What do you think?
Rate this book
Perisiam
Perisiam is a psychological, urban-fantasy set in the modern day.
This book consists of three intricately woven stories, three very different tales of agony that each harbor a distinct genre. These three tales can be read entirely separately from each other, but the larger universe is revealed and folded upon itself for those that venture through it all.
One character loses himself inside a world of violence, another loses someone else and must cross an impossible threshold, and the last loses their own mind and must rely on the unlikeliest of allies.
Not everyone will be able to escape the pages with their psyche, or their souls intact... And that may just include YOU, Dear Reader.
This book consists of three intricately woven stories, three very different tales of agony that each harbor a distinct genre. These three tales can be read entirely separately from each other, but the larger universe is revealed and folded upon itself for those that venture through it all.
One character loses himself inside a world of violence, another loses someone else and must cross an impossible threshold, and the last loses their own mind and must rely on the unlikeliest of allies.
Not everyone will be able to escape the pages with their psyche, or their souls intact... And that may just include YOU, Dear Reader.
610 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2022
3 people want to read
About the author
Daniel O'Brien
5 books11 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Daniel O'Brien (^3)
Daniel O'Brien (^3)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 29, 2023
The first book by Daniel O'Brien but my third of his I've read. Without a doubt, one of my new favorite authors. Loved so much about this, the heart and depth that the author writes is moving and felt much of the time he was writing my thoughts. As much as I loved this, I also it can be very long-winded and slower paced than I usually like. Would have liked the ending to bring all three sections together a bit more cohesively. That being said, I'd love to see a sequel to this (I've said that with every book of his) to tie it all together! Love seeing the progression of the authors work!
November 25, 2022
Sum of ratings: 3/5⭐️ Get ready for a long review of this long book!
For some reason, this was put together as one large book (757 pages on kindle). In my opinion, this should have been 3 separate books, since there are three distinct parts. The parts can be read as stand-alones. Each part contains some of the same characters, but the storylines are completely different. 100% should have been 3 books instead of 3 parts in 1 book.
My biggest issue was how wordy (flowery) his sentences were. It was as if he was trying to reach a page minimum or something, trying to extend his sentences with intense, unsuccessful descriptions. A direct example of this from the book is: “A slight chill ran up my spine as I recognised my final note to the world, a hastily scribbled message of wanton lust for peace. My gaze darted over the neon crimson scribbled etchings of my own demise as the words almost seemed to pulse underneath the dim light of my bedroom, before I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of anguish” (pg. 17). I’m not a fan of flowery writing.
Another dislike were the epilogues. They had nothing to do with the parts that they were in (part 1’s epilogue involved characters from part 2 and part 2’s epilogue dealt with characters from part 3). I guess it was meant to give insight into the next part? This didn’t make much sense to me, since I had to read further into the next part before understanding the epilogues.
Another dislike for me was that the author constantly switched between povs, mid-chapter, with no inclination he was doing so. It would have eliminated confusion if he put the name of the person’s pov at the top of the sections.
I am deciding to rate each part separately, since they seemed like separate books to me.
Part 1: Perisiam 1/5⭐️
I didn’t care for this part, nearly at all. I would have dnf’d this entire book after this 1st part, had it not been that the author personally messaged me to rate & review his book.
I didn’t care for the plot. It was essentially about a man on the brink of psychosis, after his fiancé cheated on him, causing him to almost commit suicide. The man then decides to change his life for the better in helping out with an investigation of a missing 13-year-old boy.
Part 2: Auramatum (4.5/5⭐️)
I really enjoyed the storyline of this part! It involved a man who lost his fiancé on their wedding day to a car crash. Several months after her death, he stars to go back in time, every time he falls asleep. For example: if he sleeps for 10 hours, he actually goes back 10 hours in time. His sole mission is to sleep as much as he can, by whatever means he can, in order to travel back to the day his fiancé died in order to save her life.
Part 3: Sanctifice (3.5/5⭐️)
Okay, so I was kinda iffy about this one! I’m not sure that I liked the fact that this one broke the 4th wall. I never know how to feel about this, when the main character is speaking directly to the reader. It can be quite awkward at times, but it can also make me feel closer to the main character?
I felt like the story line of this one was okay. It involved a domestic abuse survivor who escapes her abusive boyfriend. Throughout this part, she is desperately trying to stay far out of his reach, while dealing with her own demons (literally).
I will give it to Daniel, the graphic of the demon was quite terrifying. I think it made it worse that I read it on my kindle and kindles have that black-and-white lag, ya know? It was terrifying, which I can appreciate.
For some reason, this was put together as one large book (757 pages on kindle). In my opinion, this should have been 3 separate books, since there are three distinct parts. The parts can be read as stand-alones. Each part contains some of the same characters, but the storylines are completely different. 100% should have been 3 books instead of 3 parts in 1 book.
My biggest issue was how wordy (flowery) his sentences were. It was as if he was trying to reach a page minimum or something, trying to extend his sentences with intense, unsuccessful descriptions. A direct example of this from the book is: “A slight chill ran up my spine as I recognised my final note to the world, a hastily scribbled message of wanton lust for peace. My gaze darted over the neon crimson scribbled etchings of my own demise as the words almost seemed to pulse underneath the dim light of my bedroom, before I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of anguish” (pg. 17). I’m not a fan of flowery writing.
Another dislike were the epilogues. They had nothing to do with the parts that they were in (part 1’s epilogue involved characters from part 2 and part 2’s epilogue dealt with characters from part 3). I guess it was meant to give insight into the next part? This didn’t make much sense to me, since I had to read further into the next part before understanding the epilogues.
Another dislike for me was that the author constantly switched between povs, mid-chapter, with no inclination he was doing so. It would have eliminated confusion if he put the name of the person’s pov at the top of the sections.
I am deciding to rate each part separately, since they seemed like separate books to me.
Part 1: Perisiam 1/5⭐️
I didn’t care for this part, nearly at all. I would have dnf’d this entire book after this 1st part, had it not been that the author personally messaged me to rate & review his book.
I didn’t care for the plot. It was essentially about a man on the brink of psychosis, after his fiancé cheated on him, causing him to almost commit suicide. The man then decides to change his life for the better in helping out with an investigation of a missing 13-year-old boy.
Part 2: Auramatum (4.5/5⭐️)
I really enjoyed the storyline of this part! It involved a man who lost his fiancé on their wedding day to a car crash. Several months after her death, he stars to go back in time, every time he falls asleep. For example: if he sleeps for 10 hours, he actually goes back 10 hours in time. His sole mission is to sleep as much as he can, by whatever means he can, in order to travel back to the day his fiancé died in order to save her life.
Part 3: Sanctifice (3.5/5⭐️)
Okay, so I was kinda iffy about this one! I’m not sure that I liked the fact that this one broke the 4th wall. I never know how to feel about this, when the main character is speaking directly to the reader. It can be quite awkward at times, but it can also make me feel closer to the main character?
I felt like the story line of this one was okay. It involved a domestic abuse survivor who escapes her abusive boyfriend. Throughout this part, she is desperately trying to stay far out of his reach, while dealing with her own demons (literally).
I will give it to Daniel, the graphic of the demon was quite terrifying. I think it made it worse that I read it on my kindle and kindles have that black-and-white lag, ya know? It was terrifying, which I can appreciate.
December 21, 2022
Perisiam: 4/5 Stars
This debut novel from author Daniel O’Brien takes the reader through life decisions of different people and shows what can make or break them in dire situations and intricacies. The book itself is a synecdoche, set in 3 parts but all connected in a whole, where each section follows a main character going through different forms of trauma and using different styles of genre to tell them.
The audience is in for a treat as Mr O’Brien doesn’t hold back on the ‘go-for-the-jugular’ bleakness to frenetic pacing to making sure the reader will have their full attention at all times within his novel, he knows his audience and how to attract them.
His didactic, at times wryly humorous, to gut punch prose can make the journey of the all too real characters so vivid that it feels that anyone who reads the book will know someone whom is aching similar & matching them in their [the characters] own traits.
As a first time author, Mr O’Brien produced only some of us and other authors dream of, an audience who likes the style of genres and to publishing a novel.
I am, for one, looking forward to seeing what else Daniel has up his sleeve and what else he can tackle.
This debut novel from author Daniel O’Brien takes the reader through life decisions of different people and shows what can make or break them in dire situations and intricacies. The book itself is a synecdoche, set in 3 parts but all connected in a whole, where each section follows a main character going through different forms of trauma and using different styles of genre to tell them.
The audience is in for a treat as Mr O’Brien doesn’t hold back on the ‘go-for-the-jugular’ bleakness to frenetic pacing to making sure the reader will have their full attention at all times within his novel, he knows his audience and how to attract them.
His didactic, at times wryly humorous, to gut punch prose can make the journey of the all too real characters so vivid that it feels that anyone who reads the book will know someone whom is aching similar & matching them in their [the characters] own traits.
As a first time author, Mr O’Brien produced only some of us and other authors dream of, an audience who likes the style of genres and to publishing a novel.
I am, for one, looking forward to seeing what else Daniel has up his sleeve and what else he can tackle.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews