Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

4.5/5 stars rounded up!!!

I am fairly new to ARC's (as in this is my first one) so I started this book with no expectations and boy was I impressed with this! The cover and the premise of the book already enthralled me, a sapphic cosmic horror thriller? Sign me up. It starts off with a bang immediately hooking me as a reader and it didn't slow down from there. This book is just insane omg. The prose, the writing, the character dynamics... I could go on, but I am afraid of spoiling so I won't lol.

If I were to compare this work to anything it would be a love child of Stranger Things, Ocean's Eleven, and into the Spider-Verse!!

Again this was such a good read I will definitely be thinking about the plot and characters of this book for a while!

A perfectly creepy and creative horror story. You’ll think about this book every time you go in the woods for a long time. Love the main character, the representation, and the twists and turns.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I like this book, the premise was great, but I feel like it was a little clunky in the pacing. I love reading horror and this was spooky but not unaccessable to people who may be new to the genre.

Thank you Quill & Crow Publishing House, the author and NetGalley for making this ARC available!

"Each time, I arrived with low expectations. Each time, I left drunk and disappointed, wondering why I'd bothered in the first place."

That was definitely not my opinion of this book!

I loved this book. At first I had no idea what to expect, as it felt more like a murder mystery when I read the synopsis. Theodora 'Theo' Buchanan, a troubled park ranger, lost her sister to the woods of Mill Creek, West Virginia. She knows that her sister is still out there, and never stopped looking for her. She stumbles upon secrets bigger than life in the search for her younger sister, and lord is it a rollercoaster if I've ever seen one. In all the right ways!

The story kicks off with a character that is riddled with guilt, and has a troubled relationship with her family who blames her for her sister's disappearance. Her family aren't the only ones that blame her for it, as she never ceases to chastise herself for not having found her sister, despite working for the search and rescue team for the local park rangers.

I clicked with Theo the moment I picked up the book. She feels vibrant, real and rough around the edges that only someone who has lost so much and who carries such guilt could ever accurately portray, and I loved the banter she and Quinn had from the start. Theo reads like someone searching for redemption, the truth, and you root for her as the story goes on and she gets carried into the forest and beyond. For me, the fact that Theo was a character that I could heavily relate to (including the parts with her family, my poor heart) made the book an immediate 4 star, and that was before the plot even started developing further.

As the chapters advanced, and I found out more about the Ouroboros, learned more about Theo, and the found family she surrounded herself with, I really found myself rooting for her. Rooting for her to be happy. I really wanted her to thrive in the face of adversity, despite what she had already been facing, and that made the story really compelling to me

That made certain scenes in the rest of the book really emotional, and I found myself tearing up at several occasions.

Honestly, I loved this, there is no other way to say it. The author did a phenomenal job making such tangible characters, characters that didn't feel like they were there just to advance the plot, in such a small time. The worldbuilding, the plot, the fighting and the whole story coming full circle really just touched me, and I am really excited to purchase the physical book for this when it comes out, because it was a definite win for me!

It comes out on April 15 2024, and if you aren't scared of a little gore, please do pick this up!

Thanks to Quill and Crow Publishing House for making Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager available as an ARC on Netgalley.

In Eye of the Ouroboros, Theo has dedicated herself to searching for and rescuing those who have gone missing in the woods that claimed her sister as a child. While her life falls apart around her as she struggles with the strain of not being able to find her, she starts to experience increasingly strange things, both at work and at home. With the help of her best friend Quinn, her ex-girlfriend Delilah, a conspiracy theorist named Wesley and his informant, Roman, Theo will find that the world is a much bigger and scarier place than she could have realised; and the woods aren't the only thing watching her from the shadows.

To start with the positives: Megan Bontrager is a great writer. Not only was her prose rich and compelling, but she did a really great job of defining most of her characters in no time at all. The core group in particular are not only outlined as individuals, but their inter-group dynamics are well-established as well.

The world that these characters inhabit is also fleshed out really well, and there are some genuinely spooky moments when things start to take a turn.

There is, however, a weird tonal shift from about the 54% to 70% mark, where we go from a paranormal story to what's essentially a heist story. This didn't completely lose me, but it definitely didn't keep me as engaged as what came before and after. I'd also argue that the 70% mark is the emotional peak of the book, with what comes after not having the same impact despite being narratively appropriate.

