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The Game #1
Flesh Worn Stone
Steven Alexander has what he considers the perfect life. With a good job, a loving wife, and happy and healthy sons, he has little to complain about. In a flash that life is ripped away and he is thrust into a world of violence and slavery beginning with a brutal home invasion. His sons are murdered in front of him and he and his wife Rebecca are then kidnapped, drugged, and taken to an uncharted tropical island where they awake on a pristine beach in the company of five strangers.
The island is a playground of horror and the kidnapped are forced to participate in the Game, a modern-day rendition of the Coliseum of ancient Rome, where they must compete in acts of murder, rape, and self-mutilation for the amusement of an unseen wealthy elite. Contestants must survive the Game five times to earn their freedom from the island. Losers become the evening meal.
Steven struggles to survive in a world where violence is not only accepted but cheered. He fights to hold on to his wife in a community where cannibalism is survival, brutality is affection, and living another day is at the expense of his own soul. Survival comes with a price, however, and he soon learns that not all of the players are there unwillingly and they’ve paid a steep price for the opportunity.
The island is a playground of horror and the kidnapped are forced to participate in the Game, a modern-day rendition of the Coliseum of ancient Rome, where they must compete in acts of murder, rape, and self-mutilation for the amusement of an unseen wealthy elite. Contestants must survive the Game five times to earn their freedom from the island. Losers become the evening meal.
Steven struggles to survive in a world where violence is not only accepted but cheered. He fights to hold on to his wife in a community where cannibalism is survival, brutality is affection, and living another day is at the expense of his own soul. Survival comes with a price, however, and he soon learns that not all of the players are there unwillingly and they’ve paid a steep price for the opportunity.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2011
38 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 24, 2021
Steven Alexander has what he considers the perfect life. With a good job, a loving wife, and happy and healthy sons, he has little to complain about. But then Steven hears just 2 gun shots and his nightmare begins.
WOW! This book was well out of my usual genres. Suddenly the reader is thrust with no explanations into a living nightmare. The lead character Steven Alexander doesn’t have a clue either. Where the heck has he woken up? He is stuck in a cage, on a beach, with 4 strangers - who like him and his wife also appear to be kidnap victims.
Flesh Worn Stone is a violent horror story that gave me the creeps. It is very colourful and the action made me wince in horror. How can Steven possibly get away from this madness?
I really enjoyed reading Flesh Worn Stone, although it is very, very violent and gruesome in places. This book is total escapism that you can read from the safety of your Kindle. I loved how little bits of conversation and detail were sprinkled throughout this story that made me guess what was behind this nightmare. I thought the plot was very good and I loved how the local politics that Steven was thrown into were developed and explored.
All human life is here, with a good range of personalities, all with their good and bad bits. I found the writing to be crisp, engaging, entertaining and of high quality. There were no slow, boring bits or padding in this novel. The tension throughout this story was full blast, all the way to the end. I think this book is an OUTSTANDING read of escapism that gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Makes putting out the wheelie bins for refuse collection a rushed affair from now on!
WOW! This book was well out of my usual genres. Suddenly the reader is thrust with no explanations into a living nightmare. The lead character Steven Alexander doesn’t have a clue either. Where the heck has he woken up? He is stuck in a cage, on a beach, with 4 strangers - who like him and his wife also appear to be kidnap victims.
Flesh Worn Stone is a violent horror story that gave me the creeps. It is very colourful and the action made me wince in horror. How can Steven possibly get away from this madness?
I really enjoyed reading Flesh Worn Stone, although it is very, very violent and gruesome in places. This book is total escapism that you can read from the safety of your Kindle. I loved how little bits of conversation and detail were sprinkled throughout this story that made me guess what was behind this nightmare. I thought the plot was very good and I loved how the local politics that Steven was thrown into were developed and explored.
All human life is here, with a good range of personalities, all with their good and bad bits. I found the writing to be crisp, engaging, entertaining and of high quality. There were no slow, boring bits or padding in this novel. The tension throughout this story was full blast, all the way to the end. I think this book is an OUTSTANDING read of escapism that gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Makes putting out the wheelie bins for refuse collection a rushed affair from now on!
May 16, 2014
Wow I am not quite sure what to think of this story. I am still absorbing the content but I can say it was both disturbing but fascinating at the same time. To me it felt like the hunger games on triple steroids. This book was definitely plot driven rather than character driven which is ok as long as you have a plot that works. I did not really like any of the characters in this story at all, and to see what people will do in a situation like this is crazy because I can really see it happening in reality.
The idea behind the story is a man and wife, Steven & Rebecca get taken to this island after hearing their boys shot and killed. They are stripped down and placed in blue jumpsuits. They wake up in a cage with 5 other people on this, what they thought to be, deserted island. Each night an alarm sounds signaling "the game" has started and 2 people are chosen to either fight, kill, rape, or self mutilate. If someone succeeds they get a mark on their head. If they get 5 marks they are free.
Let's talk about Steven for a moment. Who would be the closest to a favorite in the story. He is reserved, quiet, trusting and very non confrontational. Putting him in 'the games' is like putting a poodle in the middle of rabid Great Danes. And when I first started reading I really felt kind of sorry for him. And then I watched him completely change throughout the story due the setting, circumstances and just plain trying to survive. The Author really knows how to make his readers cringe.
However, I felt like the story was predictable in some parts and I also felt like the Author wrote these people to be the dumbest people on the planet. I had to shake my head several times. I also wished that I could port there to kill a few of them myself. I also have to say that this book is not for the faint of heart, it is very graphic. So the author used great imagery, it was almost over the top. I really did not know what I was getting into when I started this, but I had to know what happened so I kept on with it. Almost like when there is an accident and people just have to see what happened no matter how bad it is.
I am not sure if I can even recommend this book. I guess if you love gore and people with absolutely no morals, then this is probably a book for you. I think the Author is a good writer I just feel like the story was a bit over the top and if that was what he had in mind, then he did a great job. I am rating this a 3 star because it was very engaging and the whole story was non stop action from the minute I started the book all the way to the end. There was no time to pause for the cause, no boring back stories, and no long drawn out wordiness, just non stop action. Who doesn't love that...
The idea behind the story is a man and wife, Steven & Rebecca get taken to this island after hearing their boys shot and killed. They are stripped down and placed in blue jumpsuits. They wake up in a cage with 5 other people on this, what they thought to be, deserted island. Each night an alarm sounds signaling "the game" has started and 2 people are chosen to either fight, kill, rape, or self mutilate. If someone succeeds they get a mark on their head. If they get 5 marks they are free.
Let's talk about Steven for a moment. Who would be the closest to a favorite in the story. He is reserved, quiet, trusting and very non confrontational. Putting him in 'the games' is like putting a poodle in the middle of rabid Great Danes. And when I first started reading I really felt kind of sorry for him. And then I watched him completely change throughout the story due the setting, circumstances and just plain trying to survive. The Author really knows how to make his readers cringe.
However, I felt like the story was predictable in some parts and I also felt like the Author wrote these people to be the dumbest people on the planet. I had to shake my head several times. I also wished that I could port there to kill a few of them myself. I also have to say that this book is not for the faint of heart, it is very graphic. So the author used great imagery, it was almost over the top. I really did not know what I was getting into when I started this, but I had to know what happened so I kept on with it. Almost like when there is an accident and people just have to see what happened no matter how bad it is.
I am not sure if I can even recommend this book. I guess if you love gore and people with absolutely no morals, then this is probably a book for you. I think the Author is a good writer I just feel like the story was a bit over the top and if that was what he had in mind, then he did a great job. I am rating this a 3 star because it was very engaging and the whole story was non stop action from the minute I started the book all the way to the end. There was no time to pause for the cause, no boring back stories, and no long drawn out wordiness, just non stop action. Who doesn't love that...
January 1, 2015
Sound advice for authors: Before publishing a novel, learn how to spell words and/or use a dictionary, and learn the basic grammar of the English language. Using 'thrown' instead of throne, spacing errors, ending a sentence with a preposition, and referring to Ed McMahon as "Ed McMann" are just a few examples, and I didn't get past page 20!
Sound advice for readers: Get any book besides this one!
Sound advice for readers: Get any book besides this one!
March 27, 2014
Holy Crap - adrenaline Rush !!!
I loved this story from start to finish. I was instantly drawn right in and left with nothing but Gasps.
I started reading with wonderment trying to figure out what was going on, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks and I was totally drawn in through my state of shock. I loved that this was not cut and dry and that Mr Burks made me question with every turn of the page “what is going to happen next”. And just when you think that you have it all down, you find out that you were wrong.
