Axis of Aaron

by Sean Platt

Ebon Shale Is Desperate To Forget, But Terrified Of Being Forgotten...

Desperate to forget the sudden death and illuminated betrayal of his new wife and longtime girlfriend, Ebon Shale flees to the quiet seaside town of Aaron, a place that’s been calling him back since he was a child.

But once there, Ebon feels lost. The small town’s citizens are as odd as its energy, and seem to shift the reality before him.

Will Aaron help Ebon forget, or will it swallow him whole?

Genres: Fiction

516 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2014

About the author

Sean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.

Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.

With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings

With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher

With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle

Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt
 (say hi so he can follow you back!)

Reviews

[Michael Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, it all changed. Still, at the end it all fell into place and I got it. This story examines the lies we tell ourselves and live with, and how they can impact our reality. Life is a sequence of choices. When those choices are based on lies we want to believe, reality can become unsettled.

[Joe Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant have proven themselves to be one of the most dynamic writing teams of the past decade. Each novel they release is full of memorable characters, fascinating locales, and solid storytelling. With their latest offering, the standalone tale Axis of Aaron, the duo have crafted their most memorable location yet: a Twin Peaks-esque island community in which very little is what it seems. Unraveling the mystery with the novel's protagonist, the heartbroken Ebon Shale, is integral to the fun, so I don't want to say too much more about the plot, but be prepared for a dark and twisted ride.

[Margarita Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It's certainly weird and has you wondering what on earth is going on a lot of the time, but the character interactions are brilliantly done and the scenes are emotionally satisfying to read. It's an ambitious book that has a big pay off. The island and its locations, as well as the characters, are all vividly drawn.

[Hector Elias · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a really good story, but the writing had me off...

[Ryan Starbloak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds of me those moments in shows like "Neon Genesis Evangelion" or "Bojack Horseman" where the character is reflected upon himself. I definitely dig stuff like that. The story isn't really that linear, it seems to err along with the idea of flooding memories.

This book is rather sexual too. I've no problem with that, but definitely something worth mentioning.

[Jarkko Laine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true Haruki Murakami-style mind-bender, Axis of Aaron is a mystery that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last, without ever going over the top and breaking the spell. And then, when you reach the end, it'll have you thinking about life, human nature, and your relation to it all. For hours.

Most of all, Axis of Aaron is a human story. And it's beautiful.

I've been following Truant and Platt on their journey as authors and storytellers for a long time, thoroughly enjoying their works from The Beam to The Dream Engine, but with this novel, I feel they have reached a whole new level, going from great artists to some of my all time favorites.

Axis of Aaron is not for everyone, but in my opinion, it is Truant and Platt's masterpiece. The impressive attention to detail where every word counts, the real characters, and the way the story arch grows and stays consistent throughout the story — there is no weak moment.

So, if you enjoy not knowing which way is up and which way is down, read this book. Then, join me in hoping Truant and Platt will explore this direction of more "literary" fiction again in the future.

[Blaine Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Axis of Aaron is a delightful book told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator. Often, the unreliable narrator just wants to make himself look better and so you can't trust what he's telling you, but in this case he is often completely unaware that he's lying not just to the reader but also to himself. There are some pretty trippy scenes that repeat throughout the book (but never in exactly the same way) and surprisingly I didn't know exactly what was going on until pretty close to the end. Often I find that I've figured out what the final twist is going to be by the time I'm halfway through the book, but Sean and Johnny do a great job with seeding clues while still keeping you guessing and considering new possibilities for what exactly is happening on the island of Aaron almost up to the very end.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story, very reminiscent of films like Vanilla Sky. The book deals with themes of memory and perception, as the protagonist Ebon Shale returns to the island of Aaron, where he spent several summers as a child. He's dealing with his own loss, and stays with childhood friend Aimee, helping her rebuild her home. But things start quickly taking a turn for the strange. There's a lot of repetition, particularly in the middle, but the third act really made up for it. The last key moments of the book hit me like an emotional punch to the stomach. Axis of Aaron is one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time.

[Mikael Barstow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this five stars, but I think it's more like four and a half. The reason for the half off is because I felt like it went a little long and was a bit repetitive (but that may have been what the authors intended.) That said, I really enjoyed it. It was weird and interesting. Most of the time, I couldn't figure out what was real and what wasn't. Their writing made it feel like I was in the head of the main character, which was a trip. If you like Stephen King's books, this is definitely on that level of weird (and length.) I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have their mind messed with a bit.

[Delia Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ambitious concept

The story has an intriguing premise that is executed well at the beginning. The writing style is well crafted but there are times when the tale drags with too much introspection. The book is about twisted perspective and I definitely felt that lack of clarity which was good. Repetition is necessary for the story and it would take an immensely skilled writer to not bore the reader. I didn't particularly like the main character Ebon Shale and that is why the rating for this book suffers, because I wanted to like him and be compassionate for him but he was emotionally dry.

[KarenLee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Platt and Truant do it again!

This is a fantastic novel and fully deserves the 5 stars I gave it. Putting it into a genre is almost impossible, but I will try. It is a spooky story where the physical reality keeps shifting. It is also a psychological thriller. I was as disoriented as the main character. I had to stop reading for a few minutes to let everything settle out. But mostly it is a sweet, compassionate novel about the lies we tell ourselves, and what happens when we let the truth shine out.

[Emma Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that this story would be a mind bender and I thought that I knew how it would end, but it was not at all what I was expecting...it was better.
I respect the hell out of these authors and this story shows off their masterful talent. Not everyone will like it, and most won't understand it but it resonated with me and my life over the past twelve months while dealing with my own grief.
Read it with an open mind and no preconceived ideas and you will be as swept away as I was. The use of rich, textured sentences and layered world building makes this a pleasure to read.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely Captivating.

Get ready for a wild ride as Ebon Shale takes on his precarious past (and future?) in a present that isn't what it seems.

If you enjoy beautifully crafted stories that not only have you questioning, but challenging your perceptions, then you're in for a treat. A delicious sense of foreboding hangs over every page as the tension steadily rises to the very last word.

Highly recommended.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't visit Aaron - nothing is as it seems! Liked some of it and it's obviously very clever and well written but ultimately it was a bit too long and I found myself skimming through sections. Loved the sound of the book but I wasn't as gripped by it as I thought I would be. Provided by publisher and Netgalley.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The penultimate "beating the reader over the head with a clue bat in case he still doesn't get it" chapter is unnecessary (the bit with the doppelgangers) - otherwise it's a lovely story. How about I choose to forget that chapter and also pretend the book ends at the glass-cutting grade stiff nipple comment spoken just before they leave the sand castle. There... perfect.

[Betsy Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a departure for Platt, who normally writes serialized fiction. I am a huge fan, and this book did not disappoint. It was a mind bender from the start, and I really enjoyed this foray into literature. I hope he decides to write more of this type of book.

[Steve Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novel, ambitious in its scope, but suffering from two problems. First, the book leaves the reader with too much uncertainty, wondering "hat is happening?" for much of the time. Secondly, the protagonist is really quite unlikable.

[Ellen Bard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual book, surreal and strange, builds to a surprising climax.

[David Blaylock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting ride, with an ending that could have been more interesting.

[Lauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't quite connect with this story about how a guy's wife dies in a car wreck with her lover and he pretty much goes nuts. I didn't like the main character so it just didn't engage me.