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Brightness Falls
Brightness Falls isn't just the name of the TV show that womanizing man-child Andrew Ware has been painstakingly creating for the last couple years, it's also his hometown. A town that he loves as much as he hates.
By request of no one, Andrew returns home to help his sister separate from her husband, only to become sidetracked by a beautiful woman. A few drinks and few compliments later the woman is dead, killed in a tragic oral sex accident. In which Andrew would have lost his own life if it weren’t for the dapperly dressed, antler-headed, human skeleton named Doug. Who loves Andrew’s work, but escaped The Other Side to warn Andrew of a self-proclaimed god with desires to return to Brightness Falls.
Wow, that is a lot to take in. That above paragraph is jammed packed with a lot of crap. Though the oral sex accident sounds interesting, doesn't it? Let's take the whole thing down a notch. Let's try it again, please...
With the town’s annual festival, Brightfest, which commemorates the deadly day it's population collectively walked to the bottom of the lake, only days away, and the threat of an inadvertently bloodthirsty, self-proclaimed god returning to reenact the event, Andrew is sent scrambling to save his sister, friends, lovers, and the town he’s loathed in, before the god is able to complete his predestined experiment to bring his wife back. If Andrew can get out of his own way to unravel the towns dark secrets, as well as his own, maybe he’ll come out of it with a new TV show idea. Oh and save the town.
Well fuck, that wasn't much better. Still, a lot going on in that paragraph too. Here let me try...
This is the story of a man who loves women, hates his home town, and has to go through a shit ton of shit for both of them. Oh and someone dies during oral sex, can't leave that out.
Boom nailed it! Best book description ever - Your Wife
By request of no one, Andrew returns home to help his sister separate from her husband, only to become sidetracked by a beautiful woman. A few drinks and few compliments later the woman is dead, killed in a tragic oral sex accident. In which Andrew would have lost his own life if it weren’t for the dapperly dressed, antler-headed, human skeleton named Doug. Who loves Andrew’s work, but escaped The Other Side to warn Andrew of a self-proclaimed god with desires to return to Brightness Falls.
Wow, that is a lot to take in. That above paragraph is jammed packed with a lot of crap. Though the oral sex accident sounds interesting, doesn't it? Let's take the whole thing down a notch. Let's try it again, please...
With the town’s annual festival, Brightfest, which commemorates the deadly day it's population collectively walked to the bottom of the lake, only days away, and the threat of an inadvertently bloodthirsty, self-proclaimed god returning to reenact the event, Andrew is sent scrambling to save his sister, friends, lovers, and the town he’s loathed in, before the god is able to complete his predestined experiment to bring his wife back. If Andrew can get out of his own way to unravel the towns dark secrets, as well as his own, maybe he’ll come out of it with a new TV show idea. Oh and save the town.
Well fuck, that wasn't much better. Still, a lot going on in that paragraph too. Here let me try...
This is the story of a man who loves women, hates his home town, and has to go through a shit ton of shit for both of them. Oh and someone dies during oral sex, can't leave that out.
Boom nailed it! Best book description ever - Your Wife
- GenresHorror
351 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2021
19 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Vaughn Ashby
19 books44 followersVaughn Ashby is the bestselling horror author of Tethered, Brightness Falls, & The Axe. He’s also a multi-view YouTube creator, & wannabe Podcaster.
Ash, or Uncle Ashby to you, holds degrees in Body Head Separation, Spacial Realignment, & Family Member Seducing Time Travel from the schools of Netflix, Blockbuster, & The Local Cinema. Vaughn also recently completed his Masters in Sci-fi Horror writing from the school of YM, better known as Your Mom.
Before being dragged into the world of writing kicking and screaming, he was a simple bearded human male with poor spelling skills. He was, and this is just true, not a robot, definitely not a human killing robot, with plans of wiping out the human race through writing complex plots that involve adult humor and sexiness.
Vaughn has watched multiple Masterclasses by Aaron Sorkin, Neil Gaimen, Margaret Atwood, & Gordon Ramsey, though not all the way through. He’s also the Winner of the Aurora Wasteland award, for being the only writer to write in that Literary Universe, which he created.
His passions include Whiskey, Tattoos, Movies, Writing, & Horror.
Find out more about Vaughn at VaughnAshby.com
Ash, or Uncle Ashby to you, holds degrees in Body Head Separation, Spacial Realignment, & Family Member Seducing Time Travel from the schools of Netflix, Blockbuster, & The Local Cinema. Vaughn also recently completed his Masters in Sci-fi Horror writing from the school of YM, better known as Your Mom.
Before being dragged into the world of writing kicking and screaming, he was a simple bearded human male with poor spelling skills. He was, and this is just true, not a robot, definitely not a human killing robot, with plans of wiping out the human race through writing complex plots that involve adult humor and sexiness.
Vaughn has watched multiple Masterclasses by Aaron Sorkin, Neil Gaimen, Margaret Atwood, & Gordon Ramsey, though not all the way through. He’s also the Winner of the Aurora Wasteland award, for being the only writer to write in that Literary Universe, which he created.
His passions include Whiskey, Tattoos, Movies, Writing, & Horror.
Find out more about Vaughn at VaughnAshby.com
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 23 reviews
December 16, 2025
If you are a Stephen King fan and Stranger Things fan you would like this one.
September 23, 2021
I loved every minute of this book. I knew I was going to enjoy it early on. The author’s sense of humor is much like my own, so I was constantly laughing while listening.
There are serious moments to keep you invested, there’s mystery and suspense. It can get a bit confusing with the jumps between time and from character to character. With my difficulty remembering names, I had trouble remembering a lot of the characters. It often took me a minute to remember who was being talked to or about, without context clues.
The writing style reads like a narration, which is great for an audiobook and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The ending left me bummed that the story was over. But the last few minutes made me aware of the Aurora Wasteland Literary Universe and I am absolutely going to be looking into all of them.
The narrator is excellent. I almost feel bad for him. I can’t imagine how many takes he must have had to go through due to spontaneous laughter while reading this. If you like the summary, you’ll like this book as they’re written in the exact same manner.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
There are serious moments to keep you invested, there’s mystery and suspense. It can get a bit confusing with the jumps between time and from character to character. With my difficulty remembering names, I had trouble remembering a lot of the characters. It often took me a minute to remember who was being talked to or about, without context clues.
The writing style reads like a narration, which is great for an audiobook and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The ending left me bummed that the story was over. But the last few minutes made me aware of the Aurora Wasteland Literary Universe and I am absolutely going to be looking into all of them.
The narrator is excellent. I almost feel bad for him. I can’t imagine how many takes he must have had to go through due to spontaneous laughter while reading this. If you like the summary, you’ll like this book as they’re written in the exact same manner.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
October 17, 2020
Title: Brightness Falls
Author: Vaughn Ashby
Format: Audio
Narrator: Joseph P Vernon
Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy, SciFi, Time-Travel
Standalone: Yes
Part of a Series: Part of the Aurora Westeland
POV: Multiple
Steam Level: I wouldn't say it was sexy, but they're a bit of sexual content (I mean, hello, read the book description)
4.5/5
I listened to this audiobook the way I listen to all my audiobooks - while doing other things. This is not a book to do that with. It took me a little bit to get into it but once I did it was complete mind f**k.. This book definitely deserves either your full attention or a reread. Taking place across time, multiple stories intersect and weave together in unexpected ways.
Favorite Quote: If you want to save the town alone, you better chain me to a better oven.
I received this audiobook for free from StoryOrigin. This is my honest a voluntary review.
Author: Vaughn Ashby
Format: Audio
Narrator: Joseph P Vernon
Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy, SciFi, Time-Travel
Standalone: Yes
Part of a Series: Part of the Aurora Westeland
POV: Multiple
Steam Level: I wouldn't say it was sexy, but they're a bit of sexual content (I mean, hello, read the book description)
4.5/5
I listened to this audiobook the way I listen to all my audiobooks - while doing other things. This is not a book to do that with. It took me a little bit to get into it but once I did it was complete mind f**k.. This book definitely deserves either your full attention or a reread. Taking place across time, multiple stories intersect and weave together in unexpected ways.
Favorite Quote: If you want to save the town alone, you better chain me to a better oven.
I received this audiobook for free from StoryOrigin. This is my honest a voluntary review.
December 16, 2021
Just finished this novel and breathed a sigh of relief at surviving. Not talking about the story; talking about the seventh grade level of grammer. Please get rid of the editor and hire an adult who has passed high school English! Perhaps this is the author's writing style or perhaps there's a method to the madness. If so, please warn us in a forward to the book.
The story itself is a raunchy, funny roller coaster into the Twilight Zone. It's a bit confusing trying to keep up with the varying timelines, but trust the author. He pulls it all together in the end. There are some great characters, both good and bad, whose lives are intertwined in the village of Brightness Falls. I liked them all and was sad to see some of them killed off. Even the ones who weren't real. This is a twisty plot about opening doors into adjoining worlds and the chaos that ensues. However, in the end, it's a love story about two people who want to spend their lives together.
The story itself is a raunchy, funny roller coaster into the Twilight Zone. It's a bit confusing trying to keep up with the varying timelines, but trust the author. He pulls it all together in the end. There are some great characters, both good and bad, whose lives are intertwined in the village of Brightness Falls. I liked them all and was sad to see some of them killed off. Even the ones who weren't real. This is a twisty plot about opening doors into adjoining worlds and the chaos that ensues. However, in the end, it's a love story about two people who want to spend their lives together.
June 27, 2021
Really enjoying the books by this author. Much like Tethered, his first book, this is a wild ride. A lot happens and it definitely takes some focus to follow along. Waiting long periods between reading or reading while over tired is not necessarily recommended, as it makes things a bit more confusing. Admittedly, I didn't have a lot of time to read this so every once in awhile I had to read back a bit or it took me awhile to remember things. Especially with so many Dougs and Douglases to keep track of. But this book was a great read! I would definitely recommend reading Tethered first, which is also an excellent book, and really made this book more enjoyable. There were parts in Brightness Falls that was so exciting to me because of the relation to Tethered. Definitely check out both books!
October 24, 2020
Time Traveling-Sci-fiy-Darkish Humor done well.
You know those movies that you can't keep track of when it goes back and forth? Yea, well that's not this. Vaugh has a way of keeping you engaged enough that you can keep up with what's going on in each time line.
Interesting characters and an even more interesting plot with ladybugs!! Yo Bro, how did you make my little beautiful bugs the evil bug!!
Great read, give it a try.
Narrator, Joseph Vernon, did a pretty decent job of showing emotion and I love how he did the mom at one point, really felt what she was going through.
I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review, and there ya have it.
You know those movies that you can't keep track of when it goes back and forth? Yea, well that's not this. Vaugh has a way of keeping you engaged enough that you can keep up with what's going on in each time line.
Interesting characters and an even more interesting plot with ladybugs!! Yo Bro, how did you make my little beautiful bugs the evil bug!!
Great read, give it a try.
Narrator, Joseph Vernon, did a pretty decent job of showing emotion and I love how he did the mom at one point, really felt what she was going through.
I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review, and there ya have it.
October 27, 2020
I received this book at no charge in return for writing a review.
Vaughn Ashby has a very interesting writing style that I find entrancing. The story seems somewhat convoluted until you reach the end but it all pulls together in a sort of aha moment. The characters seem very real in a gritty manner. According to info I’ve read it is a prequel/sequel to the Vaughn Ashby book “Tethered”. This book is part of the Aurora Wasteland series. I would recommend this book to those who like books that are somewhat demanding of the reader. I would class this book as being in the sci-fi/horror genre. There are a few grammatical errors but they in no way impact the enjoyment of the story
Vaughn Ashby has a very interesting writing style that I find entrancing. The story seems somewhat convoluted until you reach the end but it all pulls together in a sort of aha moment. The characters seem very real in a gritty manner. According to info I’ve read it is a prequel/sequel to the Vaughn Ashby book “Tethered”. This book is part of the Aurora Wasteland series. I would recommend this book to those who like books that are somewhat demanding of the reader. I would class this book as being in the sci-fi/horror genre. There are a few grammatical errors but they in no way impact the enjoyment of the story
November 26, 2020
Very original book all in all. The book does a lot of back and forth in different time zones and different people lives and it's honestly very confusing. The ending helps to pull things together and make a little more sense over all but still it leaves some gaps or I somehow got lost in all the flipping around. Either way I was left a little lost. I did like the over all book though. Trigger warning: if you cannot stand to read a published book with lots of typos and grammatical errors DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! This drove me up the wall. I was fighting myself the whole time not to fix all the errors and my brain hurt at times trying to read through but the concept and ideas were good.
February 25, 2021
This is the 3rd book by Vaughn Ashby that I've read, and it is still a massive head-f##k of a story. Jumping between 3 or 4 timelines (I lost count), his characters are all so different, yet still all so weird and accepting of the crazy stuff going on around them. I promise I will continue reading his books, but the grammatical and spelling errors are starting to drive me a bit mad. I can't seem to remove my editor's hat when I read this. Vaughn, if you're listening, get yourself some better beta readers. Or better still, give me a bell and I'll edit your books for you. Your stories are too good to be let down by poor editing.
January 3, 2026
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
This was a huge conglomeration of sciency time travel, alternative worlds, people "splitting" into dual versions of themselves, and trying to right the wrongs of the past. It comes with a plethora of mindfuckery equivalent to LSD binges during Uni Orientation Week and enough boobs and pussy to appease the most depraved 14yo boy. (In a far earlier time I'm convinced the author would have been locked away in an asylum.)
The story was a rollercoaster ride of confusing fun and I'm pretty sure the sciency stuff went right over my head, but it was entertaining nonetheless and I'm glad I survived the reading and came out the other side.
This was a huge conglomeration of sciency time travel, alternative worlds, people "splitting" into dual versions of themselves, and trying to right the wrongs of the past. It comes with a plethora of mindfuckery equivalent to LSD binges during Uni Orientation Week and enough boobs and pussy to appease the most depraved 14yo boy. (In a far earlier time I'm convinced the author would have been locked away in an asylum.)
The story was a rollercoaster ride of confusing fun and I'm pretty sure the sciency stuff went right over my head, but it was entertaining nonetheless and I'm glad I survived the reading and came out the other side.
August 24, 2020
I couldn’t finish. I don’t really have any issues with the narrator. He’s not my favorite and his voices fall a little flat. The story however started out good. Aside from the very childish terms for body parts I was intrigued. Half way through the book and I feel like I have had a conversation with my ten year old with adhd and has 12 story’s going on at once. I see the connection to some of the pst and present characters but over all I am bored and unimpressed with the entire storyline.
June 12, 2021
Be prepared for darkish humor. Again in this book you will find that the characters and scenes jump around between various times and eras. I found that I had to take some note to keep track of "who was where and who did what and when" Now you might why would I bother to read a book that i have to take notes - well it is because it is that good. Don't worry if you lose track of things because the story line brings it all together in the end. I was given this book for free with the only requirement that I would write and honest review.
July 27, 2021
I was gifted an Audible version of this book from the author through Story Origin.
I listened to this whole book, but, I have to say it was a struggle. It jumps around in time. It has many characters. It has many events. It has many clones! So much to keep track of and I just couldn't. However, I did enjoy the ride. This author's sense of humor is a hoot! I enjoyed the pieces individually. I just didn't really fit them all together very well. Maybe if I read it, I could.
The narrator was good. Very distinct, even with his foreign accents.
I listened to this whole book, but, I have to say it was a struggle. It jumps around in time. It has many characters. It has many events. It has many clones! So much to keep track of and I just couldn't. However, I did enjoy the ride. This author's sense of humor is a hoot! I enjoyed the pieces individually. I just didn't really fit them all together very well. Maybe if I read it, I could.
The narrator was good. Very distinct, even with his foreign accents.
September 4, 2021
To be totally honest, this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I knew it had some sex due to its description, but this had much more than I expected. It really didn’t add to the story and I even found it annoying at times. Some of it was just too weird, and I decided not to finish listening.
I also found the entire plot just weird and somewhat disconnected. I really expected a lot more from this book, having read about and followed its author on several sites. Hopefully, not all his work is this sophomoric.
I also found the entire plot just weird and somewhat disconnected. I really expected a lot more from this book, having read about and followed its author on several sites. Hopefully, not all his work is this sophomoric.
December 15, 2021
Still haven't decided if I liked this or not.
It was very unusual. In places hard to follow as it had several different stories and timelines throughout. Some parts I enjoyed and others I struggled with. It amazed me how it all came together in the end.
There were several typos but they didn't detract from the story too much. Generally I find a character that I like but the characters were in general fairly unlikable but that went with the story. Maybe Felix was the nicest as he was an innocent.
If you want a story that is a definate mindscrew then this is for you.
It was very unusual. In places hard to follow as it had several different stories and timelines throughout. Some parts I enjoyed and others I struggled with. It amazed me how it all came together in the end.
There were several typos but they didn't detract from the story too much. Generally I find a character that I like but the characters were in general fairly unlikable but that went with the story. Maybe Felix was the nicest as he was an innocent.
If you want a story that is a definate mindscrew then this is for you.
November 9, 2020
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great drama and humor with wonderful world building.
There are parts that had me in stitches laughing.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great drama and humor with wonderful world building.
There are parts that had me in stitches laughing.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
July 11, 2021
I really wanted to like this story, but I just couldn’t follow it. I know it was jumping between multiple character’s points of view, but I just couldn’t keep them straight. Maybe if there were more distinct voices for the different characters it would have helped me.
I will give this book another shot in the future, but for now, it just wasn’t for me.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
I will give this book another shot in the future, but for now, it just wasn’t for me.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
November 3, 2021
I had this as an Audible book and at points, I will admit it was hard to follow, with the flashbacks to earlier days, only to pop right back to the present or future. I suspect I might have enjoyed it more if I had read previous Aurora Wasteland books, but I hadn't. That said, the characters are well developed, the plot engaging and I would recommend it, but primarily after you have read the interconnecting books
August 30, 2021
This book was absolutely amazing!! It has alot of crude humor which may not be for everyone. It definitely was for me though! I enjoyed this book so much. I received this as an advanced listeners copy. Antler Doug is awesome! The twists in this book have twists and so on! It surprisingly was easy to keep it on order. I loved this book
July 13, 2022
Incredibly entertaining story. I got into it almost immediately. Once that happened it was hard to stop. Found myself sitting in my driveway after getting home from work enthralled in it so much that my wife had to come out and ask me if I was coming in the house for dinner. Well written and narrated. Loved it.
May 30, 2021
I loved this story! The narrator was amazing and the characters were absolutely fabulous. All of them.
November 17, 2021
great quick fun read
Displaying 1 - 22 of 23 reviews