Okay. I liked it, I didn't think the story was going to go that way and I think that was what made me a lot of noise and didn't let me enjoy the story.

I think when I read the synopsis I considered that the story was going to go ANOTHER way and not because of this... I can't say it so as not to spoil it.

But let's just say I thought it was going to be a bit murkier in terms of murders and things like that. And not. Be careful, I'm not saying that what really happens is shady, but I thought it was a different kind of story.

The story is very well told and makes you want to start another chapter as soon as you finish one chapter to find out what is happening because it leaves you with thousands of questions and you want to know more and more. That enchanted me.

We have several points of view, we also have the audio from the cassettes. And we go between the present and the past, and a little of the future.

Entertaining, dark, ideal for a low-key suspense movie.

Thanks Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for the arc.

Oh man, there are few things I like more than a creature horror set in the woods. Our Fathers' Burden has an intriguing premise, and I was curious to read to see if the story would veer into the cliche, or if it would deliver on a tried and true horror convention.
Fortunately, this story kept me engaged from page one. I enjoyed the themes of mental health, generational trauma and grief interwoven as a subplot throughout, and I enjoyed every stage of reading this book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from William F. Gray and from Wicked House Publishing!

Disappointingly, Our Fathers’ Burden fails to deliver on its promising premise. It left me feeling underwhelmed and was ultimately boring to read. Despite the potential for suspense and intrigue surrounding the mysterious box and the revelation of long-held secrets, the plot falls flat and lacks the necessary depth to engage. While the characters were interesting development is somewhat shallow, and the pacing tends to drag, resulting in a tedious experience that fails to captivate. That said, the concept is interesting and may be perfect for others.

This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and William F. Gray.

Thank you to netgalley for the DRC to review. All thoughts are my own, and just because I read this for free I treat it as if I paid for the book.
Cabin in the woods meets Yellowjackets!

Our fathers burden has a fascinating premise:

A group of estranged childhood friends have one thing in common, their fathers’ are dead and whatever secret they held is now the burden of their sons. The problem is, none of the boys know why they weren’t told. All that remains is a cassette tape, a cabin, and resentment. But something dark lurks within the woods, and they aren’t sure if they’ll make it home alive…

This isn’t for the faint of heart. It gets grim from page one and opens on Harry mourning his father who recently passed. Grief and guilt plague him and those feelings, along with instructions and tapes left by Don his late father draw him to the woods. A cabin he went to every year with his friends. But life gets in the way. Life brings the boys on different paths, but one thing unites them their dead fathers.


One thing I couldn’t shake was I didn’t find any of them particularly likable, but for whatever reason I still found myself rooting for them to uncover their father’s secret. However, the tapes are integral to the plot but are only featured in a few chapters. It’s okay though because the fight scenes make it worth it. I don’t want to give the reveal away, but when I realized what lurked in the woods I felt genuine dread.
The plot is fast paced, I read it in one sitting.

I really liked this take. There are a few errors I saw in the tapes section where the perspective didn't stay consistent but other than that I really enjoyed this book!

This book held my interest throughout and of course I wanted to hear what was on the mysterious tapes. Very well written I finished it in about 2 days. The only reason I did not give it 4 stars is because I am not a huge fan of the villain of the story and that is all I can say without spoilers. So that is just my own personal thing! Definitely will read more from this author.. Thanks for the ARC Netgalley!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for letting me read this arc.

As someone who lives about 3.5 hours from the Appalachian mountains I was intrigued by the story. This hooked me in chapter one.

I don't understand why all the men killed themselves just to get their sons to go on the camping trip, I think there could have been another way to make them go. And I wish there had been a little more to the history of the Wendigo, like how long it's been there, how did the Warren's learn they could keep it at bay, how did it even come to be?

The writing was really well done except for when Don is speaking on the tapes. It goes from first person to third person narration constantly and was confusing me. Especially when it happens in the same sentence. Other than that I was itching to get back to reading when I had to put the book down for other things.

I was sad that some characters didn't make it out in the end but I understood why. And their deaths brought the other closer than ever before. This book really touched on how men think they have to be tough no matter what and never let their real feelings show about what's going on (their dad's) but now the survivors know that isn't how it should be.

Thank you Netgalley, William F Gray and Wicked House Publishing for the eArc of Our Fathers Burden

A trip up the Appalachian Mountains? What could possibly go wrong?!

I really loved Our Fathers Burden. For me, it had everything in it. A group of men revisit a hunting place up on the Appalachian Mountains that they used to go with their Fathers. Armed with cassette tapes Harry made before he passed away, this group of men uncover a truly terrifying secret.

This is also told from a few POV,s from 2 timelines. The past of their fathers as young men and in the present with their sons. Both timelines and POV are clearly marked and the characters have their own voices and characteristics. The narrative itself had great pacing, tense and descriptive. There was also some very fast paced, gory, terrifying places within this story which made it edge of your seat stuff!

4 stars

There’s a lot of subtext to mental health related topics and the author definitely used a unique writing style.

Five men who grew up taking part in an annual hunting trip with their fathers are reunited after the last living father kills himself and leaves behind a mysterious box of cassette tapes with a final wish that his son gather the other men together in the Appalachian Mountains to listen to them at their old hunting spot.

