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Severin: Poems
Severin is a collection of poems that delve into the heart of dark matter. Science fiction spliced with horror. Quantum visions of pain. Also contains two micro-fic tales.
45 pages, Paperback
Published January 21, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 22, 2020
“Said he’d make my bones talk.”
Last year I read ‘Forest Underground’ by Faust, a bleak re-imagining of a well known fairy tale. It was brutal and fast paced and left me excited to read more from Faust.
Somewhere, along the line, I connected with Lydian on Twitter and through interaction we developed a friendly rapport. She shoots straight, doesn’t sugar coat stuff and has always been engaging and supportive.
Through her tweets, it had become evident that due to demands in her life (namely having a newborn) she was struggling to get time for writing and we were left wondering when the return would come.
Seeing this collection; ‘Severin’ released yesterday was such a fantastic moment. Well technically I am on a book ban, I had to buy this and support Lydian. (Side note – I’ve now failed my self imposed book ban twice. Once here for Lydian and once last week when The Luminous Dark went on sale. Guess my ban doesn’t apply to Ladies of Horror Fiction!)
‘Severin’ is unflinching in its delivery. I am not trained in literature or English literature – so I really can’t discuss the technical side of the poems within, but each one is filled with emotion and a sort of desperate anxiety.
I found three real themes or narratives carried through this collection; Science-Fiction, Horror and Present Times.
My absolute favourite was ‘Saint Louis,’ where that line I quoted at the beginning was taken from.
Shockingly or unexpectedly, this collection finished with a short story – ‘Little Gus.’
I really enjoyed this short story, but I think some may find it exciting or deflating.
Exciting to see the return of long form writing from Faust.
Deflating about just when we may see more.
With her self-publishing experience now fully in hand, here’s hoping that she’ll continue to give us some more collections like this.
It’s great to have you back in the fiction world, Lydian. You’ve been missed.
5/5
Review was also hosted at: https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.co...
Last year I read ‘Forest Underground’ by Faust, a bleak re-imagining of a well known fairy tale. It was brutal and fast paced and left me excited to read more from Faust.
Somewhere, along the line, I connected with Lydian on Twitter and through interaction we developed a friendly rapport. She shoots straight, doesn’t sugar coat stuff and has always been engaging and supportive.
Through her tweets, it had become evident that due to demands in her life (namely having a newborn) she was struggling to get time for writing and we were left wondering when the return would come.
Seeing this collection; ‘Severin’ released yesterday was such a fantastic moment. Well technically I am on a book ban, I had to buy this and support Lydian. (Side note – I’ve now failed my self imposed book ban twice. Once here for Lydian and once last week when The Luminous Dark went on sale. Guess my ban doesn’t apply to Ladies of Horror Fiction!)
‘Severin’ is unflinching in its delivery. I am not trained in literature or English literature – so I really can’t discuss the technical side of the poems within, but each one is filled with emotion and a sort of desperate anxiety.
I found three real themes or narratives carried through this collection; Science-Fiction, Horror and Present Times.
My absolute favourite was ‘Saint Louis,’ where that line I quoted at the beginning was taken from.
Shockingly or unexpectedly, this collection finished with a short story – ‘Little Gus.’
I really enjoyed this short story, but I think some may find it exciting or deflating.
Exciting to see the return of long form writing from Faust.
Deflating about just when we may see more.
With her self-publishing experience now fully in hand, here’s hoping that she’ll continue to give us some more collections like this.
It’s great to have you back in the fiction world, Lydian. You’ve been missed.
5/5
Review was also hosted at: https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.co...
April 1, 2020
"Shame is the slick ichor / on sharp paper sheets, / pouring from a now / dry socket, ragged, deflated."
Severin is a sharp, poignant collection of poems, carefully crafted by Faust to invite the reader into a dark underground. The lyricism of the pieces allows readers to share in something that feels personal, yet at the same time lets each reader's imagination interpret twisted images in their own way. I can't wait to read more by Faust in the future!
Severin is a sharp, poignant collection of poems, carefully crafted by Faust to invite the reader into a dark underground. The lyricism of the pieces allows readers to share in something that feels personal, yet at the same time lets each reader's imagination interpret twisted images in their own way. I can't wait to read more by Faust in the future!
February 12, 2020
I didn't know what a lot of these poems meant so I was just a spectator for this one.
February 6, 2020
An eye-opening collection. I used to be the person who'd read poetry and say, "I don't get it." When I picked up this collection of poems, I was still that person. I was a few poems in when it dawned on me that poetry doesn't have to be about figuring out what the writer meant.
Just like a work of art on a gallery wall. I prefer to let the art move me, invoke emotion from me. Sometimes the work means something entirely different to me than the artist's intention, and I think that's okay.
Faust's poems made me realize that a work of poetry is more like a work of fine art--the observer can enjoy it and be moved by it in their own way. I don't have to "get it", it just has to get me.
Beautiful and dark imagery. Each poem has its own mood that has a way of slithering into your chest and touching you in the deep dark feels.
My favorites include Dry Socket, Cease, and Meemaw.
Just like a work of art on a gallery wall. I prefer to let the art move me, invoke emotion from me. Sometimes the work means something entirely different to me than the artist's intention, and I think that's okay.
Faust's poems made me realize that a work of poetry is more like a work of fine art--the observer can enjoy it and be moved by it in their own way. I don't have to "get it", it just has to get me.
Beautiful and dark imagery. Each poem has its own mood that has a way of slithering into your chest and touching you in the deep dark feels.
My favorites include Dry Socket, Cease, and Meemaw.
February 6, 2020
I probably say this in every review of a poetry collection, but I'm a literal minded person, and I take my time with poetry. I want to make sure I'm soaking in what the poet has to say, or at least feeling what they're wanting to convey. Lydian Faust's newest collection is full of quick knife thrusts of emotion. The majority of the poems are short, many only three lines or so, yet each word is measured, has weight and purpose. Faust strikes me as a master fencer - taking her stance, lunging in under your guard, a swift prick to the ribcage, then she's back in place, not a hair out of place while you're watching blood trickle down your belly.
Favorites included Meemaw (deliciously dark), Mab (fantastically irreverant) and Saint Louis (wide open and evocative.)
I love this author's writing, and her publications have become an insta buy for me.
Favorites included Meemaw (deliciously dark), Mab (fantastically irreverant) and Saint Louis (wide open and evocative.)
I love this author's writing, and her publications have become an insta buy for me.
January 27, 2020
I've been a fan of Lydian's artwork (novels, fashions, creative recipes, etc.) for a couple of years, and now I can add poetry to that list. In this dark collection, using a sparse but powerful form of lyrical imagery, Lydian proves her ability to reach into reader's chests and squeeze their souls. And the final piece, a short story called "Little Gus," was no exception. Always eager to see what she produces next.
February 3, 2020
Beautifully dark poetry that generates vivid imagery and emotion. In my humble opinion, reading and writing poetry is a very personal and cathartic experience. I enjoyed every piece that Lydian has presented to us in Severin although I did favour Little Death, Dry Socket, Figments, MAB and The Engineer. The short story Little Gus was a wonderful climax to the book. I highly recommend this book.
February 6, 2020
Review in the works
March 20, 2020
A short, but great collection of poetry that had me rereading it several times.
August 20, 2020
For me, poetry is one of the hardest things to review. Poems are so personal to the writer and discussing what speaks to you as a reader can leave you feeling vulnerable. It’s like catching your own reflection in someone else’s soul and trying to explain the experience. But that uncomfortable feeling is also a sign of great art, and I think Severin meets that criteria.
The collection begins with “Severin” which reads: “Severin slew her six sinning sisters- / strung them up on monkey bars / and waited for the stars to fall.” It’s an intriguing start and is what ties the collection together as the other poems relate to those sisters and what they represent.
As the book unfolds, Severin and her sisters appear to portray the guises of the seven deadly sins within the modern world. Pride exhibited in a never-ending quest for more followers on social media, the destruction of our planet through greed, and our sloth of looking busy for media posts while doing as little as possible in the real world. Now this is not to say the poems come across as some sort of religious soapboxing, I found them to be quite the contrary. Using complex imagery, blending science fiction and horror, the themes are present yet subtle.
The last entry in the collection, a short story called “Little Gus,” was my absolute favourite. If Beatrix Potter wrote a parable about gluttony, this would be it. Relying on her strength of setting nightmarish fairy tales, Lydian Faust tells the tale of rabbit people, the hard-hearted scythe-men, and the grotesque monstrosity known as “Mother.”
My only criticism is that most of the poems are quite short. In some cases that works, but in others it felt like we were only glancing the surface of a boiling rage. I wanted to linger in that feeling of wrath for just a little longer, until it blistered my hand, providing proof of the pain I’d touched.
Overall though Severin is a fantastic collection, and I hope to read more of Faust’s poetry in the future.
*This review first appeared on Kendall Reviews*
The collection begins with “Severin” which reads: “Severin slew her six sinning sisters- / strung them up on monkey bars / and waited for the stars to fall.” It’s an intriguing start and is what ties the collection together as the other poems relate to those sisters and what they represent.
As the book unfolds, Severin and her sisters appear to portray the guises of the seven deadly sins within the modern world. Pride exhibited in a never-ending quest for more followers on social media, the destruction of our planet through greed, and our sloth of looking busy for media posts while doing as little as possible in the real world. Now this is not to say the poems come across as some sort of religious soapboxing, I found them to be quite the contrary. Using complex imagery, blending science fiction and horror, the themes are present yet subtle.
The last entry in the collection, a short story called “Little Gus,” was my absolute favourite. If Beatrix Potter wrote a parable about gluttony, this would be it. Relying on her strength of setting nightmarish fairy tales, Lydian Faust tells the tale of rabbit people, the hard-hearted scythe-men, and the grotesque monstrosity known as “Mother.”
My only criticism is that most of the poems are quite short. In some cases that works, but in others it felt like we were only glancing the surface of a boiling rage. I wanted to linger in that feeling of wrath for just a little longer, until it blistered my hand, providing proof of the pain I’d touched.
Overall though Severin is a fantastic collection, and I hope to read more of Faust’s poetry in the future.
*This review first appeared on Kendall Reviews*
February 3, 2020
Let’s start with the cover. It’s beautiful, full of ambiguity and to be frank, as creepy as an Amish doll. Jump to the back cover, and at one point it says the same thing as the author’s bio – that Lydian Faust “…has no time for bullshit,”. Hysterical and true!
This 44 page collection of poems and short story is an interesting one. It’s full of social commentary about our behaviors and interaction with the digital world oppose to the “real” world, and the horror that we create for ourselves.
It’s really tough to go into any detail about the poems due to how short many of them are. But what I can say is they’re entertaining, I reread a few of them – I found myself initially reading over really interesting imagery – only to understand the whole picture better the second and third time around. Faust is a good poet, she’s the type that appears to put it all out there whether you like it or not. She does do that, but not so much on the surface-level. With her writing the meaning and soul is deeper than that.
The three lines I am compelled to add to this review is my absolute favorite from the poem Dry Socket:
“Shame on them;
forgiving Adam but blaming Eve,
who was only looking for a bite to eat.”
I don’t care who you are and what you like, if you can’t appreciate those three lines, do you even have a pulse? Can you not feel Faust’ bleeding heart? They moved me. They made me stop and reflect on what they really mean. What I took away from it was it’s how society treats males and females. How they treat females is unjust. STILL to this very day! Which is WHY Women In Horror Month is SO. DAMN. IMPORTANT! To stop and think…and to hopefully take away an answer on how we can work on making the change for a better future.
Little Gus—the short story at the end of this collection--was good…it was damn good. Faust has this way of writing stories that feel or pay tribute to fairy tales. Only, they’re dark. They’re fun. They’re violent in some pretty unique ways. I want to dive into specific examples, but I refuse to ruin those amazing scenes for any new readers to this story. I just…won’t be able to look at sweets the same ever again.
Faust is by no means new to the scene of horror, in her prose or poetry, and it shows in this collection. She’s someone I will forever be a fan of and she is someone I will forever push for you to read. So read this collection, dammit! It’s short enough to devour in one sitting and devour you will.
This 44 page collection of poems and short story is an interesting one. It’s full of social commentary about our behaviors and interaction with the digital world oppose to the “real” world, and the horror that we create for ourselves.
It’s really tough to go into any detail about the poems due to how short many of them are. But what I can say is they’re entertaining, I reread a few of them – I found myself initially reading over really interesting imagery – only to understand the whole picture better the second and third time around. Faust is a good poet, she’s the type that appears to put it all out there whether you like it or not. She does do that, but not so much on the surface-level. With her writing the meaning and soul is deeper than that.
The three lines I am compelled to add to this review is my absolute favorite from the poem Dry Socket:
“Shame on them;
forgiving Adam but blaming Eve,
who was only looking for a bite to eat.”
I don’t care who you are and what you like, if you can’t appreciate those three lines, do you even have a pulse? Can you not feel Faust’ bleeding heart? They moved me. They made me stop and reflect on what they really mean. What I took away from it was it’s how society treats males and females. How they treat females is unjust. STILL to this very day! Which is WHY Women In Horror Month is SO. DAMN. IMPORTANT! To stop and think…and to hopefully take away an answer on how we can work on making the change for a better future.
Little Gus—the short story at the end of this collection--was good…it was damn good. Faust has this way of writing stories that feel or pay tribute to fairy tales. Only, they’re dark. They’re fun. They’re violent in some pretty unique ways. I want to dive into specific examples, but I refuse to ruin those amazing scenes for any new readers to this story. I just…won’t be able to look at sweets the same ever again.
Faust is by no means new to the scene of horror, in her prose or poetry, and it shows in this collection. She’s someone I will forever be a fan of and she is someone I will forever push for you to read. So read this collection, dammit! It’s short enough to devour in one sitting and devour you will.
October 8, 2020
I don't read a lot of poetry. I have my favorites from Longfellow, Henley, Frost. My mother was a poet but I read more of her work after she passed away than when she was alive, which gave it even more power for me. I do enjoy reading collections of translated haiku. I really appreciate poetic lyricism in music, especially writer/performers like Tom Waits and Blixa Bargeld especially.
So, I guess my point is that I've read some poetry but I don't seek it out. If this collection wasn't written by an author I am already a fan of, I probably wouldn't have read it.
But Faust brings the same gift for evocative language to her poetry that she does to prose storytelling. These are bursts of emotion and echoing impressions of situations and atmospheres, real or imagined.
Sometimes cryptic. Sometimes Haunting. Always enjoyable and interesting.
Also, there is one prose short included that I had already read and enjoyed and that was a nice addition.
So, I guess my point is that I've read some poetry but I don't seek it out. If this collection wasn't written by an author I am already a fan of, I probably wouldn't have read it.
But Faust brings the same gift for evocative language to her poetry that she does to prose storytelling. These are bursts of emotion and echoing impressions of situations and atmospheres, real or imagined.
Sometimes cryptic. Sometimes Haunting. Always enjoyable and interesting.
Also, there is one prose short included that I had already read and enjoyed and that was a nice addition.
February 12, 2020
SEVERIN, which is chock full of lush imagery, is arranged to create a lovely flow. The collection consists of poetry and a short story at the end.
The poems channel mythology, art (Van Gogh, O’Keefe), social media, aging, and the horror of being human.
My favorites in the collection include “Severin,” “Auto-On,” “Post-Impressionist,” “Influencer,” “Trace,” “Hive Mind,” “Cells,” “Botany,” “Mab,” “The Engineer,” and “Meemaw.” “Cells” and “The Engineer” especially hit home for me on a personal level.
This is a great collection for poetry lovers and newbies alike. The collection, like the eye-catching cover, is bold and beautiful.
The poems channel mythology, art (Van Gogh, O’Keefe), social media, aging, and the horror of being human.
My favorites in the collection include “Severin,” “Auto-On,” “Post-Impressionist,” “Influencer,” “Trace,” “Hive Mind,” “Cells,” “Botany,” “Mab,” “The Engineer,” and “Meemaw.” “Cells” and “The Engineer” especially hit home for me on a personal level.
This is a great collection for poetry lovers and newbies alike. The collection, like the eye-catching cover, is bold and beautiful.
February 26, 2020
Faust pulls inspiration from times long forgotten to the hesitant uncertainty of future-worlds. Finds the intersection between what we've sacrificed in our mad rush from primal savagery to so-called "civil society," and reflects on whether we're really better off now. The poetry drips with a delicious darkness and impish black humor (sometimes subtle; sometimes overt), and the two fiction pieces that cap this collection are wonderfully divergent in terms of tone and style. Looking forward to reading Faust's "Forest Underground" (currently sitting on my shelf).
January 23, 2020
Two stars
I chose this rating because, while some of the poems were decent, I feel that a majority of the poems were made up of very muddled pieces of imagery which confused me and ruined the experience. The author’s writing was best when they didn’t rhyme. However, those small moments of good didn’t make up for the rest. I hope, however, the author continues to write and finds a large audience for their horror writing.
I chose this rating because, while some of the poems were decent, I feel that a majority of the poems were made up of very muddled pieces of imagery which confused me and ruined the experience. The author’s writing was best when they didn’t rhyme. However, those small moments of good didn’t make up for the rest. I hope, however, the author continues to write and finds a large audience for their horror writing.
September 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this poetry collection. The poems were fresh and evocative. I read a few of them multiple times because sometimes the lines didn't make sense until you read the ones after them. The mini-prose vignettes felt vast and were easily filled with my imagination.
January 27, 2020
In this collection, Lydian Faust shows she's just as adept at poetry as she is at prose.
January 5, 2021
I think I liked maybe one poem in this collection. I just really wasn't feel it, a jumble of words. Perhaps I just didn't get them. Either way I didn't enjoy it much at all
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