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Perilisc
Chaste: A Tale from Perilisc
When her devout parents were killed, Cheryl abandoned her destiny as a priestess. Despite the unusual decrees of the new priest, an evil threat preys on the town. Tragic murders have become more frequent when a few traveling warriors stop here for the night. Will they help Cheryl's village or destroy it? She knows better than to trust them. Years of pain and self-loathing have hardened her. To fight back the infectious curse that plagues her home, she must finally face her brutal past.
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published October 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 28, 2020
Jesse Teller is a new voice in Grimdark fantasy, and if you like your books dark and bloody as hell, then he might as well be your new favorite author.
An Assassin, a wizard, a half-breed, a brute warrior and a master-swordsman walk into a bar....
Are you waiting for a joke? Because you won't get one. This bar is in Chaste, a town infected by a malevolent force that preys on the townsfolk for years. Chaste was once a paradise - a town protected by the God Cor-lyn-ber and His religious leaders. But when these leaders -Cheryl's parents- died, Cor-lyn-ber abandoned both the city and its people, and Cheryl abandoned her faith and duties in return. But when the travelling warriors decide to face the evil that lurks on Chaste, Cheryl might be the only one who can help them.
"You ask me what a god is? Where did you hear this word? Ah yes, he is old and rotten and likes to speak of things foul and terrible. A god was a being beyond all others, primed and good, or dark and vile. There were many gods, from many different worlds. They looked down from the heavens, not so long ago, and understood what they had created. They know now what we are capable of. When they discovered the true nature of man, they fled for their lives. Gather around, for even in this I can give you a lesson. Sit now, while I talk of gods. See what you can learn from this tale. See what they were, and what has forsaken us all."
Let's start with a fact. Jesse is a talented storyteller. He's great with words, using straightforward yet compelling prose, expertly used and well-placed imagery, and an even pace with a rising tempo, resulting in a captivating and thrilling narrative. Both character-development and world-building are on point, with just the right amount of lore to keep them intriguing and mysterious.
Teller's only but significant problem lies on the plot structure, and most specifically on the purpose behind the actions of various characters, be it protagonists or villains alike (I would say antagonists instead of villains, but they are pretty much black and white in that case). Lots of torture scenes, murders, and other horrible situations without reason or justification.
All in all, Chaste was a nice and interesting read, and Jesse Teller is a talented author with the future on his hands, but he will need to spend more time on the whys and the hows in his future works. If Mestlven or Liefdom are more carefully planned than Chaste, then I won’t be surprised to see Teller on the final round of SPFBO 3.
An Assassin, a wizard, a half-breed, a brute warrior and a master-swordsman walk into a bar....
Are you waiting for a joke? Because you won't get one. This bar is in Chaste, a town infected by a malevolent force that preys on the townsfolk for years. Chaste was once a paradise - a town protected by the God Cor-lyn-ber and His religious leaders. But when these leaders -Cheryl's parents- died, Cor-lyn-ber abandoned both the city and its people, and Cheryl abandoned her faith and duties in return. But when the travelling warriors decide to face the evil that lurks on Chaste, Cheryl might be the only one who can help them.
"You ask me what a god is? Where did you hear this word? Ah yes, he is old and rotten and likes to speak of things foul and terrible. A god was a being beyond all others, primed and good, or dark and vile. There were many gods, from many different worlds. They looked down from the heavens, not so long ago, and understood what they had created. They know now what we are capable of. When they discovered the true nature of man, they fled for their lives. Gather around, for even in this I can give you a lesson. Sit now, while I talk of gods. See what you can learn from this tale. See what they were, and what has forsaken us all."
Let's start with a fact. Jesse is a talented storyteller. He's great with words, using straightforward yet compelling prose, expertly used and well-placed imagery, and an even pace with a rising tempo, resulting in a captivating and thrilling narrative. Both character-development and world-building are on point, with just the right amount of lore to keep them intriguing and mysterious.
Teller's only but significant problem lies on the plot structure, and most specifically on the purpose behind the actions of various characters, be it protagonists or villains alike (I would say antagonists instead of villains, but they are pretty much black and white in that case). Lots of torture scenes, murders, and other horrible situations without reason or justification.
All in all, Chaste was a nice and interesting read, and Jesse Teller is a talented author with the future on his hands, but he will need to spend more time on the whys and the hows in his future works. If Mestlven or Liefdom are more carefully planned than Chaste, then I won’t be surprised to see Teller on the final round of SPFBO 3.
February 20, 2017
A very dark and wretched tale that begins in a small town as a young girl turns her back on her destiny after the brutal deaths of her parents. It is a tale of brutality, debauchery and murder as evil comes to town and shreds the very fibers of its soul.
Jesse Teller’s CHASTE is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Gore, human debasement, abuse, and torture are highlighted frequently as part of this extremely dark tale. If you have a problem with rape, you will be disturbed. If not for the wonderful bits and pieces in between, I would have thought the author was attempting to use every vile act and dark scene to demonstrate his ability as a wordsmith as he vividly detailed each and every scene.
One bitter woman will step forward to protect and defend her world, but not until her own brutal self-examination is complete. The storytelling fell short of the previous book as the human weakness was exploited by evil.
I think this book just wasn’t for me, but Jesse Teller is a very strong author who boldly builds the world he has created with strong themes and no apologies.
I received this copy from Jesse Teller in exchange for my honest review.
MY RATING: 2.5 Stars
Publication Date: October 5, 2016
Publisher: Jesse Teller
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Print Length: 245 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Jesse Teller’s CHASTE is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Gore, human debasement, abuse, and torture are highlighted frequently as part of this extremely dark tale. If you have a problem with rape, you will be disturbed. If not for the wonderful bits and pieces in between, I would have thought the author was attempting to use every vile act and dark scene to demonstrate his ability as a wordsmith as he vividly detailed each and every scene.
One bitter woman will step forward to protect and defend her world, but not until her own brutal self-examination is complete. The storytelling fell short of the previous book as the human weakness was exploited by evil.
I think this book just wasn’t for me, but Jesse Teller is a very strong author who boldly builds the world he has created with strong themes and no apologies.
I received this copy from Jesse Teller in exchange for my honest review.
MY RATING: 2.5 Stars
Publication Date: October 5, 2016
Publisher: Jesse Teller
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Print Length: 245 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
June 19, 2018
I am actually reading the books out-of-order but each is its own jigsaw piece that makes up the final picture. So before I begin, these are stories of fantasy, mystical adventures and horror of the very darkest kind. They are bloody, torturous and have vivid scenes of people being disembodied and at times others raped but wound into it all is a core of good that is battling to gain ground be it by using some pretty vicious and mostly enjoyable methods for themselves.
So welcome to Chaste after it has been deserted by its God and its keepers murdered. As the story begins the fool hardy on the edge of Chaste soon come up against a malevolent evil power that thrives on the pain of others and control to make even the purest souls do its bidding. This is pretty gruesome stuff that will either make you stop reading here or bind you to every chapter that follows.
I was definitely a stayer I wanted to find out more about some of the characters from the other book I had read especially Sob, who just grew on me with every page I turned. Chaste is a place where evil enters people to carry out vile and terrible acts for no reason expect it just simply can. Even the tight group of unlikely saviours at times lose their way. In this book I got to know Cheryl. Each book builds up certain characters, giving them more substance as to why they are as they are and the reasons for their own personal battles. absolutely loved the finale and already got another book in the series.
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly
So welcome to Chaste after it has been deserted by its God and its keepers murdered. As the story begins the fool hardy on the edge of Chaste soon come up against a malevolent evil power that thrives on the pain of others and control to make even the purest souls do its bidding. This is pretty gruesome stuff that will either make you stop reading here or bind you to every chapter that follows.
I was definitely a stayer I wanted to find out more about some of the characters from the other book I had read especially Sob, who just grew on me with every page I turned. Chaste is a place where evil enters people to carry out vile and terrible acts for no reason expect it just simply can. Even the tight group of unlikely saviours at times lose their way. In this book I got to know Cheryl. Each book builds up certain characters, giving them more substance as to why they are as they are and the reasons for their own personal battles. absolutely loved the finale and already got another book in the series.
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly
June 19, 2017
Chaste: A Tale from Perilisc, by Jesse Teller, is a dark fantasy novel that deals with difficult issues through the lens of complex character dynamics, such as staying true to yourself, and having faith and hope in difficult times.
The book introduces several characters; Cheryl, the young barmaid who is being abused by her spouse; our adventurers, Sob, Sai, Ruther, Trevonne, and Ambul; and two supposedly religious men, both of whom have been corrupted by a mysterious, malicious monster during their travels. These characters’ interactions and development revolve around Chaste, a once faithful town now devolved into a place filled with decadence and decay. When Ambul is taken, the adventurers decide to investigate his disappearance. However, what they hoped to find was their friend, they only see scandals filled with murder, blood, and sacrifice. Cheryl, meanwhile, decides to seek out the truth behind Chaste’s taint, and as the story progresses, discovers that during difficult times, she needs to stand up for what she believes in, even if no one will.
Teller weaves a masterful tale that combines excellent imagery and character dynamics. The relationships between the adventurers are incredibly strong, so much so that when one is corrupted, they all fall. Though each is beset with their own problems, in the end, they still come back to each other. The closeness between Ambul and Sai is especially gratifying, which shows just how much they rely on one another to get through troubled times. This sharply contrasts to Timothy and Frank; though they were just as close, Teller clearly illustrates how much their relationship has degraded. It gets worse and worse for Timothy until finally, Frank inevitably sacrifices the boy for his own gain, as he allows his own demons and his obsession for power to cloud his judgements.
What I also liked about the book is Cheryl’s development. As the story progresses, she realizes the importance of having faith and hope, as well as believing oneself. Teller describes, in stunning detail, the downfall of the once holy Chaste. The dilapidated buildings, the haunting settings, the mobs, even the character’s mental states and the sins surrounding them; he establishes these constants so well I remembered being frightened at times. However, Cheryl still continues to brave this. Despite her suffering, she manages to fight back against the priest, not only by offering refuge to the town’s residents. She is an admirable character, and though she may not fit in with the rest of the adventurers, she is a hero in her own right.
Personally, I loved the book. Teller gave an eerily beautiful feeling about the strange world Chaste was in, as well as the horrifying sense of the darkness within. He illustrated the characters and themes proudly, both their strengths and weaknesses, and though the ending was bittersweet, the book captivated me. Overall, I would give this story a rating of a 4.8/5 stars, and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, and horror.
The book introduces several characters; Cheryl, the young barmaid who is being abused by her spouse; our adventurers, Sob, Sai, Ruther, Trevonne, and Ambul; and two supposedly religious men, both of whom have been corrupted by a mysterious, malicious monster during their travels. These characters’ interactions and development revolve around Chaste, a once faithful town now devolved into a place filled with decadence and decay. When Ambul is taken, the adventurers decide to investigate his disappearance. However, what they hoped to find was their friend, they only see scandals filled with murder, blood, and sacrifice. Cheryl, meanwhile, decides to seek out the truth behind Chaste’s taint, and as the story progresses, discovers that during difficult times, she needs to stand up for what she believes in, even if no one will.
Teller weaves a masterful tale that combines excellent imagery and character dynamics. The relationships between the adventurers are incredibly strong, so much so that when one is corrupted, they all fall. Though each is beset with their own problems, in the end, they still come back to each other. The closeness between Ambul and Sai is especially gratifying, which shows just how much they rely on one another to get through troubled times. This sharply contrasts to Timothy and Frank; though they were just as close, Teller clearly illustrates how much their relationship has degraded. It gets worse and worse for Timothy until finally, Frank inevitably sacrifices the boy for his own gain, as he allows his own demons and his obsession for power to cloud his judgements.
What I also liked about the book is Cheryl’s development. As the story progresses, she realizes the importance of having faith and hope, as well as believing oneself. Teller describes, in stunning detail, the downfall of the once holy Chaste. The dilapidated buildings, the haunting settings, the mobs, even the character’s mental states and the sins surrounding them; he establishes these constants so well I remembered being frightened at times. However, Cheryl still continues to brave this. Despite her suffering, she manages to fight back against the priest, not only by offering refuge to the town’s residents. She is an admirable character, and though she may not fit in with the rest of the adventurers, she is a hero in her own right.
Personally, I loved the book. Teller gave an eerily beautiful feeling about the strange world Chaste was in, as well as the horrifying sense of the darkness within. He illustrated the characters and themes proudly, both their strengths and weaknesses, and though the ending was bittersweet, the book captivated me. Overall, I would give this story a rating of a 4.8/5 stars, and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, and horror.
January 1, 2018
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
― Plato
Original link: http://bohomind.com/chaste-tale-peril...
Jesse Teller has written a few stories set in the world of Perilisc. Chaste is the first one I have been offered as ARC.
The begins with a mysterious air. The first chapter is brilliant.
The story moves around the following idea. God primarily worshipped by the citizens of Chaste has been replaced by a malevolent thing, an evil power who influences people to do terrible things on innocents. A group of soldiers (a witch, an assassin, a birdlike man/creature who can’t fly, a warrior who pines for his lost love, interesting cast of characters) arrive in Chaste and some of them are brought under the influence of the evil Master. The residential ex-priestess of the good God goes through a horrific journey of chronic abuse, habitual torture, and cruel humiliation in the hands of the evil Master’s minion. She cannot accept her past and her truth and hence cannot bring the light into this darkness.
The group of soldiers is made of pretty well-structured characters all of whom have an interesting background. The book doesn’t leave us frustrated from not knowing who they are or how they fare after everything.
The priestess is a perfect choice as the primary subject to torture with her high tolerance, endurance, acceptance of fate, and denial of some important event in her past. The steady but well-paced reveal of mysteries smoothly unravels the chain of events (still not sure if that many hardcore abuse scenes were completely necessary to the plot).
Sob, the silent assassin, is a tragically memorable character and deserves her own book (I think she has one).
Jesse Teller knows how to create the perfect atmosphere for horror. Yes, I would categorize Chaste as horror. One of the darkest fantasy works in the self-published field out there, this little work of Mr. Teller is going to make me wait with great enthusiasm for the rest of the stories on Perilisc.
Lucid prose sprinkled with the right amount of imagery, lore, and world-building makes Chaste a very enjoyable read. No, I am not a pervert. I said the writing is enjoyable, not the story. This book wasn’t written for the faint-hearted. Don’t even bother to pick this book up unless you are a horror fan because this book is primarily horror. The reader can be as terrorized as much as the citizens of Perilisc and the evil thing that has taken over the little place makes the antagonists do things even they can’t explain why.
The torture, the gore, the violence, most of it doesn’t happen for rhyme or reason. Pages after pages we spend grabbing the edge of our seat praying all the torments stop. Each scene is so visual and impactful, I felt a physical revulsion towards the antagonists. Kudos to Teller (pun intended by all means) for that. He can leave the reader paralyzed with fear as easily as he shows us hope.
Overall, Chaste get’s 3.5 Bohostars from me for exceptionally good writing, characters, setting, tone.
Wish I could say I loved the book. As much as the author’s prowess as a storyteller impressed me, I feel that this book could do less with violence as it started feeling a little repetitive. Not all the abuse and torture scenes felt necessary to the progress of the story. That’s my opinion, though I do understand the nature of chronic abuse and accept that in real life it goes on every day on a varied level. Just that reading it in a book with no silver lining for a long time, the hopelessness, the helplessness, the horror…Don’t worry, wary readers, the end is superb. You will be left hankering for more from this author.
― Plato
Original link: http://bohomind.com/chaste-tale-peril...
Jesse Teller has written a few stories set in the world of Perilisc. Chaste is the first one I have been offered as ARC.
The begins with a mysterious air. The first chapter is brilliant.
The story moves around the following idea. God primarily worshipped by the citizens of Chaste has been replaced by a malevolent thing, an evil power who influences people to do terrible things on innocents. A group of soldiers (a witch, an assassin, a birdlike man/creature who can’t fly, a warrior who pines for his lost love, interesting cast of characters) arrive in Chaste and some of them are brought under the influence of the evil Master. The residential ex-priestess of the good God goes through a horrific journey of chronic abuse, habitual torture, and cruel humiliation in the hands of the evil Master’s minion. She cannot accept her past and her truth and hence cannot bring the light into this darkness.
The group of soldiers is made of pretty well-structured characters all of whom have an interesting background. The book doesn’t leave us frustrated from not knowing who they are or how they fare after everything.
The priestess is a perfect choice as the primary subject to torture with her high tolerance, endurance, acceptance of fate, and denial of some important event in her past. The steady but well-paced reveal of mysteries smoothly unravels the chain of events (still not sure if that many hardcore abuse scenes were completely necessary to the plot).
Sob, the silent assassin, is a tragically memorable character and deserves her own book (I think she has one).
Jesse Teller knows how to create the perfect atmosphere for horror. Yes, I would categorize Chaste as horror. One of the darkest fantasy works in the self-published field out there, this little work of Mr. Teller is going to make me wait with great enthusiasm for the rest of the stories on Perilisc.
Lucid prose sprinkled with the right amount of imagery, lore, and world-building makes Chaste a very enjoyable read. No, I am not a pervert. I said the writing is enjoyable, not the story. This book wasn’t written for the faint-hearted. Don’t even bother to pick this book up unless you are a horror fan because this book is primarily horror. The reader can be as terrorized as much as the citizens of Perilisc and the evil thing that has taken over the little place makes the antagonists do things even they can’t explain why.
The torture, the gore, the violence, most of it doesn’t happen for rhyme or reason. Pages after pages we spend grabbing the edge of our seat praying all the torments stop. Each scene is so visual and impactful, I felt a physical revulsion towards the antagonists. Kudos to Teller (pun intended by all means) for that. He can leave the reader paralyzed with fear as easily as he shows us hope.
Overall, Chaste get’s 3.5 Bohostars from me for exceptionally good writing, characters, setting, tone.
Wish I could say I loved the book. As much as the author’s prowess as a storyteller impressed me, I feel that this book could do less with violence as it started feeling a little repetitive. Not all the abuse and torture scenes felt necessary to the progress of the story. That’s my opinion, though I do understand the nature of chronic abuse and accept that in real life it goes on every day on a varied level. Just that reading it in a book with no silver lining for a long time, the hopelessness, the helplessness, the horror…Don’t worry, wary readers, the end is superb. You will be left hankering for more from this author.
March 2, 2017
phew... this book is dark. There is not much to lighten the overall feel of despair, evil and darkness. There is rape, murder, torture, murder of innocent children, depravity in all kinds of ways - so be prepared for that when you start that book. If you are looking for a pretty fantasy tale with good ending all around - then this is not the book to read. Although in the end good wins against evil there is a heavy price to pay.
Again the author has created some very interesting characters in this book and that together with his excellent writing and the continuous actions kept me totally hooked. I read the book in one single day. I just could not put it down. But I have to say I did feel a little disappointed at the end. I guess I was hoping for some more positive outcomes just something to lift the overall mood. Didn’t help that I was quite down when I read the book, it did nothing to cheer me up (apart from when Frank/Miladroga finally got their comeuppance although I thought that this scene was strangely short). Some of the characters I wanted to survive didn’t and some I wanted to get together didn’t… so yes I just hoped for something that would restore my equilibrium. Again like in his other book I also wanted to know more about the characters but I believe the ones that survived I will meet again. Bring on Sob’s story - she was my absolute favourite.
Again the author has created some very interesting characters in this book and that together with his excellent writing and the continuous actions kept me totally hooked. I read the book in one single day. I just could not put it down. But I have to say I did feel a little disappointed at the end. I guess I was hoping for some more positive outcomes just something to lift the overall mood. Didn’t help that I was quite down when I read the book, it did nothing to cheer me up (apart from when Frank/Miladroga finally got their comeuppance although I thought that this scene was strangely short). Some of the characters I wanted to survive didn’t and some I wanted to get together didn’t… so yes I just hoped for something that would restore my equilibrium. Again like in his other book I also wanted to know more about the characters but I believe the ones that survived I will meet again. Bring on Sob’s story - she was my absolute favourite.
August 12, 2017
* I received a free copy of this book via the author - thankyou!!!!*
*Minor Spoilers in review*
This is my second visit to Perilisc after recently reading the excellent Mestleven. My understanding is this is the first book in chronological order set in Perilisc (but not the first written?).
In a previous review I commented on how much I enjoyed Mestleven and how it was quite an unexpected surprise which surpassed my expectations. One of the things which grabbed me quite quickly and piqued my interest was that a couple of characters in Chaste are also important characters in Mestleven. I guess my review is coloured by having read the later novel first so I 'knew' more about these characters than a first time reader. I am thinking that although there are fewer 'surprises' I think it led to a better reader experience as I had already made an emotional attachment to Sob, Sai, Trevonne and a 'to be revealed in the book' so I was rooting for them. I'm not sure they would have grabbed my attention if this was my first introduction to them.
The outline plot of Chaste is that a worshipper of an evil god (the delightfully named Hac-Jahoo) has arrived in the small town of Chaste and has corrupted the town by impersonating the priest of the good god of hope Cor-Lyn-Ber (as an aside I couldn't help but read this as Corbyn - the democratic socialist leader of the opposition in the UK, a figure of hope in British politics right now).
Frank the Impersonator over a period of years corrupts the town. Children are taken and killed. The populace are distrusting and beaten down. In steps our heroes...
The visiting party of Ruther, Ambull, Trevonne, Sob and Sai are the outsiders in town and largely the focus of the novel. They do come across as a 'wandering party' out of Dungeons & Dragons passing through the place to 'solve the problems' and move on. Maybe it's because I enjoy roleplaying but I struggled to understand why the group would care so much about the town and stick around. It did read to me like they were a bunch of passing 'adventurers' and I couldn't understand the links between them all. There is hardly any backstory as to why these people are travelling together. There are some explanations of their pasts, of who likes each other, who doesn't but there seems to be little cohesive reason for them to be together. I kind of think that if this was my introduction to the characters I wouldn't have been that interested in them.
What makes this book is the setting. The town of Chaste is evoked brilliantly. Teller has captured 'corruption' perfectly. We are aware that the people of the town were once religious and good. We are aware that the town is significant in the religion of Cor-Lyn-Ber. Within no time at all the town is painted as a miasma of corruption, desolation and grief. The townsfolk are like a mob who butcher those they think of as having wronged them. I love that there is no colour in Chaste. Everything, whilst not explicitly stated so, seems grey and drab. It is a loveless, hopeless place. Innocent children are murdered by their parents, the populace are one step up from zombies. Authority figures are cruel, women are beaten and raped and no-one gives a shit. Of course there are reasons behind the changes in the town and the people. Teller's descriptions of the people are amazing. People are sick, have fevers, have boils, weals and warts. They stink. I kind of feel Chaste was painted grey, everyone aged twenty years and walks with a hunched back and low shoulders. It's then washed in shit and piss. This isn't an easy read at all but it's brilliantly described.
The centre of all this is of course the priest Frank, his 'associates' and the church in which he serves the town. The church is a brilliant location. It is described as almost a real thing. The walls are drab and falling apart, the structure decrepit. Inside the catacombs it has been defiled. I'm not sure how much of this is real or in Frank's head but the descriptions of keeping holy relics of an enemy god in fonts filled with piss is delightful! The building is almost alive, like it's just a giant pus filled boil seeping and ready to burst. Sick!
As with the other Teller book I have read this isn't for the faint of heart. A central character is raped and beaten often. Children are murdered and there is more than a hint of child sexual abuse in the book. (When you learn what has happened to the children it isn't much better but wow, it was a great pay off and will thrill those with a slightly warped imagination!). In Mestleven the action was more 'swashbuckling' and was great fun. The violence in this is a little more 'hack 'n' slash' and felt like a slog of cutting through the crap of Chaste.
I struggled with the pacing of this also. I think the book takes a while to get going and can be quite slow in places. The plot is quite linear and rather infuriating the travellers are a distraction more than anything else. The real story is of the child of former priests who works in a bar, gets beaten and raped all the time, then discovers herself and fights back. The chapters of her awakening are the more interesting ones in the book, yet she seems an incidental character for so long then takes centre stage. I also struggled with the 'battle of gods'. If everything is ordained by the gods then no-one in the novel has any real agency. I'd have toned down the influence of the gods a little. I also found it a little difficult to keep track of which supernatural element was who, who were they working for. There seemed to be 'magical items' seemingly lost forever but rather easy to find over the last third of the book. The ending seemed a little flat also sadly.
There are some great scenes in the book though where I think the author hits the spot. The 'trial' is amazing. The scenes where the sheriff is first encountered at his jail (and what a sore ridden creature he is!) and the 'respect' he gets, the 'possessed' father turning on his little girl...
Although I wasn't particularly grabbed by the story, the setting is brilliant. The evocation of 'hopelessness' is superb. Not an easy read by any means but I'm now quite the Sob fan so I'm glad I've learnt more about her. Worth a look but check out Mestleven first as I think it is a superior novel.
*Minor Spoilers in review*
This is my second visit to Perilisc after recently reading the excellent Mestleven. My understanding is this is the first book in chronological order set in Perilisc (but not the first written?).
In a previous review I commented on how much I enjoyed Mestleven and how it was quite an unexpected surprise which surpassed my expectations. One of the things which grabbed me quite quickly and piqued my interest was that a couple of characters in Chaste are also important characters in Mestleven. I guess my review is coloured by having read the later novel first so I 'knew' more about these characters than a first time reader. I am thinking that although there are fewer 'surprises' I think it led to a better reader experience as I had already made an emotional attachment to Sob, Sai, Trevonne and a 'to be revealed in the book' so I was rooting for them. I'm not sure they would have grabbed my attention if this was my first introduction to them.
The outline plot of Chaste is that a worshipper of an evil god (the delightfully named Hac-Jahoo) has arrived in the small town of Chaste and has corrupted the town by impersonating the priest of the good god of hope Cor-Lyn-Ber (as an aside I couldn't help but read this as Corbyn - the democratic socialist leader of the opposition in the UK, a figure of hope in British politics right now).
Frank the Impersonator over a period of years corrupts the town. Children are taken and killed. The populace are distrusting and beaten down. In steps our heroes...
The visiting party of Ruther, Ambull, Trevonne, Sob and Sai are the outsiders in town and largely the focus of the novel. They do come across as a 'wandering party' out of Dungeons & Dragons passing through the place to 'solve the problems' and move on. Maybe it's because I enjoy roleplaying but I struggled to understand why the group would care so much about the town and stick around. It did read to me like they were a bunch of passing 'adventurers' and I couldn't understand the links between them all. There is hardly any backstory as to why these people are travelling together. There are some explanations of their pasts, of who likes each other, who doesn't but there seems to be little cohesive reason for them to be together. I kind of think that if this was my introduction to the characters I wouldn't have been that interested in them.
What makes this book is the setting. The town of Chaste is evoked brilliantly. Teller has captured 'corruption' perfectly. We are aware that the people of the town were once religious and good. We are aware that the town is significant in the religion of Cor-Lyn-Ber. Within no time at all the town is painted as a miasma of corruption, desolation and grief. The townsfolk are like a mob who butcher those they think of as having wronged them. I love that there is no colour in Chaste. Everything, whilst not explicitly stated so, seems grey and drab. It is a loveless, hopeless place. Innocent children are murdered by their parents, the populace are one step up from zombies. Authority figures are cruel, women are beaten and raped and no-one gives a shit. Of course there are reasons behind the changes in the town and the people. Teller's descriptions of the people are amazing. People are sick, have fevers, have boils, weals and warts. They stink. I kind of feel Chaste was painted grey, everyone aged twenty years and walks with a hunched back and low shoulders. It's then washed in shit and piss. This isn't an easy read at all but it's brilliantly described.
The centre of all this is of course the priest Frank, his 'associates' and the church in which he serves the town. The church is a brilliant location. It is described as almost a real thing. The walls are drab and falling apart, the structure decrepit. Inside the catacombs it has been defiled. I'm not sure how much of this is real or in Frank's head but the descriptions of keeping holy relics of an enemy god in fonts filled with piss is delightful! The building is almost alive, like it's just a giant pus filled boil seeping and ready to burst. Sick!
As with the other Teller book I have read this isn't for the faint of heart. A central character is raped and beaten often. Children are murdered and there is more than a hint of child sexual abuse in the book. (When you learn what has happened to the children it isn't much better but wow, it was a great pay off and will thrill those with a slightly warped imagination!). In Mestleven the action was more 'swashbuckling' and was great fun. The violence in this is a little more 'hack 'n' slash' and felt like a slog of cutting through the crap of Chaste.
I struggled with the pacing of this also. I think the book takes a while to get going and can be quite slow in places. The plot is quite linear and rather infuriating the travellers are a distraction more than anything else. The real story is of the child of former priests who works in a bar, gets beaten and raped all the time, then discovers herself and fights back. The chapters of her awakening are the more interesting ones in the book, yet she seems an incidental character for so long then takes centre stage. I also struggled with the 'battle of gods'. If everything is ordained by the gods then no-one in the novel has any real agency. I'd have toned down the influence of the gods a little. I also found it a little difficult to keep track of which supernatural element was who, who were they working for. There seemed to be 'magical items' seemingly lost forever but rather easy to find over the last third of the book. The ending seemed a little flat also sadly.
There are some great scenes in the book though where I think the author hits the spot. The 'trial' is amazing. The scenes where the sheriff is first encountered at his jail (and what a sore ridden creature he is!) and the 'respect' he gets, the 'possessed' father turning on his little girl...
Although I wasn't particularly grabbed by the story, the setting is brilliant. The evocation of 'hopelessness' is superb. Not an easy read by any means but I'm now quite the Sob fan so I'm glad I've learnt more about her. Worth a look but check out Mestleven first as I think it is a superior novel.
November 8, 2016
Okay, I’m super excited about this one so I’m going to try to do this without giving everything away.
What Jesse Teller has crafted here is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish. First off, I enjoyed Teller’s way of doing the “before and after” aspect of the story. I’m a fan of anything non-cookie cutter. For instance, in the beginning, you’ll read about the goings on in the aftermath. It took me a few moments to follow the story there, but once I got it, I was in and reeling.
And I do mean reeling.
Cheryl kicked the heart right out of my chest when I first met her. This woman is going through hell, to say the least. Yet, despite it all, she’s a fighter. As you read her story, you see that clearly and admire her as much as I did.
I won’t say that I enjoyed reading her story. In fact, it tore me apart to read some pieces of it, but her strength left me in awe and inspired.
Additionally, the dialogue, I feel, is in a class all its own. I could almost hear the characters the way spoke in the manner that Teller wrote them; see the scenery in the graphic, descriptive manner illustrated by him.
If you love fantasy, I would definitely recommend “Chaste” to you.
Even if you’re like me and you haven’t read very much fantasy in your lifetime, I’d say take a chance on Jesse Teller. You won’t regret it. He'll make you love it.
What Jesse Teller has crafted here is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish. First off, I enjoyed Teller’s way of doing the “before and after” aspect of the story. I’m a fan of anything non-cookie cutter. For instance, in the beginning, you’ll read about the goings on in the aftermath. It took me a few moments to follow the story there, but once I got it, I was in and reeling.
And I do mean reeling.
Cheryl kicked the heart right out of my chest when I first met her. This woman is going through hell, to say the least. Yet, despite it all, she’s a fighter. As you read her story, you see that clearly and admire her as much as I did.
I won’t say that I enjoyed reading her story. In fact, it tore me apart to read some pieces of it, but her strength left me in awe and inspired.
Additionally, the dialogue, I feel, is in a class all its own. I could almost hear the characters the way spoke in the manner that Teller wrote them; see the scenery in the graphic, descriptive manner illustrated by him.
If you love fantasy, I would definitely recommend “Chaste” to you.
Even if you’re like me and you haven’t read very much fantasy in your lifetime, I’d say take a chance on Jesse Teller. You won’t regret it. He'll make you love it.
November 14, 2016
"Chaste" is a little like Stephen King's "Needful Things," in which a demonic man moves into a town and uses his influence to spoil a few good souls and turn the entire community into a mob. The similarities end there, as this is purely a fantasy book about gods warring through their avatars in the small city of Chaste.
The story relies on a few fantasy cliches (a female thief who uses poison, a swordsman so skilled he can cut down almost an entire mob, and of course, magic powers), but at its core, the story is meant to show how terrible and easy it is for someone to turn a religion that is originally peaceful into an instrument for hatred and destruction. All it takes is charisma and the right words.
Like the first Perilisc book, the story eases you into the lore of this fantasy world fairly well, but it is less successful at it. I'm still scratching my head over some apparition with dark armor (who is he, and why doesn't one of the main characters freak out when she sees him?), and there's a guy named Simon the Bard who steps in, says "Stuff is about to hit the fan!" and then just disappears without a second thought.
In conclusion, this book may please fantasy fans who wished that a typical "Song of Ice and Fire" book had more sex and graphic violence, and that they didn't have to wade through two hundred pages or so to get to the good stuff.
The story relies on a few fantasy cliches (a female thief who uses poison, a swordsman so skilled he can cut down almost an entire mob, and of course, magic powers), but at its core, the story is meant to show how terrible and easy it is for someone to turn a religion that is originally peaceful into an instrument for hatred and destruction. All it takes is charisma and the right words.
Like the first Perilisc book, the story eases you into the lore of this fantasy world fairly well, but it is less successful at it. I'm still scratching my head over some apparition with dark armor (who is he, and why doesn't one of the main characters freak out when she sees him?), and there's a guy named Simon the Bard who steps in, says "Stuff is about to hit the fan!" and then just disappears without a second thought.
In conclusion, this book may please fantasy fans who wished that a typical "Song of Ice and Fire" book had more sex and graphic violence, and that they didn't have to wade through two hundred pages or so to get to the good stuff.
November 15, 2016
Chaste: A Tale from Perilisc By Jesse Teller
Cheryl is suffering from abuse, self loathing and years of taking orders, not being able to stand up for herself. A group of Strangers come to town, and death seems to be looming around her. Cheryl feels compelled to help the strangers, fight off evil and save the people. But what she finds hardest is she needs one thing to do this, hope.
Cheryl is very troubled, she needs to learn about sacrifice, self pride, courage among a few. Her life has not been easy. She has to accept her past, face her fears and the God Cor-lyn-ber. The plot is original, intense, vivid (details) and dark. Overall I found Chaste: A Tale from Perilisc to be an interesting, complex dark fantasy. Those who like this genre may enjoy this read.
Cheryl is suffering from abuse, self loathing and years of taking orders, not being able to stand up for herself. A group of Strangers come to town, and death seems to be looming around her. Cheryl feels compelled to help the strangers, fight off evil and save the people. But what she finds hardest is she needs one thing to do this, hope.
Cheryl is very troubled, she needs to learn about sacrifice, self pride, courage among a few. Her life has not been easy. She has to accept her past, face her fears and the God Cor-lyn-ber. The plot is original, intense, vivid (details) and dark. Overall I found Chaste: A Tale from Perilisc to be an interesting, complex dark fantasy. Those who like this genre may enjoy this read.
April 3, 2017
This is a wonderfully creepy story. Some great characters but I would like to know about them. This is a standalone book but the author has written other books in the same world that I will be checking out. If you like "Grimdark" type of books you will probably enjoy this one, I know I did. Take a chance on this newish author and give this one a try.
May 15, 2017
Full review here, on my blog.
This story is fucking daaaaaark. GDAF, even. The whole thing opens up with two seemingly innocent men being visited by a stranger who first deeply corrupts one, and then tortures the other, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. That's just the prologue, too. So, trigger warning to anyone that can't handle books with actual rape, implied rape, implied child abuse/murder, intense drug withdrawal, torture, murder, some more murder, and then a side of some fucking murder- you should probably skip this one. Just FYI. I know this sort of fiction isn't for everyone, just like, say, horror movies aren't for everyone.
I, for one, don't mind it so much when horrible things happen in fiction. These types of stories can be rather interesting. I like a horror story that has... maybe not a 'happy' ending. That's not really required. But a terrible story that has an ending that wraps things up tidily is nice. When the antagonist gets a comeuppance, it is extra nice!
In the town of Chaste, in the land of Perilisc, children are being murdered. One has just been murdered, in fact, right before five strangers come to town. These five strangers were actually really interesting, and one of the best parts of this story, in my opinion. Sob is an assassin and a thief, who has one hell of a dark history of violence and murder. Sai is a swordsman who dreams every night of the woman he loves but has never met. Ambul is a half-breed, born with malformed wings of which he is ashamed. Trevonne is a wizardess, whose magic has made her continuously exhausted. Their fearless leader Ruther, who doesn't have too big a part in the story, is big, burly, loud, and in love with Sob.
Then there's Cheryl. Her mother and father were the religious leaders of the town, but after they are brutally murdered in front of her, leading to a solitary life full of endless violence, she has no fucks left to give Cor-lyn-ber, the god of this world. It seems that since Cheryl's parents died, an evil god and his minions have moved into this town with the sole purpose of just fucking up everyone's lives through manipulation and corruption.
I really liked how you slowly learn more and more about each character as the story went on. The writing was pretty damn good, and kept me immersed in the story. Best of all, though, I liked Sob and Sai a lot. They had interesting backstories. Almost everyone did, with an air of mystery around them, but I found that I liked Sob and Sai's personalities quite a lot. The ending was satisfying, in a way, if a little underwhelming, if I'm being honest.
