I will be up front that the formatting on the digital copy ended up affecting my opinion of this, but I also had this book extremely paced out when I actually read it, and honestly had to try and go back a few chapters each time to try and remember what was happening. There is a lot going on here, and frankly, for me, it doesn't all come together. It aims big but doesn't entirely make it. If nothing else I respect what he was trying to go for here, but this feels like a very unfocused first book. Best of luck to him in the future.

“Can’t go around it. Can’t go under it. Can’t go over it. Gotta go through it.”

Ok, I’ll be honest. For the majority of this book, I was pretty confused about what was happening 😂

Despite this, it was an epic tale, and one I had a hard time putting down. I just kept telling myself “all should be revealed in time” as I followed along with Greydal on his journeys.

The world building and descriptions of scenes were fantastical, and I kept wanting to know more and more about what the author had created.

About the halfway point and onwards the dots started connecting and the reader gets some answers and secrets are revealed. At the end of the book I felt like I needed to reread it from a whole new perspective knowing what I do now. Some parts did go completely over my head, and I’m still unsure about certain plot points (Bishop’s anger, the inception like dimensional stuff, the house Rulf and Greydal stayed in, etc). Not having/knowing all the answers is hard for me, I am someone who NEEDS to know what is happening in detailed explanations. So that is what I struggled with while reading this book, although it is always good to try reading things outside your comfort zone.

It’s absolutely an adventure that dabbles in sci fi and fantasy with cosmic proportions; one that should be on everyone’s reading list!

“Not only nightmares thrived—delights dwelt there, too.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Crossed Crow Books, and Burrow & Grim Press for a copy.

This is a scary and very well written book. When I tell you I was uncomfortable! I think this would appeal more to my husband or like manly men, than me.
But it is good. I am glad I had the chance to read it.

The blending of genres is so fascinating here because none of it is so complex as most books of this nature are. It was a fun read and I look forward to seeing what else this author has in store for us.

Hounding is a fantasy book of a different breed....

The book begins with Greydahl fretting over his "trial" for his indiscretions connected to the murder his father has committed. It takes us a long, slow portion of the book to the actual trial.

It becomes pretty evident that crawl is less concerned with the murder & more about the confiscating of "items", which are not immediately described.

Greydahl heads out from his village and the adventures begin, meeting a witchgirl and others ...

Check out this book for one of the more unusual fantasies