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Behind the Weeping Walls
Welcome to Metamorphosis — Your Transformation Begins Here
Well, that’s what the spa claims, but what you want to know is where does it end? After all, this was the last place your sister visited, and she’s not been seen since!
You’ve heard the rumours and now you’re here to find the truth.
Is Metamorphosis really a spa or is it a cult in disguise?
Has your sister already been brainwashed?
And just who is Mother Amber?
You're going to the health retreat under the pretence of having a mindful detox, but really you're on a mission. Your goal is to find and rescue your sister, but what you discover is far worse than your darkest nightmares. There is a macabre reason why the walls weep…
However, if you and your sister are going to get out alive, there’s only one crucial question to answer.
What will you sacrifice behind the weeping walls?
‘Behind the Weeping Walls’ is the fourth book in The Cluster of Echoes hexalogy and is the latest horror gamebook from the author of Nightshift. You won't need dice, but you better keep your wits about you and have a pinch of luck to stand any chance of surviving!
Available as paperback and eBook, and the hardback edition has additional extras including all the puzzle solutions and hidden passages.
Well, that’s what the spa claims, but what you want to know is where does it end? After all, this was the last place your sister visited, and she’s not been seen since!
You’ve heard the rumours and now you’re here to find the truth.
Is Metamorphosis really a spa or is it a cult in disguise?
Has your sister already been brainwashed?
And just who is Mother Amber?
You're going to the health retreat under the pretence of having a mindful detox, but really you're on a mission. Your goal is to find and rescue your sister, but what you discover is far worse than your darkest nightmares. There is a macabre reason why the walls weep…
However, if you and your sister are going to get out alive, there’s only one crucial question to answer.
What will you sacrifice behind the weeping walls?
‘Behind the Weeping Walls’ is the fourth book in The Cluster of Echoes hexalogy and is the latest horror gamebook from the author of Nightshift. You won't need dice, but you better keep your wits about you and have a pinch of luck to stand any chance of surviving!
Available as paperback and eBook, and the hardback edition has additional extras including all the puzzle solutions and hidden passages.
- GenresGamebooks
481 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2021
3 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Hancox
20 books16 followersLiving in Berlin but still a Mancunian at heart!
Victoria Hancox has worked as a nurse, science teacher and now, is finally getting paid as a writer, albeit for e-learning content. This is a far cry from her early stabs at novels with the escapades of Charlie the hamster. These days she prefers to immerse herself in the world of interactive gamebooks, revisiting her misspent youth, where she cheated with dice, never died in battle and was always lucky.
When not at a desk, this (almost) lifelong vegetarian is usually cooking and eating, although she now has to fight off Frank the cat, especially when it comes to cheese and bread!
Victoria Hancox has worked as a nurse, science teacher and now, is finally getting paid as a writer, albeit for e-learning content. This is a far cry from her early stabs at novels with the escapades of Charlie the hamster. These days she prefers to immerse herself in the world of interactive gamebooks, revisiting her misspent youth, where she cheated with dice, never died in battle and was always lucky.
When not at a desk, this (almost) lifelong vegetarian is usually cooking and eating, although she now has to fight off Frank the cat, especially when it comes to cheese and bread!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 10, 2023
The book has a real set of "A Cure for Wellness" (the movie) vibes because the author was inspired by the cult-like behavior of gym and wellness workouts. Although this type of behavior is meant to enfranchise and convince people, it may really be treated as a cult.
Well now ...
In this book you play as a person on a mission to save their sister whos last known location was a wellness retreat in Germany.
Given that the author LOVES the occult, pagan and folklore, you will encounter those themes in this adventure.
Also, the horror elements are more of the pagan/folklore + psychological + body transformation varieties.
As for the mechanics (because this is a gamebook after all) they are:
-- codewords
-- keypad symbols (codified numbers)
-- runes and rune words
-- location visiting (part 3 from the book)
-- items and information
-- score (numeric)
The book has 425 paragraphs (+ 1 extra epilogue in the hardback edition).
The hardback edition has solutions to the puzzles and challenges in the book (this actually made me buy this edition)
The downsides I can point out are:
- the motivation of the protagonist and attitude towards his/her sister is kind of there, but is more of a mention than a real driving force.
- the second part was a bit "meh" in terms of structure and literature for me.
About the upsides - there are tie-ins and cameos coming from the previous 3 books in the series. These are small tidbits that add a "series" feel, without feeling that you've missed out on something important.
Also, the book being split into 3 acts/parts is a nice touch - each part has its own feeling, set of mechanics and the sense of danger increases with each part.
Although there are several gruesome scenes and the biggest (plot-wise) is actually illustrated very well by the talented Rob Pybus, my favorite (it's revolting actually) scene is in part #2 of the adventure.
The challenge of this adventure is just about right - there are clues sprinkled about, but some of them are more obscure than others.
I was pleasantly surprised how seemingly little choices have such consequences - good and/or bad. This is something I greatly appreciate in interactive literature!
Overall, I really liked the book and I would recommend it to fans of Nighshift (the 1st book in this series) and of gamebooks in general.
Well now ...
In this book you play as a person on a mission to save their sister whos last known location was a wellness retreat in Germany.
Given that the author LOVES the occult, pagan and folklore, you will encounter those themes in this adventure.
Also, the horror elements are more of the pagan/folklore + psychological + body transformation varieties.
As for the mechanics (because this is a gamebook after all) they are:
-- codewords
-- keypad symbols (codified numbers)
-- runes and rune words
-- location visiting (part 3 from the book)
-- items and information
-- score (numeric)
The book has 425 paragraphs (+ 1 extra epilogue in the hardback edition).
The hardback edition has solutions to the puzzles and challenges in the book (this actually made me buy this edition)
The downsides I can point out are:
- the motivation of the protagonist and attitude towards his/her sister is kind of there, but is more of a mention than a real driving force.
- the second part was a bit "meh" in terms of structure and literature for me.
About the upsides - there are tie-ins and cameos coming from the previous 3 books in the series. These are small tidbits that add a "series" feel, without feeling that you've missed out on something important.
Also, the book being split into 3 acts/parts is a nice touch - each part has its own feeling, set of mechanics and the sense of danger increases with each part.
Although there are several gruesome scenes and the biggest (plot-wise) is actually illustrated very well by the talented Rob Pybus, my favorite (it's revolting actually) scene is in part #2 of the adventure.
The challenge of this adventure is just about right - there are clues sprinkled about, but some of them are more obscure than others.
I was pleasantly surprised how seemingly little choices have such consequences - good and/or bad. This is something I greatly appreciate in interactive literature!
Overall, I really liked the book and I would recommend it to fans of Nighshift (the 1st book in this series) and of gamebooks in general.
October 31, 2022
victoria does it again!
You begin as a guest in a retreat, but something is off here. Your sister disappeared here and you must infiltrate the cult and learn its dark secrets without becoming brainwashed. It is such an entralling book, you feel on the edge of your seat at every turn as the creepiness of the setting and characters threatens to overwhelm you. This persistent nagging feeling that something is very wrong, that you are making incorrect choices, that death lurks at the next turn of the page.
Victoria Hancox is the queen of all gamebooks— master crafter of such creepy horror. It draws you in unerringly, the slow descent into a disturbing scenario which coils around you as you writhe and attempt to solve her dark mysteries.
This is another flawless entry in the incredible storytelling style she has created— going far beyond the choose your own adventure and fighting fantasy genres into something that is all her own.
You begin as a guest in a retreat, but something is off here. Your sister disappeared here and you must infiltrate the cult and learn its dark secrets without becoming brainwashed. It is such an entralling book, you feel on the edge of your seat at every turn as the creepiness of the setting and characters threatens to overwhelm you. This persistent nagging feeling that something is very wrong, that you are making incorrect choices, that death lurks at the next turn of the page.
Victoria Hancox is the queen of all gamebooks— master crafter of such creepy horror. It draws you in unerringly, the slow descent into a disturbing scenario which coils around you as you writhe and attempt to solve her dark mysteries.
This is another flawless entry in the incredible storytelling style she has created— going far beyond the choose your own adventure and fighting fantasy genres into something that is all her own.
October 3, 2025
Another excellent book in the Cluster of Echoes series, comparable to the first two in terms of number of paragraphs, and perhaps on a par with The Alchemist’s Folly in terms of difficulty. There are a few items to collect, several codewords, and a few puzzles, which are relatively simple. There are also runestones to collect and a ‘Metamorphosis’ score, which ties into the theme.
Where this gamebook really shines is in the setting and the slow reveal of the true nature of the holistic retreat you are investigating. It begins as a relatively normal but somewhat creepy environment but, by the end, you have been immersed in its true horror.
Where this gamebook really shines is in the setting and the slow reveal of the true nature of the holistic retreat you are investigating. It begins as a relatively normal but somewhat creepy environment but, by the end, you have been immersed in its true horror.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews