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The Fearing #2
Water & Wind
John F.D. Taff's epic apocalypse of terror, The Fearing, continues in Book Two: Water & Wind when a group of battle-worn seniors pick up the pieces of their ravaged lives and grapple with survival after the end of the world. And for the first time, they begin to notice an ominous pattern in the deluge of fears now roaming the earth.
Teenagers Kyle, Sarah and Carli sift through the devastation of their lost lives to find anything resembling hope for a future. But when Carli goes missing, the stakes get higher as the search for her takes a diabolical turn.
And the enigmatic Adam retains his tight-fisted grip on his submissive minion Jelnik as a series of unspeakable horrors follow in their wake as the two men travel west toward their dark destiny.
Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated independent publisher.
Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive.
Teenagers Kyle, Sarah and Carli sift through the devastation of their lost lives to find anything resembling hope for a future. But when Carli goes missing, the stakes get higher as the search for her takes a diabolical turn.
And the enigmatic Adam retains his tight-fisted grip on his submissive minion Jelnik as a series of unspeakable horrors follow in their wake as the two men travel west toward their dark destiny.
Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated independent publisher.
Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive.
- GenresHorror
120 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2018
8 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
John F.D. Taff
86 books258 followersJohn F.D. Taff is a multi-Bram Stoker Award short-listed dark fiction author with more than 30 years experience, and more than 100 short stories and seven novels in print.
He has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Eldritch Tales, Unnerving, Deathrealm, Big Pulp and One Buck Horror, as well as anthologies such as Hot Blood: Seeds of Fear, Hot Blood: Fear the Fever, Shock Rock II, Lullabies for Suffering, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Behold!, Shadows Over Main Street 2, Horror Library V, Best of Horror Library, Dark Visions Vol. 1, Ominous Realities, Death's Realm, I Can Taste the Blood and Savage Beasts. His work will appear soon in The Seven Deadliest and I Can Hear the Shadows.
His novels include The Bell Witch, Kill-Off and the serialized apocalyptic epic The Fearing. Thunderstorm Books and Grey Matter Press will release a one-volume version of The Fearing in 2021, in limited edition hardcover, soft cover and digital. Short fiction collections include Little Deaths: The Definitive Collection and Little Black Spots, both published by Grey Matter Press.
Taff's novella collection, The End in All Beginnings, was called one of the best novella collections by Jack Ketchum and was a Stoker Award Finalist. His short "A Winter's Tale" was also a Stoker Finalist.
His upcoming anthology Dark Stars, a tribute to that seminal '80s work Dark Forces, will be published by Tor/Nightfire 11/2/21.
His website is at johnfdtaff.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnfdtaff.
He has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Eldritch Tales, Unnerving, Deathrealm, Big Pulp and One Buck Horror, as well as anthologies such as Hot Blood: Seeds of Fear, Hot Blood: Fear the Fever, Shock Rock II, Lullabies for Suffering, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Behold!, Shadows Over Main Street 2, Horror Library V, Best of Horror Library, Dark Visions Vol. 1, Ominous Realities, Death's Realm, I Can Taste the Blood and Savage Beasts. His work will appear soon in The Seven Deadliest and I Can Hear the Shadows.
His novels include The Bell Witch, Kill-Off and the serialized apocalyptic epic The Fearing. Thunderstorm Books and Grey Matter Press will release a one-volume version of The Fearing in 2021, in limited edition hardcover, soft cover and digital. Short fiction collections include Little Deaths: The Definitive Collection and Little Black Spots, both published by Grey Matter Press.
Taff's novella collection, The End in All Beginnings, was called one of the best novella collections by Jack Ketchum and was a Stoker Award Finalist. His short "A Winter's Tale" was also a Stoker Finalist.
His upcoming anthology Dark Stars, a tribute to that seminal '80s work Dark Forces, will be published by Tor/Nightfire 11/2/21.
His website is at johnfdtaff.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnfdtaff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 11, 2019
This review was originally posted online August 19th, 2019 for Cemetery Dance
The Fearing is an epic, apocalyptic horror story by “King of Pain” John F. D. Taff, told over the course of multiple, individual book installments published by Grey Matter Press. Book One is titled Fire & Rain, which I reviewed for Cemetery Dance in June. Here’s a quote from the review:
And this is where Taff is a damn genius. He proves time and time again that in just a few pages, in just one scene, he can manipulate the feelings of his readers and make us care about these people on the page like THAT *snaps fingers*.
It’s this reader’s opinion that well-developed characters are essential to good horror, resulting in emotional engagement with the story. I can’t be scared or moved to feel anything if I’m indifferent about the people going through even the most well-written scenes of terror. I just want to care. I go into every book wanting to have my emotions manipulated by the author. It’s the great exchange.
Book Two: Water & Wind begins by introducing a new character. By the end of chapter one, Taff already leads me into a relationship with Reverend Mark Hubert. The narrative quickly transitions away from Mark, waiting out a horrific storm in some storage room of his church to pick up where we left off with characters from Book One— but I’m already eager to get back to Mark. What will happen to him?
We get to revisit our trio of teenagers, Carli, Kyle, and Sarah, as well as the older people on the bus: Rich, Wanda, Marcia, Glen, and Charles. I’m literally remembering these people’s names off the top of my head while I write this review because they’re so real to me. I love these people.
In this second, slim installment, we learn some theories about the storm and what the characters are experiencing, and we spend time with our antagonists, Adam and Jelnik. But this isn’t just fluff or filler—Taff is definitely gunning for our hearts as he exposes his characters to us through meaningful dialog, internal struggles and physical/mental anguish. By the end of Book Two, I’m already experiencing a reader’s hangover—saddened by my separation from my fictional friends while we wait for the Book Three. This is the story of the century.
