THE WEIRD TALES OF SILAS FLINT

(THE FLINT ANTHOLOGIES BOOK 1):

Reviewed by

“This kind of Jazz isn’t exactly my style. Always makes me feel down, you know?” “Yes, I believe that is the intention behind this particular genre.”

 

When reviewing a collection of stories, we simply can’t expect every story to score 5 stars, but we hope that the average score will stay between 4 and 5 stars for quality consistency. 

However, when it comes to The Weird Tales of Silas Flint, I just wonder how long can Beckman keep this streak of 5-star gems!

 

The Deepest Circle is yet another success, by INFAMOUS🦀 standards at least. And here is why…

 

Plot Takes Front Seat:

Whereas our previous stories were more character and action-driven from beginning to end, this next story is more plot-oriented and more ‘cerebral’ if you will. Silas’ brother, Charles Flint, is planning BIG in order to gain power and defeat the Witch Hunters once and for all, this time with the aid of witch Lilian Turner (read The Gloom of the Grave for more info on this alliance). Meanwhile the Three Weird Sisters we’ve encountered in a previous tale (read Evil Never Rests for more info on the Proctor sisters) are once again establishing communication with both Silas and Ricardo with questionable motives. This is the second time our hero doesn’t know what to make of these three characters. Their intentions are foggy at best. Are they trying to aid Silas or just trick him in a very sophisticated fashion? What’s their agenda here, really?

 

New Characters:

We’re also introduced to new characters that will greatly affect the narrative, particularly Jennifer Edward aka Alice, a spy working for Charles Flint who is taking out Knight Templars in Fort Ingalls Chapter House at an increasing rate but eventually makes a few stupid mistakes which will help Silas Flint get ahead of his investigation.

Action:

We do see as much action, gun fights, and sword swinging later on in the story, but the pace is slowed down for the plot to build up properly. This was a bold move but in the end it worked out and the payoff was worth the wait.

 

Know Thyself:

This is the last story included in Book 1, and I walked away with the  strong opinion that this was a solid 5 stars from beginning to end. No, this is not groundbreaking fiction, but it does what it needs to provide a satisfying and enjoyable experience. This is due to the fact that Beckham clearly knows who he is as a writer and his transparency and candor are reflected throughout this book. He never tries to overreach or run too far off into the weeds in order to produce a better story, but instead capitalizes on what he knows best and builds on that. A lot of indie authors could learn a thing or two from him!

 

If you haven’t picked up a copy of The Weird Tales of Silas Flint, and you’ve been craving simple, wholesome, exciting pulp fiction, I strongly suggest you do so today, and let us know your thoughts on it!

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