#briardark

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Briardark Cover Art by Svetlana Kostina

[liber---monstrorum]

A Review of Briardark by S.A. Harian.

SUMMARY

For Dr. Siena Dupont and her ambitious team, the Alpenglow glacier expedition is a career-defining opportunity. But thirty miles into the desolate Deadswitch Wilderness, they discover a missing hiker dangling from a tree, and their satellite phone fails to call out. Then the body vanishes without a trace. The disappearance isn’t the only chilling anomaly. Siena’s map no longer aligns with the trail. The glacier they were supposed to study has inexplicably melted. Strange foliage overruns the mountainside, and a tunnel within a tree hollow lures Siena to a hidden cabin, and a stranger with a sinister message… Holden Sharpe’s IT job offers little distraction from his wasted potential until he stumbles upon a decommissioned hard drive and an old audio file. Trapped on a mountain, Dr. Siena Dupont recounts an expedition in chaos and the bloody death of a colleague. Entranced by the mystery, Holden searches for answers to Siena’s fate. But he is unprepared for the truth that will draw him to the outskirts of Deadswitch Wilderness—a place teeming with unfathomable nightmares and impossibilities. (source)

Official content warnings: Gore, character death, terror, language, existential dread, mental illness, emotional abuse; more content warnings listed on Storygraph

REVIEW (disclaimer: I recieved a digital review copy of Briardark through Netgalley in exchange for a review.) Whatever I expected from Briardark, it wasn't this.

To tell the truth, I went in not knowing what to expect; the publishers introduce it as "perfect for fans of LOST and House of Leaves," two properties which I haven't yet touched (I know, I know, HoL is on my TBR this year). Based on my scant knowledge of these properties I assumed that meant people would be lost in a weird place.

In Briardark, people sure are lost in a weird place, but it gets so much wilder and bizarre than I could have ever dreamed of. Typically when a book is shilled as a horror thriller, it's just a horror book with a bit of thriller or a thriller book lumped into the horror category because it's a thriller. This, however, is a true horror thriller; the twists in this book are insane, and this is from someone who usually sees "twists" coming from a million miles away. Every single one not only ramps up the tension but also does something clever to tweak an aspect of reality we thought we could trust. Harian is also very patient when it comes to the reveal. Nothing's ever rushed, and the payoff for elements introduced or revealed can take chapters, if not hundreds of pages.

It's a quick read, too, despite its length (350+ pages, 10+ hour audiobook!). The pacing is excellent, knowing when to slow and take in the view and when to hurtle forward over the edge. Several times while reading, I would go to update my reading progress and realize that I'd only read five pages, but with all that had happened I'd expected 20+. In Briardark, stuff just keeps happening and doesn't stop.

THE PEOPLE While the blurb implies that there will only be two POVs, Briardark actually gives every character in Seina's team a POV. Siena and Holden are the main characters, yes, and most of the narrative is told from their perspective, but the narrative also isn't afraid to shift over to another character when necessary--usually when folks split up (or get split up). The reader isn't being shuffled around character's heads willy-nilly.

Normally I'm not a fan of multiple POVs; for me, more than two POV characters is pushing it. Briardark, however, does a really excellent job of handling multiple POVs. It establishes the characters firmly from Siena's POV first, allowing readers to become familiar with who they are before swapping. Also (and this important), every character is both unique and enjoyable.

Out of all the cast, Cam is my favorite. She's a well written lesbian character, something I always appreciate and rarely see. She's allowed to have a close, meaningful relationship with Siena, a straight woman, without ever being attracted to her. Siena never even considers the possibility. Cam's capable, respected in her field and her colleagues, and the trauma she has from her involvement with Briardark in the past is handled really well. I know these things can seem low bar to hurdle, but I'm starved for good lesbian rep, especially in horror/thriller books. I really hope to see more from her in the second book--her plotline was, to me, one of the ones I'm most invested in.

THE PLACE The establishment of place is beautifully done. The book is set in an absolutely awe-inspiring wilderness. Despite the fact I would definitely die immediately (and not even due to anything eldritch, just from the hiking), I'd love to visit.

One of the best pieces of advice I got from my writing classes was to treat place as another character. It's just as important as the human characters in a story, if not more so; the Deadswitch Wild, Briardark, even individual rooms all have their own character. This, of course, goes double for when the wild starts to get weird and eldritch (in more ways than one).

Honestly, I'm usually not one to be pro-map in books. I think they're fine, but I usually don't use them. I think that Briardark would benefit greatly from having a map included; maybe not necessarily in the beginning, but several maps are mentioned over the course of the book, and I was just dying for them to be included as an illustration or in the back. I read an advanced digital reader's copy through Netgalley, so they may be included in the final product. If not, I really hope the second book comes with a map or gets map illustrations. The textual description of them was well-done, of course, making them not strictly necessary, but they'd be cool.

That said, a lot of what is set up in this first book lore-wise recieves no payoff. It's the first book in a series (thank God), so having to wait for reveals is to be expected, but it's going to be hard to wait. Luckily, the second book, Waywarden, comes out in 2024. I can't wait to return to the Briardark in a year.

FINAL THOUGHTS I can't say if the comparison to LOST or House of Leaves is accurate. What I can say is that if you enjoyed titles like The Dark Between the Trees or short stories like "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" and "A Psychological Shipwreck" you'll love Briardark even more. It's weird, tense, and has some fantastic characters I can't wait to read more about.

Briardark released 16 January 2023. If you're interested in the book, check out the official website (https://briardark.com/), request the book from your local library, or buy yourself a copy!

[blurrypetals]

Waywarden by S.A. Harian - blurrypetals review

originally posted oct. 31, 2024 - ★★★★☆

I'll be perfectly honest, this book nearly lost me, but in the end, those reveals, those cliffhangers absolutely hooked me back in to the point where Broodmother is certainly one of my more anticipated releases of the moment now. Hopefully it's here sooner rather than later!

But I did have a fairly large issue with this book's pacing. While I was still very invested in the story and what was happening, it did feel a bit like the story meandered a lot. There was so much walk here, do this, get scared by this, almost die, maybe watch someone else die, etc.

That said, while it got a bit exhausting, I still wanted to know what was going on, and I think this gave me enough to keep stringing me along without things getting too exhausting. I'm stoked to find out what happens next!

[asoiafandotherbooks]

I thought of you when I read this quote from "Briardark" by S.A. Harian -

"“I just thought I would have figured out my divine purpose by now. I’m the universe’s dead weight.”"

Start reading this book for free: https://a.co/eqFz8Yz

[alexanderflowerbird]

DAY 4 So I'm just making it home after a long day of running around. I will likely write before I go to bed this evening, but since it's getting late I figure I ought to go ahead and get this part of the process out of the way and give you guys an excerpt! This one is another Blood Sun Territory one- I'm really on a roll with this new story, though I am doing research for New Faith on the side of it. I've got to become something of a religious expert to continue into the nitty gritty of this story because I refuse to be like the many white male writers who just snatch random figures from different religions and vaguely inform themselves about what their meaning and purpose is before going buck wild with their own reimagining. Not to say that I don't enjoy that from time to time, I read American Gods and had a good time, and my book is almost a little Supernatural meets American Gods meets all things body horror and supernatural terror, BUT. I want to know what the fuck I'm talking about when I start integrating the other religions I have in mind into my story! So I've been enjoying learning a lot about faith and demons and gods and exorcism around the world. Research for Blood Sun Territory has predominantly been reading westerns, southern gothics, and seeking out cosmic horror that is environmental in nature. I've been rereading Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, The Fisherman by John Langan and Briardark by S.A. Harian, all stories that are very much about the places where the strange, unexplainable horror happens as much as the story is about the people it happens to. I really enjoy this sort of research, I like to read, I like to learn, and I find it very easy to get OC-brained where I tumble information and figure out how I can use it to tell my story or enrich my characters or incorporate this new knowledge into a scenario I'm writing. I'm havin' a good time, even if I'm still very busy and kinda sad lol. Anyway, here's your excerpt! Taglist: @theskeletonprior @badscientist @tragedycoded If you'd like to be added to my taglist, please interact with this post

“We’re caught up in a long noon,” Dolcezza says casually, sliding himself into the opened flatbed of the truck before producing a cigarette pack from his breast pocket. Malachi considers staying standing, maintaining a respectful distance from the other man, but Dolcezza gestures for him to sit beside him and offers up a cigarette. It’s easy for Malachi to give in, choosing between two tortures and deciding one is a less revealing torment. Sitting next to Dolcezza in the flatbed has their shoulders brushing, their knees touching as he leans to let Dolcezza light his cigarette. It’s better, these inconspicuous touches that he will think about well into the night, than how he might try and fail to fix his face while looking at Dolcezza directly, doused in the blood red sunlight, glowing like fire embers, his green eyes almost grey in the contrasting wash of color. Beautiful. Too beautiful.

Malachi will be obvious if he looks straight on, he always has been about that sort of thing. Felina hadn’t caught the change in his heart because he looked at beautiful things with such open appreciation. He’d come home and look at her and she’d laugh at him, telling him to fix that stupid look on his face and then kiss him for the very same expression. Even when he stopped wanting to touch her, he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. 

“Long noon?” He asks through a plume of smoke, looking out at the long stretch of road behind them which is decidedly less beautiful. The landscape itself is lovely, but there’s an endlessness to it that dampens its appeal- too much of all of this, to be so temptingly beautiful as the man sat next to Malachi, whom he knows so little about so far. The territory is... huge. Nonsensically so. Where they’re at, it’s a wonder they don’t see the curve of the world as far as Malachi is concerned. The territory seems to be everything, everywhere, forever, when they’re here in it, stuck like this. 

“Yeah…It’s what we locals call it; time can be a bit off kilter here. ‘Casionally, the sun don’t set for five, six hours, just sits on the horizon takin’ its sweet time. Fucks up everything, if ya ain’t ready for six hours of people turnin’ into monsters and all your technology gettin’ jittery and useless.” Dolcezza explains, gesturing to where the sun has stubbornly parked itself, half there, half gone, carved up at the bottom by distant trees and hills. 

“Does it eat up the night?” Malachi asks, and Dolcezza shakes his head. 

“Nope. Night goes normal, once it’s over. It’d be a blessing if not for the fear, an extra six hours ought to be a gift, ya know? Here it’s a bad miracle to get a few extra hours in the day.” Malachi watches Dolcezza scan the terrain, the wind catching up his curls for a moment. He looks down at the hand cradling Dolcezza’s cigarette with its gnarled scars and missing fingers. It’s been hard to miss that particular detail when Dolcezza seems to be left handed, driving and smoking and gesturing with that damaged appendage, unashamed of it but saying nothing about it as though he hasn’t noticed he’s been maimed. Malachi shouldn’t ask, but he wants to. Dolcezza could’ve lost his fingers in all kinds of ways, as mundane as an accident, as tragic as a loved one turned strange. He decides to ask something close to that, near it perhaps if those fingers were stolen by the territory’s mysterious, awful nature. 

“Why do you live out here? You don’t seem attached to anybody, could move somewhere else.” Malachi says.

“Could, yeah. Haven’t really wanted to, to be honest. I’m not the startin’ over type, I suppose,” Dolcezza says after a moment of contemplation. “Can’t imagine no other way to be, no other place I might go and know what to do with myself.” 

“Starting over ain’t all bad,” Malachi offers, ashing his cigarette on a gust of wind that strikes their backs. “I’m starting over after this business is done. Maybe with my daughter, maybe without, depending on what’s best for her. As long as you’re above ground, it’s possible to change.” 

“Yeah? You know that from experience do ya?” Dolcezza teases, and Malachi can sense an edge there, a sharpness that warns him that philosophizing might not be the best tack with the other man. 

“I do…” He says cautiously, adding, “I got outta prison, just before coming here to find her. I’m starting over in every way I can think of. New world and all that.” 

“How long were you in?” Dolcezza doesn’t seem perturbed by this admission, so Malachi is honest even though he doesn’t quite relax.

“Ten years. Bank robbery… Went sideways, we didn’t plan to hurt anybody, most of us didn’t, anyway. But we plan, God laughs, and there’s always one asshole that’s got something to prove, I guess.” Malachi looks at Dolcezza to see if there’s any disgust on his face, any judgment, but Dolcezza is looking out to the horizon still, seeing nothing, face calm. 

“I can’t leave this place.” Dolcezza says quietly. “I can’t leave cuz all the things I ever loved are here, on this land or in it. It’s the kinda love where… hm… where you feel it, and it becomes so much a part of ya that when it’s gone you ain’t sure you can love again. So I gotta stay here. Goin’ away means leavin’ the part of me that loves behind, and if I can’t love, what’s the point of livin’?” Malachi is surprised by the vulnerability of such an answer, but in the days they’ve traveled together Dolcezza has been candid, open, the past and his secrets so well hidden that no one would know there’s anything hidden in the first place without looking. Malachi’s looking and something tells him to comfort the other man. He rests his hand on Dolcezza’s back, rubbing between his shoulder blades while looking out at the blood red horizon too. He can’t look at Dolcezza now, shouldn’t, they’re too near to one another and his face is too honest. 

“Guess that must be why lots of people stay here.” He says, and Dolcezza hums his agreement. 

“Among other things. Some folks here have been on this land for generations, all the way back to first settlin’, well before the sun started its evil. It’s the same thing though… losin’ a part that you can’t find nowhere else, can’t grow back. Better to stay and risk it, I suppose.”

[wedriftlikelonelyplanets]

people I'd like to get to know better

Thanks for the tag, @dlea203!!!

Last song: End of Me by A Day To Remember

Last book: Briardark by S.A. Harian. SUUUUUUPER cool environmental horror with INSANE storytelling.

Last movie: oooh good question. I spend so much time watching F1 that I don't really spend a lot of time watching anything else these days. Top Gun, though, i'm pretty sure.

Last tv show: UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...I was working on watching Marc Marquez: All In, but I haven't finished it yet. That and Agatha All Along, I think.

Sweet/spicy/savory: Savory and spicy go hand in hand for me, followed by sweet.

Relationship status: Single, tragically.

Last thing googled: FIA decision documents, and Max Verstappen merch

Current obsession: Formula 1. Writing RPF (does that count? idk). Throwback listening to all my favourite emo bands. My new green nail polish. The fact that my province is looking to possibly introduce a mid-level practitioner job that RVT's will be able to move into in the future. There was something else on this list but it's forgotten now.

Looking forward to: the Vegas GP, getting to go to the Aus GP (that's a while away), everyone whom i love dearly posting new fics that I get to read. The concert I'll be going to in December. The massage I have on Wednesday to fix my fucked up shoulder.

Tagging: @carbonmono (for torment and also for fun), @1425fivefive, @thelettersfromnoone

[greeeenhand]

So here's the thing. I like horror as a genre, but at the same time, I am a huge wuss. I can't stand jumpscares, so I can't really play horror games or watch horror movies without eating myself from the anticipation.

Horror novels, however, are perfect for me, since you can't really create a jumpscare from written text alone.

That's why I've been reading some horror novels over the past few years, and I'm gonna share my thoughts on them. This isn't a ranking or a deep dive into each; just my opinion.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I've mentioned it before, but I really enjoyed this one. The premise revolves around a house with seemingly impossible dimenions and a hallway that leads into a dark, infinite labyrinth. Some folks refer to it "The Backrooms before The Backrooms was a thing", to which I reply "ehh kinda." This book is unique in the sense that it's layered pretty heavily. You're not reading about the guy who ventures into the house, you're reading about a guy who found a manuscript about a film that doesn't exist; with a ton of extra material added to it for... context? Vibes? In any case, this book is the hardest to recommend because of how cerebral it gets sometimes, but if you want a book with layers upon layers of themes, try this one.

Brairdark by S.A. Harian. The latest book I've read. A research team hikes into the mountains where five women went missing; only to find the wilderness making less and less sense around them. It ends on a cliffhanger, but I'm eager to read the sequel. I liked this one because the chapters are neatly divided between the different characters; no chapter drags on for too long.

The Fisherman by John Langan. This one had a bit of a slow start, but a solid ending, IMO. This story features a widower taking up fishing with a coworker, until they set off for the mysterious Dutchman's Creek. Out of all the stories on this list, this one felt the most... "Lovecraftian", I would say. It shares a bit of similarity with Briardark, and a little with House of Leaves, but skewed a bit more towards the former.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. Now this one feels the most digestible to anyone looking to get into horror books. A young woman revisits the old house her family lived in for a time; the same house her father wrote a novel about that claimed the place was haunted by a malevolent spirit. Every other chapter in this book is an excerpt from that novel; a way for the reader to compare the fiction and the reality. What I love about this book is that the mystery is fully solved and explained but stays scary. The truth of what really happened comes out, hits like a truck, and then another twist hits you.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl. This is less horror and more mystery thriller, so take that FWIW. It's about a journalist looking into the death of Ashley Cordova, the daughter of a mysterious movie director, and hopes to uncover the director's secrets. I have to say, as gripping as this book was, the ending just kinda petered out without much fanfare. It has a view images on the pages depicting web pages and photos, but this idea isn't as present in the latter half.

BTW, if you have horror novels to recommend, I'm all ears.

[bengesko]

Tag Game to Better Know You

Send this to people you’d like to know better!

tagged by @voidsteeth ♥

What book are you currently reading? None rn, but I'm waiting on an ARC of Briardark.

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year? Haven't been to a theater for a hot minute. I legit can't remember the last time I went to a theater save for back when TROS came out.

What do you usually wear? sleeveless shirts, oversized t-shirts, gym shorts, or black pants. I like to be comfy.

How tall are you? 5'1"

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? Pisces, and my birthday is Pi Day!!

Do you go by your name or a nick-name? Nikolai/Nik, Emp, or Bengesko.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? Nope. I wanted to be a mortician. Now I just write stories with morticians as the MC.

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one? I'm in a happily committed relationship ♥

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?  I'm good at being a caretaker, and good at giving feedback. Conversely, I'm VERY bad at receiving care and compliments (even though I crave them lol)

Dogs or cats? BIRDS.

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year? This year? Idk. This piece, maybe? It's self indulgent and I love it.

What’s something you would like to create content for? Star Wars, please hire me to write the backstory for Hux and Jorj Car'das, I'm begging you. /j

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with? Stranger Things, especially Billy Hargrove

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year? Getting a disability appointment.... with a chiropractor, which means I have to get my lawyer off his ass.

What’s a hidden talent of yours? I can (and literally have) slept through tornado sirens.

Are you religious? Yes. I'm an eclectic pagan with a REALLY odd pantheon that's 90% Kemetic, but has Odin and Eris in the mix. (Don't ask, I cannot explain it.)

What’s something you wish to have at this moment? Top surgery, lol.

Tagging: @eldritch-crabbo @nebulousmistress @xannerz @awwnutbunnies @thembohux @d0z0 @puddleofchaos @pyr0clast @super-pretty

[echoes-lost]

Yay! The book haul I ordered after christmas is finally here! Very excited.

There's only Briardark which I got yesterday at the same time as my Warhammer RPG rulebook but we're not going to be picky about the haul :)

Night Lords and Briardark are both Warhammer Horror, which I have a weird fascination with. Night Lords is a trilogy set in the 40k setting, Briardark is Age of Sigmar. I'm very excited about those!

Then we have Project Hail Mary but Andy Weir. I very much loved The Martian, loved the movie and adored the book, so when I saw how well rated PHM was, I thought it was a sure bet.

I got Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw. I discovered Cassandra in a Warhammer Horror novel collection and liked her style. Hammer on Bone sounds very promising :3

Then we have Authority and Acceptation, sequels to Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Annihilation was deliciously weird and dreamy, I hope these two follow in the same direction!

And finally, Briardark I got yesterday on a haunch, I don't know anything about it :3

I'm pretty sure I also ordered a sci-fi GRRM book with those, but it seems to be missing. I'll have to check my email, maybe it got discontinued...

Anyway, very exciting reads this year!

[blurrypetals]

Briardark by S.A. Harian - blurrypetals review

originally posted oct. 28, 2024 - ★★★★☆

This book is the wonderfully weird love child of Annihilation and The Blair Witch Project, two of my all-time favorite horror movies, as well as Search and Rescue Woods by Kerry Hammond, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (my favorite stand-alone novel), and even my most recent horror read prior to this one, We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, with a pinch of The Lake House.

Which is all to say, on a list of Things Which are Definitely My Shit, you'd find the concept of this novel. As I mentioned, I really enjoy all the things I'd compare this story to on its surface, and beyond that, I really enjoyed most of the execution of it all.

I loved the way this story unfolded, the way we discover how Siena and Holden's stories (and timelines) might or might not be interacting. I loved how we slowly came to learn how everyone on the outside of the forest might not have the research group's best interests at heart and how that affects the events of the novel.

Honestly, the reason this isn't 5 stars is because it left so many questions unanswered by the end. Luckily, unlike the aforementioned We Used to Live Here there's a sequel already out as well as a forthcoming third book, so answers and cliffhanger resolutions are much more possible here than they were there.

This was a great spooky read and I can't wait to see what happens next! Until then!