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Rabbit Rue: Book One of the Phase Cycle
A rare mix of horror, science, and mythology, Rabbit Rue launches a new trilogy by Shaun M. Thomas. His Phase Cycle promises to unwind time, the universe, and the gods themselves before the evocative conclusion. And yet, it starts so simply...
Tammond Dale, a peaceful burg of succor and madness cowers at the whim of Rabbit Rue, who sups upon the souls of the undone. Malicious Rue, spinner of dreams that rend and tempt oblivion to swirl through madness and despair, rules unopposed and unknown, biding 'till his shackles fall to cinders. This town has failed to shrug the churn and plods among the damned, clinging to tattered shreds of former, clichéd lives.
When providence blows Kyle and his family to the harrowed gulch and into the arms of Adriana, the girl Rue so jealously guards, he too becomes snared within warped visions of insanity and horror. Confused and fatigued by Rue's cruel assault, he unearths clues that lead to Old Town, a hollow bastion of Tammond Dale's uneasy past. But to resist is exhausting, and he withers, and Rue is aided by relentless minions in wisps of swirling shadow. His life, humanity, and realty all hinge on understanding he lacks. His only hope exists beyond time, and the glimmer of escape from chaos it can offer...
Tammond Dale, a peaceful burg of succor and madness cowers at the whim of Rabbit Rue, who sups upon the souls of the undone. Malicious Rue, spinner of dreams that rend and tempt oblivion to swirl through madness and despair, rules unopposed and unknown, biding 'till his shackles fall to cinders. This town has failed to shrug the churn and plods among the damned, clinging to tattered shreds of former, clichéd lives.
When providence blows Kyle and his family to the harrowed gulch and into the arms of Adriana, the girl Rue so jealously guards, he too becomes snared within warped visions of insanity and horror. Confused and fatigued by Rue's cruel assault, he unearths clues that lead to Old Town, a hollow bastion of Tammond Dale's uneasy past. But to resist is exhausting, and he withers, and Rue is aided by relentless minions in wisps of swirling shadow. His life, humanity, and realty all hinge on understanding he lacks. His only hope exists beyond time, and the glimmer of escape from chaos it can offer...
327 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2010
33 people want to read
About the author
Shaun M. Thomas
4 books6 followersShaun was born in 1977 in Olympia, WA with a major congenital heart defect. Until his corrective surgery in 1984, he could partake in very little physical activity due to lack of oxygen. This set the stage for him to become an avid reader.
After a short obsession with Forgotten Realms, Stephen King, and Melanie Rawn, he started writing a trilogy in 1994 that was unfortunately shelved due to the academic demands of the I.B. Program, later continuing with those of a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science at Cornell College. It's possible he'll revise the old notes and storyline and complete the series, but his new Phase Cycle currently demands most of his attention. The first book in this series, Rabbit Rue, first appeared on Shaun's publishing site, and was later published by Smashwords for offline reading as an eBook.
Shaun currently lives in the Chicago area with his wife Jennifer, who plans to start Ph.D. work in elementary music education in 2011.
After a short obsession with Forgotten Realms, Stephen King, and Melanie Rawn, he started writing a trilogy in 1994 that was unfortunately shelved due to the academic demands of the I.B. Program, later continuing with those of a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science at Cornell College. It's possible he'll revise the old notes and storyline and complete the series, but his new Phase Cycle currently demands most of his attention. The first book in this series, Rabbit Rue, first appeared on Shaun's publishing site, and was later published by Smashwords for offline reading as an eBook.
Shaun currently lives in the Chicago area with his wife Jennifer, who plans to start Ph.D. work in elementary music education in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 10, 2010
Self publishing has done for books what compact discs did for albums, providing access to a greater quantity of material at the expense of judicious editing. While Rabbit Rue is the spark of an interesting story it lacks the basic standards of a professionally published work.
The plethora of syntax, tense and spelling issues in the first 30 pages alone is an inexcusable distraction. The writer's adverb laden prose style and a reliance on italics for emphasis instead of well-crafted words is like an album that constantly skips, there is no chance for the reader to get involved with the story or characters as the flaws demand chronic attention.
The plethora of syntax, tense and spelling issues in the first 30 pages alone is an inexcusable distraction. The writer's adverb laden prose style and a reliance on italics for emphasis instead of well-crafted words is like an album that constantly skips, there is no chance for the reader to get involved with the story or characters as the flaws demand chronic attention.
January 31, 2014
I won this through First Reads, here on Goodreads.
This could have been a wonderful book. It should have been a wonderful book. It would have been if someone had read over it once or twice. Some of it was a joy to read, but quite a lot of it was absolutely terrible. The sheer amount of typos, spelling errors, misused words, and the overuse of italics almost makes it not worth reading. It could have been a convoluted escapade of lovely grotesqueries. Yes, parts of it were, but most of it fell short.
I would definitely read the next in the series, if it's better edited.
This could have been a wonderful book. It should have been a wonderful book. It would have been if someone had read over it once or twice. Some of it was a joy to read, but quite a lot of it was absolutely terrible. The sheer amount of typos, spelling errors, misused words, and the overuse of italics almost makes it not worth reading. It could have been a convoluted escapade of lovely grotesqueries. Yes, parts of it were, but most of it fell short.
I would definitely read the next in the series, if it's better edited.
June 16, 2010
The writing struggles with straight narrative. More philosophical sections describing dreams and psyche have a more mesmerizing quality that promises deep insight, but demands several passes to reach full comprehension.
The net effect is that vividness of dreams compared to the normal world is reflected in the quality of the writing describing each, perhaps amounting to a kind of artistic statement.
The net effect is that vividness of dreams compared to the normal world is reflected in the quality of the writing describing each, perhaps amounting to a kind of artistic statement.
September 14, 2012
Confession: I'm one of those people who is really, really bothered by misspellings, typos, and grammatical errors. As a result, this book was a nightmare for me in ways that had nothing to do with its horror-esque genre. I couldn't get past the first couple of dozen pages, unfortunately -- and I *hate* to leave books unfinished.
April 17, 2010
I was really looking forward to reading this book as it was the first one that I won off of Goodreads. I was disappointed with this book. It was very wordy with description. I think the storyline was okay just way over described and drawn out.
July 5, 2010
I received this book free from Goodreads first reads.
My daughter also began reading this. Her response was "Mom, this is kinda creepy" :-)
A strange twist of fates along with a few strange characters makes for a very interesting story. Glad I had the opportunity!
My daughter also began reading this. Her response was "Mom, this is kinda creepy" :-)
A strange twist of fates along with a few strange characters makes for a very interesting story. Glad I had the opportunity!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews