Review: Gaze Long Into the Abyss by Dalan Musson
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Introduction:
The Kid hears his calling: to find the source of the evil, and put an end to it. He seeks out the help of the Old Man – who, in his own time, traveled to the ends of the Earth and back, in his own vain quest to save the world. Together, they set off across a grim landscape populated by survivors turned brigands, bandits, and exhausted warring factions—all of them looking for answers that may have vanished when their loved ones did.
Review:
“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”
Written entirely in prose, Gaze Long Into the Absyss by Dalan Musson is an enigmatic piece of literature written entirely in prose that exerts a peculiar fascination on its readers. Set in an post apocalyptic world where almost all the humanity is wiped out, the story follows “The Kid’s” journey to save the world. This is unlike anything I’ve read therefore I find it very difficult to properly review it to do it justice, therefore I feel this is going to be a rather short review compared to my other reviews.
It is a strange combination of exploring faith in a desolate world and The Kid’s internal conflict as he confronts the pervasive darkness that envelops him. Everything about this book was strange. I wish I can say I loved it but I can’t but I didn’t hate it at the same time because it had a strange pull on me that I can’t explain.
The entire story was shrouded in mystery and intrigue and it made me want to keep on reading. One of the things that resonated the most with me was how religion and guns would survive even the apocalypse and the other was how even a child, someone so innocent and pure can turn into something twisted and cruel when everything good about the world is taken away.
However, I found it very difficult to differentiate between the narratives of The Old Man and The Kid. There wasn’t much world building in order for me to delve into it either but I was strangely fascinated with the macabre details of actions of different factions of humanity The Kid and The Old Man encountered during their journey and the ending was very satisfying.
Would I recommend this book to others? Definitely! Because this struck a code with me at a deeper level that made me question a lot of things.
Sincere thanks to Netgally and California Coldblood Books for offering me this advanced reader copy.
Book Cover:
