Bulwark

By: Brit Lunden

Narrated by: Dan McGowan

Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

Clay Finnes is the sheriff of a small town in Georgia called Bulwark. Recently separated from his wife, all he can think about is what went wrong and if Jenna will ever come back to him. 

He's troubled by a bothersome reporter trying to build a story from what he thinks is a normal day in his life. Clay has to admit that with the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim, as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. 

A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize his life as he knows it will never be the same.

©2017 Phyllis Okon (P)2018 Phyllis Okon

creepy but fun

I wasn't sure I could be entertained by this book, because it was shorter than most of the books I read, clocking in at only 146 pages. But though this is a quick read, it is far from boring.

This felt a lot like Salem's Lot in its twisting, paranormal horror filled plot. While not quite as complicated as a Stephen King novel, Bulwark was equally entertaining with some spots of comedy that made me laugh out loud.

I never quite knew what was going to happen or even what I wanted to happen. Was I rooting Clay to get back with Jenna? What happened to their baby? Is Jenna better off starting over?

As the plot moved forward, it became increasingly clear that I wanted a happy ending, but how could that even be possible? And what was up with the creepy Gingerbread House???

I was riveted to Bulwark until the inexplicable conclusion, which seemed to answer all of my questions while also answering absolutely none of them.

Wonderfully engaging, quick listening escape

Audio Book Review. At just two and a quarter hours, Bulwark gives readers a lot of story with little time investment. The story begins with a laid-back, almost lazy pace, and then -- all hell breaks loose.

What's wonderfully engaging for the reader is the not knowing. Is main character Clay losing his mind or are there dark forces at play? Both? Neither? Is the town itself complicit in the crimes that are happening? Are there crimes really happening? Who is good, who isn't, and who knows things they aren't telling?

"It felt as if the forest was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen."

Author Brit Linden's descriptive writing really sets the mood for the story and allows an immersive experience, especially given the backdrop of evil creatures (witches, werewolves, vampires -- or not) and goings-on. There is a duality in the writing, and the reader is led down one path or the other as details are taken in and interpreted. This is carried through to the very end of the story, where surprisingly, reminiscent of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, there are two endings offered to the reader. I love that the ending is entirely the reader's delicious choice to make. I would definitely listen to another of the stories in the Bulwark Anthology; it's a great escape.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Narrator Dan McGowan is an interesting but good choice for narrator especially upon reflection after the ending(s) of the story. He handles male and female voices equally well, but with a few peculiar pronunciations and some odd inflections at the ends of sentences. A different narrator could have made the story much scarier, much eerier, but Dan's performance was fairly straightforward. The result is that the narration simply tells the story, and honestly, that works.

Thank you to the author and iRead Book Tours for an audio code in exchange for my honest opinion -- the only kind I give. This full review on Hall Ways Blog.

Loved it!

Bulwark by Brit Lunden is the first book in the series that I listed to on Audible. I have to say the narration was great and Dan McGowan did a good job with the narration. However, it was the story itself that stole the spotlight as Brit Lunden really managed to pull me in to the story as I began to feel the need to keep reading to discover the truth.

Bulwark

Brit Lunden has written an entertaining tale with her book, Bulwark. Bulwark is the name of a small community in Georgia. The sheriff of the town, Clay, has a lot going on in his life. He has not seen nothing yet until his world really turns upside down and beyond what he would ever expect.
I enjoyed Bulwark. It was a quick read, that includes so much that I always enjoy in a story. It was full of suspense, mystery, romance, action, and adventure. It, also, has a dose of creepiness that I found to be fun. It was really fast paced that kept me wanting to keep reading and find out what would happen next. Even though, it was short, I had no way of predicting what was coming up next.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of Bulwark. I enjoyed Dan McGowan’s performance. He really made the characters come to life. I thought he did a fantastic job bringing this story the way the author meant for it to be read. I loved his narration of the book. Great job, Mr McGowan!
Bulwark gets four and a half stars from me. I look forward to reading more by Brit Lunden in the future. She has great talent of keeping readers engaged from start to finish. I had no problem of listening to this all the way through without stopping. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy paranormal romance. It is most definitely wort a read.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Book 1 of the Anthology

Bulwark is the first book in the Bulwark Anthology by Brit Lunden. It is also the first book I have read/listened to by Brit Lunden. I did choose the Audiobook. It is narrated by Dan McGowan. This is a paranormal fantasy series. The books are very short, but packed full. This is basically a new twist on Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. I love there there is an alternate ending to this book as well.


Bulwark is a small town in Georgia and Clay Finnes is the main character as well as the Sheriff. One year ago his small daughter came up missing, afterwards his world collapsed. His wife Jenna have since separated and Clay finds himself still trying to figure out what went wrong.


One night there is an accident and the couple in the car mainly the woman are talking about strange things. She says the With in the Gingerbread house on Linden Lane took her children. Clay has never heard or Linden Lane but after asking around and getting strange answers from older people in town he sets out to go find Linden Lane and the Gingerbread house. Also going on in town at the same time are people acting strange, stories of wolves attacking (there are no wolves in Bulwark), and a growing green puddle. Its up to Sheriff Clay Finnes to figure out just what is going on in his town.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Fun but needs a little polishing

This was a fun little tale that blends mystery and fantasy. I loved the Gingerbread House aspect, making this work as a modern day fractured fairy tale. Bulwakr sheriff Clay Finnes is over his head on this one but he struggles on anyways. As he pieces things together, gathering facts and half-truths from reluctant sources, he must face the fantastical. Like any rational person, he doesn’t accept the supernatural elements easily.
The ladies are a little ridiculous in this story. Right off the bat, each lady is described by her looks and sex appeal. There’s Finnes’s estranged wife (Jenna), a news reporter (Dayna Dalton), a doctor, and an older lady who knows the small town of Bulwark like the back of her hand. While some of the ladies get to do a little more than lust after our hero, I wanted more from them. They, as a whole, come off a bit silly.
Meanwhile, the supernatural creatures wreak havoc with the townsfolk. I loved that they were playing for keeps and were a true hazard to Bulwark. Deputy Sheriff Owen faces some of these creatures. Jenna and Clay have more than these creatures to wrestle with as they are still tormented by the kidnapping of their young daughter Claire a year ago.
All together, the story has a solid core. However, the tale does abruptly jump from one scene to the next. Sometimes the story lacked internal continuity. I did like the 2 different endings, one happier than the other. That was a nice touch. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Dan McGowan was OK. Since this story is set in Georgia, I expected all the characters to have at least a mild Georgian accent. Yet they didn’t. Much of the story is told with a newsreporter’s cadence. That works for everything except when a character is talking. I needed just a bit more individuality in character voices. The ladies sometimes sounded like ladies and sometimes they needed a bit more femininity. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 3/5 stars.

Short but good fairy tale rewrite

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I’m not always a big fan of fairy tale rewrites but Bulwark is a good one. It uses the idea of Hansel and Gretel but it’s very different. Yes, there’s a place called the Gingerbread House and there’s a witch, but the rest is quite different.

Poor Clay is a sheriff, a “regular guy,” who’s had a rough time of it after losing his child and then separating from his beloved wife because of that loss. What he thinks is going to be another normal day is anything but!

I like that there were two possible endings. Which one is better? I haven’t been able to decide. They both have qualities of a good ending.

The narrator took me a minute to get used to. He was not what I expected, but I liked him. He had good timing, and I enjoyed the way he presented the story.

Bulwark is short but I enjoyed listening to it, and I look forward to listening to the next book, The Knowing.