IAN DOWN UNDER VS. THE SOUND: AN AOTEAROA HORROR STORY

Ian dives into The Sound: An Aotearoa Horror Story, by Joseph Steven Bonnett. A honeymoon, a cruise down a fjord, and an otherworldly sound — what could possibly go wrong?

TITLE: The Sound: An Aotearoa Horror Story

AUTHOR: Joseph Steven Bonnett

GENRE: Cosmic Horror

PAGES: 88

FORMAT: e-book

PRICE: $9.99 paperback, $0.99 e-book

G’day all, your infamous ARC reader is back, reporting in from the never-ending cloud-filled skies of Australia. This time I’m taking a nightmare fuelled, cosmic horror-filled cruise in The Sound: An Aotearoa Horror Story, a novella by Joseph Steven Bonnett.

It’s not often we get horror set in Milford Sound in Aotearoa (Maori name for New Zealand) but we’ve got one here, and spoiler alert: it’s good.

Cosmic horror is one of those hit-or-miss genres for me. Sometimes the books that tackle it can be too clever for their own good, leaving me as lost as one of the characters wandering through a world that makes very little sense. I’m pleased to report that isn’t the case here.

The story begins with a newlywed couple, Ben and Lisa, who are on their honeymoon in New Zealand and on their way to an intimate overnight cruise in Milford Sound. So far, the trip hasn’t been going so well. Ben’s carefully planned route has gone off the rails, leaving them constantly on the move instead of relaxing. What should be a dream holiday is instead becoming a stress-filled slog. Things only get worse when Ben hits and kills an albatross, a protected species of bird, and then deals with it by tipping it over a cliff, leaving Lisa understandably unimpressed. If this seems like an unimportant event to mention, trust me, it isn’t. It comes into play later on in the story in a fashion I won’t spoil here.

Anyway, Ben and Lisa make it in time to catch their cruise, and thankfully this time, Ben’s planning seems to have paid off. There are only a handful of other passengers, and while their cabin may be small, it offers everything they need. The trip is going smoothly until they hear a strange sound that radiates pure wrongness. Ben and Lisa get to know the other passengers and learn they had heard the strange sound too, and then things take a turn for the weird. What should have been a simple journey along the fjord becomes a disorienting loop through places they shouldn’t be, leaving them seemingly unable to reach the shore.

As it’s a cosmic horror story, I won’t give anything further away, but suffice it to say the strangeness continues to escalate, and there’s a good mix of psychological and creature horror added in to mix things up. Joseph has a great writing style; it’s sharp, atmospheric, and descriptive, and though the story is short, he packs in a good amount of creepiness and mystery that kept me on my toes throughout.

As an added bonus, Joseph has even included a QR code for an ambient soundtrack to enhance the reading experience, which is a clever touch and works especially well for a story of this length.

I give this 4.5 unfortunate albatross road kills out of 5.

Ian Gielen is a writer of all things spooky and a horror fanatic. Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication on display in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space. He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats; his furry companions are always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas. With the sheer number of furry and human companions in his life, it’s a wonder he isn’t a little crazier than he already is.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.