Olyoke Review

Special thanks to Tenebrous Press for the ARC copy they provided.

Tenebrous never disappoints, even when their offerings are not quite to my taste. Olyoke is a wonderfully crafted and exceptionally well written book. Vincent Endwell surprised me with his ability to create not just one storyline that took me by the throat and creeped me out, but multiple.

Olyoke is a collection of fractured pieces that make a whole, like a mosaic. Each touches the others, but also remains independent of them. I fell in love with characters, only to have them disappear out of the book, not to be seen again. The fact Vincent Endwell was able to dredge up an emotional response in such short snippets of chapters is exceptional.

Yet, it’s exactly this structure that made Olyoke not quite to my taste. I’m not particularly a fan of fragmented storylines. And this is exactly what it says on the tin: my personal preference. Olyoke might not be something that made me go crazy, but I can’t and won’t deny the skill that went into writing the book.

And I won’t say there weren’t parts of the book that I didn’t enjoy. Several chapters and several characters resonated with me and made me relate to them. If you’re looking for twisted and odd and unexpected, Olyoke is for you. Believe me when I say, you won’t see that ending coming. I certainly didn’t.

The entirety of the book, everything and everyone appears to be trying to escape an impending occurrence. An event that is rolling inexorably toward them. It appears to be a something worth escaping. And yet… And yet when that final chapter unfolds and the celebration comes, you just might change your mind.

I know, I did.

Come join me in the Tenebrous Cult, where you’ll never be disappointed. Even when the book isn’t perfectly to your taste. And if you want the weird, let Vincent Endwell take you to the swamp.