Bulwark by Brit Lunden

I loved that Bulwark had this creepy story feeling that had me nervous, but not completely terrified. It felt like a campfire scary story, and that was a lot of fun!

How I Felt:

I listened to the audiobook of Bulwark. My review includes my thoughts on the book overall, as well as the experience of listening through audio.

The story reminded me a bit of Hansel and Gretel. Considering that the house is called “Gingerbread House”, it would make sense that I would think that way. Aside from the house name though, the idea of an old witch and the disappearance of younger children reinstated that similarity for me. Clay, the main character, visits a house and has an odd conversation with the older women who lives there and is later told by others in town that in fact, that house no longer exists.

What??? I liked this turning point in the story. I felt like this was the moment that I was really interested in what was going to happen next! So, Clay can’t believe that this house is actually not there anymore and heads back to the house, only to find that the house is truly not there. He then starts to have weird encounters that eventually lead him back to the home’s location for answers. Who is the woman that answered the door? Why did he see the house? I’m not sure he really got all of his answers in the end, but as with most spooky stories, I don’t want every loose end tied up!

The main character is the town sheriff. I liked that he seemed grounded in reality, and yet, was able to open his mind and accept what was happening to him so that he could take action. I don’t think the story was quite long enough for me to connect with him, but it is a prequel to the first book in the series, so I am looking forward to reading the next book to see if I connect more to the characters.

The narrator was male, which matched the main character. The narrator’s voice was easy to listen to, and I felt he did a good job with the different characters. I liked that he was able to put the right emotion and cadence into the reading so that I felt connected to what was happening. It was also fairly short, as this book has a smaller page count. It would be a good starter audio for someone that wanted to try audiobooks. I would highly recommend the audio for this book if you enjoy listening to books!

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I thought it was imaginative and exciting. I look forward to reading the next book in the series! I will be reviewing the next two books throughout the month of April!

To Read or Not To Read:

I would recommend Bulwark to readers that enjoy spooky reads that are spine-tingling, but not terrifying.

Where to Find This Book:

Bulwark by Brit Lunden is available at these sites.

Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads | Audible

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Clay Finnes is the sheriff of a small town in Georgia called Bulwark. Recently separated from his wife, all he can think about is what went wrong, and will Jenna ever come back to him. He’s troubled by a bothersome reporter trying to build a story from what he thinks is a normal day in his life.

Clay has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange.

A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same.

Bulwark by Brit Lunden
Series: Bulwark Anthology Series, Book 0.5
Page Count: 146 pages
Publisher: Chelshire, Inc.
Pub Date: January 24, 2018

Brit Lunden is a prolific author who’s written over 50 books in assorted genres under different pen names.

Bulwark was her first effort in adult fiction and was chosen by several of her fellow authors as the basis for a new series, A Bulwark Anthology. Using her characters, they are creating new denizens in spin-off stories to this bizarre town.

Brit Lunden lives on Long Island in a house full of helpful ghosts.