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The Stinger #1
Lesath
Locked in his dark cell, Greg lay awake in bed, fidgeting with the small cassette recorder, pressing the rewind and stop buttons to listen to the heavy click and spring-loaded clank that initiated and punctuated the faint whirring mechanics. He knew well enough no one was going to come looking for him―not while he was in between jobs, living in a four-door pickup truck, and had traveled to an undisclosed location without telling anyone.
What brought him here were rumors of an abandoned building that was said to be part of a black site―rumors that were circulated amongst truckers and drifters: some exaggerated the sinister aspect of the place, detailing with morbid relish the methods of enhanced interrogation that were being developed or deployed there, while others assumed the contrarian position and downplayed the horrors, if not downright dismissed the whole story as hyperbole.
Questionable as the lead was, the story seemed too good for an amateur journalist like Greg to pass up. All the same, he did not expect there would be some truth to those rumors, that the building is not quite derelict as he had imagined. And that, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, he was now incarcerated there as an inmate.
Greg stopped the rewinding mechanism when he detected rustling and soft thumps coming through the ceiling vent―or thought he did, since the quirky nature of unidentified noise is that it usually ceases whenever one stops to listen. Like a living body, no running building is without its small, unaccountable bumps and muffled clanks; yet even if they’re mostly benign noise, at night, they’re magnified by the ever-present hush, and their unfamiliarity never fails to inflame the imagination of the sleepless newcomer.
LESATH is a psychological horror that pays tribute to gothic fiction.
What brought him here were rumors of an abandoned building that was said to be part of a black site―rumors that were circulated amongst truckers and drifters: some exaggerated the sinister aspect of the place, detailing with morbid relish the methods of enhanced interrogation that were being developed or deployed there, while others assumed the contrarian position and downplayed the horrors, if not downright dismissed the whole story as hyperbole.
Questionable as the lead was, the story seemed too good for an amateur journalist like Greg to pass up. All the same, he did not expect there would be some truth to those rumors, that the building is not quite derelict as he had imagined. And that, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, he was now incarcerated there as an inmate.
Greg stopped the rewinding mechanism when he detected rustling and soft thumps coming through the ceiling vent―or thought he did, since the quirky nature of unidentified noise is that it usually ceases whenever one stops to listen. Like a living body, no running building is without its small, unaccountable bumps and muffled clanks; yet even if they’re mostly benign noise, at night, they’re magnified by the ever-present hush, and their unfamiliarity never fails to inflame the imagination of the sleepless newcomer.
LESATH is a psychological horror that pays tribute to gothic fiction.
254 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 20, 2019
This is not my cup of psychotropics.
2 stars for the plot and the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars for the plot and the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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August 9, 2022Thank you all for taking time to read, review and/or rate Lesath.
Originally I had intended it to be a stand-alone novel, with no plans for a sequel. Even while I was editing the first draft and making side notes for what a sequel might look like, it was nothing more than a spark of an idea, and I didn't want to commit to a sequel without having something substantial to work on.
But reading these reviews over these past few weeks––whether positive or negative, they shared a common thread regarding unanswered questions––I found myself piecing together an outline for a sequel; it continues the story, and in that way partly answers some of the questions left open by the end of Lesath.
I don’t wish to imply there is something wrong with this story that needs fixing. If someone suggested I should revise/edit the original to make it more coherent instead of writing a sequel, I would say that my intention had always been an unconventional narrative, rife with uncertainty as it blurred the line between what’s real and what’s not. It is my debut novel, and a relatively short one compared to its contemporaries, considering it took me three years to write and re-write it. I revised it several times and brought it as close to completion as I could; there’s little that I can add or remove from it. No doubt some readers have found/will find it frustrating, while others have found/will find it enjoyable and thought-provoking. I understand it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste and I’m at peace with that.
The sequel will expand on that experience, explaining some things along the way, following different characters with different paths but who are still tied to the same world.
Regardless of what you thought of Lesath, I hope you look forward to its sequel.
Thanks.
Originally I had intended it to be a stand-alone novel, with no plans for a sequel. Even while I was editing the first draft and making side notes for what a sequel might look like, it was nothing more than a spark of an idea, and I didn't want to commit to a sequel without having something substantial to work on.
But reading these reviews over these past few weeks––whether positive or negative, they shared a common thread regarding unanswered questions––I found myself piecing together an outline for a sequel; it continues the story, and in that way partly answers some of the questions left open by the end of Lesath.
I don’t wish to imply there is something wrong with this story that needs fixing. If someone suggested I should revise/edit the original to make it more coherent instead of writing a sequel, I would say that my intention had always been an unconventional narrative, rife with uncertainty as it blurred the line between what’s real and what’s not. It is my debut novel, and a relatively short one compared to its contemporaries, considering it took me three years to write and re-write it. I revised it several times and brought it as close to completion as I could; there’s little that I can add or remove from it. No doubt some readers have found/will find it frustrating, while others have found/will find it enjoyable and thought-provoking. I understand it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste and I’m at peace with that.
The sequel will expand on that experience, explaining some things along the way, following different characters with different paths but who are still tied to the same world.
Regardless of what you thought of Lesath, I hope you look forward to its sequel.
Thanks.
July 20, 2019
“It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between.”
― Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses
I think the quote pretty much sums up my experience. I downloaded the netgalley ARC a while back and kept putting it off. I don’t know if it’s the ratings that made me enjoy the book more, but holy s*** is it underrated!
I’m guessing this is one of those books that agitates the average reader, like watching your first Kubrick and leaving the theatre going “WTF was that all about?” Last I felt like this was after watching the finale of Twin Peaks: The Return, which at the time felt incomplete.
But after it settled in my mind (and after listening to at least three different recap podcasts) I found that it kind of made sense, and in a strange way I actually liked it better than I thought. I gave Lesath the same consideration and allowed it to settle because I really did enjoy reading it.
Plot wise, in terms of following the main character’s arc, the story is more or less complete. It’s some of the unanswered questions that the book leaves us with that I think might bother some readers. Then I notice the author had (officially?) announced a sequel that promises to answer some of them and that got me curious.
I think Kherbash has something here. He gives some exposition but holds back from explaining too much. He’s also adept in translating that precarious state of mind of the sleep-deprived. As someone who suffers bouts of insomnia, I found the whiplash moment when Greg falls asleep without knowing it and then snaps back to reality all too familiar.
There’s something raw in the text that’s refreshing to anyone seeking to level up from gelded juvenile writing. There’s also a tactile quality and a haunting beauty to the writing. I can’t paste many examples without spoilers, but the following one is relatively spoiler-free:
Greg ghosted the hallway, his lifted hand brushing against the papered walls, fully cloaked in darkness except whenever the light briefly illuminated his wary profile. The corridors were silent and empty; dark, save for the windows that served as beacons, faintly glowing white with mist-addled daylight, marking the end of a corridor, if not a corner bend. Under his bare feet, the cool wooden boards now and then gave a sleepy groan. Outside, the milky fog swirled. Inside, Greg held the sound of the floorboards as evidence that he still had a physical presence, anchored to the here and now.
I wish I could tell what occurred before this paragraph that made me appreciate it more. Let’s just say it was terrible scene, and to follow it with this quiet moment is like taking shelter from a raging storm.
Before I conclude my review, I just want to share a couple more thoughts I couldn't post on NetGalley due to spoilers.
My final verdict would have been a solid 4, but I gave it an extra star for one reason: Sequel!
