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Sleeping Underwater
Niles Townsend is a private detective, and a struggling survivor of supernatural violence. With his eye on retirement, he takes one final case, recovering a box of stolen mementos for architectural Wunderkind Carter Bennet.
In short order, Niles falls in love with his new client, that new client is kidnapped, and violence and the supernatural are back on the menu. So much for retirement.
With the help of an assassin, the search for Carter leads Niles to an immigrant gang from rogue nation Sel Souris and their illicit trade in a drug made from ground beetles found only on their island. Niles is unaware that his past lives link him to the colonial history of Sel Souris, and that he was instrumental in the destruction of their island's numinous and strange magic. Of this magic, only the beetles remain as a hopeful flicker.
Sleeping Underwater explores the legacy of trauma, tracing scars travelling down one life into the next. Niles Townsend is about to learn that some mysteries can never be understood, and that love, even illegal love, is powerful enough to reach inside and heal, no matter how far we've withdrawn from the world.
In short order, Niles falls in love with his new client, that new client is kidnapped, and violence and the supernatural are back on the menu. So much for retirement.
With the help of an assassin, the search for Carter leads Niles to an immigrant gang from rogue nation Sel Souris and their illicit trade in a drug made from ground beetles found only on their island. Niles is unaware that his past lives link him to the colonial history of Sel Souris, and that he was instrumental in the destruction of their island's numinous and strange magic. Of this magic, only the beetles remain as a hopeful flicker.
Sleeping Underwater explores the legacy of trauma, tracing scars travelling down one life into the next. Niles Townsend is about to learn that some mysteries can never be understood, and that love, even illegal love, is powerful enough to reach inside and heal, no matter how far we've withdrawn from the world.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2019
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Laird Ryan States
4 books9 followersRyan States was born in Calgary Alberta on Oct 18, 1971. He spent his childhood in Saskatoon, and returned to Alberta as adult.
He lives with his platonic life parter, another writer, Gayleen Froese, and a great many animals.
In addition to his writing, he is an actor and occasional standup comedian, and is employed as a corporate trainer.
He has self published two books, Souria, and Silver Bullets. His third novel, Sleeping Underwater is to be released November 28, 2019 from Coffin Hop Press.
He lives with his platonic life parter, another writer, Gayleen Froese, and a great many animals.
In addition to his writing, he is an actor and occasional standup comedian, and is employed as a corporate trainer.
He has self published two books, Souria, and Silver Bullets. His third novel, Sleeping Underwater is to be released November 28, 2019 from Coffin Hop Press.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 6, 2020
Thoughts:
A wonderfully mind bending little trip of a story, the mystery of the world never felt smothering and though the magic itself was extremely important it never felt more important than the characters themselves and it just happily did its thing mostly in the background (somehow particularly when it was at the forefront of the story).
The authors pacing was very well done, I never felt stuck and every time it felt like I needed to come up for breath there was a refreshing shift in perspective so no part ever overstayed its welcome.
That said where most of the writing was really good many of the actual conversations between characters felt stiff, and overly formal. And for being a story with English (and assorted other nationalities) characters there was a bit of a disconnect with the american slang and writing style with a few british terms sprinkled about. Thats a pretty petty nit to pick, but by god im going to pick it! Because I cant really call out the book on much else.
All of that said, it may not be one I would actively recommend if only because Urban Fantasy Romance with a heavy dose of Private Eye seems like a pretty niche collection of genres that may put some people off. But if you are already interested, or if something about it caught your eye? It drew me in and held my attention like a vice. So you might like it!
Also. NEVER. TRUST. FAIRIES.
(Okay I know they arent fairies. But the point stands damnit.)
A wonderfully mind bending little trip of a story, the mystery of the world never felt smothering and though the magic itself was extremely important it never felt more important than the characters themselves and it just happily did its thing mostly in the background (somehow particularly when it was at the forefront of the story).
The authors pacing was very well done, I never felt stuck and every time it felt like I needed to come up for breath there was a refreshing shift in perspective so no part ever overstayed its welcome.
That said where most of the writing was really good many of the actual conversations between characters felt stiff, and overly formal. And for being a story with English (and assorted other nationalities) characters there was a bit of a disconnect with the american slang and writing style with a few british terms sprinkled about. Thats a pretty petty nit to pick, but by god im going to pick it! Because I cant really call out the book on much else.
All of that said, it may not be one I would actively recommend if only because Urban Fantasy Romance with a heavy dose of Private Eye seems like a pretty niche collection of genres that may put some people off. But if you are already interested, or if something about it caught your eye? It drew me in and held my attention like a vice. So you might like it!
Also. NEVER. TRUST. FAIRIES.
(Okay I know they arent fairies. But the point stands damnit.)
January 4, 2020
A beautiful fever dream. A detective story with rich characters. A love story. A monster story. A modern story. A period piece. A representative story of LGBTQ+ and polyamory. A fantasy and a nightmare. A brilliant work of false documents.
Truly a story with no genre.
I just finished reading it from cover to cover. And I am so sad to leave this world until another is written.
Truly a story with no genre.
I just finished reading it from cover to cover. And I am so sad to leave this world until another is written.
March 10, 2020
A fantastic read that was surprising and touching and insightful over and again. I'm frankly astonished that it's possible to reveal new twists relentlessly, have everything hold together without contradicting itself and leave the reader with a satisfying and haunting sense of wonder and loss.
Definitely falls into the 'lost a lot of sleep because I couldn't put it down' category.
Definitely falls into the 'lost a lot of sleep because I couldn't put it down' category.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews