and could not put it down. Again it did leave me wishing for a better understanding of the characters. I didn't finish it with that contented sigh you get when you read a really good book/series or that impulse to read it again quickly so you can just get every little bit you might have missed. It was more like ... now what!? What about Donnie? Bertaal? Emily? Sai??? Saykobar????

Sob is insane so she is kind of easy to understand... she suffered terrible, made her herself into a weapon (not sure when this happened if it's in one of the books I haven't read yet...? Would have been interesting to see how she got to be this mad assassin) is set on revenge and she gets it! The whole things with The Pale and Mort I just didn't quite get.. Was that needed in the story?? I would have like to get to know Donnie better, also more on Emily and of course Bertaal! He was quite intriguing too. But like in the other books there are just some characters who are very interesting but their motives and backgrounds are not enough explained for me to really make sense of them. Maybe if there were less characters but spend more time on those it would be better?

I was thinking a long time on the rating but I have to say I still cannot really give it a 4 star because although it got me hooked it didn't leave me satisfied. Hope that makes sense....

[M.L. Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mestlven. I’ve avoided writing this review. For months, I wasn’t really able to put what I felt about this book into words. I’ll try. I have no idea if I’ll succeed.
First, I’ll put it right out there: I had to read this book twice to “get it.” The first time, I didn’t take it seriously enough. I read it like I would any novel that slips into my hand for entertainment. I skimmed through the pages and, by the end, put it down with a cold shiver and a “Hmph. Interesting.” Mestlven was unlike any fantasy book I’d ever read before, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I wasn’t ready for it.
But something about the book continued to gnaw at me, so I went and picked it up again.
Upon second read, I figured out both why I was so disturbed the first time through and why the story had lingered with me long after I’d put the book down. You see, art is supposed to provoke strong emotions, and it doesn’t always have to be positive emotion. That’s what this book did to me: it provoked a very negative emotional response. Not because it was poorly written. Not because I didn’t like the characters, the setting, the plot, or anything in between. Rather, the book simply did its job, and did it very effectively.
Let me break it down.
First, a quick overview: Jesse Teller doesn’t wright pretty, fluffy books. This particular book is about Meredeth Mestlven, a noble lady who was toppled from her secure life and brutalized into insanity (it is worth noting that most of the city’s peerage contributed significantly to said brutalization). After killing her husband, she escapes to live an alternate life for a while, buffered by comforting layers of insanity that allow her to forget her own heinous deeds. But then she returns to the city that was her home. Now calling herself Sob, she returns to her old haunts and begins to exact very creative and ruthless revenge.
This book is not an easy read and certainly not for the faint of heart. The protagonist Meredeth—I will not call her a heroine, for she is not; I’m not entirely sure I can even call her an anti-heroine—is a character so despicable in her deeds that it is hard to care about her at all. Her past is tragic and atrocious, and normally that would make her a sympathetic character. But Meredeth is equally atrocious, in the way she has a knack of viciously murdering every character in the book truly worthy of the reader’s sympathy. For, in her insanity, Meredeth sees even potential allies as foes deserving of vengeance.
Now let’s get to the part where I believe the book shines, and outshines many others in this genre. Jesse Teller is more than a storyteller. Teller is an artist. This book elicits powerful emotions on the full range of the spectrum. From intense feelings of hope to intense feelings of horror and revulsion. Teller holds nothing back. Nothing. Every time I think “No…he’s not going to go there…”
He does. Every time.
And then far surpasses my fears.
His treatment of the psychology going on behind Meredeth’s behavior is handled expertly, and that’s an accomplishment in itself. While its painful to watch, each creatively ruthless murder is the natural and believable result of her deranged logic. It’s like reading an early Steven King novel—you can see it coming. Dread it’s coming. And when it does come, it is still horrifically shocking. The difference is, while King’s climaxes wax toward creepy and spooky, Teller’s climaxes deliver a gut-punch of disgust and revulsion. Each successive act Meredith commits is infinitely more disturbing than the last. And yet, like any true piece of art, Teller’s work provides a commentary into the complexities of human nature.
Mestlven is unlike any other fantasy I have ever read, and I’ve read some dark stuff. I think the difference is, most works of grimdark fiction only dip periodically into the depths Teller’s characters exist in permanently. Mestleven will not be for everyone. It will appeal to the type of reader who is eager for something different and edgy. Someone with a strong stomach who is not easily offended. Someone who enjoys a strong emotional response to their fiction and loves having their dread realized.

[J.L. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thanks to his previous works, Chaste and Liefdom, I was well acquainted with Jesse Teller's style and mode of storytelling.

It's evocative and sinister, to say the least.
Mestlven was no exception.


First off, the story involves characters from the previous works I mentioned. Personally, it helped to read them to get an understanding of who was who and—in some cases—why they were the way they are. However, I didn’t feel I would have been lost or any less in tune with the account if I hadn’t.

You get some new characters and—if you read the other books—you’ll get old ones, one of which is Meredith also known as Sob, the woman calls Mestlven, the soiled den of degeneracy, home.

In effect, she is an assassin on the mental brink and you get to see her somewhat understandable motives for choosing such a line of work.



I feel that this story gives you more of her and her past, which I loved. The perceived villains always intrigue me. No one is “bad” for no reason.

Jesse Teller creates a world here in which you are in the action and gaining knowledge of characters’ motives and development on the go, giving the reader a sense of the person’s actions, thoughts, and the like under various circumstances, often under intentional or inadvertent durress.


The pacing of the story is just right, never moving too slow in one place or rushing elsewhere.
On top of that, Sob and the other characters—whether you love them, hate them, identify with them, etc.—are believable and vast in personality.

Overall, this was a twistedly marvelous ride that sent my heart up, down, and to ultimate shattering so if you're a fan of dark fantasy, thrillers, or if you're just looking for that perfect read for the Halloween season, this is worth it.

5 stars!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog.

There’s a scene right at the beginning of this one, that despite the darkness I knew I was about to get all up in, made me smile. There’s a festival to the goddess of death in Mestlven, and part of that is The Grim, who is the avatar of The Pale (the aforementioned death goddess) riding into town. On a giant white horse. This event is told from the POV of a character named Mort, as well. Of course, it then goes on to visit the avatars of all the horrible disease gods who are also here for the party who are missing skin or otherwise gross in some way. Because of course it did. But, I enjoy a nod to Discworld all the same. Was it on purpose? Who cares!~

This story appears to be a sequel to the events in Chaste, which makes me glad I read that one first. This story follows Sob, who is really Meredith Mestlven, the former wife of the former Lord of the town of Mestlven, until some insane shit went down and subsequently turned her into… well, what she is now. Mostly insane, and totes down with killing literally everyone.

This book is dark. And I mean that as like… darker than most books I would call dark. All kinds of shit happens or is implied as having happened in this book that is just… horrible. Rape, murder, using a paralytic poison on a toddler whilst kidnapping them, more murder, bit more rape, stabbing, stabbbbbbiiing, poisoning a dude and then fucking him to death, torture, plague fucking…. AND MORE! I was expecting these sorts of things (okay, maybe not all of those things, because goddamn), because just… if the books I have read are any indications… nothing good ever happens in Perilisc. It’s like Westeros on fucking crack. I mean… there’s a lot of actually consensual fucking in this one too… but either way, FYI probably don’t really read this if you aren’t prepared for grim with some fucking grim mixins, with grim sprinkles on top in a grim waffle cone. This book is about an abused woman gone batshit insane who goes on a fucking crazy rampage on everything and everyone that she perceives has ever wronged her in any way. So… I mean… yeah. Stabbity fucking stab and what have you.

That all said though, this is a really well written book. The prose is quite lovely and while it is often used to describe horrific things, it makes them seem… more captivating to read about than you’d think sometimes, and just that alone made it often hard to put down. This story switches POVs every now and then to other characters, and it’s a really good way of seeing the story, and especially seeing Sob from more than one perspective. This is a story is, as I said, more or less about a woman driven insane, who is having flashbacks to the trauma that drove her thus while doing her best to get her revenge on everyone involved in any way. Sob is mad AF but doesn’t always seem it. It’s very subtle sometimes, but oh my, it’s there.

The pacing was nice, it wasn’t really ever boring. I did like some of the other characters, like the mage, Saykobar, and like Sai, who was, like Sob, a recurring character. I especially liked Emily and Donnie. They and their entire subplot were unexpected but very enjoyed. I still think that much like its predecessor, some over-the-top stuff was added in for the sheer shock value at times, but all told it was a really good read all the same, with a really satisfying conclusion. I had a hard time getting into it right out of the gate because even right at first it’s a bit shocking, but once you really get to the meat of the thing, it’s a pretty damn good story.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this free via the author.

MINOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW

I enjoyed this novel far more than I expected to and feel quite grateful I have had the opportunity to read this as it's something I doubt I would ever have picked up through my normal book reading channels.

I can't help wonder if the author has spent some part of their life watching a lot of those rape revenge movies of the 1970's. I couldn't help but think there were shades of 'I Spit On Your Grave' or 'Last House On The Left', or even more modern homages like 'Kill Bill'. For me, this is dark fantasy and a grubby rape revenge movie set in a fantasy world.

That sounds quite a damning indictment but actually I think it is important the reader knows what they are letting themselves in for. This is a very gritty, gory book that deals with very adult themes. There is blood thirsty violence on every page.

The central character Meredith, also known as Sob or The Jewelled Lady is an exceptionally proficient killing machine. She also suffers from severe mental illness as a result of the significant trauma that she had suffered earlier in her life.

Meredith is returning to the city of Mestlven after a period of 20 years to wreak revenge on those who had wronged her earlier in her life. I loved the character of Meredith, I felt exceptionally sad for her and squealed with (quite worrying delight) when she exacts her revenge. The book is quite challenging in places, not only due to the subject matter but also much of the book is written from Meredith's perspective and one is often unsure what is past, what is present, what is imagined. Meredith is quite an unreliable narrator. At times I thought it was because the author could direct the reader better and be tighter, at other times I thought it was because the author had brilliantly captured her madness - the disconcerting feeling I had made the book better. It can be quite hard to write mental illness and post traumatic stress disorder and whilst this book may not be a 'sensitive' treatment it is certainly an effective one.

The supporting characters are also quite well drawn and captured. The opening chapter of the book is brilliant as we are introduced to a follower of The Pale, a goddess of Death. Mort is brilliant, she's mysterious, is quite the 'death god ninja' and isn't all that one dimensional considering the concept. I really liked the setting and flavour of the death goddess - indeed I was a little disappointed when I learnt Mort was a more supporting character.

The other important characters are Emily, a teenage woman who is Meredith's protégé, Saykobar - a powerful wizard steeped with cruelty and Donnie the Ego - a teenage crime boss. All of them are quite well crafted and have distinct personalities - they are not all particularly pleasant but all our quite fun to read.

The setting of the city of Mestlven is quite uncompromising - one wouldn't want to live there at all. It's quite a cruel place to live where life and humanity in general is cheap. The rich are powerful and the poor are downtrodden. Crime lords and wealthy men run everything, indeed Mestlven is a city run by men. Women are treated as punch bags and receptacles for rapists.

As the story unfolds and we learn more of Meredith's past and the major players in the cities violent revenge is exacted. Teller has quite a wicked imagination and whilst it is difficult to read I have to be honest I was cheering Meredith on - some of the scumbags deserved exactly what they got.

My minor complaint with how Meredith is portrayed is that I felt she was a little overpowered at dishing out violence - I haven't read the other books in the series so I don't know how she became so dangerous. I had to suspend quite a lot of disbelief but at the same time it didn't spoil my enjoyment as the book is still quite a lot of fun (if by fun you like a whole bunch of heroic bloodshed!) Of the twists in the novel I saw one coming a mile off, another was quite the shock.

The end of the novel doesn't exactly have a happy ending but does bring some closure, and is tinged with sadness.

I would recommend this novel - it's action packed, thrilling, has a sad, yet horrible story and will delight fans of grimdark and dark fantasy.

[Avid Bookivore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mestlven: A Tale from Perilisc is the fourth book in the series by Jesse Teller. It follows Sob, a jewel thief and deeply troubled assassin, through her journey of revenge.
Sob's main goal in this novel is to avenge the ones who were cruelly taken from her by getting rid of the cruel stench(vile people) from her hometown, Mestlven. Throughout this book, Teller weaves a story of heart-rendering sorrow, character complexity and a deep, deadly plot that shows off Sob's inner assassin with vivid accuracy.
This book is different from any I've read because it delves into the sorrow and insanity of the main character with an intensity and detail that a reader can't help but fall prey to empathy toward the main character. I liked that Teller captured my attention from the first sentence and made me want...no, need to know if Sob gets her revenge!
The plot, pace, character dialogue and settings were exact, precise and well thought out, leaving nothing to chance. My favorite characters are Sob(of course), Mort and Sai(even though they didn't see eye to eye).
I will definitely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy a dark and well-told fantasy. I cannot wait for the next book!

[Giselle]

REVIEW COPIES can be requested here [Closed]

[Rick Newland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sob is a sick, twisted, crazy bitch. But once I got to know her and her past I was cheering for her all the way. Another great Perilisc book that every grimdark fan should read.

[Hannah Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite book by Teller so far! This book had an unusual love story that was intertwined with the main plot that I really enjoyed.

[Rebekah Teller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has all the gritty, controversial elements of dark fantasy that I love. It's also full of intrigue and emotion. Three of the main characters are women and Teller is so talented at writing believable female characters. This story delves into how far revenge can go and what is left in its wake.

[Behind Closed Doors Book Review · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amount of sex 0.5 / 5
How explicit 1 / 5
Story 0.5 / 5
Overall: 0 / 5
Review: As a traveler to Mestlven, this was not a pleasurable trip for me. Mestlven: A Tale from Perilisc may have been my least favorite book ever. It is graphic and gory. It is perhaps designed for those who like the SAW movies (which even the trailers turn me off). I like horror, but I prefer my horror to be funny and campy such as True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural. This book has no humor that I found.
The writing was difficult to comb through at times, particularly in the beginning. The story is rich with many characters whose motives are unclear at times. However, because their motivation is unclear as they are frequently viewed through the lens of the main character Sob/Meredith, it is difficult to keep interest in them. It all makes sense, in the end, as you shift between Sob's descent into madness, Emily's efforts to serve Sob, and Mort's mission as a priestess for death. While the end does bring the story together that finally makes sense, wading through the blood (or rubies as Sob calls them) is far from worth it.
As far as a Behind Closed Doors book, besides being very dark and twisted, the minor amount of sex is just gross. One scene, Mort is doing her duty as a priestess for The Pale (aka death) and has sex with a man with bursting boils. Yuck.
I am not really sure the audience for this book, but I am sure it must be out there. It just wasn't me.
** Voluntarily reviewed from an advanced copy **

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a read that I have mixed feelings for.

Let’s start with the positives because there are definitely some. The author does a great job in portraying Meredith’s anguish and insanity throughout the piece. When she makes rash, harsh decisions, sometimes she is unable to handle it, and other times, she takes joy in them. Thus, creating a fairly complex character.

Another aspect the author did well with was capturing the dark fantasy aspect. This is not for the faint of heart. There are times, I cringed, gasped, and even closed my eyes. These scenes were ones where murder and/or torture happened. Then, there was a wizard, Saykobar, who used his magic to aid in the help of killing, which added nicely to the fantasy aspect.

The beginning was very captivating as the reader begins to understand the true horrors of Meredith’s life. However, toward the middle-end of the book was where my feelings became more jumbled.

To read the rest of my thoughts, check out my full review here: https://bookloverblogs.com/2017/05/16...

[Tony Duxbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took a while to get into. At first I thought this story was just being macabre for the sake of it, but I persevered and slowly a tale began to unfold. It is difficult to understand and chaotic in places, but I suppose that's because the main character is completely bonkers. She has been wronged and the world is about to pay for it. It is about betrayal, pain and vengeance. The cast of disreputable characters includes a goddess of death. A blood-splattered romp with lots of wild magic. I would recommend this only to hard core gore fans.

[DebbieReadsBooks]

very confusing!

[Dustin]

http://booknest.eu/reviews/number/1405