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Trine
A young girl holds a vital part of a weapon used to kill a nightmarish creature in her amulet. When she's kidnapped, her apathetic brother must return to his small town and work with the woman he jilted in order to save her and the world.
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Two years after jilting his bride and escaping his hometown of Gracious, Brad Van Reed returns to the aid of his eleven year old sister, Kristen. Though he’s having a hard time believing that the old amulet in her possession gives her the power to create sinkholes or see that an evil entity named Nowhere Man is coming for her, Brad’s intent on helping her through this phase.
But then, Kristen’s kidnapped by toxic creatures who claim to be under Nowhere Man’s thrall. Left with nowhere else to go, Brad seeks out the help of his former fiancé and aspiring astrophysicist, Felicity. But Felicity has new problems of her own: while seeking out a meteorite that supposedly fell to the mountains surrounding Gracious in the nineteenth century, her girlfriend Emily “Flick” Flickinger falls under the thrall of Nowhere Man and flees into the wilderness.
Joining forces with crusty recluse Joseph LeFevre, Brad and Felicity stumble on a device similar to Kristen’s locket. These make up two parts of a powerful ancient weapon designed to stop Nowhere Man, but the third is missing.
Can they find the long lost third item before it’s too late?
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Two years after jilting his bride and escaping his hometown of Gracious, Brad Van Reed returns to the aid of his eleven year old sister, Kristen. Though he’s having a hard time believing that the old amulet in her possession gives her the power to create sinkholes or see that an evil entity named Nowhere Man is coming for her, Brad’s intent on helping her through this phase.
But then, Kristen’s kidnapped by toxic creatures who claim to be under Nowhere Man’s thrall. Left with nowhere else to go, Brad seeks out the help of his former fiancé and aspiring astrophysicist, Felicity. But Felicity has new problems of her own: while seeking out a meteorite that supposedly fell to the mountains surrounding Gracious in the nineteenth century, her girlfriend Emily “Flick” Flickinger falls under the thrall of Nowhere Man and flees into the wilderness.
Joining forces with crusty recluse Joseph LeFevre, Brad and Felicity stumble on a device similar to Kristen’s locket. These make up two parts of a powerful ancient weapon designed to stop Nowhere Man, but the third is missing.
Can they find the long lost third item before it’s too late?
408 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 28, 2023
I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Brad is kind of a jerk with a quick temper. Fleeing from his home town of Gracious he left behind his fiancée at the altar, his aunt and uncle who helped raise him, and his baby sister. Now he’s coming home to help after being told his sister is “having issues.” Reluctant to return to his hometown he has to deal with the local gossip mill, family trauma, and small town life. Oh, and a evil alien being called the Nowhere Man that is bent on world destruction. Can Brad get over his own issues and figure out the nature of the Trine so he can save the day?
Chris Faraday has written a weird book. I mean that as praise. There’s just so much bizarre background and world-building. Things happen with little to no explanation and any answers we receive are vague enough to be unhelpful. Like I said, for me that is praise. I love weird stories. It reminds me of the best of 70s and 80s sci-fi/horror/fantasy where things just happened and you the reader just had to deal with it.
However, the third act feels a little disjointed. Some things that feel like they should have chapters devoted to them felt rushed, while seemingly minor moments seem stretched. It feels like the novel knows the end is coming and wants to get there, but at the same time is scared to be over. This also led to some of the character moments feelings just off, either unearned or unexpected.
Yet despite that I can’t help but like this book. At its heart it is a story about trauma. How do we address the negatives in our lives? Do we lash out? Runaway? Put it all in a ball and throw it into another galaxy and let someone else deal with it?
That question, “How do we deal with our negative emotions?” drives the plot. It’s subtle at first, but as the story progresses it becomes clearer and clearer that Faraday has a point to make. This is a fun read, but it is also a novel that has something to say. At times that something seems a little lost or muddled however by the end it comes out clear.
I liked this book. It was a fun read and I loved just how strange it could get at times. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to capture that “boy and his alien” movie feel from the 70s-80s.
Brad is kind of a jerk with a quick temper. Fleeing from his home town of Gracious he left behind his fiancée at the altar, his aunt and uncle who helped raise him, and his baby sister. Now he’s coming home to help after being told his sister is “having issues.” Reluctant to return to his hometown he has to deal with the local gossip mill, family trauma, and small town life. Oh, and a evil alien being called the Nowhere Man that is bent on world destruction. Can Brad get over his own issues and figure out the nature of the Trine so he can save the day?
Chris Faraday has written a weird book. I mean that as praise. There’s just so much bizarre background and world-building. Things happen with little to no explanation and any answers we receive are vague enough to be unhelpful. Like I said, for me that is praise. I love weird stories. It reminds me of the best of 70s and 80s sci-fi/horror/fantasy where things just happened and you the reader just had to deal with it.
However, the third act feels a little disjointed. Some things that feel like they should have chapters devoted to them felt rushed, while seemingly minor moments seem stretched. It feels like the novel knows the end is coming and wants to get there, but at the same time is scared to be over. This also led to some of the character moments feelings just off, either unearned or unexpected.
Yet despite that I can’t help but like this book. At its heart it is a story about trauma. How do we address the negatives in our lives? Do we lash out? Runaway? Put it all in a ball and throw it into another galaxy and let someone else deal with it?
That question, “How do we deal with our negative emotions?” drives the plot. It’s subtle at first, but as the story progresses it becomes clearer and clearer that Faraday has a point to make. This is a fun read, but it is also a novel that has something to say. At times that something seems a little lost or muddled however by the end it comes out clear.
I liked this book. It was a fun read and I loved just how strange it could get at times. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to capture that “boy and his alien” movie feel from the 70s-80s.
July 6, 2023
There’s a sci-fi drug in this that the bad guys take called “wap”. Take from that what you will.
This is set in a weird little town reminiscent of Twin Peaks. The main character is a very annoying twentysomething asshole named Brad who feels like if Holden Caulfield was yanked out of Catcher in the Rye and slapped into a sci-fi/horror adventure. There’s some fun side characters, but he drags it down with how miserable and complain-y he is for most of the story. The book is at its best when it gets weird and spooky, especially in the segments with the freaky antagonists that sort of have a Southern Gothic vibe. If you’ve read the Preacher comics, the henchmen of Jesse Custer’s grandma kinda have the vibe of these freaky dudes.
Something that initially troubled me in this was the characterization of two gay characters. One was the former fiancée of the main grumpy asshole and the other was her new fiancée who was a woman. To avoid spoilers, I will say that their relationship started to get rocky at a certain poi. I was prepping myself for a bullshit ending where the ex-fiancée abandons her lesbian lifestyle and then would come running back to Brad and the safety of straightness. Thankfully that didn’t happen.
Anyways, I love the subgenre of a spooky town full of secrets (supernatural and otherwise), and this managed to scratch that itch a bit. Definitely had some interesting segments, but dragged in other parts. Still worth the read I’d say if you’re looking for something with a sprinkle of Twin Peaks vibes!
This is set in a weird little town reminiscent of Twin Peaks. The main character is a very annoying twentysomething asshole named Brad who feels like if Holden Caulfield was yanked out of Catcher in the Rye and slapped into a sci-fi/horror adventure. There’s some fun side characters, but he drags it down with how miserable and complain-y he is for most of the story. The book is at its best when it gets weird and spooky, especially in the segments with the freaky antagonists that sort of have a Southern Gothic vibe. If you’ve read the Preacher comics, the henchmen of Jesse Custer’s grandma kinda have the vibe of these freaky dudes.
Something that initially troubled me in this was the characterization of two gay characters. One was the former fiancée of the main grumpy asshole and the other was her new fiancée who was a woman. To avoid spoilers, I will say that their relationship started to get rocky at a certain poi. I was prepping myself for a bullshit ending where the ex-fiancée abandons her lesbian lifestyle and then would come running back to Brad and the safety of straightness. Thankfully that didn’t happen.
Anyways, I love the subgenre of a spooky town full of secrets (supernatural and otherwise), and this managed to scratch that itch a bit. Definitely had some interesting segments, but dragged in other parts. Still worth the read I’d say if you’re looking for something with a sprinkle of Twin Peaks vibes!
July 29, 2023
A great fun read , it’s like lying on the sofa on a lazy Sunday watching an old B movie
August 4, 2023
4.3 out of 5 stars
Trine by Chris Faraday is a brilliantly action-packed and thrilling read.
If you love the weird and bizarre like me then this is the book for you!
It was really intriguing the way young Kristen was introduced. I think it really made me look at the book with a different perspective from then onwards and I'm not sure why. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it just had me even more on edge when reading it I think and I mean I'll let you decide if you think that's a good thing or not 😆
I think it made me sit upright with the fact that this very strange out-there book was grounded by a young child who was also in a way quirky and fit with that world too. It was unexpected and added a whole extra layer to an already fascinating book.
It had me so hooked and completely glued to the page throughout. The way that the world building was slotted into the action so that it never slowed was expertly done.
Overall it was a brilliant read.
Thank you, Amy (Angry Robot Books), for my copy.
Trine by Chris Faraday is a brilliantly action-packed and thrilling read.
If you love the weird and bizarre like me then this is the book for you!
It was really intriguing the way young Kristen was introduced. I think it really made me look at the book with a different perspective from then onwards and I'm not sure why. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it just had me even more on edge when reading it I think and I mean I'll let you decide if you think that's a good thing or not 😆
I think it made me sit upright with the fact that this very strange out-there book was grounded by a young child who was also in a way quirky and fit with that world too. It was unexpected and added a whole extra layer to an already fascinating book.
It had me so hooked and completely glued to the page throughout. The way that the world building was slotted into the action so that it never slowed was expertly done.
Overall it was a brilliant read.
Thank you, Amy (Angry Robot Books), for my copy.
March 19, 2023
I think this is a book that needs some love, a book I enjoyed and kept me turning pages telling me stories of hereditary magic, some cosmic horror, small town where some weird thing are happening.
There's a lot from the past, there's some healing needed and someone must be ready to believe a young girl and not think she's deluded.
The author delivers a complex plot, does a good job in making you feel the claustrophobic atmosphere of the small town and the sense of foreboding.
The characters grew slowly on me as the story.Not love at first page but a I needed to end it to know what was happening and why.
Loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
There's a lot from the past, there's some healing needed and someone must be ready to believe a young girl and not think she's deluded.
The author delivers a complex plot, does a good job in making you feel the claustrophobic atmosphere of the small town and the sense of foreboding.
The characters grew slowly on me as the story.Not love at first page but a I needed to end it to know what was happening and why.
Loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
May 23, 2023
By all rights I should have hated this book. Or not finished it like happened with a superficially similar one. but finish it I did, and while I wouldn't say it was particularly enjoyable it was pretty good at keeping my attention. Maybe because the weird elements were present from the start rather than being subtle or waiting to build tension. and maybe part of th3e difference was the sibling relationship was less hostile. Or even just that the story got moving faster than the other one.
I'll never quite know what it was but here I am with this one finished and sent back to the library so all that 's left to do is wrap this review up and hit post.
I'll never quite know what it was but here I am with this one finished and sent back to the library so all that 's left to do is wrap this review up and hit post.
April 20, 2026
p.82: not vibing with snarky slacker Brad, a town named Gracious in PA, a trio of freaks in the woods (one wearing a wooden box on his head?), magic amulets & Dark Forces…going to be some kind of mash-up it seems but in the Millennial register. Don’t have the patience for the story to develop.
April 30, 2023
a fun supernatural? scifi that def deserves more reads but the end was a little rushed but overall a good and interesting time
June 2, 2023
the book was dissatisfying from start to finish, which is almost impressive considering it was 387 pages long
June 9, 2023
This was bonkers. It feels like this was written under a pen name. The last few chapters feel like someone wrote them while on mushrooms.
June 30, 2023
This was weird but gets points for uniqueness.
Read
April 13, 2024dNf couldn’t get back into it at all
June 19, 2024
This is a good book, it takes while to get started, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up on this one because you won’t be disappointed.
May 27, 2025
DNF about 20% into the book. I see the vision but it just didn't flow for me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews