In the Toybox

by C.F. Welburn

When a simple soldier cheats death and lives longer than he was destined, he begins to stumble upon strange patterns; threads between dreams and nightmares, surreal futures and forgotten pasts. By apparent chance he discovers he is not alone. Indeed, three lives seem set upon a collision course, inexplicably doomed to repeat.

Together with his accomplice, a charlatan clairvoyant, they take measures to defy fate and break the cycle once and for all.

But what is the meaning behind their eternal struggle? And just who is pulling the strings?

7 pages, Hardcover

Published July 1, 2002

About the author

Craig Farndale Welburn is an award-winning author for his series: The Ashen Levels.

He was born in the year of Star Wars, in the birth town of Charles Darwin, and caught the fantasy bug as a child at the top of a faraway tree, in a hole in the ground and through a snowy wardrobe.

He left Shropshire to study literature, travel the lands and seek his fortune. (He’s still seeking…)


He lives in Madrid with his wife Jessica and son Otis.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing tale, akin to a puzzle the reader needs to solve by setting different pieces together.
It is somewhat confusing at the beginning and it takes a little while to really get into it and understand the premise, but once you've passed that mark, you'll be inevitably hooked.

[Javier Sevilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly recommend it if you like dystopian novels like The Handmaid's Tale, Logan's Run, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Matrix, George Orwell, Margaret Atwood or The Status of All Things.

The writer excellently guides your thinking process arising your curiosity. The sometimes elegiac writing contrasts with the mix of genres, Fantasy, Suspense, Romance and Science Fiction. The book has plenty of interesting ideas for its size, having a "Black Mirror feeling".

Most refreshing book I read in a long time

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Am. In. Love. This story swept me off my feet and out of my mind. I don’t know that I can explain it. It’s a whirlwind of stories within a story. It’s short and was so very worth the slight confusion I had at first. My confusion turned into a ferocious curiosity. Now, I am going to read this again. There is a little bit of science fiction, a little bit of romance, a little bit of adventure and a little bit of mystery. I won this book from Goodreads. Thanks to Goodreads and the author C.F Welburn. Unlike anything I’ve ever read.

[Kathy Stibal]

This was an interesting if somewhat confusing book. The first few chapters I wasn't sure what was happening but as I continued the story became clearer. The ending was a surprise - definitely not an ending I would have come up with which is great!

[E.G. Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story; as with all of CF Welburn's pieces, it was well written and like a puzzle that just begged to be solved. There were pieces that fit together from the beginning and the end, and memoreis made reality. There was also adventure, romance, a touch of fantasy, a touch of sci-fi, and an ending that worked really quite well. It did take me a bit to figure out the premise of the book, but once I did, I was hooked.

[William Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A intriguing dystopian story which at times touches on the Sci Fi classics of Huxley,Dick and Bradbury.

For a more modern comparison,think of it as Black Mirror in written form.

Well worth a read.

[Angel wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read for me, a book I won from Goodreads. The story was ok and I couldn’t really connect to the characters.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast enjoyable dystopian novella for fans of Margaret Atwood books.Won this on Goodreads.

[Rebecca Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't what I was expecting. Do you ever have the feeling of encountering the same person but in a different life? Maybe you are and unsure of how you oth keep cheating death. You won't see this end coming.