Cover Image: The Happy Valley

The Happy Valley

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Member Reviews

"Dive into the mesmerizing world of 'The Happy Valley' where past and present intertwine in a captivating mystery. With richly drawn characters, poetic prose, and a touch of the supernatural, this atmospheric novel takes readers on a journey through time and space. The author's evocative illustrations enhance the storytelling, adding an extra layer of enchantment. From the fading village of Harmony Valley to the far reaches of the Zebulon Galaxy, this gothic and cerebral tale keeps you engrossed until the final page. A haunting and thought-provoking read that lingers long after the book is closed."

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I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

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I remain baffled. I have no real idea what I just read. The Happy Valley meanders, wanders, rambles, touches on secret societies but doesn’t quite explain them (or even the one that’s in the book, if it exists in the book), and is the story of one man’s dogged pursuit of a very mysterious woman–except, as he says in the book, he’s looking for her in the past, not the present. It’s also, glancingly, the story of the collapse of The World As We Know It, to bring about a new order that seems to be based on socialism, that seems to carry on from where the Occupy protests left off; but you’re a better man than me if you can make head or tail of the allusions in the book.

I’ve concluded I’m not smart enough to work out all the references, and I got tired of the very, very many descriptions of everything, and I mean everything. I also kept reading because I was waiting for the pay-off, which, I mean, I don’t know. And that’s my summary of this book: it was interesting, but I honestly don’t know.

I hope other people read it, and explain, because it feels like it’s very interesting, if I could only get it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Serpent Key Press for access to this ARC.

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I’m not really sure what I just read, but I am sure it was an enchanting read. Maybe the book was dosed (thanks to that spooky vial) and this has all been one weird trip. Living in western/upstate New York reading about local areas is always a bit odd in itself. Even more so when the plot is slightly fictionalized. Move over alternate history, here comes alternate future history.

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Well, now. This is one of those unclassifiable novels that will grab your brain and not let go - or have you scratching your head but reading anyway just to see what happens next. And in an alternate America - all of it - that could be anything. Take a chance.

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