Maiden

by T.C. Parker, Ward Nerdlo

A MAIDEN VOYAGE…
The Pepper Kay is no stranger to the open seas, but now she has a new captain: God. His maiden voyage aboard the newly-acquired vessel will be operated by a crew greener than seaweed. With a reputation like God’s, they were all he could find.

NO MAN’S WATER…
The Pepper Kay and her greenhorn crew, captained by God and his shady deckboss Nash, voyage into the brutal unknown of the Bering Strait in search of Dungeness crab. But, when a storm rolls in and the crew hauls from the depths an impossibility, something ripped from the pages of nautical folklore, tensions mount and the crew separates into factions: good versus evil.

THOSE WHO DWELL IN DARKNESS…
Nash has plans for their newest catch, plans God is not a part of, and the deckboss will wade through blood and chum before he allows his goal to be blocked. As the crew dwindles, laid low one by one, the remaining shipmates must faceoff against not only the human evil of Nash, but something much, much older.

Genres: Horror, LGBT

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2021

About the author

I'm a writer and researcher based in the fox-ravaged wilds of Leicestershire.

I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.

I write mostly horror and crime, skeet enthusiastically as @tcparker.bsky.social, and post the occasional poorly-composed photo on Instagram (as @writestc).

For stories, serialised novels and other thoughts about the universe, visit/subscribe to my Substack - tcparker.substack.com

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy killer merfolk, Batman! Let me just say that I am shocked that I am just discovering TC Parker. What an absolute top-tier talent she is! The writing skills shown in The Maiden are absolutely superb. You feel every motion of the Pepper Kay, and are even given the unique experience of hearing the ship’s conscience. Each character is completely explored and given such rich backstories, traumas, and arcs. Speaking of the trauma, as mental health almost always plays a huge role in my books, I loved how Parker wove in each person’s past instances, all being triggered by some portion of the events involving the attack on the boat and making them all relevant. Now onto the creatures…just wow. Innovative, terrifying, and somehow strangely beautiful to envision. Picture the attack of the mermaids in one The Pirates of the Caribbean and turn it up about ten notches. But the amazing thing was that it wasn’t just blood and gore and no substance. The battle between the crew and merfolk was rather long and substantial, but never boring. There were so many different facets of these portion of the story that I found myself glued to my Kindle, and somewhat sad to see it all conclude. And, by far, the eeriest scene is when the crew thinks that they spot sea bugs in the water, but it’s actually hundreds lof eyes looking up at them. Needless to say, this was an absolutely amazing horror story that packs a perfect blend of everything you’d hope to see in a great book. This one, mermen and mermaids, is Topsider approved in the highest regards!

[Vicki Herbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sea is Full of Mysteries...

MAIDEN
by T.C. Parker, Ward Nerdlo

3 Stars. Spoilers ahead, but I'll give plenty of warning before you get there.

The Pepper Kay was docked and waiting for its next adventure in a few short hours...

Her name was freshly painted on her side...

She was awaiting this year's crew and her new captain. Her belly has been empty since last season and...

She is hungry...

She is anxious to sail the open waters, cleaving the waves, rolling with the tide, leaving sea spray in her wake...

The creatures of the sea in deeper darkness watched her from the shadows as she passed over them...

The sea is full of mysteries, and the Pepper Kay can feel them coming off the ocean and in the churning waves...

She also feels a sense of doom...

She will sail and carry her captain's bounty for this is the nature of ships...

But...

The fates of the crew are uncertain, for this is the nature of men...

Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea fishing the Behring Strait in the dead of winter...

This was a middlin' story that could have been great if better executed and with a little more tension on the deck of the ship and less focus on the crew's sexual preferences.

The story is told in three parts. Part one is very similar to the excellent seafaring novel THE NORTH WATER by Ian McGuire.

Part two was very, very similar to THE OLD BAY KING by Donnie Goodman.

Part three, you'll have to read the story and see what you think.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
I found it perplexing that the Captain, Derrick, who wanted to be called God was killed off almost immediately leaving one to wonder why he was so prominently introduced into the story only to be promptly killed off. Was it only so that the authors could reuse the old newspaper headline "God Is dead"?

On the positive side, I liked that the Pepper Kay had its own chapters, like the ship was one of the characters.

[Richard Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ill-fated voyage on an ancient boat, crewed by a team of inexperienced strangers. What could go wrong?

A crabbing ship, captained by a man known only as God, is in search of a crew. As no self-respecting seaman will work with him he is forced to recruit a group of untried outsiders and hope for the best. With a violent psychotic for a deck boss, and a crew without a day's seafaring experience between them, it promises to be a trying voyage, but one that he has no choice but to take.

When they drag up something from the depths that is most decidedly not crabs, the crew find themselves freefalling down the food chain as they are soon under siege by a previously unknown, and undeniably deadly, race of creatures. The danger outside their boat, however, is nothing compared to that which is hidden amongst them, waiting for their opportunity to take charge.

Plot-wise, ‘Maiden’ is hardly in unchartered waters. The fun here is in the telling and there are enough strange and unusual choices to keep you guessing, even if the broad strokes are easy to see coming. When we’re talking about a book that boasts a sea captain named God, who is aboard a sentient ship under attack by an army of Lovecraftian fish/human hybrids, you can hardly accuse it of unoriginality. We’re even told part of the story from the perspective of the boat, which is a stroke of genius. It is one of those rare books, that is an absolute joy to come across, which is just immediately engaging and impossible to put down once you’ve started. I read the entire thing in a single sitting and imagine most people who pick it up will do the same.

There are content warnings aplenty in the back of the book (eight to be precise) and ‘Maiden’ does tackle some difficult and varied subjects (racism, suicide, homophobia to name a few). It can be a tough balancing act to include depictions or discussions about serious, real-world issues in a fictional story which is, by and large, aiming to entertain rather than inform, and in lesser hands, it can either negate the fun factor or, worse, feel as though the book makes light of sensitive subjects. Maiden has no such issue and the way these issues are broached felt appropriate and well handled, thanks largely to some nuanced character work (Jordan and Charlie are both standouts) alongside the larger-than-life characters (Nash, a villain so abhorrent, that you’ll fly through the book simply to see him get his very well-deserved comeuppance).

Maiden is such an unabashedly odd book that it is impossible not to get swept up in the story, especially when it is offering its readers something genuinely unique. Captained by an incredible cast, besieged by some memorable creatures and anchored by some stellar storytelling, Maiden’s horrors will test the mettle of even the most able seaman, but once you’ve read the first page, it’s full steam ahead for nautical mayhem.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo (the not-so secret pseudonym for horror author and YouTuber Edward Lorn) craft one hell of a page-turner in Maiden, a story that is ostensibly about the discovery of an ancient, mythical sea creature, but which delves more deeply into the monstrous nature of mankind.

The Pepper Kay is a crabbing boat helmed by God and crewed by a small group of very inexperienced fishers. God is not God-God, but as the ship's captain he may as well be - it's his boat and his rules, and if anybody screws up what should be a very lucrative catch, he'll cast them straight into the depths of Hades, or at least the arctic waters of the Bering Straight. Things quickly go south, though, when after pulling up a trap they find a strange creature that shouldn't be mixed in among the Dungeness crab. It's a mermaid, and as soon the deckboss, Nash, lays eyes on it, all he sees are dollar signs this discovery will net him and the blood of anybody who tries to stop him.

Nash. Now there's a nasty piece of work. Parker and Nerdlo have crafted a completely deplorable, loathsome, absolutely awful cretin in this character, one bereft of any redeem qualities at all. He's just straight-on, through and through, terrible. The type of character that as soon as he's introduced you can't wait to see him die a brutal, gory, justifiably mega-violent death.

I absolutely hated Nash and I wanted him to exit stage left in the worst of ways. He's also the main reason the pages of Maiden turn so damn readily. Reading about him is the literary equivalent of watching a slow-motion train wreck, or slowing down at the scene of a deadly car crash to gawk at the damage and the opportunity to see the ghastly sight of broken, soulless bodies. It's bad business, sure, but not the kind you can turn away from. You shouldn't look, but you can't not look, you know? You need to see this level of depravity for yourself, take it all in, see just how bad it can really get, safe and secure from a distance and with the foreknowledge that justice will ultimately be served. I mean, Nash has to meet his own vile end at some point, right? You certainly have to hope so, and those pages turn and turn and turn.

Because it isn't just Nash's awfulness driving the reader forward. It's the damage and threats being done to these hapless greenhorns on the ship with him. Sad-eyed, sad-sack Sam; Jordan, fresh off the streets after a life in a boy's home; Charlie, a former soldier with a tragic past who, unlike these other guys, can take care of herself. Each are wonderfully constructed characters, the kind built by sadistic authors solely to suffer and weep for our amusements and sympathies. Parker and Nerdlo make you care, and then they make you hurt, and the pages turn and turn and turn.

Because while the real drama is happening aboard the Pepper Kay, there's the potential threats posed by the creatures in the surrounding waters. And here's another aspect where Maiden really shines - it's desperate, claustrophobic sense of isolation, of being trapped and lost amidst a frozen sea. Parker and Nerdlo definitely succeed at channeling some of those The Thing vibes, where a small group of people are forced to fight for survival, not just against a hostile environment in a far, out of reach place, but against one another as well, as tension mounts and madness prevails.

Maiden is so well constructed, so deft and taut in its horrors and depictions of an insane situation spiraling out of control, that it's easy to overlook the one minor, niggling complaint that I had. And that is, simply, not enough mermaid horror! I really wanted more creature feature violence. Yes, I'm a simple man. I wanted to see more of these characters, good and bad, carved apart by vicious talons and chewed up by dreadful, gnashing teeth. I was hoping for killer mermaid action in the vein of Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep, but alas... Parker and Nerdlo are more interested in the human components, and that's OK! I can't fault it for that, especially given that it is done so damn well. But my lizard brain still wanted all that violent, fishy chompy goodness. Oh well. Maybe they'll see fit to give up some fan-service in the already-announced sequel, Maidens, which, if it follows the naming scheme of Alien/Aliens, I think they just might. And if Maiden is any indication, I'll devour that book like a starving man, too.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maiden is like a bullet to the chest. The characterisation and the atmospheric and nightmarish landscape really does want to eat you whole. This is my first discovery of the writing of TC Parker & Ward Nerdlo but I’m going to read both authors’ back catalogue as soon as I can. The raw veracity of the storyline and the strength of the characterisation reminds me both of Barker and King with some Ketchum thrown in for good measure. It’s a writing duo that will leave a lasting impression on the brain.

Gritty and dark, Maiden introduces us to characters that are both morally grey and ones that are shaped by traumatic events of their past. However, the captain, God takes them on, gives them a clean slate. He’s not judgemental but he does run a tight ship. He wants the Pepper Kay’s maiden voyage to go without a hitch. He hires Nash – the worst of the worst, Sam, Jordan, and Charlie. Although God has hired Nash before the other three are relatively green when it comes to seafaring so it’s delightful to see how that plays out as the crabbing boat goes further into the abyss.

Right straight to it – I hated Nash with all the passion of one hundred fiery suns. Although that was the author’s intention, I was taken aback by how much he affected me. He is a deplorable human being. He’s messy, he doesn’t wash, he only sees women fit for two purposes – sex and cooking his meals. He will take what he wants from them by any means – violence especially gets him off and not in a mutual pain and pleasure fashion. There isn’t anything redeemable about him at all – by the end, I wanted to stick something sharp in him, he is written brilliantly.

The first few chapters of Maiden blew me away and transported me from a wee house in Scotland out to the deepest depths of the ocean. Being stuck out there would be my worst nightmare. The mermaid element of the story was eye-popping. Forget Disney’s Ariel, this is the shit that nightmares are made of. I was addicted to the author’s very precise writing style and soon the minutes turned to hours, and I had consumed the story whole. I was curious to how Charlie and the others would deal with Nash’s sadistic actions whilst still juggling the remnants of her past. Things escalated quickly and so did my need for more.

Maiden brings together two authors who together are at their twisty and depraved best. A clammy, atmospheric, and emotive story, it’s supremely audacious in its storytelling.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A raggedy motley crew of desperate individuals signs on for a fishing boat gig in Bering Strait, their nets scoop up something otherworldly and soon they find themselves in the middle of a terrifying nightmare of Poseidon proportions.
It wouldn’t have been a nice trip anyway. None of them may be pure soul, but there is one among them that’s pure evil. With a supernatural element added on, it’s a real doozy. One way ticket to watery oblivion.
And that’s the story. Perfectly themed for October, but good enough to disturb you on any dark night. This is pretty much a how-to manual on disturbing. Some of it is done in a manner so profoundly visceral, that it was too much for this reader. But that aside, the quality of writing here is absolutely top shelf. It’s a character driven story, and while it’s also definitively a creature feature, it doesn’t rely on the cheap ploys of the latter, instead taking the much-preferred measured approach to unleashing its terror.
A slender volume, 200 pages of lean mean frights at sea that’s impressively effective, this book works and works well on many levels, so prepare for a sea adventure that doesn’t so much sing Sail Away to you as makes you profoundly happy to be a landlubber safe on land.
Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Wayne Fenlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story itself hits around a 3 for me. It was good, but I wasn't crazy for it. For the writing and presentation, though, it deserves a little more, maybe a 3.5. Both writers compliment each other extremely well, to the point they may have even been emulating each other's style just to get the right blend.
As for the presentation, the short chapters focusing on individual characters felt unique. I love when writers try new things. It keeps it fresh. And speaking of fresh, there isn't anything out there like this that I know of, either, so it's got that, too.
As for the characters, they really weren't likeable at all, but it didn't mean to say I didn't want to read about them. That could be down to the length of the chapters, I think. If the book was longer then I don't know if I would've finished it. Just being honest.
This is just a personal thing with me these days. I can only take so much. I tried to read Filth by Irvine Welsh not too long ago, and the main character was vile beyond words. I had to DNF that one.
Like I say, the writing is sharp. I feel both authors have pushed themselves in that respect. The chapters are short. It's unique in its structure. There's a lot going for it.
Just the story itself didn't work for me as well as I'd hoped it would.
3 stars. Still reckon a lot of people are gonna dig this, though.

One more thing, why do I keep wanting to call the ship The Peter Kay?

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preface: the authors are not overly concerned about offending anyone. They said as much in the opening pages. But that doesn't mean they're intentionally trying to trigger anyone. There's a reason that its intended readership is a mature one. There's also validity to the trigger content warning. Should you need a rundown of what those are, they're included via a hypertext link. The reader should have an idea of what they're getting into, and I appreciate the authors for including them.

Nautical stories aren't as common as one might think they'd be. In fact, I've read only a handful of them and I'm not sure why. The same is true of nautical television shows and films. It's baffling because those that I am familiar with, I had a blast consuming. Books like Nick Cutter's The Deep, Melville's Moby-Dick, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Vern, and James Cameron's The Abyss went a long way in uncovering my literary roots, as far as LIKES and DISLIKES went. Even though I didn't read them as a child, or see similar films until much later, they still became a part of who I am. They were always there, patiently waiting to be discovered.

Needless to say, as soon as I learned that Maiden by T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo (both pseudonyms,) was available as a Read Now option through netgalley.com, I knew I had to read it. The premise then sealed the deal.

Something's different about this time, though. The Pepper Kay can feel it in her boards, in her bolts and berth. It's coming off the ocean, rolling in on churning waves: an oppressive feeling of doom. A sense of finality. Of ending.

One of my favorite elements of horror is dread. That might seem like an obvious statement, but I don't think that's necessarily true for everyone. The word dread is practically synonymous with fear, after all, and that's essentially what the genre is: mounting fear. That's exactly what T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo gave, from beginning to end. Even in the pivotal flashback scenes (which were some of my favorites,) I felt that escalating dread; that certainly that something bad or awful was going to happen. And they always delivered.

Told in six alternating POVs, the authors inexplicably managed to tell a well-written, lightning-quick, character-driven novel. Each character had a distinctive voice, with their own opinions, values, and life experiences. They had their own traumas and challenges to overcome, both in the past and present. Out of the six, the one that astounded me the most was the Pepper Kay herself. There was a special quality and empathetic tone to her voice, the likes of which I hadn't seen done before. You wouldn't think it possible, but even she had a personality and intuitiveness that I found incredibly endearing.


Charlie and Jordan are tied as my favorite characters. I often found myself oscillating between the two. For the longest time, I believed that honor belonged to Charlie, because she was always so strong and confident, whereas Jordan was almost the complete opposite. As his arc progressed, I grew to adore and respect him. It was a pleasure to watch him grow. Actually, with the exception of the deck boss, Nash, they all changed and matured exponentially.

Speaking of him, I can't remember the last time I felt such utter disgust and hatred for a fictional character. I still would've loathed him regardless, but if there were glimpses into his adolescence or a variance to his childhood, maybe (and that's an extreme maybe,) I could've understood or sympathized with him in some way. I wanted a deeper, more complex character. Unfortunately, the reader isn't given any of that. As a result, Nash was very black and white, offering little to zero depth. He possessed no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Being wholly evil incarnate, I longed for some shade of moral ambiguity. Not necessarily something virtuous, but something different to latch onto; something to cherish. The last thing I expected was a one-note villain.

Their wails are a cacophony she cannot bear. But she will listen; she can do nothing else. She will allow guilt to fester in her intangible core, where she keeps the part of her that thinks, that feels, that knows humanity as a familiar if abstract concept. She has no heart but is heartbroken. No mind, yet she mourns.

As mentioned before, the pacing was great, fantastic. It never lulled, there was always something interesting happening, and the prose kept me turning pages. I had to find out what happened next. I needed to learn more about these characters. And much of its easy readability stemmed from the synchronization of Nerdlo and Parker.

I'd never read either author, so it's impossible to determine who wrote what or whether or not their styles would've otherwise clashed, but personally, it felt very cohesive. It sounded like one author instead of two, and that's always the goal of any collaboration. Granted, there were some passages that used compound sentences and others that were more simplistic, but the same can be said about my own writing and, I suspect, pretty much anyone's prose. I can't emphasize enough just how natural and in sync the whole felt.

The ending was very satisfying, although some suspension of disbelief was required. However, those instances lent it some mysterious elements which I really appreciated because not everything was "wrapped neatly with a bow," and I greatly dislike endings that are too neat. This one struck a nice balance. The tension and dread were top-notch. I couldn't ask for more. It was fascinating to see how everything unraveled, from multiple perspectives because there was so much happening simultaneously. And then they surpassed all expectations with an utterly unpredictable and beautiful development. To say any more would do it a disservice.

Charlie is on her knees beside him, wailing, sounding not unlike the sirens of myth, and with this in mind, Jordan turns to get another look at the thing in the pot… Either that, or this is all a dream. Has to be. Nothing makes sense in this upside-down world.

Sam’s at the port railing, vomiting over the side. When the guy manages to collect himself, he swipes emesis, chunky and pink, from his week-old growth of beard. His eyes are mad..

Lastly, I wanted more. That's a compliment to any author. Maiden was barely two hundred pages, but Parker and Nerdlo made every word count. There was a purpose to everything. It wasn't long before I started to love Sam, Charlie, Jordan, and their captain, simply known as God. I felt like I knew them personally, as if they'd shared intimate details of their life with me, though not in an obvious or direct manner. There was a lot communicated flat-out, but T.C. Parker and Ward Nerdlo implemented a fair amount of subtlety, too. If executed well, an author can give the reader just enough information about character that it feels like you have a clear sense of who they are, and that's precisely what they accomplished here.

The story was a whole lot of fun to read. Despite the proclivities of a certain callous individual, I managed to look past those things and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. And what a ride it was. I think my time aboard the Pepper Kay will resonate for a long time. I hope I never forget it, of only because it serves as a very grim reminder of how depraved humanity can devolve into. More importantly, it's a testament to the formidable resistance of virtue.

In summation, Parker and Nerdlo crafted an enticing creature feature set in the frigid confines of the Bering Strait. Therein, they explored the extremes of depravity and virtue, in stunning equality. And though I would've preferred the antagonist to be less black and white and more gray, I still can't fault it too much. For that reason, I'm giving it four stars, but please note that those stars are very, very firm. Nearly 5/5.

***

I was given an e-copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and the authors. My opinions are my own. Thank you.

[Sjgomzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a good sea story and this one was fantastic from start to finish. I was hooked from the get go and glued to the pages. A smorgasbord of all my favorite storytelling ideas. So much to love here. Great characters, wonderful addictive prose that sucks you in and won’t let go, a villain so evil you want to reach into the book and strangle him with your own bare hands, and sea monsters, yes, actual sea monsters that not only invoke awe and fear, but some that will break your damn heart. And this book did break my heart, many times. One of my favorite reads of the year, with an ending that delivers on all the promises made before. As you can probably tell, I loved this!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling characters along with deeply felt horror that comes from both the human monsters, and terrifying denizens of the deep. Stellar writing, tightly woven plot, perfect pacing. Highest recommendation - I absolutely love deep sea horror and this is a prime example.

[Tracy]

I did a beta read so I’ll properly review once I read the finished copy. This one is a blast.

[Jerry Medrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book.......is something else it's horrible, beautiful and haunting. Definitely something that will stay with me

[Austrian Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on my website

https://www.austrianspencer.com/post/...

In the Author's notes of Maiden, Ward Nerdlo (an anagram of the author’s name) explains the genesis of Maiden – how it was a decade in the making. From the sounds of it, he had worked and reworked the novel, but the tone of the piece was lacking. He then explains that he read Saltblood, T.C. Parker’s novel, and knew what was missing – and the hint of exactly what that was is alluded to by emphasizing T.C.’s unparalleled character work and Lore. I’ve said myself that T.C.’s character work is exemplary, her slow build of relationships, her understanding of unspoken body language, and her wonderfully eloquent prose all factor in to show what Ward was searching for. He had the core of his story, he needed the world and characters fleshing out.

Now, the styles of the two authors are, to me, at odds (but which worked). Where T.C. is descriptive and eloquent, Ward uses short sharp sentences structures to convey pressure. Ward’s vocabulary tends (here) toward vulgar - his writing is intended to shock. His main villain character is loathsome. His motivations are non-existent. It is as if he has given T.C. the task of building characters and a world, in which he can let horrific things happen, to show exactly how low a particular human can go. Almost like allowing a gem to shine before smashing that gem to smithereens and then shitting on the rubble, because, honestly, why not?

And it works - to an extent. The characters are there to fulfill specific roles. Nash - the no-holds-barred depraved villain of the piece (with boating experience) is set up, right from the beginning, as a character to hate. The authors show him in all his depravity (as if Ward has decided that sexual atrocities are the worst thing a person could do, so let’s have lots of that), a clear-cut bad guy. Against this, we have Charlie, a bad-ass lesbian final girl type character (with no boating experience), well structured, hard, a great counterpoint to Nash, and an obvious character to root for.

We have the other unlikely characters of the boat – Sam and Jordan. Sam is a broken man (with no boating experience), who is depressed and cannon fodder. This guy is introduced and you know it is going to end badly for him. Jordan is a gay young guy (with no boating experience). He’s a character that is just starting to find out his sexuality, so obviously, enrolling on a boat (a typically man’s-man hard hetero-man type of job) is not going to end well. The captain is called God, and the only reason I can think of for that was for a few one-liners like “god is dead” and “God surveys his crew and sees that they are good.” Which was pretty funny to atheist Austrians like me.

The unlikeliness of the crew is really not over-seeable. I love Ward and T.C.’s character work on all of the crew in the initial setup – but the realms of plausibility are strained. To work on a crabbing boat (7 people) you need a crew of people who know exactly what they are doing, or people die. It’s that simple. You need to know that the people that are on board are going to be able to save your life when it all turns to shit. This is not that crew. Not even slightly, and there are two people missing – Crab boats typically man 7-person crews.

Regardless, you want it to work. You want the story to unfold, so honestly, the writing is engaging enough that we want to continue.

A scene right from the get-go sets up Nash as a rapist. So – there are triggers here. It’s well written, the Charlie POV worked and I felt happy that she got out of there and Nash suitably wounded. The writing was tight, I felt the tension rising.

The set-up of the find of the mermaid works. I liked it, I liked the description, I like the situation, I liked the conflict of interest it made for Nash and God, it made the killing of God believable, it made the downward spiral of relationship conflict believable.

Then Ward (I assume, it has to be said) decided to layer on more depravity for Nash.

By this time, we know the character. We already don’t like him, this was, for me, overextending the point. The rape of Jordan seemed pointless. Nash then rapes the mermaid (if he thinks of it as a sexual assault, it is, by definition, a sexual assault, regardless of the correctness in ascertaining her reproductive organs) and tortures her by destroying her hands. Again, we already know he’s a dick. It’s preaching to the choir.

Lots of stuff happens, and the situation escalates with ever-increasingly dangerous problems attacking the ship. The final bad guy monster is of historic god-like proportions, but by that time this reader had already given up their attempt at caring, because the only character I felt an affinity for was killed in a one-line shock, and that, ironically, probably just for its shock value. We are left with a character we felt sorry for, but honestly, did nothing of value apart from surviving and having our sympathy.

Ward’s style of shocking the reader does work. In restraint. Here, I think he went overboard in an attempt to make the character even more loathsome every time we visited him. It seems ironic that that disbelief in the reader (from the Author) is the cause of my disbelief in the novel. Trust us a little bit more, next time, Ward. We were on board. You had us, but you lost us by thinking you had to go to even greater and greater extremes. I would have been massively happy to have seen the play of tension between the existing characters onboard a solitary ship, without adding all of the external factors and the threats they then included. The two Author’s character work was on the page but was ultimately forgotten by the ever-increasing events and depravity layered onto Nash.

Look. The premise of this was great, the execution improved 100% by getting T.C. to shore up the characters (I assume), but the storyline, which I get the feeling, as defined by Ward, wasn’t going to be bettered by either of them by the end, given the sheer scale of the threat.

I’m giving this a 3 ⭐out of 5 for effort, I’d say the start and the middle of the book were worth the cover price, nice tension building, but the complete package wasn’t for me.

[Remo Nassutti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Sinister and Suspenseful Sea Shanty

In short, Maiden is a solid creature feature and well-realized piece of adventure horror. The novel scratches at some deeper themes, and in some cases realizes them. However, certain structural aspects and stylistic choices make for an occasionally bumpy journey.

In the past several years, I've read a few pieces by Nerdlo under a different pseudonym. Those works demonstrate a strong authorial voice, a good sense for pacing, and an admiration for genre classics. This is my first experience with TC Parker. After reading this novel, Saltblood might have jumped forward a few places on my endless TBR.

A Motley Crew

This novel boasts a crew of complex —and flawed— characters. Each character has a strong sense of identity. To contrast this with other novels, I never felt confused about who was who. The authors ensured we understood the individual personalities of each character. The chapters alternate between limited perspectives centered on each character. The authors made clever adjustments to the prose and word choice of each chapter to capture a bit of the characters' essences. Perhaps the most noticeable choices involve the chapters centering around the ship's captain God.

I enjoyed the characters with the exception of Nash. While I love detestable characters, I felt that Nash teetered too far into hyperbolic villainy. This less than subtle characterization called to mind the blundering Norman from Stephen King's Rose Madder. While I liked the focus on a "human evil" over a "supernatural horror," I would have preferred a less heavy handed antagonist.

Jordan, Charlie, and Sam each had thoughtful and sympathetic portrayals. I enjoyed the emphasis on internal contradictions. None of these characters fit any prototypical molds. Each character felt fresh and engaging. While the character God, felt closer to a traditional sea-captain, the authors went off-script enough to keep the character interesting.

Feel it in your Bones

If I were to select a similar novel to pair with Maiden, I'd select Ian McGuire's The North Waters. Both novels feature a nautical voyage to Arctic waters; a malevolent and scheming crew member, and copious references to bodily excretions. To emphasize the latter point, this novel makes you feel its drama in your body. While I thought some of the similes were a bit silly —there's a simile involving semen in a toilet bowl— I did enjoy the emphasis on the body. The authors make the readers feel the cold, the pain, the violence. Once on the Pepper Kay, the novel doesn't let you off until the end.

A Bigger Picture

A resounding theme of this novel is trauma. To be more specific, the authors focus on the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people. The authors approach this subject with finesse. The way the authors show us subtle changes in body language and character reactions give us deeper looks into those characters. A strong example could be Charlie's sensitivity to touch. The presence of character trauma was felt in each scene. In addition, the authors do a great job of explaining the sensations of anxiety. This caring depiction remains the novel's strongest quality. When paired with the emphasis on bodily sensation, the authors not only explain anxiety and PTSD, but make us feel it as well.

To aid in the storytelling, the authors wrote the Pepper Kay as a sentient fishing vessel. I sensed an allegory for the planet itself. The Pepper Kay anchors the reader to an empathetic perspective throughout. The authors seemed like they experimented with allegory a few times. While there appeared to be purpose in these choices, I didn't feel like these themes or allegories ever felt fully realized. The authors showed that they could work with a complex topic like trauma, but other themes felt largely secondary. While having endless themes is not necessary to enjoyability, there did feel like a bit of lost potential.

The Featured Creature

The authors crafted memorable mer-people. There might haven been a lengthy bit of build-up to a first sighting. But once they arrived, the pacing rarely slowed until the final moments. The authors had a fun and well-realized creature without relying on that creature to carry the novel. In this way, the creatures help carry the themes from beginning to end, instead of taking attention from the human drama.

A Few Narrative Hurdles

The largest stumbling blocks for this novel were some of the structural and stylistic choices. During the early chapters, the authors introduce each crew member for the first time. The reader rotates, round Robin style, through initial encounters with each of them. During these chapters, the reader receives characters traits instead of seeing them. This helps memorability to some extent because we get a handful of identifying traits early in the story. But it hurts immersion. I'd have preferred to watch each character like a fly on a wall. Any time the reader needs to do a bit more work to dig out characterization, it helps engagement with a piece. I didn't enjoy the "telling" of character backstory. I'd have enjoyed seeing these backstories unfold through conversations instead.

There is another hindrance that appears later in the novel. As we are in full-blown action, the authors take us aside to short episodes from the characters' past. These vignettes felt unnecessary and distracting. I didn't understand Charlie's flashback at all. I loved Charlie as a character, but I had difficulty connecting together the pieces of her backstory.

Sam's backstory felt a bit cliche. While depicting Sam, the authors do a great job of showcasing the effects of anxiety. By the time Sam reaches the conclusion of his character arc, this backstory feels largely unsatisfying. By contrast, the authors wove Jordan's backstory into the novel with considerable skill.

There's another small issue towards the end of the novel in which the authors end chapters with obvious foreshadowing. I can't fault this technique too much, as I understand its purpose in this sort of novel. Someone like King uses this technique constantly. However, I don't care for the technique. It breaks into the story like a sort of meta-voice that sacrifices immersion in order to encourage the reader to turn the next page. At this point in the story, the authors had already done a wonderful job creating an immersive atmosphere. So it felt distracting.


Conclusion

Maiden accomplishes quite a bit. I'll continue to think about some of the thoughtful depictions of difficult topics. Characters like Jordan and Charlie brought a lot to this short novel. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy some of the narrative choices, but overall, this was a fun read.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[H.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really gutting read. Definitely compelling and a page-turner. Very dark: please mind the trigger warnings.

I really liked the movement between different character’s perspectives. My favorite sections from an imaginative standpoint were those from the perspective of the ship, The Pepper Kay. I always love seeing how authors imbue awareness and sentiency into non-living things. A ship seems like a natural choice for an object with supernatural awareness and agency, especially since humans have been anthropomorphizing ships for centuries.

I also enjoyed the authors’ take on mermaids. If you’re looking for Ariel, this is not the book for you! These mermaids may have features that resemble humans in many ways (arms, faces, etc.), but they are not human. They are sea creatures, adapted to their environment, and they don’t conform to human standards of beauty. They’re described as looking more whale-like than fish-like in many ways, which makes a lot more sense from an evolutionary standpoint (yes, I know mermaids aren’t real/are extremely unlikely to evolve). I really enjoy creature-horror that is based around how the creature would live in and interact with its environment.

Another thing I appreciated was that, though the mermaids were monstrous in many ways and definitely problematic for the protagonists, they were not the main threat. As usual, human greed, cruelty, and arrogance are a bigger problem for other humans than any other animal will ever be, no matter how dangerous or powerful.

Definitely take the trigger-warnings (listed at the end of the book) seriously! There are graphic, disturbing scenes in this book depicting physical and sexual assault. There are discussions of very distressing and often gross things, and the discussions are often detailed. It’s a testament to the authors’ writing skills that the concrete details and descriptions are so viscerally upsetting. Personally, this was about the limit of what I can handle, and I seriously caution anyone who has triggers to check before proceeding. This book will not be for everyone.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But what of her crew? Well, their future is uncertain—because this is the nature of men.”

The Parker Kay is God’s ship and he only has 3 commandments “One: thou shalt do whatever the fuck I say. I will accept no backtalk. You respect that, and I’ll respect you. “Two: thou shalt give me every ounce of your willpower. Quitting is not an option. As long as you are here, you’ll bust a gut to get the job done, and get it done to my satisfaction. “Three: thou shalt work together. Even if you come to hate each other more than Zeus hates fidelity, you will work as if you’re happily married to the best fuck in existence. “Do I make myself clear?” The only problem is God can’t (or maybe doesn’t want to) foresee how bad this trip will go. The elements, God’s right hand man: Nash, and something lurking in the water are all competing to make this the worst fishing trip ever. It’s just a matter of who, or what messes it up the worst. Nash is terrible and disgusting in every way and a villain you love to hate, but due to a mix of guilt, misguided loyalty, and necessity God hires him on to the ship anyway. Something he’ll regret for the rest of his life. The Pepper Kay herself gets a few POV chapters and they were poetic, and beautifully written. They were what pulled me in at first. Each POV was distinctly different making each character completely individual. I got this one for the beautiful cover (how I choose a lot of my books) but it turned into a really great read. I wish it were longer to let the story run its course a little more so the ending didn’t feel so rushed, a longer book would have also given the several POVs a little more room to breath, but other then that I really enjoyed it!

*a copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grimly entertaining

I had been warned this would be a grim read and not one I might like, or expect, but I have been a fan of TC Parker's writing for some time and will always try whatever she's written. So yes, the content is extreme for me and not what I would normally choose to read and on that count I would give 2.5 stars, but for pace, style, characters and the sheer ability to spin a yarn, I put it up to 4. I notice some reviewers didn't like the early character profile chapters but it was those which hooked me into the book and kept me reading. Nash was just appallingly vile but the other three, Sam, Charlie and Jordan, I wanted to see them win. Whether they do or not you'll have to read for yourself.

[Ross Jeffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Well what the hell did I just read? Here follows a short spoiler and something I’d never think I’d ever write…Fingering a mermaid.

This was an interesting read, a tough one too when you consider the trigger warnings detailed in the back which contain things like Child Death, Rape, Sexual Assault, Homophobia and a whole lot more). But it’s an Edward Lorn creation albeit Ward Nerdlo and a TC Parker book who also loves the dark stuff too - so these things I’d expected, but it didn’t make them any more palatable.

I felt at times the line was crossed, well it was crossed on so many occasions the chalk line was smeared all over the place - I felt that this line was particularly smeared with getting us to hate the antagonist Nash - and it felt quite forced in that sense, that they’d decided this guy was a beast and showed us again and again and upping the ante each time - getting darker and darker, but within the first few chapters (spoiler) he attempts to rape someone - so we know he’s a monster already.

There was an awful lot of dick references - so many that it got laughable at times, and not in a good way.

But I did enjoy the character work, each of the characters were deftly crafted and I enjoyed how the their lives were peeled back slowly before us, with each passing chapter - also I really enjoyed the short chapters and how each chapter was named after a character, it helped tie everything together and helped build tension to the story as we flitted around the crew mates.

The creature feature lore that was brought into this story was fabulously executed, I loved the myths and how they mixed up our preconceived ideas of mermaids and mermen and turned them into these crazy nightmarish visions.

There was something lacking though, like I wanted more plot, something to really dig my teeth into because the location and the plot were expertly put across but I just wanted a little more meat on the bone, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was - it might be that I’d seen this being referred to as The Thing meets The Deadliest Catch - and there wasn’t really much of The Thing in it.

But I enjoyed it, read it in a day, and the story kept me engaged throughout - I wanted to see people get theirs and I did!

The best part of the book for me and a bit that really resonated was the chapters from The Pepper Kay - the way the writers give this boat a personality, a life, a way of seeing the world was masterful…

Now I need to go and wash my eyeballs!

[Valerie - Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

On board the Pepper Kay, an unskilled crew directed by God (no, not that God) is on its way to the Bering Strait for crabbing. From God's, the captain, point of view, this is a ragtag group: Sam, "tall and rangy", Jordan, "dark of skin but bright of gaze", Charlie, a "no-nonsense woman", and Nash, "mean and unshaven", it's an odd group for sure even for God. God has three commandments for his crew. They need to do what he says, work hard, and work together.

Nash is nasty. He's an absolutely vulgar, abhorrent sack of testosterone that deserves to be castrated and then quartered by horses. He's such a piece of excrement that it's honestly difficult to read the scenes that he is in. He's exactly the kind of character that you wish the deepest, darkest corners of the earth to swallow him down and torture daily without remorse. I've read some atrocious characters before but I can honestly say Nash is by far, the most deplorable. There are no redeemable traits about him whatsoever. None. He's disgusting, perverse...there truly aren't enough words in the English language for Nash.

While the focus is on the clashing personalities aboard the Pepper Kay, we mustn't count out the danger of what they have drug up from the deep. This mermaid is ugly, superficially human, but with a mouth and teeth more like a dolphin, green tangled hair, blue skin, and the tail of something that resembles a whale. It's a tight, dreadful atmosphere aboard the Pepper Kay with the so-called mermaid in the hold. As the story progresses, the crew is stuck desolately in the middle of the ocean with danger both on board and off, we are then left to decide who the true monster is. (Hint: only one is pure evil.)

The pacing was brilliant but I found myself wanting more mayhem by mermaid. Oh, there is carnage galore, but it went way too fast and skipped to the end. I highly enjoyed the perspective of the Pepper Kay itself, with its almost all-knowing compassion and empathy. There are many triggers in the book and the authors give a list of them, so I highly recommend reading those first. Maiden is a hard story to swallow, getting stuck in your throat as you try to gulp air past the blockage.

[Julia Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also reviewed on www.curiosityboughtthebook.com

A 4 skull book

I freaking adore mermaids. Really anything with mermaids/sirens in it: the scarier, the better. I am a full grown adult that wants there to be merpeople living in the depths of our oceans, ready to strike at any moment. Gruesome killing machines; half-human, half-fish. I don’t know when this obsession started. So, when I heard about Maiden, I immediately jumped over to Netgalley and requested an advanced copy. Here is what I thought:

The mermaids themselves are a-mazing! They are everything I want in them, if not better. In fact, I need more of them. I want this to be a whole series, because these are not your fairytale mermaids, and I’m all here for it.

I also enjoyed the characters to an extent. The captain and his three new crew members were all flawed human beings, just like the rest of us. I like being able to sympathize with characters that are down on their luck. Makes the book feel more organic, more real.

The villain, on the other hand, was more vile and disgusting than I expected. I’m not generally a person that gets offended easily, but this villain did nothing but just that. Since I can only assume this was on purpose, I won’t deduct any points for his gross presence in the novel. Just some parts were a bit too much, but then again trigger warnings were included in the book, so it’s nothing I didn’t know going on.

A very solid, gruesome and outright bloodbath by the two authors working together!

Thanks to the authors for the review copy!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowser...killer story!

I wasn't sure about this story to begin with. With one of the characters named God I wasn't sure if this was going to end up being an homily or not (I believe that's the right word) but this was probably as far from that as it could get. But God is just the character's nickname and though this book definitely is about good and mostly about evil, it's not about the God in the heavenly realm.

I loved this book. God is the captain of the Pepper Kay, a fishing boat in the Bering Strait that will be going out fishing for Dungeness crabs. There is Nash, the deckboss, a truly evil man, and three greenhorn crew, including one woman who is in charge of the boat's engines.

The story is told in alternating short chapters by each character, which I enjoyed. I liked the characters except Nash, who was one of the evilest antagonists I have ever come across in my years of reading.

The crew ends up bringing up a supernatural catch and the story really takes off after that. I loved the way the entire story was handled.

Do be warned: the authors warn the reader and I will warn you that there are many triggers in this story and it is not for the faint of heart. That written, it is an excellent horror story and well worth reading.

I received this book from Hold My Beer Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are those characters that just won’t let go of you. I have been busy and have not been able to find time to read but yet these five people are always on my mind. Charlie, Sam, Jordan, Nash, and the captain, who everyone calls God, absolutely haunted me when I wasn’t reading.
There was a disquiet that permeates throughout the story, the tension of being out in the cold ocean with a monster storm approaching and a human monster on board. And what was it that they saw in the waves? Even the ship herself gets her own dedicated POV which further enhances the unease that you can’t escape from.
Can five brilliantly flawed characters, each dealing with serious issues of their own, come together when myth becomes reality? Even if one of the vilest, most disgusting, characters I have ever encountered is on board this ship.
Parts of this book made me so angry that I was cursing out the authors. I really hope there is a prequel in the works, because I want more Pepper Kay.
I can’t say anything else because you need to experience this first hand.

[Retrospective Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars.

From the opening pages you knew you were about to embark on an voyage through unknown waters. It felt like the prologue of a greek myth.

With a diverse cast of characters, including the crabber Pepper Kay, mythological creatures, and a satisfying conclusion, Maiden is one hell of a nautical tale.

This story offered more treats than I expected from reading the synopsis. And that’s always a good thing.

[D.K. Hundt · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAIDEN – by T.C. Parker & Ward Nerdlo

‘The Pepper Kay can feel it in her boards, in her bolts and berth. It’s coming off the ocean, rolling in on churning waves: an oppressive feeling of doom.’

‘The sea is full of mysteries; the Pepper Kay included. But she will take hers to her grave.’

That. Was. Awesome!!

Parker and Nerdlo’s collaboration is *chefs kiss* perfection—MAIDEN is a correlation of intense scenes with in-depth characterization—those you will love and one, in particular, you will love to hate.

If you are a fan of nautical horror, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading MAIDEN!

Thank you, NetGalley and Hold My Beer Publishing, for providing me with an eBook of MAIDEN at the request of an honest review.

[expertbooksmuggler · Rating 4 out of 5]

God surveys his crew and sees that they are good.

After reading Mira Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep I have been searching for mermaid horror like crazy. I never knew how much I needed Mermaid horror! I’ve had Maiden on my TBR and was so excited to see it available on NetGalley!

The Pepper Kay is a crabbing ship heading out to the Bering Strait in search of Dungeness crab with mostly inexperienced crew. If that isn’t enough of a problem, her new captain has brought along his violent right hand man referred to as The Empty One. And soon, they are joined by the Nameless ones coming up from the depths of the ocean.

Maiden is told to us through multiple POVs including the ship. Yes, she is some sort of sentient ship! That didn’t prove to be the problem I thought it would be at first. What proved to be the problem was experiencing Nash’s POV.

This man is naaaasty enough that our sentient ship refuses to call him by his name! Reading his chapters was extremely difficult because if you haven’t guessed it yet- the real monsters are often human.

Nash is a violent rapist with a history of murder thrown in on the side. He does not refer to women as women, but instead calls them ‘gashes’ and spends time reminiscing on his previous assaults. Still, the captain (AKA God… yes he calls himself God) keeps him on and it isn’t long before he’s causing problems with the only female crew member, Charlie and eventually Jordan (I found his scene with Nash very difficult due to the homophobia too).

That’s the story he’ll be telling himself, to keep his own engine running when he comes at her: that’s she not a real woman, not in the way he understands a woman ought to be. Because if she’s not a real woman, then she’s not a real person, right? And if that’s true, then what the fuck does it matter what he does to her?

We get a solid amount of insight into each of the characters enough so that the book just feels heavy. A large focus of this book is spent on tension between the crew as lives are lost and mermaids are making themselves known. The mermaids are there and all, but they are not really the focus of the book.

Overall, I do wish that there was more focus on the mermaids and less focus on ensuring we know who is actually the bad one.

Don’t get me wrong, this book filled me with rage and I think it was meant to. But it felt a bit gratuitous in regards to Nash’s lack of hygiene (and soul) and the amount of sexual assault talk. He was written well enough that you KNOW what kind of man he is and the efforts to make sure we understood that were a bit much.

I’d likely recommend this to someone who enjoys both creature features and human monsters. It’s a fast read that will for sure give you some anxiety as you read and I think it does isolation very well.

Content warnings for: homophobia, rape, sexual assault, misogyny, gun violence, murder, gore

EDIT: Now that I’ve had more time to sit on this, I’m giving it a 3.5 rounded up.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounding up

RTC

[Kev Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maiden is a riotous, fast-paced read which manages to fuse the isolating claustrophobia of a small fishing vessel in the Arctic circle with the unfeeling, unfathomable scale of the cosmic.
Beginning with a set up which introduces the reader to each of the six characters (including the boat) which both compels you to read on but also warns of the horrors which might be to come, you are soon transported to the open sea, where things go from strange to stranger fast and the stakes are raised time and again until the breathless crescendo.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this work is in its characters: every one flawed and carrying the scars of what has come before, but presented in the full spectrum from those you root for, those you pity and hope for some kind of redemption for and the utterly irredeemable - the monsters of the piece in the truest sense.
Also wrestling with some of the oldest folklore in human history in a fresh-feeling, thrilling way, I found nothing not to like in this book. Highly recommended.

[Belle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 50%

Such a beautiful cover for such an ugly book. I think maybe that is the point?

This is what others have already mentioned; full of violence, profanity, vulgarity and needless lewdness. And nothing else. Which is the problem I had.

Aside from the above, the writing, story and characters are all empty and I couldn't bring myself to care about them.

*Free e-arc received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Shahna (VanquishingVolumes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting deep sea adventure with murderous mermaids, I’ll say I had a decent time reading this adventure novel. While I didn’t really connect deeply with any of the characters, the short chapters helped me move through the unpacking of the plot and still enjoy what the book had to offer.

I’d recommend this book to someone looking for a fast paced quick read that is packed with blood, salt, and killer mermaids.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is going in my Top 3 for the year, because it’s that good. How good was it? So good I read parts of it out loud to my dog, because I wanted to hear it sing. A hell of a story. If you like adventure mixed with horror, cryptids, tales of the sea, terrifying adventures with cryptids of the sea, or a good fight scene – this book is for you.