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In Bleed Country

by Brian Fatah Steele (Goodreads Author)

4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 · rating details · 12 ratings · 7 reviews

What is The Bleed Country? The space between words in a prayer and the last number in Pi. It is where faith & dreams are held safe, where unborn terrors lurk and all the answers are painted in colors that don't exist. There have always been Agents who protect Bleed Country, individuals granted powers who walk the under-roads known as The Scar and seek to keep the balan...more

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Published (first published 2010)

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Apr 02, 2012 Hydra Star rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Death and change comes furiously fast to those in Bleed Country. A land that exist a bit apart from our world, Bleed Country, runs on magic and the belief and faith of mankind. It is the job of the agents of Bleed Country to keep the two worlds in balance. It is important that we mere mortals believe that there is another world beyond ours, but we cannot KNOW of it.

This is the world Jeff, a young man with more gambling debts then money, finds himself drawn into and to make matters worst he draws...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Doug Brookes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How do I even begin to describe In Bleed Country? It is a story so different from anything I have ever read that it’s almost impossible to even describe it. I had previously read the original release of this book but when the new edition came out with additional stories, I bought it again. Though I loved it the first time, I think I understand it so much better now and enjoyed it even more this time around.

The first important element of this story is the world itself. Steele has a gift for worl...more How do I even begin to describe In Bleed Country? It is a story so different from anything I have ever read that it’s almost impossible to even describe it. I had previously read the original release of this book but when the new edition came out with additional stories, I bought it again. Though I loved it the first time, I think I understand it so much better now and enjoyed it even more this time around.

The first important element of this story is the world itself. Steele has a gift for world building and conceptually this universe is one of the most unique that I have ever experienced. Weaving the mundane and the esoteric, attempting to give form to the abstract, this is a world that is more felt than understood. Many of the concepts defy rational thought, as do most fantastic stories, but most of those stories are logical extensions of the world we know. The world of In Bleed Country is so different, so alien to normal human consciousness that it cannot be logically understood and must instead be felt and experienced on an emotional gut level. Sometimes I still cannot wrap my head around how these ideas even came to him. A world of dark beauty, full of the fantastic and outre, so consuming that the reader suffers reality shock when they look up from the book.

The second important element of this tale are the characters that populate it. Like many of Steele’s works (such as Petty Like a God), his gift of characterization is unparalleled. His heroes are fantastically powerful and yet utterly human. The fantastic scenes are balanced against witty dialogue that feels like a conversation among friends. These are people you feel like you know or that you want to know. Their journey is one that many will see themselves in. Characters who lead small and unimportant lives, thrust into the heart of an adventure with the world at stake, who are forced to find their power and ultimately their belief in themselves and each other. The villains are no less disappointing. This story is as much Epic Horror as it is Urban Fantasy and Steele has a gift for creating villains whom you will equally love and whom will equally star in your nightmares. I know a few who have read this book that are still a little fearful of The White Man, The Heathen Child, or the entire Armada of Sensation.

The third important element of this story is the narrative style. Steele has a way with words that is truly uncommon. Ranging from the near poetic descriptions of the dark beauty of Bleed Country to the witty dialogue of the characters, his voice is one that strives to adapt to that which is most effective for what he is trying to accomplish. Some of the passages are simply astounding in their beauty. Some will cause you to laugh out loud. Some produce an involuntary gut level reaction, a visceral response of fear and revulsion. The bottom line is that this book will make you feel. It is not short on emotional content, both positive and negative, and it is not done for the express purpose of producing a reaction in the reader but instead is the byproduct of a well told story.

The new short stories were a welcome addition that answer some lingering questions. Just who is the Bound Mother? What really happened to the Swansong? What is the deal with McKeirnan, the 300 year old racist scarecrow. (Yes, I know, he is terribly racist.) Bleed Country is such a complex world that it would be impossible to cover it all and these stories really satisfy a need to understand some of the concepts and the characters. The final piece is especially important as it hints at things to come. There has been talk of a sequel and I beseech Bleed Country to allow it to happen.

The bottom line is that this is an amazing book. It is brilliantly conceived and well executed. It is a story that will make you think, make you feel, and make you believe. Ultimately, the concept of belief is the central theme of this story and In Bleed Country is a rich, dark, and beautiful adventure in support of understanding the concept and purpose of belief. I can say that this is now one of my favorite books and I can only hope that we get some more. (less)

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Nov 09, 2010 C.L. Stegall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read other works by Mr. Steele, I held certain expectations of the novel "In Bleed Country". I was not let down in the slightest.

The book clearly consists of two separate novellas that have been meshed together to serve as the novel and for the most part it works splendidly.

The story surrounds a young man, Jeff, who finds himself drawn into a strange and dangerous world that serves as both the underlying fabric and parallel housing of the earth we know. Bleed Country is that part of exis...more Having read other works by Mr. Steele, I held certain expectations of the novel "In Bleed Country". I was not let down in the slightest.

The book clearly consists of two separate novellas that have been meshed together to serve as the novel and for the most part it works splendidly.

The story surrounds a young man, Jeff, who finds himself drawn into a strange and dangerous world that serves as both the underlying fabric and parallel housing of the earth we know. Bleed Country is that part of existence where the mystical and the horrific coexist in a tightrope dance of sight and touch, horror and beauty, love and madness.

Jeff encounters a myriad of characters that bring Mr. Steele's "Bleed Country" to life in drastic and dichotomous manners. The Crimson Daughter and The White Man, who serve as members of the Armada Of Sensation, are presented as very nearly the personifications of madness and chaos. Other members of this mystical and lethal troupe serve other purposes, hold other terrors and tendencies near and dear. The Artisan is one of the best written characters I have ever read - the fact that he changes so dramatically over the course of the novel and still remains true to who he is stands as fair tribute to the literary talents of Brian Fatah Steele.

Although there were a few editorial misses and a strange see-saw of tense changes that I've yet to determine were planned or not, the novel is reminiscent of the works of H.P. Lovecraft and - more to the point - Clive Barker. Yet, to be perfectly honest, Steele's characterization and descriptive skills meet and even, at times, better those of Barker.

The horrors that inhabit the Bleed Country, the Scars and the Agents, all serve to lift this novel to levels of writing that are to be envied by many a horror writer currently in print. The imagery and the characters will haunt your dreams long after the last line (which I might add is a perfect end to a tale that twists the soul and drives the spirit).

I became so enchanted with the terrible landscape and believable characters that I can honestly state I cannot wait to take another trip into the Bleed Country.

(less)

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Jan 18, 2010 Brian Steele added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: wrote, dark-fantasy, post-mythic

This novel was waiting for years for me to write it - I just didn't know. Five different short stories I had previously written and released were combined, worlds united into one and characters finding themselves standing shoulder to shoulder against allied villains. Although written in two separate sessions, I'm quite happy with how this Modern Dark Fantasy novel came out.

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Apr 09, 2010 Annette Mendez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read "In Bleed Country" during my spring break as a "ME" present. I somehow knew I would want the time to just read it through without interruptions and I was so right. I have to say I had a terribly hard time putting it down until I finished it! Every page kept me intrigued and wanting more. I particularly enjoyed the full range of emotion and suspense mixed with the ever present ma cob story line. I know a lot of my friends would love this book but they're not getting my autographed copy! Th...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Court Ellyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

I don't do much horror, and this book reminded me why. This bizarre, action-packed tale freaked me out and grossed me out, which is precisely what Steele is aiming for. He was pleased to learn to it gave me nightmares a few nights after finishing it. The White Man comes walking and bad things start happening. My favorite, however, is the floating baby in the abandoned farmhouse. *shiver* If horror is your thing, give this one a try.

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Jul 10, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the Heroes tv show, Clive Barker, and Stephen King's Dark Tower series

Shelves: kindle-book, dark-fantasy, dark-fiction, horror, bbb-review, not-for-the-faint-of-heart, 2011-reading

This was at some points pretty disturbing, but always interesting. I liked this story. It's not for everyone, though.

Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.

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Mar 18, 2013 Ashley Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 22, 2013 Monica Mynk rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 01, 2013 Kevin Clayton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 18, 2013 Coral marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-2013

Oct 18, 2012 Darren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 07, 2012 Sarah Shimko marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Nov 28, 2011 Rachel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Nov 16, 2011 Brian Steele added it · (Review from the author)

Jul 17, 2011 Rachel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 15, 2011 Stephen marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2006-2010, horror, ebooks, on-deck-next, fantasy

Jul 10, 2011 Mairead marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Oct 27, 2010 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy marked it as wishlist · review of another edition

Sep 26, 2010 Brian Steele added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

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About Brian Fatah Steele

BRIAN FATAH STEELE, a member of the indie author co-op Dark Red Press, describes the majority of his work as "Epic Horror with lots of Explosions." Along with multiple books, his articles and stories have appeared in various e-magazines and online journals. Steele lives in Ohio with a few cats that are probably plotting his doom. Surviving on a diet primarily of coffee and cigarettes, he occasiona...more

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