June 9, 2019
This book was a very interesting read. While it was full of gory descriptions, and had a sinister atmosphere of non-stop tension, the author never gives you all the facts. Although I found myself feeling confused throughout the story, I thoroughly enjoyed the mysterious plot, the intriguing characters, and the fantastic descriptions. Overall, I would give this novel a 4 star rating. It is definitely worth a read!
October 20, 2019
I don't usually read horror books but this one had a cool cover so I decided to check it out.
Greg wakes up in a mental institution of sorts. Only he is not a patient and he has no memory of entering this place. The doctor tells him that he has an uncanny resemblance to an escaped patient, only Greg doesn't have the same scars. And so Greg will have to be stuck in there until the escaped patient is found. And then all sorts of crazy stuff starts happening.
I didn't really vibe with this book. The atmosphere was great and it was definitely my favorite part. The suspense of not knowing whether or not Greg is sane was also done really well, which is why Lesath got 3 stars from me in the end. The rest of it I didn't enjoy. At some point the plot just stops making sense and it is just one crazy thing after another. Admittedly though I am not a fan of the weird genre (apart from China Mieville) so take this review with a grain of salt.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Greg wakes up in a mental institution of sorts. Only he is not a patient and he has no memory of entering this place. The doctor tells him that he has an uncanny resemblance to an escaped patient, only Greg doesn't have the same scars. And so Greg will have to be stuck in there until the escaped patient is found. And then all sorts of crazy stuff starts happening.
I didn't really vibe with this book. The atmosphere was great and it was definitely my favorite part. The suspense of not knowing whether or not Greg is sane was also done really well, which is why Lesath got 3 stars from me in the end. The rest of it I didn't enjoy. At some point the plot just stops making sense and it is just one crazy thing after another. Admittedly though I am not a fan of the weird genre (apart from China Mieville) so take this review with a grain of salt.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2021
“The quirky nature of unidentified noise is that it usually ceases whenever one stops to listen.”
Greg, an amateur journalist looking for a big change in his life, is following some rumors of an abandoned building that is said to be part of a black site. But because of a case of mistaken identity, he is now incarcerated there as an inmate. As he tries to escape, he evinces symptoms of a strange affliction, and struggles to remain conscious while maintaining an uncertain hold on reality. What's really happening to him?
Lesath is a psychological thriller that quickly turns into a dark and creepy horror story.
The story is very intriguing from the very first page, as we follow our protagonist Greg who tries to expose something that's possibly illegal. But soon I found myself wondering: "What is going on in that building?!". There are lots of strange things happening at the same time and at a very fast pace, I was never sure if they were real or not and honestly, even though I tried to guess what was actually happening, I'm still not sure if I got it right or not! But I was so charmed by the story, rooting for our poor Greg and intrigued by the overall creepiness, that I could not put the book down.
This story is really good, it's interesting, dark and well written. There are a few questions that remain unanswered and I glad that there's a second book which should hopefully shed some light on a few unexplained topics. However I do feel that the answers and the explanations are already contained in this book and I simply didn't notice them because my attention was caught by the craziness of the events and the panic feeling of the inmates.
Overall Lesath is a really good book that I enjoyed reading. I already own a copy of Shaula, the sequel, and I can't wait to see if my guesses were right!
4 stars.
* I'd like to thank A.M.Kherbash for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Greg, an amateur journalist looking for a big change in his life, is following some rumors of an abandoned building that is said to be part of a black site. But because of a case of mistaken identity, he is now incarcerated there as an inmate. As he tries to escape, he evinces symptoms of a strange affliction, and struggles to remain conscious while maintaining an uncertain hold on reality. What's really happening to him?
Lesath is a psychological thriller that quickly turns into a dark and creepy horror story.
The story is very intriguing from the very first page, as we follow our protagonist Greg who tries to expose something that's possibly illegal. But soon I found myself wondering: "What is going on in that building?!". There are lots of strange things happening at the same time and at a very fast pace, I was never sure if they were real or not and honestly, even though I tried to guess what was actually happening, I'm still not sure if I got it right or not! But I was so charmed by the story, rooting for our poor Greg and intrigued by the overall creepiness, that I could not put the book down.
This story is really good, it's interesting, dark and well written. There are a few questions that remain unanswered and I glad that there's a second book which should hopefully shed some light on a few unexplained topics. However I do feel that the answers and the explanations are already contained in this book and I simply didn't notice them because my attention was caught by the craziness of the events and the panic feeling of the inmates.
Overall Lesath is a really good book that I enjoyed reading. I already own a copy of Shaula, the sequel, and I can't wait to see if my guesses were right!
4 stars.
* I'd like to thank A.M.Kherbash for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 20, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars, or 5 stars with a caveat: this book is not for everyone. Those looking for a simple, straightforward read where the author explains everything probably better steer clear of this one. Those who enjoy a mind-bending story that reads like a fevered dream (Think P.T. or Silent Hill 1+2, or survival horror by way of David Lynch) will probably like this.
I’m of the second group of readers, and to be honest I’d rather enjoy the experience than lose the mystery by having the author shoehorn explanations or tie things up too neatly. As soon as I finished, I went back to reread some parts, and knowing what I know, some details gain new meaning. I think this story is great for a book club or a buddy read, someone you can discuss or recap things with.
The book is relatively lean (250 pages) and I was tempted to binge read it, but thanks to my schedule I had little time for that. In the end I paced myself and it made reading experience more immersive. The author does a great job layering the tension instead of piling it at the beginning just to hook the reader and letting the plot capsize and sink into an anticlimactic ending. By the second half I was on edge. The writing is interesting and at times lovely, with some scenes described vividly like paintings.
The book’s not part of a series but I hope the author considers a sequel or another book set in the same world.
4.5 stars, or 5 stars with a caveat: this book is not for everyone. Those looking for a simple, straightforward read where the author explains everything probably better steer clear of this one. Those who enjoy a mind-bending story that reads like a fevered dream (Think P.T. or Silent Hill 1+2, or survival horror by way of David Lynch) will probably like this.
I’m of the second group of readers, and to be honest I’d rather enjoy the experience than lose the mystery by having the author shoehorn explanations or tie things up too neatly. As soon as I finished, I went back to reread some parts, and knowing what I know, some details gain new meaning. I think this story is great for a book club or a buddy read, someone you can discuss or recap things with.
The book is relatively lean (250 pages) and I was tempted to binge read it, but thanks to my schedule I had little time for that. In the end I paced myself and it made reading experience more immersive. The author does a great job layering the tension instead of piling it at the beginning just to hook the reader and letting the plot capsize and sink into an anticlimactic ending. By the second half I was on edge. The writing is interesting and at times lovely, with some scenes described vividly like paintings.
The book’s not part of a series but I hope the author considers a sequel or another book set in the same world.
February 7, 2020
* I received an arc of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts *
This book was weird. After a while I thought I was going insane because I never knew what was going on completely.
Then I realized, that's the point. So I just sat back, got sucked in, and enjoyed the weird, messy, and creepy ride.
This book is definitely not for everyone, but it was for me. If you like speculative twists, unreliable narrators, and gore, this may be for you as well.
This book was weird. After a while I thought I was going insane because I never knew what was going on completely.
Then I realized, that's the point. So I just sat back, got sucked in, and enjoyed the weird, messy, and creepy ride.
This book is definitely not for everyone, but it was for me. If you like speculative twists, unreliable narrators, and gore, this may be for you as well.
June 23, 2019
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is a bit of a tough one. (Note that in this review, I won't be discussing the plot at all. This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better.)
First things first, I feel I need to point out that my two-star rating is not reflective of the writer's ability or even really the novel itself, but rather my own experience of it. As I will explain, Lesath is in no way a bad book - it has a pretty intriguing plot and some good writing, but it just isn't for me.
To illustrate, I recall giving The Lovely Bones, a highly acclaimed book (albeit one that is completely different to Lesath), a two-star rating as well because I just didn't enjoy the book at all, even if I could fully understand why others did and that it is, in essence, a pretty good book. I hope that potential readers of Lesath can read my review and go: "This sounds like exactly my kind of thing; I don't know what this woman is on about", when they read about the aspects of the book that bothered me.
At first, I ascribed my generally "meh" feelings towards Lesath to the fact that I haven't really read much horror before, but a bit further in, I was able to pinpoint what was actually niggling at the back of my mind.
Essentially, Lesath reads like a movie. Granted, some books make you think: "This needs to be adapted for the screen, ASAP!", but that's not what I mean here. Lesath actually feels like it was a movie before it was adapted to a book, or else was conceptualised in the author's mind as a visual narrative that was then transferred to paper. I kept having this mental image of the process of screenwriting, which I learned about through my husband's experiences in the industry. When writing a screenplay, the simplified process entails coming up with a concept, writing out the "beats" (essentially that which happens in every scene, but in short), and then "fleshing out the beats" to create a script that contains both dialogue and direction (the various prompts that give the dialogue context and shape the scenes themselves). Lesath feels like it was written following this formula. By the end of the book, I was left with the vague sense that I had just watched a movie, albeit a slightly incoherent horror movie, and not read a book.
This might not sound like a bad thing, but imagine a movie (or even a PC or console game, for that matter) being described to you by someone else, from their perspective. Chances are, there would be certain cues, whether visual or auditory, that they inevitably leave out in favour of detailing other elements, leaving small but noticeable holes in the overall story - as is the case here. It felt like there were certain tiny cues that I would have picked up on if it were a movie, but in writing, I missed a few points that now seem to have been crucial to some of the more mysterious elements of the story. Adding to this, the chapters read more like scenes - separate and distinct pieces of a greater whole with breaks in between, interrupting the natural flow that you usually get in a well-structured book.
Further compounding the overall horror movie feel, it seemed that dialogue was regarded as secondary to overall atmosphere and the "fleshing out of beats", creating conversations between characters that are at times disjointed and confusingly stilted. One character in particular, called Hitch, acted and spoke in ways that more often than not made no sense to me at all.
All of that being said, the author is most certainly a good writer. The language is good enough to keep you engaged without being overly dramatic, and I can definitely say that I'd be looking out for any more books from A.M. Kherbash in the future. But, given the structure of the novel, the writing in Lesath wasn't enough to make me really enjoy it.
As I mentioned earlier, this book will most certainly appeal to a great many readers for exactly the reasons I pointed out here - I'm just not one of them, unfortunately.
This is a bit of a tough one. (Note that in this review, I won't be discussing the plot at all. This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better.)
First things first, I feel I need to point out that my two-star rating is not reflective of the writer's ability or even really the novel itself, but rather my own experience of it. As I will explain, Lesath is in no way a bad book - it has a pretty intriguing plot and some good writing, but it just isn't for me.
To illustrate, I recall giving The Lovely Bones, a highly acclaimed book (albeit one that is completely different to Lesath), a two-star rating as well because I just didn't enjoy the book at all, even if I could fully understand why others did and that it is, in essence, a pretty good book. I hope that potential readers of Lesath can read my review and go: "This sounds like exactly my kind of thing; I don't know what this woman is on about", when they read about the aspects of the book that bothered me.
At first, I ascribed my generally "meh" feelings towards Lesath to the fact that I haven't really read much horror before, but a bit further in, I was able to pinpoint what was actually niggling at the back of my mind.
Essentially, Lesath reads like a movie. Granted, some books make you think: "This needs to be adapted for the screen, ASAP!", but that's not what I mean here. Lesath actually feels like it was a movie before it was adapted to a book, or else was conceptualised in the author's mind as a visual narrative that was then transferred to paper. I kept having this mental image of the process of screenwriting, which I learned about through my husband's experiences in the industry. When writing a screenplay, the simplified process entails coming up with a concept, writing out the "beats" (essentially that which happens in every scene, but in short), and then "fleshing out the beats" to create a script that contains both dialogue and direction (the various prompts that give the dialogue context and shape the scenes themselves). Lesath feels like it was written following this formula. By the end of the book, I was left with the vague sense that I had just watched a movie, albeit a slightly incoherent horror movie, and not read a book.
This might not sound like a bad thing, but imagine a movie (or even a PC or console game, for that matter) being described to you by someone else, from their perspective. Chances are, there would be certain cues, whether visual or auditory, that they inevitably leave out in favour of detailing other elements, leaving small but noticeable holes in the overall story - as is the case here. It felt like there were certain tiny cues that I would have picked up on if it were a movie, but in writing, I missed a few points that now seem to have been crucial to some of the more mysterious elements of the story. Adding to this, the chapters read more like scenes - separate and distinct pieces of a greater whole with breaks in between, interrupting the natural flow that you usually get in a well-structured book.
Further compounding the overall horror movie feel, it seemed that dialogue was regarded as secondary to overall atmosphere and the "fleshing out of beats", creating conversations between characters that are at times disjointed and confusingly stilted. One character in particular, called Hitch, acted and spoke in ways that more often than not made no sense to me at all.
All of that being said, the author is most certainly a good writer. The language is good enough to keep you engaged without being overly dramatic, and I can definitely say that I'd be looking out for any more books from A.M. Kherbash in the future. But, given the structure of the novel, the writing in Lesath wasn't enough to make me really enjoy it.
As I mentioned earlier, this book will most certainly appeal to a great many readers for exactly the reasons I pointed out here - I'm just not one of them, unfortunately.
June 9, 2019
Lesath by AM Kherbash is an X-Files-esque read tinged with elements of Shutter Island, Inception, and the Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. We mostly follow Greg, an unreliable narrator if ever there was one. A drifter who lives in his truck, and hopes to create a career in free-lance writing, Greg follows hints to a secret facility in Duncastor (or does he?), where he ends up a captive of the place. The facility director, Dr Carver, tells Greg that he must stay in place of an inmate who escaped, and who happens to look exactly like Greg. There are flashbacks to Greg's childhood that alludes to a twin named Ory, and some nameless abuse. Though most of the story focuses on Greg, there are asides following the enigmatic Dr Carver, as well as Holden, a former staff member turned inmate. Greg agrees, albeit reluctantly, but as the days pass, he discovers this is something more than a special correctional facility. Something sinister stalks the shadowed halls. Something hungry.
It reads like a paralysis dream, that foggy liminal state when the brain wakes, but the subconscious still controls body functions, aware and unable to move. A state that can lead to vivid dreams as real as the waking world. Greg, whose twin 'Ory'- Greg/Ory- makes me think that Greg suffers from DIDS, and 'Ory' is a dominant, yet secondary personality manifested to deal with the childhood trauma. A protector figure that resurfaces as 'Grim'. This mysterious doppelganger makes an appearance (or does he?), interacting with others, but never Greg, except one 'shroom worthy encounter that seems to support the DID.
Much of the story is disjointed, which suits its tone and substance. Every page will leave you questioning what is true and what shapes reality, what hides in the dark and what hides in our own inner depths. The ending, too, suits the book, but it left me going AAAHHHH! I wanted to know if my guesses and suspicions were correct, but like Inception, the ending leaves it open for the reader to continue to ponder the possibilities. Are you brave enough to face Lesath? Are you brave enough to face yourself? Enter the shadowed halls of Duncastor, where dreams are reality, and reality tis but a dream.
Overall, a great read. Recommended for those who like psychological thrillers, especially with hints of X-Files, Inception, and Shutter Island, or those who enjoy Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's works.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
It reads like a paralysis dream, that foggy liminal state when the brain wakes, but the subconscious still controls body functions, aware and unable to move. A state that can lead to vivid dreams as real as the waking world. Greg, whose twin 'Ory'- Greg/Ory- makes me think that Greg suffers from DIDS, and 'Ory' is a dominant, yet secondary personality manifested to deal with the childhood trauma. A protector figure that resurfaces as 'Grim'. This mysterious doppelganger makes an appearance (or does he?), interacting with others, but never Greg, except one 'shroom worthy encounter that seems to support the DID.
Much of the story is disjointed, which suits its tone and substance. Every page will leave you questioning what is true and what shapes reality, what hides in the dark and what hides in our own inner depths. The ending, too, suits the book, but it left me going AAAHHHH! I wanted to know if my guesses and suspicions were correct, but like Inception, the ending leaves it open for the reader to continue to ponder the possibilities. Are you brave enough to face Lesath? Are you brave enough to face yourself? Enter the shadowed halls of Duncastor, where dreams are reality, and reality tis but a dream.
Overall, a great read. Recommended for those who like psychological thrillers, especially with hints of X-Files, Inception, and Shutter Island, or those who enjoy Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's works.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 8, 2021
This is a tricky one to write. Lesath is one of the most confusing books I’ve read in a long time, and even by the end I was still completely baffled, trapped in an answer-less void, desperate for more information but a little thankful that it was all over.
But that’s Kherbash’s aim, right? Such is the testament to our authors understanding of his contemporaries, the psychological web is weaved to absolute perfection. We waste no time in Lesath, immediately throwing Greg into a medical ward in the middle of nowhere, forced to remain until a nearly identical escapee is found to take his place, rather than cause chaos in the ward. While Greg agrees to the terms, it’s not long before everything begins to unfold and everything (and everyone) isn’t as it seems.
It’s a fantastic setting, and despite sounding a little cliché, it moves fast enough that it doesn’t allow itself to get bogged down with boring, irrelevant details. The ward is gothy and pulpy, as are the nurses and orderlies, and Greg’s exploring unearths some really well described environments that help stop a single location book from feeling stunted.
Lesath won’t be for everyone, especially considering modern horrors focus on immediate and obvious threats, but the book is one big mind game and its perfectly executed. I absolutely cannot fault Kherbash for his work at nailing a bygone era.
Lesath isn’t a colour-by-numbers horror, it’s difficult to digest and sometimes even harder to read, but it’s also clever fiction that deserves attention. Give it a read, maybe read it again after a few months if you’re lost, but whatever you do, don’t ignore it.
But that’s Kherbash’s aim, right? Such is the testament to our authors understanding of his contemporaries, the psychological web is weaved to absolute perfection. We waste no time in Lesath, immediately throwing Greg into a medical ward in the middle of nowhere, forced to remain until a nearly identical escapee is found to take his place, rather than cause chaos in the ward. While Greg agrees to the terms, it’s not long before everything begins to unfold and everything (and everyone) isn’t as it seems.
It’s a fantastic setting, and despite sounding a little cliché, it moves fast enough that it doesn’t allow itself to get bogged down with boring, irrelevant details. The ward is gothy and pulpy, as are the nurses and orderlies, and Greg’s exploring unearths some really well described environments that help stop a single location book from feeling stunted.
Lesath won’t be for everyone, especially considering modern horrors focus on immediate and obvious threats, but the book is one big mind game and its perfectly executed. I absolutely cannot fault Kherbash for his work at nailing a bygone era.
Lesath isn’t a colour-by-numbers horror, it’s difficult to digest and sometimes even harder to read, but it’s also clever fiction that deserves attention. Give it a read, maybe read it again after a few months if you’re lost, but whatever you do, don’t ignore it.
September 21, 2019
This was a convoluted story that was not really what I was expecting or hoping for from the description. It felt like less of a horror and more of a sci-fi thriller which is really not my thing. It started out well enough and there is lots of action but the longer it went on the less I enjoyed it. The ending left me with more questions than answers. As a horror lover I certainly don't need every little detail to make sense but I do at least need to know what is going on and why. It also helps if I care what is going on or why.
I received a complimentary copy for review
I received a complimentary copy for review
Read
September 12, 2019DNFing at 25%. I just can't keep going here. The story has so much potential but I'm really stuck with the total absurdity of them keeping this guy in the institution just because he kind of looks like him but doesnt have the same scars. Everything now is just grinding my gears.
I really was intrigued by the opening scene, and I'd assume it would come back around to it, but the institution stuff after just wasnt't flowing for me.
I really was intrigued by the opening scene, and I'd assume it would come back around to it, but the institution stuff after just wasnt't flowing for me.
Read
September 24, 2019Publication date: September 30th 2019
No rating because DNF.
I received an e-arc through NetGalley.
I can’t rate Lesath. DNF at 10% because this book just wasn’t for me. Ten percent isn’t much of a book, but I could feel it in my bones that this was not going to suddenly become interesting for me.
It’s not poorly written (as far as I read) nor is it a boring story idea. Mistaken identity institutionalization is super terrifying. The beginning especially pulled me in, but soon after I found my attention drifting within two pages.
It was hard to just drop a book so early, but I wouldn’t have had the will power to pay attention to this book as it deserves. And I read other reviews and found that other readers felt the same and gave me no reason to continue pushing through.
My apologies. I’m sure there are people out there who will love Lesath.
Feel free to visit the blog https://www.literarydragonreviews.web...
No rating because DNF.
I received an e-arc through NetGalley.
I can’t rate Lesath. DNF at 10% because this book just wasn’t for me. Ten percent isn’t much of a book, but I could feel it in my bones that this was not going to suddenly become interesting for me.
It’s not poorly written (as far as I read) nor is it a boring story idea. Mistaken identity institutionalization is super terrifying. The beginning especially pulled me in, but soon after I found my attention drifting within two pages.
It was hard to just drop a book so early, but I wouldn’t have had the will power to pay attention to this book as it deserves. And I read other reviews and found that other readers felt the same and gave me no reason to continue pushing through.
My apologies. I’m sure there are people out there who will love Lesath.
Feel free to visit the blog https://www.literarydragonreviews.web...
August 16, 2019
Lesath
by A. M. Kherbash
due 9-30-2019
self-published
4.0/5.0
#netgalley. #Lesath
What a wild ride! This was really creepy, some parts were gory, building atmosphere was really well done. This is a psychological thriller that worked for me, overall.
Greg, a loner living in his car, has heard of an old abandoned building in the forest. Its surrounded by hot wire and broken glass. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he wants to see what's inside the building.
He wakes up inside the building, with gauze on his forehead, in a white room with linoleum floors and a nurse that will not speak.
Eventually Dr. Carver appears to explain to Greh that he was found outside the facility, dressed in a uniform they wear in the building. He resembles a guy that escaped the facility, and to keep everyone peaceful, they tell Greg they want him to stand in as the escaped person until they are found. Greg is given no choice.
Once inside, he learns that this is a facility to house felons you are awaiting parole. They live in a monastery-type environment and are fed red capsules to make lethargic and forgetful. when inmates start disappearing, Greg believes they are being used for an experiment.....
This is just the beginning of Greg's nightmare....
This book will make you think again about what exactly freedom means.
Thanks to netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
by A. M. Kherbash
due 9-30-2019
self-published
4.0/5.0
#netgalley. #Lesath
What a wild ride! This was really creepy, some parts were gory, building atmosphere was really well done. This is a psychological thriller that worked for me, overall.
Greg, a loner living in his car, has heard of an old abandoned building in the forest. Its surrounded by hot wire and broken glass. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he wants to see what's inside the building.
He wakes up inside the building, with gauze on his forehead, in a white room with linoleum floors and a nurse that will not speak.
Eventually Dr. Carver appears to explain to Greh that he was found outside the facility, dressed in a uniform they wear in the building. He resembles a guy that escaped the facility, and to keep everyone peaceful, they tell Greg they want him to stand in as the escaped person until they are found. Greg is given no choice.
Once inside, he learns that this is a facility to house felons you are awaiting parole. They live in a monastery-type environment and are fed red capsules to make lethargic and forgetful. when inmates start disappearing, Greg believes they are being used for an experiment.....
This is just the beginning of Greg's nightmare....
This book will make you think again about what exactly freedom means.
Thanks to netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
January 19, 2020
A hallucinatory horror story that is unfortunately more style than substance. I started out really liking the concept of this book but I'm disappointed in the execution. While I'm a huge fan of weird horror and stories that leave a lot to the imagination, I didn't think the book provides enough explanation to satisfy the various plot threads. There is a flashback to a character's childhood that I wish had provided further enlightenment but instead adds to more confusion. The point of views keep changing between characters but I think keeping the story with Greg would've made it more effective. The ending is abrupt and I was left with a lot of questions.
What I loved about the book are the outright scary scenes. The writing is suspenseful and images of certain moments are seared in my mind. I liked the way certain scenes changes without warning, making a destabilising reading experience. I enjoyed certain parts of the book which is atmospheric and intense. I'm hoping there's a sequel to answer the questions left behind.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
What I loved about the book are the outright scary scenes. The writing is suspenseful and images of certain moments are seared in my mind. I liked the way certain scenes changes without warning, making a destabilising reading experience. I enjoyed certain parts of the book which is atmospheric and intense. I'm hoping there's a sequel to answer the questions left behind.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
Read
June 30, 2022Review to come
November 29, 2020
Finally, some good fiction.
Honestly, you know how something is so good, you have this impulse to eat it, but can’t because it’s a book, or it’s in an intangible form (in the case of an audiobook or e-book.)
I began Lesath in the summer, DNFed for a while because it was a bad time and I didn’t have the right headspace for it.
But I could not stop thinking about it.
It’s not House of Leaves level of confusing and difficulty, but you do require faith or forbearance. At the center of the story is a manor-type prison-asylum, and if you were to take a cross-section of the building, you’d find an Escher-esque vista of events happening in every section.
In the beginning you follow one character, Greg, a transient journalist wanna be who followed rumors of the above-mentioned prison-asylum, and went to check it out. He sees someone in the foggy exterior who might be an escaped inmate, and then his audio-log is cut off. The next thing he knows, he’s inside the asylum as an inmate.
It’s a lucid plot, oiled with the absurd.
As the story progresses, you meet other characters, most of which are inmates trying to escape. This is why it gets weird and confusing, so your milage may vary. It does get good, even if not everything is resolved towards the end. But it doesn’t feel like the author has abandoned the story (seems there’s a sequel in the works) or did not think it through, especially when threads and characters overlap in clever ways. That’s not to say the first half isn’t good. I think the benefit of revisiting it (after DNFing the first time) it is covering familiar territory, which made me appreciate all the details.
During that hiatus, I was telling an acquaintance about the book and Greg’s trip to explore a dangerous, remote facility.
“Why?” She snorted.
It’s a trope for horror protagonists to poke their noses where they don’t belong. Why indeed, when there’s no assignment or reward. I think the question stayed with me during my second read, and here’s my conclusion.
[Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD]
“If you have no internal sense of security, it’s difficult to distinguish between safety and danger. If you feel chronically numbed out, potentially dangerous situations may make you feel alive.” ––Bessel Van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score.
Greg goes to investigate a remote facility he should by all means have stayed away from. Why? I think the flashbacks give a picture of trauma that never left him. People react differently to trauma. Some avoid anything that reminds them of it, others seek out similar situations, consciously or not.
Perhaps something about the story fascinated Greg to go investigate. The author implicitly states the fact through the flashbacks that parallel present events. I’m wondering if the twin was real or a sign of Greg’s dissociation. One flashback seems to hint at that. But like many clever details, you can’t be sure.
This seems to me like a story about past trauma and consequences. Greg clearly displays the after-effects, in his anger or mistrust of others. The author treats it with gravity, and doesn’t cheat the reader with an easy or quick fix. Perhaps this is why several readers felt unsatisfied. The open or ambiguous ending is as optimistic or pessimistic as we perceive it, but some don’t like the uncertainty.
Myself, I lean for an optimistic interpretation. I’m not sure whether the doppelgänger Greg saw at the beginning was him unwittingly following a phantom towards destruction, but the other self he confronts and challenges in the end leaves him intact. It’s hard to view that in a negative light.
I think it’s almost puissant that the novel ends on this sort-of hopeful but ambiguous note. I say this reflecting on recent events and other life-changing disasters. Airport security was a breeze pre-9/11, but after a while we stopped thinking about it and adapted. I think this is why Greg emerges in the end but his fate is left unknown: we don’t so much bounce back as slowly but surely recover. That’s what I like to think.
Honestly, you know how something is so good, you have this impulse to eat it, but can’t because it’s a book, or it’s in an intangible form (in the case of an audiobook or e-book.)
I began Lesath in the summer, DNFed for a while because it was a bad time and I didn’t have the right headspace for it.
But I could not stop thinking about it.
It’s not House of Leaves level of confusing and difficulty, but you do require faith or forbearance. At the center of the story is a manor-type prison-asylum, and if you were to take a cross-section of the building, you’d find an Escher-esque vista of events happening in every section.
In the beginning you follow one character, Greg, a transient journalist wanna be who followed rumors of the above-mentioned prison-asylum, and went to check it out. He sees someone in the foggy exterior who might be an escaped inmate, and then his audio-log is cut off. The next thing he knows, he’s inside the asylum as an inmate.
It’s a lucid plot, oiled with the absurd.
As the story progresses, you meet other characters, most of which are inmates trying to escape. This is why it gets weird and confusing, so your milage may vary. It does get good, even if not everything is resolved towards the end. But it doesn’t feel like the author has abandoned the story (seems there’s a sequel in the works) or did not think it through, especially when threads and characters overlap in clever ways. That’s not to say the first half isn’t good. I think the benefit of revisiting it (after DNFing the first time) it is covering familiar territory, which made me appreciate all the details.
During that hiatus, I was telling an acquaintance about the book and Greg’s trip to explore a dangerous, remote facility.
“Why?” She snorted.
It’s a trope for horror protagonists to poke their noses where they don’t belong. Why indeed, when there’s no assignment or reward. I think the question stayed with me during my second read, and here’s my conclusion.
[Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD]
“If you have no internal sense of security, it’s difficult to distinguish between safety and danger. If you feel chronically numbed out, potentially dangerous situations may make you feel alive.” ––Bessel Van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score.
Greg goes to investigate a remote facility he should by all means have stayed away from. Why? I think the flashbacks give a picture of trauma that never left him. People react differently to trauma. Some avoid anything that reminds them of it, others seek out similar situations, consciously or not.
Perhaps something about the story fascinated Greg to go investigate. The author implicitly states the fact through the flashbacks that parallel present events. I’m wondering if the twin was real or a sign of Greg’s dissociation. One flashback seems to hint at that. But like many clever details, you can’t be sure.
