This had so much I love to read in books. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this author but I definitely want to read more. I will write a more in depth review on my bookstagram

I am beyond late to this but I feel like I'm allowed to be late because I work for the company that published this... anyway.

Unbiased opinion: Rene is an incredibly talented author and this was my first time getting into horror on a serious level. It's definitely opened my eyes to the genre and I will continue to be reading horror as the year goes on to broaden my horizons with it.

I think that Rene has an incredible way of making my skin itch with her writing, and I don't mean that in a bad way. This book gave me a similar reaction to when I watched Barbarian with my best friend-- I gagged during that movie numerous times and by the end of it, I could honestly say that I loved it. Like Barbarian, this book does as the author intends for it to do: startle its readers, freak them out, and leave them with the fucking heebie-jeebies.

I loved this book more than I thought I would and can & will honestly recommend it to just about anyone.

Biased opinion: BEST HORROR BOOK OF 2023, PLEASE READ IT.

Such a gut-wrenching, heart splitting, and horror inducing read! From the very first page until the last my heart rate was chaotic, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Annaya is one tough cookie and the amount of horror and pain she endures throughout is palpable to say the least. Rene writes in such a way that makes you forget you are reading, you feel everything, every single bite, scratch, and emotion that the mc goes through. The way the dead are described it's like you can smell and taste the putrid, rotten stench and you see things in your minds eye that will never go away. Every fan of horror needs to read this book.

This was one of the BEST indie horror books I have ever read. I loved the perspective shifts & found it really added to the suspense of it! I found Rene weaved in absolutely terrifying twist and turns & I was here for it! If you are a lover of horror books that kind of bridge into the supernatural realm, this book is definitely for you !

Such a gut-wrenching, heart splitting, and horror inducing read! From the very first page until the last my heart rate was chaotic, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Annaya is one tough cookie and the amount of horror and pain she endures throughout is palpable to say the least. Rene writes in such a way that makes you forget you are reading, you feel everything, every single bite, scratch, and emotion that the mc goes through. The way the dead are described it's like you can smell and taste the putrid, rotten stench and you see things in your minds eye that will never go away. Every fan of horror needs to read this book.

This book had an interesting take on "the Sight" compared to other ghost stories. The issues I had didn't detract much enjoyment from the book. Sometimes the author was a little unclear, All in all, a great addition to the horror genre, and a must-read if you're into backwoods horror.

A Tainted Soul by AW Rene was a great read. Backwoods horror meets walking dead, yes... sign me up, please.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BDA Publishing for providing me with an eARC of A Tainted Soul in exchange for my honest review!

With its fast-paced, atmospheric, and grisly paranormal horror, A Tainted Soul gave me just what I was looking for. Right from the get-go, Rene's prose pulled me into the tale and got me enthralled by all these flawed humans and frightening supernatural entities. Annaya is definitely an intriguing and endearing lead to follow, and Kenneth is a particularly compelling character, too. I appreciate how gnarly the gore can get as the plot takes its twists and turns. A part of me does wonder if the ending should have gone in a different direction, but I'm generally happy with what we got here.

Overall, I'm officially rating A Tainted Soul by A.W. Rene four out of five stars. I'll certainly be looking forward to more of her writing.

This is the perfect read for those who love spooky stories. This follows the recipe of :"The Sixth Sense" in a way. It is absolutely interesting!
However, I did find some parts to be a tad confusing or almost as if some things were left out altogether. I don't feel it was ever really revealed as to why our characters are able to see the dead. That could be a mistake on my part but other than that, this is genuinely a wonderful read!
This would also be a great one for the fast-approaching Halloween season. It gives off the perfect creep factor!

Annaya is a teenager who has a gift of seeing the Dead which the Dead are suspiciously drawn to her and attack anywhere anytime while in her vicinity. This is a good face paced horror story with many twists. This horror book was different then what I have read in the past but it was good, keep my interest and the author did a good job on being descriptive with the book making it easy to picture everything.

Thank you to netgalley, BDA publishing and the author AW Rene for this ARC.

I love Appalachia stories having grown up in the mountains!! Mother and daughters relationship regrows as they fight off the walking dead. Would love to see this as a show!

A tainted soul by A. W. Rene
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Thankyou NetGalley and BDA Publishing for my arc for review ☺️.

I really enjoyed this book! I go into my horrors blind so I didn’t know much about it going in and I think that is the best way to read this book.
When I first started reading it I thought it was just going to be a zombie type of book but I was so wrong.
I thought Kenneth’s character was so interesting and was so unexpected. It has a folk horror feel to it and a family curse aspect where only they can see the dead.
I like how the ending it kind of open to our interpretation as the reader and the collector character was intriguing.
The only reason it didn’t get a 5⭐️ from me was because I didn’t really like reading from the sheriff’s perspective.

Book: A tainted Soul
Author: AW Rene
Highlights: “special” abilities, seeing what others cannot, self preservation, bargained soul, zombie type, creatures of the night
Favorite Character: Annaya
Honorable Mentions: Kenneth - I have a thing for dark romance — and part of me was secretly hoping it would be an enemies to lovers
Character that grew on me: The Collector
Favorite Scene: my favorite scene was when Annaya was getting some answers from Brandon about what exactly was going on.
Overall thoughts: I enjoyed the book, as I said above I love dark romance and even though part of me was hoping for it I’m glad I was wrong. It wouldn’t have fit with the story. I think this book leaves the door open for so many possibilities for the author. I would love to read more and dive more into who the collector is, Annayas bargain and what her “life” looks like now, as well as the before story of the eater.
Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Why: I gave this book a 4.5 out of 5 because I would have liked more background and details, the author focused on multiple POVs and story lines. It kinda feels like an introduction…
Predictions: maybe more of a hope… I’ll be watching for prequels, a second book, an off shoot… something to feed my hunger.

I was excited to read this book due to the cover and description but quickly lost interest. It is a bit confusing, as far as inconsistencies in the characters, and it seemed to be more concerned with the gore factor instead of the story development. There is a lot of potential, but thee novel fell short.

Rated up. My Rating 4.5.

AW RENE GOES FULL ON BALLS TO THE WALL IN “A TAINTED SOUL” A VISCERAL AND GRAPHIC BACKWOODS HORROR NOVEL

Sixteen-year-old Annaya and her mother, Samantha, are on to yet another town. After all, what else is there to do when unexplainable things happen and are always centered around Annaya? Now, the two are settled in Asherville, a small Appalachian Mountain town. The place is nice enough, but curiously it doesn’t seem to matter as the Dead find Annaya wherever she goes. Tired of running, Samantha takes Annaya to the one place she never imagined she would go again.

You are all in for a treat with this one. AW Rene is one twisted individual for writing this book, and I love her for it—such a gory, macabre, and menacing horror novel.

Where do I even start? Annaya is a teenager with the “Sight” who can see the Dead. The problem is she is no Haley Joel Osment, and these Dead are not looking to solve any unfinished business. All they seem to want to do is tear her limb from limb. The highlight of this book for me is the descriptive nature of it. AW Rene spares no detail in describing the landscape, the emotion, and every single gory death.

Thanks to NetGalley, BDA Publishing, and AW Rene for the advanced copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

This book was positively fantastic! I don’t know what was going on with me to think that anything happy was going to happen within these pages, my bad.

As much as I despised him, I truly did adore Kenneth’s character, just causing literal horror and destruction wherever he went without a single care in the world. Out of everyone, he was the real MVP.

It’s giving Bones and All vibes, but not as light hearted, which is saying a lot because Bones And All wasn’t entirely light hearted either.

Despised Brandon from start to finish. He got what was coming to him, for sure.

I’m loving the eerie energy that surrounds the specific way the author strings her particular word choices together. You know when you see the word “Maw” that you are in a horror novel. There’s almost no other reason to use that word unless it’s to describe something horrific! Some of the phrases and descriptions came off as tragically poetic which fit the overall energy of the story.

When it comes to horror, this one is positively top notch and I will be recommending it to all my horror loving friends!

Couldn't get into the writing, felt almost YA even though the subject matter wasn't. Lots of gore and all, but in the end not for me.

Annaya Roth has always been able to see the Dead. But with every birthday, the Dead become more violent. When she turns thirteen, they are joined by the Whispers, which tear everyone around her to shreds. After the Whispers tear apart two bullies at her new high school and Annaya is the main suspect for the murder, her mother takes both of them to see Annaya's estranged uncle. He has been dealing with the same curse his whole life, but will he actually be able to help? Or will going to him uncover truths that make things worse?

I would rate A Tainted Soul by AW Rene 5 out of 5 stars. It was one of the best indie horror books I have ever read. The perspective shifts added to the suspense of the novel, and Rene did an amazing job of weaving in believable and absolutely terrifying twists. Rene included multiple types of demons within the story as well that kept it very interesting.

If you are a lover of horror books that cross into the supernatural realm, this is the book for you. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, heart racing as you try to figure out what happens next. I would absolutely read this book again, and I will definitely be looking for more horror books from AW Rene.

Hi, I just couldn’t get through the book, I am really sorry. I actually read romance books and wanted to try a book from different genres but it just proved to me that anything without romance will not be digested by me. I am really sorry that I asked for book and did not give the feedback. I know that you are waiting for it or maybe other people have given you the accurate feedback. I just could not and I am sorry for it.

Annaya is a teenager with the ability to see and touch the dead. These tangible, violent Dead can not only reciprocate, but are suspiciously drawn to her. They attack anywhere, anytime in Annaya's vicinity, immediately inviting readers into her high stakes world. Chapters from her POV are interspersed with ones from a detective, plus a mysterious, frightening antagonist who is hungry for...more than the roadside diner offers. The latter and Annaya are on a collision course throughout the book, a skillful escalation of tension. The first leg of the plot reminded me of King's Firestarter, with a supernaturally gifted child on the run with a parent, but utilizing folk magic rather than scientific experimentation to attribute powers. I prefer this, personally.

This book had an interesting take on "the Sight" compared to other ghost stories, extending to all senses. Another tidbit I enjoyed was the use of music: specific songs are playing on the radio throughout the book, giving the plot a fever dream quality - this could almost be our world.

The settings, and descriptions in general throughout the book are impeccable. I could see grimy wallpaper peeling off walls; smell the stale, oily fragrance of aged roadside dinners in rural Appalachia. The high school is decaying almost as badly as the Dead corpses who torment Annaya, and the crumbling, poorly maintained building is a fitting stage for inciting incidents of the plot.

The minor issues I had didn't detract much enjoyment from the book! Sometimes the narrative was a little unclear (I mistook the Collector for the Eater), and some staples of the plot, like the Dead being tangible for those with Sight, were puzzling: did the fluids and remains of vanquished Dead slowly rot unless those with the Sight cleaned them up, or did they kind of vanish video-game style? Buuuut questions like this also successfully leave it open for a sequel or expansion of the story's universe, and exposition would have stopped the book's rapid pace, which had me gripped as a reader.

All in all, a fine addition to the horror genre, and a must-read if you're into backwoods horror or podcasts like Old Gods of Appalachia.

TWs: violence, murder, gore, death, dismemberment, mutilation of child characters on-page, violence towards child protagonist, walking corpses, consumption of human bodies, brief depictions of bullying.