They've escaped from the other side, but still they live in the shadow of the mountain. They wait, until it is their turn to head East. But nobody remembers what they escaped, or what it is that they are heading towards next.

Until for the first time, someone returns from the East.

Then everything seems to change as memories come back to the surface, threatening to boil over.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Smucker did it again! Yet another haunting premise and ‘What if’ question that drew me in from the back cover copy! In this story, I loved the more fantastical setting. Nothing seemed too far fetched, and yet it was all grounded in a world that was familiar. I loved the themes explored and particularly the variety of characters introduced in the village.

Wow, this book ... *this* book ... is not only remarkably timely; it is also timeless. It reveals how our personal contributions to the grief, despair, and darkness of the world, however long hidden, can lead to overwhelming despair and a sense of loss that, with God's grace and mercy, ultimately emerge as hope and freedom.
Shawn Smucker keeps us intrigued with an undercurrent of suspense, more mystery than anxiety. And from the very first words, I thought I knew.
But I didn't, in the best possible way.

These Nameless Things was the first title that I have read by Shawn Smucker. It was an interesting read that I couldn't put down. The author is very descriptive, which draws you into the story. It is a book about pain, memories, forgiveness and your mind being a prison. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

"Abandon Every Hope, Who Enter Here"

"Do you have any idea what our freedom cost?"

"It's the kind of place you have to leave on your own. Everyone who has ever left has battled their own way out. In this place, our guilt consumes us."

"Love changed me."

These are just a few of the quotes that resonated with me as I read this book. This book is very thought-provoking as it deals with guilt, grief, personal demons, forgiveness and redemption.

Dan escaped the mountain long ago, but can't leave the village he calls home because he is waiting for his brother, Adam, to join him. As he waits, he learns that the few people left in the village are waiting for Adam's return also. Dan slowly learns how their stories join them together while at the same time remembering his part in the tragic events.

Dan decides that he must return to the horrors of the mountain in order to bring Adam out. His journey leads him into the depths of his own personal hell.

I will admit that the book had a slow start and I found some of the more descriptive passages to be a little bit tedious. But, the writing was beautifully descriptive and the emotions that evolved while reading were well worth sticking with it until the end.

I did not realize until the end of the book that it was based on Dante's "Inferno". (Maybe because I have never read "Inferno"). It has a post-apocalyptic feel to it but is much, much more than that. I know that the message of this book will stay with me for a long time.

This book was provided courtesy of Baker Publishing/Revell, through Interviews and Reviews.

In a setting that feels both familiar and other-worldly, we learn Dan and the other villagers living near a mountain have few to no memories of life before, and when the time is right, someone might decide to head east.

However, the familiar is disrupted; memories are returning, and as they share, they learn there is a common denominator in what has kept them in the village for this long.

Dan has to decide what secrets are worth protecting and which ones are worth revealing. Themes of commitment, vulnerability, sacrifice, trust and forgiveness are within these pages. These Nameless Things is reminiscent of works like Pilgrim's Progress, Dante's Inferno, and The Great Divorce. 

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher Revell via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I was excited to read another book by Shawn Smucker, however, this book just was not a good fit for me. It was formulated on Dante's Inferno, and since it has been years ago that I read that, These Nameless Things did not make sense to me. I realize that it may appeal to others having more classical reading backgrounds. I am sure there will be other readers that it will appeal to, but I was not able to convince myself to finish it. Thanks for the opportunity to try it.

My very first impression of Shawn Smucker's These Nameless Things was that the imagery crafted within is positively astounding. It was not at all difficult to become immersed in this carefully crafted world, so thorough were Smucker's descriptions. My second impression was that I did not enjoy this book, but I encourage you to roll with me as I explain a bit more. You see, These Nameless Things is not meant to be lightly read. It is utterly exhausting. Not because it is an untimely story or poorly written, but for the exact opposite reason. This book is an eloquent image of Dante's Inferno, a timely parallel and a wake-up call to the beauty of the human creature that is so thoughtfully made in the image of God. Exhausting in the sense that every nuance is critical to the understanding of the value of a person and overwhelming beauty of grace and forgiveness, These Nameless Things is worth every moment of toil alongside the characters in order to appreciate the complex themes.

I particularly love how the characters grapple with the issue of forgiveness and grace, both the giving and receiving of these precious gifts that have the power to restore humanity. Not only to restore the recipient, but also to heal the heart and soul of the giver. These elements do not come naturally or easily to the flawed creature of humanity, and the toil involved in their exploration helps to highlight how very precious they are. Yes, These Nameless Things is exhausting, but is well worth digesting every hard earned sentence.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

This book was not for me. I found the plot confusing and really slow. The characters were all depressing. I read over half the book and then gave up. I believe the story took place in Purgatory and if the author wanted to make the reader feel like they were in Purgatory too, he succeeded.
This was the first book that I have read by Shawn Smucker and I've heard that his other books are very different so I'll give him another try and see if something else he has written is more to my taste.

Thank you NetGalley and Fleming H. Revell Company for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I’ll be honest. I could not finish this book. I was 75% through and was still having a hard time getting into it. I couldn’t figure out if this was a dystopian story, allegorical, or fantasy - or something else altogether. I found the storyline slow. I love when a plot keeps you in suspense and slowly draws out the mystery. But in this case, I found the suspense too drawn out and there wasn’t really much action. The characters kept talking about doing something but that’s all there was. Even that far into the book, I still don’t know what they were trying to escape from or what they were afraid of on the mountain. And that elusive brother Adam. Was he the good guy? The bad guy? The fall guy? Who knows. We hadn’t met him yet. I rarely find a book that I can’t finish but unfortunately this was one. Maybe I’ll give it another chance someday. Maybe I missed the point completely and would love if someone else could enlighten me, 🤔


I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. A story of pain and forgiveness.
Another great book by this author.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for an advanced copy.

"These Nameless Things" by Shawn Smucker, is a book that makes us think hard about how the human mind is capable of containing so many memories. Where does it all fit inside the human brain? Into what hidden corners, crevices, nooks and crannies do we cram these so-very-poignant recollections of love, sadness, anger, horror or joy? And where do memories escape to when we choose to forget them. How do they come rushing back with all their bitter pain, so very often unbidden? Are we embarrassed by the things we did in the burdensome past, the unforgettable choices we made, for better or for worse, things we would much rather forget than remember. This book serves as a mirror to Dante's "Inferno", providing hope for our own personal dilemmas, and confronting us with the questions our own hearts often ask with such passionate fervor about guilt, forgiveness,hope and love.

These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker is a Christian speculative novel. Dan and a group of others live in an area at the base of the mountain. They have fled the mountain and are waiting for the right time for themselves to leave and move east. Dan is waiting for his brother to come before he leaves. Has an unexpected visitor from the mountain that he hides at his place. She tells him to go back to the mountain and get his brother. The people have had minimal memory and now their memory is coming back. The people each have a memory connected to Dan’s brother.

Speculative fiction is not my go to genre, but having read Shawn Smucker’s past books I knew this story would leave me pondering it after finishing it. While the Christian aspect of this story is not plain to see, it is there. For me,it was easy to see evil and good in certain characters. This is not an quick story to read, I found my self stopping and thinking about parts as I read. The message of forgiveness and doing for others are very strong.

I received an e-book copy of this story from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

"These Nameless Things" is the first book I've ever read by this author, and to be honest, its cover is what initially sparked my interest in reading it, partnered with the fact that it's been labeled a Christian mystery/suspense/thriller -- a genre combination I love. Not knowing much about this book before reading it, I didn't really know what to expect, and my initial thoughts were along the lines of... What in the world is going on here!? This feeling stuck with me throughout most of this book.

"These Nameless Things" is very mysterious and thought-provoking, where every question answered leads to more questions. In an atmosphere that is quite eerie, filled with utter despair and hopelessness, it carries a strong message of forgiveness and finding light in the darkest of places.

This book tells the story of Dan, who lives with a group of others in a village at the foot of a mountain. The exact circumstances surrounding this are not revealed at first, but It is clear that they have overcome some great trial coming over the mountain and that there is unfinished business that must be dealt with before they will be able to leave the village and head east as others have done before them. Gradually memories begin to resurface and the past must be faced in order for them to move on.
It is well written and thought-provoking, dealing with issues such as shame and forgiveness.
Not my favourite genre but it is good to try something different at times, and I definitely got into it more towards the end.

Simply - wow. I cannot get over Shawn's ability to pull us into another place. The characters feel real, the story pulls on your senses. You react, you feel, you anticipate and at the end go back to see how all the threads weaved together to create something so incredible and spellbinding. Another truly remarkable masterpiece. Read it now!

This is a complex and atmospheric novel perfect for fans of the TV show Lost and The Shack. It has themes of grief and redemption that really make you think about eternity. Much of it is based on Inferno, which I've never read, so a lot of the symbolism went over my head. That didn't keep mt from enjoying the story and wanting to find out what was going to happen. Some parts of the story didn't have answers, so if you like everything to be neatly wrapped up, you may be disappointed. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy speculative novels.



I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for the purpose of review.

I loved Smucker's previous novel and was looking forward to this one. However, this was a real struggle for me as I didn't really understand what it was about for much of it. Smucker explains in his note at the end that it's a mirror to Dante's Inferno and not having read that I didn't get the connection.

Smucker's writing is excellent in his ability to draw the reader into his scenes. I felt part of the story throughout it and I expect it was this quality that kept me turning the pages. We see the story through Dan's eyes as he and his forsaken community of nine attempt to start again having escaped some nightmare which no one can apparently remember. Until a strange young lady arrives and then everyone starts to dream. About Dan and his brother, Adam, who is lost in the place they left.

Ever so slowly the group is challenged to deal with their dreams while Dan sets off in search of Adam. Meanwhile, this strange young lady continues to play a pivotal role far beyond this group. But who is she?

I struggled because so little is said and I didn't particularly care for any of the characters which made it a battle to continue.

Clearly, from some of the other reviews there are plenty of readers who 'got it' and enjoyed the story. I think it's likely to one of those 'you either love it or don't', they'll be little in between. The themes of forgiveness and hope are present plus dealing with one's past and being able to move on. Forgiveness and unforgiveness are such strong 'soul ties' that they play an incredibly important role in one's ability to lead lives of wholeness. I appreciate that Smucker wrote a story of redemption but wish I enjoyed the story more.

As another reviewer stated I wonder if this would work better as a short story, say 150 pages, so liking the characters is less important in making a statement about redemption and forgiveness.

However, I'm not discouraged from reading Smucker's next story simply because of the quality of his writing and the issues he grapples with.

I received an early release ebook version from Revell Reads via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.

This is a hard book for me to categorize. I really enjoyed the story but was confused at times as to what was really going on in the lives of the people in this town. I loved the main characters but as the story progressed it was hard to know who they really were. Could what was happening be real or was this someone’s imagination. This really kept me wondering who and what these people were. This definitely kept my interest. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Shawn write such unique books. I would say they are more like an allegory. Jesus and faith isn’t really mentioned but you can see how it relates to our faith and our journeys.

This book has forgiveness written all over it and how unforgiveness can keep up prisoner.

Shawn just truly writes beautifully and paints vivid pictures with his writing. It is unlike anything else I have read. If you are looking for something that is off the beaten path in Christian fiction I would say give one of his books a read.

Visit Shawn here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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