Tanner's Place by Caleb Clark SFINCs4 Book Review
This review is part of the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS). SFINCS, pronounced “sphinx”. This is a yearly competition to recognize, honor, and celebrate the talent and creativity present in the indie community. It’s a sister competition to both SPFBO and SPSFC, and it highlights greatness in the novella format in all areas of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc.).
To see more information on my team TBR Strikes Back check out this post!
Blurb for Tanner's Place
Looking for a clean start far from the modernity of Attimus, Esha and her bodyguard Nur'rosh have taken a new job. Far to the north, the pair finds themselves in a rundown village called Tanner's Place, and it's clear the townsfolk aren't fond of outsiders.
On the night of the Reaper's Moon, Esha and Nur must fend off the faceless demons in the woods and the ones they carry within. But nobody leaves Tanner's Place alive. In fact, no one leaves at all.
Tanner's Place Book Review
Tanner’s Place begins with the story of a woman settling the accounts of a deceased bank customer. But quickly, a foreboding air descends as Esha is warned of traveling under a Reaper's Moon. A warning she dismisses alongside her hired orc bodyguard, Nur. They push on under the promise from their carriage driver of taking a shortcut. A shortcut they will regret, as it forces them into a horrific and deadly journey.
Caleb Clark is spot on with creating a main character readers will find themselves sympathizing with. Esha is drowning in addiction, and Nur is attempting to regulate her use of moonpowder. Plagued with guilt, readers will be led to assume they understand the full extent of Esha’s tortured past. But as the story reveals the true reason behind her guilt, readers will rethink everything they believed. The imagery used to portray Esha’s battle against addiction and the dark thoughts she harbors is brutal and bloody.
And then there is Nur’s point of view, which gives readers the chance to witness addiction from an outside perspective. But Nur isn’t faultless either, haunted by a past of battles and betrayal. Nur’s remorse is not as strongly written as Esha’s. While this is good for not overshadowing Esha’s struggles, it would have been great to form a closer connection with Nur to have a more potent emotional impact as things go sideways for them both.
Tanner’s Place is for fantasy horror readers who enjoy a blend of horror types. The writing has aspects of psychological horror that involve unreliable narration and the slow descent into madness, as well as body horror and occult.
To Purchase: Bookshop | Author's Website
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