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Tabitha's Death
With blood dripping from her wrists, seventeen-year-old Tabitha hopes to find peace in death. Instead, the Gray Man sucks her into his kingdom, where she must obey him to die.
The Gray Man sends suicide victims to steal enchanted items he needs for his return to his homeland. Tabitha must cheat and steal –even commit murder – or face physical pain and mental torment. When the Gray Man reveals her mother’s suffering, Tabitha realizes the life she left is the only thing she desires. Tabitha’s only hope to return home is to destroy the Gray Man by absorbing his powers, but that might make her the new Gray Beast.
The Gray Man sends suicide victims to steal enchanted items he needs for his return to his homeland. Tabitha must cheat and steal –even commit murder – or face physical pain and mental torment. When the Gray Man reveals her mother’s suffering, Tabitha realizes the life she left is the only thing she desires. Tabitha’s only hope to return home is to destroy the Gray Man by absorbing his powers, but that might make her the new Gray Beast.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 7, 2019
Tabitha’s life was empty, all she knew was the pain of betrayal, deceit and the feeling of never being truly loved or wanted. To her, suicide was the answer. Would she find peace in death?
What Tabitha discovered was another dimension of unrest, the place where those who dare to take their lives go, into the kingdom of the Gray Man who promises peace after she fulfills his request, or so he says…but can he be trusted?
TABITHA’S DEATH by Jordan Elizabeth is a tumultuous and dark journey for one girl who discovers all she wants to do is live, but at what price?
I found myself unsettled, not sure if the seriousness of the topic of teen suicide, or any suicide for that matter was handled with the gravity it deserved. This tale is chaotic, a dark fantasy about a painful topic. That said, it is written to entertain and tell a tale of a creature of the darkness and myths. I am not sure this was my cup of tea.
I received a complimentary copy from Jordan Elizabeth. My review is honest and voluntary.
Publisher: CHBB Publishing (September 26, 2019)
Publication Date: September 26, 2019
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Print Length: 238 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
What Tabitha discovered was another dimension of unrest, the place where those who dare to take their lives go, into the kingdom of the Gray Man who promises peace after she fulfills his request, or so he says…but can he be trusted?
TABITHA’S DEATH by Jordan Elizabeth is a tumultuous and dark journey for one girl who discovers all she wants to do is live, but at what price?
I found myself unsettled, not sure if the seriousness of the topic of teen suicide, or any suicide for that matter was handled with the gravity it deserved. This tale is chaotic, a dark fantasy about a painful topic. That said, it is written to entertain and tell a tale of a creature of the darkness and myths. I am not sure this was my cup of tea.
I received a complimentary copy from Jordan Elizabeth. My review is honest and voluntary.
Publisher: CHBB Publishing (September 26, 2019)
Publication Date: September 26, 2019
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Print Length: 238 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
April 2, 2020
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The premise of this book is original, as the author offers the reader an alternative to Heaven or Hell by painting a vivid picture of purgatory.
Read full review in the 2020 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
The premise of this book is original, as the author offers the reader an alternative to Heaven or Hell by painting a vivid picture of purgatory.
Read full review in the 2020 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
January 21, 2020
4 Cranky Stars
The book was an easy read although time was wasted here & there, some of the scenes added seemed unnecessary to the story. Tabitha feels like she has nothing to live for so she slits her wrists after her best friend has died and her boyfriend uses her. She ends up in a limbo, doing the bidding of the Gray Man. The Gray Man promises to let her die, if she completes these tasks for him. His tasks cause more pain and she begins to realize that she might never be freed from this endless cycle of torment.
Tabitha meets others who have all ended their lives in different ways. They too are doing tasks for the Gray Man, trying to die and move on as they’ve been promised. Tabitha use to be timid and submissive to everyone around her, but she becomes a stronger, more independent person through her time in limbo. Her character growth is outstanding.
The book was an easy read although time was wasted here & there, some of the scenes added seemed unnecessary to the story. Tabitha feels like she has nothing to live for so she slits her wrists after her best friend has died and her boyfriend uses her. She ends up in a limbo, doing the bidding of the Gray Man. The Gray Man promises to let her die, if she completes these tasks for him. His tasks cause more pain and she begins to realize that she might never be freed from this endless cycle of torment.
Tabitha meets others who have all ended their lives in different ways. They too are doing tasks for the Gray Man, trying to die and move on as they’ve been promised. Tabitha use to be timid and submissive to everyone around her, but she becomes a stronger, more independent person through her time in limbo. Her character growth is outstanding.
October 7, 2019
this was well written.... creepy... interesting. .and a fun read. i enjoyed it a lot.. very good writing and the characters were very good.. i enjoyed this a lot
May 22, 2020
Elizabeth blends the intimacy of despair with the universal resonance of fairy tales, creating a bleak yet engaging young adult fantasy novel.
While Elizabeth handles the topic sympathetically rather than seeking to titillate or shock, readers should be aware this book contains overt mentions of self-harm and suicide.
The death of her best friend unravels seventeen-year-old Tabitha’s life, driving her to suicide. Instead of dying, she finds herself caught between realms by the Gray Man. He claims that if she completes a task for him, he’ll let her die. With the alternative being an eternity of pain she agrees; however, as she discovers more about what she must do, she must decide how far she will go to gain release—assuming the Grey Man is even telling the truth.
Elizabeth opens with a series of new traumatic events intermixed with ongoing issues and reminders of past trauma, interspersed with moments of potential happiness. This creates a highly plausible image of why someone might take their life, free from the false tropes of “weakness”. Thus, while readers might not think they would commit suicide under Tabitha’s circumstances, they are likely to sympathise with a protagonist facing extreme challenges rather than reject her out of hand.
This portrayal also doesn’t sugar coat the pain and horror of self harm and suicide: Elizabeth’s descriptions are in no way the beautiful scenes of high romance; they are the opposite of cool or trendy.
In contrast to the visceral portrayal of despair and self-destruction, the events and scenery of Tabitha’s attempts to earn death are filled with fantasy tropes and stark shadows, giving them the feel of early fairy tales. This both provides a respite from the bleakness of Tabitha’s despair and prevents that sense of bleakness becoming weakened by constancy.
Despite this interweaving, Tabitha’s suicidal thoughts are frequent enough that some readers might find the plot overly dwells on them.
As the plot unfolds, Tabitha encounters other victims of the Gray Man who claim he will not keep his promise or who have gained the alleged protection of another powerful being in exchange for a different set of compromises. This both builds a sense of paranoia and challenges the idea that Tabitha’s choice is between earning death and eternal torment, or that she even has a choice.
Tabitha is a skilfully crafted protagonist. Her decision to kill herself comes from others betraying her sense of fairness. Thus, while she is willing to harm herself, she wishes to avoid others, creating a powerful struggle between the part of her that does not want to remain in painful half-life and the part of her that does not wish to do bad things even to bad people. These repeated betrayals in her life also enhances the difficulty of choosing who to trust on her quest.
The supporting cast are similarly complex. As might be expected from a book about a being enslaving those who commit suicide, there is a strong theme of despair; however, the Gray Man’s servants each have nuances of personality and experience that make them display a unique mix of anger, acceptance, and even love. Those opposing the Gray Man also possess this mix, appearing not obviously better than him but merely less worse in certain areas.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking dark fantasy that draws its grimness from character trauma rather than circumstance.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
While Elizabeth handles the topic sympathetically rather than seeking to titillate or shock, readers should be aware this book contains overt mentions of self-harm and suicide.
The death of her best friend unravels seventeen-year-old Tabitha’s life, driving her to suicide. Instead of dying, she finds herself caught between realms by the Gray Man. He claims that if she completes a task for him, he’ll let her die. With the alternative being an eternity of pain she agrees; however, as she discovers more about what she must do, she must decide how far she will go to gain release—assuming the Grey Man is even telling the truth.
Elizabeth opens with a series of new traumatic events intermixed with ongoing issues and reminders of past trauma, interspersed with moments of potential happiness. This creates a highly plausible image of why someone might take their life, free from the false tropes of “weakness”. Thus, while readers might not think they would commit suicide under Tabitha’s circumstances, they are likely to sympathise with a protagonist facing extreme challenges rather than reject her out of hand.
This portrayal also doesn’t sugar coat the pain and horror of self harm and suicide: Elizabeth’s descriptions are in no way the beautiful scenes of high romance; they are the opposite of cool or trendy.
In contrast to the visceral portrayal of despair and self-destruction, the events and scenery of Tabitha’s attempts to earn death are filled with fantasy tropes and stark shadows, giving them the feel of early fairy tales. This both provides a respite from the bleakness of Tabitha’s despair and prevents that sense of bleakness becoming weakened by constancy.
Despite this interweaving, Tabitha’s suicidal thoughts are frequent enough that some readers might find the plot overly dwells on them.
As the plot unfolds, Tabitha encounters other victims of the Gray Man who claim he will not keep his promise or who have gained the alleged protection of another powerful being in exchange for a different set of compromises. This both builds a sense of paranoia and challenges the idea that Tabitha’s choice is between earning death and eternal torment, or that she even has a choice.
Tabitha is a skilfully crafted protagonist. Her decision to kill herself comes from others betraying her sense of fairness. Thus, while she is willing to harm herself, she wishes to avoid others, creating a powerful struggle between the part of her that does not want to remain in painful half-life and the part of her that does not wish to do bad things even to bad people. These repeated betrayals in her life also enhances the difficulty of choosing who to trust on her quest.
The supporting cast are similarly complex. As might be expected from a book about a being enslaving those who commit suicide, there is a strong theme of despair; however, the Gray Man’s servants each have nuances of personality and experience that make them display a unique mix of anger, acceptance, and even love. Those opposing the Gray Man also possess this mix, appearing not obviously better than him but merely less worse in certain areas.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking dark fantasy that draws its grimness from character trauma rather than circumstance.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
July 9, 2020
This book is one full of characters who had given up on life and thought they were going to their deaths. The main character is a seventeen year old girl called Tabitha, who turns up at her only friend’s funeral, only to realise she is the only one in black. She should have worn white, due to her friend’s religious beliefs, but she had no idea. She is really embarrassed and asks her boyfriend to pick her up from her house. She was supposed to spend the weekend with her, as her mum was away for work, yet all he wanted was to have his way with her and reveal something that broke her heart!
She walks back home and asks her neighbour for something to help her kill herself and then lies down on her bed to slit her wrists. Only problem is that whilst she can feel the blood flowing out of her, she hasn’t died yet. A weird looking Grey Man, with very sharp teeth, instead appears before her and says he is keeping her alive until she does what he wants! Only problem is, he won’t say what he wants her to do until she agrees! Her only alternative is to spend an eternity in agony and pain of the worst kind he can force upon her. Not much of a choice.
She is sent to another world to recover an object from the ruler of the Castle of Geenya. She is not the only person he has stopped from dying and she ends up meeting various other, not quite dead folk, who have also all been given quests to complete for the Grey Man. Only problem is that he has all the control and doesn’t stick to his agreements, twisting them for his own use and advantage. Tabitha will have to cheat, steal and even commit murder, if she is to actually finally die. She has no real life to return to, yet begins to realise that going back home and living with her suffering mother, might be worth the pain and hassle.
Only hope for that to happen is for Tabitha to defeat the Grey Man, who was one of the rulers of this other world. One of six rulers, ruling six castles, governed by one overlord until he was banished from the kingdom for trying to start a rebellion. By sending all these indentured almost dead slaves, he hopes they will be able to go where he can’t and kill his foes, allowing him back. Two of the other dead, yet not dead, characters are Devin and Walden, but they have been given numerous tasks and never released from their promise. Tabitha has to take on the Grey Man but this may well leave her to rule in his stead and become the next Grey Beast herself. A somewhat odd read, with a partial medieval kingdom style world that they find themselves in, with quests to complete, but with an evil master who never keeps up his side of the agreement. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
She walks back home and asks her neighbour for something to help her kill herself and then lies down on her bed to slit her wrists. Only problem is that whilst she can feel the blood flowing out of her, she hasn’t died yet. A weird looking Grey Man, with very sharp teeth, instead appears before her and says he is keeping her alive until she does what he wants! Only problem is, he won’t say what he wants her to do until she agrees! Her only alternative is to spend an eternity in agony and pain of the worst kind he can force upon her. Not much of a choice.
She is sent to another world to recover an object from the ruler of the Castle of Geenya. She is not the only person he has stopped from dying and she ends up meeting various other, not quite dead folk, who have also all been given quests to complete for the Grey Man. Only problem is that he has all the control and doesn’t stick to his agreements, twisting them for his own use and advantage. Tabitha will have to cheat, steal and even commit murder, if she is to actually finally die. She has no real life to return to, yet begins to realise that going back home and living with her suffering mother, might be worth the pain and hassle.
Only hope for that to happen is for Tabitha to defeat the Grey Man, who was one of the rulers of this other world. One of six rulers, ruling six castles, governed by one overlord until he was banished from the kingdom for trying to start a rebellion. By sending all these indentured almost dead slaves, he hopes they will be able to go where he can’t and kill his foes, allowing him back. Two of the other dead, yet not dead, characters are Devin and Walden, but they have been given numerous tasks and never released from their promise. Tabitha has to take on the Grey Man but this may well leave her to rule in his stead and become the next Grey Beast herself. A somewhat odd read, with a partial medieval kingdom style world that they find themselves in, with quests to complete, but with an evil master who never keeps up his side of the agreement. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
October 21, 2019
Love the cover!
Tabitha’s Death by Jordan Elizabeth. Author request. Tabitha feels like she’s lost everything and has nothing to live for. She slits her wrists after her best friend has died and her boyfriend uses her. She ends up in a sort of limbo, doing the bidding of the Gray Man. His tasks pile up and cause more torment and she begins to realize that she might never be freed from this. Tabitha meets several others who have ended their lives in different ways. They’re doing tasks for the Gray Man and other limbo creatures, trying to die and move on as they’ve been promised will happen when they’re finished with the creatures’ biddings. Tabitha was timid and submissive to everyone around her but she becomes a stronger person through her time in limbo. I enjoyed her character growth and was glad she was able to finally see her own worth. 4 stars!
Tabitha’s Death by Jordan Elizabeth. Author request. Tabitha feels like she’s lost everything and has nothing to live for. She slits her wrists after her best friend has died and her boyfriend uses her. She ends up in a sort of limbo, doing the bidding of the Gray Man. His tasks pile up and cause more torment and she begins to realize that she might never be freed from this. Tabitha meets several others who have ended their lives in different ways. They’re doing tasks for the Gray Man and other limbo creatures, trying to die and move on as they’ve been promised will happen when they’re finished with the creatures’ biddings. Tabitha was timid and submissive to everyone around her but she becomes a stronger person through her time in limbo. I enjoyed her character growth and was glad she was able to finally see her own worth. 4 stars!
October 25, 2019
This is supernatural YA story that deals with suicide in teens. When Tabitha tries to commit suicide she gets stuck in a sort of purgatory working for the "grey man" so she can finally move on to her actual death. In doing so, Tabitha grows and matures through the grey man's trials and learns that suicide might not be the answer to her problems. I thought the message was important especially for teens, but I do wish the other side characters could have been more fleshed out and given more back story. There are a couple of minor sex scenes that felt awkward and choppy. Overall, the author made an interesting alternative world, but I would have liked more from the characters.
October 29, 2019
i received a free e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. the book was an easy read. although time were wasted here & there, adding seemingly unnecessary scenes to the story, i felt so attracted to Tabitha when she showed growth. her confidence shone through her character as it showered me with goosebumps, the best feeling one could ever experience whenever a book had come to an end. the satisfactory was truly rewarding!
November 28, 2019
This was pretty interesting. Funny how everything seems so straight forward when we make a decision and then it's not.
The setting was rather exciting. I like how it puts everything upside down starting with so much death and misery. I also liked to see the character of Tabitha grow all the way until the end. I wish sometimes that I could make my decision in four hours and be done with everything.
But the Gray Man isn't here anymore.
The setting was rather exciting. I like how it puts everything upside down starting with so much death and misery. I also liked to see the character of Tabitha grow all the way until the end. I wish sometimes that I could make my decision in four hours and be done with everything.
But the Gray Man isn't here anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2019
This author continues to amaze me with her imagination. Another great book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews