The publicity around this book was fantastic, the emails I received really made me want to grab hold of this book and dive right in. The hype was where is kind of ended for me, while this book is clever and original, it was some what confusing that I could not keep up. I found myself drifting through the book, the chapters are short which I liked but I definitely think this is a book I need to return to when I have more time to stop and really take in the plot, its a read in one go kind of book for me. I enjoyed the style of writing and for that I will be looking out for others by this author.

After much publicity I was really looking forward to getting stuck into this book. Unfortunately it was a DNF for me as at 30% in it wasn’t making much sense. I felt I was reading 2 different books but one of them made absolutely no sense and I was totally lost. It just didn’t gel well and was extremely confusing.

This book doesn't disappoint, and with the twists and turns, I couldn't wait to finish the book. This was a great read, and I will read some more by this author in future.

Readers will either love or hate this book. it starts off as a bit of a thriller but soon turns into a fantasy. I got lost before the half way point and failed to finish it. It was a very confusing read but lovers of the fantasy genre might enjoy it. just not my taste. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

If there is one thing I really don't like, it's not finishing a book. Luckily, it doesn't happen very often but, unfortunately, I was unable to finish The Spiral.

Why? Well, I read to escape; I have enough complication in my work life so I tend not to read anything that takes too many brain cells as there aren't that many left after a day at work but this book just had me totally bemused almost from the very beginning and I just didn't have the stamina to continue.

I struggled to get into the story, develop any feelings for the characters either way and I just ended up being completed baffled by the whole thing so much so that I just had to give up in order to remain sane!

As I said, I don't like not finishing a book and I really try to keep going but I just couldn't with this and I therefore have to apologise to the author. I am acutely aware that this book will definitely appeal to lots of people but it just wasn't for me.

I would like to thank Zaffre Books / Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

The Spiral is due to be published on 31st December 2020 and I wish it good luck.

This is definitely a very original book which was well written. Having said that, it was not a genre I am attracted to. Interspersed with the tale of Erma Bridges' survival of an attempt to murder her were extracts from a fantasy adventure book. This was all very well at the beginning because the extracts were short but then there is a long extract which is quite repetitive and confusing. Add to that that Erma Bridges is not quite the innocent we at first are presented with and that the tale almost takes on a fantasy of its own. This will appeal to gamers I am sure.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Iain Ryan/Bonnier Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Set in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 2004. Erma is a Lecturer at the University and is working on research on comic book authors. Her assistant Jenny tried to kill Erma and then committed suicide.
Erma has been recuperating in Spain and has returned home to face a disciplinary hearing as Jenny had accused her of sexual impropriety.
Erma's friend Kanika is also doing research on the number of local women going missing. Erma realises there is one missing interview that Jenny did that was with a reculusive author. Erma is desperate to locate it
The book is interspersed with a fantasy serial involving a comic book warrior named Sero. This was the creation of the reclusive author - Archibold Moder.
Erma is soon to realise just where these missing women are going to but by then she will be in grave danger.
An author new to me an Australian living in Melbourne. In my opinion this is a young persons book, not written for my age group. Part fantasy part horror - you want to read to the end to see how it works out.

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. /Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Spiral’ by Iain Ryan in exchange for an honest review. This novel is described as high concept and I expect that it’s a novel that will polarise readers.

Dr. Erma Bridges is attending an academic conference in Spain when she is alerted that she is the subject of a disciplinary hearing. She returns to Brisbane and while the complainant isn’t named, Erma is certain that it is Jenny, her research assistant, whose been causing problems for some time. Jenny hasn’t turned in a number of interviews that are vital to the book Erma is writing on the influence of Choose Your Adventure books on YA fiction. The most important interview was with the reclusive Archibald Moder, whose Zone Mover series was very important to Erma’s childhood.

Then Erma is attacked in her home and shot twice. After a long recovery, she begins to search for answers and her quest for the truth leads her on a dangerous, spiralling journey into the heart of darkness.

One of the strange aspects of this novel are the chapters featuring Sero the Barbarian, a character from the Moder books that Erma has been dreaming about. Sero has various adventures that are written in the second person as if the reader is following a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Then during Part Three things become even stranger.

At times, I was a bit ambivalent about ‘The Spiral’ though its weirdness and hallucinatory nature did ultimately work for me. Maybe that’s because I am old enough to have experienced the original Choose Your Own Adventures books, which were groundbreaking, participated in ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ during the 80s, and enjoy fantasy and genre hopping fiction.

It did demand a close reading and had its challenges though I felt that it was both original and ambitious. Being metafiction it subverts the relationship between author, character, and reader.

So, yes overall I was impressed and pleased that I stayed on board for what proved an exhilarating and unusual fantasy thriller.

It will be published in the U.K. on 31st December.

Sadly I DNFd this book, I got to a point where I was rereading things multiple times because I felt that nothing made sense.

It was confusing from the start and I feel as though it was marketed as a thriller that I was excited to read but it turned into a thriller/fantasy book which I didn't understand the logic of and I don't understand why I wasn't prewarned that this was the genre.

Not happy with this one sadly

The Spiral is an interesting concept and one that will certainly offer appeal to those who enjoy playing fantasy quests and multiple choice RP games.

