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The Elders #1
Shepherd's Warning
For years the abandoned MacKenzie mansion remained hidden in rural Wisconsin. Rumors and stories of apparitions, odd noises, accidents, and strange deaths in or near the property were enough to convince the townsfolk it was haunted and they stayed away.
Lucas MacKenzie and his brother Nate know nothing of this when they inherit the property and decide to bring their families to Wisconsin for a major renovation project with HGTV stardom in mind. As they tear out old fixtures and open shuttered windows, the house begins to reveal secrets of a terrible past and it soon becomes clear the MacKenzies are in grave danger. In the end, only one person can save them.
(Content guidance can be found on my website)
Lucas MacKenzie and his brother Nate know nothing of this when they inherit the property and decide to bring their families to Wisconsin for a major renovation project with HGTV stardom in mind. As they tear out old fixtures and open shuttered windows, the house begins to reveal secrets of a terrible past and it soon becomes clear the MacKenzies are in grave danger. In the end, only one person can save them.
(Content guidance can be found on my website)
392 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2019
774 people are currently reading
3814 people want to read
About the author
Cailyn Lloyd
5 books84 followersAuthor of the bestselling trilogy, the Elders, Cailyn Lloyd, spent three years living in a truly haunted house and experienced firsthand the nuances of strange and eerie places. Haunted Ground is her highly anticipated fifth novel in the ghost and horror genre.
In addition to writing, Cailyn is an accomplished weather photographer and her work has appeared in newspapers, textbooks and publications including Life Magazine. She is also a composer and musician with three album releases to her credit. Cailyn lives near the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin and when she’s not writing spooky stories, loves hiking with her dogs and spending time with her children.
In addition to writing, Cailyn is an accomplished weather photographer and her work has appeared in newspapers, textbooks and publications including Life Magazine. She is also a composer and musician with three album releases to her credit. Cailyn lives near the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin and when she’s not writing spooky stories, loves hiking with her dogs and spending time with her children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
December 30, 2021
Shepherd's Warning
(The Elders #1)
by Cailyn Lloyd
Great horror book! Talk about creepy! No holds bar! This has plenty of suspense, creepy atmosphere, evil undead and influenced live people, and great characters and world building! Definitely a page turner! This would be a frightening movie!
(The Elders #1)
by Cailyn Lloyd
Great horror book! Talk about creepy! No holds bar! This has plenty of suspense, creepy atmosphere, evil undead and influenced live people, and great characters and world building! Definitely a page turner! This would be a frightening movie!
April 3, 2021
Do you believe in apparitions or demons or life after death? Have you ever envisioned yourself held in such a state? What would your response be? I especially prefer novels based on sorcerers or spirits & I am happy I got accepted for an ARC of this novel. The book's cover got me interested, plus the blurb blew my mind off. I never thought I could get caught in a story where I continue pondering even when I have completed it.
The writing is a wee bit overpowering in the first few episodes, as the writer has attempted to put in all the data at one go. With that hiccup & later glancing at the book's length, I doubted myself if I did the best job choosing the book. So I resolved to regroup my attention & jot stuff down to retain everything. That certainly bettered ordering the novel later on with the whole family tree jumping up in all chapters.
A haunted dwelling, few freaking telepathic personalities, some non-believers & you get the classic horror novel. To feel the account, I used to read this one in the night's blackness, without any kind of light nearby, in the bed disappearing behind the blankets & I should say I totally relished the entire reading process. It's an absolute must-read for all horror freaks. You are gonna chew your nails off, guaranteed!
The writing is a wee bit overpowering in the first few episodes, as the writer has attempted to put in all the data at one go. With that hiccup & later glancing at the book's length, I doubted myself if I did the best job choosing the book. So I resolved to regroup my attention & jot stuff down to retain everything. That certainly bettered ordering the novel later on with the whole family tree jumping up in all chapters.
A haunted dwelling, few freaking telepathic personalities, some non-believers & you get the classic horror novel. To feel the account, I used to read this one in the night's blackness, without any kind of light nearby, in the bed disappearing behind the blankets & I should say I totally relished the entire reading process. It's an absolute must-read for all horror freaks. You are gonna chew your nails off, guaranteed!
August 5, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
In Wisconsin there's a haunted house, with secret passages and all the trimmings. It seems like a normal haunted house book, maybe a Lovecraft deal. But then some immortal magician shows up, and it becomes more or less a super hero story.
A story that doesn't quite know what it wants to be.
In Wisconsin there's a haunted house, with secret passages and all the trimmings. It seems like a normal haunted house book, maybe a Lovecraft deal. But then some immortal magician shows up, and it becomes more or less a super hero story.
A story that doesn't quite know what it wants to be.
October 9, 2019
4.5 stars...
So it took me a minute to get into this. There were so many different elements thrown around at the beginning that I literally thought to myself, damn the author has thrown everything in here but the kitchen sink. This of course gave me some reservations and I honestly didn't think this book was going to work out for me. But WOW, once I got to about the 25-30% mark, the story took off and it didn't let up until the end! Those reservations I had went right out the window. The author weaved all of those different pieces together flawlessly and this turned out to be one hell of a haunted house/ ghost story!
*I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Land of Oz, LLC, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
So it took me a minute to get into this. There were so many different elements thrown around at the beginning that I literally thought to myself, damn the author has thrown everything in here but the kitchen sink. This of course gave me some reservations and I honestly didn't think this book was going to work out for me. But WOW, once I got to about the 25-30% mark, the story took off and it didn't let up until the end! Those reservations I had went right out the window. The author weaved all of those different pieces together flawlessly and this turned out to be one hell of a haunted house/ ghost story!
*I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Land of Oz, LLC, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
June 26, 2019
I'm so sorry to say that
Shepherd's Warning
was a bit of a disappointment for me.
I went into this expecting to find a hidden gem, and while the writing and story are ok... I don't think this would be much of a stellar find, even for fans of the haunted house genre.
My main gripes with it were:
‣ The names all blur together. Lloyd introduces *lots* of characters from the get-go, and she does give us physical descriptions of each as they're introduced, but I just don't remember the details, hair color, and eye color of everyone. Note that this may not be an issue if you're not an inattentive reader like me, lol.
‣ There are a lot of plot developments brought up in this story, only to never come back again. Also, why do things happen with no repercussions? I don't know. (eg. The synopsis made it sound like the crew filming at this house was going to play a bigger part. But it, in fact, disappeared.)
‣ I felt there was too much telling and not enough showing. (eg. It's mentioned that some characters feel uneasy around other characters, but it's never expanded on why, or how it affects the story.)
‣ I didn't find it at all scary, too, if that matters to you personally as a reader. (It does to me, sadly.)
Unfortunately, there was a lot of cons as opposed to pros for me with Shepherd's Warning. I didn't enjoy it very much, but it was a fast read. Okay enough if you lower your expectations, but I'm very sorry to say it wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.
I went into this expecting to find a hidden gem, and while the writing and story are ok... I don't think this would be much of a stellar find, even for fans of the haunted house genre.
My main gripes with it were:
‣ The names all blur together. Lloyd introduces *lots* of characters from the get-go, and she does give us physical descriptions of each as they're introduced, but I just don't remember the details, hair color, and eye color of everyone. Note that this may not be an issue if you're not an inattentive reader like me, lol.
‣ There are a lot of plot developments brought up in this story, only to never come back again. Also, why do things happen with no repercussions? I don't know. (eg. The synopsis made it sound like the crew filming at this house was going to play a bigger part. But it, in fact, disappeared.)
‣ I felt there was too much telling and not enough showing. (eg. It's mentioned that some characters feel uneasy around other characters, but it's never expanded on why, or how it affects the story.)
‣ I didn't find it at all scary, too, if that matters to you personally as a reader. (It does to me, sadly.)
Unfortunately, there was a lot of cons as opposed to pros for me with Shepherd's Warning. I didn't enjoy it very much, but it was a fast read. Okay enough if you lower your expectations, but I'm very sorry to say it wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.
February 12, 2021
This book was really good. It had a good amount of creepy/scary parts. I got this book free from Booksirens. Big thanks goes out to them as well as the author and publisher. I'm excited to read the next book in the series. I'm confident it'll be awesome too!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 20, 2019
Shepherd's Warning by Cailyn Lloyd
Review of a NetGalley eARC.
This is a haunted house story in the vein of The Shining or The Amityville Horror (which is referenced explicitly in the text). The McKenzie family: Lucas and Laura, with Lucas's brother Nathan and his wife Ashley, along with Lucas and Laura's granddaughter Leah, arrive at the brothers' inherited house in the Wisconsin countryside. A grand old Tudor mansion, they decide to renovate it for HGTV, but things soon take a terrifying turn. As you would expect from a horror novel.
This first book from Lloyd shows its influences on its sleeve, while working in a lot of unusual takes that would make for something refreshingly new, if so much of it wasn't just confusing.
The Old English spells, the nearly immortal wizard, the circularity of the events are all interesting and unique. They add flavor to the book and would help it stand out a lot from the crowd, if the rest of the pacing and structure stood up to them. Unfortunately, I don't feel like they did.
Events unfold in an awkward way, with things that seem really important at the time just fading away. For example, in one scene a young contractor falls off the roof, breaking his arm and impaling himself on a rusty piece of metal. This event IS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN by the main characters, and only vaguely referenced by a side character (a "ghost" that made it happen). Not only that, but people continue to work on the roof without taking any safety precautions, and indeed someone falls again.
Then there's the idea that they are renovating the house for a TV show. This dominates the situation for the first few chapters, then it's just... Gone. No more cameras, no more interviews, no repercussions. Which could be code for the whole book: lots of things happen with no real impact.
The pacing is overall quite uneven. The book opens with a couple of big events, but then nothing really happens until halfway through. There is a lot of pointless running around, and I'll be honest--all the "L" names warped it into one big, blonde blur.
There is also an odd insistence on specificity, especially regarding brand names, that almost reads like advertising. The main characters don't drink beer, they drink Spotted Cow (which halfway through the book becomes italicized); the 1,000 year-old wizard doesn't drink port, he drinks Old Tawny port; Laura doesn't use a genealogy website, she uses Ancestry.com; Tom Wolff doesn't wear a trucker's cap, he wears a Purina cap. It stands out in an odd way, rather than adding any kind of realism or immediacy.
These all seem like minor points, but they build up until the text becomes a struggle. And it doesn't help that the essential conflict centers, once again, on the corruption of the father figure through his repressed Id. Ugh. Does the father grow distant from his family because of his inability to deal with loss? Yep. Does the father fall into dissolution through alcohol? Yep! Does the father betray his wife, who just wants him to get help, and call her concern nagging and prying? Bingo! At least he wasn't a writer.
Overall, I really struggled to finish this book, and once I did I wasn't satisfied.
Review of a NetGalley eARC.
This is a haunted house story in the vein of The Shining or The Amityville Horror (which is referenced explicitly in the text). The McKenzie family: Lucas and Laura, with Lucas's brother Nathan and his wife Ashley, along with Lucas and Laura's granddaughter Leah, arrive at the brothers' inherited house in the Wisconsin countryside. A grand old Tudor mansion, they decide to renovate it for HGTV, but things soon take a terrifying turn. As you would expect from a horror novel.
This first book from Lloyd shows its influences on its sleeve, while working in a lot of unusual takes that would make for something refreshingly new, if so much of it wasn't just confusing.
The Old English spells, the nearly immortal wizard, the circularity of the events are all interesting and unique. They add flavor to the book and would help it stand out a lot from the crowd, if the rest of the pacing and structure stood up to them. Unfortunately, I don't feel like they did.
Events unfold in an awkward way, with things that seem really important at the time just fading away. For example, in one scene a young contractor falls off the roof, breaking his arm and impaling himself on a rusty piece of metal. This event IS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN by the main characters, and only vaguely referenced by a side character (a "ghost" that made it happen). Not only that, but people continue to work on the roof without taking any safety precautions, and indeed someone falls again.
Then there's the idea that they are renovating the house for a TV show. This dominates the situation for the first few chapters, then it's just... Gone. No more cameras, no more interviews, no repercussions. Which could be code for the whole book: lots of things happen with no real impact.
The pacing is overall quite uneven. The book opens with a couple of big events, but then nothing really happens until halfway through. There is a lot of pointless running around, and I'll be honest--all the "L" names warped it into one big, blonde blur.
There is also an odd insistence on specificity, especially regarding brand names, that almost reads like advertising. The main characters don't drink beer, they drink Spotted Cow (which halfway through the book becomes italicized); the 1,000 year-old wizard doesn't drink port, he drinks Old Tawny port; Laura doesn't use a genealogy website, she uses Ancestry.com; Tom Wolff doesn't wear a trucker's cap, he wears a Purina cap. It stands out in an odd way, rather than adding any kind of realism or immediacy.
These all seem like minor points, but they build up until the text becomes a struggle. And it doesn't help that the essential conflict centers, once again, on the corruption of the father figure through his repressed Id. Ugh. Does the father grow distant from his family because of his inability to deal with loss? Yep. Does the father fall into dissolution through alcohol? Yep! Does the father betray his wife, who just wants him to get help, and call her concern nagging and prying? Bingo! At least he wasn't a writer.
Overall, I really struggled to finish this book, and once I did I wasn't satisfied.
January 13, 2020
(Mild spoilers)
This had a very atmospheric first chapter, dated in the 1970s, then it jumps to modern day with a completely different tone. It took a few chapters for me to start getting to know the characters and get into the story, but when the supernatural things started happening, my interest was definitely piqued. There were some original ideas on the haunted house theme, as well as some well-known tropes.
The character development was rather sluggish. There was just no one with enough personality to actually like. This made for a slow read for me. Also there were a lot of incomplete sentences like "Sat and stretched out." Was the extra word really so much trouble? That's the sort of thing that can lead me to DNF, but the Horror bits were interesting enough to make me want to see what would happen.
The plotting also had problems. A plot point would get introduced and just fizzle into nothing and transitions felt clumsy. One supernatural element to the story was just suddenly there with no lead-in and was rather jarring. Moments of suspense often turned out to be other than they appeared and until near the end, there were no sustained crisis points to keep me reading.
Much of it felt unrealistic. Characters would be brought in to save the day then immediately eliminated from the action in ways that made their existence pointless. One person faints in a swoon and is unconscious for a very long time (keeping her conveniently out of the way) while another gets a bash to the head but is suddenly awake and active again. Another character is managing to do all sorts of physical things with a broken arm that should have been much more distracting at least. A fight scene reads like a Manga and the magic towards the end made me think of 1950s B-movies.
On the positive side, the use of Old English rang true, though I don't have the linguistic expertise to know if it was accurate. It looked convincing enough. The story had some good bits and the overall progression worked, but the execution needs smoothing and some practice on establishing relevance.
This had a very atmospheric first chapter, dated in the 1970s, then it jumps to modern day with a completely different tone. It took a few chapters for me to start getting to know the characters and get into the story, but when the supernatural things started happening, my interest was definitely piqued. There were some original ideas on the haunted house theme, as well as some well-known tropes.
The character development was rather sluggish. There was just no one with enough personality to actually like. This made for a slow read for me. Also there were a lot of incomplete sentences like "Sat and stretched out." Was the extra word really so much trouble? That's the sort of thing that can lead me to DNF, but the Horror bits were interesting enough to make me want to see what would happen.
The plotting also had problems. A plot point would get introduced and just fizzle into nothing and transitions felt clumsy. One supernatural element to the story was just suddenly there with no lead-in and was rather jarring. Moments of suspense often turned out to be other than they appeared and until near the end, there were no sustained crisis points to keep me reading.
Much of it felt unrealistic. Characters would be brought in to save the day then immediately eliminated from the action in ways that made their existence pointless. One person faints in a swoon and is unconscious for a very long time (keeping her conveniently out of the way) while another gets a bash to the head but is suddenly awake and active again. Another character is managing to do all sorts of physical things with a broken arm that should have been much more distracting at least. A fight scene reads like a Manga and the magic towards the end made me think of 1950s B-movies.
On the positive side, the use of Old English rang true, though I don't have the linguistic expertise to know if it was accurate. It looked convincing enough. The story had some good bits and the overall progression worked, but the execution needs smoothing and some practice on establishing relevance.
September 22, 2019
I think this book was interesting. I didn't like it as much as I wanted to but I think it was scary in parts and thrilling in parts. I was just expecting a little more from this book but it was just ok for me. *This book was given to me for free at my request From Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
September 27, 2019
Shepherd’s Warning by Cailyn Lloyd is an engrossing supernatural horror that was properly fitting my need for a good scare, especially with Halloween being right around the corner! Ms. Lloyd does a wonderful job on her debut novel creating an eerie atmosphere and building up feelings of terror.
Set in the appropriately creepy Mackenzie mansion in rural Wisconsin, brothers Lucas and Nate Mackenzie begin a renovation on the inherited mansion that will become more and more menacing by the day. Shepherd’s Warning has all the aspects that make for a good horror story, especially one involving a creepy mansion; rumors that talk of hauntings and deaths, strange happenings, a tormented past and accidents, and of course, a twist at the end that I did not see coming!
For those that enjoy a good supernatural/horror book, this will be an enjoyable read that’s certain to give you chills!
Set in the appropriately creepy Mackenzie mansion in rural Wisconsin, brothers Lucas and Nate Mackenzie begin a renovation on the inherited mansion that will become more and more menacing by the day. Shepherd’s Warning has all the aspects that make for a good horror story, especially one involving a creepy mansion; rumors that talk of hauntings and deaths, strange happenings, a tormented past and accidents, and of course, a twist at the end that I did not see coming!
For those that enjoy a good supernatural/horror book, this will be an enjoyable read that’s certain to give you chills!
Read
April 24, 2020DNF
Not grabbing me, unfortunately.
Not grabbing me, unfortunately.
March 10, 2020
Wowee. This was probably one of the best haunted house stories I've read in a long time. I literally can't put into words how much I enjoyed this.
The book started off a little slow; building up a picture, drawing us in. And then BAM! About 30% in it was just all out tension and suspense. I could not put it down.
This was my first read from the author and I look forward to reading more.
Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this.
The book started off a little slow; building up a picture, drawing us in. And then BAM! About 30% in it was just all out tension and suspense. I could not put it down.
This was my first read from the author and I look forward to reading more.
Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this.
February 19, 2020
A house in the woods. The man. The woman. A hidden entity.
Who doesn’t love a good haunted house story?
Lucas and his brother, Nate, had inherited the MacKenzie mansion in the small town of Lost Arrow. It had sat deserted for years and they were there to make it their home. HGTV would be along for the ride, documenting the transformation.
They had no knowledge of it’s reputation, the accidents, the things that go bump in the night.
Tom Wolfe had sworn to protect the house, while he waits for the owner, his love, Elizabeth, to return. He wonders why, now, they are people here. Is it at her whim? He likes that they are fixing it up, but once they are done, he wants them gone.
A premonition brought Kenric Shepherd to Wisconsin. His vision warns of danger, but he must wait for more to be revealed.
As soon as the chainsaw did it’s thing, I would have been long gone.
Laura had been treated for epilepsy and was bullied and teased growing up. She learned to enjoy her own company. I guess now she’ll learn it was so much more than epilepsy.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shepherd’s Warning by Cailyn Lloyd.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
Who doesn’t love a good haunted house story?
Lucas and his brother, Nate, had inherited the MacKenzie mansion in the small town of Lost Arrow. It had sat deserted for years and they were there to make it their home. HGTV would be along for the ride, documenting the transformation.
They had no knowledge of it’s reputation, the accidents, the things that go bump in the night.
Tom Wolfe had sworn to protect the house, while he waits for the owner, his love, Elizabeth, to return. He wonders why, now, they are people here. Is it at her whim? He likes that they are fixing it up, but once they are done, he wants them gone.
A premonition brought Kenric Shepherd to Wisconsin. His vision warns of danger, but he must wait for more to be revealed.
As soon as the chainsaw did it’s thing, I would have been long gone.
Laura had been treated for epilepsy and was bullied and teased growing up. She learned to enjoy her own company. I guess now she’ll learn it was so much more than epilepsy.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shepherd’s Warning by Cailyn Lloyd.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
April 14, 2020
You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Land of Oz LLC, and the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.5
There's always been something strange about the old MacKenzie Mansion out in rural Wisconsin. Over the years there have been numerous unexplained deaths and disappearances surrounding the house. The locals steer clear, better to be safe than sorry. So when Lucas and Nate MacKenzie show up with their families after inheriting the mansion from their deceased mother, the townsfolk are wary. The brothers, however, never knew about the place until their mother passed, therefore, know nothing of the sordid history surrounding it. Hoping to hit it big with HGTV stardom in their sights, Nate, Lucas and Lucas' wife, Laura, begin renovations hoping to bring the place back into it's former glory. The renovations have knocked something loose though, something that has been held back and buried for longer than anyone cares to know. Will they survive what's coming? Or will the only man who knows what's going on reach them in time?
I love a good 'ol haunted house horror story. So it was a no brainer when I decided to request this one. I was intrigued about the families that come to renovate the old mansion as they knew nothing of it's existence. There was mystery surrounding the story as well as the horror aspect, though the mystery wasn't so much a mystery as the story is told from third person POV, leading us to know what's going on with all the characters and players in this story before they're even aware. That's okay though, it still made for a good read.
I'm not the biggest fan of third person POV, but for this story it did work well. It took some of the mystery out of the story however as mentioned above, once again, this is okay because this book is not marketed as a mystery, let's be real here. It's marketed as a horror, and while I'll say it does belong in the genre, I'll also add that it's a slow burn horror, and not just horror in the supernatural sense of the word. This story takes a look at two people - Lucas and Laura - who are pushing 50, are running away from the loss of someone important to them, and trying the best they can to throw themselves into a project so they can forget about the loss. It also deals with the strain that such a loss can put on a marriage, and while a lot of what was happening I'll put down to the supernatural, there was also some very real occurrences that some people experience in real life, it's these instances that added to the horror aspect for me. I'll admit, reading it in bed before sleep last night, I started getting creeped out for no apparent reason, as there's nothing truly terrifying in this story (in my opinion) but Lloyd does a fantastic job of creating a foreboding and creepy atmosphere that I really felt. I opted to hold off reading more until today, when the sun was out hahaha.
The story itself, as mentioned above is rather slow burn, there's not a whole lot that is happening, there's some strange stuff occurring in the house which all of the different occupants encounter, while they're doing renovations. There's the strange townsfolk who keep a watch out for "those MacKenzies" but they never really tell "those MacKenzies" what the issue is, they tend to just say how they don't want to talk about it and hustle off on their merry way. So our protagonists are left trying to piece things together by themselves and not really getting anywhere.
Shepherd is a bit player, which I wasn't expecting, he's a secondary character, with a purpose and the answers, which we learn from early on when we meet him, but the story mostly focuses on the MacKenzies renovating the house. I liked Shepherd's character and I'm kinda hoping that we get to see more of him as this series progresses. Lucas was fairly unlikable from the beginning as far as I'm concerned, as was Ashley. Laura is okay, but she bugged me a little bit with her ignorance about what was going on with her, and the house. I get it, you're scared...pushing it down and pretending it's not happening or doesn't exist is not going to help you. Dana, Laura and Lucas' daughter, was an okay character, but once again, certain things that she said or did just made me want to slap her upside the head. When you're mother is asking something of you, and you have a good relationship with each other, I feel like the only answer you give is, yes. Maybe that's just me though.
The little mysteries and the main part of the plot were well written and well thought out and definitely have left an opening for more exploration on the matter. Though there was no major revelations for me in this story, as in, not much was a surprise, but that's okay, I still found it an enjoyable read and will happily continue with the series.
I will put here that there is some trigger warnings, domestic violence, and attempted rape being the biggest two. I kinda felt a little let down with the attempted rape scene...I almost feel like it was included to add more shock factor to the story? I'm probably wrong, but that's just how it felt to me, and it did knock my rating down a teeny bit for this reason.
All in all, this was a slow burn, creepy vibing haunted house horror, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Land of Oz LLC, and the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.5
There's always been something strange about the old MacKenzie Mansion out in rural Wisconsin. Over the years there have been numerous unexplained deaths and disappearances surrounding the house. The locals steer clear, better to be safe than sorry. So when Lucas and Nate MacKenzie show up with their families after inheriting the mansion from their deceased mother, the townsfolk are wary. The brothers, however, never knew about the place until their mother passed, therefore, know nothing of the sordid history surrounding it. Hoping to hit it big with HGTV stardom in their sights, Nate, Lucas and Lucas' wife, Laura, begin renovations hoping to bring the place back into it's former glory. The renovations have knocked something loose though, something that has been held back and buried for longer than anyone cares to know. Will they survive what's coming? Or will the only man who knows what's going on reach them in time?
I love a good 'ol haunted house horror story. So it was a no brainer when I decided to request this one. I was intrigued about the families that come to renovate the old mansion as they knew nothing of it's existence. There was mystery surrounding the story as well as the horror aspect, though the mystery wasn't so much a mystery as the story is told from third person POV, leading us to know what's going on with all the characters and players in this story before they're even aware. That's okay though, it still made for a good read.
I'm not the biggest fan of third person POV, but for this story it did work well. It took some of the mystery out of the story however as mentioned above, once again, this is okay because this book is not marketed as a mystery, let's be real here. It's marketed as a horror, and while I'll say it does belong in the genre, I'll also add that it's a slow burn horror, and not just horror in the supernatural sense of the word. This story takes a look at two people - Lucas and Laura - who are pushing 50, are running away from the loss of someone important to them, and trying the best they can to throw themselves into a project so they can forget about the loss. It also deals with the strain that such a loss can put on a marriage, and while a lot of what was happening I'll put down to the supernatural, there was also some very real occurrences that some people experience in real life, it's these instances that added to the horror aspect for me. I'll admit, reading it in bed before sleep last night, I started getting creeped out for no apparent reason, as there's nothing truly terrifying in this story (in my opinion) but Lloyd does a fantastic job of creating a foreboding and creepy atmosphere that I really felt. I opted to hold off reading more until today, when the sun was out hahaha.
The story itself, as mentioned above is rather slow burn, there's not a whole lot that is happening, there's some strange stuff occurring in the house which all of the different occupants encounter, while they're doing renovations. There's the strange townsfolk who keep a watch out for "those MacKenzies" but they never really tell "those MacKenzies" what the issue is, they tend to just say how they don't want to talk about it and hustle off on their merry way. So our protagonists are left trying to piece things together by themselves and not really getting anywhere.
Shepherd is a bit player, which I wasn't expecting, he's a secondary character, with a purpose and the answers, which we learn from early on when we meet him, but the story mostly focuses on the MacKenzies renovating the house. I liked Shepherd's character and I'm kinda hoping that we get to see more of him as this series progresses. Lucas was fairly unlikable from the beginning as far as I'm concerned, as was Ashley. Laura is okay, but she bugged me a little bit with her ignorance about what was going on with her, and the house. I get it, you're scared...pushing it down and pretending it's not happening or doesn't exist is not going to help you. Dana, Laura and Lucas' daughter, was an okay character, but once again, certain things that she said or did just made me want to slap her upside the head. When you're mother is asking something of you, and you have a good relationship with each other, I feel like the only answer you give is, yes. Maybe that's just me though.
The little mysteries and the main part of the plot were well written and well thought out and definitely have left an opening for more exploration on the matter. Though there was no major revelations for me in this story, as in, not much was a surprise, but that's okay, I still found it an enjoyable read and will happily continue with the series.
I will put here that there is some trigger warnings, domestic violence, and attempted rape being the biggest two. I kinda felt a little let down with the attempted rape scene...I almost feel like it was included to add more shock factor to the story? I'm probably wrong, but that's just how it felt to me, and it did knock my rating down a teeny bit for this reason.
All in all, this was a slow burn, creepy vibing haunted house horror, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
June 15, 2019
This book was one of the best haunted house/ghost story that I have read in a long time. This book captured my attention from the first page and just kept getting better and better. I thought the ending was pretty shocking. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
December 4, 2022
This is the quickest I’ve burned through an audiobook in I think… ever! I couldn’t tell where the story was going and couldn’t wait to listen again to find out.
December 17, 2019
I can’t even put into words how thrilled I get when I open up a novel where I know I’m going to find an evil house inside. Oh, and the house is located in a town that is not all it seems on the surface? Sign me up. At a glance, Cailyn Lloyd has created a story that is going to remind the reader of various incarnations of the Amityville Horror. Lloyd knows this, alludes to it at points, and uses it to her advantage.
Shepherd’s Warning introduces a fair few characters all at once early on, and I found myself looking back a few times to set in stone who was who, which people were married, and which ones were siblings. Although the author asks a lot of us at the beginning, by page 30 or so I had it straight and had established an understanding of all characters who would be crucial going forward. I would urge readers who find the first few chapters confusing to push on, and you will be rewarded.
Shepherd’s Warning is a story that I would describe as a slow burn. We spend a long time getting to know Laura, our main character, and her family. They’ve just moved to an inherited farmhouse in Wisconsin, and are restoring it to live in. During this time, discoveries are made, secrets formed, relationships strained, and drama ensues. The supernatural even seems to take a backseat for a while.
When we reach the final 80 pages or so, the slow burn moniker is ditched with gusto, and everything goes off the rails. The events in the last act most definitely go in ways I was not anticipating, and bravo, because the author kept me on my toes all the way to page 391.
A note on the titular character, Shepherd. Cailyn Lloyd has crafted a truly interesting character here, who story is revealed a little bit at a time as the book proceeds. I won’t say much about him, because discovery is half the fun here, but I would have no opposition to reading more happenings in the life and times of this character. Given that Amazon has this book listed as Book 1 in the Elders series, I am hopeful this is a real possibility.
The book feels a little overlong in the middle section, but thumbing through upon writing this review, there are no parts that are obviously extraneous. This may be singular to my reading experience, and readers going forward may not find the same. I enjoyed my time spent at the MacKenzie House, and I can’t wait to see what else Cailyn Lloyd has in store.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for review consideration.
Shepherd’s Warning introduces a fair few characters all at once early on, and I found myself looking back a few times to set in stone who was who, which people were married, and which ones were siblings. Although the author asks a lot of us at the beginning, by page 30 or so I had it straight and had established an understanding of all characters who would be crucial going forward. I would urge readers who find the first few chapters confusing to push on, and you will be rewarded.
Shepherd’s Warning is a story that I would describe as a slow burn. We spend a long time getting to know Laura, our main character, and her family. They’ve just moved to an inherited farmhouse in Wisconsin, and are restoring it to live in. During this time, discoveries are made, secrets formed, relationships strained, and drama ensues. The supernatural even seems to take a backseat for a while.
When we reach the final 80 pages or so, the slow burn moniker is ditched with gusto, and everything goes off the rails. The events in the last act most definitely go in ways I was not anticipating, and bravo, because the author kept me on my toes all the way to page 391.
A note on the titular character, Shepherd. Cailyn Lloyd has crafted a truly interesting character here, who story is revealed a little bit at a time as the book proceeds. I won’t say much about him, because discovery is half the fun here, but I would have no opposition to reading more happenings in the life and times of this character. Given that Amazon has this book listed as Book 1 in the Elders series, I am hopeful this is a real possibility.
The book feels a little overlong in the middle section, but thumbing through upon writing this review, there are no parts that are obviously extraneous. This may be singular to my reading experience, and readers going forward may not find the same. I enjoyed my time spent at the MacKenzie House, and I can’t wait to see what else Cailyn Lloyd has in store.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for review consideration.
October 2, 2019
This is basically a hard review to write and not even sure where to start. The reasoning behind this….when you have something so fantastic and love so much, how do you review it without giving anything away. I went into this cold with little knowledge beyond a brief synopsis and it caught me off guard. This is an excellent haunting tale that really gets under the skin.
Starting out in a typical fashion, haunted house, dark past, a death prologue then family moves in to renovate, you are wrong to think this is anything but typical. Lloyd masterfully keeps you on your toes and whilst this is a slow burn novel, every sentence and nuance is used to start the slow build tension to its climatic conclusion.
The characters are well drawn though there are moments when you do want to slap some of them for their actions or their sense of common sense. Laura is one of these characters where at times you do what to shake her beyond comprehension. Saying that, I have never been to the point where I give up on this character, it is more too involved with the character being so involved with the story. The characters are not always likeable and Shepherd is an odd mix but works in the context of the plot.
The plotting is well paced and Lloyd does a marvellous job building tension and quiet moments and steadily increasing. This is where Lloyd really excels and keeps this tight. As mentioned above, some of the character’s choices are infuriating but does not take away from the pacing and the keen sense to drive forward with this amazing plot.
Overall, Shepherd’s Warning is a true winner that is rich in folklore, history and hauntings and it is to Lloyd’s credit to be able to hold this all together especially with her sweeping story line. I have read quite a few haunting ghost stories but this is only one of the very few that hits it out of the park. Excellent, well written, great story and plotting and a writer that is a mastermind at her craft that has written a well and successful unique novel. Strongly encourage to read this. Fantastic.
