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A Tear in the Veil
When Felix Brewer finally gets the video camera he has been coveting, he discovers a button on the lens housing that isn’t in the manual. Once that button is pressed, the viewfinder shows him glimpses of a nightmarish world living in symbiosis with ours, and reveals his girlfriend, Audrey, to be a frightening creature; her face a burning mass of melting light and distortion. Seemingly alone in his visions, Felix relies on the support of strangers both dubious and intriguing to make sense of it all… and hopefully protect him from the dark creatures that want to brutally silence him. Has Felix discovered a disturbing world no one else can see or is he barreling toward a tragic end through a haze of inherited insanity? A TEAR in the VEIL – the stunning debut novel from Patrick Loveland.
421 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 5, 2017
I won this in a GOODREADS giveaway.
April 10, 2020
After rabidly devouring Patrick Loveland's 2020 short story collection Too Many Eyes, I was excited to dig into his debut novel, 2017's A Tear In the Veil. Too Many Eyes established Loveland as an inventive, capable writer possessed of a singular ability to mesh horror, science fiction and fantasy into a captivating read.
Loveland's writing moves at a brisk pace, and A Tear In the Veil made 400 pages feel like 80, though certainly not for lack of content. Every page is filled to bursting with surreal descriptions, action-filled sequences and humorous dialogue.
A Tear In the Veil concerns itself with the story of Felix, a young man in San Francisco who discovers the ability to perceive horrifying layers of reality floating atop our own, in a similar fashion as Lovecraft's "From Beyond." This introduces Felix to a wide cast of bizarre and mysterious characters, from sinister psychiatrists and gun-toting RV-dwellers to semi-translucent brutes and un-kill-able bombshells. Loveland plunges the reader into the extradimensional fray right alongside Felix, and at times we're left just as overwhelmed and confused.
Loveland has a background in screenwriting, and it shows. His style is heavy on allusions to other media, including film, music, fashion and pop culture. At times this can become a distraction: Loveland delivers painstaking descriptions of every outfit a character wears, every weapon wielded or car driven and every Portishead song playing in a store Felix passes through. Loveland's attention to detail is admirable, but I found myself wishing he or his editor had been a bit more judicious in passing out information. I understand the desire to absorb the reader in the world of the novel, but some of these more extraneous bits instead push the audience away, distancing the reader from what's important in each scene. Some plot elements and characters are introduced with an obvious sense of implicit importance only to go unused for much of the book. Felix’s aunt and uncle, for example, apparently possess some kind of knowledge pertaining to what’s really going on, but the reader is only given vague hints through phone calls before the story ends. A Tear In the Veil is meant to constitute the first installment of a planned trilogy, but I felt certain plot elements could have used further expansion.
Elsewhere, however, Loveland's history in screenwriting lends itself beautifully to sequences such as the surreal ending and imbues them with a definite cinematic quality; I could vividly picture even the most abstract moments. I found myself wishing more of the novel had been spent on such poetic descriptions of dreamlike events rather than prosaic lists of the guns Felix encounters.
Though at times its lack of clear focus lets it down, A Tear In the Veil offers much to love in its highly stylized blend of genres and fast pace. If Too Many Eyes is any indication, Loveland has grown significantly as a writer since the publication of his first novel, and if he can deliver the second installment of this series with the self-assured style of that collection, it's sure to be a winner.
Loveland's writing moves at a brisk pace, and A Tear In the Veil made 400 pages feel like 80, though certainly not for lack of content. Every page is filled to bursting with surreal descriptions, action-filled sequences and humorous dialogue.
A Tear In the Veil concerns itself with the story of Felix, a young man in San Francisco who discovers the ability to perceive horrifying layers of reality floating atop our own, in a similar fashion as Lovecraft's "From Beyond." This introduces Felix to a wide cast of bizarre and mysterious characters, from sinister psychiatrists and gun-toting RV-dwellers to semi-translucent brutes and un-kill-able bombshells. Loveland plunges the reader into the extradimensional fray right alongside Felix, and at times we're left just as overwhelmed and confused.
Loveland has a background in screenwriting, and it shows. His style is heavy on allusions to other media, including film, music, fashion and pop culture. At times this can become a distraction: Loveland delivers painstaking descriptions of every outfit a character wears, every weapon wielded or car driven and every Portishead song playing in a store Felix passes through. Loveland's attention to detail is admirable, but I found myself wishing he or his editor had been a bit more judicious in passing out information. I understand the desire to absorb the reader in the world of the novel, but some of these more extraneous bits instead push the audience away, distancing the reader from what's important in each scene. Some plot elements and characters are introduced with an obvious sense of implicit importance only to go unused for much of the book. Felix’s aunt and uncle, for example, apparently possess some kind of knowledge pertaining to what’s really going on, but the reader is only given vague hints through phone calls before the story ends. A Tear In the Veil is meant to constitute the first installment of a planned trilogy, but I felt certain plot elements could have used further expansion.
Elsewhere, however, Loveland's history in screenwriting lends itself beautifully to sequences such as the surreal ending and imbues them with a definite cinematic quality; I could vividly picture even the most abstract moments. I found myself wishing more of the novel had been spent on such poetic descriptions of dreamlike events rather than prosaic lists of the guns Felix encounters.
Though at times its lack of clear focus lets it down, A Tear In the Veil offers much to love in its highly stylized blend of genres and fast pace. If Too Many Eyes is any indication, Loveland has grown significantly as a writer since the publication of his first novel, and if he can deliver the second installment of this series with the self-assured style of that collection, it's sure to be a winner.
August 23, 2017
Loveland's debut novel is refreshingly genre-defying. An exquisite blend of cyberpunk, urban fantasy, and dark fiction, A TEAR IN THE VEIL takes us through the terrifying landscapes of Felix Brewer's psyche. We explore the hidden world and its disturbing creatures through his lens. The book is epic in scope, and Loveland's use of intricate detail and lush descriptions wholly immerse you in this story. His characters are intriguing and engaging, and there are several scenes that elicit raw emotion. Though this is a lengthy work, plot-twists and action keep it from becoming stale.This would make one hell of a film! I hope to read a sequel.
October 22, 2017
A pretty cool book, with some interesting ideas, saw in a few review quotes the likeness to elements of They Live, and it's accurate, though blended with a good five or six other concepts and ideas. This book is exposition heavy, a lot of time is spent on detailing locations, people and whatnot, I'm not a big lover of this, but I think the book probably wouldn't work as well as it did, if it was lessened. That said, there were sections which I felt myself skipping through, as it got a bit bogged down. The ending as well felt a little rushed. Having taken so long to set the pieces up, it felt like it was all over a bit too quick, and there were some weird strands that got introduced late on, that could have done with being explained a little earlier. But hey, this is small beans when you consider the ambitiousness with which Loveland sets his stall out. Definitely worth a read.
November 29, 2017
Lovecraft is one of my all-time favorite authors ever. So when I say this, it is only in the highest of respects. Loveland's and Loveland have more in common than a similar surname, and that is a brilliant mind for telling a story.
Patrick Loveland's debute novel, ATearInTheVeil is one of the most original, weird, and phenomenal novels that I have ever read.
It's that simple.
This book is filled with questions that make you ask, "What happens next?" I don't think it's possible to release a better debute book. I'd love to read a sequel, a trilogy, or even a novella of Felix, Grieves, and all the strangeness in between!
If what I've said above isn't clear, then let me be blunt, BUY AND READ THIS BOOK TODAY!
Patrick Loveland's debute novel, ATearInTheVeil is one of the most original, weird, and phenomenal novels that I have ever read.
It's that simple.
This book is filled with questions that make you ask, "What happens next?" I don't think it's possible to release a better debute book. I'd love to read a sequel, a trilogy, or even a novella of Felix, Grieves, and all the strangeness in between!
If what I've said above isn't clear, then let me be blunt, BUY AND READ THIS BOOK TODAY!
June 28, 2017
A Tear in the Veil is one hell of a wild ride. Felix really gets into some crazy shenanigans. Loveland really has a way with words. His use of modern slang and jargon had this old dude reaching for Urban Dictionary on more than one occasion. Attaching a genre label is pretty tough. Post-matrix, tech-forward, mystical, punk, psychofunkadelic, dark fiction probably does not do it justice. Love the descriptions of San Francisco Loveland gives us in this novel. I was taken back to trips and journeys I've had in the City years ago. One can tell that A Tear in the Veil is a labor of love and a solid first novel. I'm really looking forward to see what the talented Patrick Loveland publishes next. I'd be sure to read it.
June 30, 2017
A spectacular novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. And every time you start to think you have a grasp on what is happening things take a turn and the plot thickens. The novel brings you into a unique world full of beauty and horror; and the characters that occupy it are alluring and distinct. It is clear that a lot of thought and passion went it to creating this world and the characters within it. It reads quickly and does not leave you disappointed.
December 24, 2017
A fantastic and wonderfully weird debut novel from Patrick Loveland. Word to the wise, come to Tear in the Veil with the expectation of delving into a fully fleshed out world. I have never been to San Francisco, which is where the gut of the story takes place, but after reading this very detailed work of fiction, I believe a part of me has, that part between imagination and reality where worlds are created in our dreams. Also on the latter, Tear in the Veil reminds me a lot (at least on the amount of detail) of works by Tolkien or Lumley, though its probably best described as a combination of a lot of writers, including Lovecraft. That said, it was difficult to zone in on the authors voice, the perspective often felt blurred between narrator and character, but perhaps that was entirely intentional. Either way, Tear in the Veil is not a book you want to miss out on, but when you do decide to read, dedicate some time to it, enjoy it, go slow and get to know the characters and the world they inhabit.
July 30, 2017
Here's one thing I can say for sure. This is definitely not a book I will ever confuse with anything else. It reads like a great David Lynch film where, even when you aren't entirely sure what's going on, it's still really entertaining.
The use of description throughout here is fantastic and I think Loveland's experience in film really shines through. The experiences for this character in the book range from trippy to funny to terrifying. And it's all paced out in a tight flow that keeps the reader engaged.
I also appreciated Loveland's comfort level with the setting and it brought to mind the tone of Stephen King's books in terms of the state of Maine. I have never been to San Francisco myself but after reading this, I almost feel like I have.
If you're interested in a wild, crazily unique and special ride, give this one a go.
The use of description throughout here is fantastic and I think Loveland's experience in film really shines through. The experiences for this character in the book range from trippy to funny to terrifying. And it's all paced out in a tight flow that keeps the reader engaged.
I also appreciated Loveland's comfort level with the setting and it brought to mind the tone of Stephen King's books in terms of the state of Maine. I have never been to San Francisco myself but after reading this, I almost feel like I have.
If you're interested in a wild, crazily unique and special ride, give this one a go.
July 23, 2020
Is A TEAR IN THE VEIL a science fiction horror novel or a horror science fiction novel? I don’t know, but more importantly, I really don’t care. Let’s call it a novel of earned paranoia and move on.
It would be easy to spoil some of the fun of this book, so I’ll only say that the author incorporates Japanese comics, high technology, gaming culture, urban freneticism, complicated social situations, modern architecture, and good old-fashioned human frailty. He makes worthwhile observations about these things, too. As a result, his characters live and breathe in a palpable world.
Also remarkable is the novel’s interplay between structure and pacing. I’ve seen hints of this in Loveland’s short fiction, but here he really gives himself the gift of time to reveal the connectedness of the action. When those connections are made, they feel as natural as a leaf falling to the sidewalk in autumn, even when they’re completely startling, as many of them are.
To add to the excitement, A TEAR IN THE VEIL is Loveland’s debut novel. He’s built himself a great foundation to build on, and I look forward to having a front row seat as he develops the tools he’s put to use here. Though the book could have used another pass from a proofreader or copy-editor, Loveland’s commitment to the story is stamped on every page, right along with his unique voice.
April Moon Books is to be applauded, too, for taking a chance on a work that might be a tad unusual for mainstream tastes. We’re richer for having Loveland’s refreshing tale of terrors from beyond the veil. Do keep an eye on this fellow.
It would be easy to spoil some of the fun of this book, so I’ll only say that the author incorporates Japanese comics, high technology, gaming culture, urban freneticism, complicated social situations, modern architecture, and good old-fashioned human frailty. He makes worthwhile observations about these things, too. As a result, his characters live and breathe in a palpable world.
Also remarkable is the novel’s interplay between structure and pacing. I’ve seen hints of this in Loveland’s short fiction, but here he really gives himself the gift of time to reveal the connectedness of the action. When those connections are made, they feel as natural as a leaf falling to the sidewalk in autumn, even when they’re completely startling, as many of them are.
To add to the excitement, A TEAR IN THE VEIL is Loveland’s debut novel. He’s built himself a great foundation to build on, and I look forward to having a front row seat as he develops the tools he’s put to use here. Though the book could have used another pass from a proofreader or copy-editor, Loveland’s commitment to the story is stamped on every page, right along with his unique voice.
April Moon Books is to be applauded, too, for taking a chance on a work that might be a tad unusual for mainstream tastes. We’re richer for having Loveland’s refreshing tale of terrors from beyond the veil. Do keep an eye on this fellow.
April 11, 2018
This novel was a very pleasant surprise that was not only a quick and smooth read, despite its length, but it also had a feel of an adventurous movie that begs itself to be rewatched. Expect catchy dialogues and relatable characters in a realistic depiction of San Francisco under an acid trip that you didn't expect. Hoping very much for the sequel.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews