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The Summoning
You’re cordially invited to LaVey House…
The reclusive Howard LaVey has presented writers Frederick Brandis, Aster Callahan, Rhiannon Hughes, and Mikhail Orlov with the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to spend a week at his ominous estate and collaborate on a horror anthology.
Each of them hopes to get something out of it, ranging from riches to recognition, but egos flare and co-existing becomes a struggle as each writer battles against their own demons and self-doubts.
Soon enough, LaVey House turns out to be much more than they bargained for, and the chance of a lifetime quickly becomes a living nightmare as ancient spirits awaken and torment them at every turn.
Four writers, four stories, but the true horror lies buried within the dark hallways and forgotten secrets of LaVey House just waiting to live again!
The Summoning is an intense horror collaboration from the minds of Dr. Stuart Knott, Harriet Everend, and Jessica Huntley and featuring contributions from Alice Stone, Shantel Brunton, Tom Schnipke, and Daria Lavrenteva.
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR:
Violence, supernatural horror, depictions of abuse (domestic, physical, and emotional), trauma, swearing, rape suicide, depression, panic attacks, loss of a child, blood and gore.
The reclusive Howard LaVey has presented writers Frederick Brandis, Aster Callahan, Rhiannon Hughes, and Mikhail Orlov with the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to spend a week at his ominous estate and collaborate on a horror anthology.
Each of them hopes to get something out of it, ranging from riches to recognition, but egos flare and co-existing becomes a struggle as each writer battles against their own demons and self-doubts.
Soon enough, LaVey House turns out to be much more than they bargained for, and the chance of a lifetime quickly becomes a living nightmare as ancient spirits awaken and torment them at every turn.
Four writers, four stories, but the true horror lies buried within the dark hallways and forgotten secrets of LaVey House just waiting to live again!
The Summoning is an intense horror collaboration from the minds of Dr. Stuart Knott, Harriet Everend, and Jessica Huntley and featuring contributions from Alice Stone, Shantel Brunton, Tom Schnipke, and Daria Lavrenteva.
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR:
Violence, supernatural horror, depictions of abuse (domestic, physical, and emotional), trauma, swearing, rape suicide, depression, panic attacks, loss of a child, blood and gore.
- GenresHorror
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 11, 2022
13 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Knott
21 books63 followersPhD graduate Dr. Stuart Knott published several short horror stories, novellas, and novels ranging from traditional slashers to surreal terrors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 25, 2023
This was one hell of a read! It was really interesting to have the characters written by different authors. Some were more likable than others (looking at you, Mikhail) but they were all incredibly well written and seemed very really. It was also nice to have 4 short stories embedded into to main story. As for the plot itself, it's really intriguing. What's happening is not really clear in the beginning, -even if the title gives a general idea- creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The reveal comes at the very end, and what a reveal! I will not say more, I can only advise you to read the book and find out
June 18, 2022
Oh my gosh! This was one hell of a read!
I love that the characters were written by different authors as it really helped to develop them and add that extra touch to their personalities, however if I didn't know that.... I wouldn't be any wiser. The team work on this must have been intense...huge credit to the authors as it was done so well. I loved some of the cross over scenes. For example, Brandis and Aster over breakfast. We read the same dialogue in two different chapters but get the different perspectives etc. I love stuff like that!
Brandis - He was probably my favourite character because he was so relatable with his anxiety about not fitting into the group, not feeling good enough etc. His attic experience was genuinely spooky!
I hope his cat is okay.
Aster - I loved the emotion written into her character and reading her mental strength managing the difficult situation with her husband and opening up to Brandis. That maze chapter though! Children are creepy!
Rhiannon - Okay so that library scene was brutal!!! The Devil’s Graveyard was my favourite submission...which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone! I'm deffo Owen!
Mikhail - A character you love to hate! He was a knob! But he was developed really well and although his tragic past didn't give him a right to be a bully, it helped feel something towards him! His story, whether it was his own work or not, was fairly creepy too! Childhood nightmare right there.
I had no idea how it would end! But I loved it...I also just love haunted mansions and ghosts! My favourite kind of horror.
This is a really well written, interesting book which has genuinely creepy moments and memorable, well developed characters. I highly recommend! I'd have kept reading if it was twice as long!
I love that the characters were written by different authors as it really helped to develop them and add that extra touch to their personalities, however if I didn't know that.... I wouldn't be any wiser. The team work on this must have been intense...huge credit to the authors as it was done so well. I loved some of the cross over scenes. For example, Brandis and Aster over breakfast. We read the same dialogue in two different chapters but get the different perspectives etc. I love stuff like that!
Brandis - He was probably my favourite character because he was so relatable with his anxiety about not fitting into the group, not feeling good enough etc. His attic experience was genuinely spooky!
I hope his cat is okay.
Aster - I loved the emotion written into her character and reading her mental strength managing the difficult situation with her husband and opening up to Brandis. That maze chapter though! Children are creepy!
Rhiannon - Okay so that library scene was brutal!!! The Devil’s Graveyard was my favourite submission...which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone! I'm deffo Owen!
Mikhail - A character you love to hate! He was a knob! But he was developed really well and although his tragic past didn't give him a right to be a bully, it helped feel something towards him! His story, whether it was his own work or not, was fairly creepy too! Childhood nightmare right there.
I had no idea how it would end! But I loved it...I also just love haunted mansions and ghosts! My favourite kind of horror.
This is a really well written, interesting book which has genuinely creepy moments and memorable, well developed characters. I highly recommend! I'd have kept reading if it was twice as long!
February 16, 2022
The Summoning (Arc read)
Out Now !
By Dr Stuart Knott, Jessica Huntley, Harriet N Everend, Shantel Brunton and Alice Stone
Firstly thank you to all authors for having me on your arc team and for the free copy of “The Summoning “
A creepy story cleverly written of a recluse Howard La Vey who offers four writers of horror an opportunity of a lifetime, to spend a week at his huge lavish, but ominous estate to collaborate on a horror anthology. Cleverly written because you get these four added creepy tales within this story.
Soon the house turns out to be a living nightmare of ancient ghosts that inhabit the old stately home.
Four writers almost mirroring the actual Summoning cleverly put together by these three authors and featuring two others, so to the authors too many cooks didn’t spoil the broth. I can’t imagine the organisation you guys must of had especially with not being in the same country.
The ending was great and without spoilers let’s just say the authors in the book didn’t quite get what they signed up for ! Great job !
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out Now !
By Dr Stuart Knott, Jessica Huntley, Harriet N Everend, Shantel Brunton and Alice Stone
Firstly thank you to all authors for having me on your arc team and for the free copy of “The Summoning “
A creepy story cleverly written of a recluse Howard La Vey who offers four writers of horror an opportunity of a lifetime, to spend a week at his huge lavish, but ominous estate to collaborate on a horror anthology. Cleverly written because you get these four added creepy tales within this story.
Soon the house turns out to be a living nightmare of ancient ghosts that inhabit the old stately home.
Four writers almost mirroring the actual Summoning cleverly put together by these three authors and featuring two others, so to the authors too many cooks didn’t spoil the broth. I can’t imagine the organisation you guys must of had especially with not being in the same country.
The ending was great and without spoilers let’s just say the authors in the book didn’t quite get what they signed up for ! Great job !
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 16, 2022
A New Kind of Horror........................
The Summoning by H. Everend, Dr. Stuart Knott and Jessica Huntley can be stamped as a new and fresh drop in the world of horror. With a mysterious plot, the book succeeds in keeping your interest right from the beginning. My favorite part were the short stories sewn in the plot. The climax is going to thrill you as it totally turns out to be an unexpected one. Also, I loved the characters as they become more and more intense throughout the story.
I would, definitely give the book 5 stars. Thanks to the authors and Shantel Brunton and Alice Stone for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.
Read more on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com
The Summoning by H. Everend, Dr. Stuart Knott and Jessica Huntley can be stamped as a new and fresh drop in the world of horror. With a mysterious plot, the book succeeds in keeping your interest right from the beginning. My favorite part were the short stories sewn in the plot. The climax is going to thrill you as it totally turns out to be an unexpected one. Also, I loved the characters as they become more and more intense throughout the story.
I would, definitely give the book 5 stars. Thanks to the authors and Shantel Brunton and Alice Stone for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.
Read more on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com
February 13, 2022
Yes, I am a co-author on this book, but this review is in dedication and about the others on this project as well. This was quite the undertaking of a job in several ways (varying schedules, timezone differences, life in general), but this book still got written, edited and published to the world at a fairly decent time frame.
Firstly, I would like to thank and appreciate Dr. Stuart Knott for asking me to be on this project back in mid-2021. When he told me the original idea he had in mind, I fell in love with the concept near instantaneously. It was such a unique and cool structure that I didn't feel I could turn it down. Stuart has a brilliantly macabre mind and (for me personally) has a way with words that'll keep you engaged from beginning to end. His writing of Brandis was extremely meta to me (considering a lot of Brandis is like Stuart himself) and his writing of Mikhail was excellent and made me want to simultaneously hug him and punch him in the throat
What can I say about Jessica that probably hasn't already been said? ☺ Her writing is brilliant and easy to digest for me. She was one of the first indie authors on IG that I became "friends" with. Jessica is hard working and passionate and her writing of Rhiannon reflects that. I personally feel Rhiannon needs a prequel story; such a fascinating character.
I helped bring Shantel onto the project and that was an excellent decision. Her dark and twisted mind was perfect for this collaboration. Her submission of Mikhail's short story was unsettling and left a chill down my spine.
Having Alice on the project as well made it feel more complete. Stuart brought her on and after reading her short story, The Mucus, it wasn’t a contest. Alice contributed by submitting the prologue for The Summoning.
Firstly, I would like to thank and appreciate Dr. Stuart Knott for asking me to be on this project back in mid-2021. When he told me the original idea he had in mind, I fell in love with the concept near instantaneously. It was such a unique and cool structure that I didn't feel I could turn it down. Stuart has a brilliantly macabre mind and (for me personally) has a way with words that'll keep you engaged from beginning to end. His writing of Brandis was extremely meta to me (considering a lot of Brandis is like Stuart himself) and his writing of Mikhail was excellent and made me want to simultaneously hug him and punch him in the throat
What can I say about Jessica that probably hasn't already been said? ☺ Her writing is brilliant and easy to digest for me. She was one of the first indie authors on IG that I became "friends" with. Jessica is hard working and passionate and her writing of Rhiannon reflects that. I personally feel Rhiannon needs a prequel story; such a fascinating character.
I helped bring Shantel onto the project and that was an excellent decision. Her dark and twisted mind was perfect for this collaboration. Her submission of Mikhail's short story was unsettling and left a chill down my spine.
Having Alice on the project as well made it feel more complete. Stuart brought her on and after reading her short story, The Mucus, it wasn’t a contest. Alice contributed by submitting the prologue for The Summoning.
April 15, 2022
This is an awesome collaboration between several SUPER talented horror writers, and it does not disappoint. It's moody, mysterious, and terrifying and I feel honored to have been able to read an ARC of it before its publication. As a sucker for creepy mansions and virtual strangers thrown into a sketchy and ultimately horrific scenario, I loved it.
May 27, 2022
I don’t read anywhere near enough gothic horror. That’s what I’m starting to find out. I think I’m growing into it because the past few I’ve tried to read have had me hooked right from the beginning. The Summoning was no different. This book is written by quite a few authors and at no point does it feel awkward. They used a really good system of each having a character and each writing that characters entries. I believe this benefitted the book in a massive way. Reading from a different characters POV really feels like a different character, the writing voice changes enough that you KNOW you’re in a different head. This book was also extremely creepy in the best possible way. K thx.
June 15, 2022
Really enjoyed this. It was a really interesting format with the perspective of all the different characters and their short stories all intertwined.
January 30, 2022
The Summoning is a very unique book, I doubt you will find one like it! It’s old school horror with no fluff. This book holds so many secrets and dark terror that many times I needed a break.
I do not suggest that you read this at night because it gets under your skin. I loved how it’s stories within a story. You get so much content in just one book.
Horrific, gruesome and gnarly…..this book has it all. This is a true horror fans dream.
I do not suggest that you read this at night because it gets under your skin. I loved how it’s stories within a story. You get so much content in just one book.
Horrific, gruesome and gnarly…..this book has it all. This is a true horror fans dream.
April 1, 2023
Ominous Tale of Evil
From the opening chapter, this novel gave me chills up and down my spine. The four authors and their host all had their demons, but there was always something more sinister at play. Especially LeVey, the proprietor of the castle. All was not what it appeared to be. This book is a true page turner and horror fans will love this story.
From the opening chapter, this novel gave me chills up and down my spine. The four authors and their host all had their demons, but there was always something more sinister at play. Especially LeVey, the proprietor of the castle. All was not what it appeared to be. This book is a true page turner and horror fans will love this story.
August 31, 2025
This was an atmospheric combination of talent that wove together a unique story by way of short stories with a wrap around reminded me a lot of Creepshow and tales from the crypt style. If you want a good read this is a great choice.
January 15, 2022
The summoning is in my humble opinion a novel that is truly unique and is set up in a brilliant way. This book takes the rich varied elements of an anthology but it’s not just an anthology it’s a novel as well. This collaboration between some extremely talented authors came together beautifully.
The opening prologue establishes the dark atmospheric tone for the book. A haunted house, ghosts, memories the characters can never escape from.
Speaking of characters, they are all phenomenal. You either love them or hate them and it’s all as the writers intended.
Mikhail is definitely the hateable one. His moral compass never points in the right direction and just spins around forever.
Rhiannon is a real fireball. She has her love of whiskey, smoking, running, and of course writing. I’ll say that I mostly loved her. At times she could be a little on the nasty side. However, with her dark past it’s easy to forgive her occasionally brash nature. I think she could be a little nicer to Brandis.
Brandis is an all around loved character for me. He’s incredibly relatable as I can easily identify with his struggles of being an author.
Then there’s Aster. She’s definitely beloved. She’s intelligent, definitely the kindest of the bunch, and all around awesome.
I like how she and Rhiannon both have these rocky domestic relationships and have endured severe abuse. It makes them more multidimensional characters. They feel real.
As the relationship grew between Brandis and Aster. I loved it even more.
This book is so good. The fantastic characters and a dark haunting plot. It is a must read.
The opening prologue establishes the dark atmospheric tone for the book. A haunted house, ghosts, memories the characters can never escape from.
Speaking of characters, they are all phenomenal. You either love them or hate them and it’s all as the writers intended.
Mikhail is definitely the hateable one. His moral compass never points in the right direction and just spins around forever.
Rhiannon is a real fireball. She has her love of whiskey, smoking, running, and of course writing. I’ll say that I mostly loved her. At times she could be a little on the nasty side. However, with her dark past it’s easy to forgive her occasionally brash nature. I think she could be a little nicer to Brandis.
Brandis is an all around loved character for me. He’s incredibly relatable as I can easily identify with his struggles of being an author.
Then there’s Aster. She’s definitely beloved. She’s intelligent, definitely the kindest of the bunch, and all around awesome.
I like how she and Rhiannon both have these rocky domestic relationships and have endured severe abuse. It makes them more multidimensional characters. They feel real.
As the relationship grew between Brandis and Aster. I loved it even more.
This book is so good. The fantastic characters and a dark haunting plot. It is a must read.
February 20, 2022
As I started reading this, I thought the premise sounded strangely familiar. That's because it is. The overall plot is about a group of horror writers who are invited to spend a week in an old haunted house, which is exactly what Kill Creek was about. Once I realized this I had a hard time not comparing it to Kill Creek, which I absolutely loved. I can't say this did not effect my rating and thoughts on this book because it definitely did.
This book was a collaboration of 5 authors. You can tell they did a lot of communicating to bring this story together and honestly I couldn't even tell which parts were written by different authors. That part was seamless. I also really liked the stories within a story of this. Each character was tasked with writing a short story during their stay and I did enjoy reading their submissions.
I was really excited to see what kind of macabre ideas would come to fruition with 5 authors working together on this, but honestly that part was a bit lacking for me. The parts that were meant to be creepy did a good job, but there just weren't that many spooky parts for me. Most of the book was character back story and one guy just being an asshole to everyone around him. There were a lot of Russian words and phrases left untranslated that kind of annoyed me a bit.
If you're new to the horror genre or wanting something that isn't nonstop dark, this would be a good one to try.
This book was a collaboration of 5 authors. You can tell they did a lot of communicating to bring this story together and honestly I couldn't even tell which parts were written by different authors. That part was seamless. I also really liked the stories within a story of this. Each character was tasked with writing a short story during their stay and I did enjoy reading their submissions.
I was really excited to see what kind of macabre ideas would come to fruition with 5 authors working together on this, but honestly that part was a bit lacking for me. The parts that were meant to be creepy did a good job, but there just weren't that many spooky parts for me. Most of the book was character back story and one guy just being an asshole to everyone around him. There were a lot of Russian words and phrases left untranslated that kind of annoyed me a bit.
If you're new to the horror genre or wanting something that isn't nonstop dark, this would be a good one to try.
February 22, 2022
The Summoning is a horror novel that gets in your head. It finds those dark fears inside you and feeds off it. It is so much more than one story as well, as five authors come together to LaVey House to write their own stories for an anthology.
"𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥, 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬…𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮..."
The Summoning has the feel of The Shining crossed with The Haunting of Hill House with the deep mental dread of House of Leaves.
"𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥…𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨..."
This is an impressively compiled novel with five authors, five different contributors to a horror novel that is so cohesive.
🙈
"𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥, 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬…𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮..."
The Summoning has the feel of The Shining crossed with The Haunting of Hill House with the deep mental dread of House of Leaves.
"𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥…𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨..."
This is an impressively compiled novel with five authors, five different contributors to a horror novel that is so cohesive.
🙈
May 30, 2024
I don’t make a habit of reviewing my own books, but had to make an exception for “The Summoning” to praise the efforts of my fellow contributors. My original idea was to write an anthology book in order to bring some of my unproduced short story ideas to life, but I was heavily encouraged to expand the scope and bring in some other indie writers to add a little more variety.
For “The Summoning”, I wrote the chapters featuring Frederick “Freddy” Brandis, the short story he wrote in the narrative (“The Peak”), the dialogue and scenes featuring the enigmatic host, Howard LaVey, and all of the chapters directly told from Mikhail Orlov’s perspective. Daria Lavrenteva assisted with Mikhail’s backstory and language, and I also provided the gang direction, notes, and context for the house and the frame narrative. Brandis is a very morose character, one who has failed to really make it as an author; he’s ready to walk away when he receives LaVey’s invitation, and only makes the trip because of the generous compensation offered by the old man. Mikhail is an abrasive and antagonist brute whose been riding the success of his one book for some time; he goes out of his way to cause trouble amongst the other writers, but hides a dark past and is a surprisingly tragic figure even with all his reprehensible actions.
H. Everend wrote Aster Callahan and the short story, “The Broadcast”, a haunting tale about a town full of people who mysteriously disappear, and her unique use of internal voice really helped add a lot to Aster’s personality.
Jessica wrote Rhiannon Hughes’ chapters. Rhiannon is a pretty successful Welsh writer who is maybe one drink away from becoming a full-blown alcoholic. She takes an immediate dislike to Brandis, while also forging a quick, close friendship with Aster and throwing herself into her writing despite all the drama and horrifying events that unfold throughout the week. Jessica also wrote Rhiannon’s short story, “The Devil’s Graveyard”, which was inspired by a haunted graveyard from Jessica’s youth and follows a new kid in town being told of a local legend that tests the patience of a malevolent force. I think one of the things I enjoy the most about Jessica’s work are the little things, such as Rhiannon’s writing process, her complex interactions with Brandis and Mikhail, and the horrific event that befalls her in LaVey’s library!
Shantel Brunton contributed Mikhail’s short story, “It’s All in Your Head”. Shantel has one of the most macabre imaginations I’ve seen from an indie author and she definitely indulges herself with her story. After being impressed by "The Muscus" and her work ethic, I was excited when burgeoning indie writer Alice Stone came onboard to whip up a prologue for us. Alice also has an incredibly creative imagination and really helped us to think more about the layout, atmosphere, and structure of the story. Alice’s prologue helps establish a sense of mystery and ambiance to LaVey House and to give a tantalising taste of how strange LaVey’s abode is, and she really took an active role in putting together some promotion and marketing for the book.
“The Summoning” was a big project that was full of firsts for me. Although we live all across the UK and on different continents, it was easy to stay in touch online and to iron out any obstacles without much difficulty. After writing a few chapters and giving a sense of what I wanted from the project, I was incredibly impressed with how quickly everyone caught on and were able to add individual pieces that still felt like part of a greater whole.
Consequently, it wasn’t difficult at all to structure the book into a comprehensible but unique timeline that allowed the narrative to clearly switch between characters and time periods. It was a massive project, but one I found very rewarding and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I’ll be forever grateful to everyone involved for their support and contributions to the book and I wish them, and the book, nothing but success going forward.
For “The Summoning”, I wrote the chapters featuring Frederick “Freddy” Brandis, the short story he wrote in the narrative (“The Peak”), the dialogue and scenes featuring the enigmatic host, Howard LaVey, and all of the chapters directly told from Mikhail Orlov’s perspective. Daria Lavrenteva assisted with Mikhail’s backstory and language, and I also provided the gang direction, notes, and context for the house and the frame narrative. Brandis is a very morose character, one who has failed to really make it as an author; he’s ready to walk away when he receives LaVey’s invitation, and only makes the trip because of the generous compensation offered by the old man. Mikhail is an abrasive and antagonist brute whose been riding the success of his one book for some time; he goes out of his way to cause trouble amongst the other writers, but hides a dark past and is a surprisingly tragic figure even with all his reprehensible actions.
H. Everend wrote Aster Callahan and the short story, “The Broadcast”, a haunting tale about a town full of people who mysteriously disappear, and her unique use of internal voice really helped add a lot to Aster’s personality.
Jessica wrote Rhiannon Hughes’ chapters. Rhiannon is a pretty successful Welsh writer who is maybe one drink away from becoming a full-blown alcoholic. She takes an immediate dislike to Brandis, while also forging a quick, close friendship with Aster and throwing herself into her writing despite all the drama and horrifying events that unfold throughout the week. Jessica also wrote Rhiannon’s short story, “The Devil’s Graveyard”, which was inspired by a haunted graveyard from Jessica’s youth and follows a new kid in town being told of a local legend that tests the patience of a malevolent force. I think one of the things I enjoy the most about Jessica’s work are the little things, such as Rhiannon’s writing process, her complex interactions with Brandis and Mikhail, and the horrific event that befalls her in LaVey’s library!
Shantel Brunton contributed Mikhail’s short story, “It’s All in Your Head”. Shantel has one of the most macabre imaginations I’ve seen from an indie author and she definitely indulges herself with her story. After being impressed by "The Muscus" and her work ethic, I was excited when burgeoning indie writer Alice Stone came onboard to whip up a prologue for us. Alice also has an incredibly creative imagination and really helped us to think more about the layout, atmosphere, and structure of the story. Alice’s prologue helps establish a sense of mystery and ambiance to LaVey House and to give a tantalising taste of how strange LaVey’s abode is, and she really took an active role in putting together some promotion and marketing for the book.
“The Summoning” was a big project that was full of firsts for me. Although we live all across the UK and on different continents, it was easy to stay in touch online and to iron out any obstacles without much difficulty. After writing a few chapters and giving a sense of what I wanted from the project, I was incredibly impressed with how quickly everyone caught on and were able to add individual pieces that still felt like part of a greater whole.
Consequently, it wasn’t difficult at all to structure the book into a comprehensible but unique timeline that allowed the narrative to clearly switch between characters and time periods. It was a massive project, but one I found very rewarding and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I’ll be forever grateful to everyone involved for their support and contributions to the book and I wish them, and the book, nothing but success going forward.
July 19, 2023
Horror isn't my usual genre, but wow, this one was intense! I couldn't put this book down. All the characters were so different from each other, and the authors did such a great job building their personalities. I loved the short story contributions throughout, as they brought something different to the story. Overall an amazing read!
February 9, 2023
ℍ𝔸ℙℙ𝕐 𝟙 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ 𝔸ℕℕ𝕀𝕍𝔼ℝ𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕐 🍾 (Feb.11th)
Well that was quite the ride. 😮 First off, this “intense horror collaboration” was nothing like I’ve ever read before. Each character was written by a different author, with others contributing to the prologue and a short story within the story (do not skip the prologue or the about the authors pages).
When reading it, each section flowed from one character to the next seamlessly. Each voice was unique but never “felt” like different authors had penned each character.
The writing is outstanding from all the authors. It’s fast paced with an extreme adrenaline rush near the end.
“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙻𝚊𝚅𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙱𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚜, 𝙰𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚗, 𝚁𝚑𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚗 𝙷𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚕 𝙾𝚛𝚕𝚘𝚟 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑…𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚢.
𝚂𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝙻𝚊𝚅𝚎𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗.”
After having just finishing reading Whispers From The Black by Dr. Stuart Knott I could definitely see this was his brain child. His prose while horrifying can also be descriptively beautiful. Scenes are written with care and heart. He weaves references from his previously published works into this story much like he does in the imaginative world he has created within and through his other novels. (Perhaps a little like Stephen King does).
I cannot recommend this one enough! 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well that was quite the ride. 😮 First off, this “intense horror collaboration” was nothing like I’ve ever read before. Each character was written by a different author, with others contributing to the prologue and a short story within the story (do not skip the prologue or the about the authors pages).
When reading it, each section flowed from one character to the next seamlessly. Each voice was unique but never “felt” like different authors had penned each character.
The writing is outstanding from all the authors. It’s fast paced with an extreme adrenaline rush near the end.
“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙻𝚊𝚅𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙱𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚜, 𝙰𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚗, 𝚁𝚑𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚗 𝙷𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚕 𝙾𝚛𝚕𝚘𝚟 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑…𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚢.
𝚂𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝙻𝚊𝚅𝚎𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗.”
After having just finishing reading Whispers From The Black by Dr. Stuart Knott I could definitely see this was his brain child. His prose while horrifying can also be descriptively beautiful. Scenes are written with care and heart. He weaves references from his previously published works into this story much like he does in the imaginative world he has created within and through his other novels. (Perhaps a little like Stephen King does).
I cannot recommend this one enough! 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read
November 30, 2022Ok, so yes, I wrote one fourth of this book, but I'm not reviewing my parts. This review is about the other author's parts.
The prologue is by Alice Stone - I think this is the perfect set up for a horror story. Creepy, engaging and leaves you wanting more.
It's All In Your Head is one of the short stories and is by Shantel Brunton. Oh my goodness when I first read this story it gave me chills and made me feel very uncomfortable. But that's what you want from a horror story, right? A great short story that fits perfectly into the book.
The characters of Brandis and Mikhail and the short story The Peak are written by Dr. Stuart Knott. I think Stuart's writing is ingenious. I can also relate to Brandis' character so much. Stuart has a way of really drawing you into his world and connecting with his characters. Again, a certain part really gave me goosebumps!
The character of Aster and the short story The Broadcast are written by Harriet Everend. Aster is a likeable character, one you root for from the start. I love Harriet's style of writing in first person. It's quirky and different.
I've loved working with these talented authors on this book!
The prologue is by Alice Stone - I think this is the perfect set up for a horror story. Creepy, engaging and leaves you wanting more.
It's All In Your Head is one of the short stories and is by Shantel Brunton. Oh my goodness when I first read this story it gave me chills and made me feel very uncomfortable. But that's what you want from a horror story, right? A great short story that fits perfectly into the book.
The characters of Brandis and Mikhail and the short story The Peak are written by Dr. Stuart Knott. I think Stuart's writing is ingenious. I can also relate to Brandis' character so much. Stuart has a way of really drawing you into his world and connecting with his characters. Again, a certain part really gave me goosebumps!
The character of Aster and the short story The Broadcast are written by Harriet Everend. Aster is a likeable character, one you root for from the start. I love Harriet's style of writing in first person. It's quirky and different.
I've loved working with these talented authors on this book!
July 1, 2023
This was so so good!
I don’t think I’ve read a collaborative book before, and honestly I wasn’t too sure it would work or if the authors styles would be too dissimilar?
I was very pleasantly surprised!
The Brandis/attic scene was terrifying.
All the characters felt well developed, and were written so well.
I wish it had explained why the house was doing the things it was doing, why was everyone behaving that way, what was the reason the stories had to be written?
I don’t think I’ve read a collaborative book before, and honestly I wasn’t too sure it would work or if the authors styles would be too dissimilar?
I was very pleasantly surprised!
The Brandis/attic scene was terrifying.
All the characters felt well developed, and were written so well.
I wish it had explained why the house was doing the things it was doing, why was everyone behaving that way, what was the reason the stories had to be written?
February 11, 2022
This story follows four writers, each invited to the LaVey House - a mansion both mysterious and unsettling - to take part in a horror anthology. With their own reasons for accepting the invite, the tension quickly builds as the authors struggle to get along with one another. They are stuck spending a week with not only each other, but also the looming feeling of something else - another presence.
I'm pretty new into the world of horror, and I've got to say, I absolutely loved this book! Not only was I immersed from beginning to end, I was also completely invested in the different characters lives. Even the arrogant, unlikable character had aspects that made me feel for them.
This is the first collaboration I've read, and I was super curious to see how it was going to work. The way each point of view flows from one author to the next is almost seamless. Had I read this story not already knowing it was written by multiple authors, I'm not sure I would have noticed. They all did an amazing job.
If you're into horror, I highly suggest giving this one a read. It even has a touch of romance, good backstories, and lots of suspense.
I'm pretty new into the world of horror, and I've got to say, I absolutely loved this book! Not only was I immersed from beginning to end, I was also completely invested in the different characters lives. Even the arrogant, unlikable character had aspects that made me feel for them.
This is the first collaboration I've read, and I was super curious to see how it was going to work. The way each point of view flows from one author to the next is almost seamless. Had I read this story not already knowing it was written by multiple authors, I'm not sure I would have noticed. They all did an amazing job.
If you're into horror, I highly suggest giving this one a read. It even has a touch of romance, good backstories, and lots of suspense.
April 9, 2022
I absolutely LOVED this book! Such a page-turner & kept me captivated until the very end.
April 8, 2022
Now I enjoy being scared with some dark and doom. This one was such a great collaboration created by 5 authors and made it such an adventure to read. Well done!
March 13, 2022
This novel was very well written. The five authors writing styles definitely compliment each other very well. Very strong story line and strong characters. This horror novel is a slow burn with a thrilling finish.
March 30, 2022
3.5⭐️
I haven’t read much horror and always plan to read more so jumped at the chance to read this. Thank you to all of the authors for a gifted copy to review. Congratulations on your release date on 11/2/22!
I enjoyed the premise and delivery. 4 writers to meet up and write stories. Let the horror begin! I like that I got to read 4 smaller stories as part of 1 big story. Who doesn’t love a book about books?!
Mikhail was deplorable. I hated that guy. Everyone hated that guy! Brandis was my favourite. Not as confident as he should be and the outcast. I was routing for him. I liked both Aster and Rhiannon and how different these authors were. They both have bad personal relationships and wanted to change that. I wanted a happy ending for Brandis and Aster but it’s a horror book so…
I know they don’t get on really and you wouldn’t want to come across mad, but personally I’d have been asking the others if anything ‘a little unusual’ had happened to them. I’m like ‘why are you not screaming from the rooftops?’ when stuff happens. I feel that I would have! I’d have stayed though obviously! I enjoyed the story (as well as the 4 short stories) but I can’t say I was scared. It takes a lot to scare me though. It’s a dark plot which I enjoyed. It has the voices of multiple authors which is a plus. I know a lot of work went it to this and it shows. I thought the ending was great. I enjoyed this and I think others will too! I will definitely try and read more horror.
I haven’t read much horror and always plan to read more so jumped at the chance to read this. Thank you to all of the authors for a gifted copy to review. Congratulations on your release date on 11/2/22!
I enjoyed the premise and delivery. 4 writers to meet up and write stories. Let the horror begin! I like that I got to read 4 smaller stories as part of 1 big story. Who doesn’t love a book about books?!
Mikhail was deplorable. I hated that guy. Everyone hated that guy! Brandis was my favourite. Not as confident as he should be and the outcast. I was routing for him. I liked both Aster and Rhiannon and how different these authors were. They both have bad personal relationships and wanted to change that. I wanted a happy ending for Brandis and Aster but it’s a horror book so…
I know they don’t get on really and you wouldn’t want to come across mad, but personally I’d have been asking the others if anything ‘a little unusual’ had happened to them. I’m like ‘why are you not screaming from the rooftops?’ when stuff happens. I feel that I would have! I’d have stayed though obviously! I enjoyed the story (as well as the 4 short stories) but I can’t say I was scared. It takes a lot to scare me though. It’s a dark plot which I enjoyed. It has the voices of multiple authors which is a plus. I know a lot of work went it to this and it shows. I thought the ending was great. I enjoyed this and I think others will too! I will definitely try and read more horror.
August 26, 2023
Four authors with varying degrees of success and notoriety are invited to Lavey House, in a once in a lifetime opportunity and write a short horror piece, all with the added bonuses of all expenses paid and a chance for recognition.
I’ll get the biggest point done first. If you’re a huge fan of multiple perspectives, this is for you! Each characters arc is its own story, and it’s shown with the collaborative efforts of the writers to bring life and weave them into the story. It could’ve easily have flopped or felt disjointed, but I have got to take my hat off to the pacing of this story. Each character gets just enough time without chewing up too much of the story on their own, and the individual paths flow brilliantly within each other.
All jump-scare/horror moments are unique in terms of what they are, and how they effect said character. Kind of similar to the powers/abilities of entities like Pennywise/Event Horizon, so the horror factor never feels dull.
This is tense, all the way through, and for different reasons. Whether it be through confrontation, trauma, or visions, there is never a safe turn, even if you find yourself siding with certain characters.
The devil is in the details, just make sure to look in the right places.
Loved it
I’ll get the biggest point done first. If you’re a huge fan of multiple perspectives, this is for you! Each characters arc is its own story, and it’s shown with the collaborative efforts of the writers to bring life and weave them into the story. It could’ve easily have flopped or felt disjointed, but I have got to take my hat off to the pacing of this story. Each character gets just enough time without chewing up too much of the story on their own, and the individual paths flow brilliantly within each other.
All jump-scare/horror moments are unique in terms of what they are, and how they effect said character. Kind of similar to the powers/abilities of entities like Pennywise/Event Horizon, so the horror factor never feels dull.
This is tense, all the way through, and for different reasons. Whether it be through confrontation, trauma, or visions, there is never a safe turn, even if you find yourself siding with certain characters.
The devil is in the details, just make sure to look in the right places.
Loved it
February 11, 2022
The Summoning is an incredibly crafted, beautifully written, character driven tale of horror and dark personal instability. Cleverly, the book also takes great pleasure in highlighting human fragility and in one character, shines a light on narcissism, that soon oversteps into a darker psychological exploration.
The reader is introduced to four authors, all at different stages of their writing careers. We meet Frederick Brandis, crippled by his own insecurities, disillusioned and in a downward spiral of self-doubt however, Frederick soon becomes the obvious underdog which I personally always root for. Mikhail Orlov, the previously mentioned narcissist, is an unlikable character, clinging to his former glory of a one hit book. His tragic past unfolds layer by layer and it’s a harrowing story, make no mistake. Mikhail unfortunately had no redemption for me, which I thought was the beauty of his character, you yearn to relate to him but his abusive nature won’t allow you to and I thought this was a clever concept crafted by the authors. Rhiannon Hughes is a Welsh author who unfortunately is masking the tragic remnants of her abusive relationship with the help of alcohol and that strikes a chord with the reader, I think. Then we meet Aster Callahan, the American writer and most well-known author, who is struggling in her personal relationship with a monster of a partner, and the reader hopes that she comes to her senses quickly, which makes her a character that resonates extremely well.
The four authors receive an offer to attend a writing retreat at LaVey House, owned by the eccentric and enigmatic publishing magnet Howard LaVey, and, for different personal reasons, all four agree to attend. This is where the authors cleverly allow the readers to enjoy an extra horror short piece crafted by each writer. We have The Peak, It’s All In Your Head, The Broadcast and The Devil’s Graveyard. Each deliver a deliciously dark hit of horror and were exceptionally written.
The reader takes a journey with all four writers as they struggle with their personal demons, which soon begin to run rampant as the horror of what lies beneath LaVey House is dragged from the dark into the light. The reader will soon learn never to trust an offer that sounds too good to be true and how easy it is to let you own insecurities allow you to walk straight into the darkest of traps. The horror element is beautifully delivered and will satisfy horror fans. The character driven narrative will satisfy every reader. A five-star recommendation to fans of not only the horror genre but to all fans of an exceptionally well crafted, beautifully written story.
The reader is introduced to four authors, all at different stages of their writing careers. We meet Frederick Brandis, crippled by his own insecurities, disillusioned and in a downward spiral of self-doubt however, Frederick soon becomes the obvious underdog which I personally always root for. Mikhail Orlov, the previously mentioned narcissist, is an unlikable character, clinging to his former glory of a one hit book. His tragic past unfolds layer by layer and it’s a harrowing story, make no mistake. Mikhail unfortunately had no redemption for me, which I thought was the beauty of his character, you yearn to relate to him but his abusive nature won’t allow you to and I thought this was a clever concept crafted by the authors. Rhiannon Hughes is a Welsh author who unfortunately is masking the tragic remnants of her abusive relationship with the help of alcohol and that strikes a chord with the reader, I think. Then we meet Aster Callahan, the American writer and most well-known author, who is struggling in her personal relationship with a monster of a partner, and the reader hopes that she comes to her senses quickly, which makes her a character that resonates extremely well.
The four authors receive an offer to attend a writing retreat at LaVey House, owned by the eccentric and enigmatic publishing magnet Howard LaVey, and, for different personal reasons, all four agree to attend. This is where the authors cleverly allow the readers to enjoy an extra horror short piece crafted by each writer. We have The Peak, It’s All In Your Head, The Broadcast and The Devil’s Graveyard. Each deliver a deliciously dark hit of horror and were exceptionally written.
The reader takes a journey with all four writers as they struggle with their personal demons, which soon begin to run rampant as the horror of what lies beneath LaVey House is dragged from the dark into the light. The reader will soon learn never to trust an offer that sounds too good to be true and how easy it is to let you own insecurities allow you to walk straight into the darkest of traps. The horror element is beautifully delivered and will satisfy horror fans. The character driven narrative will satisfy every reader. A five-star recommendation to fans of not only the horror genre but to all fans of an exceptionally well crafted, beautifully written story.
September 27, 2023
You know, sometimes you get into a book, you're powering through, and then you put it down for another day. Work gets busy. Life happens. And then you finally find a window to pick that book up again. Many times you find yourself a little stranded, you're disconnected from the plot, characters, language nuances... the book becomes almost a chore to get through. For The Summoning, it was the opposite. The dynamic characters and their stories really made this book something easy and exciting to pick up after putting it down once it got going. Mikhail was a really fun character to read, and I was always energized when I got to his chapters. I appreciated the depth of his character flaws and his fears. Rhiannon, though, was my favourite. Brilliantly written, and not just her as a character, but her chapters just had such a wonderful flow of writing. I really really enjoyed her take and her submission.
The general concept of this book is awesome, as well. It seems so simple, but that's always how it seems when you come across someone else's brilliant idea. The idea to do a collaborative novel about writers writing short story submissions in a classic haunted mansion, with each writer exemplifying varying traditional and indie author experiences, is such a good idea.
Originality - 1
Writing - 2
Always interesting, compelling, or intense - 1.5
4.5/5
The general concept of this book is awesome, as well. It seems so simple, but that's always how it seems when you come across someone else's brilliant idea. The idea to do a collaborative novel about writers writing short story submissions in a classic haunted mansion, with each writer exemplifying varying traditional and indie author experiences, is such a good idea.
Originality - 1
Writing - 2
Always interesting, compelling, or intense - 1.5
4.5/5
January 24, 2022
🔥𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🔥
WHOA WHOA WHOA
If you haven't pre-ordered this delectable piece, go do it now-- go on, I'll wait. Ordered? Good😈
The Summoning is a masterful collaboration by multiple talented authors. I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for this horror read and let me tell you, it was insane.
So much layering went into this horror read, which I loved. I'm a sucker for the kind of horror that makes you second guess everything the characters do-- you know, when you're reading between two fingers because you're suspecting something bad to happen? Oh yeah 😈
I loved, hated, and mourned for all the characters at one point or another. Every single one holds a special place in my heart. They were all relatable at one point, showing their most vulnerable selves.
As a writer, I found the elements of Writer characters so relatable, it left me speechless at times-- like my soul had just been exposed right there for me to read about. It was masterfully done.
This is a plot unlike anything you've read before. I promise you that. The twists, turns, and ending will leave you begging for more😈
WHOA WHOA WHOA
If you haven't pre-ordered this delectable piece, go do it now-- go on, I'll wait. Ordered? Good😈
The Summoning is a masterful collaboration by multiple talented authors. I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for this horror read and let me tell you, it was insane.
So much layering went into this horror read, which I loved. I'm a sucker for the kind of horror that makes you second guess everything the characters do-- you know, when you're reading between two fingers because you're suspecting something bad to happen? Oh yeah 😈
I loved, hated, and mourned for all the characters at one point or another. Every single one holds a special place in my heart. They were all relatable at one point, showing their most vulnerable selves.
As a writer, I found the elements of Writer characters so relatable, it left me speechless at times-- like my soul had just been exposed right there for me to read about. It was masterfully done.
This is a plot unlike anything you've read before. I promise you that. The twists, turns, and ending will leave you begging for more😈
January 17, 2022
🌟🌟🌟🌟 1/2 to The Summoning by Dr Stuart Knott, Harriet Everend, Jessica Huntley, Alice Stone and Shantel Brunton.
An invitation to a writer’s retreat. The promise of redemption and support. It’s too hard to pass up for the characters of The Summoning as they make their individual way to the estate at the heart of this story, each one’s journey reminding me of the journey the adult versions of The Loser’s Club takes on their way back to Derry in Stephen King’s IT. While the premise of writers gathering at a writers retreat only for all sorts of spooky mayhem occur reminded me of Jonathan Janz’s superb novel, The Dark Game. The Summoning lives up to Janz’s book thanks to the quality of its characters. Each one is a combination of likeable and unlikable traits that at times has you rooting for them and others has you wanting to give each of them a slap.
My favourite sections were seeing the individual break out into arguments, particularly when they are meeting each other for the first time. It descends into a pissing contest about who is the most famous, most talented. It’s a riot of fun.
An invitation to a writer’s retreat. The promise of redemption and support. It’s too hard to pass up for the characters of The Summoning as they make their individual way to the estate at the heart of this story, each one’s journey reminding me of the journey the adult versions of The Loser’s Club takes on their way back to Derry in Stephen King’s IT. While the premise of writers gathering at a writers retreat only for all sorts of spooky mayhem occur reminded me of Jonathan Janz’s superb novel, The Dark Game. The Summoning lives up to Janz’s book thanks to the quality of its characters. Each one is a combination of likeable and unlikable traits that at times has you rooting for them and others has you wanting to give each of them a slap.
My favourite sections were seeing the individual break out into arguments, particularly when they are meeting each other for the first time. It descends into a pissing contest about who is the most famous, most talented. It’s a riot of fun.
August 28, 2023
The Summoning takes the struggling, depressed writer archetype and changes the game by getting several of them all together to write a horror anthology. But is the curator, Mr LaVey, all he seems? And are the authors themselves?
This book is both a great horror novel and a masterful character study. I loved how each perspective and submission was written by a different author, but it all blended into one seemless, creepy experience. I can only imagine the work and communication involved!
My favourite part was probably the short story submissions embedded in the tale, and how they embody the traits of the characters who "wrote" them. The overarching thread of foreshadowed doom made them little oases of calm in a story that was only going to end one way.
I had a couple of small quibbles, but overall, this is an epic achievement and the perfect reading companion on a stormy night!
This book is both a great horror novel and a masterful character study. I loved how each perspective and submission was written by a different author, but it all blended into one seemless, creepy experience. I can only imagine the work and communication involved!
My favourite part was probably the short story submissions embedded in the tale, and how they embody the traits of the characters who "wrote" them. The overarching thread of foreshadowed doom made them little oases of calm in a story that was only going to end one way.
I had a couple of small quibbles, but overall, this is an epic achievement and the perfect reading companion on a stormy night!
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