At the edge of the world, unknown and unseen, he endures and survives even in our digital era…
THE BEST HORROR NOVEL OF 2019 ACCORDING TO “READER’S FAVOURITE”
★★★★★ “This was an incredible book! The characters are well-described, the action is consistent, and the imagery, specifically the personification, is wonderful! There were moments I could feel the forest around me, breathing down my … forest around me, breathing down my neck. Remarkable!” [Lana Mowdy, a Professional Editor]
A young man leaves his backdoor Russian town and heads to Moscow, never to be poor again. With each day, he grows more and more desperate until he meets an old geologist with an intriguing and surprisingly profitable offer: to join him on his trip to the depths of Siberia, the largest forest on the planet, and become a “black digger” – one of those who find and excavate mammoth tusks with the purpose of selling them as ivory to the highest bidder.
With nothing much to lose, our hero agrees, venturing to the edge of the Earth, beyond the borders of civilization and into the untouched wilderness. There, thousands of miles from home, in a race against the clock before the cold seals the ground, he has to face nature, other diggers, his inner demons and, most importantly, the enigmatic “Master of the Forest” – a prehistoric creature and the origin of all local legends, who ferociously protects his domain.
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To be frank – I got this book for three reasons. #1 – it was offered up as a freebie on Amazon. #2 – look at that freaking cover! #3 – Siberia.
I’d never heard of the author or the book before, but the cover and saying it was a horror novel set in Siberia had me hooked, and of course with it being offered up as a Kindle freebie sweetened the pot.
I’ve always been drawn towards Russian and Siberian based stuff; movies, TV shows and books. For me at least, the vast, unexplored realms of these areas are intriguing, lending itself to be ideal settings for the ‘unknown.’ There was a pseudo-reality show a few years back entitled Siberia that I enjoyed greatly. The acting wasn’t top notch, but the premise was fantastic and as the story evolved and unfolded it drew you in deeper and deeper. Alas, it only aired for one season, then was cancelled, leaving us with a massive cliff-hanger.
Luckily for us, Dereschuk doesn’t leave any cliff-hangers here.
Now – to warn you all – this book will be a struggle for some because a good portion of it reads as though it was put through Google translate. I’m not sure if this was originally released in Russia and then the author translated it, but there are many paragraphs that don’t read smoothly and it’s either because English is a language newer to Artyom, or the translation didn’t do it any favours. If you can look past that, you’re in for a treat.
The first 25% of the book is a slower start. Dereschuk builds the basis nicely as too why our main character goes from a small town to the big city of Moscow then abandons everything to head off into the Siberian wilderness in search of buried Mammoth tusks. They want to excavate the tusks and sell them on the black market, making hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Once he makes the decision to leave his corporate job behind and head to the wilderness, that’s where the story really picks up.
Dereschuk does a great job of introducing the interpersonal relationships between our main character, his geologist partner and the other diggers at the camp and once a discovery is made, the action ramps up.
I loved the descriptions of the titular Master of the Forests and blood, gore and carnage ensue. This was a really fun creature-feature and I think deserves to be read by fans of the genre. If you live for Severed Grin Press releases, you’ll definitely want to check this one out!
An Intriguing Read
I love archaeology and enjoyed the inclusion of fossil hunting. It gave a unique depth to the story that added to the overall appeal for me. It added an interesting link between ancient myth and modern life.
The cast of characters were diverse and unexpected. The take on this legend was fascinating and not one I’ve encountered yet. It was fresh and thought-provoking.
I think the author did a good job drawing the reader into the atmosphere of the tale and setting. The oppressive undertone added to the horror elements.
A very good story, well written and presented. Keeps you wanting to turn the pages as fast as you can read. There are no “dull” moments in this book. If you think you can tell what happens next – you will probably be wrong.
Great book.
Plot is ok but predictable. Read to go to sleep at night. You will know the end halfway thru.
Master of the Forest is a great book in a long list of “Bigfoot/Sasquatch” books. My grandson and I have talked about going to Siberia to dig up mammoth tusks, but after reading this book, I’ve definitely put that idea on hold. The story is spell-binding, but it needs some serious proof reading and editing. Also, too many F-bombs. Still, the story kept me turning pages late into the night.