"Winter Rain," by Chris Poirier

Recently I was contacted by Chris Poirier, an online web novel writer who is currently writing "Winter Rain," which he describes as "a story about life at the bottom of the pack."

At first glance the site appears to be rather plain, and the top header gives it an anime type appearance that initially turned me off a little. When I read the subtitle, "Violence, revenge, and other family values" I was even more skeptical.

But the opening lines told me that this novel was better written than I had expected:

"She watches me from across the table, her eyes pained, tired. They weren’t always so. When we first met, her eyes were full of joy and light.

I fidget with the handle of my cup and look past her—past, where it’s safe. I can’t meet her gaze any more. There’s too much there, now—too much I can’t bear."

Though the story seems to begin in the middle, with a sudden jerk, from there it smooths off. Throughout Poirier's prose is strong with hard edges that fit exactly with the story's theme. The dark imagery and descriptions inject the story with a sort of tension that is sure to bring some readers back for more.

Navigation through the novel was slightly difficult. The chapters are broken up into numerous small sections, and it is easier to navigate from chapter to chapter than it is to find the next section in the chapter that you are currently reading.

Overall, "Winter Rain" isn't my type of fiction, but I respect Chris Poirier for his developing yet professional writing voice.

Chris Poirier also runs a Web Fiction Guide designed to list and review other online web novels. If you are looking to read online then this is your portal to start at, with detailed editorial reviews and a list of regularly updated online novels.

The website design is very clean and professional, and the lack of distracting ads is admirable. Its evident that Web Fiction Guide is a community of people who love writing and reading each other's work. If you have an online novel, then you too can submit to gain more traffic and readers.

Book Review Blog Carnival #4

The fourth edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival has been posted at The Symposium. As always Inkweaver Review was a supporter, so please stop by and read the carnival today!

Novel of Life

Recently one of Inkweaver Review's visitors, Lethe, directed me to a very fascinating online novel being developed under the title "Lethe's Novel of Life."


Basically, "Lethe's Novel of Life" is a vast collection of interlinked fiction about the life of Lethe Bashar, a teenage literary hero and hoodlum. The "Novel of Life" aims to chronicle Lethe's experiences over more than 25 years of time.

Currently the collection spans three different blogs, with each blog focusing on a different time period in Lethe's life.

Family in Decline begins Lethe's tale with a history of his family background. From the blog:

“Family in Decline” traces the shaky beginnings of Lethe’s family unit as it highlights a self-absorbed artist-mother and a psuedo-spiritual father. The blog explores the stories behind each member of Lethe’s family, including his sister, and shows how Lethe evolved into an impulsive idealist and nascent drug addict.

Lethe in Madrid continues the experience, highlighting another time period in Lethe's life. From the blog:

"Lethe Bashar is on study abroad. He moves into an apartment with a sixty-five year old Senora. Within two weeks, he undergoes an extreme form of culture shock. He has difficulty attending classes at the International Institute, and his greatest fears revolve around his appearance in the mirror. The Senora, a maternal figure, suggests that Lethe withdraw from school and see a psychiatrist."

Lethe in Las Vegas is about Lethe's life with the "misfits and wanderlusts" of Las Vegas. From the blog:

"After getting kicked out of a halfway house in San Jose, California, Lethe takes a Greyhound bus to Vegas. He finds a youth hostel on the west side called The Backpacker’s Inn. This Hotel California is refuge to a host of misfits and wanderlusts."


Overall this rough and gritty novel has a very decent writing style. The first few lines of "Lethe in Las Vegas" intrigued me with their rough, but at the same time obviously well crafted sentences:

"Lethe Bashar had nowhere to go.

So he chose Las Vegas.

The driver was hauling a load of dead bodies in his antique coach. At least that’s what it smelled like. The bodies were slouched on top of each other like intimate cousins. They leaned into the windows, exuding the sour smells of familial sweat and unwashed clothing. The persistent hum of tires on the road became a dizzying rhapsody. Lethe’s notebook was perched on top of his lap. Every couple minutes the urge would overtake him and he’d scrawl something down."

"Lethe's Novel of Life" is a truely wonderful project that you must see to understand. Stop by any one of the blogs in the collection to begin, or read a further description of the project.

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