Heather’s Bookshelf: Beneath the Veil
Author: Martin Kearns
Released: 10/11/21
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy
“Once upon a time, a boy fell in love with a young girl who was simplistic, beautiful, and unassuming. He’d stressed over broaching the subject of taking her out for the first time despite clear signs of her interest in him, and he’d blustered and fumbled at attempting their first kiss. The boy had been rescued when she pulled him into her lips by the collar of his shirt.”
“Beneath the Veil” introduces David Dolan, a pretty normal guy. He’s a little impulsive, but he loves his family. His life changes when the bridge his car is on collapses into the Hudson River. David risks his life to try and save a young boy and then collapses. His body washes on shore upstream shortly after.
David’s long-term girlfriend, Rose, and his mother are contacted and rush to his side in the hospital. Though in a coma, his body does not show signs of atrophy and instead appears to be gaining in muscle and strength. Meanwhile, Rose’s job as a waitress has her mostly bored until a gluttonous guest eats through the menu and then something else…
David’s body is stuck in a coma, but his mind/soul go to somewhere between life and death. On his journey, he encounters all sorts including opportunities that teach him things he could never dream of learning in the real world. He must seek the strength and wisdom to overcome the demons after him and his loved ones if they have any chance.
Trigger Warning: death, assault, violence, adult language
Overall, I found this story really intriguing and enjoyable. The author does a great job in including mythology and philosophy from different backgrounds and ideas. He also does a nice job in weaving together the fantastical portions of the story with the more realistic/present scenes. The main protagonist of David is well-developed as are the main ancillary characters of Rose, Chelsea, and Dodd. I truly enjoyed the banter between and amongst the four of them. The romance in the story, while not prevalent, was very sweet. The scary portions of the story were indeed pretty dark and if you’re not into that, then this book isn’t for you. I personally preferred the stories taking place in the “real world” and the transition from the other world. The fight scenes were a little long for me, but I did feel as though the participants were interesting and developed nicely for such a short time in the story. This is not a happily ever after kind of story and it absolutely fits the rest of the book. The epilogue I honestly felt a little odd, but may lead into book II.
I ended up checking out this story on mixed platforms (audiobook and ebook). While I enjoyed the tone and clarity of the narrator, I found some of the American accents a little odd as well as some of the pronunciation (Ex: calling 9-11 vs 9-1-1).
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
An epic tale of a man between two realms and the consequences of when those realms clash
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Martin Kearns
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here, Audible or on Kindle Unlimited
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