Review: From the Deep by Kateri Stanley
Thank you Rachel's Random Resources for this gifted copy for review.
Publisher: Burton Mayers Books
Publish Date: May 6, 2022
Kindle Edition
294 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Fantasy
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Waterstones
Julian
Finch, widower and fisherman, awakes to learn that the bodies of two colleagues
have washed up on the beach of Drake Cove. The close-knit community is under
fierce public scrutiny due to a long-standing tradition called "The
Culling", the annual slaughter of pilot whales for consumption. An act
which divides the nation.
The
suspects are the extreme animal rights group, the Fighters Against Animal
Cruelty (FAAC) who go wherever the politics is trending. They've been harassing
the small fishing town for many years, smashing up their boats and sending
vicious hate mail.
Tensions
mount after a viral video, uploaded by the FAAC of Julian killing a pregnant
whale, causes uproar online and in real life. In the aftermath, Julian becomes
the victim of hate crime. In order to avoid further life-threatening attacks,
Julian and his daughter take refuge in the home of Frank Blothio: ex-fisherman
turned writer and political activist who does not have the best history with
the animal rights movement, or Drake Cove as a whole.
As Julian integrates into the Blothio way of life, he discovers heinous secrets and disturbing truths lurking beneath the skin of his hometown that will change his life forever.
About the Author:
Kateri Stanley is a pseudonym for the multi-genre fiction writer. Since being a child, Kateri has been inspired by the wondrous mediums of books, music, TV and film. After working in the healthcare industry for eight years and studying for an Arts and Humanities degree, she made the decision to move cities in the West Midlands and live with her ever-suffering partner and their felines. Her debut novel Forgive Me was published by indie press house, DarkStroke Books in 2021 and it reached #1 in the US Horror Fiction charts on Amazon. She is currently working on her third novel, Bittersweet Injuries and would love to pursue a full-time career in writing.
My Review:
The synopsis intrigued me from the beginning but had I known how this story was going to play out, I would've devoured this as soon as I had received it.... which admittedly was awhile ago but life got me crazed and here we are. There is so much happening here and you simply must get involved.
What happens when traditions, like the culling of whales for consumption, become unnecessary as times change but is the only thing certain families know? Where's the line between slaughtering and using all the parts to animal cruelty? Are there shades of grey? I'm sure we ALL know that sometimes traditions just need to die... and sometimes extreme measures need to be taken to change the minds of some.
I became IMMENSELY involved in this story when Shae become involved. I was not expecting this story line but loved it and the message she ended up bringing. Plus, give me mermaids and I'm SOLD. Listen, this isn't a spoiler, it's a must know because I hope it further draws you into wanting to read this story. Dark fantasy swirled into modern day animal cruelty activism. Heroism and villainism intermingled into a story that had me glued to the pages.
There was one scene at the beginning that had me flinch so I already knew who I was going to root for and yet I could still understand where Julian was coming from. ARGH. I love it when a book does this. The only thing keeping me from giving this all the stars is that certain parts felt a bit disjointed. Other than that.... come on in readers, the water is bloody warm.
★★★★
No comments
Leave a Comment