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Dear Creator
The apocalypse has come, and the Dear Creator is behind it. But what can humans really do in the face of godly injustice?
When the Dear Creator left 22 years ago, his son, Birdman, knew He would be back one day. He saw it in his visions: The floods of black tar-like blood, hot and oozing. The snowflakes falling slowly to the ground, then going up in flames. The bonfires made of corpses buzzing like beehives. The worst was the endless cries of the souls without bodies.
What he didn’t see was that his beloved Vallesia would be the one to set the Creator free.
Now her sister, Dahlia, is after justice. Her plan is to storm the Creator’s palace, demand answers, and punch him in the face. Meanwhile, Vallesia is slowly unraveling what has made Him angry enough to turn on His creation.
But what can we do in the face of godly injustice? Can we do anything at all?
When the Dear Creator left 22 years ago, his son, Birdman, knew He would be back one day. He saw it in his visions: The floods of black tar-like blood, hot and oozing. The snowflakes falling slowly to the ground, then going up in flames. The bonfires made of corpses buzzing like beehives. The worst was the endless cries of the souls without bodies.
What he didn’t see was that his beloved Vallesia would be the one to set the Creator free.
Now her sister, Dahlia, is after justice. Her plan is to storm the Creator’s palace, demand answers, and punch him in the face. Meanwhile, Vallesia is slowly unraveling what has made Him angry enough to turn on His creation.
But what can we do in the face of godly injustice? Can we do anything at all?
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 24, 2022
“The apocalypse has come, and the Dear Creator is behind it. But what can humans really do in the face of godly injustice?”
Dear Creator is an apocalyptic, fantasy horror story with plenty of gore and depth in equal measure.
The balance of world building and violence is perfect. The characters are ones I came to feel like I knew.
Dear Creator is a book that will stand out to me forever due the unique plot and great writing!
This will definitely be one I recommend often.
Dear Creator is an apocalyptic, fantasy horror story with plenty of gore and depth in equal measure.
The balance of world building and violence is perfect. The characters are ones I came to feel like I knew.
Dear Creator is a book that will stand out to me forever due the unique plot and great writing!
This will definitely be one I recommend often.
December 4, 2022
This is Asta's debut novel of apocalyptic, dark fantasy horror! And it's brilliant! I just want to get it out there, that if you're a fan of Winters Myths by Gage Greenwood, I think you'll love this!
Dahlia and Vallesia aren't afraid of the creepy man that visits them every night, the man known as The Birdman! Everyone else at the military base is, though, adults and children alike. He comes at night, he watches over you in his bird mask, he is a haunting presence, and his visions of the future are even more so. They are horrific, brutal and gore filled!
Years later, Dahlia has gone off the rails slightly, yet Vallesia has taken on the more disciplined military lifestyle. The sisters have very opposing beliefs despite being brought up to believe in the same thing….in Gluskab! But not in the way you'd expect! When the Birdman intervenes where he shouldn't, things change and cause a rather bad chain reaction…
Gluskab, Creator, God, has been held hostage by his son for so long, but his time is coming, and when he is accidentally unleashed on the world, freed from his banishment, all he wants is his wife back, but where is she? And who is she? All hell breaks loose in his quest, and things will never be the same again…
The story has so much going on and it works really well. Almost everything around you is deadly, murderous, and violent, even the crazy weather! It's about believers and non-believers. Banshees who are loyal to their God, despite what he did to them, whose job is to warn people of their impending deaths. Reincarnation is the norm. Zombies that won't stop and can think and fight for themselves. A God who just wants his wife back, and a son his mother!
This story kicks off with a really eerie and chilling vibe, I was excited for this one from the off! Asta creates a great atmosphere, vivid images of the surrounding scenery, and very likeable characters! The story is told from the Birdman's POV, and tells of before, during and after the apocalypse. Full of some truly horrifying scenes, that gave me chills. Exciting, high energy and action packed.
I had an idea where the story was going about 90 pages in, and I was right, but there was still so much more to discover and it kept its hooks in me completely! I couldn't put it down, I didn't want to put it down….until I didnt want it to end! And what a beautiful end it was! 🖤
Dahlia and Vallesia aren't afraid of the creepy man that visits them every night, the man known as The Birdman! Everyone else at the military base is, though, adults and children alike. He comes at night, he watches over you in his bird mask, he is a haunting presence, and his visions of the future are even more so. They are horrific, brutal and gore filled!
Years later, Dahlia has gone off the rails slightly, yet Vallesia has taken on the more disciplined military lifestyle. The sisters have very opposing beliefs despite being brought up to believe in the same thing….in Gluskab! But not in the way you'd expect! When the Birdman intervenes where he shouldn't, things change and cause a rather bad chain reaction…
Gluskab, Creator, God, has been held hostage by his son for so long, but his time is coming, and when he is accidentally unleashed on the world, freed from his banishment, all he wants is his wife back, but where is she? And who is she? All hell breaks loose in his quest, and things will never be the same again…
The story has so much going on and it works really well. Almost everything around you is deadly, murderous, and violent, even the crazy weather! It's about believers and non-believers. Banshees who are loyal to their God, despite what he did to them, whose job is to warn people of their impending deaths. Reincarnation is the norm. Zombies that won't stop and can think and fight for themselves. A God who just wants his wife back, and a son his mother!
This story kicks off with a really eerie and chilling vibe, I was excited for this one from the off! Asta creates a great atmosphere, vivid images of the surrounding scenery, and very likeable characters! The story is told from the Birdman's POV, and tells of before, during and after the apocalypse. Full of some truly horrifying scenes, that gave me chills. Exciting, high energy and action packed.
I had an idea where the story was going about 90 pages in, and I was right, but there was still so much more to discover and it kept its hooks in me completely! I couldn't put it down, I didn't want to put it down….until I didnt want it to end! And what a beautiful end it was! 🖤
October 30, 2022
Thank you @astareadsbooks for sending me an early copy of your debut novel Dear Creator in exchange for an honest review! 🤍
I knew from the onset that Dear Creator was a apocalyptic fantasy novel. What I didn't expect was my emotions while reading this. The world-building and the plot itself drew me in . It's gothic and a perfect read for halloween.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5. Dear Creator releases November 1st, 2022!
I knew from the onset that Dear Creator was a apocalyptic fantasy novel. What I didn't expect was my emotions while reading this. The world-building and the plot itself drew me in . It's gothic and a perfect read for halloween.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5. Dear Creator releases November 1st, 2022!
November 21, 2022
Dahlia and Vallesia had a unique childhood - raised in a military boarding school they know the boogeyman exists. He's the Birdman who has visited them in the night. What they didn't know was he is the son of Dear Creator. Dear Creator who disappeared years ago only to be released by Vallesia. Now the apocalypse is here - can they stop it? What has made Dear Creator so angry?
This is a complex dystopian fantasy with gothic vibes and the stories of your childhood nightmares. One of the pieces that intrigued me so much was the godliness and morality that is constantly in question throughout the book - is is really well done.
The writing style and perspective was unique and had a cadence that was almost rhythmic.
One of the small challenges I had in reading this was because of the unique perspective you almost miss out on some of the character emotions/connections. This is really a double edge sword as it add a suspense/complexity to the story as well.
Thanks to Asta Geil and Fedowar Press for the ARC of this book.
This is a complex dystopian fantasy with gothic vibes and the stories of your childhood nightmares. One of the pieces that intrigued me so much was the godliness and morality that is constantly in question throughout the book - is is really well done.
The writing style and perspective was unique and had a cadence that was almost rhythmic.
One of the small challenges I had in reading this was because of the unique perspective you almost miss out on some of the character emotions/connections. This is really a double edge sword as it add a suspense/complexity to the story as well.
Thanks to Asta Geil and Fedowar Press for the ARC of this book.
September 26, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this, it was a great dark story. The characters worked in this universe created. I was invested in the plot and really enjoyed reading this. I enjoyed the way Asta Geil wrote this and look forward to reading more from the author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 12, 2023
So much talent 👏 A unique writing style and a story never told before. I really enjoyed my ARC reading of Dear Creator. It was unexpected and presented a new perspective about important things in life. It was based on morality and the plot added to this direction. Thank you Asta for this opportunity, can't wait to read your upcoming books 💙
January 4, 2023
Do I like horror novels now?
Solid 4 stars
Summary:
I'm a fantasy romance or high fantasy reader, but I gave this a chance because KU and why not. It's a well woven, thought-provoking, apocalyptic horror novel that was not AS dark as I thought it'd be. It's dark, duh it's the apocalypse, people are dying, but Asta's writing inspires more awe than terror. It kept me turning pages well into the night and left me speechless. A fantastic debut for Asta!
Characters
Birdman is guilty of locking away his father and having a few too many run-on, overly flowery sentences in his long narration. I felt his adoration and hate through his words which made me more invested in all the characters. He does a lot of commentary on their free will, or lack there of when Dear Creator was around, and compares their world (an involved god) to ours (specifically the Christian god). However, by the end, I was skimming through some of his paragraphs that felt bogged down by imagery and divergent thoughts, which is one of three reasons this did not get 5 stars.
Despite the blurb saying Vallesia begins to unravel Dear Creator's reason for the apocalypse, she has very little agency once it begins. I wanted to skip over her chapters to get back to her sister's. Second reason this didn't get five stars.
Dahlia was great! I related to her, I rooted her for, and I feared for her life constantly. She had a plan (to punch a god in the face) and she was going to do it or die trying. Amazingly written character with so much depth.
The Chief, though he felt clunky at times, was a great character to use as a commentary on survivor's guilt. He was too perfect, at times, as in he had a helicopter that without it, would've stopped the entire plot. Him and Dahlia have a few too many cliche lines between them for me to really like him.
The only character I didn't like was Dear Creator. He felt flat to me, motivated by only one goal and emotion. I WANTED to feel his heart break as I felt all the other character's pain and frustration, but just couldn't. I skimmed his monologues because he said everything the villain always says.
Plot
Very well done. I was a bit nervous when we started at the boarding school when they're so young, and yes I did call the ending, but it kept me flipping pages (I read 70% of the book in one sitting) with every new terror Dear Creator thought up. Birdman's narration slowed it at times, and I think this verged on just enough world building for it all to make sense. I would've loved more about Vallesia and Dahlia's father since at times, that felt like it came out of nowhere.
Writing
Asta can write! The imagery is beautiful, inspiring a sense of wonder about the apocalypse laced within the fear for this world (which is not our own but is our own). The narration style wasn't my favorite, as in I didn't enjoy it as much as others, but it was still very well done and I can appreciate the craft.
I would recommend to anyone who doesn't have a queasy stomach and wants an apocalyptic horror where maybe no one gets out alive .
Solid 4 stars
Summary:
I'm a fantasy romance or high fantasy reader, but I gave this a chance because KU and why not. It's a well woven, thought-provoking, apocalyptic horror novel that was not AS dark as I thought it'd be. It's dark, duh it's the apocalypse, people are dying, but Asta's writing inspires more awe than terror. It kept me turning pages well into the night and left me speechless. A fantastic debut for Asta!
Characters
Birdman is guilty of locking away his father and having a few too many run-on, overly flowery sentences in his long narration. I felt his adoration and hate through his words which made me more invested in all the characters. He does a lot of commentary on their free will, or lack there of when Dear Creator was around, and compares their world (an involved god) to ours (specifically the Christian god). However, by the end, I was skimming through some of his paragraphs that felt bogged down by imagery and divergent thoughts, which is one of three reasons this did not get 5 stars.
Despite the blurb saying Vallesia begins to unravel Dear Creator's reason for the apocalypse, she has very little agency once it begins. I wanted to skip over her chapters to get back to her sister's. Second reason this didn't get five stars.
Dahlia was great! I related to her, I rooted her for, and I feared for her life constantly. She had a plan (to punch a god in the face) and she was going to do it or die trying. Amazingly written character with so much depth.
The Chief, though he felt clunky at times, was a great character to use as a commentary on survivor's guilt. He was too perfect, at times, as in he had a helicopter that without it, would've stopped the entire plot. Him and Dahlia have a few too many cliche lines between them for me to really like him.
The only character I didn't like was Dear Creator. He felt flat to me, motivated by only one goal and emotion. I WANTED to feel his heart break as I felt all the other character's pain and frustration, but just couldn't. I skimmed his monologues because he said everything the villain always says.
Plot
Very well done. I was a bit nervous when we started at the boarding school when they're so young, and yes I did call the ending, but it kept me flipping pages (I read 70% of the book in one sitting) with every new terror Dear Creator thought up. Birdman's narration slowed it at times, and I think this verged on just enough world building for it all to make sense. I would've loved more about Vallesia and Dahlia's father since at times, that felt like it came out of nowhere.
Writing
Asta can write! The imagery is beautiful, inspiring a sense of wonder about the apocalypse laced within the fear for this world (which is not our own but is our own). The narration style wasn't my favorite, as in I didn't enjoy it as much as others, but it was still very well done and I can appreciate the craft.
I would recommend to anyone who doesn't have a queasy stomach and wants an apocalyptic horror where maybe no one gets out alive .
March 9, 2024
4.5
I love eerie, creepy, horror, weird, bizarre ghoul-ish, urban fantasies. The ones that don't care for mainstream trends and give us some creativity with supernatural events that don't need to be explained they just are.
The cover shows two girls but Dhalia and Vallesia are new adults when the novel starts. They are very different people with different beliefs but they are still sisters who want to protect each other.
"You can have four goals in an apocalypse: Try to survive as long as possible, for no reason but basic animalistic instinct. Try to die peacefully. Try to stop it. Or live for something bigger."
An omniscient god as the narrator. Present tense. I can almost hear him telling us this story of another world with a similar and severe case of "humanity" and calamity that we often suffer on Earth.
"People act. She wants to be people, so she acts, and nowhere is people."
Gods (religion) vs Mortals, banshees, finding love even at the end of the world, futuristic vibe dystopian world, and monsters. Great balance of action, it's always on the move, fast, tense, and with horror but not scary just end-of-the-world kind of horror.
As a gamer, I wanted to play this game as a story-driven point-and-click. It would be awesome. I am looking forward to what the author will give us next.
I love eerie, creepy, horror, weird, bizarre ghoul-ish, urban fantasies. The ones that don't care for mainstream trends and give us some creativity with supernatural events that don't need to be explained they just are.
The cover shows two girls but Dhalia and Vallesia are new adults when the novel starts. They are very different people with different beliefs but they are still sisters who want to protect each other.
"You can have four goals in an apocalypse: Try to survive as long as possible, for no reason but basic animalistic instinct. Try to die peacefully. Try to stop it. Or live for something bigger."
An omniscient god as the narrator. Present tense. I can almost hear him telling us this story of another world with a similar and severe case of "humanity" and calamity that we often suffer on Earth.
"People act. She wants to be people, so she acts, and nowhere is people."
Gods (religion) vs Mortals, banshees, finding love even at the end of the world, futuristic vibe dystopian world, and monsters. Great balance of action, it's always on the move, fast, tense, and with horror but not scary just end-of-the-world kind of horror.
As a gamer, I wanted to play this game as a story-driven point-and-click. It would be awesome. I am looking forward to what the author will give us next.
December 4, 2022
I really am mitigated over the novel Dear Creator. If I'm honest, I can't say I liked it but I can't say the opposite either! It was a really peculiar read.
The story follows a world as it plunges into an apocalypse after the creator of this world decides to end it.
It was really dark. The world that was introduced to us was interesting, the novel was well-written and the characterization great. Even though I can't say that I put it down thinking that I liked it, the book did not leave me indifferent. It was dark and I did not like the direction that the story was taking but I could actually understand the point of the story going that way and the logic behind it all. That's just not how I like my books to end.
I am glad to have discovered this novel and this author though and I will be expecting her next work.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story follows a world as it plunges into an apocalypse after the creator of this world decides to end it.
It was really dark. The world that was introduced to us was interesting, the novel was well-written and the characterization great. Even though I can't say that I put it down thinking that I liked it, the book did not leave me indifferent. It was dark and I did not like the direction that the story was taking but I could actually understand the point of the story going that way and the logic behind it all. That's just not how I like my books to end.
I am glad to have discovered this novel and this author though and I will be expecting her next work.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 30, 2022
Dear Creator is an interesting premise, with complex characters and deep philosophical themes. I found parts of the book to be really gripping, especially the start of the book. The beginning has great atmosphere and a real sense of foreboding. I found the younger versions of the sisters, who are central to the plot, both endearing and was heavily invested in their well-being as children.
Once things began to go wrong I found the violence and destruction almost overwhelming. To be fair, you are warned by the narrator about what is to come. However, things were so extreme that I began to struggle to get through to the end of the book.
Dear Creator is unique, and if you are into twists on an apocalypse theme then this could be the book for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Once things began to go wrong I found the violence and destruction almost overwhelming. To be fair, you are warned by the narrator about what is to come. However, things were so extreme that I began to struggle to get through to the end of the book.
Dear Creator is unique, and if you are into twists on an apocalypse theme then this could be the book for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 28, 2022
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily).
I don't usually read apocalyptic books or plots with that kind of vibe, but I took a risk with this one and I am very happy I did!
The book is really good and I got hooked from the very beggining, the writing and narrative styles are very good (kudos to the writer!) and quite refreshing for me.
The story and plot are sooo good, I don't think I have read anything like this in the past, to be honest, it was such a nice and unique story.
I love the characters and their interactions and stories, here is where the writing really makes you feel what they're feeling and going through! The little comedic moments where really good too!
Overall a great book! I recommend it and I can't wait to see what else the author creates!!
I don't usually read apocalyptic books or plots with that kind of vibe, but I took a risk with this one and I am very happy I did!
The book is really good and I got hooked from the very beggining, the writing and narrative styles are very good (kudos to the writer!) and quite refreshing for me.
The story and plot are sooo good, I don't think I have read anything like this in the past, to be honest, it was such a nice and unique story.
I love the characters and their interactions and stories, here is where the writing really makes you feel what they're feeling and going through! The little comedic moments where really good too!
Overall a great book! I recommend it and I can't wait to see what else the author creates!!
June 26, 2023
*No spoilers*
Excellent debut novel by Asta. I was initially unsure of it as I typically don’t read horror but the story quickly drew me in. Fantasy fans will have no issue immersing themselves in this foreign yet familiar world (the banshees are a great addition). As with any good apocalyptic narrative, the book is packed full of action, but it does not neglect the philosophical, religious and moral implications of a world-ending event. Well-placed humour also helps alleviate some of the heaviness of the story, without compromising on the stakes. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy and horror alike.
Excellent debut novel by Asta. I was initially unsure of it as I typically don’t read horror but the story quickly drew me in. Fantasy fans will have no issue immersing themselves in this foreign yet familiar world (the banshees are a great addition). As with any good apocalyptic narrative, the book is packed full of action, but it does not neglect the philosophical, religious and moral implications of a world-ending event. Well-placed humour also helps alleviate some of the heaviness of the story, without compromising on the stakes. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy and horror alike.
February 28, 2024
Excellent book that made you think about fairness and our relationship to religion. Characters were interesting and the horrors they witnessed appropriately well horrible. A lot of creativity and love clearly went to the writing.
November 20, 2023
Dear Creator is the first fantasy horror book I have read in a few years, and it made me want to get back into reading more of them right away.
I love how the plot felt very well thought out, and every question I had while reading was answered by the end. I also loved how Dear Creator steered away from any popular tropes, so I never felt like I knew what would happen next.
The three main female characters all felt uniquely personable despite being in a world so different from what we all experience. Although the story was very dark at times, the various scenes centered around their interpersonal relationships brought hope, and I was continually rooting for them.
Dear Creator unsettled me in all the right ways and also left me with plenty to take away and think about.
I also can just never get enough of books centered around strong female protagonists like this :)
I love how the plot felt very well thought out, and every question I had while reading was answered by the end. I also loved how Dear Creator steered away from any popular tropes, so I never felt like I knew what would happen next.
The three main female characters all felt uniquely personable despite being in a world so different from what we all experience. Although the story was very dark at times, the various scenes centered around their interpersonal relationships brought hope, and I was continually rooting for them.
Dear Creator unsettled me in all the right ways and also left me with plenty to take away and think about.
I also can just never get enough of books centered around strong female protagonists like this :)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews