3 out of 4 stars
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Fear began when the dead body appeared. The fear increased when a single dark-hooded figure stood watching the village. Next, the lights appeared. That is when the nightly watch began. Such were the occurrences in The Walls of Woodmyst, a suspense-filled book by Robert E Kreig.
In The Walls (for short), the little village of Woodmyst is initially being watched by unknown beings for unknown reasons. While the beings watch, the villagers get more and more terrified yet determined to guard their village. Every night, a watch is kept, and it soon becomes apparent that the enemy is better manned. Not only that, but they also seem to have a "take no prisoners" attitude. As the enemy ups the ante on each successive night, things start to look dire for the villagers. Will they succeed in defending their turf? Moreover, will they find out just why the enemy has focused on them?
I'm so used to reading horror novels full of high-impact action and graphic violence that it was nice to read a tale that was set to simmer rather than boil. The book started off with some light action before slowing down to let the suspense build. As the sun set beyond Woodmyst's walls every evening, I found myself getting more and more frightened, fearful of what the night would bring. I also let out a sigh of relief when morning came but worried whether the day's preparations would be enough for that night. In addition, I figured out a major bit of information just past the 2/3 mark, so I was especially frantic because I didn't know how Mr. Kreig would end his tale. By the time I'd reached the 3/4 mark, I was jumping at every little sound around me in my apartment. Even though I'd already puzzled some things out, there were other things that came as a shock, and I really enjoyed the payoff.
Chief Barnard Shelley was the village leader, but he also leaned heavily on his councilmen, including Richard Dering, Alan Warde, and Michael Forde, among others. I liked nearly everyone involved, but I sometimes wondered how the chief came to his position, as he sometimes seemed to lack in leadership skills. At the same time, I liked that he was willing to listen to his men rather than having a stubborn, know-it-all attitude. As a result, the jury is still out on my having any deeper feelings about him. Of the other main characters, I found Richard to be the most likable, possibly because he seemed to have the best morals of everyone. None of the characters were fleshed-out really well, but I knew enough about them to feel for their plights. I especially admired the emphasis on family; husbands and wives had loving moments with each other and playful moments with their children. Due to some of his actions, Alan's young son, Tomas, brought out my maternal feelings, such as impatience and fear. I also admired the serves' (the author's term for "servants") dedication to duty even in the face of fear. I cannot really say how I felt about the enemy because they were left as mysterious figures without motives for most of the book. If this story was a horror movie, the enemy would be like Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise.
I do wish that the author had included a map of the village, like the pictures that often preface fantasy novels, because I often found myself having difficulty picturing where actions were taking place. This was especially problematic when following the villagers through various twists and turns in their town.
The Walls of Woodmyst had the proper tone and feel for a book of its genre. The writing never suffered from stiffness, but it also wasn't weighed down with inappropriate fancy flourishes. Unfortunately, the great writing did not extend to the grammar, as the tome was full of errors. Missteps included punctuation mishaps, extra words, and incorrect plural forms. There were also a few sentence fragments that were not stylistic in nature. Due to the myriad of typographical errors throughout the book, I'm forced to give this tome 3 out of 4 stars.
Even though I emphasized the slow-burning nature of this story, I don't want to be remiss in noting that there are scenes with graphic violence and descriptions. With that being said, I do recommend this tale for fans of horror, psychological, and paranormal books, as Amazon lists this tome under those genres. Readers who enjoy a good suspense novel that keeps one on the edge of one's seat should also enjoy the story. Due to the scary descriptions of the hooded enemies, I don't think this book is appropriate for young readers or those who are easily spooked.
"I always feel like somebody's watching me!" - Rockwell featuring Michael Jackson.
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The Walls of Woodmyst
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