Evelyn Sun

This was a very complex book to read. Ideally I think it should have been published in two volumes.

Why do I say it's complex? Well, the atmosphere is very dark and Gothic. while reading it, I kept picturing dark scenes, shadowy figures and tense scenes.

The cast of characters are worthy of the Godfather. Psychotic men, without an ounce of empathy finding enjoyment in the pain and humiliation of others. Unpredictable main characters. Sorrel and Myriana have a very complex relationship. Sorrel obsessed with her and Myriana living in fear of him. In the beginning of this book I kept thinking a psychiatrist will have a field day with them. But then things change, and that's when this book truly hooked me. When the hunted became the hunter. When prey changed into predator. It was fascinating to observe that change. How the prey played and taunted the hunter.

I have to say, this book might not be classified as horror, but I feel that it straddles the line between psychological thriller and horror. I cannot say it is either one or the other. It portrays the monsters that people can become and allow themselves to become very convincingly.

I take my hat off to Evelyn Sun. I am in awe of her character portrayal. I feel this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I hope there are many more books of the same caliber to come. It was well written and extremeley realistic, dark and gritty.

I would recommend this book to everyone who loves mob books, dark Gothic type of books and books about human monsters.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an opportunity to read and review this book. I provide a voluntary review.… (altro)

Sorrel and Myriana first crossed my radar sometime last year but failed to find its way into my TBR pile. Recently, the title surfaced again so I gave it a shot and I am not disappointed. For those that are sensitive, it does contain topics that are not for the feint of heart, such as severe abuse and mental illness.

The world that Sun creates in Sorrel and Myriana is dark and beautiful. Dalltop appears as any city: alive and bustling against a backdrop of the grit and gore that accompanies a world ruled by a crime syndicate. The sheer wealth and abundance that plagues the characters of this book alone is enough to leave a sour taste in my mouth. They do not know the suffering of ordinary folk and they operate on their own set of rules. Sorrel, Myriana, and their family live above the the law of Dalltop.

In Sorrel and Myriana, Sun breathes life into characters that are extremely unpleasant. Unlike Gillian Flynn in Gone Girl, Sun’s despicable characters have a unique and unsettling charm that make it possible to feel an unusually abundant amount of sympathy for them, despite the brevity of their crimes. Sorrel and Myriana share a love for one another that is abusive, dangerous, and destructive in nature. This love appears so deeply encoded in their hearts and minds that the two exist as a hateful magnet to one another.

There are two things that keep me from giving this book a five star rating. First, Sun employs a lot of purple prose, a term that refers to unnecessary descriptions and excessively difficult words. Second, Sun’s use of first-person perspective is stronger than third-person. Because of this, the final third of the book loses a lot of its momentum and, quite honestly, takes a rather boring turn.

Despite its flaws, Sorrel and Myriana is undoubtedly one of my favorite books. The depth of the horrid love shared between these two is disturbingly powerful. Unhealthy and appalling, but powerful. I hope to read more stories with this degree of complexity from Evelyn Sun in the future.… (altro)