This one, I have to say, very nearly hit my limit of 'bad shit happens to the protagonists' though. That's my criticism of it. Cheryl is pretty universally loved among the townfolk, but still gets beaten and raped on the regular and nobody seems to give a shit, despite at least one person (one of her co-workers at the *very* least) knowing the situation. One of the strangers gets captured and brutally tortured, but we never actually get an actual reason why, aside from the excuse that was given to the townfolk to justify such torture to them. The main antagonist seemingly randomly does absolutely terrible stuff but not for any tangible reason aside from 'that's how I worship my evil god'. Oh, of course. That *is* how one worships an evil god. You both do and make others do random horrible shit with no real rhyme or reason. Okay, got it, I guess, but there is a line where believability stops and it becomes random horror for shock value rather than plot progression and this one toes that line quite hard at times. Even the antagonist himself hits a limit once or twice where shit is just too much for him. I get that this is pretty much evil incarnate vs the town of Chaste and its residents (specifically Cheryl), but there isn't a whole lot of reason for it. It's just evil... because evil. It's really down to the good god vs. the evil god, because the good god is trying to save the town inhabited by evil. There is something there that is luring the evil god. Evil god is just evil... because evil.
All told, I liked this one more than I disliked it. As I said, it's very dark, and sometimes almost over-the-top with it, but it was also well written and hard to put down at times. I did actually end up caring what happened to some of the characters. I would recommend it to people who like stories where the protagonists aren't always going to win... or if they are going to win, it'll be a hell of an evil time getting there. Because evil.
It's more of a 3.5, but hell, I'll round up :D
This story is fucking daaaaaark. GDAF, even. The whole thing opens up with two seemingly innocent men being visited by a stranger who first deeply corrupts one, and then tortures the other, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. That's just the prologue, too. So, trigger warning to anyone that can't handle books with actual rape, implied rape, implied child abuse/murder, intense drug withdrawal, torture, murder, some more murder, and then a side of some fucking murder- you should probably skip this one. Just FYI. I know this sort of fiction isn't for everyone, just like, say, horror movies aren't for everyone.
I, for one, don't mind it so much when horrible things happen in fiction. These types of stories can be rather interesting. I like a horror story that has... maybe not a 'happy' ending. That's not really required. But a terrible story that has an ending that wraps things up tidily is nice. When the antagonist gets a comeuppance, it is extra nice!
In the town of Chaste, in the land of Perilisc, children are being murdered. One has just been murdered, in fact, right before five strangers come to town. These five strangers were actually really interesting, and one of the best parts of this story, in my opinion. Sob is an assassin and a thief, who has one hell of a dark history of violence and murder. Sai is a swordsman who dreams every night of the woman he loves but has never met. Ambul is a half-breed, born with malformed wings of which he is ashamed. Trevonne is a wizardess, whose magic has made her continuously exhausted. Their fearless leader Ruther, who doesn't have too big a part in the story, is big, burly, loud, and in love with Sob.
Then there's Cheryl. Her mother and father were the religious leaders of the town, but after they are brutally murdered in front of her, leading to a solitary life full of endless violence, she has no fucks left to give Cor-lyn-ber, the god of this world. It seems that since Cheryl's parents died, an evil god and his minions have moved into this town with the sole purpose of just fucking up everyone's lives through manipulation and corruption.
I really liked how you slowly learn more and more about each character as the story went on. The writing was pretty damn good, and kept me immersed in the story. Best of all, though, I liked Sob and Sai a lot. They had interesting backstories. Almost everyone did, with an air of mystery around them, but I found that I liked Sob and Sai's personalities quite a lot. The ending was satisfying, in a way, if a little underwhelming, if I'm being honest.
This one, I have to say, very nearly hit my limit of 'bad shit happens to the protagonists' though. That's my criticism of it. Cheryl is pretty universally loved among the townfolk, but still gets beaten and raped on the regular and nobody seems to give a shit, despite at least one person (one of her co-workers at the *very* least) knowing the situation. One of the strangers gets captured and brutally tortured, but we never actually get an actual reason why, aside from the excuse that was given to the townfolk to justify such torture to them. The main antagonist seemingly randomly does absolutely terrible stuff but not for any tangible reason aside from 'that's how I worship my evil god'. Oh, of course. That *is* how one worships an evil god. You both do and make others do random horrible shit with no real rhyme or reason. Okay, got it, I guess, but there is a line where believability stops and it becomes random horror for shock value rather than plot progression and this one toes that line quite hard at times. Even the antagonist himself hits a limit once or twice where shit is just too much for him. I get that this is pretty much evil incarnate vs the town of Chaste and its residents (specifically Cheryl), but there isn't a whole lot of reason for it. It's just evil... because evil. It's really down to the good god vs. the evil god, because the good god is trying to save the town inhabited by evil. There is something there that is luring the evil god. Evil god is just evil... because evil.
All told, I liked this one more than I disliked it. As I said, it's very dark, and sometimes almost over-the-top with it, but it was also well written and hard to put down at times. I did actually end up caring what happened to some of the characters. I would recommend it to people who like stories where the protagonists aren't always going to win... or if they are going to win, it'll be a hell of an evil time getting there. Because evil.
It's more of a 3.5, but hell, I'll round up :D
July 8, 2017
Too dark for my taste
October 5, 2016
Chaste is not for the faint of heart. It's a tale of loss, abuse, betrayal, and manipulation. The gritty portrayal of a small town allows for deeper immersion in unraveling personalities. Palpable tension lurks through each scene. The range of heartache and determination these characters experience is awe-inspiring. This author can take you from the darkest trenches of Hell to the rapture of divine understanding. Looking forward to more from Perilisc!
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