Member Reviews

This was awful. I didn't enjoy it at all and wish I would have DNF'd. Lacking character development and so many plot holes and issues with the storyline. Horrible writing. If I could give no stars I would.

Was this review helpful?

A Bedlam Bible story that's also A MURDER MYSTERY?!

I always love getting back into the 8th block tower with its bizarre residents and even more bizarre happenings. I never really know what to expect when starting one of these stories, but finding myself wrapped up in a murder mystery plot was such an excitingly wild plot twist right from the beginning.

I just knew this was going to be a wild ride and I was hooked from the opening. I loved that the MC is a complete amnesiac that has a mysterious and quite amusing voice in his head. Oh, yes this one was going to be fun. I love how this story started in one way and then twisted in turned in the most unusual ways only to end in a wildly different place that shouldn't make sense, but absolutely does.

I loved learning more about the origin of the mysterious "Bedlam Bible", the nod to "White Fuzz" via a Giant Slug, and the horrific game show- what a neat way to show these characters backstories and get you fully emotionally invested in them.

I wish we had had more of the voice in the head- he was hilarious.

I can't believe I only have one book left!

Was this review helpful?

I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I started this one, but I ended up really enjoying the ride. It was not at all what I was expecting by the end of it all. If you like weird, this one is for you!

Was this review helpful?

I found this book to be a bit boring. My own fault as I enjoy very graphic novels. I was just starting to get into audiobooks at the time, and wasn't sure what my preferences would be for narrators. This did not hit the mark.

Was this review helpful?

What an absolute ride this audiobook was. I meant to review this one sooner. You want to read or listen to something really f'ing weird? Look no further!

Was this review helpful?

What did I just read...again?! This was great and the narrator just adds a notch to this already fantastic story
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

I love this addition to the series. The little bit of weirdness definitely paid off. The main character wakes up next to a dead body and has no memory, however, it looks like he’s the killer. Dun dun dun!

This was a fun read if you don’t mind body horror.

Was this review helpful?

Such a wierd and interesting world to dive into. The narration was done beautifully, and really brought the characters to life. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

Was this review helpful?

This is yet another unique and brilliantly written novel from William Pauley III. The fantastic Connor Brannigan returns as the narrator. While it is the sixth book in the Bedlam Bible series, the main character, along with a few other characters, are from another book, The Doom Magnetic Trilogy.

The story opens with a bang, throwing you headfirst into the nightmarish reality of the protagonist. Waking up next to a dead body with no memory is a terrifying proposition, but add a dash of amnesia that wipes the slate clean every night, and you have a recipe for heart-pounding suspense. Is he really the killer? Was it someone else? How did he come to be in this situation? And what the hell is Holus Bolus, and what will happen when the counter gets to zero?

The supporting cast is quirky and enjoyably weird, and the last portion of the book twists and turns in a way that I never saw coming.

As with all of Pauley's books, this one is a must read for fans of the weird and those who can handle descriptive violence and gore.

Was this review helpful?

A really good starting place if you're unsure about this series.

The audiobook has a really great narrator, I really enjoyed how every character had their own voice and the manner in which they spoke. Kept me hooked the whole time. I can admit, however, the book itself lost me at the 22% mark and didn't really get me again until closer to the 50% mark. It could have to do with me accidentally reading it out of order. Now after I finished reading it, I really want to go back through and read it in it's intended order.

I really enjoyed the writing style, how the whole time you're discovering things alongside the main character. Including who he is in general. I thought that was very clever and a breath of fresh air than any other book I have read.

All in all, I thought the book was very fun and unique. I had a lot of fun reading it and would recommend this to anyone who wants a book unlike anything I've seen before. And this author has a whole series I can assume is very similar in tone as this one!

Was this review helpful?

Overall this was not a bad read. It did take some time for me to get into. I appreciate the chance to listen to this

Was this review helpful?

This was an interesting read!

