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Camelot Shadow
The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton
Decades before the events of The Camelot Shadow, a young William Upton is intent on ensuring that his late father’s bookstore continues to thrive, even if that means taking a commission from a mysterious client who tasks him with finding an arcane—and possibly magical—tome. With time running out and a large reward hanging in the balance, Will chases down every possible lead, braving the macabre underground laboratory of a sadistic nobleman before embarking on a daring, late-night library break-in.
Told through Will’s own diary and with his characteristic wit, “The Strange Task Before Me” is an intense race against the clock that mixes action, humor, and a bit of magic—all while laying the groundwork for momentous events to come, expanding on the mythology of The Camelot Shadow, and introducing a key new character in the unpredictable Baron Frederickson.
Told through Will’s own diary and with his characteristic wit, “The Strange Task Before Me” is an intense race against the clock that mixes action, humor, and a bit of magic—all while laying the groundwork for momentous events to come, expanding on the mythology of The Camelot Shadow, and introducing a key new character in the unpredictable Baron Frederickson.
50 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2017
About the author
Sean Gibson
6 books5,995 followersSean Gibson, "author" and slackonteur, is not a professional mini biography writer (if he were, this would be much more compelling). Instead, he’s a business professional by day, hangs out with his amazing wife, son, and daughter by night, and writes somewhere in between. He holds a BA in English Literature from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, though rumors persist that he also attended mime school (he is silent on the subject). Sean is a fan of sports teams from Detroit, a distressingly large number of bands that rose to prominence in the 1980s, and writing in the third person. He currently resides in Northern Virginia, and, given how much he hates moving, and given that his house has an awesome library, is likely to remain there for some time.
Sean is the author of several stories starring Heloise the Bard, including the #1 bestseller The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True (which Publishers Weekly drunkenly gave a starred review), "You Just Can't Hide from Chriskahzaa," and The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple. He also wrote the Victorian-set fantasy thriller The Camelot Shadow and its prequel short, "The Strange Task Before Me." Most recently, he contributed the short story "Chasing the Dragon" to the anthology Dragons of a Different Tail. He has also written extensively for Kirkus Reviews, and his book reviews have also appeared in Esquire.
You can follow him on Twitter at @Gibknight, but is that really how you want to spend your precious years of life?
Sean is the author of several stories starring Heloise the Bard, including the #1 bestseller The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True (which Publishers Weekly drunkenly gave a starred review), "You Just Can't Hide from Chriskahzaa," and The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple. He also wrote the Victorian-set fantasy thriller The Camelot Shadow and its prequel short, "The Strange Task Before Me." Most recently, he contributed the short story "Chasing the Dragon" to the anthology Dragons of a Different Tail. He has also written extensively for Kirkus Reviews, and his book reviews have also appeared in Esquire.
You can follow him on Twitter at @Gibknight, but is that really how you want to spend your precious years of life?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 2, 2018
(Check it out: now you can try before you buy! https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...)
Giving your own book five stars is a little bit like making a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and calling yourself a gourmet chef. But, you know what? I'm freaking amazing at making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. So there's that.
If you liked The Camelot Shadow and you had a particular affinity for Will Upton, you'll like this. If you didn't, you should go make some nuclear yellow/orange-colored pasta instead.
Be warned, though: this is just a warm up for things to come. Turn up the gas light, pour yourself a tumbler of Scotch, and don your deerstalker--there are many tales yet to be told, my friends...
(Also--if you want to read this on an ereader other than a Kindle, let me know and I can get you the right format.)
Giving your own book five stars is a little bit like making a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and calling yourself a gourmet chef. But, you know what? I'm freaking amazing at making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. So there's that.
If you liked The Camelot Shadow and you had a particular affinity for Will Upton, you'll like this. If you didn't, you should go make some nuclear yellow/orange-colored pasta instead.
Be warned, though: this is just a warm up for things to come. Turn up the gas light, pour yourself a tumbler of Scotch, and don your deerstalker--there are many tales yet to be told, my friends...
(Also--if you want to read this on an ereader other than a Kindle, let me know and I can get you the right format.)
October 29, 2017
Sean Gibson's writing is something that really blows me away... as in my gorgeous long flowing hair whipping the faces of all those people behind me as I read his inestimable words. Of course, it might be something else whipping people's faces since I lost all my hair AGES ago and I don't know if Sean's VOICE has the effect of all those silver-tongued devils stealing souls down on 4th and Central... but I digress... Sean isn't selling those kinds of wares and I don't need conditioner.
What I'm *trying* to say is that Sean can write a great book-stealing story centered in the black, black heart of London, and what's better is that his voice is as distinctive as it is freaking delightful. :)
Light? Hell yeah. Quirky? Hell yeah. Snarky to the point where bandersnatches crawl up from the sewers without the help of mathematicians to drag this diarist down to the darkest dungeons of gin? Yes. :)
I'm very happy to have caught that twist, too, but it's the VOICE that gets me. :) I can't wait to see more of the greater Camelot Shadow. (That's my only complaint, btw: WANT MORE.) :)
What I'm *trying* to say is that Sean can write a great book-stealing story centered in the black, black heart of London, and what's better is that his voice is as distinctive as it is freaking delightful. :)
Light? Hell yeah. Quirky? Hell yeah. Snarky to the point where bandersnatches crawl up from the sewers without the help of mathematicians to drag this diarist down to the darkest dungeons of gin? Yes. :)
I'm very happy to have caught that twist, too, but it's the VOICE that gets me. :) I can't wait to see more of the greater Camelot Shadow. (That's my only complaint, btw: WANT MORE.) :)
November 15, 2017
Good lord, I want more of that. That ending though.
I got towards the end of this and honestly thought, "Well, he's wrapped things up... how are there still a few pages to go?" And then...
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Strange Task Before Me is a novelette about a bookseller who has been given the seemingly impossible task of tracking down an exceptionally rare tome in just a few scant days or suffer the unspoken consequences. The entire thing is told as a series of entries from the diary of William Upton, the aforementioned bookseller. I know a few of you are wary of the journal entry format, but don't let it worry you. With the whole of events taking place over a very short time period, William's diary doesn't have time to get sidetracked into nonsense, and William (Sean) is enough of a writer to not make the common mistake of leading us to think "yeah, this is fine, but would be so much better in person."
The formatting quickly takes a backseat to the characters and the general sense of "I want to know all the things about all of this."
We have the mysterious client, who is seemingly overpaying for a tome that no one really wants to talk about.
The book itself, which may be powerful... or not... but certainly makes us speculate as to what other powerful books could exist and what groups may want them and why.
The possibly insane and probably violent Baron whom we better see more of in a future story... look, I couldn't figure out what gif to use for the Baron, so have this unicorn instead.
Oh, did I forget to mention that unicorns are real? I mean, probably. It's difficult to say, but magic is real, if hidden and mostly unknown, in the world of Camelot Shadow, so I'm leaning towards 'yep'.
Which leads us to the elephant in the room. This is a prequel of The Camelot Shadow, so you may be worried that you need to be familiar with that novel before reading this one. Absolutely not. While you should read The Camelot Shadow because it's really good, this story stands on its own. They share a main character, but they are set decades apart, so don't worry about which one you read first. Just read them both.
For full disclosure, the author sent me a free epub of this. And for fuller disclosure, I pre-ordered a copy on Amazon after reading it, because we should support good writing. Also, it's a dollar at the moment (always?), so it's not exactly breaking the bank. And it's on Kindle Unlimited if you have that. Look, I just want you to read good fiction, and this is certainly that.
I got towards the end of this and honestly thought, "Well, he's wrapped things up... how are there still a few pages to go?" And then...
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Strange Task Before Me is a novelette about a bookseller who has been given the seemingly impossible task of tracking down an exceptionally rare tome in just a few scant days or suffer the unspoken consequences. The entire thing is told as a series of entries from the diary of William Upton, the aforementioned bookseller. I know a few of you are wary of the journal entry format, but don't let it worry you. With the whole of events taking place over a very short time period, William's diary doesn't have time to get sidetracked into nonsense, and William (Sean) is enough of a writer to not make the common mistake of leading us to think "yeah, this is fine, but would be so much better in person."
The formatting quickly takes a backseat to the characters and the general sense of "I want to know all the things about all of this."
We have the mysterious client, who is seemingly overpaying for a tome that no one really wants to talk about.
The book itself, which may be powerful... or not... but certainly makes us speculate as to what other powerful books could exist and what groups may want them and why.
The possibly insane and probably violent Baron whom we better see more of in a future story... look, I couldn't figure out what gif to use for the Baron, so have this unicorn instead.
Oh, did I forget to mention that unicorns are real? I mean, probably. It's difficult to say, but magic is real, if hidden and mostly unknown, in the world of Camelot Shadow, so I'm leaning towards 'yep'.
Which leads us to the elephant in the room. This is a prequel of The Camelot Shadow, so you may be worried that you need to be familiar with that novel before reading this one. Absolutely not. While you should read The Camelot Shadow because it's really good, this story stands on its own. They share a main character, but they are set decades apart, so don't worry about which one you read first. Just read them both.
For full disclosure, the author sent me a free epub of this. And for fuller disclosure, I pre-ordered a copy on Amazon after reading it, because we should support good writing. Also, it's a dollar at the moment (always?), so it's not exactly breaking the bank. And it's on Kindle Unlimited if you have that. Look, I just want you to read good fiction, and this is certainly that.
October 27, 2017
This is the prequel to The Camelot Shadow, kindly and generously provided by the author (no, knowing the author does not influence my rating).
The story presented here takes place quite some time before the adventures of the novel and the events are recounted through William Upton's diary. William Upton is a bookseller in London and quite a quirky character. Apart from an enormous love for scotch and the opposite sex, he's also willing to go to quite some lengths to procure whatever book a client desires (for the right price).
However, the job he has to complete here, and in only 4 days as well, is more than he could have initially suspected. Thus, we are not only treated to an intimate look into Will's world, in fact a glance into his very mind, but also hurdle along with him on a small but significant treasure hunt through a very atmospheric London (and some surrounding areas) until we get a very nice twist at the end.
The story told here is light and very funny, but also mysterious and thrilling and I very much enjoyed Will's enigmatic and unique point of view.
The story presented here takes place quite some time before the adventures of the novel and the events are recounted through William Upton's diary. William Upton is a bookseller in London and quite a quirky character. Apart from an enormous love for scotch and the opposite sex, he's also willing to go to quite some lengths to procure whatever book a client desires (for the right price).
However, the job he has to complete here, and in only 4 days as well, is more than he could have initially suspected. Thus, we are not only treated to an intimate look into Will's world, in fact a glance into his very mind, but also hurdle along with him on a small but significant treasure hunt through a very atmospheric London (and some surrounding areas) until we get a very nice twist at the end.
The story told here is light and very funny, but also mysterious and thrilling and I very much enjoyed Will's enigmatic and unique point of view.
October 19, 2017
I was provided with this short prequel to the fantastic novel The Camelot Shadow by the author in exchange for my already shop-soiled dignity, said trench coated transaction occurring in a pee-stained car park in the seediest part of a seedier, pee-stained town. (Parts of the above statement may not be 100% true.)
Whilst this story was far too short for my liking, I loved every minute of it. It was funny, mysterious, action-packed, seedy, well-written and tantalising. It's certainly whet my appetite (and wet my undercrackers) for the promised sequels. Get your arse in gear, Gibson! You've got to give to live! (I'm pretty sure Sammy didn't originally mean that as a threat but I'm repurposing it...)
Whilst this story was far too short for my liking, I loved every minute of it. It was funny, mysterious, action-packed, seedy, well-written and tantalising. It's certainly whet my appetite (and wet my undercrackers) for the promised sequels. Get your arse in gear, Gibson! You've got to give to live! (I'm pretty sure Sammy didn't originally mean that as a threat but I'm repurposing it...)
January 18, 2018
This book.
O M G
THIS. BOOK.
I didn’t expect it.
Knowing Sean.
Felt like this when I was reading it.
I started it and the next I was turning the last page.
Granted that this is a short prequel of The Camelot Shadow and Sean being renowned for using his big words aka never-heard-so-have-to-look-them-up-constantly, not to mention dragging on most scenes by over description, I think in this case, or should I say book, I was mistaken coz it was marvellously quick and fast paced.
Here, we see the bookseller William Upton, our scotch drinker, has been tasked to find this very limited edition...errr...the short novel was written in early century so I guess rare is the appropriate word to use here.
...To find this rare book in just a few short number of days.
Would William Upton succeed in locating this exceptionally uncommon book?
To find out, read this exceptionally short but very well written journey of his.
Rating it 4.5 Stars.
Why? Definitely not because Sean is a friend of mine but because of these:
1. The mysterious book buyer - intrigues me the most.
What does he know about the book? What would he use it for?
2. Famously reclusive and temperament Baron Harold who seems to know everything including thedodgiest whereabouts of the most deplorable goods.
3. And of course the book itself. Curious to know if it’s magical or whatever it holds for it to become so rare and covetable.
The Strange Task Before Me is a prequel that lives up to its title as the strangeness has trickled down to its characters & their roles. The diary-written format made it quick and has given an extra dose of excitement.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I said yes to read this...
Now, uhm *looks around*
O M G
THIS. BOOK.
I didn’t expect it.
Knowing Sean.
Felt like this when I was reading it.
I started it and the next I was turning the last page.
Granted that this is a short prequel of The Camelot Shadow and Sean being renowned for using his big words aka never-heard-so-have-to-look-them-up-constantly, not to mention dragging on most scenes by over description, I think in this case, or should I say book, I was mistaken coz it was marvellously quick and fast paced.
Here, we see the bookseller William Upton, our scotch drinker, has been tasked to find this very limited edition...errr...the short novel was written in early century so I guess rare is the appropriate word to use here.
...To find this rare book in just a few short number of days.
Would William Upton succeed in locating this exceptionally uncommon book?
To find out, read this exceptionally short but very well written journey of his.
Rating it 4.5 Stars.
Why? Definitely not because Sean is a friend of mine but because of these:
1. The mysterious book buyer - intrigues me the most.
What does he know about the book? What would he use it for?
2. Famously reclusive and temperament Baron Harold who seems to know everything including the
3. And of course the book itself. Curious to know if it’s magical or whatever it holds for it to become so rare and covetable.
The Strange Task Before Me is a prequel that lives up to its title as the strangeness has trickled down to its characters & their roles. The diary-written format made it quick and has given an extra dose of excitement.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I said yes to read this...
Now, uhm *looks around*
November 2, 2017
This was a super fun installment for the growing Camelot Shadow series.
All Will all the time!
This one picks up with the action right away.
A mysterious man looking for a mysterious book offering bucks!
Will signs up no questions asked!
William is quickly becoming a new favorite character of mine. He has mad skillz! Tripping over stuff in the dark *check*, appreciation for the finer things *check*, the ability to jump into adventure with both feet *check*, all the while finding new and impressive ways to insult the wrong person!
This was a super fun quick read.
I look forward to more adventures!
*** pre read****
The author gifted me with his new book before it hits the eshelves!
I read the first in this series The Camelot Shadow
and Boom! I have a review for it too!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
All Will all the time!
This one picks up with the action right away.
A mysterious man looking for a mysterious book offering bucks!
Will signs up no questions asked!
William is quickly becoming a new favorite character of mine. He has mad skillz! Tripping over stuff in the dark *check*, appreciation for the finer things *check*, the ability to jump into adventure with both feet *check*, all the while finding new and impressive ways to insult the wrong person!
This was a super fun quick read.
I look forward to more adventures!
*** pre read****
The author gifted me with his new book before it hits the eshelves!
I read the first in this series The Camelot Shadow
and Boom! I have a review for it too!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 29, 2019
Okay, I need to sit down and review this before "review to come" starts to resemble the Second Coming of Christ.