Starting out in a typical fashion, haunted house, dark past, a death prologue then family moves in to renovate, you are wrong to think this is anything but typical. Lloyd masterfully keeps you on your toes and whilst this is a slow burn novel, every sentence and nuance is used to start the slow build tension to its climatic conclusion.
The characters are well drawn though there are moments when you do want to slap some of them for their actions or their sense of common sense. Laura is one of these characters where at times you do what to shake her beyond comprehension. Saying that, I have never been to the point where I give up on this character, it is more too involved with the character being so involved with the story. The characters are not always likeable and Shepherd is an odd mix but works in the context of the plot.
The plotting is well paced and Lloyd does a marvellous job building tension and quiet moments and steadily increasing. This is where Lloyd really excels and keeps this tight. As mentioned above, some of the character’s choices are infuriating but does not take away from the pacing and the keen sense to drive forward with this amazing plot.
Overall, Shepherd’s Warning is a true winner that is rich in folklore, history and hauntings and it is to Lloyd’s credit to be able to hold this all together especially with her sweeping story line. I have read quite a few haunting ghost stories but this is only one of the very few that hits it out of the park. Excellent, well written, great story and plotting and a writer that is a mastermind at her craft that has written a well and successful unique novel. Strongly encourage to read this. Fantastic.
August 4, 2021
A happy family moving into a ancestry haunted house, can't say no to that story..
Lucas and Nate, along with their wives Laura and Ashley, moved to the ancestral house their mother left them. Laura had taken custody of her granddaughter Leah, after the death of her son. They intend to renovate the house while fliming it and move in permanently. When they meet people from the neighburhood, they heared stories about the unexplainable horrid accidents that took place in and around the house.
Usually when we hear such a thing we should run but they stayed and explored.
After a few peaceful days strange events take place in the house and with them. Laura feels her psychic abilities going out of her control(and I loved her character, comforting yet fierce person, calm yet a fighter), and she starts to get visions(here's the main horror) and sees a women in the house, a ghost probably. She also buys a photo album from an auction for an unreasonable price(heads up psychic abilities). Nate finds a secret celler where he finds coins very ancient coins and a book, written in old English (here comes another character, like Laura a psychic).
The story is slow yet engaging in the first half. The second half was fast paced, action packed, full of drama, pinch of eeire and vivid history.
I wasnt very thrilled with the end. The action part was amazing so was the twist, yet I didn't enjoy the end as much as the whole story.
Lucas and Nate, along with their wives Laura and Ashley, moved to the ancestral house their mother left them. Laura had taken custody of her granddaughter Leah, after the death of her son. They intend to renovate the house while fliming it and move in permanently. When they meet people from the neighburhood, they heared stories about the unexplainable horrid accidents that took place in and around the house.
Usually when we hear such a thing we should run but they stayed and explored.
After a few peaceful days strange events take place in the house and with them. Laura feels her psychic abilities going out of her control(and I loved her character, comforting yet fierce person, calm yet a fighter), and she starts to get visions(here's the main horror) and sees a women in the house, a ghost probably. She also buys a photo album from an auction for an unreasonable price(heads up psychic abilities). Nate finds a secret celler where he finds coins very ancient coins and a book, written in old English (here comes another character, like Laura a psychic).
The story is slow yet engaging in the first half. The second half was fast paced, action packed, full of drama, pinch of eeire and vivid history.
I wasnt very thrilled with the end. The action part was amazing so was the twist, yet I didn't enjoy the end as much as the whole story.
July 7, 2023
Well I went into this thinking I would have found a new ghostly tale to scare the beejus out of me...I didn't but what I did find was a very addictive read and one with a shocking ending I didn't see coming...
A tale of a house that is so evil that no one is safe. I felt so connected to Laura and the turmoil she was going through. The book most definitely gave me Amityville thrills with the possession side and the anger -so much anger.
I was hoping for more with the TV crew as it's mentioned in the blurb, and I was hoping the TV crew would play a huge part and it would be almost Ghost Adventures ish but after the first couple of chapters, they weren't mentioned, which I was kinda disappointed about.
I really liked Shepherd and would have loved more from him too!!
A very shocking and bold ending and once you get hooked on the book it won't let go. I kept stopping the audiobook to go and watch TV but the book wouldn't let me, so I blitz almost half of it in one sitting! Something crazy, spooky, shocking would happen and you just had to read on! I am looking forward to the next one in the series and seeing how it builds from there.
An exciting series I am behind!!
A tale of a house that is so evil that no one is safe. I felt so connected to Laura and the turmoil she was going through. The book most definitely gave me Amityville thrills with the possession side and the anger -so much anger.
I was hoping for more with the TV crew as it's mentioned in the blurb, and I was hoping the TV crew would play a huge part and it would be almost Ghost Adventures ish but after the first couple of chapters, they weren't mentioned, which I was kinda disappointed about.
I really liked Shepherd and would have loved more from him too!!
A very shocking and bold ending and once you get hooked on the book it won't let go. I kept stopping the audiobook to go and watch TV but the book wouldn't let me, so I blitz almost half of it in one sitting! Something crazy, spooky, shocking would happen and you just had to read on! I am looking forward to the next one in the series and seeing how it builds from there.
An exciting series I am behind!!
March 8, 2020
So the blurb was very appealing- love a good old world haunting. The concept is great, but... the actual writing is fairly pedantic and the characters are pretty stereotypical and two dimensional. It's an entertaining tale but it's nothing special, much to my disappointment.
June 2, 2020
First time reading Cailyn Lloyd and quite impressive. Great story line, story flowed, characters were spot on and hard to put down book. Recommend.
June 22, 2019
Excellent haunting story.
August 28, 2019
I really liked this book, and I was not expecting what happened towards the end. I still don’t really know how I feel about the end of the book, tbh, but i thoroughly enjoyed it
June 22, 2020
3.5/5
Through my recent Twitter post, I had a few folks reach out and ask if I'd review their work. Cailyn was one such person. When she messaged, I mis-read her email and snagged 'Shepherd's Warning' from Amazon, when she was in-fact emailing me about 'Quinlan's Secret' the second book in the series! So, I dove in to read Book One and have already started Book Two!
What I liked: We pick up with a group of people renovating a house in the hopes of getting an HGTV show. The house has sat unoccupied for a long time, due to it's history and the perception that it is haunted. The synopsis was very intriguing and Lloyd added some fantastic layers as the house begins to share its secrets.
One thing I always love in haunted house stories is the discovery of hidden rooms and early on in this one, we get this, along with a hand written book. That discovery will then lead to numerous other moments of terror for the rest of the story.
I really loved the back story that Lloyd introduced and with a professor who isn't exactly who he says he is, we get a lot of great history in here.
What I didn't like: I don't know why, but for the life of me I struggled to keep track of who was who. The characters felt interchangeable for a solid stretch at the beginning and I had trouble remembering the relationship each one had with the others. This came across a lot of the time with a lot of throw away dialogue. There were portions where the conversations just felt included without any real purpose at times.
The biggest thing I struggled with the blatant disregard the characters had to the haunted house aspect for a good portion of the book. Something would happen, it would be significant, and then it would be completely forgotten or pushed aside. I can't say too much about this, as I don't want to fall into spoiler territory, but it happened a number of times and it was frustrating each time.
Why you should buy this: If haunted houses are you're jam, then definitely do give this a go. Cailyn crafted some truly dark moments in here and the creep factor was high for almost the entire book. I'll be interested to see just where this goes with book two, but for now, I'd suggest grabbing this one and and see why the tag line is "sometimes you shouldn't go home..."
Through my recent Twitter post, I had a few folks reach out and ask if I'd review their work. Cailyn was one such person. When she messaged, I mis-read her email and snagged 'Shepherd's Warning' from Amazon, when she was in-fact emailing me about 'Quinlan's Secret' the second book in the series! So, I dove in to read Book One and have already started Book Two!
What I liked: We pick up with a group of people renovating a house in the hopes of getting an HGTV show. The house has sat unoccupied for a long time, due to it's history and the perception that it is haunted. The synopsis was very intriguing and Lloyd added some fantastic layers as the house begins to share its secrets.
One thing I always love in haunted house stories is the discovery of hidden rooms and early on in this one, we get this, along with a hand written book. That discovery will then lead to numerous other moments of terror for the rest of the story.
I really loved the back story that Lloyd introduced and with a professor who isn't exactly who he says he is, we get a lot of great history in here.
What I didn't like: I don't know why, but for the life of me I struggled to keep track of who was who. The characters felt interchangeable for a solid stretch at the beginning and I had trouble remembering the relationship each one had with the others. This came across a lot of the time with a lot of throw away dialogue. There were portions where the conversations just felt included without any real purpose at times.
The biggest thing I struggled with the blatant disregard the characters had to the haunted house aspect for a good portion of the book. Something would happen, it would be significant, and then it would be completely forgotten or pushed aside. I can't say too much about this, as I don't want to fall into spoiler territory, but it happened a number of times and it was frustrating each time.
Why you should buy this: If haunted houses are you're jam, then definitely do give this a go. Cailyn crafted some truly dark moments in here and the creep factor was high for almost the entire book. I'll be interested to see just where this goes with book two, but for now, I'd suggest grabbing this one and and see why the tag line is "sometimes you shouldn't go home..."
August 25, 2020
3.5 really (just when is Goodreads going to add the half-star rating?!)
A very good story especially as a debut book. It was somewhat different, starts out rather slow but picks up the pace, and the resolution was really good. It kept me reading until far later than usual, as I wanted to see how it ends.
Having Shepherd, the long-lived sorcerer involved and there being a group of these people calling themselves The Elders, was a really interesting twist for me, especially as I love fantasy in general. This book combines fantasy with a haunted house, which I loved. The characters were quite realistic and I enjoyed that, though Laura was in denial for far too long IMO.
Now, the downside which is why I couldn't give it a higher rating (though I wanted to).
I feel Ms Lloyd needs a good editor. Not spelling or grammar, but she is too wordy with an "and then" way of writing (for example: Lucas awoke as first light touched the antique bedroom windows, turning them soft glowing red. He made coffee, quick-fried two eggs, grabbed his gear, and strolled out to the dock. He loaded tackle and bait into the seventeen-foot Alumacraft and cruised to a spot on the far shore where he'd had some luck, then dropped a line into the water. ) It is TOO descriptive.
The constant product-name dropping is annoying, for me anyway. I dislike someone that tells me the character gets into her Honda vehicle (every time she does it), or looks at her Apple 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max, to the exact brand of beer they are ordering or cheese they are buying (as examples).
I also don't need to know that the sun is rising red through strat0cumulus clouds. Just clouds will do. Not a big gripe really, but it does stand out for me and is a bit jarring.
I appreciate her research and knowledge, and must admit I loved the Old English references, Mercian dialect, etc. but then that is because I love history and old languages. So perhaps I am biased and people who have a great interest in weather patterns appreciate the specifying of clouds more.
OTOH, the old languages and history references were actually vital to the plot, whereas the clouds and the type of cell phone, laptop or car, were not.
Okay, now I have become really wordy myself, so I'll end here. Recommend for anyone loving some fantasy and ghost stories, will definitely read her second book of The Elders trilogy.
A very good story especially as a debut book. It was somewhat different, starts out rather slow but picks up the pace, and the resolution was really good. It kept me reading until far later than usual, as I wanted to see how it ends.
Having Shepherd, the long-lived sorcerer involved and there being a group of these people calling themselves The Elders, was a really interesting twist for me, especially as I love fantasy in general. This book combines fantasy with a haunted house, which I loved. The characters were quite realistic and I enjoyed that, though Laura was in denial for far too long IMO.
Now, the downside which is why I couldn't give it a higher rating (though I wanted to).
I feel Ms Lloyd needs a good editor. Not spelling or grammar, but she is too wordy with an "and then" way of writing (for example: Lucas awoke as first light touched the antique bedroom windows, turning them soft glowing red. He made coffee, quick-fried two eggs, grabbed his gear, and strolled out to the dock. He loaded tackle and bait into the seventeen-foot Alumacraft and cruised to a spot on the far shore where he'd had some luck, then dropped a line into the water. ) It is TOO descriptive.
The constant product-name dropping is annoying, for me anyway. I dislike someone that tells me the character gets into her Honda vehicle (every time she does it), or looks at her Apple 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max, to the exact brand of beer they are ordering or cheese they are buying (as examples).
I also don't need to know that the sun is rising red through strat0cumulus clouds. Just clouds will do. Not a big gripe really, but it does stand out for me and is a bit jarring.
I appreciate her research and knowledge, and must admit I loved the Old English references, Mercian dialect, etc. but then that is because I love history and old languages. So perhaps I am biased and people who have a great interest in weather patterns appreciate the specifying of clouds more.
OTOH, the old languages and history references were actually vital to the plot, whereas the clouds and the type of cell phone, laptop or car, were not.
Okay, now I have become really wordy myself, so I'll end here. Recommend for anyone loving some fantasy and ghost stories, will definitely read her second book of The Elders trilogy.
January 9, 2022
Definitely going to have some spoilers, since it’s the end that I didn’t care for.
This book started off pretty strong in the haunted house/horror aspect. Things started slowly with stuff falling or doors slamming. The question of how much was Tom and how much was Anna was never really answered. Tom seemed like he would be important but was apparently forgotten halfway through the book and only makes one nonsensical appearance right at the end.
I hated Lucas’s guts. I get that it’s implied that he’s being influence by the haunting, but I did not get to know his character and his normal behavior towards his wife before he was being influenced, because he is practically a non entity until he starts acting like a total piece of crap. I wanted him to die, and for good measure I could have handled Murphy dying too, but I certainly didn’t want Laura to be the one to do it. That seems like overly gratuitous torment for the character, especially when someone else could have stepped in (like maybe Ashley/Anna could have done it, then she would have the pleasure of killing him herself while also getting bonus trust and gratitude?).
The random scene where the priest dies wasn’t relevant, didn’t matter one bit, and didn’t need to exist.
Laura was a decent character up until the very end, and then for some reason she was being incredibly annoying and even pestering Shepherd when clearly the man is busy. Shepherd’s death was super anticlimactic, and the whole battle scene felt kind of anticlimactic too. Mostly just a bunch of chanting that we didn’t get to understand because it’s from Laura’s perspective instead of Shepherd’s, which was a poor choice.
This book started off pretty strong in the haunted house/horror aspect. Things started slowly with stuff falling or doors slamming. The question of how much was Tom and how much was Anna was never really answered. Tom seemed like he would be important but was apparently forgotten halfway through the book and only makes one nonsensical appearance right at the end.
I hated Lucas’s guts. I get that it’s implied that he’s being influence by the haunting, but I did not get to know his character and his normal behavior towards his wife before he was being influenced, because he is practically a non entity until he starts acting like a total piece of crap. I wanted him to die, and for good measure I could have handled Murphy dying too, but I certainly didn’t want Laura to be the one to do it. That seems like overly gratuitous torment for the character, especially when someone else could have stepped in (like maybe Ashley/Anna could have done it, then she would have the pleasure of killing him herself while also getting bonus trust and gratitude?).
The random scene where the priest dies wasn’t relevant, didn’t matter one bit, and didn’t need to exist.
Laura was a decent character up until the very end, and then for some reason she was being incredibly annoying and even pestering Shepherd when clearly the man is busy. Shepherd’s death was super anticlimactic, and the whole battle scene felt kind of anticlimactic too. Mostly just a bunch of chanting that we didn’t get to understand because it’s from Laura’s perspective instead of Shepherd’s, which was a poor choice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2019
I love a haunted house story, I really do. And I wanted to like this book very much. However, I struggled from the beginning to get into it and struggled with my attention throughout. The writer is talented, don't get me wrong. There just seemed too much of everything. I think sometimes with a first book it's easy to pour all your ideas into it and all your enthusiasm so the story becomes unwieldy. I think that is my criticism here. There's a haunted house that has magicked itself from England to the UK, references to Native Americans, psychics, wizards and witches, curses, priests, ghosts, secret rooms....if it was part of this genre it was included.
I also felt some of the characters were not developed enough to be likable. Lucas, for example, wasn't likable to me ever. I wanted to like him first and feel bad when he started to change his personality because of the house (like in Amityville). The ghost...I feel...wouldn't have had such an Americanized accent...she was 500 years old from England...I just wouldn't expect her to say some of the things that she did or sarcastically adopt a hillbilly accent at one point.
There is potential here and I feel a good editing would have benefited this book, just trim some of the story back and have some more character development.
3/5. All too much for me. Not a scary read but with real potential with some editing and trimming back.
Thank you to NetGalley and Land of Oz LLC for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.
I also felt some of the characters were not developed enough to be likable. Lucas, for example, wasn't likable to me ever. I wanted to like him first and feel bad when he started to change his personality because of the house (like in Amityville). The ghost...I feel...wouldn't have had such an Americanized accent...she was 500 years old from England...I just wouldn't expect her to say some of the things that she did or sarcastically adopt a hillbilly accent at one point.
There is potential here and I feel a good editing would have benefited this book, just trim some of the story back and have some more character development.
3/5. All too much for me. Not a scary read but with real potential with some editing and trimming back.
Thank you to NetGalley and Land of Oz LLC for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2019
**I received a free copy of this book through a giveaway**
I really wanted to like this book and I definitely want to support self-published authors, but this one just wasn't for me. I feel like this book needed a really good and thorough edit. That could have smoothed it out a lot, given it better flow, and made the plot stronger.
Based on the description (filming an HGTV-like show while two brothers work on fixing up an old house), I went into it expecting something like A Head Full of Ghosts, but that whole plot point was dropped in the first couple of chapters.
I also had a lot of trouble keeping all the characters straight for some reason. I swear I went through half the book thinking that Laura was Nate's mother (she's his sister-in-law). And the name-dropping of brand names though out the book was a little jarring and clunky.
I'm sorry to say that I had to struggle to finish it.
I really wanted to like this book and I definitely want to support self-published authors, but this one just wasn't for me. I feel like this book needed a really good and thorough edit. That could have smoothed it out a lot, given it better flow, and made the plot stronger.
Based on the description (filming an HGTV-like show while two brothers work on fixing up an old house), I went into it expecting something like A Head Full of Ghosts, but that whole plot point was dropped in the first couple of chapters.
I also had a lot of trouble keeping all the characters straight for some reason. I swear I went through half the book thinking that Laura was Nate's mother (she's his sister-in-law). And the name-dropping of brand names though out the book was a little jarring and clunky.
I'm sorry to say that I had to struggle to finish it.
March 16, 2021
My actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This book was a slow starter, multiple characters, multiple points of view. Things happen that seem important or life changing and then are never referenced again. Basically, it's ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Don't get me wrong. It's a darn good premise and has some truly horrific moments. It comes to a mostly satisfying closure that I was totally not expecting. But it really reads like the author has all these good ideas and shoved them all into one book willy nilly. I think the flow of the story itself would have benefited by a good harsh edit, with some threads being spun out into other novels.
This is a first novel and i'm curious to see how the author's writing matures thru further storys. She's got some bang on ideas on horror. Just needs a little tighter focus.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was a slow starter, multiple characters, multiple points of view. Things happen that seem important or life changing and then are never referenced again. Basically, it's ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Don't get me wrong. It's a darn good premise and has some truly horrific moments. It comes to a mostly satisfying closure that I was totally not expecting. But it really reads like the author has all these good ideas and shoved them all into one book willy nilly. I think the flow of the story itself would have benefited by a good harsh edit, with some threads being spun out into other novels.
This is a first novel and i'm curious to see how the author's writing matures thru further storys. She's got some bang on ideas on horror. Just needs a little tighter focus.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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