I’m thankful NetGalley let me read this, I typically don’t read science fiction but I got pulled into this world that made me think about my sanity. You can feel the connection the characters have with one another so it makes this an easy read while all the twists and turns keep you guessing

Was this review helpful?

got this book as an are audiobook copy and at first I thought it was a bit weird but the narrator had a good voice that wasn't irritating and the plot was written in such a way that it created a lot of wif questions for the reader right away.
what is Holus Bolus? William write the narrative in first person PoV and immediately informs us that he is an UNRELIABLE narrator because he has woke up in a room with a dead body, he has amnesia (50 first dates style) and he has writing tattooed on
both arms. One of which states "you have done a bad thing". Our narrator takes it upon himself to find out what happened in that room and who was at fault, and the go to the authorities with this information. He even is willing to turn himself in if he's the murderer. But he has a few problematic
issues that limit his potential ability to solve the murder: 1. There is a voice in his head (which isn't his) talking to him
and telling him what he should/shouldn't do.
-he thinks he's either already or going insane 2. He can't go to sleep or his memory will be erased entirely-
he has approximately 48 hours 3. He doesn't know anything or anyone and has to figure out first who he is and how he's connected to the brutally
mutilated dead body.
Genre:
Horror
Thriller Crime
Cosmic horror
Body horror
Psychological
Mystery
Dark
Religious horror
Themes of:
-friendship
-identity
-sanity
-community
- morality
-good vs bad
- secrets
- on sious selves
- good people and bad deeds
-redemption
-guilt
-madness and insanity
-surveillance and control
-conspiracy
-morality
-forgiveness
-social judgement
-
Questions of identity?
Questions about difference between who you are (good or bad) and things you have done.

Was this review helpful?

I generally have a lot of fun reading Willaim Pauley III's works, and that held true for Holus Bolus. The narration was so good I can't imagine reading a physical copy - something I can't say often.

Unfortunately, that's where my praise stops. I was invested until the halfway mark. As soon as the game show began, my interest dwindled. The massive plot holes scattered throughout the first half became more obvious and, as a reader, I was left with a lot of questions. I also expected, given how descriptive the book was, to connect with the characters more.

Was this review helpful?

Personal rating is a 3.5 or 3.75, not quite a four but I'm rounding up here.
Listened to the audiobook on NetGalley.

Well well, this was a wild weird ride. Dunno what to think about it. I do like the conversations about right and wrong and the grey in-between along with some of the other "bigger" conversations the book was having.

It did a good job of making everything feel a little crazy and it kept me interested in figuring out what the hell was going on. It was weird and probably wont be for everyone but the more I think about it, the more I think I liked it.

Was this review helpful?

This was a weird and trippy read. I was confused but also intrigued throughout to see where things would lead. I did enjoy the audiobook narration, however, I don’t think I fully grasped what was happening. This book wasn’t for me but others might enjoy it more! Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

Was this review helpful?

This fell so flat for me unfortunately, I had access to the audiobook version of Holus Bolus and maybe I just didn't connect with the narrator but I could not keep my focus on this book at all. It has a very interesting concept and I think it's worth a try for someone who may be intrigued, but I cannot in good faith say that I would recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

William Pauley III has done it again, bringing us back into the insane landscape that is the Eighth Block Tower. This was longer than previous instalments, but remained fast-paced and thrilling, constantly keeping you on your toes and desperate to read more. Whilst not my favourite story within the Bedlam Bible, it was imaginative, creepy, and horror at its finest. Connor Brannigan’s narration and his undeniable talent made it all the more enjoyable.

Thank you to Doom Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an AUDIO Arc. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Another Bedlam Bible and it was good too.

Audiobook is just perfect, narration of Connor Brannigan spot on as always. I hope he does lot many narrations in the future apart from Bedlam Bible too. His voice sounds so good to stop listening to his audiobook.

A man wakes up with no memory whatsoever, and a dead body nearby and a voice talking to him in his head. And that's where starts the journey of Holus Bolus. Although 6th book of this 8th apartment stories, you can read it as stand-alone.

Thank you Netgalley and Doom fiction audio for the Audiobook Arc in exchange of an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

First, I will start on a positive note- the narrator was very easy on the ears and did a great job of changing his voices for different characters. I think I would have had a harder time finishing this book if it wasn’t being narrated. I was excited by the description/cover of this book and that’s why I requested it. I am all for weird and twisty sci-fi novels - if done right. For me, this was all over the place. I didn’t feel connected to the characters, so the game show bit didn’t land how it should have. I didn’t really care what happened to anyone, which is never good. The game show plot was in fact unique and I liked the idea of the religious cult overtones, but it didn’t feel fully realized. I don’t know if it needed to be longer for me to be more committed to it or if it just was never going to work for me. This book is part of a series, so I thought that maybe that was my mistake by reading this as a stand alone, but after further research they appear to be separate stories with intertwined themes. Overall, a unique storyline with great narration, but subpar execution.

Was this review helpful?