This was a miss for me. The story itself was okay, and the writing was fine, I just could not connect with the characters, and the dialogue was stilted and it took me out of the flow of reading often.

I have loved George Romero’s work since I was a little girl watching Night of the Living Dead, I’m talking like 5 years old 😅

I love that Daniel Kraus has been going through his things and trying to put his unfinished work out there so I was pretty excited for this one.

It’s a quick tale, set in the swamplands of Louisiana and was really atmospheric. I loved our MC, Pontiac, who’s a fiery little 9 year old Cajun girl. The plotline was good, but there were points that kind of felt disjointed, like you could tell there are two people writing this. I listened to it on audio, the narrator was perfect for the story. All in all, it’s a quick and bouncy ride, and I can only hope to see more of Romero’s unpublished work in the future. Thanks to the publisher for my audiobook.

"It was a hard turn to take, learning the monster was you."
▪️George Romero and Daniel Kraus, Pay the Piper

Narrated by Sophie Amoss
Published October 29, 2024
Thank you to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook to listen and review.

Much like the other Kraus+Romero horror, The Living Dead, Pay the Piper is a huge story with many characters and intense reflections on its setting of a swampy, forgotten town in Louisiana.

It's not without its flaws and it won't be for everyone, but also like TLD, I was enamored by the audiobook and gave it 5⭐. I just loved it! And personally connected with it.

It was a gorgeous and challenging reading experience, though warnings for language, violence, and gross s3xual content.

Accents abound in this audio journey of a Louisiana town drowning in folk horror and kooky characters. Those expecting Romero's zombies might be disappointed but this is still a solid Southern horror, especially considering Romero is from Pennsylvania and Kraus hails from Iowa.

I absolutely love the story behind how this book came to be! With Romero I was expecting something else but really loved how this one differed from his usual. Kraus on the other hand is becoming a fast favorite. This was a creepy listen, and the audiobook narrator was great at making the voices distinguishable.

I thought this book was awesome.

I love Romero, and reading something of his that wasn't about zombies was a whole new side to him that I've never experienced.

The book was excellent. The action was packed. The dialogue was on point.

Really, what more do I need to say? It's an excellent book, superbly narrated. Go try it for yourself!

First of all, the story behind the discovery of this unfinished manuscript in Romero’s archives is so incredibly fascinating to me. Kraus, having worked with Romero before, was the perfect person to discover and bring this story to life.

The last remaining residents of the tiny town of Alligator Point, Louisiana are being haunted by something dark and ancient. This entity is in a mad dash to double down efforts and nobody is safe.

I absolutely loved the characters and the dynamics they presented within the interactions. There was such a depth to this story, with the horror aspects found to be truly terrifying. Diverting away from zombies, Romero had an incredible idea and Kraus did a great job tying everything up.

I read a physical arc while listening to the alc and I found the combination to be so immersive. The narration was fabulous!

If you are a fan of supernatural horror or any story taking place in the Bayou this story is for you. If your focal point of a story are the characters these authors definitely deliver. It has a lot heart and a great use of body horror.

"Pay the Piper" is strange and creepy. There's a lot happening in this novel, and I wasn't sure how it would come together, which made the ending that much more satisfying. The characters were written very well, and the audiobook narrator did an excellent job giving them each a voice and cadence of their own. This book was a very good story from two very creative minds.

Something about the pacing and voice of this book.. I just could not get into it. I dnf'd pretty early in my read, around the 14% mark. I think that the overall idea of the book is really interesting but I just don't feel myself reaching for it. I paused on my listening about a week and a half ago because I could feel myself becoming detached from the story so I wanted to give myself a break. However since then, I just find myself wanting to pick it back up less and less.

I liked the premise and it sounds very interesting from the description and other reviews but it sadly just isn't for me right now. Thank you to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for this audbiobookarc!

This book got off to a bit of a slow start for me. It's well written and the story does move, but it just didn't feel like it was for me. But once I really got rolling it got even better and the climax was good. For anyone who is a fan of George Romero or Daniel Kraus it's worth a read.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Renee Pontiac has grown up in her home of Alligator Point, Louisiana hearing rumors of an entity from the swamp known as "the Piper". Stories become truth as children are being murdered. The town's only option is to listen to the stories of their ancestors to find a way to fight back against this terror.

3.5 stars. There was a lot about this book that I enjoyed but did find the pacing and length to be difficult. I had a hard time sticking with it and it took quite a bit more time for me to finish than with most books. I'm not sure if that comes down to this being an unfinished book from George A Romero that was picked up and finished by Daniel Kraus. I truly loved the characters. I'm not always drawn to stories with very young protagonists. Nine year old Pontiac was a delight and such a strong character. I am glad I read this as an audiobook. Sophie Amoss did great with the narration and probably kept me around when I might have stopped reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The children of Alligator Point, a small town in Louisiana, are going missing. A modern take on the Pied Piper with a twist, the premise of the story is excellent, and I loved the character of Pontiac. The problem I had with the book is the pacing, and I believe it may be due to the two authors; it just didn’t flow.

Updated to add: As I read back on certain parts, rather than listening, I find that the physical book works better than the audiobook for me. So, for this book I think the narration may throw it off a little. That said, the narrator on the audiobook is talented, especially with the accents which I really enjoyed and kept listening to hear that. But, i found the story to flow much better reading on my own.

Guess this review is a mixed bag, but bottom line is it’s a good horror story and I’m glad I completed it. I would try this narrator on a different book.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to listen!

🪈🐊 ARC REVIEW 🐊🪈

Pay The Piper by Daniel Kraus and George A. Romero
4.5/5 ⭐
Audio Pub Date 🇺🇸: Oct 29th

I could not put this books down! It felt like a bayou "IT" in the absolute best way, and it is one of my favorite horror reads this year.

It follows a young girl as her small town in the bayou of Louisiana is terrorized by the 'Piper,' a mysterious horror that takes children.

Please read if you like the following:
🐙 Rich Louisiana Culture
🐙 Terrifying entities with gruesome plans
🐙 Intricate narratives of people's interwoven lives
🐙 Octopuses (Octopi?)

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing this advanced review copy!

🏷️#netgalley #PayThePiper #horror #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #instabook #bookrecommendations #read #bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookshelf #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklovers #booklove

Thank you Netgalley union Co, and brilliance audio for the free finished copy and alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This was twisted, disturbing, had me covering my eyes and my mouth every time I gasped.i dont know if this one worked for me. But enjoyed the narration and was creeper out the entire time.i went in blind and would advise to adding a trigger warning page. It disturbed me a hit regarding kids being mentioned and nudity.

3.5/5☆