This seems to me like a story about past trauma and consequences. Greg clearly displays the after-effects, in his anger or mistrust of others. The author treats it with gravity, and doesn’t cheat the reader with an easy or quick fix. Perhaps this is why several readers felt unsatisfied. The open or ambiguous ending is as optimistic or pessimistic as we perceive it, but some don’t like the uncertainty.
Myself, I lean for an optimistic interpretation. I’m not sure whether the doppelgänger Greg saw at the beginning was him unwittingly following a phantom towards destruction, but the other self he confronts and challenges in the end leaves him intact. It’s hard to view that in a negative light.
I think it’s almost puissant that the novel ends on this sort-of hopeful but ambiguous note. I say this reflecting on recent events and other life-changing disasters. Airport security was a breeze pre-9/11, but after a while we stopped thinking about it and adapted. I think this is why Greg emerges in the end but his fate is left unknown: we don’t so much bounce back as slowly but surely recover. That’s what I like to think.
September 27, 2019
A creepy little read for the cold long nights as we edge into winter. This book is for readers who like something strange, unusual and the unexpected. I really enjoyed the weird and experimental feel that it had. I would recommend this for those looking for something strange.
July 21, 2019
I am a fan of psychological horror because it truly brings the tension that I love in the horror genre. This book throws you right into the situation from the beginning. Greg, an amateur journalist, wakes up in a cell. He finds himself to be "captive" due to a case of mistaken identity and though a doctor claims to be an ally, can Greg really trust him? What is going on in this facility and will Greg make it out? WHO IS GREG? With every page, I found myself wondering what was real and what wasn't. Those things Greg claimed to see, were they really there? Because on top of all of this, the inmates/patients/prisoners are also possibly suffering from some sort of disorder or disease or something. You really second guess everything you read. The author doesn't give ALL the answers at the end--and I normally hate those endings--but I believe it tied up enough loose strands to leave me satisfied.
July 23, 2019
What a weird reading experience this was. I spent nearly all of this book confused at what was happening and who was who. This is definitely the author’s intention, as they have stated on Goodreads they wanted to write an unconventional narrative that leaves much open to interpretation.
Lesath reminds me a bit of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation series. That is a very mysterious story and also doesn’t really provide any answers, however I felt satisfied at the end, unlike Lesath.
Literally everything in Lesath is a mystery. Who the hell are the characters? Are they all unreliable narrators? Where are they? Why are they there? What is happening? Is the story linear?
I feel like this book would make quite a good film, but I don’t think it’s been written as a novel very well. There are lots of interesting ideas here, but I kept thinking it’s definitely a story that needs to be told visually.
Lesath reminds me a bit of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation series. That is a very mysterious story and also doesn’t really provide any answers, however I felt satisfied at the end, unlike Lesath.
Literally everything in Lesath is a mystery. Who the hell are the characters? Are they all unreliable narrators? Where are they? Why are they there? What is happening? Is the story linear?
I feel like this book would make quite a good film, but I don’t think it’s been written as a novel very well. There are lots of interesting ideas here, but I kept thinking it’s definitely a story that needs to be told visually.
September 24, 2019
Did you read Borne? Read Borne. Then read Lesath. They both fall into that "weird" genre, which is becoming an actual genre for books. I'm finding that I'm drawn to this weirdness. Maybe it's because I'm weird, I don't know. ANYWAY, Lesath starts out with guy who is being imprisoned because he looks like another prisoner who escaped and also looks like him and could he take the place of this guy so no other prisoners know there's been a breakout. Honestly, what the hell is that?
It's a damn good book is what!
Lesath is creepy, kept my pulse up and all out just messed up. There's all these twists and turns and some of them make sense and some don't and man, I loved this book.
Get to reading!
It's a damn good book is what!
Lesath is creepy, kept my pulse up and all out just messed up. There's all these twists and turns and some of them make sense and some don't and man, I loved this book.
Get to reading!
June 26, 2019
As a non stop fiction, will want to read over and over because it always open your mind to another dimension.
September 16, 2019
This ARC's been sitting on my TBR list for a while now.
My interest has been yo-yo-ing with every bout of positive and negative reviews. And as much as I like to think I am an original individual with an individual mind and individual tastes, I'm like everyone, subject to the influence of numbers and popular opinion.
The reviews have been divisive and all it did was make me put it off thinking it was just one of those books with an attractive cover and a promising premise that doesn't deliver on that promise.
But with the ARC deadline approaching, and FOMO intensifying, I thought, Fuck it. If I don't like it I'll just DNF it and that will be that.
Before I start raving, let's get one thing out of the way. This is not an easy read. And by that I don't mean the language is difficult, but it follows the style of classic literature of shifting perspectives without warning. If you're used to that, you won't find it jarring.
But if you like characters whose POV you'll be following named under the chapter, if you like your exposition infodumps, your sentences short and easy to digest, or if your reading level is within the middle-grade to young-adult range, then you might want to save yourself the headache and give this a hard pass.
With that being said, let's dive in.
Lesath's been compared to Shutter Island, Annihilation, X-Files, and other touchstores of Weird Fiction. I want to throw Hereditary into the mix with the points of similarities being they can both be relentless, brutal and confusing, but they also do new and interesting things. Or if you want to argue there's nothing new under the sun then they do a great deal to refresh a stagnating genre. And because whatever they offer is relatively new, they will not be liked for it.
The Blair Witch project was criticized at its time for its shaky camera and not being scary in the way people were used to. And then Found Footage became a thing. Silent Hill was obtuse as fuck when it first came out. Twenty years later its one of the horror communities sacred cows. My point is this book is out of its time. I won't say ahead of its time because trends are cyclical and this book and many other excellent titles happen to come out at a time where leisure reading is treated like required reading, Rant Reviews are more popular than Rave Reviews, and struggling authors try to sabotage the competition with "I tried to like it but it's bad" reviews.
But what about Lesath?
Lesath is a fever dream of a story. It's mostly linear, though sometimes with perspective shifts you get things happening five minutes ago or (thirty?) years ago. But the trippy parts? thats my jam. And let's be honest, if you're going to write psychotropics and bad trips, you sure as hell don't do it by writing straightforward narrative.
I can see where some readers would frown and go "When? Who? Where?!" but trust me, it goes down easier if you don't strain ;)
It's bookclub material, it requires exploration, theorising, maybe even a double-dip.
Fuck it, I'll just say it: it's art. It makes me giddy as a girl over a poetry collection. The writing and atmosphere alone makes me want to buy a hardcopy just to show it off, carry it and gloat over owning it. And after that I might sit somewhere and read it.
Instead of a list of archtypes, we get a cast of unreliable characters, some complex, some downright weird. I grew to like half of them. For which I say to the author Fuck you for making me care and then Fuck you for ending things the way you did.
Yes I read that there will be a sequel, but the author mentioned a different cast of characters. And being the self-entitled reader that I am I want closure for these.
So fuck you!
But above all, thank you for this.
★★★★1/2
My interest has been yo-yo-ing with every bout of positive and negative reviews. And as much as I like to think I am an original individual with an individual mind and individual tastes, I'm like everyone, subject to the influence of numbers and popular opinion.
The reviews have been divisive and all it did was make me put it off thinking it was just one of those books with an attractive cover and a promising premise that doesn't deliver on that promise.
But with the ARC deadline approaching, and FOMO intensifying, I thought, Fuck it. If I don't like it I'll just DNF it and that will be that.
Before I start raving, let's get one thing out of the way. This is not an easy read. And by that I don't mean the language is difficult, but it follows the style of classic literature of shifting perspectives without warning. If you're used to that, you won't find it jarring.
But if you like characters whose POV you'll be following named under the chapter, if you like your exposition infodumps, your sentences short and easy to digest, or if your reading level is within the middle-grade to young-adult range, then you might want to save yourself the headache and give this a hard pass.
With that being said, let's dive in.
Lesath's been compared to Shutter Island, Annihilation, X-Files, and other touchstores of Weird Fiction. I want to throw Hereditary into the mix with the points of similarities being they can both be relentless, brutal and confusing, but they also do new and interesting things. Or if you want to argue there's nothing new under the sun then they do a great deal to refresh a stagnating genre. And because whatever they offer is relatively new, they will not be liked for it.
The Blair Witch project was criticized at its time for its shaky camera and not being scary in the way people were used to. And then Found Footage became a thing. Silent Hill was obtuse as fuck when it first came out. Twenty years later its one of the horror communities sacred cows. My point is this book is out of its time. I won't say ahead of its time because trends are cyclical and this book and many other excellent titles happen to come out at a time where leisure reading is treated like required reading, Rant Reviews are more popular than Rave Reviews, and struggling authors try to sabotage the competition with "I tried to like it but it's bad" reviews.
But what about Lesath?
Lesath is a fever dream of a story. It's mostly linear, though sometimes with perspective shifts you get things happening five minutes ago or (thirty?) years ago. But the trippy parts? thats my jam. And let's be honest, if you're going to write psychotropics and bad trips, you sure as hell don't do it by writing straightforward narrative.
I can see where some readers would frown and go "When? Who? Where?!" but trust me, it goes down easier if you don't strain ;)
It's bookclub material, it requires exploration, theorising, maybe even a double-dip.
Fuck it, I'll just say it: it's art. It makes me giddy as a girl over a poetry collection. The writing and atmosphere alone makes me want to buy a hardcopy just to show it off, carry it and gloat over owning it. And after that I might sit somewhere and read it.
Instead of a list of archtypes, we get a cast of unreliable characters, some complex, some downright weird. I grew to like half of them. For which I say to the author Fuck you for making me care and then Fuck you for ending things the way you did.
Yes I read that there will be a sequel, but the author mentioned a different cast of characters. And being the self-entitled reader that I am I want closure for these.
So fuck you!
But above all, thank you for this.
★★★★1/2
May 14, 2019
*Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Netgalley.
Lesath by A.M. Kherbash is taut, eerie, and disconcerting. It's a modern creature feature of a book, which embraces tropes of Gothic literature, psychological horror and X-files style secrets to create a surreal journey through... What? A prison? An asylum? A mad scientist's laboratory? All three? It never becomes entirely clear.
Indeed, not a whole lot does become entirely clear. The protagonist, Greg, an aimless man living from his car apparently decides to investigate a mysterious old manor in the woods for his podcast. He ends up trapped inside and the only explanation he's given, that he is identical to an escaped inmate, might actually be true... Or it might be a delusion?
Things, of course, take a dark turn very quickly. People die. "Things" come out of ducts. More people die. And so it goes...
Many times reading this book, I was reminded of the greasy, oddly quiet scenery of horror games like Psycho-break or The most recent Resident Evil. Things are clearly bad. There is books on the walls, inexplicable mild and black ichor. You know something is coming. But lots of the scenes are just walking around checking doors and drawers.
This is my first criticism of the novel. There is a lot of compelling grotesquery and tension, but far too much of the book is taken up by sudden scenes of nothing much. The nature of the story, I think, is such that the reader is supposed to be confused by unexpected scene changes, as a way to emphasize the precarious nature of the protagonist's mental state. But often times, the breaks don't actually lead anywhere, and structurally seem to lose effect after the meeting of the book.
My other, and main criticism, is that a lot of the language used in the book simply didn't mean what it's supposed to mean. The author send to be struggling for an elevated register to evoke the Gothic tradition. The problems with this are twofold: first, sure this is a modern setting, the dialog is modern, and the clash between the elevated narrative and modern dialog is so great as to be almost comical. The second is that the register becomes so high that I dear many readers, and the author as well, don't be really understand the words.
Phrases like "after observing the prevalent silence..." Or "he expressed a contented sigh" or the extremely frequent use of "discern" (13 times in 159 pages!) Feel like thesaurus abuse, and indeed incorrect usage at times.
Which is not to say that the writing is poor, it isn't. It's often well phrased and interesting. The dialog can be snappy and fun, too. But it can also be a bit messy and overwrought. I think a bit of time with a developmental editor could make the creepy story at the core of this novel shine.
I burned though it because I did want to see what happened, and the ending was fittingly unsettling and slightly confusing. I did enjoy the book, and appreciate the chance to read it given by the author, A.M. Kherbash.
Lesath by A.M. Kherbash is taut, eerie, and disconcerting. It's a modern creature feature of a book, which embraces tropes of Gothic literature, psychological horror and X-files style secrets to create a surreal journey through... What? A prison? An asylum? A mad scientist's laboratory? All three? It never becomes entirely clear.
Indeed, not a whole lot does become entirely clear. The protagonist, Greg, an aimless man living from his car apparently decides to investigate a mysterious old manor in the woods for his podcast. He ends up trapped inside and the only explanation he's given, that he is identical to an escaped inmate, might actually be true... Or it might be a delusion?
Things, of course, take a dark turn very quickly. People die. "Things" come out of ducts. More people die. And so it goes...
Many times reading this book, I was reminded of the greasy, oddly quiet scenery of horror games like Psycho-break or The most recent Resident Evil. Things are clearly bad. There is books on the walls, inexplicable mild and black ichor. You know something is coming. But lots of the scenes are just walking around checking doors and drawers.
This is my first criticism of the novel. There is a lot of compelling grotesquery and tension, but far too much of the book is taken up by sudden scenes of nothing much. The nature of the story, I think, is such that the reader is supposed to be confused by unexpected scene changes, as a way to emphasize the precarious nature of the protagonist's mental state. But often times, the breaks don't actually lead anywhere, and structurally seem to lose effect after the meeting of the book.
My other, and main criticism, is that a lot of the language used in the book simply didn't mean what it's supposed to mean. The author send to be struggling for an elevated register to evoke the Gothic tradition. The problems with this are twofold: first, sure this is a modern setting, the dialog is modern, and the clash between the elevated narrative and modern dialog is so great as to be almost comical. The second is that the register becomes so high that I dear many readers, and the author as well, don't be really understand the words.
Phrases like "after observing the prevalent silence..." Or "he expressed a contented sigh" or the extremely frequent use of "discern" (13 times in 159 pages!) Feel like thesaurus abuse, and indeed incorrect usage at times.
Which is not to say that the writing is poor, it isn't. It's often well phrased and interesting. The dialog can be snappy and fun, too. But it can also be a bit messy and overwrought. I think a bit of time with a developmental editor could make the creepy story at the core of this novel shine.
I burned though it because I did want to see what happened, and the ending was fittingly unsettling and slightly confusing. I did enjoy the book, and appreciate the chance to read it given by the author, A.M. Kherbash.
June 3, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley. Thank you, NetGalley and Kherbash for your work.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I really struggled reading it even though it was shorter than a lot of the books that I have encountered before. However, there was something about the way that Greg, the main character, narrated that I just couldn't figure out. Some of the text seemed to coalesce around images that weren't vivid--thus, I could not picture them. However, I do think that Kherbash is great in the sense that he makes me want to reread the book. Still, I'm not sure I can stomach to read something like Lesath again. While other reviews point out that it isn't straightforward, which I understand, I also don't think that the author gives anything to the audience in terms of backstory or exposition. I need at least some of that to figure out what's happening.
Either way, I think if you like to reread books for clarity, this might be the book for you. It's not really the book for me, though.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I really struggled reading it even though it was shorter than a lot of the books that I have encountered before. However, there was something about the way that Greg, the main character, narrated that I just couldn't figure out. Some of the text seemed to coalesce around images that weren't vivid--thus, I could not picture them. However, I do think that Kherbash is great in the sense that he makes me want to reread the book. Still, I'm not sure I can stomach to read something like Lesath again. While other reviews point out that it isn't straightforward, which I understand, I also don't think that the author gives anything to the audience in terms of backstory or exposition. I need at least some of that to figure out what's happening.
Either way, I think if you like to reread books for clarity, this might be the book for you. It's not really the book for me, though.
August 16, 2020
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*
What the f*** is happening??? This is what I found myself thinking for the majority of the time while reading this book, understanding virtually nothing and not even taking a guess as to what could be going on within this story. For a book that started of relatively normal, normal compared to rest of this book, this book then took a super weird turn. But one that I found myself needing to keep reading.
Lesath by A.M. Kherbash is one of the most confusing books I have read so far this year. This not only had such a confusing storyline that went a little all over the place and a little over my head for the majority of the book, all while still keeping me gripped. I continued reading this book, with the sole hope of it all coming together in the end and being hit with a giant stick of understanding, with it all being brought together and finally making sense. Plus, the writing of this book was actually enjoyable.
This all added to the overall creepiness of the story, the not knowing what was happening and what could be lingering within, behind or around every corner. The paranoia from the characters leaks off the page, making you question the credibility of the characters and what they're experiencing. Mixed with the creepiness and the goriness that started to take place within, the writing both saved and ruined this book for me. The writing was both great as I was seriously creeped out in parts, reading more and more, devouring this book within 24 hours, but the unknown and unanswered confusion was just straight up disappointing and was my biggest and one of my only let downs of this book.
I am so thankful that there is a sequel of this book coming out that is meant to have the answers that this book lacked and I am hoping that it really does. This book reminded me of Annihilation in the sense of creepy unknown confusion, one that just teased me, but one that I just didn't care about the answers by the time I got to the last book. This one was written better than that series and I do have hope, so fingers crossed that I am not left dissatisfied by yet another weird read, especially as I love weird, creepy horror.
What the f*** is happening??? This is what I found myself thinking for the majority of the time while reading this book, understanding virtually nothing and not even taking a guess as to what could be going on within this story. For a book that started of relatively normal, normal compared to rest of this book, this book then took a super weird turn. But one that I found myself needing to keep reading.
Lesath by A.M. Kherbash is one of the most confusing books I have read so far this year. This not only had such a confusing storyline that went a little all over the place and a little over my head for the majority of the book, all while still keeping me gripped. I continued reading this book, with the sole hope of it all coming together in the end and being hit with a giant stick of understanding, with it all being brought together and finally making sense. Plus, the writing of this book was actually enjoyable.
This all added to the overall creepiness of the story, the not knowing what was happening and what could be lingering within, behind or around every corner. The paranoia from the characters leaks off the page, making you question the credibility of the characters and what they're experiencing. Mixed with the creepiness and the goriness that started to take place within, the writing both saved and ruined this book for me. The writing was both great as I was seriously creeped out in parts, reading more and more, devouring this book within 24 hours, but the unknown and unanswered confusion was just straight up disappointing and was my biggest and one of my only let downs of this book.
I am so thankful that there is a sequel of this book coming out that is meant to have the answers that this book lacked and I am hoping that it really does. This book reminded me of Annihilation in the sense of creepy unknown confusion, one that just teased me, but one that I just didn't care about the answers by the time I got to the last book. This one was written better than that series and I do have hope, so fingers crossed that I am not left dissatisfied by yet another weird read, especially as I love weird, creepy horror.
May 23, 2019
This one may require some future re-reads.
Lesath plays out like a waking nightmare: you're immediately dropped into the brain of the narrator, a seemingly random, out of work journalist investigating an abandoned complex in the middle of nowhere. He's promptly knocked out and becomes a defacto prisoner of the actually-not-so-abandoned complex. Explanations are in short supply throughout this taut novel: characters appear and disappear with dizzying rapidity, POV changes come in intense bursts, motivations twist and turn nearly as much as the endless corridors in the complex, and the dialogue carries an often dreamlike and surreal quality. Also, there may be something in the vents. All of these things combine to make this a gothic head scratcher. You're never quite sure where the plot is at or where it's going, who is trying to do what, or what the endgame is.
And yes, I'm arguing that this is (predominantly) a good thing. True horror sticks to the shadows as much as possible. My main gripe would be that none of the characters really stood out for me. The scenes shift focus so quickly that not even the narrator or the villain seemed to me to have a face, and I often found myself confusing multiple characters.
There's potential here if Kherbash continues on in this world, something that is hinted at by the open-ended climax. As a standalone title for the time being, it's a good one if you've got a couple free nights in your schedule.
***I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and the author.**
Lesath plays out like a waking nightmare: you're immediately dropped into the brain of the narrator, a seemingly random, out of work journalist investigating an abandoned complex in the middle of nowhere. He's promptly knocked out and becomes a defacto prisoner of the actually-not-so-abandoned complex. Explanations are in short supply throughout this taut novel: characters appear and disappear with dizzying rapidity, POV changes come in intense bursts, motivations twist and turn nearly as much as the endless corridors in the complex, and the dialogue carries an often dreamlike and surreal quality. Also, there may be something in the vents. All of these things combine to make this a gothic head scratcher. You're never quite sure where the plot is at or where it's going, who is trying to do what, or what the endgame is.
And yes, I'm arguing that this is (predominantly) a good thing. True horror sticks to the shadows as much as possible. My main gripe would be that none of the characters really stood out for me. The scenes shift focus so quickly that not even the narrator or the villain seemed to me to have a face, and I often found myself confusing multiple characters.
There's potential here if Kherbash continues on in this world, something that is hinted at by the open-ended climax. As a standalone title for the time being, it's a good one if you've got a couple free nights in your schedule.
***I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and the author.**
May 11, 2020
This was a really good read, totally not my usual genre, but I do like to read outside the box ever now and again just so I can discover what I am missing. I'm very glad I chose Lesath as my feeler this time around. It's a horror novel, a psychological one, that gets so deep into your psyche that you will end up questioning everything. That's what happened to Greg who travelled into the mountain to investigate rumours he had heard about an abandoned building. in which prisoners are detained, help captive, questioned and even tortured. A case of mistaken identity results in Greg himself becoming one such detainee. His time there, in captivity leads to him questioning his sense of reality. Many times I wanted to shout at Greg and tell him to get the hell out of there, so invested was I in the plot and its outcome. I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it.
October 17, 2021
What a strange, surreal journey this was! While I'm not entirely sure I understood what was happening throughout the entirety of the novel, I really enjoyed the eerie atmosphere that was present through it all. I actually picked up this book as I was approved for an advanced copy of the sequel; I'm really looking forward to the sequel and the answers the author has said it should provide.
The writing itself is really fantastic, flowing easily along and doing a wonderful job of painting pictures in your head. I actually think this book would make for a really good movie, one of those vague, surreal, art house horror ones that you don't really know what's going on but love it anyway.
The writing itself is really fantastic, flowing easily along and doing a wonderful job of painting pictures in your head. I actually think this book would make for a really good movie, one of those vague, surreal, art house horror ones that you don't really know what's going on but love it anyway.
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