Katalepsis: Volume 1

Katalepsis, Book 1

De: Hazel Young

Narrado por: Marisa Calin

Heather Morell is haunted. Otherworldly nightmares and monstrous hallucinations lurk around every corner, relics of childhood bereavement and schizophrenia.

Until she meets Evelyn and Raine—a bad-tempered mage and her self-proclaimed bodyguard—and learns that she’s not insane after all.

The monsters she sees are all too real, the god-thing in her nightmares is teaching her the secrets of creation, and her twin sister—the lost girl who supposedly never existed—might still be clinging on, a dwindling soul somewhere beyond the walls of reality, Outside.

Heather plunges into a world of eldritch magic and fanatic cultists, trying to stay alive, stay sane, and deal with her own blossoming attraction to dangerous women. But being ‘In The Know’ isn’t all terror and madness. Sometimes the monsters wear fancy dresses and stick around for afternoon tea. Sometimes she finds more in common with them than she expects. Perhaps this new world is Heather’s chance to be more than a defeated husk of human wreckage.

And perhaps, out there on the far-flung rim of reality, she can find a way to bring her twin sister back from the dead.

©2022 Hazel Young (P)2022 Podium Audio

Fantastic!

I loved the book and the narrator is phenomenal! The length was perfect and I can’t wait to continue the series.

One of the best cosmic horror

One of the best cosmic horror story I read/listen.
Performance is good too. English is not my native language and I understood everything perfectly.

Absolutely fantastically made!

For anyone who enjoys Fantasy, horror, LGBTQIA this book will take you on an absolute thrill ride from the first moment and makes you want more every moment. The plot twists and character development of all the characters really makes me enjoy and worry for them themselves. I can’t wait to get the next book when it comes out.

Really fun characters and story!

If you enjoy the more Lovecraftian style of fantasy, a few disaster lesbians, and a protagonist who hiccups a bit when she gets flustered, then this is for you!

loved it!

Wonderful characters, great story, and excellent writing!

I really enjoy eldredge horror, so when this series was recommended to me I was excited, and itwas everything I hoped it would be!

Meh

The premise of the story is great. I'm not sure why I didn't like the book more.

The main character is so WHINY. I can't do this, I can't do that. And she is really strong (mentally).

Intriguing story

Story and characters are great, narration might be a little fast I preferred listening at 0.9x speed.

One of the most unique books I've ever read

I truly love the concept and plot of this story. Young explores several genres of horror all wrapped into one character driven tale. After listening to the audiobook, I did start reading further on the author's website, and I truly believe the story actually get even better.

My biggest critique of the audiobook is the narrator. While she absolutely nails dialogue and character voices, I find her general narration a little odd and sing-songy, which I think is a strange choice for a horror novel.

The overall book also has a slight issue with pacing, which I think is a result of it's original incarnation as a web serial. This was most obvious at the end of the book when the tale seems to stop a little abruptly.

The fact that this book is so character driven is my absolutely favorite piece of this creepy tale. The viewpoint character, Heather, always makes decisions informed my her own experiences which ensures a truly organic feel to the plot.

Of course, my two favorite things about the story in general are Heather's character growth and the romance! I think it's rare to have such well written horror and romance in one book.

Overall, I recommend the book! I think some people like me might find the narrator ti be an odd choice, but the plot is such a delight that it's easy to overlook.

Interesting new concept

Really enjoyed this book. Just want more and sad there are not any more released.

Raging Lesbians Try to Yell at an Eye For 22 Hours

I mean sure, a lot of crazy shit happens in between the attempted yelling. But that's pretty much the core of the book. And its fucking fantastic. Why?

The Horror:
The cosmic horror has sunken into every fiber of this story. And it's- most importantly- creative. Most eldritch horror stories take a "less is more approach." However this story flips that on its head by laying its eldritch cards out on the table first thing. And keeping them there. Don't think this means that you know everything going into it though. Just because the monsters start appearing early doesn't mean you know how far the rabbit hole goes. There's a whole wonderland down there to explore.

The Writing/Voice Acting:
The writing itself is pretty good. It's easy to keep up with what's going on. And it's fairly descriptive. (Especially when it comes to those nice little gory bits.) Marisa Calin also did a great job of narrating. I will admit that some voices for different characters do get a bit similar. But nothings perfect; and she nails the main characters. The writing/voice acting is a two combo punch that knocked out my expectations.

And finally, The Characters:
I must admit- as much as I love eldritch horror- I find myself becoming bored with the paper thin characters this genre often provides. Slogging through twelve hours of some random persons boring day to day bullshit is a lot. And the final hour of them finally getting eaten by the cosmic mold monster in their basement sometimes just isn't enough to keep me going till the end of the book.

Luckily, Hazel Young dodges this bullet by adding the concept of interesting, proactive characters. The main cast is great. Evee could carry this book alone with her sass. Raine has the swagger of a champion. However, Twil is best girl. And I will DIE ON THIS HILL. I do wish the main character Heather had a little bit more urgency to her at times. But there is a- mostly sound- logic to her choices. And she is still a good character that brings a little bit of stability to a gaggle of wild assholes. The group is fun, funny, and actively gets shit done. (Even if they are pushing, biting, and shoving at each other all the way up to the finish line.)


To sum this whole essay up: If you like cosmic horror, violent lesbians, and sass then this story is for you.