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K. A. Y.

"There are houses like this all over the world..."

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2017

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4.5 stars!

SONGS OF DREAMING GODS, by William Meikle, is another installment of his take on "special" houses that exist in locations where the veil between the living and the dead are the thinnest. This particular novel takes place in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Called back early from the recovery of a nearly deadly stomach wound, John Green finds himself in charge of a particularly barbaric, multiple homicide. The location is an apartment in an otherwise untenanted building. Along with him, he brings Janis Lodge--who he had come to rely upon as much off the force, as on it--and Todd Wiggins.

". . . There's quiet, and there's downright creepy . . ."

The atmosphere gets to the reader without any hesitation. After first seeing the signs of carnage and sending the lone survivor off to be questioned, a strange--almost physically obtrusive--fog encompasses the building. John finds himself on the inside, while his co-workers are on the outside.

Although the house was now "different" than the one he originally entered . . .

"Is this what the doctor meant when he said there might be mental instability? . . . I can tell you right now for nothing, I'm feeling pretty f---ing unstable."

Each scene is designed to both give additional information about the situation, and to show the reader the individual characters. We learn about them--their history, current status, and fears--directly from the "observations" we garner as the novel progresses.

". . . She knew that a foot-high doll couldn't reach the door handle, but she also knew that dolls didn't jump down off shelves and run across floors."

With the "realities" of the building in constant fluctuation, you might expect to feel as lost as the characters themselves. However, Meikle is quite adept at getting his point across without necessarily having to spell everything out. The shroud of mystery is almost like a puzzle we have to solve in order to get to the prize.

". . . The Dreaming God is singing where he lies . . . "

Personally, I really enjoy this theme that Meikle has developed in some of his novels and novellas. The idea of buildings that have the proximity to . . . other . . . planes, and that some people in need could get to them, is an incredible notion that you could delve into in so many ways.

"There are houses like this all over the world . . . "

So far, this novel has had the most "complex" storyline--in my opinion--and I hope to see more from William Meikle in regards to these "unique" locations in the near future.

Recommended!

Randy Stafford

Some Interesting Variations on Meikle's Sigil and Totem Mythos

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2019

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When three cops are called to an abandoned house in St. John's, Newfoundland, their lives will never be the same. And that’s not just because of the five mangled bodies inside.

This is a full-length novel treatment of Meikle’s Sigil and Totem idea. As it’s explained in the book,

"There are houses like this all over the world. Most people only know of them from whispered stories over campfires; tall tales told to scare the unwary. But some, those who suffer, some know better. They are drawn to the places where what ails them can be eased. If you have the will, the fortitude, you can peer into another life, where the dead are not gone, where you can see that they thrive and go on, in the dreams that stuff is made of."

But those houses have rules. They break down sometimes. That’s what happened to the house in St. John's.

And now Inspector John Green, just back to work from recovering from a knife attack two months ago, can’t find his way out of the house. But he does find his way into what may be a far future world. There’s also a Rat King, black eggs which may be the quantum foam of other dimensions, and chess with the Reaper.

And Sergeant Janis Lodge can’t find her boss in the house, a place where rooms seem to change character, jump back and forth in time. And there’s the matter of the china dolls that keep coming for her.

And Constable Wiggins is back at the station, wondering what happened to his bosses and if the one witness to the murders may herself be in danger.

This story moves fast Meikle alternating between his three characters.

As usual with Meikle, I don’t want to say much more. He’s a taunt writer whose tales are fast moving. You don’t get very far into his stories without some surprises, so I’ll say no more about the plot. This is a vertiginous story and baffling at times. While it’s not the first Sigils and Totems story I’ve read, I’m not sure I understood everything. The usual rules didn’t seem to always apply. But I didn’t have the sense this was an arbitrary world with Meikle just making stuff up as he goes along. I felt there were rules – just that I didn’t understand them. On the other hand, maybe I was just in such a hurry to get through the story that I missed something.

Meikle shows there is a lot of potential to this series. And if weird fiction should end with you less certain of the world and how it works, this is definitely weird fiction. This is one of those times the unexplained works in a story’s favor, where it’s best to see the wave-probabilities of plot rationales, their ambiguities and mysteries, rather than have them collapsed into a neat package by the author.

One character at the end of this story does make a decision I thought was a bit unexplained, but that’s my only complaint.

S P Smith

Another well done atmospheric horror tale from William Meickle

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2018

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Another well done atmospheric horror tale from William Meickle which continues his ongoing Lovecraftian theme of "special" house scattered throughout the world were people can pierce the thin veil between our reality and other dimensional planes. In this particular case, a team of Newfoundland detectives, in the curse of a murder investigation, get caught up in the bizarre realities of a "broken" house. This results in each detective having to navigate the house and coming to the conclusion that they a e in actuality navigating their own emotions and inner demons. If you enjoy H.P. Lovecraft, atmospheric horror and a story that challenges you then you will enjoy this wonderful offering.

Cat After Dark

Jump into a book

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2017

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There are other worlds than these...

And as author William Meikle draws you into the new newest house he has discovered, you'll be glad to leave our world behind if only just for a little while. This is pure Meikle and when you finish, you'll have a smile on your face.

Recommended to all.

Miss Lyn

Songs of Dreaming Gods

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2017

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Investigating horrific multiple murder scene,the police find themselves drawn into a very strange house where nothing is as it seems!
This is a very good book.

Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017

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A house of special properties for certain types of people, now broken and nightmarish.

Top reviews from other countries

Yvonne

Not a typical murder case

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2017

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Called in, whilst on sick leave, Detective John Green is asked to head up the investigation to a gruesome multiple murder. On his team is Janis Lodge and Todd Wiggins and whilst they worry that he is not up to the job, they will always have his back. The house where the murders happened has history, but as the investigation unfolds, they not only find out about the cause of the murders but things that were hidden in themselves.
John Green was a no-nonsense copper; however, he was willing to put himself in danger to save others. Injured in the line of duty, he was on sick leave when he had the call. The further John investigates the more you find out about his past, and you realise what a troubled childhood he had, tormented by demons, but always wanting to do the right thing. Janis Lodge thought the world of John Green and even when there was doubts that he was up for the job, she always had his back. Even when he was recovering from his injuries, she was always there for him.
This story started out like any murder/thriller, but as the story progressed it became more sinister. The house had a life of its own and the flashback scenes were used to explain its history. John’s journey through the house and his confrontation with his childhood demons the Reapers, made me feel that there was no hope for John and that he was fighting a losing battle. Although I did find a bit of humour with John’s dialogue with Death. Some of my favourite scenes involved Janis and the porcelain dolls. Tapping into Janis’s childhood phobia, the dolls stalked her wherever she went. There was a lot of minor details, that all played an important part to the story and it was when items were removed as evidence that the scenes in the Police station became graphic. This story draws you in and you feel the oppression of the house. The repetitive song “He Sleeps in the Depths” really plays with you mind and I had it running through my head for days. The ending tied up the story perfectly.
This book grabbed my interest from the blurb and whilst I recognised the author this is the 1st book that I have read, but will not be the last.

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