Book Review “Anxious Anna & The Souls” & “The Grim Express” by Daye Williams

“Anxious Anna & The Souls” by Daye Williams (2016)

Page Length: 42 pages (electronic review edition)

Genre: Fiction, Sci-Fi

Synopsis: Attempting to overcome the restrictions aging & leaving her childhood behind, a precocious youth manages to break through the barriers of Time as she ventures through a seamless void, finding herself on a spiritual adventure through the figments of paranoia & anxiety where she attempts to escape the constraints & heartbreak of adulthood. Within the strange void, she confronts/consults three massive colossal metaphysical titans while discovering the reasons to return home again.

Review:

Anna & The Anxious Souls follows the protagonist anna who is plagued with her overwhelming anxiety. She questions everything and everything so much so that it’s hard for her to not be wary of the future that lies ahead. For an eight-year she has many heavy worries but that all changes when a birthday wish leads her on a journey through time and space. While traveling through an otherwordly dimension she helps three beings in order to get some answer to the questions that have been plaguing her mind.

I thought how the book’s overarching theme of anxiety and how it meshes with Annas’s quest was well done. Each being is a metaphor for something that Anna struggles with and it helps her to gain clarity. The only criticism I have is that sometimes the writing flowed in some spots more than others which made it difficult to follow along withe the story. I saw some grammatical errors and sentences that could have been rephrased for more clarity. It’s definitely an ethereal tale with many interesting sci-fi elements and it accurately describes anxiety, depression through a philosophical/fantasy lens.

Final Verdict:

---

“The Grim Express” by Daye Williams (2016)

Page Length: 42 pages (electronic review edition)

Genre: Fiction, Sci-Fi

Synopsis: On a daring mission to rescue his family from the Land of The Dead, a vengeful vagrant’s to the Underworld by infiltrating a luxury locomotive piloted by the Grim Reaper, coming across eccentric & zany undead patrons while seeking to reclaim the souls of his love ones & oppose the Laws of Nature.

“The Grim Express” follows the journey of a heartbroken vagrant who intrusively boards the ghastly Spirit Train in an attempt to save the souls of his family while depicting a fascinating ride into the Afterlife. Coming across ghouls & ghosts, the driven heartbroken stowaway slowly discovers the deeper meanings of Life & Death from the ghastly passengers while avoiding persecution from the vicious hunters of the Grim Reaper.

Review:

The Grim Express follows a man named Ciel who is on a journey to retrieve his loved ones who have been taken too soon. He travels through the underworld on a train filled with the undead seeking out his wife and son while keeping up a disguise. The train is filled with ghouls, zombies, skeletons, and many other decaying creatures that Ciel tries to avoid.

This novella was thoroughly action-packed and enthralling from beginning to end. It really pulls readers into the story with its detailed writing. I appreciated its larger conversation surrounding grief, the process of forgiveness, and moving on. Ciel is so caught up in his mission because he can’t see a life without his wife and son and doesn’t want to leave them. With book has a climactic ending where readers come face to face with a powerful being. I think the writing was a bit choppy in some parts but nonetheless, I liked it.

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received these books from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.