Ratings and Reviews by esmayrosalyne

To no one's surprise, the quality of storytelling in Dreams of the Sky more than lives up to the high standards set by the previous stories that can be found in the digital library on the Unearthed Stories app.

Karl Forshaw became one of my instant-buy authors with his debut novel, Renia, so it was a true treat to return to (a different part of) the Luna Ruinam world in this standalone short story.

The way that Forshaw captures raw human emotion is nothing short of magical, and I found myself deeply enthralled by the hauntingly immersive prose in Dreams of the Sky. Yes, I did have a bit of a hard time finding my footing at first, but ultimately I think that sense of disorientation was intentional, as a way to reflect the tragic mental spirals of the vulnerable MC.

This story is dark, twisted, disorienting and unapologetically gut-wrenching, but ultimately it left me hungry for more in the best way possible. Dreams of the Sky might be short, but this is a story I won't soon forget. And heck, I might even return to it soon for another play-/readthrough to see where different narrative decisions might take this brutally bittersweet story. Highly recommend!

Thomas J. Devens gives an absolutely tantalising glimpse into the world of his Vermin of the Old Empire series in The Pawn, a captivating interactive short story that packs a surprisingly big punch.

With this 14.5K words short story, Devens proves that a skilled author doesn't need hundreds of pages to deliver world building, character work, atmosphere and emotional impact of the highest quality.

I was immediately captivated by the protagonist's strong voice and the all-consuming looming sense of dread, which kept me on my toes the entire way through. Even though I have read my fair share of grimdark stories, this experience felt even more ominous because of the 'choice' aspect in the interactive game; the stakes felt higher, and I was terrified of the fate of the protagonist, in the best way possible.

Devens' exceptionally bold storytelling skills deeply impressed me here, and I will definitely be checking out more of his works now. If you like your stories dark, dangerous and hauntingly mesmerising, then I can't recommend The Pawn highly enough!