There's a lot going on and much to unpack in this book. Sometimes I lost track of who was who and which son belonged to which father or who was the most dysfunctional. I however really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what is next.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Our Father's Burden. William Gray writes epic stories. Lots of characters and an intriguing plot.
This book is no different and I found it to be very entertaining and a good read
Be prepared to read slowly so you can understand the family history and background.
A good read and one that will keep you thinking.
3.5 stars

This was a weird and creepy book! I liked it but also didn't like it because of the gore and nastiness that came from it. I thought it was a good book.

This book started out great. I loved the idea of a mystery surrounding the fathers and was excited to dive into it. But the book seemed to go off in a different direction and I quickly lost interest. I did like the two timelines, although the characters were hard to keep track of.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Blessed to read this with arc through NetGalley. I thought the book started fast and quickly slowed down.m and picked back up. I wasn’t expecting mythical creatures like a windago. Also I enjoyed past n present points of view. I’d recommend this book.

One of those horror stories that touches on deeper themes- repression, depression, regret. The action is captivating and the monster scenes will be sufficiently gorey for most horror fans. The themes I mentioned are not overwrought or heavy-handed. All of the characters are flawed but still have redeeming qualities. The atmosphere- a remote cabin in winter, is one that I really love. I wish that the monster were not taken from Native American culture as I understand this is a rather thorny subject these days. I really appreciated the nod to The Thing (my favorite line from it) as this story owes a lot to that.

William Gray has done it again. This story was simply beautiful. It's rare to read a story that focuses on the emotional journey that a man goes through. I felt a connection to a majority of the characters. The things that these men were put through because of their fathers ended up taking a toll on them. It was quite interesting seeing how they navigated through each of their situations. Our Fathers' Burden wrapped up perfectly and cements for me the fact that Mr. Gray is a wonderful author.

As a loyal Mountaineer and WVU grad, I gravitate towards any story that takes place in West Virginia/Appalachia. This horror novel is a wilderness survival story set against one's inner and external demons, and it delivered on many levels. A monster based on mountain folklore. An annual hunting trip amongst friends who share a dark secret. The legacy they leave their sons who are battling their own conscience. This is more than a scary story to tell around campfires. It is a metaphor that needs to be unraveled, and characters need to find their own redemption. What I particularly liked about this book is that the author managed to weave a complex tale without slapping in horrifying scenes just for shock value, Everything was included for a reason, no more and no less.

When I got to the end and read that the author's day job is a pharmacy tech at an independent pharmacy in West Virginia, this pharmacist's day was made, Bravo my colleague!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I went into this book not sure what to expect and I was not disappointed. I was engrossed right from the beginning. I enjoyed the dual timelines and the multiple POVs. I was able to follow the plot closely and felt each POV added something to the story. Something I really appreciated was that the monster in this novel was both external and internal. All of the men were struggling with some sort of grief, trauma, and guilt that they had to battle while also fighting a physical entity. Yes, it was a monster story; however, I found the relationships, the topics, and the pain so realistic. The novel was very character driven while still managing to be fast paced and spooky. I am looking forward to reading more of William F. Gray's books.

Our Fathers Burden, had me from the very start. It follows five men whose fathers kept devastating secrets. Until, a rash of suicides amongst the dads occurred, their sons, now grown men, are forced to carry on a burdening task every year at Thanksgiving. The boys growing up had accompanied their dads on this yearly trip into the mountains and slowly as the boys grew into men they refused to go. Harry, one of the five grown men, is now responsible for carrying out his father’s wishes with the other men. His dad’s suicide note, had explicit instructions along with tapes made by each of the fathers but one, who had died, not by his own hand, but dementia. As these men proceed to carry out their dad’s wishes, what they find is an unimaginable journey into the scary world of Wendigo.
I really liked the characters of these men and all of them had done things they were guilt ridden about. The ending was tied up into a nice little bow as all the men went on with life as they should have been from the beginning. The experience featured all their grief, trauma and depression. My only question was why did their dads all take their lives at virtually the same time. I didn’t understand if it was planned or more of a copy cat response as a result of their secrets.
I thank #netgalley, #wickedhousepublishing and #williamfgray for the advanced copy of #ourfathersburden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for providing a review copy.

Oh man, where to start? William F. Gray is actually a second-chance author for me. I might be the only person who didn't vibe with The Devil Within Us All and actually ended up DNF'ing. I'd seen really good reviews for Our Fathers' Burden and I am so glad I picked it up. I love how everything is revealed, piece by piece. Not slowly, as the plot never lagged, just opening up. So well done. The action scenes are truly tense and thrilling, but the inner journey these men go through after dealing with something horrific sealed the deal for me. Strong 5 stars

My Rating 4.5/5

This is a fantastic take on generational trauma, grief, loss, and depression among men. A story of a father's obligation to remain stoic and strong even when things are not at all what they seem and how that way of thinking spells disaster for the sons they leave behind.

I love a good isolation horror and I am a sucker for grief horror. This one hit both of those for me.

I did have a hard time keeping up with which son belonged to which father, but in the end, I don't think it mattered too much. I really wish we would have got to hear each tape, but I can imagine that it might have been a bit too much and maybe a but redundant.

I think Gray did a great job setting the tone and tension. I was happy with the pacing too. When things start to ramp up, they really get going.

Would definitely reccomend and would love to pick up a physical copy for myself.

Thank you to NetGalley, William. F. Gray and Wicked House Publishing for the advance copy. This is my honest review.