INDIE REVIEW: Metaxysm by R.E. Holding
Squeamish, creepy fiction for horror and non-horror readers alike
This year, as I barrel headlong into the 52 book challenge (and rapidly fall behind), I’m pushing myself to explore outside the bounds of my typical reading material. That, I’ve decided, includes further exploring the realm of horror, a genre I’ve only lightly dabbled in to date.
In conjunction with my mission to read more indie books, I decided the perfect book to top my TBR would be Metaxysm by RE Holding. The work is Holding’s debut novel, with her second full-length work coming later this year.
I received an advanced reader copy of this novel through BookSirens, but of course I am leaving this review voluntarily and honestly.
For my fellow non-horror readers: it’s not too gruesome and it’s not too freaky for you. It is, however…..gross. That is the best adjective. It is detailed and textural and left me feeling very squeamish if not necessarily frightened. I would say the level of discomfort was about what I expected for someone who doesn’t read much horror.
I do wish the book were a little longer. There is plenty of plot substance to support a higher page count, and I think that extending the book would allow more room for readers to get to know the characters. As is, I feel like the main characters were just this side of underdeveloped, in that I found them really engaging but lacking a little substance.
I’d also have loved to have seen more worldbuilding — it doesn’t take place in our reality, just based on what we see of the lab, but we don’t see where else this reality differs from our own, and I think it seems to be a fascinating place. As is, I didn’t get as familiar with the setting as I would have liked to, especially the world outside of the lab. I think that getting to explore this place of Holding’s creation would help readers get a sense of the significance of the lab and its inventions.
Holding’s strength is in setting the scenes, where the language is incredibly vivid and descriptive, but doesn’t lie as much with dialogue, which didn’t flow especially smoothly. I really liked the three alternate endings, which offered closure without providing too many answers. The tragic third ending left a lot up to the reader’s imagination in a good way.
Overall rating: 3.5/5. It was fun, a very classic creature feature, and pretty short, a quick read. A good way to get reintroduced to the horror genre.
If you enjoy horror and science fiction and want to support an independent author, R.E. Holding’s Metaxysm is a excellent way to go about it.
Thanks for reading!
If you’d like to read more of my book reviews, check out my reviews of A Thief In The Night by KJ Charles and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.
Links to Metaxysm:
Goodreads
Cliff Cave Books
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