Ashwood ~ review

Format: Ebook (.mobi)

Pages: 200
Publication date: 07 Sept 2016
Language: English

Publisher: Fantasy Works Publishing

When sixteen-year-old Willow goes urban exploring in an abandoned asylum she expects the dark halls, creepy echoes, and ominous atmosphere. But she doesn’t expect it to follow her home. After the trip, Willow becomes haunted by nightmares in which she never left Ashwood Asylum. Nightmares where she is pursued by grotesque, mind-infesting horrors called the Mora who feed off the fear of mortals. Unfortunately for squeamish Willow, they are hungry. And she is their perfect meal. 

Upon waking, Willow recalls only fleeting memories of dead butterflies, hollow eyes and discordant whispers. But slowly these phantasms begin to bleed into her daily life, making Willow question her own sanity. She soon realizes that the solution lies solely within the decrepit walls of Ashwood. As the boundary between dreams and reality disintegrates, Willow must find the courage to defeat the leader of the Mora before he traps her soul in the nightmare forever. 

★★★★

First off, I should mention this book was received as an ARC and I'm very very thankful for that! It took me longer to read than expected and I'm very sorry for the late review.

From the start it really does feel like dark fantasy. I, who is easily scared by the way, was glad that I've read it during the daylight hours (despite being a spn fan!!). The first few chapters were really scary.

The first point of view and descriptions of her emotions give out the perfect vibe, making the reader live through the dangers together with the character. Yet somehow during me reading it I lost the connection. I wasn't that interested or hyped to read the book. After longer parts of descriptions or without any dialogues I got a tad bored.

Besides that it got all a good book should have. There was romance, action, sadness and even some mystery that needed to be solved. I give it four stars only because it didn't drive me crazy. I actually managed to put it down to read another book, which I reviewed in the meantime and am almost over with another one.

Still it was a great book with just as great ending. Promising some more mystery from the author along with unanswered questions.

TBR Tuesday ~ ASHWOOD by C. J. Malarsky

Ashwood

Release Date: September 7, 2016

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-944-281-09-0

ISBN (ePub): 978-1-944-281-10-6

ISBN (mobi): 978-1-944-281-11-3

Page Count: 396

Series: Ashwood

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Slavic Folklore

Upcoming: The Spoiling

Synopsis:

When sixteen-year-old Willow goes urban exploring in an abandoned asylum she expects the dark halls, creepy echoes and ominous atmosphere. But she doesn't expect it to follow her home. After the trip, Willow becomes haunted by nightmares in which she never left Ashwood Asylum. Nightmares where she is pursued by grotesque, mind-infesting horrors called the Mora who feed off the fear of mortals. Unfortunately for squeamish Willow, they are hungry. And she is their perfect meal.

Upon waking, Willow recalls only fleeting memories of dead butterflies, hollow eyes and discordant whispers. But slowly these phantasms begin to bleed into her daily life, making Willow question her own sanity. She soon realizes that the solution lies solely within the decrepit walls of Ashwood. As the boundary between dreams and reality disintegrates, Willow must find the courage to defeat the leader of the Mora before he traps her soul in the nightmare forever.

Excerpt:

“Quiet,” Devin hissed.

My hands clenched tightly around my backpack and flashlight. A wave of relief tinged while flashes of anger rolled over me. His hand was still over my mouth while the other flicked the flashlight he was holding to the door. The same door that had locked and left me trapped in the corridor beyond. We stood there together in silence until we heard a small metallic clink and watched the handle start to turn.

“Run!” he shouted. His hand slipped from my mouth and grabbed my wrist. 

Any feelings of consolation I might have felt moments before vanished as he half-dragged me up the stairs. From below us, I heard the knob turn and the door creak open. Our feet clattered up the stairs. Devin was taking them two at a time, causing me to stumble. As he raced past the first floor door, I called out to him and pointed to the exit. “Devin, the door!” 

“It’s locked,” he said, still pulling me along.

We reached the second floor and went tumbling through the doorway. He shoved me aside and lunged for a rusted gurney nearby. The wheels squeaked loudly as he slid it in front of the door to block any pursuer’s path. Devin grabbed my hand, and we hurried down the hall.

“What the hell is going on?” I cried. He ignored me, keeping his focus on the path before us. It was a useless question anyway. How could he know any more than I did? Questions could come later. For now, we needed an escape. 

We hurtled down another corridor lined with rows of doors and then raced through an empty common room. Devin ducked into a room and locked the door behind us. I caught my breath and let my backpack slip to the floor. He pressed his back against the door and scanned our surroundings. It was only then, when I raised my flashlight up, that I noticed the collar around his neck. It was made of rusted metal with rows of serrated teeth, like a hunting trap or a shark mouth carefully poised and ready to latch shut at any moment. His skin was flecked with blood where the points had already embedded themselves, though they did not appear too deep.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “Devin, what’s around your neck?”

He lifted his face, and I stifled a scream as I was met with another surprise. His eyes were now pure black as if he were wearing special effects contacts.

Devin lurched forward and pulled me into a tight embrace. His voice broke. “I’m so sorry, Willow. I never should have brought us here. I’m so sorry.”

I held him close for a few moments and then gently wriggled free.

“What’s going on?”

Devin shook his head. “I ... I don’t know, but we have to get out of here. You have to get out of here.”

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Indie Bound

iTunes/iBooks

Kobo

Smashwords

Author Bio:

C.J. Malarsky is a proud graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature and a member of SCBWI. She also holds a B.A. degree in psychology from her alma mater, Marymount Manhattan College.

When she’s not writing, C.J. enjoys LARPing and playing table-top RPGs. She is also an enthusiast of Japanese street fashion and enjoys collecting ball-jointed dolls. As a die-hard child of the 80’s, she lists Punky Brewster and Rainbow Brite among her personal heroes.

She currently resides in Queens, New York with her husband and their growing book collection. Ashwood is her debut novel.

C.J.’s book, Ashwood, is published by Fantasy Works Publishing.

Website:  C.J. Malarsky

Twitter: @CJMalarsky

Facebook:  Author CJ Malarsky

About Fantasy Works Publishing

Fantasy Works Publishing is an independent publisher of fantasy novels and collections in the young adult, new adult and adult markets. Its focus is on unique and unusual stories. Its goal is to expand the fantasy genre one book at a time. Fantasy Works released its first book in January 2016.