Can you believe the Six Stories series has reached book FOUR already? We join the blog tour for Beast to see just how exactly Wesolowski moves Scott King forward following THAT ending in Changeling.
Beast – the blurb
In the wake of the ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap that ravaged the UK in 2018, a grisly discovery was made in a ruin on the Northumbrian coast. Twenty-four-year-old Vlogger, Elizabeth Barton, had been barricaded inside what locals refer to as ‘The Vampire Tower’, where she was later found frozen to death.
Three young men, part of an alleged ‘cult’, were convicted of this terrible crime, which they described as a ‘prank gone wrong’
However, in the small town of Ergarth, questions have been raised about the nature of Elizabeth Barton’s death and whether the three convicted youths were even responsible.
Elusive online journalist Scott King speaks to six witnesses – people who knew both the victim and the three killers – to peer beneath the surface of the case. He uncovers whispers of a shocking online craze that held the young of Ergarth in its thrall and drove them to escalate a series of pranks in the name of internet fame. He hears of an abattoir on the edge of town, which held more than simple slaughter behind its walls, the tragic and chilling legend of the ‘Ergarth Vampire…
Book 4!
That’s right, we are on book four already of the Six Stories series. Fear not newbies you can read the books in any order but please consider following suit as they build and build until Changeling just explodes in your face.
As with every book in the series there is a supernatural element present and in Beast we are dealing with vampires. Again, fear not, it’s not garlic eating, mirror avoiding stuff. Wesolowski always does the scary stuff so well! He takes something that cannot exist, does not exist and weaves it so finely in to the story that even a hardcore disbeliever ends up thinking it could be possible. Not content with one beast, the actual freezing spell we had in February/March 2018 known as the ‘Beast from the East’ also makes an appearance.
Should I be vlogging this?
One of the things I love about Wesolowski is how very modern his books feel and Beast is no different. Vlogger LizzieB is painfully on trend with her shopping hauls and un-boxing videos. The Dead In Six Days challenge that she chooses to partake in is something we can all imagine doing the rounds on social media. (Hands up if you did the ice bucket challenge a while back?)
As you read each podcast you begin to realize you’re never going to know the full story. You can read between the lines but how do you decide whose truth is real? But then somehow everything weaves together, including the supernatural element, into one cohesive story-line and you’re blown away at how he does it. Every time.
Repetitively original
There is just nothing on the market that compares with Six Stories. I’ve said it once and I will say it again the series is a brilliant step up for young adults wanting to read adult fiction. If you’re sick of reading repetitive crime stories or want to dip your toes in to the supernatural without going full on Stephen King this totally takes the ticket. The series can only run and run as Matt goes from strength to strength. I mean think about it, alien abduction? Freddie Kruger style sleep? exorcism? If you can think it Matt can probably write it. And have you believing it.
Thanks
My thanks go to Orenda Books via the Random Things Blog Tours for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Beast is a fine addition to a corker of a series.