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Fear
Nurse Stitch has her mouth sewn shut and her memory erased.
John Doe has undergone 'nightmare surgery', his memory also erased, replaced by crippling trauma and delusions.
Mahmoud Farouz is a captured insurgent from Iraq who is going to be used by a special Black Op organization to make America feel fear again.
When these three prisoners of a secret underground torture facility band together to escape, they cannot realize that not only has their torture been orchestrated, but so too will be their path to freedom.
John Doe has undergone 'nightmare surgery', his memory also erased, replaced by crippling trauma and delusions.
Mahmoud Farouz is a captured insurgent from Iraq who is going to be used by a special Black Op organization to make America feel fear again.
When these three prisoners of a secret underground torture facility band together to escape, they cannot realize that not only has their torture been orchestrated, but so too will be their path to freedom.
- GenresThriller
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2021
3 people are currently reading
663 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 3, 2021
*Originally reviewed at IndieMuse
* https://www.myindiemuse.com/author/mo...
“Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality”
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fTDV...
*(I will explain this link at the of the review)
Rob Bliss caught my radar last year when I saw the cover for THE PIGG BROS (still on my wish list), so when I got the opportunity to get my hands on FEAR, I didn’t even hesitate.
The reading experience was not what I had expected, so I have to break this one down to a more technical review to be fair.
The writing by Bliss is really good – his writing style has a good, comfortable flow to the story and at no time did I feel lost or confused. This is important, because this book has a well-developed, intelligent plot, where the past of three characters interweaves with their current situation.
The three main players are:
Nurse Stitch – memory erased and mouth sewn shut…could it be something she said?
(Just be glad you didn’t waste any haemorrhoid cream!)
John Doe – memory erased, kept sedated and locked in an eternal nightmare world.
Mahmoud Farouz – deemed a terrorist insurgent who needs to be turned or eliminated.
They are all prisoners in a secret facility…but Why?
The three of them are linked by their past and they need to escape to find out how. But can anybody really escape these captors?
If I was forced to give you a visual, I would call it a mix of ENEMY OF THE STATE and THE ISLAND (The Scarlett Johansson one). And here comes my issues with this story…
I am not sure the author is to blame for the disappointment I felt. So, Mr. Bliss, it’s not you, it’s me. I will be reading more of your work in the future.
I went into this expecting a horror story, which this was not. At best, I would describe it as an Action-Thriller, heavy on the action. Sometimes even a little over the top, in my opinion, which is not really my thing. Did this misconception play the biggest part in my discontent? Perhaps.
So, it turns out to be this huge conspiracy theory. While I don’t have a problem with that in general, I am just so sick and tired of politics – the last few years was just so overwhelming, I need a break from it. Again, not really the author’s fault.
Finally, at about 60% into this story, I was beginning to wonder if I was losing my stamina for longer stories, meaning 400+ pages. When I looked it up and found this book was only 265 pages, I couldn’t believe it. It took almost a week for me to get through this story. The week was hectic, sure, but why did I struggle so much?
So, my personal feeling is my approach was wrong and all of the factors above contributed to me not enjoying this one. I can’t lay the blame with the author, so I will endorse this book on technical skill alone. People who like action-packed conspiracy theories will love this one.
(4 STARS)
*The link above is not for the Queen version. While I am one of those people who rarely like a cover of a song I already love, this is probably the best cover of any song I have heard in the last decade. You should ask yourself this question:
Am I making some profoundly deep comment about things not being as they seem or should be for this story? Or do I have a crush on Lauren Babic?
Decide for yourself…
* https://www.myindiemuse.com/author/mo...
“Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality”
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fTDV...
*(I will explain this link at the of the review)
Rob Bliss caught my radar last year when I saw the cover for THE PIGG BROS (still on my wish list), so when I got the opportunity to get my hands on FEAR, I didn’t even hesitate.
The reading experience was not what I had expected, so I have to break this one down to a more technical review to be fair.
The writing by Bliss is really good – his writing style has a good, comfortable flow to the story and at no time did I feel lost or confused. This is important, because this book has a well-developed, intelligent plot, where the past of three characters interweaves with their current situation.
The three main players are:
Nurse Stitch – memory erased and mouth sewn shut…could it be something she said?
(Just be glad you didn’t waste any haemorrhoid cream!)
John Doe – memory erased, kept sedated and locked in an eternal nightmare world.
Mahmoud Farouz – deemed a terrorist insurgent who needs to be turned or eliminated.
They are all prisoners in a secret facility…but Why?
The three of them are linked by their past and they need to escape to find out how. But can anybody really escape these captors?
If I was forced to give you a visual, I would call it a mix of ENEMY OF THE STATE and THE ISLAND (The Scarlett Johansson one). And here comes my issues with this story…
I am not sure the author is to blame for the disappointment I felt. So, Mr. Bliss, it’s not you, it’s me. I will be reading more of your work in the future.
I went into this expecting a horror story, which this was not. At best, I would describe it as an Action-Thriller, heavy on the action. Sometimes even a little over the top, in my opinion, which is not really my thing. Did this misconception play the biggest part in my discontent? Perhaps.
So, it turns out to be this huge conspiracy theory. While I don’t have a problem with that in general, I am just so sick and tired of politics – the last few years was just so overwhelming, I need a break from it. Again, not really the author’s fault.
Finally, at about 60% into this story, I was beginning to wonder if I was losing my stamina for longer stories, meaning 400+ pages. When I looked it up and found this book was only 265 pages, I couldn’t believe it. It took almost a week for me to get through this story. The week was hectic, sure, but why did I struggle so much?
So, my personal feeling is my approach was wrong and all of the factors above contributed to me not enjoying this one. I can’t lay the blame with the author, so I will endorse this book on technical skill alone. People who like action-packed conspiracy theories will love this one.
(4 STARS)
*The link above is not for the Queen version. While I am one of those people who rarely like a cover of a song I already love, this is probably the best cover of any song I have heard in the last decade. You should ask yourself this question:
Am I making some profoundly deep comment about things not being as they seem or should be for this story? Or do I have a crush on Lauren Babic?
Decide for yourself…
April 12, 2021
Fear by Rob Bliss is a thriller novel filled with action, horror, gore and a story that is both uncomfortable and unnerving in its narrative. Although predominately a thriller novel it has plenty of horrific themes running through-out. it’s a story that has fear at its absolute core. If the government and subsequent authorities have no fear instilled in its citizens, then they have nothing…no control…nothing. Although I enjoyed the story, I did find it extremely slow at times and it felt a lot longer than the two hundred odd pages it was.
It was an ambitious story with a ton of promise, but it just failed to hit the mark for me.
One thing that seriously had me excited was that prologue. It was haunting and eerie with a serious sense of atmosphere and place and it was the perfect set up to a story that I’d gobble up. A scene with a man in a bathroom with only a razor for company. A little girl being reflected in the mirror. Something unpleasant happening to him. It very symbolic and it did bring a shiver down my spine. The writing was precise and delivered whilst balancing on a knife’s edge.
Fear is exactly that, Fear. We are taken to an underground facility run by a secret organisation. The doctors there are performing what they like to call Nightmare Surgery. It’s the ultimate tool in inducing fear. The procedure with trigger nightmares in the patient, I found this quite frankly, terrifying. Imagine being put through that time and time again. Ghastly. We meet the resident sociopathic shrink – Dr Scylla. Let me just tell you, I have never hated a character more than I do him. He’s disturbed, evil and he uses the phrase, any means necessary to do terrible things to the patients.
The characterization was good from Bliss. Nurse Stitch and her stitched lips, the imagery, the fear. John Doe, a soldier previously serving in the US Army in Afghanistan and Iraq. The facility’s most successful patient. He’s weak and at the doctors will. Mahmoud Farouz, an Iraqi watchmaker, who turned his usefulness with clocks into making IED’s and blowing up and killing many foreign soldier. He’s handy with a gun, but what will happen to him once he is transported to the facility? Will their ultimate plan be realized, or can they find a way to escape but then what?
I can’t fully pinpoint what I found slow about Fear. I had been expecting a bit of a horror story and although there were elements of it, it was mainly a thriller story. A little too political for my individual liking but overall a decent story with good protagonists.
It was an ambitious story with a ton of promise, but it just failed to hit the mark for me.
One thing that seriously had me excited was that prologue. It was haunting and eerie with a serious sense of atmosphere and place and it was the perfect set up to a story that I’d gobble up. A scene with a man in a bathroom with only a razor for company. A little girl being reflected in the mirror. Something unpleasant happening to him. It very symbolic and it did bring a shiver down my spine. The writing was precise and delivered whilst balancing on a knife’s edge.
Fear is exactly that, Fear. We are taken to an underground facility run by a secret organisation. The doctors there are performing what they like to call Nightmare Surgery. It’s the ultimate tool in inducing fear. The procedure with trigger nightmares in the patient, I found this quite frankly, terrifying. Imagine being put through that time and time again. Ghastly. We meet the resident sociopathic shrink – Dr Scylla. Let me just tell you, I have never hated a character more than I do him. He’s disturbed, evil and he uses the phrase, any means necessary to do terrible things to the patients.
The characterization was good from Bliss. Nurse Stitch and her stitched lips, the imagery, the fear. John Doe, a soldier previously serving in the US Army in Afghanistan and Iraq. The facility’s most successful patient. He’s weak and at the doctors will. Mahmoud Farouz, an Iraqi watchmaker, who turned his usefulness with clocks into making IED’s and blowing up and killing many foreign soldier. He’s handy with a gun, but what will happen to him once he is transported to the facility? Will their ultimate plan be realized, or can they find a way to escape but then what?
I can’t fully pinpoint what I found slow about Fear. I had been expecting a bit of a horror story and although there were elements of it, it was mainly a thriller story. A little too political for my individual liking but overall a decent story with good protagonists.
January 24, 2021
I think this might be my new favourite Rob Bliss book.
The story is told in 3 parts, Part One was my favourite and the most disturbing part of this book. It was very dark, scary and gross and a little extreme at times too. This was messed up, nightmare inducing stuff, brilliantly horrific with people being tortured in every way possible, both shocking and gruesome (enough to make you afraid of whoever came up with these ideas - I’m looking at you Mr Bliss).
His warped story then moves on to Part Two, this was actually really quite different from the first section and instead of horror it becomes more like a mystery thriller, albeit a violent one! It was full of action and guns as we followed our protagonists on their adventures. It kept me guessing about what everyone’s next move might be but it did get a little OTT towards the end of this section, but then Rob Bliss has never been one to rein in crazy so I should not be surprised.
Part Three is where the answers are and the big finale. It wasn’t a perfect ending for me, although not sure what would have been the perfect ending to this tale.
Overall this is a great story, messed up sure but good fun, it was a little confusing at times though and hard to follow with the hallucinations, it’s always difficult to know what is going on with those in books I find, although he did a pretty good job of it.
This book is full on horror at the start so be warned, we have people suffering physically, mentally and sexually, the level of abuse/torture is in itself scary. The book is essentially about control and how some people will do anything to get it, nothing is taboo.
A great story but with imperfect writing, not enough to ruin the story but it can get frustrating with a few typos here and there, however don't let that put you off this is still a very good read with some great characters, Stitch in particular was my favourite. This was a really crazy horror adventure read, and not just gore horror, there is plenty of that but also a psychological horror to it as well. Overall very little to fault here, not quite perfect but not far off.
4*/5, but probably more like a 4.5*/5 ish.
The story is told in 3 parts, Part One was my favourite and the most disturbing part of this book. It was very dark, scary and gross and a little extreme at times too. This was messed up, nightmare inducing stuff, brilliantly horrific with people being tortured in every way possible, both shocking and gruesome (enough to make you afraid of whoever came up with these ideas - I’m looking at you Mr Bliss).
His warped story then moves on to Part Two, this was actually really quite different from the first section and instead of horror it becomes more like a mystery thriller, albeit a violent one! It was full of action and guns as we followed our protagonists on their adventures. It kept me guessing about what everyone’s next move might be but it did get a little OTT towards the end of this section, but then Rob Bliss has never been one to rein in crazy so I should not be surprised.
Part Three is where the answers are and the big finale. It wasn’t a perfect ending for me, although not sure what would have been the perfect ending to this tale.
Overall this is a great story, messed up sure but good fun, it was a little confusing at times though and hard to follow with the hallucinations, it’s always difficult to know what is going on with those in books I find, although he did a pretty good job of it.
This book is full on horror at the start so be warned, we have people suffering physically, mentally and sexually, the level of abuse/torture is in itself scary. The book is essentially about control and how some people will do anything to get it, nothing is taboo.
A great story but with imperfect writing, not enough to ruin the story but it can get frustrating with a few typos here and there, however don't let that put you off this is still a very good read with some great characters, Stitch in particular was my favourite. This was a really crazy horror adventure read, and not just gore horror, there is plenty of that but also a psychological horror to it as well. Overall very little to fault here, not quite perfect but not far off.
4*/5, but probably more like a 4.5*/5 ish.
March 16, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had the right amount of suspense, drama and intrigue. I am very glad to have read this.
March 22, 2021
Unfortunately I have not been successful reading this book. Basically I found the story not of any interest after several attempts.
I do however thank goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain this book.
I do however thank goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain this book.
August 4, 2021
Very good read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews