Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Lily by Xavier Axelson

Lily by Xavier Axelson
Silver Publishing
Short Novella: 93pages
Rating: 4 out of 5

Blurb:
Being a single Dad is hard enough but when Pryor loses his daughter Lily in an unthinkable event he thinks he has experienced the ultimate horror but it's when Lily returns he realizes his nightmare has only just begun...

When Pryor's daughter Lily is taken by a wolf, Pryor is convinced she has turned into the creature he sees lurking in his woods.  He swears she promises to return to him. But is it his despair and desperation making him see things or is there something more lurking in the shadows of the forest?  When he meets Ned, a silversmith who helps him with a plan to bring his daughter back into his life, he begins to live again. But can his newfound love help ease the horror that may be waiting? What if the ultimate horror isn’t when Lily was taken but it’s when Lily returns and he realizes his nightmare has only just begun...

Review:
Pryor is a lost man, after losing his daughter Lily. Even worse, he saw when his daughter was taken and dragged into the woods by a wolf. The town and his neighbours believe it was a coyote, but Pryor knows it was a wolf. He becomes a shell of a man, because he has lost the most important person in his life, and to make it matters worst he believes Lily is still out there. Still his Lily, his beautiful daughter but also something more; something frightening.

His guilt and his grief are mixed in with his feelings when he meets Ned. A jewellery designer who makes him want to feel again. Their relationship provides something good for Pryor, and makes him a character you feel sad for. Otherwise, he might have been the mad man stuck in the past and finding an unhealthy way to deal with the loss of his daughter.

The writing is rich and intense, and you can clearly picture the forest and the eeriness of the nights. The anticipation of Lily’s arrival is both creepy and fascinating; I was on the edge of my seat waiting for when she would show up, and if she would show up. When she does return, you can’t help but wonder what her life was like for the year she has been gone, because even though she looks like Lily, something more fearsome lurks behind her eyes and teeth.

Overall, and intensely captivating story about a man facing life without his precious daughter. The story is a short one, but it’s like reading a well-written novel. It’s like a nice flow of water, beautiful and provides its own lyrical flow. While reading you never forget that Pryor is a father, and being Lily’s father is the most important thing in his world. Because whether in life or in death he will always be ‘Lily’s father’ I believe that alone makes this story strong and captivating. A very well written short.


4 Pants Off


3 comments:

  1. Thank you for the kind and generous review! :)

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  2. I've heard good things about this book. I will definitely be giving it a try.

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  3. same here. it looks pretty engaging! thanks for sharing!

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