Summerland: The Gospel of Noah

by Tony Sosa

Suffering from night terrors and nocturnal visitations from spirits beyond the veil, Noah’s life has always been a far cry from normal. But in a town like Summerland, the absence of normalcy is the status quo. He’d heard the legends and knew the story about how the devil was raised up in the Blood Wood by witches 300 years ago. Noah believes it might all be true, and a charming ghost from his past might hold the key to all the answers. But can he be trusted? As Summerland finds itself plagued with cult murders, Noah must confront the disturbing truth of his family bloodline and accept his destiny before he tempts the hand of fate.

Genres: Horror

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2020

Reviews

[Pan | Book Reviews and Recommendations · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far in 2020, I have managed to devour many fantastic books. 'Summerland : The Gospel of Noah' by Tony Sosa has found its rightful place in the top ten.

Tony was awesome enough to send me a copy of his book for review and I was pleasantly blown away by it.

Dark, seductive, with equal parts of horror, mysticism and suspense, this literary voyage into a world of magic was a true delight.

Bringing to mind films such as Angel Heart meats Suspiria meats Holy Mountain, 'Summerland : The Gospel of Noah' is a truly unique journey into a world steeped in witchcraft, magic and folklore.

For the trained disciple who can lift the veil of mysticism, there is a study of the craft underlying beyond the truly engaging story. This is not just the result of extensive research, but also the embodiment of one's true devotion to his call.

As for the casual reader, the book is a wonderful journey laced with cleverly crafted characters, writing that comes straight from the heart and a story that will keep you awake at night just to finish one more chapter.

The leading character, Noah, is going through a transformational journey to discover his true self amidst cult related murders, family secrets and fragile relationships, balancing on a thin rope that separates heaven from hell.

This dark diamond of a horror book will cuddle up with you and the only thing you have to do is to enjoy the journey. Because this is what this book is really about. A beautiful, dark, literary journey. One that will probably enable discover your true self.

I loved it and I really look forward for the next Gospel.

Get it at:
https://www.amazon.com/Summerland-Gos...#

[Julia Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also reviewed on www.curiosityboughtthebook.com


When you hold Summerland in your hands, you get more than just a book about an old influential and powerful family, and a wanna-be magician who never really fit in. No, within these pages you find a journey of self discovery laced with folklore and mysticism.


Tony Sosa is an extremely talented writer, and I believe this book should be a staple in any bookstore. If you enjoy reading about witches, the dark arts, and family secrets then I urge you to pick up a copy. You won’t regret it.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book by Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

There were definitely some issues with the book, but it had some high points. I don't need to rehash the plot - look up the plot summary. And then forget it because it goes EVERYWHERE. There is so much going on and the interchangeable use of God/god/Lord is nuts. And the grammatical errors and typos do actually impact some of the understanding. I did struggle to finish because it was much longer than it needed to be; it could have done with some editing in the "What is needed" department. I also feel like the author was trying too hard to create a "new" and "fresh" protagonist, but all we ended up with was one that you forgot was supposed to be 27 and, at least in my case, kept thinking was a whiny teenager. And what about poor Ava? We just forgot about her when all was said and done?!

It was just eh.

[Krys · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t get past the purple prose and blatant allusions to already popular media (a ghostly white doe? …. the Wild Hunt? I know where you got these from…). There could be an interesting story here, but unfortunately the problems are too soon in the story and too hard for me to ignore to continue. Perhaps with a re-work and more editing I would be keen to read further. Or perhaps I’m just not the right audience?

I feel bad about the rating, but I had to be honest.

DNF. Received from Vivacious Readers Only.

[Tasmin Bradshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sadly disliked this book. It was to matter of fact. A lot of telling not showing for my taste.

I was given a copy from VoraciousReadersOnly for an honest review but I don't know what else to say about it

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some folks are surprised to learn that I read and love horror, and this book is an example of why I do. Reading outside my comfort zone forces me to question, makes me think, turns the spyglass of scrutiny at every possible thing - nothing is off limits to honest inquiry. This is not an exercise in superficial indulgence of self, but one I find gives new understanding for the experiences of others. In this case, Noah.
A young man of affluent birth in a small southern town gifted with the privileges of whiteness and wealth - we soon learn all is not well. Noah battles with his own inner demons, society's dislike of his sexual identity, his need for the approval of the resident hot-shot magician, his struggle with visions and nightmares of spirits, he learns that all of the smoke and mirrors is just covering up the town's largest and oldest secret and his central role in it. Heavy exploration of the intersection of Christianity and witchcraft with persecution and gruesome cult murder at its core. And while this is fiction I encourage you to look closely at the broader themes of "other".
Detractors for this are in my case purely personal, a bit wordy and explanatory in some parts when a briefer introspection or meaningful dialogue would do. Don't let that stop you from enjoying this horrific exploration of humanity's lust for power in the name of whatever god you serve.
Thanks to the author and Voracious Readers for the free e-copy, this is my honest review.

[Liz Keller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers. I did not complete it, but got to 40%.

I think my favorite part of this book was the sort of slow body horror with the Devil and spirits lurking in the shadows. If it had been a 250 page book with that sort of dark Southern Gothic horror and the coven it would have been great.

The cons: It's hard to put my finger on, but some of the gender stereotyping just felt outdated and weird. The main character is supposed to be 26 but he really feels more like 16. At the point the book really picks up the pace it just adds way too much into the story. It tried to do everything at once.

I mean the devil, witches, cocaine, good wizards (maybe), witch hunters, a prophecy, it was a little much. And it was all dumped on us very quickly. Additionally, I don't care that you've heard rumors about a coven summoning the devil, I think anyone would have a little WTF moment finding out your mom and all her friends worship the devil.

[Neal Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book from Voracious Readers (free books and great for finding new authors!). I hadn't really much in this genre to be honest. Sure, I've read a bunch of Stephan King, but aside from that, the horror genre I've left out mainly out of ignorance and not knowing where to start. It always seemed interesting to me and because of this book, I'd like to keep reading more!

I don't want to write a spoiler review, rather, I want to write about how I felt. There are parts that make you genuinely uncomfortable and uneasy. It's a good thing. Any book that brings out the emotion that the writer is trying to evoke has done its job. Summerland will bring out the creeps. If you're into that, give it a read.

5 stars for me is a book I'd like to either read again or read what comes next. This falls into that category.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t normally read horror, but the witchy premise intrigued me so I thought I’d give it a go. And then I found I couldn’t put it down! It’s a real page turner - I was hooked almost immediately and I loved the constant state of suspense and uncertainty that the author created. The book is beautifully written and I never quite managed to figure out where the story was going – which is something I love to experience when I’m reading. I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series!

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Lisa Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review...

It is not the genre of book I would normally choose to read but I am trying to give new types a go and this one did not disappoint! I was hooked from the start and finished it over 2 days. It was a book that I could completely lose myself in and feel like I was actually there. It was a very exciting read and the author is very good at drawing you in and taking you on a magical journey. Would highly recommend.

[Isla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summerland: The Gospel Of Noah had me gripped. It made me laugh, cry and gasp. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I am definitely going to pick up more books.
Following Noah the book shows the ups and downs of young adulthood while also having a darker story line to it. There are several unexpected twists along the day which keeps the story fresh, and a variety of characters all with their pros and cons.

[Mab · Rating 3 out of 5]

The descriptions of the scenes were fantastic. I especially loved the depictions of the forest and fireflies at night. But I found two things that really stuck out to me: the dialogue and the relationships between characters. The dialogue read like a soap opera script, and the grammar (colloquialisms?) was difficult to consume. It felt like every character was hiding some deep, dark secret, and each lining up to betray the other. I wondered if there were any positive relationships between characters or if all the characters were self-serving.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the dialogue sometimes made it challenging to get through the pages. 

*Received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*

[Patricia Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I really was not sure about it as cult stories aren’t something I usually read but this was extremely good and I may follow up on the rest of the series! The story kept me involved the whole time and I was dying to know how it would turn out! Love this!

I received a copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers.

[Danielle Keene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to get through this book. I have giving it 3 stars as maybe this type of genre isn't for me as I'm trying to bring new stories to help with my own writing abilities but this was just not for me.. I think I also struggled keep up with what was going on. My review means nothing as I just couldn't get into it.

[Marie Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just could not finish this book, it was so slow at first then it picked up and then it just stopped ! There was no depth to the story and I just found it flat and uninteresting .

[Kirsty Taff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book, absolutely amazing.

[Kai Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a difficult read due to the amount of typos and grammatical errors. This could be better with another editing. There are a lot of young adults that would enjoy this story.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packed with occultist mysticism, Summerland is an utterly enchanting novel, overflowing with an atmosphere reminiscent of The Witch. This is the kind of book that grabs the reader, and pulls them into its pages, wherein they will be greeted with characters so compelling, they refuse to be forgotten.

As raw as it is beautiful, this poetically crafted book is not the typical horror novel, it's a truly unique experience full of folkloric magic and wondrous witchcraft. Equally powerful and seductive, this delightfully dark tale will take you on a journey through the eyes of Noah, as he wades through a world full of deceit, in hopes of discovering his true self.

Captivating from start to finish, Summerland is perfect for horror novices and experts alike, and has quickly become one of the best, and strangest experiences I've had while reading a book.

[Sabrina K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book rec from an old co-worker who knew the author. He bought the book and gave me a copy of it. This was not something I think I was prepared for and I definitely enjoyed reading it. The beginning felt very clunky and made me feel like I was dragging myself through to get to the meat of the book. It had a creepy and eerie undertone to the entirety of the book and I would truly classify this as "horror" genre.

I think this was a fantastic book to create and I loved how his thought process was with the timeline and the feelings of the characters. I got literal goosebumps several times across the novel and it was a great read!!