This is not a story for the faint of heart – Mr. Burks has taken a horrific tale and woven in amazing detail that will leave you shuddering. I was amazed with the characters, and the complexity that was written into them, but alas just when you think that you are going to love a character Mr Burks has a cany way of changing that.
I would strongly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good horror and is not shy of a little (OK A LOT) of gore !
July 27, 2014
I'm the kind of guy that is neither squeamish or prude. There are some interesting ideas in this novel and respect has to be given for originality. However I am undecided about reading the sequel as it went beyond horror in my opinion and was quite sickening in places. The violence felt too gratuitous. I am all for dark and disturbing but, as others have mentioned, the characters are very weak and there is a tangible lack of emotion or real empathy. Sometimes it just feels like a case of "think of the sickest, cruelest things and include". This means that whilst initially shocking, you get numbed and feel a "yeah yeah yeah" response. Three stars then as its by no means a bad novel - take away the gore, torture and setting and you are left with a decidedly average one.
did-not-finish
March 20, 2015Reading the reviews, I thought, "well how horrifying can this book be?" It's pretty sick. I mean grotesque and disturbing. That, along with no attachment or interest in the story, is why I am giving up on this book almost at the halfway point. There's a part of me that wants to know why all of these people were kidnapped and who is behind it all, but it's a very small part and my curiosity is not interested enough in this book to finish it.
May 19, 2014
This is the Hunger Games, meets Battle Royale, meets the Running Man etc. It is more than just killing for survival there are other ugly options thrown in here as well. Not the easiest read due to the graphic violence and general unpleasantness of the story. However once started you are gripped and want to read to the end just to see what happens. This book is like a car accident you don't want to look but somehow you can't help it.
January 14, 2015
While this book was very graphic and disturbing, if you can get past that (or if you like that kind of thing - like the Saw movies, but more intense), it's really a pretty good book. Unique premise, which is quite unusual anymore, and very hard to put down. The way it ended made me immediately want to pick up the second book in the trilogy (but upon reading the reviews for that, and knowing how disappointed I've been with second and third books in trilogies, I'm now reconsidering).
June 16, 2014
I'm still reeling from this one...extremely dark and disturbing. There are scenes which are quite graphic and horrific, but the most disturbing aspects are the atrocities humans are willing to commit and the nightmarish behavior we are willing to display towards each other. I'm still debating on whether or not I am brave enough to attempt to read the sequel.
February 24, 2015
Wow!
This book was so good I could hardly put it down!! Shocking and in your face evil that lurks in another person's heart and mind that is unfathomable to those of us with a soul. And the betrayal...... What would or wouldn't you do for your loved ones? Very good read!! I can't wait to read the next installment.
This book was so good I could hardly put it down!! Shocking and in your face evil that lurks in another person's heart and mind that is unfathomable to those of us with a soul. And the betrayal...... What would or wouldn't you do for your loved ones? Very good read!! I can't wait to read the next installment.
didn-t-finish-and-don-t-intend-to
January 7, 2015Just stay away. This book is graphic, disgusting and pointless. I suppose it was meant to be a mystery, but it just came across as an excuse for the author to include every demented thing he could imagine.
June 8, 2021
Really good story, shame about the amount of mistakes.
August 9, 2022
Graphic to the extreme
Stephen wakes up from the nightmare of hearing his two sons murdered to the equally horrific nightmare of having been kidnapped and dropped into a cage in the middle of nowhere. As it turns out, the middle of nowhere is an isolated island. Stephen, his wife Rebecca, and a handful of others wake to a living nightmare where they must literally fight each other for food and live like animals. Some take to it quicker than others. As it turns out, some have a pretty good idea why they are there in the first place.
Often the scenes described were more than I could take - gruesome isn't even an adequate word if you can imagine. Violence is the norm (murder, rape, and mutilation), eating, drinking and using the facilities are stomach turning experiences, and it needs to be said - detailed description of cannibalism (over and over) all really put me off the story. Somehow, though, I couldn't walk away from learning what happened. It's a decision I semi-regret.
Stephen wakes up from the nightmare of hearing his two sons murdered to the equally horrific nightmare of having been kidnapped and dropped into a cage in the middle of nowhere. As it turns out, the middle of nowhere is an isolated island. Stephen, his wife Rebecca, and a handful of others wake to a living nightmare where they must literally fight each other for food and live like animals. Some take to it quicker than others. As it turns out, some have a pretty good idea why they are there in the first place.
Often the scenes described were more than I could take - gruesome isn't even an adequate word if you can imagine. Violence is the norm (murder, rape, and mutilation), eating, drinking and using the facilities are stomach turning experiences, and it needs to be said - detailed description of cannibalism (over and over) all really put me off the story. Somehow, though, I couldn't walk away from learning what happened. It's a decision I semi-regret.
April 25, 2018
Epic Game
This is quite truly a terrifying yet epic tale. A horrific twist reminiscent of some of the reality television shows playing weekly. How far will the common man or woman for that matter go to survive? How much will they pay to find d out? Join The Game if you dare. A well written and very graphic story. I dare you.
This is quite truly a terrifying yet epic tale. A horrific twist reminiscent of some of the reality television shows playing weekly. How far will the common man or woman for that matter go to survive? How much will they pay to find d out? Join The Game if you dare. A well written and very graphic story. I dare you.
August 17, 2025
i read the first 20 pages and I just couldn’t get through it. There were so many grammatical errors, and the entire structure of the phrasing was choppy. It was difficult for me to keep going. I’m usually a pretty fast reader, but I found myself having to reread sentences because they didn’t make sense the first time.
March 30, 2020
Famtastic
Fantastic foray into the human psyche. Brilliantly written and I cant wait to read the next installment.
Sadly proof reading was a serious let down.
Fantastic foray into the human psyche. Brilliantly written and I cant wait to read the next installment.
Sadly proof reading was a serious let down.
August 10, 2020
Gory shocking and interesting
I very much enjoyed this book. Gory. Cruel. Crazy story. But very much up my street. Can’t wait to read the sequels.
I very much enjoyed this book. Gory. Cruel. Crazy story. But very much up my street. Can’t wait to read the sequels.
May 15, 2023
Terrifyingly, horribly gruesome...and very much plausible...
I couldn't put it down until I was nearly finished though...human beings are truly scarier than any kind of monster..
I couldn't put it down until I was nearly finished though...human beings are truly scarier than any kind of monster..
February 23, 2015
The island is a playground of horror and the kidnapped are forced to participate in the Game, a modern-day rendition of the Coliseum of ancient Rome, where they must compete in acts of murder, rape, and self-mutilation for the amusement of an unseen wealthy elite. Contestants must survive the Game five times to earn their freedom from the island. Losers become the evening meal.
I should hate this book. I really, really should. What with a man sitting on a "thrown" and words missing, punctuation missing, names spelled wrong, shock for shock's sake, telling-not-showing and the misuse of the word "literally".
I can't hate or even get mad at this book. It was self-published and I got it for free, so nothing lost except for a little time and space on my Kindle. But I applaud Mr. Burks for coming up with something fairly original (No this is not a rip off of Hunger Games or Battle Royal.) Really, the books worst crime is the complacency that self publishing can lend a person. This book is in terrible need of an editor. If this book was this poorly edited and dull, then I would have been angry.
But, I kind of loved it. I was entertained, bad writing and all.
It's bad, the shock value (A character was kicked so hard and so many times her intestines were trampled on), the plot holes (They wear human skin but the human meat in the pot had skin on it), the predictable "twists", the one note characters, the none-too-bright protagonist, the necrophilia, the child death...but it was terrible the way the DooM novels are terrible. It was bad the way a bad horror movie is bad. It was all kind of...boyish. While I will not deny the best part of this book, by far, is the title and cover, I had to see how it ended.
Unfortunately the ending disappointed me greatly. We spend the last quarter of a book focusing on A Thing but in the end that Thing is not achieved because it could Never Be Achieved. It was a let down because it was poorly constructed, because of the telling-not-showing writing.
There are two more books in this series. Will I get the others?
I want to say no, but...
I should hate this book. I really, really should. What with a man sitting on a "thrown" and words missing, punctuation missing, names spelled wrong, shock for shock's sake, telling-not-showing and the misuse of the word "literally".
I can't hate or even get mad at this book. It was self-published and I got it for free, so nothing lost except for a little time and space on my Kindle. But I applaud Mr. Burks for coming up with something fairly original (No this is not a rip off of Hunger Games or Battle Royal.) Really, the books worst crime is the complacency that self publishing can lend a person. This book is in terrible need of an editor. If this book was this poorly edited and dull, then I would have been angry.
But, I kind of loved it. I was entertained, bad writing and all.
It's bad, the shock value (A character was kicked so hard and so many times her intestines were trampled on), the plot holes (They wear human skin but the human meat in the pot had skin on it), the predictable "twists", the one note characters, the none-too-bright protagonist, the necrophilia, the child death...but it was terrible the way the DooM novels are terrible. It was bad the way a bad horror movie is bad. It was all kind of...boyish. While I will not deny the best part of this book, by far, is the title and cover, I had to see how it ended.
Unfortunately the ending disappointed me greatly. We spend the last quarter of a book focusing on A Thing but in the end that Thing is not achieved because it could Never Be Achieved. It was a let down because it was poorly constructed, because of the telling-not-showing writing.
There are two more books in this series. Will I get the others?
I want to say no, but...
April 12, 2015
If you like stories that explore the darker side of human nature, you’ll enjoy reading Flesh Worn Stone by John Burks, Jr. I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my review.
Steven Alexander awakes in a cage along with five other people, including his wife, Rebecca. He has no idea where they are, or how they came there, only remembering that a group of masked men invaded his Houston home, killed his two sons, and abducted him and Rebecca. Slowly, he comes to realize that he has been transported to a living hell, a place where hundreds of other similar captives are forced to participate in the Game – a competition to the death, where one must win in order to survive, and where losers become the meal of the day.
Determined not only to survive, but to get vengeance for his son’s deaths, and escape, Steven learns that a person is capable of doing things that are so far from the reality that he grew up in, he finds himself on the verge of losing his mind, and his humanity. Most disturbing, though, is his discovery that his fellow captives are not what they first appear to be.
Burks weaves a tale that is not for the faint of heart or overly sensitive. Descriptions of the Game’s competitions, and their aftermath, are graphic and disturbing. He takes us deeper into the human psyche than will be comfortable for some readers, but if your stomach can take it, the insight gained is worth the journey.
The ending of this book will disappoint some, but sets readers up well for the next in the series. Entertaining is hardly an appropriate word for Flesh Worn Stone. Chilling is perhaps a better description.
Steven Alexander awakes in a cage along with five other people, including his wife, Rebecca. He has no idea where they are, or how they came there, only remembering that a group of masked men invaded his Houston home, killed his two sons, and abducted him and Rebecca. Slowly, he comes to realize that he has been transported to a living hell, a place where hundreds of other similar captives are forced to participate in the Game – a competition to the death, where one must win in order to survive, and where losers become the meal of the day.
Determined not only to survive, but to get vengeance for his son’s deaths, and escape, Steven learns that a person is capable of doing things that are so far from the reality that he grew up in, he finds himself on the verge of losing his mind, and his humanity. Most disturbing, though, is his discovery that his fellow captives are not what they first appear to be.
Burks weaves a tale that is not for the faint of heart or overly sensitive. Descriptions of the Game’s competitions, and their aftermath, are graphic and disturbing. He takes us deeper into the human psyche than will be comfortable for some readers, but if your stomach can take it, the insight gained is worth the journey.
The ending of this book will disappoint some, but sets readers up well for the next in the series. Entertaining is hardly an appropriate word for Flesh Worn Stone. Chilling is perhaps a better description.
January 9, 2015
This is the first book of the overdone trilogy, authors are so hot on right now. While this book was okay, the next two were BAD! I did finish all 3 books, so I wanted to review for someone considering starting the series.
First and foremost, reading this "trilogy" was like watching a train wreck; painful but you continue to watch in amazement. OR, like watching a stupid B movie; you keep watching to see if it really can get worse...and it does.
The most glaring (and annoying) issue is grammar! Misspelled words, words used out of context, duplicate words, choppy sentences...you name it...litter the books. While the first book had the least errors, the grammar continues to deteriorate in the second and third books. An example is the authors use of the word "thumbs" while referring to a person with one hand...TWICE! It was as though he was furiously writing his story but had no one edit. Or, if he did have an editor, they should be fired!
Finally, the story idea is interesting, and I think it had the possibility to be good, but it just wasn't. The characters are underdeveloped and often, stubborn, unbelievable and exasperating. The premise is "grand" but the author did not do it justice. Hurried explanations when there should be more information, and drawn out dialogue when it's the last thing you want to read. And still, at the end of the third book, no "end" to the story.