I also found the Big Bad to be a bit hollow when compared to the other characters, which was a bit disappointing. Not because what we get is bad, but because it doesn't live up to the standard set by the rest of the writing.

All that said and done, I'm glad I read this; and if there were to be a sequel, I'd definitely pick it up. I'd like more time in this world.

Rating: 4/5

Eye of the Ouroboros will be available from the 15th of April, 2024.

Unfortunately I didn't love this, and wish I had more positive things to say. This felt like a mash-up of the videogame "Control" and the show Fringe with a dash of Lovecraftian mythology - - that could be good! I have enjoyed some, or all, of those things! But the tight intro( first 20% or so) just gave way to too much hand waving, as we were introduced to the bigger scope. I really enjoyed the initial set up and the pacing, there were some spooky moments - those were eventually traded for some generic feeling action beats, with a heist and some bigger set pieces. But the escalating stakes just felt strange to me and I couldn't really seem to care (and nor could our main character! Who never once deviated from her chosen objective!)

There kept being moments where the text ackowged something miraculous or unfeasible by just saying 'and somehow x did y!' Maybe this one just needs another round of editing to tighten up those bits? Who knows.

Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This novel is an interesting mix of horror and sci-fi (I don’t usually read horror and I was fine it’s not too scary in my opinion if you’re concerned). There’s a haunted wood, the multiverse, creepy dog human hybrid creatures, and a heist. Trust me when I say this book probably isn’t going where you think it is.

While I loved the beginning around 60% the plot started getting a little more convoluted. It was still good but felt like a different book. There was much less horror and much more sci-fi. It sort of felt like half way through there was a genre change. Once I got used to it I was able to enjoy the second half!

I do feel like the ending was incomplete but I feel like that was probably intentional. The world and plot were really interesting and I loved getting to learn about the government like organization in charge of everything. It was interesting and easy to read but fair warning it’s pretty dark at parts and definitely retains some horror qualities throughout the book.

I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy both horror and sci-fi.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC! Out April 15th, 2024.

First of all thank you NetGalley, Megan Bontrager and Quill & Crow for ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Theo Buchanan’s sister goes missing in the woods and she feels to blame. She makes her life’s mission to find missing people to make up for the one she never found, her sister Flora. Weird happenings start occurring leading Theo into a search for answers. With the help of her friends she finds herself in the middle of the mystery of the Ouroboros.

The Eye of the Ouroboros, is not my typical read. I gave it a chance because I was pulled in by the description. That being said it was really hard for me to get through. The writing is very choppy I felt like I was rereading a lot trying to see if I missed something. That detracted from the storyline to me. The horror parts did make me feel a little unhinged I didn’t want to read it while alone or after dark.

The storyline and plot has so much potential. That’s why I kept going until completing the novel. I was happy with how things ended. Even if I was confused about a lot because of the choppiness, the story at the heart of it was really good.

I wasn’t super fond of the MC she came across very selfish and half hazard. She did a lot of careless things and no one batted an eye except maybe her mom (I will touch on that in a minute). She is an alcoholic, there is no good reason for anyone to go to work with a flask or go off in search of people while drunk. That made me feel very disconnected from her plight, even if I understand some of her motives for it. Now on to her mother- she is toxic as hell. There is not a moment in the book I thought kindly of the mother, so no wonder the MC drinks! Major thumbs down to the dad for just letting it all happen. Their behavior towards the MC really pulled me out of the story. I understand survivors guilt but they did nothing to support their daughter.

I gave it 3 stars for the storyline, I took 2 away from the book because the lack of connection with the MC, and the choppiness.

I would like to extend my extreme gratitude and thanks to Megan Bontrager, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read an ARC of "Eye of the Ouroboros."

I knew within the first few chapters of this book that I was in for a wild ride. I was swept away into this eerie and mysterious world that had me on my seat, and saying “just one more chapter.” Bontrager’s imagery and the haunting atmosphere she created had me absolutely hooked. The first half of the book was riddled with mysteries and creepy encounters that I really wish continued on in the second half of the book.

I loved the characters in the book, and I thought they were written very well. I specifically thought the relationship between Theo and her mom was something so raw and real, although heartbreaking.

“Mother tended the hope that Flora would one day emerge from the woods like a moonflower. It never bloomed, as moonflowers so rarely did. But she cut away the brambles, tilled the soil, and watered the roots. I was a weed.”

I was honestly surprised at the choice Theo made at the end, and it has me trying to wrap my head around whether or not it was the “right” choice.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I’m hoping that this story will continue on! There were so many different things and places that were introduced in this book that I would love a deeper explanation on. The world itself was absolutely fascinating and there can be so much more we can explore!

It was intriguing. I can't say I loved it but the amount of creativity and mind-fuckery impressed me :) Anyway, a good book.

This book is both moving and thought-provoking. It explores trauma and decision-making and features essential characters. The book is a powerful portrayal of vulnerability and the desire to succeed. It's a great horror story, and I can't wait to hold a physical copy.

Read & Reviewed this ARC from NetGalley

4.5 🌟

A woman's unwavering search for her sister cracks open world's that she never expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing was imaginative and truly pulled me into the world building of the Ouroboros.

My only gripe was that I wish it was longer to accommodate more building into the history and expanse of the Ouroboros and how Sator came to power in many realities. Why was his reality collapsing?

Anyways, this was a fun and magnetic read. Looking forward to more by this author!

Kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time! This isn’t my typical genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the mystery, suspense and character development. Really liked the way it was written too. Highly recommend!

This book was an awesome read! Amazing story and very well written. The story was very thrilling, I couldn’t stop reading as I wanted to know what was coming next. If you’re a fan of the Control/Alan Wake games you’ll enjoy this book. Looking forward to reading any future works from the author.

I kept an eye (no pun intended) out for this book ever since I saw a post about it on twitter, and was lucky enough to get to read it early. At times it was hard to believe that this is in fact a debut novel as it was, all in all, a really solid read.

The story follows Theo(dora), a park ranger with a knack of finding lost people, rising to every challenge except the only one that really matters to her - finding her own sister. Flora disappeared into the woods when they were still both kids, and now Theo’s life revolves around trying to sold this years old case. With the disappearances reaching new scales and unexpected appearances littering the woods, the possibility of once again seeing her sister is more real than ever before - be everything has it’s price…

I am a simple girl, if you give me spooky stuff happening in a small town, I’m there. But this, mixed with parallel universes and bonds between sisters? Whoo boy, let’s go!
The story was fast paced and easy to read (just to me a while to actually sit down and read it, because of work, we all know how it is..), with vivid characters and immersive setting. I really appreciated how real Theo felt as a character, with her desperation, her anger, her problems and the way she was (not) solving them; it felt refreshing to read a lead that was not flat and perfectly shaped for their story.

I felt like the book had two somewhat separate parts, and then at least three epilogues, but besides a slight feeling of a disjointed story at one point, I have nothing bad to say about the book. GO READ IT.

A beautifully descriptive fantasy story with horror elements.

Theo, a search and rescue park ranger, has dedicated her life to tracking down lost hikers in the national forest. Her only hope is that one day she will find her sister who vanished in that same forest many years earlier. When she finds a missing girl who tells her music led her into the trees, Theo is more determined than ever to find her sister, at whatever cost.

The opening chapters started with existential dread and body horror and I was hooked. Ultimately, the story developed more into fantasy than horror, but I still enjoyed it. It became less about the horrors in the woods and more about what lay underneath, deep in the magical realm known as the Ouroboros. I wanted more of the mysterious objects in the forest, doors to parallel universes rather then espionage.

There were times I thought Theo had completely forgotten her sister, particularly at the dinner party scene. I thought the story lost it's way a bit around halfway through. Some parts where magically descriptive and others left me with unanswered questions. I would've liked more backstory involving Theo's sisters disappearance to better understand her struggle. An impressive debut.

*Huge thanks to Quill & Crow Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this one!*

I’ve always loved seeing the releases Quill & Crow Publishing have, but as of yet, haven’t dipped my toe into what they’ve released. Then, while cruising through Netgalley, I saw this one. The cover immediately had me excited, the title had me intrigued and then the synopsis screamed at me to read it. With this being Megan’s debut, I wasn’t worried, knowing full well that if Quill & Crow were releasing it, it would be a solid tale.

