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Siren
Evan is entranced by the alluring song of the beautiful naked woman he saw in the surf one lonely night. But this is no mere seductress. She is a siren, one of the legendary sea creatures who prey on unsuspecting men. And she has claimed Evan as her next lover.
321 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
89 people are currently reading
1094 people want to read
About the author
John Everson
112 books534 followersJohn Everson is a former newspaper reporter who writes thrillers filled with erotic horror and supernatural suspense. He is the author of the Bram Stoker Award winner Covenant, and finalist NightWhere, which reviewers called "50 Shades Meets Hellraiser!" He is also the creator of the characters Danika and Mila Dubov, seen in the Netflix series V-Wars, based on the books created by Jonathan Maberry. Booklist said his recent New Orleans novel, Voodoo Heart, "is a solid blend of supernatural horror and hard-boiled detective fiction, and should appeal to horror devotees as well as mystery buffs” while Living Dead Magazine called him "the master of dark and sexy."
Follow John on the BookBub: John Everson page for information on book sales and new releases as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For information on his fiction, art and music, visit John Everson: Dark Arts at www.johneverson.com.
Follow John on the BookBub: John Everson page for information on book sales and new releases as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For information on his fiction, art and music, visit John Everson: Dark Arts at www.johneverson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
January 11, 2012
This is the first novel by John Everson that I've read. I will be reading more!
Evan and his wife Sarah have lost their 12 year old son in a drowning incident. The stress of the loss of their only child results in their relationship drifting apart...Sarah likes to drown herself in alcohol and Evan likes to torture himself by walking up and down the beach every night. The very same beach at which his son drowned.
During one of these nightly walks, Evan hears a beautiful song. Following it, he finds a beautiful naked woman who suddenly dives into the ocean from the rocky outcropping on which they stood. Thinking that she will drown, he gets himself back to the beach to see if he can find her. He can't. Until he hears the song again, a few nights later. Needless to say, it's the song of the Siren.
From there the story of the Siren is told in a couple of ways, from Evan's viewpoint in the current time period, and from the viewpoint of the captain of a rum running ship at the end of the 1800s. The history of the Siren is sensuous, sexual and horrific. There is a heck of a lot of sex which sometimes bothers me, but not in this novel, as it is part of the story. These scenes are extremely well written and suck you in (like that pun?). Too bad the siren sings for her supper, and her supper is men. In addition to the sex scenes there are a lot of very gory scenes which were also well written and necessary to the story.
Some may not like the ending, but I definitely did. I felt that it was really the only way it could end.
All in all, I thought this was a terrific novel, that moved incredibly fast and left me thinking that any man who, while walking the shore, hears a beautiful intriguing song...should RUN!
Evan and his wife Sarah have lost their 12 year old son in a drowning incident. The stress of the loss of their only child results in their relationship drifting apart...Sarah likes to drown herself in alcohol and Evan likes to torture himself by walking up and down the beach every night. The very same beach at which his son drowned.
During one of these nightly walks, Evan hears a beautiful song. Following it, he finds a beautiful naked woman who suddenly dives into the ocean from the rocky outcropping on which they stood. Thinking that she will drown, he gets himself back to the beach to see if he can find her. He can't. Until he hears the song again, a few nights later. Needless to say, it's the song of the Siren.
From there the story of the Siren is told in a couple of ways, from Evan's viewpoint in the current time period, and from the viewpoint of the captain of a rum running ship at the end of the 1800s. The history of the Siren is sensuous, sexual and horrific. There is a heck of a lot of sex which sometimes bothers me, but not in this novel, as it is part of the story. These scenes are extremely well written and suck you in (like that pun?). Too bad the siren sings for her supper, and her supper is men. In addition to the sex scenes there are a lot of very gory scenes which were also well written and necessary to the story.
Some may not like the ending, but I definitely did. I felt that it was really the only way it could end.
All in all, I thought this was a terrific novel, that moved incredibly fast and left me thinking that any man who, while walking the shore, hears a beautiful intriguing song...should RUN!
March 23, 2019
Wow, what an intriguing read. Evan's son drowned and he and his wife still are in sorrow a year later. Sarah, his wife, is starting to drink. Evan starts an affair with an incredibly beautiful woman he meets at the beach. She's nude and very alluring. They regularly meet for having sex. But who is she and what are her aims? Parallel you read the happenings on the Lady Luck, a vessel, that sank in 1887 near the coast of Delilah, the town the novel is set in. Is it possible that the same woman also was on that ship that many years ago? Bill, his workmate, tells him, that Ligeia, so the name of the mysterious woman he mets at the beach, must be a Siren. At first he can't believe in this legend come true but soon things change considerably. The novel is very compelling, nail biting and eerie at some parts. Could you fend of an alluring woman like Ligeia or would you surrender to her heart and soul? Phenomenal novel on a myth meeting modern times. Absolutely recommended!
May 29, 2017
Not bad at all, the grief and the loss of the main character were depicted for good, the 1887 flashbacks reminded me the awesome Stan Winston's "She Creature" creature feature horror movie, and the grim "happy" ending rised the final vote one star.
A funny read if graphic "sex & gore" scenes scare you not and if you are more a fan of man-eater mermaids than fairy tales ones.
May 11, 2015
This review originally posted at The Bibliosanctum
First off, I'd like to say that I am likely not this novel's intended audience. That will have a lot to do with my rating.
In this book, the main character Evan walks the beach every night grieving for his son who drowned in an accident more than a year ago, until one night he is drawn to the voice of a beautiful naked woman singing on the rocks by the ocean. I'm well-versed enough in my mythology to know that Sirens are mysterious and seductive creatures who lured sailors and ships to their doom with their enchanting songs, but even I was unprepared for the amount of gratuitous and senseless sex in this novel.
At times, it felt like Evan only had two modes: horny or depressed. For the first three-quarters of the book, it seemed like all he was doing was either a) having sex, thinking about sex, or talking about sex, or b) remembering and crying for his lost son. We seem to go around in circles with these two conditions.
The story is also punctuated periodically by chapters flashing back to the 1800s, focusing on a crew aboard a smuggling ship and their encounters with the novel's eponymous creature. These scenes serve to add a little more background and history to the setting, but you also end up getting a healthy dose of gory violence, and of course, even more sex.
Now I'm no prude, and I'll even admit I've been known to enjoy books that are even more extreme in their dealings with the subject both in their quantity and carnality. I would even have found all of the sex in this book to be entertaining and good for the kicks, but for the fact the main character is apparently an utter ninny.
Not only was he repeatedly cheating on his bereaved wife, in the book Evan is also told flat-out by his friend Bill that he may have been spellbound by a Siren. And yet, Evan remains unconvinced. Granted, being lured into the ocean by a beautiful naked woman and her song could possibly be explained away by an over-amorous skinny dipper with a talented voice, but when dozens of seagulls suddenly start dive-bombing you and killing themselves against the windows of your house, shouldn't it make you think that maybe, just maybe, something strange or supernatural might be up?
And considering how many of Evan's problems in the book were defined by his son's drowning, there was surprisingly very little detail about his death and that tragic day. Meanwhile, of course, there were pages upon pages devoted to descriptions of Ligeia the Siren's naughty bits. Indeed, the characters could have been better developed, and in my opinion a couple of them were either underutilized (like Evan's psychiatrist) or written strangely (like his friend Bill, who would say the most ridiculous things at inappropriate moments). Much of the time, they don't act like real people.
Basically, reading this book reminded me a lot of watching a low-budget B-list creature feature on the SyFy channel (though, I suppose the SyFy channel would not abide so much nudity and sex). Don't get me wrong, though; those kinds of movies have a place in my life, especially snuggled on the couch on a Saturday night with a big bowl of popcorn. They're definitely good for some expedient thrills and entertainment, and bottom line, I would probably say much the same for this book. Purchased for $0.99 from the Kindle's promotional list, I certainly don't regret it.
First off, I'd like to say that I am likely not this novel's intended audience. That will have a lot to do with my rating.
In this book, the main character Evan walks the beach every night grieving for his son who drowned in an accident more than a year ago, until one night he is drawn to the voice of a beautiful naked woman singing on the rocks by the ocean. I'm well-versed enough in my mythology to know that Sirens are mysterious and seductive creatures who lured sailors and ships to their doom with their enchanting songs, but even I was unprepared for the amount of gratuitous and senseless sex in this novel.
At times, it felt like Evan only had two modes: horny or depressed. For the first three-quarters of the book, it seemed like all he was doing was either a) having sex, thinking about sex, or talking about sex, or b) remembering and crying for his lost son. We seem to go around in circles with these two conditions.
The story is also punctuated periodically by chapters flashing back to the 1800s, focusing on a crew aboard a smuggling ship and their encounters with the novel's eponymous creature. These scenes serve to add a little more background and history to the setting, but you also end up getting a healthy dose of gory violence, and of course, even more sex.
Now I'm no prude, and I'll even admit I've been known to enjoy books that are even more extreme in their dealings with the subject both in their quantity and carnality. I would even have found all of the sex in this book to be entertaining and good for the kicks, but for the fact the main character is apparently an utter ninny.
Not only was he repeatedly cheating on his bereaved wife, in the book Evan is also told flat-out by his friend Bill that he may have been spellbound by a Siren. And yet, Evan remains unconvinced. Granted, being lured into the ocean by a beautiful naked woman and her song could possibly be explained away by an over-amorous skinny dipper with a talented voice, but when dozens of seagulls suddenly start dive-bombing you and killing themselves against the windows of your house, shouldn't it make you think that maybe, just maybe, something strange or supernatural might be up?
And considering how many of Evan's problems in the book were defined by his son's drowning, there was surprisingly very little detail about his death and that tragic day. Meanwhile, of course, there were pages upon pages devoted to descriptions of Ligeia the Siren's naughty bits. Indeed, the characters could have been better developed, and in my opinion a couple of them were either underutilized (like Evan's psychiatrist) or written strangely (like his friend Bill, who would say the most ridiculous things at inappropriate moments). Much of the time, they don't act like real people.
Basically, reading this book reminded me a lot of watching a low-budget B-list creature feature on the SyFy channel (though, I suppose the SyFy channel would not abide so much nudity and sex). Don't get me wrong, though; those kinds of movies have a place in my life, especially snuggled on the couch on a Saturday night with a big bowl of popcorn. They're definitely good for some expedient thrills and entertainment, and bottom line, I would probably say much the same for this book. Purchased for $0.99 from the Kindle's promotional list, I certainly don't regret it.
July 30, 2019
Zapomnijcie o uroczych dziewuszkach kołyszących się na falach, zapomnijcie o Arielkach i syrenkach Andersena – przed Wami legendarny potwór morski, legendarny i mityczny! W „Syrenie” Johna Eversona nie ma miłości, ale pazury, krew i śmierć!
„W oceanie była moc, matka wszystkiego życia. Ciężka, głęboka, cicha moc. Moc równie zdradliwa i niepewna, co bezkresna. W tym miejscu było jeszcze coś, choć nie miała do końca pewności, co to takiego. Śpiewało w powietrzu niczym niewyraźny głos szarańczy.”
John Everson nie bawi się w subtelności. Jego syrena to drapieżnik idealny – piękna, wyuzdana, nieśmiertelna… Gotowa na wszystko, by upolować mężczyznę swojego życia. Jest żarłoczna, sprytna i piękna – to prawdziwa morska femme fatale, której zjawiskowy głos oznacza kłopoty. Spędza swoją podwodną wieczność rozkładając sidła i tym razem jej ofiarą ma paść zdesperowany mężczyzna w żałobie. Walka o jego duszę to główna oś fabularna powieści, ale pod powierzchnią Everson skrywa coś jeszcze. Opowieść o zniewoleniu, o zezwierzęceniu, o okrucieństwie, czyli o tym wszystkim, co dzieje się, gdy w niepowołane ręce trafia niezwykły skarb – syrena z krwi i kości, potwór, istota, kobieta.
„Syrena” to lektura idealna na letnie wieczory, na jesienne popołudnia, na zimowe ciężkie noce – mroczny sen, koszmarny majak, przepełniona erotyką opowieść o zjawiskowym potworze i jego ofierze. John Everson potrafi sprawić, że nawet krwawa jatka pośród fal ma w sobie coś zmysłowego, coś cielesnego, a jednocześnie diabelnie strasznego. Rzucił na mnie horrorowy czar, ku mojemu zatraceniu! Nie umiem nie uwielbiać!
„W oceanie była moc, matka wszystkiego życia. Ciężka, głęboka, cicha moc. Moc równie zdradliwa i niepewna, co bezkresna. W tym miejscu było jeszcze coś, choć nie miała do końca pewności, co to takiego. Śpiewało w powietrzu niczym niewyraźny głos szarańczy.”
John Everson nie bawi się w subtelności. Jego syrena to drapieżnik idealny – piękna, wyuzdana, nieśmiertelna… Gotowa na wszystko, by upolować mężczyznę swojego życia. Jest żarłoczna, sprytna i piękna – to prawdziwa morska femme fatale, której zjawiskowy głos oznacza kłopoty. Spędza swoją podwodną wieczność rozkładając sidła i tym razem jej ofiarą ma paść zdesperowany mężczyzna w żałobie. Walka o jego duszę to główna oś fabularna powieści, ale pod powierzchnią Everson skrywa coś jeszcze. Opowieść o zniewoleniu, o zezwierzęceniu, o okrucieństwie, czyli o tym wszystkim, co dzieje się, gdy w niepowołane ręce trafia niezwykły skarb – syrena z krwi i kości, potwór, istota, kobieta.
„Syrena” to lektura idealna na letnie wieczory, na jesienne popołudnia, na zimowe ciężkie noce – mroczny sen, koszmarny majak, przepełniona erotyką opowieść o zjawiskowym potworze i jego ofierze. John Everson potrafi sprawić, że nawet krwawa jatka pośród fal ma w sobie coś zmysłowego, coś cielesnego, a jednocześnie diabelnie strasznego. Rzucił na mnie horrorowy czar, ku mojemu zatraceniu! Nie umiem nie uwielbiać!
February 23, 2015
Totally weak ending in this book! The Siren kills the main characters wife,and then he goes to his friends house for help for scuba equipment and they are cracking jokes and wiswecracks?? HUH? Man your wife just died by a creature for god's sake!
And after all that happens the guy runs back into the ocean at the end looking for his "love"?? Awful.
And after all that happens the guy runs back into the ocean at the end looking for his "love"?? Awful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2020
Good story with decent characters. I do wish there was more plot set in the Siren's world.
September 16, 2018
This isn't the worst-written book I've read as far as prose goes, but the combination of middling writing + slow plot + poor/stupid characters + some other weird/unexplained stuff made this a chore to get through. I really only persevered because I saw several reviews specifically mentioning the ending and I wanted to see for myself.
Firstly I'll say that I liked the fact that we had flashbacks paralleling the modern day storyline. Sort of neat to have our main dude and the captain of an old rumrunner both realizing how dangerous Ligeia is (even if it takes too long), and having her seduction sort of crescendo into this violent confrontation. It was clear John had done his research on ships and how they were run, which is always nice to see. I also thought the end scene was really nice. Too bad it was attached to such a poor book.
Now to get on to the complaining. The prose itself comes across really unpolished; the language doesn't really "snap" and certain verbs/adjectives/adverbs will be repeated within the same few paragraphs, which always bugs me and is usually a sign of a lack of proofreading. However, it's definitely not BAD writing.
Although the book is not long, the plot drags for most of it. We know from the beginning that Ligeia is a siren and that she eats people. So it gets really, really old watching Evan slowly realize that not only is Ligeia not human, but she's dangerous as well. This doesn't fully sink in until around 70% or more of the way through the story. There are times that a premise like this can work, but it has to be done well and can be hard to pull off. Needless to say, it is not done well here. The flashbacks don't really have this problem because the captain knows she's dangerous and he keeps her locked up, the tension comes from wondering when and how she escapes.
I understand seduction is part of mermaid/siren lore, but in a book about a killer mermaid I really don't want 80%+ of the mermaid's action to be screwing. This is like softcore porn with a light sprinkling of violence. After luring men close, Ligeia proceeds to have (sometimes lengthy) sex with them before killing them, instead of just killing them when she gets the chance. It's erotic to the point of being absurd, with characters who are not currently under her spell stopping to admire her vagina or rack as she's in the process of killing them. Which leads me to...
The characters are all stupid, and most of them don't speak or act like normal people. The only character I think is somewhat believable is Evan's wife. I think her name is Sarah, but I honestly cannot remember. She's barely in the book. Everyone else is awful. All Evan thinks about is sex and his dead son. The captain keeps a literal sex slave in his ship and sees to problem with allowing her to eat his crew. He also can't be spellbound by her because he's tone deaf. Yeah, ok, that's how it works. Evan's best friend, Bill, cracks jokes shortly after learning that Sarah is dead and as he and Evan fight a maneating fishwoman.
It's never clear what Ligeia's intentions are with Evan. To reproduce? Reproduction is never touched on. Does she love him? She sure seems jealous of Sarha, but she knows nothing about him, all they do is screw. It can't all be a ploy to lure him in since she has multiple chances to kill him. What is her goal?
The captain in the flashbacks keeps Ligeia tied to his bed as a sex slave, and when he forces himself on her she is very clearly enjoying it. But later in his storyline he reflects that she occasionally weeps when he attacks her. So is she some weird monster that just mimics sexual enjoyment or does she have feelings and emotions? Why is every crewmember's reaction to finding her to rape her even though she isn't singing? Why is the captain suddenly portrayed in a sympathetic light near the end of his plot even though he's been holding a woman captive and raping her for weeks?
Who was the woman trying to resurrect Ligeia in the beginning of the book and how did she know the spell? Would it have worked even without the convenient accident?
What exactly are Ligeia's weaknesses and what are the rules to killing her?
Also this book is not scary in the slightest.
Firstly I'll say that I liked the fact that we had flashbacks paralleling the modern day storyline. Sort of neat to have our main dude and the captain of an old rumrunner both realizing how dangerous Ligeia is (even if it takes too long), and having her seduction sort of crescendo into this violent confrontation. It was clear John had done his research on ships and how they were run, which is always nice to see. I also thought the end scene was really nice. Too bad it was attached to such a poor book.
Now to get on to the complaining. The prose itself comes across really unpolished; the language doesn't really "snap" and certain verbs/adjectives/adverbs will be repeated within the same few paragraphs, which always bugs me and is usually a sign of a lack of proofreading. However, it's definitely not BAD writing.
Although the book is not long, the plot drags for most of it. We know from the beginning that Ligeia is a siren and that she eats people. So it gets really, really old watching Evan slowly realize that not only is Ligeia not human, but she's dangerous as well. This doesn't fully sink in until around 70% or more of the way through the story. There are times that a premise like this can work, but it has to be done well and can be hard to pull off. Needless to say, it is not done well here. The flashbacks don't really have this problem because the captain knows she's dangerous and he keeps her locked up, the tension comes from wondering when and how she escapes.
I understand seduction is part of mermaid/siren lore, but in a book about a killer mermaid I really don't want 80%+ of the mermaid's action to be screwing. This is like softcore porn with a light sprinkling of violence. After luring men close, Ligeia proceeds to have (sometimes lengthy) sex with them before killing them, instead of just killing them when she gets the chance. It's erotic to the point of being absurd, with characters who are not currently under her spell stopping to admire her vagina or rack as she's in the process of killing them. Which leads me to...
The characters are all stupid, and most of them don't speak or act like normal people. The only character I think is somewhat believable is Evan's wife. I think her name is Sarah, but I honestly cannot remember. She's barely in the book. Everyone else is awful. All Evan thinks about is sex and his dead son. The captain keeps a literal sex slave in his ship and sees to problem with allowing her to eat his crew. He also can't be spellbound by her because he's tone deaf. Yeah, ok, that's how it works. Evan's best friend, Bill, cracks jokes shortly after learning that Sarah is dead and as he and Evan fight a maneating fishwoman.
It's never clear what Ligeia's intentions are with Evan. To reproduce? Reproduction is never touched on. Does she love him? She sure seems jealous of Sarha, but she knows nothing about him, all they do is screw. It can't all be a ploy to lure him in since she has multiple chances to kill him. What is her goal?
The captain in the flashbacks keeps Ligeia tied to his bed as a sex slave, and when he forces himself on her she is very clearly enjoying it. But later in his storyline he reflects that she occasionally weeps when he attacks her. So is she some weird monster that just mimics sexual enjoyment or does she have feelings and emotions? Why is every crewmember's reaction to finding her to rape her even though she isn't singing? Why is the captain suddenly portrayed in a sympathetic light near the end of his plot even though he's been holding a woman captive and raping her for weeks?
Who was the woman trying to resurrect Ligeia in the beginning of the book and how did she know the spell? Would it have worked even without the convenient accident?
What exactly are Ligeia's weaknesses and what are the rules to killing her?
Also this book is not scary in the slightest.
June 25, 2020
When I started this book this morning I never expected it to be so interesting! I found myself hooked on the plot right from the beginning and the pages were flying by. By noon I was almost halfway through the book.
This is the tragic story of a man named Evan whose life falls apart after his son dies while surfing. He and his wife are having problems due to depression caused by the son's death (which they never really faced). Then one night Evan meets a naked woman on the beach. She's singing a wordless song. He's entranced by it. By her. Little does he know she's not human. And so starts his affair with a deadly sea creature...
Did I mention that he's also deadly terrified of the water? Evan not only had to face his phobia and deal with his grief, but he has to find out the truth about his beautiful siren he meets at night on the beach. Of course the story is also about desire and temptations...and what happens when you fall prey to them. I think one reason this story is so interesting is because Evan goes through a large changing character arch as he works through his various problems and deals with them. It's just not mindless horror about a monster eating people but dealing with very real problems that many people face. This helps us to relate to him.
This story adds some nice details to the siren legends. Plus I liked the characters too! The entire tale was just intriguing and it kept moving too. And part of the story takes place in 1887 with a sea captain on a ship, so we learn more background details too. I found it a bit harder to relate to him...Evan was easier to understand.
I also liked the epilogue. I half expected it. Maybe I'm a bit weird for liking it. Oh well.
Of course this is a bloody story. It's horror. Lots of deaths.
This is the tragic story of a man named Evan whose life falls apart after his son dies while surfing. He and his wife are having problems due to depression caused by the son's death (which they never really faced). Then one night Evan meets a naked woman on the beach. She's singing a wordless song. He's entranced by it. By her. Little does he know she's not human. And so starts his affair with a deadly sea creature...
Did I mention that he's also deadly terrified of the water? Evan not only had to face his phobia and deal with his grief, but he has to find out the truth about his beautiful siren he meets at night on the beach. Of course the story is also about desire and temptations...and what happens when you fall prey to them. I think one reason this story is so interesting is because Evan goes through a large changing character arch as he works through his various problems and deals with them. It's just not mindless horror about a monster eating people but dealing with very real problems that many people face. This helps us to relate to him.
This story adds some nice details to the siren legends. Plus I liked the characters too! The entire tale was just intriguing and it kept moving too. And part of the story takes place in 1887 with a sea captain on a ship, so we learn more background details too. I found it a bit harder to relate to him...Evan was easier to understand.
I also liked the epilogue. I half expected it. Maybe I'm a bit weird for liking it. Oh well.
Of course this is a bloody story. It's horror. Lots of deaths.
February 22, 2013
I am just not sure where the praise for this book came from. Clearly I must have read a different copy of this book. I can not even begin to say how stupid this book is. The dialogues between characters come right out of a cheesy made for tv movie. The ending is beyond stupid. The characters never grew - they were lame and honestly I could have thrown them all in the ocean and done away with them including the main character. What a wimp. It is pathetic. John Everson goes back and forth in this book between two story lines (with some small ones in-between). Neither story line is very compelling as they are the same story just set in different times. I wish I could get back my time but sadly I listened to all the great reviews to my regret. Save your $0.99 and most importantly your time.
August 14, 2017
I thought the book was well written. The ending was all over the place and sent me through a whirlwind of emotions fairly quickly, not all of them good as I can't call the ending good. You go through a lot of "poor Evan" and "wtf Evan" throughout the whole book.
September 15, 2011
In the study of fiction, we talk about "the willing suspension of disbelief." It, along with imagination, is what the reader brings to the novel. It helps produce the trance we enter as we read, allows us to SEE the story rather than just READ it. Unfortunately, around the 75% mark, Everson took Siren in a direction that broke me out of my willing suspension of disbelief; he took it in a direction I couldn't follow. Consequently, the final quarter of the book was difficult to complete. Preferring not to spoil it for you, I won't detail what spoiled it for me. But from that point on, I read the book to finish it rather than to learn how the conflict resolved itself.
I was intrigued by the book's premise--that mythological sirens really exist and that one now haunts a small, California city. Also erotic horror is a guilty pleasure of mine. Those were the two reasons I chose this book. The book started well, delving into the characters and the environment, making me care about the protagonist, Evan, and setting an eerie mood. But it soon lost steam. There was more sex than horror through most of the book, and I never once felt afraid. I like to be frightened; that's why I read horror. And I also like to feel sexy, but the ubiquitous sex scenes failed to achieve even that. They became redundant. As I read them, I kept thinking: Didn't I just read this in the last chapter?
Yet caring about Evan kept me reading. He's a middle-aged man mourning the lost of his son and struggling to reestablish relationship with his estranged wife. It was their grief over their son's death that estranged them. There are good scenes in the novel as Evan struggles to put the past behind them and to normalize his relationship with his wife, Sarah, to rekindle the love they once had for each other.
But my interest ended, as I said, about three-quarters of the way through the book, when I felt my willing suspension of disbelief end. There were hints earlier that things weren't going well, but they were minor and I ignored them. Then the plot turned a direction I couldn't follow, and the story was ruined for me.
I was intrigued by the book's premise--that mythological sirens really exist and that one now haunts a small, California city. Also erotic horror is a guilty pleasure of mine. Those were the two reasons I chose this book. The book started well, delving into the characters and the environment, making me care about the protagonist, Evan, and setting an eerie mood. But it soon lost steam. There was more sex than horror through most of the book, and I never once felt afraid. I like to be frightened; that's why I read horror. And I also like to feel sexy, but the ubiquitous sex scenes failed to achieve even that. They became redundant. As I read them, I kept thinking: Didn't I just read this in the last chapter?
Yet caring about Evan kept me reading. He's a middle-aged man mourning the lost of his son and struggling to reestablish relationship with his estranged wife. It was their grief over their son's death that estranged them. There are good scenes in the novel as Evan struggles to put the past behind them and to normalize his relationship with his wife, Sarah, to rekindle the love they once had for each other.
But my interest ended, as I said, about three-quarters of the way through the book, when I felt my willing suspension of disbelief end. There were hints earlier that things weren't going well, but they were minor and I ignored them. Then the plot turned a direction I couldn't follow, and the story was ruined for me.
July 9, 2022
'Siren' is as much horror as it is about loss and longing. For Evan and his wife Sarah, life hasn't been the same since their son drowned. Sarah seeks comfort at the bottom of a bottle while Evan seeks solitude and silence at night taking beach walks along the same stretch of ocean that claimed his son. It's during one of these late night sojourns, that Evan stumbles across the mythical Siren. A hauntingly beautiful women whose desire is matched by those entangled in her serenade.
What started with a blistering opening soon fizzled primarily due to the Siren's repetitive nature (seduce, sex, kill, eat, repeat) and author John Everson's prerogative to loop such sequences. That said, this was an apt rendition of the Siren mythology full of all the elements that compound such a horror. From the beauty on the rocks, to the violent cannibalistic nature, 'Siren' is full of iconic moments of both unadulterated horror and beauty.
Everson blends the current day horror with the Siren's 1887 origins creating a contrasting world in which its events seamlessly interlock to form a single story. Some character flaws, however, corrupt the believability with Evan's sidekick Bill falling victim to overtly juvenile dialogue and Sarah coming across incomplete as a grief stricken alcoholic who seemingly turns a new leaf without provocation.
For me, 'Siren' promised, teased, and hinted at a fully mature horror yet failed to deliver the complete package. However, at its best it was hard to put down. Initially this story will submerge you and get you lost in its undercurrent before releasing your head above water as it draws to conclusion. 3.5 stars.
May 19, 2013
John Everson's haunting and erotic tale takes an ages old myth and injects it into modern times, coupled with flashbacks to a hundred years previous, as to fill in the back story of the Siren. Evan and Sarah lost their teenage son to a drowning accident a year ago, and haven't recovered fully from that terrible tragedy. Sarah spends most nights getting drunk at the town seaside dive bar...and Evan walks the beach, and dutifully picks up his wife. Until one night, on the beach, he hears the haunting and trilling melody of the most beautiful and seductive naked woman alive. But she vanishes beneath the waves. Soon, she reappears and casts her erotic spell over him...and he cannot resist despite being riddled with guilt. Evan confessed his story of his mysterious beachside trysts with his friend and coworker, and also his therapist. Evan even learns of the legend of the town's deadly Siren, but refuses to believe it. But when he decides to refuse her coital advances, Evan learns that he was wrong about Ligiea...and the cost of his refusal may be too high.
Everson weaves a nicely paced erotic horror novel, which will appeal to fans of the likes of Lee, Laymon, etc, but not an overly hardcore like his recent novel, NightWhere. If you haven't read John Everson, Siren is a nice introduction, along with Covenant and its sequel, Sacrifice.
Everson weaves a nicely paced erotic horror novel, which will appeal to fans of the likes of Lee, Laymon, etc, but not an overly hardcore like his recent novel, NightWhere. If you haven't read John Everson, Siren is a nice introduction, along with Covenant and its sequel, Sacrifice.
April 27, 2017
Not bad horror thriller that made use of a mythological creature, a first for me. Though there were things I didn’t care for, the book did a lot right and it was a quick and enjoyable read.
The main character is Evan. He lives in Delilah, California, a small beach and port community near San Francisco. He is not a happy man, as he and his wife Sarah are still coping with the loss of their teenage son Josh who drowned in view of the beach…and Evan, who felt powerless to save him because of a crushing, paralyzing aquaphobia. Evan had been fine with going to the beach, maybe getting his toes wet, but he never learned to swim, never ventured out into the waves, and couldn’t bring himself to save his son despite his pleas for help.
It’s been about a year since Josh drowned, his body never recovered, and Evan and Sarah aren’t handling it well. Sarah gets drunk at a local bar and has to be brought home every night by Evan, though only after Evan walks the beach each evening. Despite his crushing aquaphobia, he finds the walks soothing, a way to commune somehow with his son, and one evening, a tempting place to maybe end it all, joining Josh that way.
Only one night, instead of committing suicide, Evan hears singing and soon encounters a beautiful nude woman alone on the deserted beach. Later her name is revealed – Ligeia – not that Evan and her do much talking as they have sex. A lot of sex. Fairly graphic sex though I think in retrospect the author held back more than some reviewers gave him credit for (and also arguably needed for the plot, as it wasn’t love but lust and infatuation Evan felt, feeding a need that he wasn’t getting from the bereaved Sarah and later becoming very much an addiction).
For a time Evan leads a double life. By day Evan goes to work, takes Sarah home from the bar, and pretends things are as normal as they get for him, while each night he craves a rendezvous with Ligeia. Though sometimes his desire is quite mortal in nature, other times the author skillfully showed that he is responding to Ligeia’s power as Siren; one moment enraptured by her otherworldly music, the next finding himself neck deep in water, the terror of it breaking her spell for a least a moment.
Wracked with guilt for cheating on Sarah and worried about his inability to control himself when he sees her (he got into the water so deep she had to save him from drowning!), Evan confides in two people, his psychiatrist he sees once a week by the name of Vicky Blanchard, and his best friend at work, a mildly conspiratorial sort of person by the name of Bill (who regularly reads Homer and Milton and is well read on Greek mythology). While Vicky concentrates on whether or not Evan really saw this woman at all and getting him better (and is not as much a presence in the book), Bill, at first thinking Evan is pretty much just cheating, soon thinks Bill isn’t seeing a human woman, but rather the Siren of Delilah, a sea-ghost-story type monster responsible for wrecked ships and missing swimmers and beachcombers over the span of decades.
The remainder of the book is Evan coming to terms with Ligeia’s true nature, her power over him, his love for Sarah, and how to break free (if he can).
A couple of aspects I liked. Starting I suppose about midway through the book the author folded in flashback chapters set in 1887 aboard a ship that smuggled alcohol. This ship – the _Lady Luck_ - is captained by a somewhat unsavory man by the name of James Buckley III and he is the original owner of Ligeia, having purchased her as basically a sex slave. Luckily immune to her charms thanks to his complete inability to essentially perceive or enjoy music, the chapters with Captain Buckley and Ligeia are pretty effective horror in themselves as the unlucky crew members start to fall prey to Ligeia. I liked especially the final chapters which detailed a final showdown with Ligeia in the midst of a storm, the ship at constant risk of shipwreck, interspersed with a present-day showdown against Ligeia.
There were some ironies I liked, that Evan’s fear of the water initially saved him from Ligeia, at least for a time, while Ligeia’s hold over him gave him power over that fear, a power that wouldn’t serve Ligeia well in the end. I also liked a brief show of the other abilities of Ligeia, namely some control of other sea creatures (in this case gulls in a chilling scene).
The book had a lot of graphic violence, more graphic I think then the sex by far. Ligeia is definitely a monster and gorily killed and ate several people.
There were a few things that didn’t quite work. I didn’t have a problem with how much Josh’s death really shaped Evan and Sarah but the actual death itself seemed a tad unexplored. Given there were flashbacks (not just the _Lady Luck_ flashbacks) this might have been addressed better. Vicky Blanchard seemed poised to be major character, especially at the end, with her deep concern for Evan and her apparent psychic abilities, but never really entered the story in any real way (sorry if that is a spoiler). A couple of times Bill and Evan would go from real grief to humor really fast; while I am sure people do jump from the horrible to the humorous sometimes, at least on one occasion it didn’t ring true. One time the ending for the flashbacks on the _Lady Luck_ was to me casually spoiled though I still liked that plotline. Ligeia herself didn’t have a huge amount of depth though in the end she was a monster (albeit a sentient and intelligent one).
I certainly don’t think book is for everyone but I am glad I read it.
The main character is Evan. He lives in Delilah, California, a small beach and port community near San Francisco. He is not a happy man, as he and his wife Sarah are still coping with the loss of their teenage son Josh who drowned in view of the beach…and Evan, who felt powerless to save him because of a crushing, paralyzing aquaphobia. Evan had been fine with going to the beach, maybe getting his toes wet, but he never learned to swim, never ventured out into the waves, and couldn’t bring himself to save his son despite his pleas for help.
It’s been about a year since Josh drowned, his body never recovered, and Evan and Sarah aren’t handling it well. Sarah gets drunk at a local bar and has to be brought home every night by Evan, though only after Evan walks the beach each evening. Despite his crushing aquaphobia, he finds the walks soothing, a way to commune somehow with his son, and one evening, a tempting place to maybe end it all, joining Josh that way.
Only one night, instead of committing suicide, Evan hears singing and soon encounters a beautiful nude woman alone on the deserted beach. Later her name is revealed – Ligeia – not that Evan and her do much talking as they have sex. A lot of sex. Fairly graphic sex though I think in retrospect the author held back more than some reviewers gave him credit for (and also arguably needed for the plot, as it wasn’t love but lust and infatuation Evan felt, feeding a need that he wasn’t getting from the bereaved Sarah and later becoming very much an addiction).
For a time Evan leads a double life. By day Evan goes to work, takes Sarah home from the bar, and pretends things are as normal as they get for him, while each night he craves a rendezvous with Ligeia. Though sometimes his desire is quite mortal in nature, other times the author skillfully showed that he is responding to Ligeia’s power as Siren; one moment enraptured by her otherworldly music, the next finding himself neck deep in water, the terror of it breaking her spell for a least a moment.
Wracked with guilt for cheating on Sarah and worried about his inability to control himself when he sees her (he got into the water so deep she had to save him from drowning!), Evan confides in two people, his psychiatrist he sees once a week by the name of Vicky Blanchard, and his best friend at work, a mildly conspiratorial sort of person by the name of Bill (who regularly reads Homer and Milton and is well read on Greek mythology). While Vicky concentrates on whether or not Evan really saw this woman at all and getting him better (and is not as much a presence in the book), Bill, at first thinking Evan is pretty much just cheating, soon thinks Bill isn’t seeing a human woman, but rather the Siren of Delilah, a sea-ghost-story type monster responsible for wrecked ships and missing swimmers and beachcombers over the span of decades.
The remainder of the book is Evan coming to terms with Ligeia’s true nature, her power over him, his love for Sarah, and how to break free (if he can).
A couple of aspects I liked. Starting I suppose about midway through the book the author folded in flashback chapters set in 1887 aboard a ship that smuggled alcohol. This ship – the _Lady Luck_ - is captained by a somewhat unsavory man by the name of James Buckley III and he is the original owner of Ligeia, having purchased her as basically a sex slave. Luckily immune to her charms thanks to his complete inability to essentially perceive or enjoy music, the chapters with Captain Buckley and Ligeia are pretty effective horror in themselves as the unlucky crew members start to fall prey to Ligeia. I liked especially the final chapters which detailed a final showdown with Ligeia in the midst of a storm, the ship at constant risk of shipwreck, interspersed with a present-day showdown against Ligeia.
There were some ironies I liked, that Evan’s fear of the water initially saved him from Ligeia, at least for a time, while Ligeia’s hold over him gave him power over that fear, a power that wouldn’t serve Ligeia well in the end. I also liked a brief show of the other abilities of Ligeia, namely some control of other sea creatures (in this case gulls in a chilling scene).
The book had a lot of graphic violence, more graphic I think then the sex by far. Ligeia is definitely a monster and gorily killed and ate several people.
There were a few things that didn’t quite work. I didn’t have a problem with how much Josh’s death really shaped Evan and Sarah but the actual death itself seemed a tad unexplored. Given there were flashbacks (not just the _Lady Luck_ flashbacks) this might have been addressed better. Vicky Blanchard seemed poised to be major character, especially at the end, with her deep concern for Evan and her apparent psychic abilities, but never really entered the story in any real way (sorry if that is a spoiler). A couple of times Bill and Evan would go from real grief to humor really fast; while I am sure people do jump from the horrible to the humorous sometimes, at least on one occasion it didn’t ring true. One time the ending for the flashbacks on the _Lady Luck_ was to me casually spoiled though I still liked that plotline. Ligeia herself didn’t have a huge amount of depth though in the end she was a monster (albeit a sentient and intelligent one).
I certainly don’t think book is for everyone but I am glad I read it.
June 2, 2013
Yet another great novel by John Everson. A novel about a siren--cannot be that easy to pull off, yet John Everson does it. This a some what heart wrenching horror story about a couple who loses their son to a surfing accident. We go through their struggles a year later, both broken, both wanting to be better and yet not exactly knowing how. And we have a history of a siren who makes her life upon these waters, beautiful and deadly, and everything man needs. Totally recommended.
February 23, 2025
Pełen zmysłowości i erotyki horror, ale właśnie taka jest syrena w powieści Johna Eversona - powabna, nieśmiertelna, piękna co czyni ją drapieżnikiem idealnym.
Opowieść przeniesie nas w świat wypełniony zapachem soli morskiej i szumu fal pośród których poluje ona. Czai się by swoim śpiewem zahipnotyzować mężczyzn i zwabić ich w swoje sidła. W taką pułapkę wpada główny bohater powieści. Lecz ma coś w sobie bo przeżywa spotkanie z bestią. Jako jedyny. I tak oto zaczyna się niebezpieczny romans.
Główny bohater, Evan, który zmaga się ze stratą syna co noc wychodzi na samotne spacery wzdłuż oceanu. Paradoksalnie to co sprawia mu największy lęk najbardziej go uspokaja. Pewnego wieczoru pozna Ligeję i już nic nie będzie takie samo.
Dla mnie takie 3,75/5 🌟 Mimo, że nie lubię scen erotycznych te były do zniesienia. Bez zbędnych opisów, kilka żenujących słów tu i ówdzie ale do przeżycia. Przyjemnie mi się to czytało i dobrze się przy niej bawiłam.
Opowieść przeniesie nas w świat wypełniony zapachem soli morskiej i szumu fal pośród których poluje ona. Czai się by swoim śpiewem zahipnotyzować mężczyzn i zwabić ich w swoje sidła. W taką pułapkę wpada główny bohater powieści. Lecz ma coś w sobie bo przeżywa spotkanie z bestią. Jako jedyny. I tak oto zaczyna się niebezpieczny romans.
Główny bohater, Evan, który zmaga się ze stratą syna co noc wychodzi na samotne spacery wzdłuż oceanu. Paradoksalnie to co sprawia mu największy lęk najbardziej go uspokaja. Pewnego wieczoru pozna Ligeję i już nic nie będzie takie samo.
Dla mnie takie 3,75/5 🌟 Mimo, że nie lubię scen erotycznych te były do zniesienia. Bez zbędnych opisów, kilka żenujących słów tu i ówdzie ale do przeżycia. Przyjemnie mi się to czytało i dobrze się przy niej bawiłam.
September 12, 2022
A year after the death of his son Evan is still coming to terms with his loss and his wife is drowning in the bottom of a bottle. On a nightly beach walk Evan comes into contact with a very seductive naked woman on the beach. This is the start of a weirdly addictive nightly outing. Is this just some woman or is there more to the story... ?
I did enjoy this book though I had issues with it. Evans personality did not seem fully flushed out and there were situations were his reactions did not seem believable. It took a little away from my enjoyment of the story. Overall this book did have a nice wrapped up ending that I felt was well suited.
I did enjoy this book though I had issues with it. Evans personality did not seem fully flushed out and there were situations were his reactions did not seem believable. It took a little away from my enjoyment of the story. Overall this book did have a nice wrapped up ending that I felt was well suited.
November 30, 2025
Straszne rozczarowanie. Klimat zerowy, bohaterowie nierozgarnięci i niepogłębieni, opowieść zmierzająca donikąd, rozczarowujące zakończenie, dziwne opisy zbliżeń (albo autor chciał być tak poetycki i metaforyczny, że wyszło kwadratowo, więc niezrozumiale, albo tłumacz poległ przy tłumaczeniu tego artystycznego bełkotu), tłumaczenie gorsze niż z translatora…
dnf
December 17, 2024Don’t know if this counts as a d.n.f since all I read was the prologue and the fact that I’m not finishing it is because I never should have picked it up in the first place.
April 10, 2024
Gardzę tobą, Evan.
#teamsiren
#teamsiren
June 17, 2019
Good not great
This is a good story that does an excellent job of combining creature horror with personal tragedy. The characters are fleshed out well and the story is believable. The pacing is excellent as well.
The weak point comes from the fact that most of the major plot points are pretty obvious from early on in the story and it’s what keeps this from getting 5 stars.
It should also be noted that the early part of the book could practically be considered erotica with the amount of sex so if that’s not your thing this probably isn’t for you
All in all, good but not great.
This is a good story that does an excellent job of combining creature horror with personal tragedy. The characters are fleshed out well and the story is believable. The pacing is excellent as well.
The weak point comes from the fact that most of the major plot points are pretty obvious from early on in the story and it’s what keeps this from getting 5 stars.
It should also be noted that the early part of the book could practically be considered erotica with the amount of sex so if that’s not your thing this probably isn’t for you
All in all, good but not great.
September 20, 2010
Originally Posted at Dread Central:
John Everson has a strange fascination with the water and tragedy. His books Covenant and Sacrifice are a testament to the fact that whenever people get near a big open area of water, someone dies, and it's never pretty. This time around, death floats with an old sailor's myth, the Siren, and the result is a book that's one part gruesome, one part tragedy, and one part erotic thriller.
Siren's lead character, Evan, lost his son to the ocean in an accident for which he still blames himself. While his wife copes by drinking herself into a stupor every night, Evan (who is terrified of the water) tortures himself by taking long walks on the beach to the point where his son lost his life. During one such walk, he comes upon a beautiful naked girl singing in the sand. Her song is entrancing, her body alluring, and without so much as a word, the two engage in hot sex in the sand. When other folks turn up dead, viciously torn apart and eaten, it becomes apparent that the perpetrator is the naked girl, who is actually a hundreds-of-years old siren, and has chosen Evan as her new lover in this tale of blood-soaked infedelity and regret.
Everson's never been one to shy away from the gorey or graphic details, and this book is no different. He writes every death with the same passion as every sex scene, bringing the reader close to the action, whether they want to be or not. His descriptions are both horrific and tantalizing, and often times both when the reader comes to understand just what the creature Evan's having hot monkey sex with is. But more important, Everson pays careful attention to the emotional states of his characters, building layers of regret and complicated suffering to create fully-formed characters to which readers can relate.
Easily the most tragic character is that of the Siren herself. It would've been easy for Everson to have made her a one-dimensional character, drooling blood and sex appeal, but instead, he gave he real personality, and a history of abuse at the hands of a brutal sea captain who kept her chained in his quarters for his own vile pleasures. In giving the reader glimpses into the Siren's past, it's easy for the reader to sympathize, or even root for, her as she cuts a swath of blood over the sandy beaches.
Easily, Siren is one of Everson's best. This multi-layered story captures the reader with its ability to stir the emotions as well as repulse.
John Everson has a strange fascination with the water and tragedy. His books Covenant and Sacrifice are a testament to the fact that whenever people get near a big open area of water, someone dies, and it's never pretty. This time around, death floats with an old sailor's myth, the Siren, and the result is a book that's one part gruesome, one part tragedy, and one part erotic thriller.
Siren's lead character, Evan, lost his son to the ocean in an accident for which he still blames himself. While his wife copes by drinking herself into a stupor every night, Evan (who is terrified of the water) tortures himself by taking long walks on the beach to the point where his son lost his life. During one such walk, he comes upon a beautiful naked girl singing in the sand. Her song is entrancing, her body alluring, and without so much as a word, the two engage in hot sex in the sand. When other folks turn up dead, viciously torn apart and eaten, it becomes apparent that the perpetrator is the naked girl, who is actually a hundreds-of-years old siren, and has chosen Evan as her new lover in this tale of blood-soaked infedelity and regret.
Everson's never been one to shy away from the gorey or graphic details, and this book is no different. He writes every death with the same passion as every sex scene, bringing the reader close to the action, whether they want to be or not. His descriptions are both horrific and tantalizing, and often times both when the reader comes to understand just what the creature Evan's having hot monkey sex with is. But more important, Everson pays careful attention to the emotional states of his characters, building layers of regret and complicated suffering to create fully-formed characters to which readers can relate.
Easily the most tragic character is that of the Siren herself. It would've been easy for Everson to have made her a one-dimensional character, drooling blood and sex appeal, but instead, he gave he real personality, and a history of abuse at the hands of a brutal sea captain who kept her chained in his quarters for his own vile pleasures. In giving the reader glimpses into the Siren's past, it's easy for the reader to sympathize, or even root for, her as she cuts a swath of blood over the sandy beaches.
Easily, Siren is one of Everson's best. This multi-layered story captures the reader with its ability to stir the emotions as well as repulse.
May 15, 2025
The author takes liberties with the definition of "siren", the mythology, physical appearance, and special abilities. But since we have already suspended our disbelief if we choose to read after knowing the title/subject, these liberties are for the most part acceptable.
On the plus side, the story had enough suspense in it to keep me reading to the end (earning it two stars), at which I shouted, "Aw, man, are you kidding me?" and flung the book across the room. No, wait... I read the electronic version. But I would have thrown it if I'd had it in hardback.
On the plus side, the story had enough suspense in it to keep me reading to the end (earning it two stars), at which I shouted, "Aw, man, are you kidding me?" and flung the book across the room. No, wait... I read the electronic version. But I would have thrown it if I'd had it in hardback.
January 1, 2023
El comienzo es lento y cuesta meterse en la historia, pero por fortuna hay un codo que apunta hacia arriba y a partir de ahí todo va fenomenal. Una relectura ayudará a apreciar la obra completa y a separar las líneas temporales.
Nota (1): esta es la novela de John Everson con más sexo explícito y violento que he leído hasta la fecha. Esto puede no ser relevante porque solo he leído cuatro, pero la diferencia con, por poner un ejemplo de novela con escenas "interesantes", The Devil's Equinox es inmensa.
Nota (2): el personaje llamado Buckley es, probablemente, un guiño a Tim Buckley, autor de la famosa canción Song to the Siren. La forma en que Everson trata al personaje sugiere que su simpatía es hacia Jeff Buckley, hijo de Tim Buckley, que siempre odió a su padre. La famosa versión de Song to the Siren perpetrada por Dead Can Dance se hizo con la colaboración entre la cantante de This Mortal Coil y su novio, Jeff Buckley.
Nota (1): esta es la novela de John Everson con más sexo explícito y violento que he leído hasta la fecha. Esto puede no ser relevante porque solo he leído cuatro, pero la diferencia con, por poner un ejemplo de novela con escenas "interesantes", The Devil's Equinox es inmensa.
Nota (2): el personaje llamado Buckley es, probablemente, un guiño a Tim Buckley, autor de la famosa canción Song to the Siren. La forma en que Everson trata al personaje sugiere que su simpatía es hacia Jeff Buckley, hijo de Tim Buckley, que siempre odió a su padre. La famosa versión de Song to the Siren perpetrada por Dead Can Dance se hizo con la colaboración entre la cantante de This Mortal Coil y su novio, Jeff Buckley.
June 4, 2014
I latched onto Siren when I saw it sitting on the bookshelf because a murderous mermaid is such a fantastic plot. Romance is my usual poison of choice for reading, but as I love horror movies I'm not unopposed to reading a horror novel. The villain in Siren was true to the mythology of her kind, is she really evil or just the way she was made to be? I had sympathy for the hero, he was in a situation you can't crawl back out of. Sirens are the original crazy girlfriend.
For me, there was too much that appealed to me not to love it. Mermaids, horror, mythology, suspense, who could pass it up?
For me, there was too much that appealed to me not to love it. Mermaids, horror, mythology, suspense, who could pass it up?
September 10, 2016
I'm so disappointed, really
There is so little spooky anything and so much repetitive sex in this book. I felt like the plot was the filler and the sex was the point. The final conflict was kind of fun but unfulfilling. Evan's emotions were totally unrelatable, at the end. One second he's talking about a monster that needs to be taken out, the next he's talking about the woman he loved. I'm sure there are people who will have enjoyed this book and I'm glad for them. For me, it was a waste of time.
There is so little spooky anything and so much repetitive sex in this book. I felt like the plot was the filler and the sex was the point. The final conflict was kind of fun but unfulfilling. Evan's emotions were totally unrelatable, at the end. One second he's talking about a monster that needs to be taken out, the next he's talking about the woman he loved. I'm sure there are people who will have enjoyed this book and I'm glad for them. For me, it was a waste of time.
June 13, 2013
This is a third book by John Everson that I've read. All of them have been very entertaining. He seems to have a very unique blend of erotisism and horror, while never neglecting characters development or action. Evan does cry a lot, but he has a lot to cry about. His life is a mess, his son is dead, and he is not particularly discriminating about his affair with what may be a lethal mythological creature. Fast paced, fast read, took me about 4 hours, a lot of fun. Recommended.
September 2, 2017
I’m convinced people were paid to write praise for this book. All it is, is gory erotica masquerading as “horror”. This novel is so filled with sex I was starting to believe the author was in desperate need of getting laid while writing this book. There is nothing deep or praise-worthy here. If I had known this was going to be a smut-fest, I never would’ve read it. Needless to say, I won’t be reading any of John Everson’s books again. Ever.
November 25, 2011
I really got caught up in this one, although I didn't care for the ending. I hadn't heard a tale about a siren since high school! I think Everson did it about as fine as anyone could, a haunting tale that drags you deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast.
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