Glitterland

Spires, Book 1

By: Alexis Hall

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people’s expectations.

Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Essex-born Darian Taylor. By his own admission, Darian isn’t the crispest lettuce in the fridge, but he makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it’s like to step beyond the boundaries of anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can’t see past the glitter to the light. Can a man who doesn’t trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can a man who doesn’t believe in happiness ever fight for his own?

©2016, 2018, 2023 Alexis Hall (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Emotional wreckage

This series is a trigger minefield. Emotional wreckage. Exquisite sex scenes that actually make it worse. I adore it. Highly recommend.

Dark, funny and heartwarming

Another good one by Alexis Hall. I laughed, I cried (a lot). And good narration on top of it. Do recommend.

Waited for this!

Ever since reading Glitterland, I hoped for an updated version that included the afterward. While the subject matter (mental illness) is both painful and difficult at times, Alexis Hall's lovely prose and storytelling makes it worth it. This is an earlier work from Hall (first published) but that did not detract from a beautiful tale of love, growth and understanding. Add Nicholas Boulton's incredible narration for a book that will bring both tears and smiles.

Dark romantic story

The main character was hard to like at first yet you warm to his hardness- very true to gay men - the characters are interesting and fun- really enjoyed

A good read overall :)

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I felt like the narrator was a bit older than the characters were portrayed to be in the book and on the cover. This made it difficult for me to visualize them. I appreciate the author’s depictions of bipolar and depression, as well as the character growth and the beautiful use of words, choices, and descriptions. However, I found it challenging to become fully invested in the characters because I couldn’t visualize them as easily as mentioned. Despite this, I think it’s a cute book, and I’m excited to read the next one.