My suggestion is not to waste your time or money on the series. If you do want to read them, stop after the first. Or, if you really must read the entire series...I told you so!
First and foremost, reading this "trilogy" was like watching a train wreck; painful but you continue to watch in amazement. OR, like watching a stupid B movie; you keep watching to see if it really can get worse...and it does.
The most glaring (and annoying) issue is grammar! Misspelled words, words used out of context, duplicate words, choppy sentences...you name it...litter the books. While the first book had the least errors, the grammar continues to deteriorate in the second and third books. An example is the authors use of the word "thumbs" while referring to a person with one hand...TWICE! It was as though he was furiously writing his story but had no one edit. Or, if he did have an editor, they should be fired!
Finally, the story idea is interesting, and I think it had the possibility to be good, but it just wasn't. The characters are underdeveloped and often, stubborn, unbelievable and exasperating. The premise is "grand" but the author did not do it justice. Hurried explanations when there should be more information, and drawn out dialogue when it's the last thing you want to read. And still, at the end of the third book, no "end" to the story.
My suggestion is not to waste your time or money on the series. If you do want to read them, stop after the first. Or, if you really must read the entire series...I told you so!
June 13, 2015
Although fairly brutal, I liked the overall premise of this book. The terror of being kidnapped, having to fight for your survival—no matter the cost—and the horrific revelation on how the characters came to be there; it was these aspects of the book that kept me reading.
Honestly, I didn't really like any of the characters. Most were either weak or selfish, naive or just plain stupid—the nonsense with the chits and loan system reinforced this. Some of their behaviour could be put down to denial but I wasn't convinced of this.
Stephen, our underdog, almost became likeable near the end but even in his moment of opportunistic revenge he fell short.
Admittedly, the book ended on enough of a cliffhanger that I immediately bought the second book and this picks up where the first story ends, so we'll see if my opinion of Stephen can be swayed.
I did find some of the editing and typos frustrating throughout. Annoyingly it seemed to be the same errors reoccuring, suggesting that this either wasn't officially edited at all or was done so poorly.
Honestly, I didn't really like any of the characters. Most were either weak or selfish, naive or just plain stupid—the nonsense with the chits and loan system reinforced this. Some of their behaviour could be put down to denial but I wasn't convinced of this.
Stephen, our underdog, almost became likeable near the end but even in his moment of opportunistic revenge he fell short.
Admittedly, the book ended on enough of a cliffhanger that I immediately bought the second book and this picks up where the first story ends, so we'll see if my opinion of Stephen can be swayed.
I did find some of the editing and typos frustrating throughout. Annoyingly it seemed to be the same errors reoccuring, suggesting that this either wasn't officially edited at all or was done so poorly.
December 23, 2017
What a read, dark, disturbing, slightly sick in places, but very well written. Not for the faint hearted at all.
Cannibalism and power are the two main words that describe the Cave for me. The Cave were this strange tribe of people live, people who choose to be here, to die or to be reborn. Reborn into the 'other' world with power and money.
Steven wakes up one morning on a beach that can only be described as paradise, but the Cave where the people live and the Game they partake in is anything but paradise. You have to do unspeakable things in order to be reborn and leave, that or die. Steven very quickly decides he wants to survive, but the question is why was he brought here and who can he trust?
Although the book was well written, and disturbing, the one book was enough for me. I know there are two follow up books but I'm not compelled to read them.
Cannibalism and power are the two main words that describe the Cave for me. The Cave were this strange tribe of people live, people who choose to be here, to die or to be reborn. Reborn into the 'other' world with power and money.
Steven wakes up one morning on a beach that can only be described as paradise, but the Cave where the people live and the Game they partake in is anything but paradise. You have to do unspeakable things in order to be reborn and leave, that or die. Steven very quickly decides he wants to survive, but the question is why was he brought here and who can he trust?
Although the book was well written, and disturbing, the one book was enough for me. I know there are two follow up books but I'm not compelled to read them.
January 7, 2015
I read 34%. That's when I decided it as enough. It had potential to be a good story, but no. One of the main characters, Steven, is an idiot. He knows his wife keeps lying to him, but says she will tell him when she's ready. what made me not want to finish it? Well, his wife's number shows up on the screen during the Game. She, or the massive black guy, is to rape the other. Her husband watches her enjoy being raped. Then Stevens number is called to rape or be raped. He wants to survive, and is upset by what he just watched, so he kicks the crap out of a one armed, one legged man. Kills him. Then rapes him. He defiled a corpse. And everyone is mad at him because now they can't eat the dead man... That was just too much for me. But if you enjoy killing, raping, amputation (all forced), and cannibalism, perfect book for you. Me? No. Good thing I didn't waste my money on it. Awful.
January 4, 2015
2/5 stars.
Man, I picked a shitty book to start off the year with. I just couldn't get into this. I really love horror and gore, but this book was just... I don't know. I'm not saying that there wasn't enough action, because there definitely was, but it was just missing something really big. I can't tell you what it's missing, but it's something. Also, there are way too many noticeable spelling and grammatical errors on the Kindle edition. I found the writing to just be meh.
I really enjoyed the fucked up concept of the book - a modern-day version of the Coliseum in ancient Rome, but fighting with murder, rape and self-mutilation. It just didn't hit all of it's marks for me, though. The writing was just okay, nothing too spectacular. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series and I'm not sure if I plan on picking up anything else by Mr. Burks.
Man, I picked a shitty book to start off the year with. I just couldn't get into this. I really love horror and gore, but this book was just... I don't know. I'm not saying that there wasn't enough action, because there definitely was, but it was just missing something really big. I can't tell you what it's missing, but it's something. Also, there are way too many noticeable spelling and grammatical errors on the Kindle edition. I found the writing to just be meh.
I really enjoyed the fucked up concept of the book - a modern-day version of the Coliseum in ancient Rome, but fighting with murder, rape and self-mutilation. It just didn't hit all of it's marks for me, though. The writing was just okay, nothing too spectacular. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series and I'm not sure if I plan on picking up anything else by Mr. Burks.
January 1, 2015
Steven, his wife Rebecca and several others wake after being brutally captured and find themselves in "The Game," a gruesome, gladiator-like environment where they fight to the death with others like them. Sometimes, though, the object of The Game is to rape or maim. Still, it's pretty vile. Steven, however, is shocked at how well his wife has adjusted, especially after the murder of Steven's two sons, and how she, well, actually seems to be enjoying the bizarre hell that is now their life.
This is a compelling, gory read, but also actually quite good! The writing, apart from some minor editing errors, is pretty polished, and the story hard to look away from. Violence and cannibalism abound, so be warned if you're at all squeamish, although I did not think any of it gratuitous at all.
This is a compelling, gory read, but also actually quite good! The writing, apart from some minor editing errors, is pretty polished, and the story hard to look away from. Violence and cannibalism abound, so be warned if you're at all squeamish, although I did not think any of it gratuitous at all.
August 22, 2013
This is a hard book for me to rate. It does have some moments that are truly horrifying, and they're described enough that by the nature of what they are you could certainly, easily, call the book graphic. But I don't know what to make of it or how I feel about it. Stephen's transformation, if you could call it that, seemed too abrupt, like he was the one going off the rails, who was losing his sanity (that I don't doubt, that was a steady journey), after one - albeit large - revelation. Then the end just didn't seem to jive as far as Stephen is concerned as a character. Unless he's just totally lost his mental facilities, which is possible.
Be warned, this will likely make you squirm.
Be warned, this will likely make you squirm.
August 28, 2013
This is a great book if you don't have a weak stomach. It is very violent and gruesome but it has a great story. After you've read so many horror novels they all start to seem the same but this one was truly unique. It is about a group of people who live in a cave and their only chance for freedom is to win 5 games that are played gladiator style. I really liked the character of Steven and the determination he had to find another way out. I liked the ending but it was a little surprising. I recommend this book if you want a unique horror novel and don't mind a lot of violence.
January 14, 2015
Gritty but instructive tale about the meaning of community
If the darker side of human behavior offends you.....stay away from this allegorical offering. Is the corporate struggle all that different than mortal hand to hand combat? How are they different and how are they the same? To what extent do social mores create our society and create our own personal prisons? This story will brutally confront human behavior and the dark power of society. The impotent denouement holds this tale back from being a five star effort.
If the darker side of human behavior offends you.....stay away from this allegorical offering. Is the corporate struggle all that different than mortal hand to hand combat? How are they different and how are they the same? To what extent do social mores create our society and create our own personal prisons? This story will brutally confront human behavior and the dark power of society. The impotent denouement holds this tale back from being a five star effort.
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