PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I recently had the opportunity to read Beleth Station, a CLASH Books new release from authors Bryan Smith and Samantha Kolesnik. I haven’t previously read either author but have been wanting to, and this seemed like the perfect way to get introduced to both. What did I think of this book? Read on to find out!
Beleth Station has seen better days, days long since lost to time.
Beleth Station Synopsis
A tiny dot on the map beyond a two-hour drive to any one city. It’s a forgotten place to all except the unfortunate souls who were born there, folks who are barely hanging on and will likely never leave.
Beleth Station was once a thriving town in the Pennsylvania mountains, but ever since the Medallion Paper Mill closed, things haven’t been the same. Rumors spread of cancer clusters and benzene in the local water supply, but Medallion went bankrupt before an investigation could conclude. Now the town’s inhabitants—descendents of the old mill workers, make do in industries that are less than savory, and what remains of the mill is just a vacant haunt where bored teenagers like to wander at night, either hoping to scare the piss out of their buddies, or looking for a quiet corner to get laid. Of course, it’s also home to a few vagrants, some looking to get blasted in peace and others with more predatory intentions.
My Thoughts
You ever take a road trip and go through a town that looked run down, but you know at some point this town thrived? For me, I always get the “willies” when I travel through towns like this. I just feel like there is bad stuff happening there. This book is more than I could ever imagine going on there. The book is two parts. A Night to Remember by Samantha Kolesnik and Bryan Smith’s The Gauntlet. They are both set in the same Beleth Station universe, with many of the same characters. Both follow two lovers, Nick and Krista, fleeing Krista’s controlling husband.
Both stories are fantastic. I should add, I generally do not read a lot of extreme horror. PSA: This book has a LOT of intense situations and extreme horror. Honestly, both stories are written so well, that while gruesome, both were beautifully told. A Night to Remember is the first part of the story and is definitely my kind of horror story. It took a common trope in horror and made its own. Nick and Krista need roadside assistance on an isolated stretch of road. Imagine what happens and magnify that by about 100. You feel the hopelessness of the situation and Samantha Kolesnik’s writing just kept me wanting to read more of the story.
The Gauntlet was insane! It’s super extreme, but I couldn’t stop reading it either. I needed to know what happened. It was set up as a game, kind of like Stephen King’s The Running Man.
Both writings were just so well done, even the extremely gory parts, were written in such a way that while it was horrific, you were left wanting to read further and find out the end.
This book did not disappoint me. It is a great introduction to both authors and I definitely will be checking out both Bryan Smith’s and Samantha Kolesnik’s other works as well. This book is unique and I love the co-authoring style of this book. I believe extreme horror lovers will rejoice with this book and I believe nonextreme horror readers may appreciate this book as well.
This book is available both digital and paperback on Amazon. Go get your copy now!