And while some might be hesitant to jump in—maybe you’re thinking you’ll wait until all of the books are out to go on this journey—might I suggest to you that this is an experience quite unlike reading a story all the way through at your convenience; you get to be in control of how far you’ll go. Enjoying The Fearing one installment at a time is throwing yourself at the mercy of the “King of Pain” and I, for one, wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Fearing is an epic, apocalyptic horror story by “King of Pain” John F. D. Taff, told over the course of multiple, individual book installments published by Grey Matter Press. Book One is titled Fire & Rain, which I reviewed for Cemetery Dance in June. Here’s a quote from the review:
And this is where Taff is a damn genius. He proves time and time again that in just a few pages, in just one scene, he can manipulate the feelings of his readers and make us care about these people on the page like THAT *snaps fingers*.
It’s this reader’s opinion that well-developed characters are essential to good horror, resulting in emotional engagement with the story. I can’t be scared or moved to feel anything if I’m indifferent about the people going through even the most well-written scenes of terror. I just want to care. I go into every book wanting to have my emotions manipulated by the author. It’s the great exchange.
Book Two: Water & Wind begins by introducing a new character. By the end of chapter one, Taff already leads me into a relationship with Reverend Mark Hubert. The narrative quickly transitions away from Mark, waiting out a horrific storm in some storage room of his church to pick up where we left off with characters from Book One— but I’m already eager to get back to Mark. What will happen to him?
We get to revisit our trio of teenagers, Carli, Kyle, and Sarah, as well as the older people on the bus: Rich, Wanda, Marcia, Glen, and Charles. I’m literally remembering these people’s names off the top of my head while I write this review because they’re so real to me. I love these people.
In this second, slim installment, we learn some theories about the storm and what the characters are experiencing, and we spend time with our antagonists, Adam and Jelnik. But this isn’t just fluff or filler—Taff is definitely gunning for our hearts as he exposes his characters to us through meaningful dialog, internal struggles and physical/mental anguish. By the end of Book Two, I’m already experiencing a reader’s hangover—saddened by my separation from my fictional friends while we wait for the Book Three. This is the story of the century.
And while some might be hesitant to jump in—maybe you’re thinking you’ll wait until all of the books are out to go on this journey—might I suggest to you that this is an experience quite unlike reading a story all the way through at your convenience; you get to be in control of how far you’ll go. Enjoying The Fearing one installment at a time is throwing yourself at the mercy of the “King of Pain” and I, for one, wouldn’t have it any other way.
August 2, 2019
Review to follow...
October 10, 2019
John Taff is a bastard!! Let me clarify, he is a bastard in the best possible way. If anyone has ever read a John Taff book they will know why. The man has a reputation for being brutal to his characters and in this he killed off my favourite. Dam him, because it means I need to buy the next one. It means I need it NOW!!!!
Book Two in The Fearing series maintains the adrenaline thrill ride of the first book while deepening the characters and introducing a few new ones. This is a brilliant series, one that I enjoy with eager excitement for each new book as it’s released. If you haven’t started reading The Fearing fix that now.
Book Two in The Fearing series maintains the adrenaline thrill ride of the first book while deepening the characters and introducing a few new ones. This is a brilliant series, one that I enjoy with eager excitement for each new book as it’s released. If you haven’t started reading The Fearing fix that now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2019
"As they ran, things around them began to change. Where before there was nothing too far out of the ordinary, except for the lack of moving vehicles and people, now Mark saw all sorts of incongruous things out of the corner of his eyes. Storm damage everywhere, of course, but other things, harder to explain.
There, a stack, a pyramid of skulls, stripped of flesh, bleached white, piled near the side of the road next to a plain, rusted black mailbox.
A crowd of buzzards, huge, ugly birds with crooked beaks, ripping into a slurry of offal, human or animal he couldn't be sure. The organs glistened a wet, deep rust red, smelled of cooking liver.
A naked and wildly gesticulating...what? A mud-spackled old man, perhaps, capering around a chain of people bound together by loops of their own intestines pulled through wounds in their guts, tied around the midsection of the person in front of them. Each bent forward, bleeding, hopping bow-legged as they circled the gibbering creature that cackled madly at their center.
How was it possible they had missed these things before?"
I began this during a gloomy, grey afternoon. The wind was howling outside. Branches hitting the window, wind chimes adding to the beautifully haunting soundtrack. I was delighted that the weather here decided to cooperate with the theme, because if this book is anything, it is deliciously atmospheric!
The Fearing has all the perfect ingredients for an apocalyptic read - brutal manifestations of people’s fucked up nightmares & phobias; catastrophic disasters; stormy weather; questionable characters.
It feels undeniably cinematic in scope, which is pretty fucking spectacular considering how short these installments are. This serialized apocalyptic epic is truly such a unique take on the genre. As mentioned in my review of book one, Fire and Rain, The Fearing takes place over the course of four individual parts. It is being released nearly monthly, except for a break in September.. which is going to be one hell of a wait!
All over the United States, mysterious circumstances are taking place as we've learned from Fire and Rain. The growing dread from these events, as well as even more horrors take place in Water and Wind. Fiery hail, flying monkeys, cannibals, demons.. OH MY!
This picks up immediately after the first book. It throws the reader into the middle of a storm. Hurricane Ezra is shaping up to be incredibly powerful. It is here that we meet a new character, Reverend Mark Hubert. The Reverend is someone who has given up everything for the church. He finds himself alone, tied to a wooden pillar, waiting out the storm.
Along with Mark, we are introduced to a slew of new characters, however we don't find out much information about them just yet. Except for Monday. Monday is a teenager suffering from amnesia, after getting hit in the head during the hurricane. All that she remembers is her name. She ends up eventually crossing paths with Mark.
We also revisit the characters we have previously gotten to know - Marcia, Rich, Wanda, Charles and Glen, the group from the bus tour; Carli, Kyle and Sarah, the students who are unsure of their next step; and of course, Adam and Jelnik.
These books are lightning-fast reads, not only because of their length, but because you can't help but find yourself invested in this group of survivors. In the layers upon layers of Taff's storytelling.
This is just the second book of Taff's that I've read, but I have no doubt in my mind that he has earned his nickname, The King of Pain.
(Big thanks to Grey Matter Press for sending me a copy!)
**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**
There, a stack, a pyramid of skulls, stripped of flesh, bleached white, piled near the side of the road next to a plain, rusted black mailbox.
A crowd of buzzards, huge, ugly birds with crooked beaks, ripping into a slurry of offal, human or animal he couldn't be sure. The organs glistened a wet, deep rust red, smelled of cooking liver.
A naked and wildly gesticulating...what? A mud-spackled old man, perhaps, capering around a chain of people bound together by loops of their own intestines pulled through wounds in their guts, tied around the midsection of the person in front of them. Each bent forward, bleeding, hopping bow-legged as they circled the gibbering creature that cackled madly at their center.
How was it possible they had missed these things before?"
I began this during a gloomy, grey afternoon. The wind was howling outside. Branches hitting the window, wind chimes adding to the beautifully haunting soundtrack. I was delighted that the weather here decided to cooperate with the theme, because if this book is anything, it is deliciously atmospheric!
The Fearing has all the perfect ingredients for an apocalyptic read - brutal manifestations of people’s fucked up nightmares & phobias; catastrophic disasters; stormy weather; questionable characters.
It feels undeniably cinematic in scope, which is pretty fucking spectacular considering how short these installments are. This serialized apocalyptic epic is truly such a unique take on the genre. As mentioned in my review of book one, Fire and Rain, The Fearing takes place over the course of four individual parts. It is being released nearly monthly, except for a break in September.. which is going to be one hell of a wait!
All over the United States, mysterious circumstances are taking place as we've learned from Fire and Rain. The growing dread from these events, as well as even more horrors take place in Water and Wind. Fiery hail, flying monkeys, cannibals, demons.. OH MY!
This picks up immediately after the first book. It throws the reader into the middle of a storm. Hurricane Ezra is shaping up to be incredibly powerful. It is here that we meet a new character, Reverend Mark Hubert. The Reverend is someone who has given up everything for the church. He finds himself alone, tied to a wooden pillar, waiting out the storm.
Along with Mark, we are introduced to a slew of new characters, however we don't find out much information about them just yet. Except for Monday. Monday is a teenager suffering from amnesia, after getting hit in the head during the hurricane. All that she remembers is her name. She ends up eventually crossing paths with Mark.
We also revisit the characters we have previously gotten to know - Marcia, Rich, Wanda, Charles and Glen, the group from the bus tour; Carli, Kyle and Sarah, the students who are unsure of their next step; and of course, Adam and Jelnik.
These books are lightning-fast reads, not only because of their length, but because you can't help but find yourself invested in this group of survivors. In the layers upon layers of Taff's storytelling.
This is just the second book of Taff's that I've read, but I have no doubt in my mind that he has earned his nickname, The King of Pain.
(Big thanks to Grey Matter Press for sending me a copy!)
**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**
August 6, 2019
My review of THE FEARING: BOOK TWO - WATER AND WIND can be found at High Fever Books.
Grey Matter Press’s serialization of John F.D. Taff’s The Fearing continues with Water & Wind! Since The Fearing was originally envisioned as a single unbroken novel, reading Book One, Fire & Rain is an absolute must. Book Two picks up hot on the heels of the prior installment’s cliffhanger ending, inching the plot forward and starting to move the various players closer to their eventual destiny.
With the plot of The Fearing revolving around the violent manifestations of people’s worst nightmares and phobias, it’s hard to deny this book’s relevancy in 2019 America. While this is a story that Taff has been quite open about having taken him years to write, it’s hellaciously timely given the current state of the US. Granted, The Fearing itself is not overtly political and Taff certainly isn’t a preachy sort of author, but it’s release has most certainly come about at an interesting time in the world. I read this installment in the wake of two mass shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH this past weekend, watching as our feckless, spineless politicians fall all over themselves (in the case of Moscow Mitch, quite literally, it seems) in order to avoid making the harsh and necessary decisions required to keep the country safe. We’ve all watched the rise of white supremacy in this country under the rule of Donald Trump and seen the real-life horror stories of concentration camps being erected along the border, camps where children are torn away from their families and left to die in overcrowded and filthy cages. Ever since the 2016 election, it’s been one unstoppable nightmare after another, and we’ve been helpless to watch as our worst fears come true and the violent impulses of insane racists are fervently stoked by the Commander in Chief on a daily basis.
Given the present state of the world in which this book exists, it is absolutely impossible to deny the relevancy and weight Taff’s work carries in the here and now. The Fearing is a welcome escape, if only to remind us that it could be oh so much worse. There are still plenty of other awful catastrophes that could befall us as the inner demons of those around us are unleashed, so let’s be thankful that although America is in a race to the bottom to see how bad we can make things, it’s thankfully not quite yet as painful and apocalyptic as Taff’s envisioned it!
Using the concept of fear made manifest is one hell of a way to approach the end of the world, and it makes for, hands-down, the most original work of apocalyptic fiction I can recall. We’ve already been blessed with another wonderful apocalyptic epic this summer with Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers, and as much as I loved that book, I do believe it’s Taff’s serial that will ultimately have the most impact and timelessness. Wanderers is most certainly a book borne out of its time, but it also has a certain time capsule feel to it as Wendig confronts the social fears of 2019 and the Trump administration specifically. The Fearing approaches the apocalypse in a radically different way, and while it feels like the sort of book custom made for the times we are in, I also think it’s something you could read again in ten or twenty years (if we’re still around) and still have the same impact. I can’t imagine this book losing any of the more visceral gut punches it delivers as time moves on and society, hopefully, progresses. We might be able to eventually heal from the societal issues Wendig writes about in Wanderers, but there’s no escaping the fears Taff delivers.
Technology changes and grows, whether it’s artificial intelligence or weapons of mass destruction, but humanity’s fears are immortal. We’ll always be afraid of global Armageddon, be it nuclear war or meteor strikes or Biblical Rapture, terrorist attacks and Klan rallies, as well as more immediate and personal phobias like snakes and bugs. In fact, one of the smartest things Taff has done over the course of these two installments is progressing the manifestation of humanity’s fears from the big social worries and national anxieties to the more personal and intimate horrors. We get plenty of spectacle along the way, but by making these fears so immediate and perilous, as well as grounded in our character’s unique fears, we get a more personal view of these people and become closer to them as a result. And then, by the time you get to this installment’s cliffhanger, and realize that Book Three isn’t due out until October, you’ll know exactly why Taff is hailed as The King of Pain.
[Note: I received an advance readers copy of this title from the publisher.]
Grey Matter Press’s serialization of John F.D. Taff’s The Fearing continues with Water & Wind! Since The Fearing was originally envisioned as a single unbroken novel, reading Book One, Fire & Rain is an absolute must. Book Two picks up hot on the heels of the prior installment’s cliffhanger ending, inching the plot forward and starting to move the various players closer to their eventual destiny.
With the plot of The Fearing revolving around the violent manifestations of people’s worst nightmares and phobias, it’s hard to deny this book’s relevancy in 2019 America. While this is a story that Taff has been quite open about having taken him years to write, it’s hellaciously timely given the current state of the US. Granted, The Fearing itself is not overtly political and Taff certainly isn’t a preachy sort of author, but it’s release has most certainly come about at an interesting time in the world. I read this installment in the wake of two mass shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH this past weekend, watching as our feckless, spineless politicians fall all over themselves (in the case of Moscow Mitch, quite literally, it seems) in order to avoid making the harsh and necessary decisions required to keep the country safe. We’ve all watched the rise of white supremacy in this country under the rule of Donald Trump and seen the real-life horror stories of concentration camps being erected along the border, camps where children are torn away from their families and left to die in overcrowded and filthy cages. Ever since the 2016 election, it’s been one unstoppable nightmare after another, and we’ve been helpless to watch as our worst fears come true and the violent impulses of insane racists are fervently stoked by the Commander in Chief on a daily basis.
Given the present state of the world in which this book exists, it is absolutely impossible to deny the relevancy and weight Taff’s work carries in the here and now. The Fearing is a welcome escape, if only to remind us that it could be oh so much worse. There are still plenty of other awful catastrophes that could befall us as the inner demons of those around us are unleashed, so let’s be thankful that although America is in a race to the bottom to see how bad we can make things, it’s thankfully not quite yet as painful and apocalyptic as Taff’s envisioned it!
Using the concept of fear made manifest is one hell of a way to approach the end of the world, and it makes for, hands-down, the most original work of apocalyptic fiction I can recall. We’ve already been blessed with another wonderful apocalyptic epic this summer with Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers, and as much as I loved that book, I do believe it’s Taff’s serial that will ultimately have the most impact and timelessness. Wanderers is most certainly a book borne out of its time, but it also has a certain time capsule feel to it as Wendig confronts the social fears of 2019 and the Trump administration specifically. The Fearing approaches the apocalypse in a radically different way, and while it feels like the sort of book custom made for the times we are in, I also think it’s something you could read again in ten or twenty years (if we’re still around) and still have the same impact. I can’t imagine this book losing any of the more visceral gut punches it delivers as time moves on and society, hopefully, progresses. We might be able to eventually heal from the societal issues Wendig writes about in Wanderers, but there’s no escaping the fears Taff delivers.
Technology changes and grows, whether it’s artificial intelligence or weapons of mass destruction, but humanity’s fears are immortal. We’ll always be afraid of global Armageddon, be it nuclear war or meteor strikes or Biblical Rapture, terrorist attacks and Klan rallies, as well as more immediate and personal phobias like snakes and bugs. In fact, one of the smartest things Taff has done over the course of these two installments is progressing the manifestation of humanity’s fears from the big social worries and national anxieties to the more personal and intimate horrors. We get plenty of spectacle along the way, but by making these fears so immediate and perilous, as well as grounded in our character’s unique fears, we get a more personal view of these people and become closer to them as a result. And then, by the time you get to this installment’s cliffhanger, and realize that Book Three isn’t due out until October, you’ll know exactly why Taff is hailed as The King of Pain.
[Note: I received an advance readers copy of this title from the publisher.]
August 9, 2019
3.5⭐ rounded up
I think I may just not be cut out for the serial novel format. Novellas work for me because they are a complete story, but I have a hard time with reading an incomplete book, and having the story not really go anywhere. I think the concept of The Fearing as a whole is very interesting, but I was hoping for a little more action. Water & Wind is a lot of traveling, which is to be expected in a post-apocalyptic story.
There was a great creepy child scene in this book that was spooky, and I hope for more of that to come. There was also an animal scene I didn't care for (it's been a bad week for this for me), and I hope for less of that 😂.
Anyway, if you are wanting to pick up these books, I recommend also reading other reviews because there are other great reviewers whose brains work well with the serial format. There is nothing wrong with this story, and it's an intriguing setup. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
I think I may just not be cut out for the serial novel format. Novellas work for me because they are a complete story, but I have a hard time with reading an incomplete book, and having the story not really go anywhere. I think the concept of The Fearing as a whole is very interesting, but I was hoping for a little more action. Water & Wind is a lot of traveling, which is to be expected in a post-apocalyptic story.
There was a great creepy child scene in this book that was spooky, and I hope for more of that to come. There was also an animal scene I didn't care for (it's been a bad week for this for me), and I hope for less of that 😂.
Anyway, if you are wanting to pick up these books, I recommend also reading other reviews because there are other great reviewers whose brains work well with the serial format. There is nothing wrong with this story, and it's an intriguing setup. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
August 20, 2019
This book was a gift and this review is my own.
After The Fearing book 1 I was holding my breath for book 2 and does it deliver. The book takes over where the first ended but we are introduced to a new character Rev. Mark Hubert as he faces a unusual category 5 hurricane that is swinging into Savannah. The storm sets the tone as he struggles to survive but witnesses horror in the storm winds itself! We then revisit our survivors from the first book as they too struggle to survive the apocalyptic landscape for any answers. More information is revealed.. one that questions if anything can stop the destruction. No spoilers! I highly recommended reading book one first and follow with book 2. You’ll read non stop and at the end cry for book 3! Read immediately!!
After The Fearing book 1 I was holding my breath for book 2 and does it deliver. The book takes over where the first ended but we are introduced to a new character Rev. Mark Hubert as he faces a unusual category 5 hurricane that is swinging into Savannah. The storm sets the tone as he struggles to survive but witnesses horror in the storm winds itself! We then revisit our survivors from the first book as they too struggle to survive the apocalyptic landscape for any answers. More information is revealed.. one that questions if anything can stop the destruction. No spoilers! I highly recommended reading book one first and follow with book 2. You’ll read non stop and at the end cry for book 3! Read immediately!!
August 20, 2019
I'm happy to say Book Two is as good as Book One. I'm really enjoying this apocalyptic tale and the characters really make the care about them. As they battle the elements and their fear manifesting in physical forms, they continue to find a way to survive.
This time we meet a new character in the form of Reverend Mark Hubert, battling a ferocious storm. A man whose strong faith is shaken as he views impossible things, and has to make some unthinkable choices. We follow Rich, Marcia, Glen, Wanda and Charles from Book One as they attempt to understand what they're going through. One scene featuring Charles is particularly distressing as it highlights that fear can take many form, not just the weird and apocalyptic. Sometimes it comes down to the ways people do awful things to each other.
If you're planning to read The Fearing, you must start with Book One before Book Two. It's worth it. I can't wait to continue and hope these characters make it to the end!
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.
book blog | twitter | instagram
This time we meet a new character in the form of Reverend Mark Hubert, battling a ferocious storm. A man whose strong faith is shaken as he views impossible things, and has to make some unthinkable choices. We follow Rich, Marcia, Glen, Wanda and Charles from Book One as they attempt to understand what they're going through. One scene featuring Charles is particularly distressing as it highlights that fear can take many form, not just the weird and apocalyptic. Sometimes it comes down to the ways people do awful things to each other.
If you're planning to read The Fearing, you must start with Book One before Book Two. It's worth it. I can't wait to continue and hope these characters make it to the end!
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.
book blog | twitter | instagram
September 12, 2019
You know those rare books you find utterly impossible to put down? The ones you simply must digest in one sitting regardless of what chores need done or appointments you must keep? Well, this is one of those books. Short, fast paced & gripping this book draws you in and insists you don’t put it down again until you’re done.
Book two in The Fearing series picks up right where we left off, following our bus of terrified tourists, our love struck teens & of course the creepy Adam who seems to be the only one happy about what is happening with the world. This book also introduces two new characters in the form of the good Reverend Mark, who brings a little theological perspective to the apocalypse and the mysterious Monday, a young girl who has lost her memory after a head injury but appears to know a lot more than she is letting on.
This book begins to explore what is actually happening and why, positing two potential theories. Is this the collective fears of the world merely being expelled from their ‘vessel’ once it became full to capacity as Charles posited? Or perhaps this is the rapture as hypothesised by Reverend Mark and Monday? The rapture makes sense as it would explain the distinct lack of corpses laying around, but then why were these people left behind? They seem like a pretty decent bunch of people, hardly worthy of limbo, but even if they secretly have pasts or reasons to prevent them entering heaven outright, then what about the children? The baby carried by the butterfly lady or the young member of the Reverend’s flock? Surely those young souls would be sent to heaven being innocent and unsoiled by the world as of yet? I am personally drawn to the collective fear theory. I love the idea of the most concentrated fears being first, the ones held simultaneously by millions such as nuclear war or natural disasters, before the fears becoming more select and specific to the few survivors remaining. This would definitely fit with what is happening in both books so far. Could Adam be the ‘vessel’ in question? He begins book one overwhelmed with fears and anxieties, but as they have become released and acted out on others he has described feeling ‘lighter’ and less afraid. It was also explain his eery ability to know what everyone fears and how they will manifest. But if he is the vessel, Pandora’s box unleashing woes on to the world, then who is Monday?
And that brings me to the best part of this series, the fact that it gets you thinking, it gets you theorising, driving yourself crazy trying to figure out what is happening and who will survive. These books have everything you need in a good horror, believable and most importantly likeable characters with whom the reader sympathises, fast paced and well written action and an enemy that is a threat to all of us, including the readers: Fear itself. I read both book one and two in one sitting each and I cannot wait to read the third and final instalment in the series…can I have my copy now please?
*Grey Matter press and the author provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to both!
Book two in The Fearing series picks up right where we left off, following our bus of terrified tourists, our love struck teens & of course the creepy Adam who seems to be the only one happy about what is happening with the world. This book also introduces two new characters in the form of the good Reverend Mark, who brings a little theological perspective to the apocalypse and the mysterious Monday, a young girl who has lost her memory after a head injury but appears to know a lot more than she is letting on.
This book begins to explore what is actually happening and why, positing two potential theories. Is this the collective fears of the world merely being expelled from their ‘vessel’ once it became full to capacity as Charles posited? Or perhaps this is the rapture as hypothesised by Reverend Mark and Monday? The rapture makes sense as it would explain the distinct lack of corpses laying around, but then why were these people left behind? They seem like a pretty decent bunch of people, hardly worthy of limbo, but even if they secretly have pasts or reasons to prevent them entering heaven outright, then what about the children? The baby carried by the butterfly lady or the young member of the Reverend’s flock? Surely those young souls would be sent to heaven being innocent and unsoiled by the world as of yet? I am personally drawn to the collective fear theory. I love the idea of the most concentrated fears being first, the ones held simultaneously by millions such as nuclear war or natural disasters, before the fears becoming more select and specific to the few survivors remaining. This would definitely fit with what is happening in both books so far. Could Adam be the ‘vessel’ in question? He begins book one overwhelmed with fears and anxieties, but as they have become released and acted out on others he has described feeling ‘lighter’ and less afraid. It was also explain his eery ability to know what everyone fears and how they will manifest. But if he is the vessel, Pandora’s box unleashing woes on to the world, then who is Monday?
And that brings me to the best part of this series, the fact that it gets you thinking, it gets you theorising, driving yourself crazy trying to figure out what is happening and who will survive. These books have everything you need in a good horror, believable and most importantly likeable characters with whom the reader sympathises, fast paced and well written action and an enemy that is a threat to all of us, including the readers: Fear itself. I read both book one and two in one sitting each and I cannot wait to read the third and final instalment in the series…can I have my copy now please?
*Grey Matter press and the author provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to both!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2019
Water & Wind picks up right where fire And Rain’s cliff-hanger ending finished off. We are thrown straight into Hurricane Ezra and introduced to a new character Reverend Mark Hubert as he struggles to survive this category 5 beast, the reverend’s faith is being tested right off the bat and by the end of the first chapter I was completely invested in is character. I would say that Taff is not only the King Of Pain, but also The King Of Characterisation.
We are also introduced to another new character, a teenage girl called Monday who is suffering from amnesia and can only remember her name. She crosses paths with the Reverend and they quickly become comrades. I can’t wait to see where this friendship goes, I just love these two!
We also revisit all of our characters from book 1
Marcia, Rich, Wanda, Charles and Glen who are all on the bus tour and Carli, Kyle and Sarah, the students who are trying to figure out what the hell has happened and where to go next. And of course Adam and Jelnik. I don’t want to go into too much detail here as I don’t want to spoil anything but as the story continues these guys are beginning to have inklings as to why these terrifying things are happening and trying to prepare themselves as best they can for what terrors are in store for them next.
I said this after reading Fire & Rain but I’m going to say it again, I love the fact that The Fearing has been serialised, although I really don’t want to wait for the next part the anticipation of waiting for the next part is brilliant. The concept of the deepest, darkest and most terrifying fears of people manifesting themselves in reality is awesome, I really felt Taff beginning to unleash hell in Wind & Water and I just know there is worse to come. The imagery in this book and fear in the characters is second to none. I like the fact that the characters paths are beginning to cross and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Water & Wind ends on a cliff-hanger, I actually don’t think I am over the ending of this installment, in time I hope I can forgive you Mr Taff!
I know even after only two of the four installments, The Fearing will be on my favorite books of 2019 list, without a doubt!
We are also introduced to another new character, a teenage girl called Monday who is suffering from amnesia and can only remember her name. She crosses paths with the Reverend and they quickly become comrades. I can’t wait to see where this friendship goes, I just love these two!
We also revisit all of our characters from book 1
Marcia, Rich, Wanda, Charles and Glen who are all on the bus tour and Carli, Kyle and Sarah, the students who are trying to figure out what the hell has happened and where to go next. And of course Adam and Jelnik. I don’t want to go into too much detail here as I don’t want to spoil anything but as the story continues these guys are beginning to have inklings as to why these terrifying things are happening and trying to prepare themselves as best they can for what terrors are in store for them next.
I said this after reading Fire & Rain but I’m going to say it again, I love the fact that The Fearing has been serialised, although I really don’t want to wait for the next part the anticipation of waiting for the next part is brilliant. The concept of the deepest, darkest and most terrifying fears of people manifesting themselves in reality is awesome, I really felt Taff beginning to unleash hell in Wind & Water and I just know there is worse to come. The imagery in this book and fear in the characters is second to none. I like the fact that the characters paths are beginning to cross and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Water & Wind ends on a cliff-hanger, I actually don’t think I am over the ending of this installment, in time I hope I can forgive you Mr Taff!
I know even after only two of the four installments, The Fearing will be on my favorite books of 2019 list, without a doubt!
October 27, 2019
**Review originally posted HERE on Sci-Fi & Scary.**
This one didn’t quite get under my skin the way book one did, but book 2 of The Fearing serialization still left me feeling pretty thoroughly spooked and uncomfortable. And that’s always a good thing in my books!
Water & Wind picks up right where Fire & Rain left off. We’ve got the same cast of characters, plus a couple of new additions in the form of Mark and Monday. I won’t touch too much on the plot given that this is book 2, but suffice to say that the terror Taff inflicts on his characters in book 1 does not let up in this second installment.
Given that this is a continuation of the same story, I can’t help but compare the two Fearing books. I think where this book lost a bit of steam for me, as compared to the first one, is that the lulls in the action are more pronounced here. Book one was all terror, all the time as the premise was set up. Book two is more focused on the aftermath and, in a sense, the smaller fears of the characters. The horror is very much still there, and this book had me on the edge of my seat a few times, but the relentless fear of the first book left me craving a bit more from this one. All that said, I still loved my time with this book, and the ending left me completely and utterly gutted.
With the way this one ended, I was definitely left craving the next installment! I continue to be intrigued by the serialized format of this book, and I can’t wait to see what book 3 will have in store. Undoubtedly more horror and misery for the characters – does it make me a bad person if I say I can’t wait!?
This one didn’t quite get under my skin the way book one did, but book 2 of The Fearing serialization still left me feeling pretty thoroughly spooked and uncomfortable. And that’s always a good thing in my books!
Water & Wind picks up right where Fire & Rain left off. We’ve got the same cast of characters, plus a couple of new additions in the form of Mark and Monday. I won’t touch too much on the plot given that this is book 2, but suffice to say that the terror Taff inflicts on his characters in book 1 does not let up in this second installment.
Given that this is a continuation of the same story, I can’t help but compare the two Fearing books. I think where this book lost a bit of steam for me, as compared to the first one, is that the lulls in the action are more pronounced here. Book one was all terror, all the time as the premise was set up. Book two is more focused on the aftermath and, in a sense, the smaller fears of the characters. The horror is very much still there, and this book had me on the edge of my seat a few times, but the relentless fear of the first book left me craving a bit more from this one. All that said, I still loved my time with this book, and the ending left me completely and utterly gutted.
With the way this one ended, I was definitely left craving the next installment! I continue to be intrigued by the serialized format of this book, and I can’t wait to see what book 3 will have in store. Undoubtedly more horror and misery for the characters – does it make me a bad person if I say I can’t wait!?
August 26, 2019
Seriously Taff… Seriously! 😑 Nooooooooooo!!!! 😭
THE FEARING BOOK TWO: WATER & WIND – Highly Recommend!
THE FEARING BOOK TWO: WATER & WIND – Highly Recommend!
July 9, 2020
*I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
The Fearing Book 2 is the second part of John F.D. Taff's post apocalyptic serial.
Book 2 picks up immediately where the first left off- with the group of high schoolers try to pick up the pieces of their ravaged lives and grapple with surviving the apocalypse. And for the first time, the characters realize an ominous pattern in the fears now roaming the Earth.
The enigmatic Adam retains his grip on his now submissive minion, Jelnik, as a series of horrors follow in their wake as they head west.
We are introduced to some new characters- a Reverend, who is facing a category 5 hurricane that is bringing more horrors than just itself. And Monday, a teenager with amnesia.
The Fearing Book 2 sets a prescedant that no one character is safe from the chopping block. Using fantastic and terrifying imagery, we get a glimpse of the terrors that our survivors are facing and we are giddy with the fact that these people from all of the country will soon meet! So many questions to be answered! Bring on Book 3!
The Fearing Book 2 is the second part of John F.D. Taff's post apocalyptic serial.
Book 2 picks up immediately where the first left off- with the group of high schoolers try to pick up the pieces of their ravaged lives and grapple with surviving the apocalypse. And for the first time, the characters realize an ominous pattern in the fears now roaming the Earth.
The enigmatic Adam retains his grip on his now submissive minion, Jelnik, as a series of horrors follow in their wake as they head west.
We are introduced to some new characters- a Reverend, who is facing a category 5 hurricane that is bringing more horrors than just itself. And Monday, a teenager with amnesia.
The Fearing Book 2 sets a prescedant that no one character is safe from the chopping block. Using fantastic and terrifying imagery, we get a glimpse of the terrors that our survivors are facing and we are giddy with the fact that these people from all of the country will soon meet! So many questions to be answered! Bring on Book 3!
August 24, 2019
I couldn’t wait for this one for sure! John D Taff continues his serial novel about a mysterious apocalyptic event in this second volume of The Fearing. I love how Taff slowly pulls back the layers in this second volume where the nature of this end of the word event starts to become a little clearer. Fears indeed, oh and our individual fears can have such consequences for those around us. I don’t want to go into to much on that but that poor puppy, I can’t believe it! The characters from volume 1 are back and as good it is to seek them again it was nice being introduced to a few new characters as well. This pull towards a certain location that everyone is feeling has me really intrigued for the next volume due out in October. I have to say though, that ending, that’s how to do s cliffhanger, I NEVER saw that coming. Highly recommended, pick the first book up and this one as well, it’s absolutely worth your time. Highly recommended!
September 1, 2019
Damnit I need book three right now after finishing this! Taff has created a masterpiece here and is a mad genius in splitting it up into four books. I'm loving this concept of a serial novel, giving us the exact opposite of our binge culture. Now we have to wait and savour the story we have so far.
Taff has taken what we know in the first book and given us the day after (in a sense). Our characters are starting to grasp that the events we've seen so far is much bigger than what they thought. They can see that people's fears are coming to life, but aren't sure why. We also get a few new characters to show us another part of the country, but it's nice to go back to who we know. And it's these characters that make this story so personal and real.
Just go ahead and start reading these novellas you won't be disappointed. But you will be wishing that you had the other two books so you can see what happens next.
Taff has taken what we know in the first book and given us the day after (in a sense). Our characters are starting to grasp that the events we've seen so far is much bigger than what they thought. They can see that people's fears are coming to life, but aren't sure why. We also get a few new characters to show us another part of the country, but it's nice to go back to who we know. And it's these characters that make this story so personal and real.
Just go ahead and start reading these novellas you won't be disappointed. But you will be wishing that you had the other two books so you can see what happens next.
September 12, 2019
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
After listening to book one of the series "fire and rain" I was so excited to get the chance to listen to book two! This was an excellent continuation of the story.
We follow our characters on this terrifying ride of survival, all the while trying to figure out what even happened in the place. I am enjoying these books! The ideas are wonderfully different. Is it appcolypic? Is it the rapture? No one is sure what is happening, only one man seems to know, but he's not giving much away. He seems to have a secret mission he's on. Everyone else left are just trying to survive.
This one ended on another cliff hanger ugh!! Can't wait to get the next one to continue on!!
Narration is excellent! Easily kept me engaged with the story. Five stars over all!
After listening to book one of the series "fire and rain" I was so excited to get the chance to listen to book two! This was an excellent continuation of the story.
We follow our characters on this terrifying ride of survival, all the while trying to figure out what even happened in the place. I am enjoying these books! The ideas are wonderfully different. Is it appcolypic? Is it the rapture? No one is sure what is happening, only one man seems to know, but he's not giving much away. He seems to have a secret mission he's on. Everyone else left are just trying to survive.
This one ended on another cliff hanger ugh!! Can't wait to get the next one to continue on!!
Narration is excellent! Easily kept me engaged with the story. Five stars over all!
September 6, 2019
I made it through the impossible wait to get Book 2, and snapped it up in two sittings. (It would have been one, but toddler, so...) The second installment lived up to the promise of the first - the tale is unfolding with beautiful pacing, new characters, and new elements. It's not just an endless inventory of things that scare you, it's a fully imagined story arc encompassing characters you care about. I'm excited for Book 3, and I think this works so well as a serial release. John F.D. Taff is a gifted writer, and I can't wait to pick up more of his work.
August 9, 2019
Review Copy
Characters that you can see, feel and understand. Fears that you wish you didn't have. A rich painting done only with words.
This is THE FEARING: BOOK TWO, which picks up where the first leaves off. Don't even consider reading them out of order. It just won't work. This dystopian horror tale has some horrible images, one can only wonder what is yet to come.
Put in your order, I highly recommend it.
Characters that you can see, feel and understand. Fears that you wish you didn't have. A rich painting done only with words.
This is THE FEARING: BOOK TWO, which picks up where the first leaves off. Don't even consider reading them out of order. It just won't work. This dystopian horror tale has some horrible images, one can only wonder what is yet to come.
Put in your order, I highly recommend it.
January 2, 2020
There's part two in the bag, and it actually ups the ante as things start to get real. Or maybe that should be surreal. Our various protagonists start to figure out what might be going on, but it doesn't stop the amount of crap that happens to them. I cannot wait for book three.
Full series review here - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2020/01/...
Full series review here - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2020/01/...
October 22, 2019
Wow. The first installment of this story now seems like a teaser with all the great action and character development in this part. It's a great read and the author does another amazing job in getting you to read to the end and immediately want the next part of this story, which is exactly where I'm headed.
October 1, 2019
Just finished. I’m emotional. I have no doubt that what I just read was equal in excellence to Book One, but....damn. Lol. Damn damn damn. I need to go read Peppa Pig to my daughter and find my smile...and then go do some digging and figure out when Book Three will be released.
September 11, 2019
Really loving this story so far and where it is heading. Its hard to judge a story properly while only on it's second quarter, but, as usual, Taff hits all the right notes and left me hungry for more fear. Bring on Book Three!
August 6, 2019
Review to be posted on Signal Horizon.
August 12, 2019
Book two is a great installment in the series as we learn more about what is going on!
August 16, 2019
*review pending*
September 6, 2020
The second book of John F. D. Taff’s four-novella series begins with chapter eleven, just like a sequel should do when the previous instalment ended with chapter ten. A new character is introduced, Reverend Mark Hubert, whose story interlaces with the three narrated in the first book, to which the author returns, in turn, chapter after chapter. Mark has to face catastrophic and enigmatic events similar to those the protagonists of the other stories had and still have to face. Each group of survivors independently reaches the conclusion that, whatever is happening to the world, their worst fears are becoming real, and this time they are dealing with — in random order — devils, hail on fire, fire itself, a meteorite, the Ku Klux Klan, a possessed child, wasps and all kinds of insects, creeping plants and reptiles, cannibals and more. The most mysterious character still remains Adam who seems to be following a plan and is somehow achieving prescience, if not omniscience. “The Fearing, Book Two: Water & Wind” is as involving as book one and induces in the reader a state of anxiety that only reading the next instalments could hopefully soothe. After the unexpected twist in the last few pages, I instantly felt he urge to start reading book three.
December 19, 2023
3.5 / 5 for 'The Fearing Book 2' by John FD Taff
An enjoyable continuation of Taff's horror series / split book 'The Fearing'. Exciting and intriguing with great dialogue and characterisation, but as with Book 1, it isn't very horrific as yet.
An enjoyable read though.
3.5 / 5
An enjoyable continuation of Taff's horror series / split book 'The Fearing'. Exciting and intriguing with great dialogue and characterisation, but as with Book 1, it isn't very horrific as yet.
An enjoyable read though.
3.5 / 5
July 19, 2025
Things are getting uglier for our survivors. We’ve met a few more folks, had a handful of fears show themselves in the light. That ending though, a real punch to the gut. On to book three, and a five star for this one.
August 26, 2024
Great continuation in which our band of characters experience a world where your deepest fear becomes flesh…and tries to eat you…
8.5 blood splattered road signs out of 10
8.5 blood splattered road signs out of 10
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