Dark doesn’t even begin to describe this book.

Imagine for a moment that you are suddenly told that you must confess to something – but you aren’t told what it is. And if you don’t confess, everyone you care about will face horrendous suffering.

This is the premise that the author gives us and he brings us into a world so horrific that it would drive you absolutely mad.

The book is chilling, gory, surreal and heartbreaking. It’s not a story for people who like everything neatly tied up in a box with marshmallow endings. Instead, it’s more like a punch to the gut again and again and again.

Extremely well written and exquisitely horrific.

And definitely not for the faint of heart!

*ARC provided via Net Galley

Talk about a wild ride, wow! This was definitely one of the more unique horror novels I've read, and I can say that I enjoyed every moment of it. I mentioned in another review that Waggoner wrote one of my favorite books as a child, and it's been a blast rediscovering his work in a different genre.

Trying to describe this book without giving away more than the descriptive summary is a difficult task. If you've ever seen the movies The Void and Baskin, this novel is like a blend of both. I would actually love to see either of those directors take a crack at adapting this!

Definitely an entertaining book from start to finish. This is one I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this is not his best work. I didn't get very far, because it was just very strange and jumbled to me. I wish I could give it a better review, but it wasn't up to par with his other writing.

Wow. This was just what I needed to get out of my horror reads funk. Something different. Reminded me a lot of older horror like Bentley Little or Clive Barker. A great, imaginative tale. Highly recommend.

This is my first foray into Tim Waggoner's mind and let's just say, it was a trip!!  And I liked it!!  Lori is targeted by a group calling themselves The Cabal, demanding that she "confess and atone...or suffer."  What follows is a mix of mayhem, violence, and a trip to one of the strangest and creepiest worlds I've read about in a while.  If you're a fan of Lovecraft-inspired splatter horror, then this book is for you!  Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the early ecopy!

This was great - a dark, twisted horror that pulled in elements of Clive Barker and other luminaries but with it’s own twists. Their were some absolutely brutal deaths in this novel and the way the author described the fantastical world was brilliant. Sometimes I find that novels with a different dimension can be difficult to understand however, for me, the world of the Cabal was dark, twisted and imaginative. More recommended for those who like their horror with some body shocks than paranormal affairs but, in general, this is a must read - whipped through in a couple of days and left me reeling for more!

This was my first dive into the wild imagination of Tim Waggoner and it was a crazy ride!

Our protagonist, Lori, suffers from debilitating migraines and selective memory loss. After a traumatic meeting with a strange woman at a grocery store, she is harassed by a sinister, otherworldly cult called the Cabal. She starts straddling two worlds, hers and the deadly alternate universe the Cabal belongs too.

The world building was highly detailed and terrifying! The Nightway is a long stretch of dark highway inhabited by monstrous vehicles and a a member of the Cabal, “The Driver”, who has no eyes but seems to see everything. The Vermillion Tower is a glowing bloody spiral that almost seems to be a part of a giant beast.

The author uses the secondary characters to flesh out the main character. My favorite characters were Jerry, her ex-boyfriend/roommate, who was the heart of the book. I also loved the weird members of the Cabal, The Driver, The cop Rauch and Goat Eyes. They all made the story flow and kept up the intensity.

The story did start slow for me. It was a slow burn. But for those readers who love fantastic worlds, gore and horrifying creatures this is the book for you!

Oh how I have missed horror novels of this caliber. So graphic and brutal. Fantastical and exciting. The mundane and the insane. I loved this story and devoured it's carnage even though it was enough to keep me up at night. Not for the faint of heart. So well written! Reminiscent of the true horror novels I read growing up. I must read more from Tim Waggoner

Thank you netgalley for this excellent arc

Waggoner’s new novel is a very different book that is not for the faint of heart but if you are a lover of Barker and Lovecraft than this maybe for you.

Waggoner’s excellent book deals with a reality that splits from our own that shows his unique of lulling the reader into a dark world that one hopes they can escape. Using a graphic fantastical imagery and mixing this with the mundane normal existence of a its main characters, you are left with two very unique experience that mesh together to jarring effects.

The characters are well written and fully three dimensional, although some of these will be forever carved into my brain which when I close my eyes are still present three weeks after finishing which is a huge bonus for me. The main character of Lorelei does balance on becoming a bit pathetic and heroic and but never annoying which Waggoner does exceptionally well. The other characters, human and other wise are so well scripted that a shudder goes down your spine not thinking that they are not real.

Plotting wise, this is a book that is like a hearty meal and once a chapter is finished, you need to take a breather before diving back in. This is not a criticism but there is a lot to unwrap and because the plot is tightly woven, one has to be digest what they have written.

If you are a fan of King’s horror, this doesn’t quite fit this bill as this is beyond the world of King dealing with darker themes and is an overall more rewarding experience that pulp horror. If you like your horror to be dark, deeply themed with a sly smile on the pulse of Barker and Lovecraft whilst making his own unique addition, you can not go wrong with Your Turn To Suffer. An Excellent read.

“How can you choose to believe in one impossibility but not the other?”

Are you tired of the same old horror stories?
Do you crave something that will haunt your dreams and make you look twice at the shadows that surround you and wonder what might be lurking there?
Well, then the splatterpunk sub-genre of horror may be precisely what you need.

Lorelei is a woman who is plagued with horrible migraines; she is your average woman going about her life until a tenacious group called the Cabal begin to torment her in unimaginable ways; all to get her to confess and atone—or suffer. Now she must figure out what exactly she has to confess and how to atone for it before things get any worse than they already are…if that is even possible.

To achieve an emotion of real horror, the monster(s) must be both threatening (creating fear) and impure (creating disgust). The creatures that he has given life to in this book absolutely meet the qualifications to evoke horror in the reader. His masterful use of the complex discovery plot draws the reader into the story on such a level that it is easy to lose yourself and still feel that shiver up your spine even when you stop reading.

This was my first time reading anything by Tim Waggoner, and I am elated to have finally found a writer who can really make me cringe and shudder in revulsion at some of the creatures and acts committed like Clive Barker. There were scenes that I read over multiple times to fully process and take in what I was being shown in my mind. Which usually led to me looking up from the page thinking, “what on Earth did I just read?” I was only a quarter into the book, and I was so in awe of his work that I went on Amazon and ordered all his other books. I can’t wait to read more from him!

I appreciate Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach. Some intense graphic gore scenes are quite disturbing (in a good way if you are a fan of gore/shock horror) and might be upsetting to some.
As for me, I have a new favorite horror author, and I am looking forward to more of his works. That’s all for now, my fellow readers, it’s getting dark, and I need to go make sure all my lights are turned on.

Did that shadow just move??

I've read a few Tim Waggoner books over the last few years, so when I saw this title available for request, I was happy to be approved and quickly jumped in.

Lori's a physical therapist plagued by migraines who wants nothing more than to get home for a relaxing night when she crosses paths with a strange woman with a dire warning: Confess and atone--or suffer. For what she needs to confess, she has no idea, but as her dreams become plagued by horrible nightmares that feel too real, and the lines between reality and nightmare become blurred, Lori realizes that if she's going to survive, she has to figure it out.

I enjoyed this book.

To start, Waggoner does a superb job structuring a layered and cohesive story. Utilizing minor characters to propel the plot and add depth to both conflict and atmosphere, we get a well-rounded, taut prose that provide another level of horrific unfolding.

My favorite moments were watching Lori react to the world around her, whether it be our reality or another, and seeing the nightmare moments overlapping. I can't speak enough to the imagery Waggoner was able to achieve. This is every worst fear come to life. Because of that, I will say that this won't be everyone's cup of tea. There are some graphic, disturbing events that are not for the faint of heart.

Don't get me wrong: this isn't just a book with horror for horror's sake. Through Lori's quest, we're given a chance to question our own choices, evaluate our own mistakes. Small decisions oftentimes make the biggest impact, and I appreciated the commentary on morality, faith, and realities.

Overall, Your Turn to Suffer is a wild, unpredictable, terrifying ride that you won't want to miss. Out in March, add this to your TBRs if you like gore, violence, and feats of unimaginable creatures.

Big thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.