Quick assertion of bias; Sean Gibson is a friend of mine on Goodreads, but to also be honest we don't know each other all that well, or in any other way. I said something on one of his posts, he thought it was interesting enough to send me a friend request over ("well okay then" said I, and clicked on the 'accept' button) and we've been enjoying a shared guilty-pleasure love of Preston & Child thrillers ever since. Not much more than that, though.
I was also given this piece of writing as a promotional item. I would have paid for it though, for it is actually quite good.
Another quick assertion of bias; I don't tend to be fond of the epistolary format, and Strange Task is written that way. I did enjoy myself quite a bit anyway though, and that's one of the reasons I handed this a 4 star rating.
Let's be real here, people; if an author writes a book in a format/with a premise/in a tense/perspective you dislike on principle but you end up enjoying their work anyway, they deserve at least 3 stars. 4 if you finish the book. That's just my opinion, reasonable people can disagree, but I feel pretty solid in stating it.
I was also impressed with how Gibson took a bog-standard and potentially quite boring premise and made it shine. Come on; "nerdy dilettante book dealer accepts deal from creepy customer with lots of money to track down a rare volume where others have met SKAAAAAIIIREEE fates"?
Yeah, that's not cliche at all.
Except Gibson makes it work. Moreover, he makes it work well.
A big factor for me was the humor. The epistolary format is a series of journal entries written by the main character, and goddamn...most of them contain absolutely gut-busting wit, some of it meta and some of it just plain Monty Python levels of funny. William Upton himself comes across as the 19th century version of an introverted, ADHD-addled book blogger, and his combo of self-depreciating wit and British "poofiness" are a big part of the charm here. So too is how Gibson manages to write the parts of book nerds which likely have not changed while remembering how they were different back in the day.
The other big part of the appeal here is the sinister elements of the actual plot, which in keeping with the 19th century setting (and epistolary format) are properly subtle. I haven't read the book this short story is the prequel to I don't know much about said plot, but Strange Task did what a proper prequel should do...make me curious about the big story it leads into.
I do believe that after payday I will be buying Camelot Shadow and seeing just what the "strange task" before William Upton was about.
Congratulations, Mr. Gibson...you have piqued my curiosity.
Quick assertion of bias; Sean Gibson is a friend of mine on Goodreads, but to also be honest we don't know each other all that well, or in any other way. I said something on one of his posts, he thought it was interesting enough to send me a friend request over ("well okay then" said I, and clicked on the 'accept' button) and we've been enjoying a shared guilty-pleasure love of Preston & Child thrillers ever since. Not much more than that, though.
I was also given this piece of writing as a promotional item. I would have paid for it though, for it is actually quite good.
Another quick assertion of bias; I don't tend to be fond of the epistolary format, and Strange Task is written that way. I did enjoy myself quite a bit anyway though, and that's one of the reasons I handed this a 4 star rating.
Let's be real here, people; if an author writes a book in a format/with a premise/in a tense/perspective you dislike on principle but you end up enjoying their work anyway, they deserve at least 3 stars. 4 if you finish the book. That's just my opinion, reasonable people can disagree, but I feel pretty solid in stating it.
I was also impressed with how Gibson took a bog-standard and potentially quite boring premise and made it shine. Come on; "nerdy dilettante book dealer accepts deal from creepy customer with lots of money to track down a rare volume where others have met SKAAAAAIIIREEE fates"?
Yeah, that's not cliche at all.
Except Gibson makes it work. Moreover, he makes it work well.
A big factor for me was the humor. The epistolary format is a series of journal entries written by the main character, and goddamn...most of them contain absolutely gut-busting wit, some of it meta and some of it just plain Monty Python levels of funny. William Upton himself comes across as the 19th century version of an introverted, ADHD-addled book blogger, and his combo of self-depreciating wit and British "poofiness" are a big part of the charm here. So too is how Gibson manages to write the parts of book nerds which likely have not changed while remembering how they were different back in the day.
The other big part of the appeal here is the sinister elements of the actual plot, which in keeping with the 19th century setting (and epistolary format) are properly subtle. I haven't read the book this short story is the prequel to I don't know much about said plot, but Strange Task did what a proper prequel should do...make me curious about the big story it leads into.
I do believe that after payday I will be buying Camelot Shadow and seeing just what the "strange task" before William Upton was about.
Congratulations, Mr. Gibson...you have piqued my curiosity.
January 1, 2018
Well, I regard this review as superfluous. I mean, should I really have to say anything about this story? Sean wrote it, so naturally, it is superbly written, excellently paced, sharply dialogued, and rife with Sean's trademark scintillating wit. But above all that, for me, is the vocabulary. Ah, the vocabulary! That satin-smooth stream of delicious verbosity that wraps you in a gossamer cocoon of ornate eloquence--seriously, is there anything better? Not in my book! Actually, I don't have a book, so you need to just read Sean's.
Another winner from the brilliant Mr. Gibson!
Another winner from the brilliant Mr. Gibson!
November 15, 2017
Mr. Gibson pulls the veil further back to provide us a fresh glimpse into his vision of Victorian England replete with the magical and mysterious elements familiar to (and loved by) readers of The Camelot Shadow. William Upton was one of my favorite characters from Shadow, and I’m thrilled to be able to follow along on another of his adventures. So, when’s the next installment?
October 18, 2017
I received an advance copy from the author because he thinks I'm cool, and he is absolutely correct about that.
But I hate him. I hate Sean Gibson with every fiber of my being right now.
This short story, written in the form of Will Upton's journal entries, describes events that occurred decades before The Camelot Shadow (my review here), which was one of my favorite reads of the year. When Sean teased a short story prequel, I was so very much on board and couldn't wait. When this arrived in my inbox, I was so excited to get started.
You suck, Sean.
This is really good, you guys. I devoured it in one sitting. Does it have action? Check. Is it funny? Check. Mystery? Mmm hmmm yep. A bit of fantasy/magic? Perhaps. A cliffhanger twist?
*HATE FIRE COMING OUT OF MY FACE AND FINGERTIPS*
The character of Will is fantastic, although a bit egotistical, with an endearing amount of bravado, cheekiness, and sassiness. The journal format is perfect for clearly seeing all of that and for quickly falling in love with this character. A new character is also introduced, and I hope to see more of him in the future. It is a quick read, and if you like Sherlock Holmes, race-against-the-clock quests, or witty bad boys, you'll love it as much as I did.
This guy has talent. I'm looking forward to more stuff as quickly as he can write it.
But I hate him. I hate Sean Gibson with every fiber of my being right now.
This short story, written in the form of Will Upton's journal entries, describes events that occurred decades before The Camelot Shadow (my review here), which was one of my favorite reads of the year. When Sean teased a short story prequel, I was so very much on board and couldn't wait. When this arrived in my inbox, I was so excited to get started.
You suck, Sean.
This is really good, you guys. I devoured it in one sitting. Does it have action? Check. Is it funny? Check. Mystery? Mmm hmmm yep. A bit of fantasy/magic? Perhaps. A cliffhanger twist?
*HATE FIRE COMING OUT OF MY FACE AND FINGERTIPS*
The character of Will is fantastic, although a bit egotistical, with an endearing amount of bravado, cheekiness, and sassiness. The journal format is perfect for clearly seeing all of that and for quickly falling in love with this character. A new character is also introduced, and I hope to see more of him in the future. It is a quick read, and if you like Sherlock Holmes, race-against-the-clock quests, or witty bad boys, you'll love it as much as I did.
This guy has talent. I'm looking forward to more stuff as quickly as he can write it.
July 20, 2020
I read other books by the author and that's how I got to this wonderful story.
This is a story that takes place years before "The Camelot Shadow" and has as its main character a young William Upton, owner of a book store inherited from his father.
The adventure begins with a mysterious man who commission Will to find an equally mysterious book in a few days, offering a substantial sum, if successful. Needless to say, it will not be an easy task.
The story is told as a diary that William decides to keep to list the memorable events that occurs to him every day, for the benefit of future generations.
First of all, this is an adventure, whose aim is the search for the book, a mystery that binds the reader, who following Will finds himself jumping from one place to another, meeting picturesque and often disturbing characters. .
In addition, the style is exhilarating, fluid and scratchy, especially in Will's witty responses. The author embroiders on his egocentric and superficial character, having fun with numerous episodes in which he debates with himself or responds promptly even in the most delicate situations.
A good story, quick to read, ideal for those looking for an adventure, but also fun.
This is a story that takes place years before "The Camelot Shadow" and has as its main character a young William Upton, owner of a book store inherited from his father.
The adventure begins with a mysterious man who commission Will to find an equally mysterious book in a few days, offering a substantial sum, if successful. Needless to say, it will not be an easy task.
The story is told as a diary that William decides to keep to list the memorable events that occurs to him every day, for the benefit of future generations.
First of all, this is an adventure, whose aim is the search for the book, a mystery that binds the reader, who following Will finds himself jumping from one place to another, meeting picturesque and often disturbing characters. .
In addition, the style is exhilarating, fluid and scratchy, especially in Will's witty responses. The author embroiders on his egocentric and superficial character, having fun with numerous episodes in which he debates with himself or responds promptly even in the most delicate situations.
A good story, quick to read, ideal for those looking for an adventure, but also fun.
October 23, 2017
Sean Gibson, who previously gave us The Camelot Shadow, strikes again! A short story of William Upton's adventure- a task bestowed upon him by a shady, hooded character- to recover a shady book from a shady place, with the assistance of other shady characters.
Wow! This thing is shady! (In a good way!)
Thanks to Sean for the advance copy and I look forward to more in the series!
Wow! This thing is shady! (In a good way!)
Thanks to Sean for the advance copy and I look forward to more in the series!
March 19, 2018
This was a Goodreads win for me. My second giveaway win, and I loved it!
William's sarcasm and wit had me laughing throughout the read. I enjoyed his journey in finding a much coveted book, for a creepy visitor to his bookshop.
This was such a fun read! If this is just a snippet of what's to come, I'm in for the ride!
5 stars!
William's sarcasm and wit had me laughing throughout the read. I enjoyed his journey in finding a much coveted book, for a creepy visitor to his bookshop.
This was such a fun read! If this is just a snippet of what's to come, I'm in for the ride!
5 stars!
December 29, 2018
This is the kind of writing I love! I’m usually a bit weary of books written in journal format, but this worked amazingly and it did not take away from the plot at all.
I loved the main character. At first I found him quite full of himself and then I realized that it totally worked for his personality. Upton is witty, funny, and clever (which means Mr. Gibson must be someone fun to hang out with over some gin).
This is good fiction. A captivating main character, an interesting plot (who was the client, magic?! what happened?!), and seedy/mysterious side characters.
I will be starting the series this novella is a prequel for because, well, I have to know what happens!
I loved the main character. At first I found him quite full of himself and then I realized that it totally worked for his personality. Upton is witty, funny, and clever (which means Mr. Gibson must be someone fun to hang out with over some gin).
This is good fiction. A captivating main character, an interesting plot (who was the client, magic?! what happened?!), and seedy/mysterious side characters.
I will be starting the series this novella is a prequel for because, well, I have to know what happens!
November 24, 2019
Gibson does it again! His penchant for piquing the reader with a plot full of chicanery is, as per usual, neatly wrapped in chivalrous and elegant writing.
Declared as a prequel to a what I guess will also be a promising story, “The Strange Task Before Me” follows “The Camelot’s Shadow’s” most relatable and indulgent character whose peculiar perceptions are written in a diary format.
Never have I ever felt the adrenaline of hunting down a book as much as my impatience for the next adventure in these Gibson series!
Declared as a prequel to a what I guess will also be a promising story, “The Strange Task Before Me” follows “The Camelot’s Shadow’s” most relatable and indulgent character whose peculiar perceptions are written in a diary format.
Never have I ever felt the adrenaline of hunting down a book as much as my impatience for the next adventure in these Gibson series!
October 23, 2017
I am absolutely proud to have been asked by the awesome Sean Gibson to read an advanced copy of this book. The only thing that would've made me enjoy this book more was if there was more of it. I love William Upton's quips and internal monologue. I feel like I understand him and if only my life were a bit more interesting, I'd have a similarly self deprecating, yet hilarious (well if only I could actually write), diary. Anyway, I'm extremely compelled by this story and can't wait to find out more about the goings on of this awesome character.
Sean: thanks so much for asking me to read this, I laughed out loud like a loon in the Spanish metro, so I know it was a good book. :D
Sean: thanks so much for asking me to read this, I laughed out loud like a loon in the Spanish metro, so I know it was a good book. :D
December 30, 2017
A hearty thank you to Sean Gibson for sharing this captivating prequel to The Camelot Shadow...I enjoyed it immensely. Upton is a most comical, witty rake of a bookseller. In this case, William Upton, rare book seller, manages to find himself dealing in covert, dangerous stuff.
Baron Harold Frederickson is an intriguing recluse of a character, well drawn as both creepy and somehow appealing. He is a curiosity that the reader looks forward to learning more about. This is exceedingly well-done.
Gibson's writing style is smart, funny, and charming and I would recommend this to anyone. Hopefully, one does not need to borrow a hooded lantern and prowl around in the dark to unearth a copy.
Baron Harold Frederickson is an intriguing recluse of a character, well drawn as both creepy and somehow appealing. He is a curiosity that the reader looks forward to learning more about. This is exceedingly well-done.
Gibson's writing style is smart, funny, and charming and I would recommend this to anyone. Hopefully, one does not need to borrow a hooded lantern and prowl around in the dark to unearth a copy.
August 6, 2018
This was a rather short novel about young bookseller William Upton on a quest for finding an unusual book on a very mysterious customer's request.
The man declined to share his name when I offered mine—suspicious, certainly, but not the first time that’s happened, though usually it’s when clients are interested in certain banned erotic texts that they tend to conceal their identities.
But Upton and Son's are a pro at supplying rare tomes to their cutomers.
'Upton and Son, Booksellers,' I replied. 'London’s most discerning purveyor of literature.'
'Hardly,' he snorted. Unfairly, I must say.
'Very well. London’s most discreet purveyor of literature, then.'
Except this time he doesn't have months to search this book. Or weeks. And he has never even heard of the book or the author.
I loved the book-hunting adventure and how far Will intended to go to find the book because he'd rarely ever failed in aquiring a book for his customer, no matter how challenging. The action was quite fun especially with Will's humourous descriptions.
I especially loved all that went into getting that customer's desired book. Making enquiries, waiting, finding mysterious book dealers in London underground who sell illegal tomes, bargaining with them, etc. - but as Will says, bargaining was a "language he spoke fulently". It was all so exciting. And of course, a trip to the library was a must too since this is all about books. And the Baron was such an interesting and well-crafted character (who knew librarians could be so dramatic?) I'd love to read more about him.
The ending was surprisingly creepy and unsettling. I was also annoyed at Will's stupidity for not seeing the red flags earlier. But him thinking of talking about it to Alfred was a good sign I suppose, since Alfie seems to be the smarter of the two. Maybe he could knock some sense into his dear friend and they could figure out the truth together (and hopefully be able to do something about it too).
Like I said, it was short - but a very fun read.
*Thanks to the author for providing a digital copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
The man declined to share his name when I offered mine—suspicious, certainly, but not the first time that’s happened, though usually it’s when clients are interested in certain banned erotic texts that they tend to conceal their identities.
But Upton and Son's are a pro at supplying rare tomes to their cutomers.
'Upton and Son, Booksellers,' I replied. 'London’s most discerning purveyor of literature.'
'Hardly,' he snorted. Unfairly, I must say.
'Very well. London’s most discreet purveyor of literature, then.'
Except this time he doesn't have months to search this book. Or weeks. And he has never even heard of the book or the author.
I loved the book-hunting adventure and how far Will intended to go to find the book because he'd rarely ever failed in aquiring a book for his customer, no matter how challenging. The action was quite fun especially with Will's humourous descriptions.
I especially loved all that went into getting that customer's desired book. Making enquiries, waiting, finding mysterious book dealers in London underground who sell illegal tomes, bargaining with them, etc. - but as Will says, bargaining was a "language he spoke fulently". It was all so exciting. And of course, a trip to the library was a must too since this is all about books. And the Baron was such an interesting and well-crafted character (who knew librarians could be so dramatic?) I'd love to read more about him.
The ending was surprisingly creepy and unsettling. I was also annoyed at Will's stupidity for not seeing the red flags earlier. But him thinking of talking about it to Alfred was a good sign I suppose, since Alfie seems to be the smarter of the two. Maybe he could knock some sense into his dear friend and they could figure out the truth together (and hopefully be able to do something about it too).
Like I said, it was short - but a very fun read.
*Thanks to the author for providing a digital copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
November 15, 2017
Add-on novellas are a newish thing and I would say 50% of the time I do not enjoy them. Often they lack focus. This novella is refreshingly well-plotted and has a specific story to tell with an ending that is also sort-of a cliff-hanger. There's something enjoyable about giving the audience a more omniscient knowledge than the main character!
Still present is Gibson's impeccable grasp of the period writing style and ambiance. And I always look forward to his mix of adventure and humor. His writing style never causes me to avoid reading because the plot clips along and there are always unexpected, but believable, twists.
I'm not sure if this novella is as good to read if you haven't read the first book in the series. However, because it does come before book one, you can definitely start here before reading the first "real" book.
Still present is Gibson's impeccable grasp of the period writing style and ambiance. And I always look forward to his mix of adventure and humor. His writing style never causes me to avoid reading because the plot clips along and there are always unexpected, but believable, twists.
I'm not sure if this novella is as good to read if you haven't read the first book in the series. However, because it does come before book one, you can definitely start here before reading the first "real" book.
April 20, 2019
4.5 stars
I wasn't sure if I would like this as much as the first book (although this is a prequel), especially because I'm not usually a fan of the journal format for a book. But this is a really fun short story and the format totally works for it. Mr. Gibson's trademark verbosity is very much alive in this one and it had me cracking up even when it wasn't supposed to be funny. Although there were plenty of places where it was supposed to be funny and I did actually laugh (even though I'm in the library and supposed to be quiet). This was an easy story to be read in one sitting (see, Sean, I told you I had to wait until I had time to sit and read it because I wouldn't be able to stop once I started) and naturally it leaves me wanting more, damn you, Sean!
While I don't think you have to read The Camelot Shadow first, I think it definitely adds to the story to have knowledge of that world. Thank you for an entertaining read, Mr. Gibson! Now get to writing! ;-)
I wasn't sure if I would like this as much as the first book (although this is a prequel), especially because I'm not usually a fan of the journal format for a book. But this is a really fun short story and the format totally works for it. Mr. Gibson's trademark verbosity is very much alive in this one and it had me cracking up even when it wasn't supposed to be funny. Although there were plenty of places where it was supposed to be funny and I did actually laugh (even though I'm in the library and supposed to be quiet). This was an easy story to be read in one sitting (see, Sean, I told you I had to wait until I had time to sit and read it because I wouldn't be able to stop once I started) and naturally it leaves me wanting more, damn you, Sean!
While I don't think you have to read The Camelot Shadow first, I think it definitely adds to the story to have knowledge of that world. Thank you for an entertaining read, Mr. Gibson! Now get to writing! ;-)
October 22, 2017
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author because Sean is awesome like that and (in my mind) we are BFFs. Seriously, with nicknames and everything!
But in all seriousness, this book was great. There is only one thing I lament, and that's the fact that it's just 50 pages long. Sure, what do you expect with the words 'short novella', but still, Sean is such a great storyteller and writer that you don't feel like you can let go.
So this novella is entirely told through journal entries from Will Upton. I thought it was very entertaining and leaves a margin for hilarious, philosophical thoughts, including some hysterically funny shower-thoughts on diary writing in general.
Sean, like always, delivers an action-packed mystery with plenty of unique humor that keeps the reader hooked from A-Z. Even though this is a short novella, the plot never feels rushed, and I as a reader never thought there was too much left out of the story. At first, I was a bit worried about the journal entry narrative style, but those worries were completely unnecessary. Will is funny, cheeky and just the right amount of self-absorbed it's still endearing in some way.
I'm just such a fan of Sean's writing; I never get enough. Anyone who has read The Camelot Shadow will immediately recognize this unique writing style and be immersed in a story that is so captivating it leaves you on the edge of your seat. I can only recommend this book to everyone.
But in all seriousness, this book was great. There is only one thing I lament, and that's the fact that it's just 50 pages long. Sure, what do you expect with the words 'short novella', but still, Sean is such a great storyteller and writer that you don't feel like you can let go.
So this novella is entirely told through journal entries from Will Upton. I thought it was very entertaining and leaves a margin for hilarious, philosophical thoughts, including some hysterically funny shower-thoughts on diary writing in general.
Sean, like always, delivers an action-packed mystery with plenty of unique humor that keeps the reader hooked from A-Z. Even though this is a short novella, the plot never feels rushed, and I as a reader never thought there was too much left out of the story. At first, I was a bit worried about the journal entry narrative style, but those worries were completely unnecessary. Will is funny, cheeky and just the right amount of self-absorbed it's still endearing in some way.
I'm just such a fan of Sean's writing; I never get enough. Anyone who has read The Camelot Shadow will immediately recognize this unique writing style and be immersed in a story that is so captivating it leaves you on the edge of your seat. I can only recommend this book to everyone.
March 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. William was hysterical - cheeky and irreverent and just good fun. I really enjoyed all of his little asides. The plot was compelling and moved along nicely. And the twist at the end was pretty awesome. I read a good amount of twisty books, and this definitely made me do a double-take. I need to know what happened! Or rather, how it happened. The only complaint I have is that I wish it had been longer. There is a lot of interesting stuff in the world of this book, and I feel like this just kind of skimmed the surface. I was definitely left wanting more, and The Camelot Shadow is now officially next on my list.
Lucky me - I won a copy of this from a Goodreads giveway :-) Let's all hope that this ushers in a return of the good old days of me winning books on the regular.
Lucky me - I won a copy of this from a Goodreads giveway :-) Let's all hope that this ushers in a return of the good old days of me winning books on the regular.
Read
November 27, 2023RTC
You may see plenty of surprising novella picks in my TBR in the next few months.
I’m on one of the judging teams for The Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS)
👇
sfincscompetition.Wordpress.com
#indiebooks #fantasybooks #scifibooks
You may see plenty of surprising novella picks in my TBR in the next few months.
I’m on one of the judging teams for The Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS)
👇
sfincscompetition.Wordpress.com
#indiebooks #fantasybooks #scifibooks
October 26, 2018
So I don’t normally write reviews but I’m doing so in hopes that the generous author will write a continuation to this story! I want, no need more Will Upton and his adventures!
June 25, 2020
Lovely writing. Now, onto The Camelot Shadow to see how this pans out.
January 12, 2018
This is certainly an interesting book, just a few problems I’m afraid.
What’s it about?
I can’t say much without giving spoilers unfortunately. Pretty much it’s about a bookseller who gets a request from a mysterious client to get a rare book, the bookseller has a short amount of time to get this rare book for the customer and some pretty crazy s*** happens.
Pros:
The story is very interesting. I love the mysterious tone to it because at first you don’t get many details but once you do get more info on what’s happening you get more and more interested. I really like that!
This story is very suspenseful. Like I said this book is very mysterious and the suspense definitely keeps the reader interested.
This book is quite intense and exciting, I definitely like that!
There’s a bit of humor thrown in, I enjoyed that.
There’s a good, intimidating villain later in the story, that villain is a good one, very well written.
Cons:
The main character is annoying as f***. He’s just this guy who sells books, he rambles a bunch, he isn’t very bright (though he keeps saying he is) and drinks too much. I didn’t care for him.
The author’s note was mildly irritating. Just because it felt more like an ad for Camelot Shadow right at the beginning of the book, I found that slightly obnoxious when I first opened it.
The ending isn’t very good.
Overall:
Good book. Would I say it’s one of my favorites? No. Was I entertained? Yep. Is it interesting? Definitely. Will I read The Camelot Shadow? Probably at some point. Good for people who want a good little suspenseful story!
4/5
What’s it about?
I can’t say much without giving spoilers unfortunately. Pretty much it’s about a bookseller who gets a request from a mysterious client to get a rare book, the bookseller has a short amount of time to get this rare book for the customer and some pretty crazy s*** happens.
Pros:
The story is very interesting. I love the mysterious tone to it because at first you don’t get many details but once you do get more info on what’s happening you get more and more interested. I really like that!
This story is very suspenseful. Like I said this book is very mysterious and the suspense definitely keeps the reader interested.
This book is quite intense and exciting, I definitely like that!
There’s a bit of humor thrown in, I enjoyed that.
There’s a good, intimidating villain later in the story, that villain is a good one, very well written.
Cons:
The main character is annoying as f***. He’s just this guy who sells books, he rambles a bunch, he isn’t very bright (though he keeps saying he is) and drinks too much. I didn’t care for him.
The author’s note was mildly irritating. Just because it felt more like an ad for Camelot Shadow right at the beginning of the book, I found that slightly obnoxious when I first opened it.
The ending isn’t very good.
Overall:
Good book. Would I say it’s one of my favorites? No. Was I entertained? Yep. Is it interesting? Definitely. Will I read The Camelot Shadow? Probably at some point. Good for people who want a good little suspenseful story!
4/5
Read
January 13, 2021(EDITED REVIEW)
Though I wasn't as taken with this as I was with the full length Camelot Shadow novel, I still find this installment to be a solid and enjoyable interlude into the fine work that is Camelot Shadow.
Shelved as 'for-science'
November 8, 2017More material to write fan fiction about >:D
March 5, 2018
Compelling, yet short delightful little read.
P'raps better described as a short story, or a prelude, The Strange Task Before Me is a engaging, witty piece of writing. Crafted well enough to stand on it's own, yet engaging enough to make me want to read more of this world. And enough loose ends and dangling potentials to make that further reading all the more entertaining.
P'raps better described as a short story, or a prelude, The Strange Task Before Me is a engaging, witty piece of writing. Crafted well enough to stand on it's own, yet engaging enough to make me want to read more of this world. And enough loose ends and dangling potentials to make that further reading all the more entertaining.
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