Coil: Ren Warom

Reviewed By Steve Stred

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Apex Book Company (6 Jun. 2019)

I do my best to stay on top of most of the small press places putting out exciting books, but unfortunately, somehow Apex Book Company was unknown to me until I read the synopsis of Coil by Ren Warom.

The synopsis was intriguing and I gladly snagged this to review.

The story follows Bone Adams, a legendary mortician/coroner who has done what most in this new world can’t. He’s successfully remained neutral in a world now ruled by warring gangs. His reputation precedes him and when law enforcement needs his help, he’s there for them, but will also aid the gangs as needed.

I went into this book a bit more blind than I’d thought because it has way more science fiction featured in it than I was suspecting. This isn’t a bad thing but it really added a completely different layer to the story as it unravels.

This is a world where the majority of people have had some sort of body-modifications done to them – adding metal, hydraulics etc. that have artificially ‘improved’ them.

This is a story that I am finding very hard to review without revealing major stories because it all works together and eventually as the pieces fall into place everything clicks and you will find yourself shocked at how efficient of a story Warom put together.

What I can say – the story takes a turn after a few ‘different’ bodies are found. This leads Bone and Officer Stark below ground, searching for the person they believe is responsible for the grotesque displays.

From here Warom gives us some outstanding imagery, fantastic settings and just horror after horror.

This was such an intriguing read and I’m certainly glad I took the plunge.

Overall this story hums along. The start had a slight hiccup as Warom introduced a few characters and it took me a bit to get them all sorted and remembered, but it was a mild distraction and one that I moved passed quickly.

This book should be added to your TBR if you haven’t checked it out already!

Really interesting premise and one that hasn’t been done to death already!

Star Rating (out of 5): 4*

Coil

A futuristic crime-noir that will shock you.

Ren Warom weaves a tale laced with gang crime, underground body mod shops, and shocking murders.

Bone Adams is a legend, the best mortician in the spires. When a new killer begins leaving bodies twisted and bent into grotesque pieces of art, City Officer Stark tasks Bone to unravel the clues. As more victims are discovered, Bone and Stark are drawn deeper into a world where pain and personal statement blend and blur, and finally end up hunting for a semi-mythical man-machine named Burneo deep within the sewers.

But things aren’t what they seem. While searching for Burneo, Bone and Stark discover a hidden lab full of evidence of horrific abuses of science and experimentation. Meanwhile, the killer is still on the loose, and, as Stark becomes more and more obsessed with the case, Bone is forced to a shattering realization. Everything is connected: the killings, the gang activity, the labs, and his own past. Unless he can figure out how, he won’t survive.

You can buy Coil from Amazon UK & Amazon US

Steve Stred

Steve Stred is an up-and-coming Dark, Bleak Horror author.

Steve is the author of the novel Invisible, the novellas Wagon Buddy, Yuri and Jane: the 816 Chronicles and two collections of short stories; Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery and Left Hand Path: 13 More Tales of Black Magick, the dark poetry collection Dim the Sun and his most recent release was the coming-of-age, urban legend tale The Girl Who Hid in the Trees.

On June 1st, 2019 his second full-length novel, The Stranger will be welcomed to the world.

Steve is also a voracious reader, reviewing everything he reads and submitting the majority of his reviews to be featured on Kendall Reviews.

Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog OJ.

You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred

You can visit Steve’s Official website here

The Stranger

Ahhh… nothing like the annual summer family camping trip, right?

Malcolm, his wife Sam and their two kids have been staying at the same cabin, at the same campground for years now. Heck, Malcolm’s been coming to the campground since he was a kid.

Miles and miles of groomed trails, hiking, kayaking on the pristine lake. What’s not to like?

But this year… well this year’s different. You see, roof repairs have caused them to have to change their plans. Now they’re staying at the cabin at the end of season, in fact they’re the last campers before it closes for the winter.

While happy to be spending time with the family, Malcolm feels a shift.

The caretaker next door makes it known he hates him.

The trees… move and dance, as though calling him, beckoning him.

Then on a seemingly normal kayaking trip, the family makes a discovery.

YOU TAKE FROM ME

I TAKE FROM YOU

Something’s out there, just on the other side of the fence. Malcolm’s positive it’s just the caretaker trying to scare him, teach the family a lesson.

But what if it’s not…

What if there is something out there?

The Stranger is the second novel from Steve Stred and 9th release overall. The Stranger is another offering following in the footsteps of similar books Invisible, YURI and The Girl Who Hid in the Trees. As Steve describes his works; “dark, bleak horror.”

With this release, Steve has decided to look deeper into what makes humans tick. He confronts two key elements of mankind; bigotry and our environmental footprint.

Featuring stunning cover art by Chadwick St. John (www.inkshadows.com), The Stranger will be a story that will leave you feeling uneasy and have you looking at the trees differently.

Maybe it’s not the wind making the branches sway…

Maybe…

It’s…

The Stranger. 

You can buy The Stranger from Amazon UK & Amazon US