Official Review: Bulwark by Brit Lunden

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 17 Aug 2019, 15:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bulwark" by Brit Lunden.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Bulwark, written by Brit Lunden, is a spooky tale in the fantasy genre that is the first book in A Bulwark Anthology series. Its leading character, Sheriff Clay Finnes, is trying to get over a breakup with his wife and losing his daughter, who was kidnapped a year prior, when things go horribly wrong in Bulwark, Georgia. A thick, green, and ugly pond suddenly appears out of nowhere, covering most of a county road. A couple from Atlanta drives into this water and has an accident. The wife keeps screaming the witch in the gingerbread house has their children. This is a house that burned down years ago. Then, the sheriff is notified there is a different incident, believed to be a domestic dispute, where the wife was killed. She has two holes in her neck and has been drained of blood. Besides this, there have been several sightings of wolves in the area. The sheriff sends his deputy to search for them while he looks for the gingerbread house. A witness swears the deputy was slain by a werewolf. What else can go wrong, and why is everything happening at once?

This fantasy is interesting and sinister from the beginning with paranormal events and even elements of children’s books mixed in. The story moves rapidly along, with one exciting event happening after another, with a few twists thrown in. It is a short book and doesn’t take long to finish with only 120 pages. The author’s fluid writing style is easy to understand and entices the reader to keep reading.

The story is told in third person but is mostly from Clay’s outlook. His character is well developed, being likable and relatable. He struggles with the emotions of losing his wife and is unfocused on his job at the beginning of our story. You can feel the love that still exists between them and the turmoil this is causing him. Clay is brave and doesn’t think twice about investigating the unusual occurrences. Bulwark is a small town where he knows every person and every house in the area. Strangely, he hasn’t heard of the gingerbread house or the people who live there, but this is just another weird circumstance. Clay’s character represents my favorite aspect of the book.

I loved the beginning of the book. It drew me in and kept me mesmerized. Regrettably, I was not as delighted with the climax and the endings of the book (there is a second ending in case you don’t like the first). They are my least favorite parts of the story. Not wanting to go into too much detail because of fear of spoiling the book for the readers, I will say it should have been more original. It follows the ending of a well-known movie too closely for my taste. It is a standalone story with most of the questions answered by the end.

However, the book left me with a question about a discrepancy. The issue with the stabbed victim, with two holes in the neck, was first told as if it were the wife who was killed. Later, we discover it was the husband instead of the wife with no explanation of why the switch occurred.

I only discovered three errors in the book; therefore, it is felt to be professionally edited.

Bulwark achieves a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. A star was subtracted because I felt the climax and ending were not original enough and because of the previously mentioned discrepancy. Besides that, I believe the fast-paced action would be enjoyed by fantasy and romance readers as well as others who want something thrilling and light to read. No profanity was seen in the story; however, there is a fairly explicit sex scene. The novel is not recommended for children.

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Bulwark
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Post by **Alice Heritage** » 19 Aug 2019, 03:10

Stranger Things meets Grimm? I'm thankful for this introduction as this sort of paranormal tale meets my preferences well. Shame about the endings, though. In general the book does sound derivative, which can be problematic.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 19 Aug 2019, 07:29

ButterscotchCherrie wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 03:10 Stranger Things meets Grimm? I'm thankful for this introduction as this sort of paranormal tale meets my preferences well. Shame about the endings, though. In general the book does sound derivative, which can be problematic.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

OuKoyoo · Post by **OuKoyoo** » 19 Aug 2019, 11:18

A great review. Its quite disappointing that the plot lacks originality as it follows the story of a well-known movie. Than you for the insightful review.

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 19 Aug 2019, 11:32

The paranormal element seems intriguing. However, I would expect more from a book with such a promising plot, it's too bad the ending fall flat. Thanks for the insight.

Gabriel Merêncio · Post by **Gabriel Merêncio** » 19 Aug 2019, 13:23

I'm intrigued by the multiple endings, but it's a shame they both end up falling flat. Still, this sounds like a short but intense read that should appeal to fans of fast-paced stories. Thanks for the review!

Intuitive Catalyst · Post by **Intuitive Catalyst** » 19 Aug 2019, 14:11

I like the plot but not the discrepancy. That's big. Review appreciated

rumik · Post by **rumik** » 19 Aug 2019, 14:19

The title and cover of this book look so interesting, what a shame about the discrepancy and lack of originality. Though I'm really curious now about which movie you mean

Thanks for the great review as always!

Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 19 Aug 2019, 16:04

Seems like a Supernatural storyline, which isn't a bad thing, as I love Supernatural. But that discrepancy would bother me as well. I have to wonder if that was poor editing, not something the author really meant to change.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 19 Aug 2019, 18:56

A book with parts of children's stories like Hansel and Gretel along with two endings? You've got my attention to be sure. I'm still on the fence about reading it, though. Loved your review, though! Thanks.

LinaMueller · Post by **LinaMueller** » 20 Aug 2019, 05:31

This storyline doesn't seem to be that interesting or original. I like the idea of two different endings though. Great review as always, Prisallen. You rock.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 20 Aug 2019, 07:50

OuKoyoo wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 11:18 A great review. Its quite disappointing that the plot lacks originality as it follows the story of a well-known movie. Than you for the insightful review.

I agree. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 20 Aug 2019, 07:51

Michelle Fred wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 11:32 The paranormal element seems intriguing. However, I would expect more from a book with such a promising plot, it's too bad the ending fall flat. Thanks for the insight.

You're welcome! Thanks for the comments!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 20 Aug 2019, 07:56

Tomah wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 13:23 I'm intrigued by the multiple endings, but it's a shame they both end up falling flat. Still, this sounds like a short but intense read that should appeal to fans of fast-paced stories. Thanks for the review!

You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 20 Aug 2019, 08:11

esp1975 wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 16:04 Seems like a Supernatural storyline, which isn't a bad thing, as I love Supernatural. But that discrepancy would bother me as well. I have to wonder if that was poor editing, not something the author really meant to change.

I have a feeling the author didn't mean to change it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!