“We are born embers, my friend, sparks kindling on the night sky, then fade into darkness.”

The Daughter – Lisa, a young girl clutching her old teddy bear, wakes to a surreal landscape. Starting with the sounds and smells of a comforting home, she ventures into a dark menacing world where there are dangers and warnings at every turn.

The Stranger – Sam, a seventeen year old boy murders his step-father and goes on the run. His life takes a turn for the worse when he goes to Atlanta to search for his uncle…

The Father – a man named Rouge awakens in hospital, handcuffed to the bed. He goes to prison – gets married there and has a daughter.

“Destinies intertwine in three mind-bending stories revolving around a single destructive factor, all converging in one concluding moment.”

All three of the stories in this small volume of only 47 pages had a dreamlike (or drug-induced) sense of reality. They appeared well written with descriptions that immersed the reader into the author’s world. Though – reader be warned – this world is not comforting. The entire book gives off a vibe of bleakness, despair, and hopelessness.

Three very short, linked, stories comprise to make a whole. The way they link quite likely will make you want to re-read the book to ascertain the linkage.

This book could have used another scan through by the editor. Some sentences didn’t flow well and many of the verbs were written in the wrong tense. Editorial faults aside, the book held my interest throughout.  The characters were not of the type that I could really relate to, but they were written with empathy so that you felt their despair and desperation. An uncomfortable read, but not without its merits.

If your looking for an uplifting read you won’t find it here. On the other hand, if you want to be immersed in an alternate reality for a hour, you’ll surely appreciate this book. With themes of drug use, fate, and the circle of life, it has many insights to share.

I was gifted a digital copy of this title by the author in exchange for my honest review.Laurențiu M. Badea was born in Romania during the 80’s, the decade where “Embers of Atlanta” is set. His favorite author is H. P. Lovecraft, and his greatest fear is that his success will come as his did. He has a Master’s degree in physics, although he never intended to practice in the field. He works as a graphic designer. He discovered that through writing he has the power to alter destinies of imaginary people, and he loves doing it.

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