What I liked: Bontrager has delivered an unexpected gem. Not once did I get a sense that this was a debut, the storytelling – both depth and scope – were solid and controlled, which is a testament to what it is that Megan has created here.

The story follows Forest Ranger Theo, short for Theodora, a name she detests. Years ago, her sister Flora disappeared in the woods around the town they live in, so she’s made it her life mission to try and find what happened. Everyone blames Theo for Flora’s disappearance – even her parents, who treat her like she’s a blister that needs to be popped – so Theo gets hired on with the Rangers to be as close to the location as possible.

The woods there are strange. People go missing all the time. And it is Theo who finds them, looking harder and longer than anyone else. But with each person she finds, there’s little things she notices. From missing toes, to strange stories, it all adds up to something odd going on. Even the Forest Ranger handbook alludes to that. Rule #1 is for no Forest Ranger to take any set of stairs they may come across.

Bontrager sets the stage well, so that, when a conspiracy-theory believing character pops up and introduces her to the idea of what ‘is’ happening, at first she things they’re nuts. And then she believes them.

It is from that point on, when we learn of the Federal Bureau of Reality, that the story really shines. Bontrager weaves in an action-fueled quest with different portals, a strange government agency nobody knows about and the truth to what happened to Flora. Tensions remain high until the end and as the story goes on, each character becomes more and more fleshed out. Including Theo’s on again, off again, former lover, the reporter Delilah, who tried to bring more exposure to Flora’s disappearance, but in turn seemed to use it as career leverage.

Everything ramps up, leading to the ending which was cathartic, heartbreaking and completely expected, even if you didn’t want it to be.

What I didn’t like: Some may find the introduction of the ‘FBR’ to be comical. Bontrager keeps it serious and utilizes that narrative to strengthen the story, but if you read the synopsis and smirk when you get to that section, then most likely this book won’t be for you.

Why you should buy this: A solid debut from start to finish, Bontrager accelerates out of the starting blocks and never slows down. Theo is a fantastic lead character – broken, battered, and depending on alcohol – they are a great case of why sometimes an initial unlikable lead can elevate a story when push comes to shove later on.

Bontrager’s debut is fantastic and one I think will make a lot of fans of dark fiction intertwined with fantastical elements very happy.

This book starts off so strong. At first, everything is dark and grim, our MC finds a missing girl in the woods, we find out her sister also went missing—cue lots of familial trauma. You’re all thinking, ‘oh damn we got a badass heroine with severe mommy issues who’s on a mission to find her sister.” Then, the book says “hold my beer.”—so, of course, you do—and we are off, full speed ahead, not looking before switching lanes, etc etc. I thoroughly enjoyed each shark we jumped.

However, right after the 50% mark things slow down a bit and start to feel more Oceans 11 than X-Files and it started to lose me. I’m not even that upset about it, it’s a good book but maybe we jumped one shark too many at some point.

This book started off strong, giving Reddit No Sleep vibes with the staircases in the forest, but ultimately fell a bit off the rails for me. I absolutely loved the first half. The atmosphere was great and the set up for the story was really good.

I found that as the book went on I found myself being more annoyed with the FMC than enjoying the story. I don't know how she got away with driving wasted but she did. Always had vodka on her and had a selfish, DGAF attitude, which is fine to some extent but this was just annoying.

Some of the parts got a little bit confusing and hard to follow. It felt a little bit rushed and didn't explain a few things. Didn't help that during a scene, some random & unrelated things were thrown in there. It took me out of the story a bit. I had to go back a couple times to remind myself what was happening in a few scenes.

It was an alright read, but didn't wow me as I had hoped.

In Eye of the Ouroboros, Theodora (Theo) dedicates her life to searching the woods her sister, among plenty of others, was lost in. With the help of friends and her undying motivation to find her sister, Theo starts to uncover the truth about those who go missing and where they disappear to.

This book is about loss, grief, abuse and a little bit of adventure. This book was well written, better than most, and for that I’m giving it 3 stars. However, for me the story didn’t interest me very much. It was a very cool concept, but I expected there to be more of a horror element and it was more so just thriller/spooky and a little bit of gore. I feel like I had to force myself into finishing it. I feel like it’s missing something but I can’t quite put my finger on it just yet.