Dr Erma Bridges is a university lecturer and specialist in Y/A fiction, especially those games she played as a child – the ones where you could choose your path and the endings varied according to your choices. She is currently writing a book about these games and it prominently features the reclusive inventor of many such games. On returning from a trip abroad she is summoned by the University to find that she is accused of inappropriate sexual activity with several of her students. Then her primary accuser, her research assistant Jenny, turns on her in the most spectacular fashion and as a result, she dies.

After that, Erma needs time to recover and it is only some months later that she starts to wonder what has become of the research material that Jenny had been gathering for Erma. In particular a Dictaphone containing an interview with an important and reclusive writer is missing. Erma needs to find that Dictaphone in order to finish her book and she is also hoping that she may find some clue as to what was driving Jenny to behave in the way she did.

Erma decides she will retrace Jenny’s steps and endeavour to re-run the last interview that Jenny undertook.

This story then splits into two parallel narratives, Erma’s first person story and a character from a game named Sero the Barbarian who is the protagonist in a fantasy multiple choice game. Clearly Erma and Sero are following similar dangerous paths, but is Erma dreaming, or is she involved in something that has not yet become clear to the reader?

This fantasy/thriller crossover is certainly an interesting and unusual pitch and though I found myself intrigued, in the end it just did not gel sufficiently to hold my interest.

As Sero follows the Spiral deep into the game, making choices and uncovering danger at every turn, so Erma also follows a path that is constantly spiralling her downwards towards a dark conclusion.

This section of the book is somewhat unevenly written. Erma’s narrative is almost dream-like while Sero’s choices lead to battles with evil characters, but the connection between the two while tangible, seems confusing.

Perhaps you need to enjoy fantasy fiction more than I do in order to get the most out of this book? I’m not sure. What I do know is that while I was curious to see where Sero’s and Erma’s paths would come together, the final reveal just felt too contrived and ultimately that meant the book as a whole did not work for me.

Part of that is the characterisation. Erma Bridges is not a sympathetic character; quite the contrary. I also felt that the latter part of the book descended into every teenage boy’s fantasy wet dream – and not in a good way. It left me with something of an unpleasant aftertaste.

VERDICT: Sadly though the concept was different and ambitious and the first half of the book held my interest well, the book as a whole is just not for me. It may well appeal to RPG gamers and those who enjoy fantasy fiction, so please don’t let my review (as a straight laced crime fiction and thriller fan) put you off. The concept is certainly interesting and much of the writing holds the attention well.

The Spiral Iain Ryan
After a brilliant publicity campaign for this book, I was desperate to read it. Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, at 35% I am just totally lost.

There are few things I love more than a unique thriller and that’s exactly what I was looking for in this one.

Erma Bridges is an academic who is shot twice by her colleague who is now dead but Erma has no idea why she was the target of such a vicious attack. So she begins a crazy, mind-bending quest to discover the reasons behind it and it just might cost her, her own sanity.

Erma’s life isn’t perfect. She has had a tough time of things and seems to be harbouring a lot of secrets. She is obsessed with adventure and fantasy books that offer readers a choice of narrative and this is a motif that keeps cropping up in the book. It’s not something I’ve ever really read about before, especially not in a thriller, but I really appreciated this refreshing new slant.

Making and breaking connections is another trend that flows through the whole book. The power of choice and the consequences that can occur from making the wrong ones is a device that drives the narrative. As the boundaries between fantasy and reality blur more and more, this is pushed further to the forefront.

We get some chapters from Erma’s fantasy ego Sero, who is a character in one of her favourite choice novels. As the book progresses, Erma seems to spend more time as Sero and we can literally feel the real Erma fading. I thought this was done in a really powerful way, even though I can see how some readers would find the rapid viewpoint switch jarring.

There is a very real threat in this book but I felt that it got a little mixed up in the fantasy world and the threats within that. Perhaps that was the idea but I felt it took away some of the horror of what was actually happening. I understand that we were supposed to be following Erma’s mind as it gradually broke away from reality but in doing so, it glossed over a lot of serious stuff that could have been dealt with better.

The chapters with 'You didn't make a choice' at the end really quickened the pace and added a lot of suspense to Erma’s descent into madness. I think this was my favourite part because I had no clue what was going to happen but Sero’s story just kept getting stranger. I could literally feel my mind trying to wrap itself the plot and failing hugely!

There are also these little slices of commentary on writing and the relationship between authors and their characters. I love books that do this and felt that The Spiral had a unique take on it, as it discussed the relationship between authors and characters in Choose Your Own Adventure books. These types of books are different to linear novels so writing them is naturally different too.

The Spiral is undoubtedly a unique thriller but it is also pretty confusing. The last third of the book in particular is very strange and I couldn’t quite work out whether it was supposed to be so blurry or not. It’s certainly not a book for everyone but it’s very unlike anything I’ve ever read before.

From the creepy and intriguing promo via emails and sound clips filled with clues, and the premise of this too, I had high hopes for this but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

This isn’t just a straight thriller like I thought it was, it’s half thriller and half kind of fantasy/dream world/altered reality type theme. The story flips between the real world and the dream world, and for me it just didn’t work, I’ve read books that have that theme thrown in and sometimes i enjoy it and other times not so much.

I will say it’s inventive and it’s unique to have a thriller type read out with that different element included, but for me it just felt confused at times and didn’t deliver the punchy and exciting thriller that I assumed that this was going to be. Sometimes it wasn’t clear what exactly was going on and I found myself not really feeling invested.

So it wasn’t for me but I’m sure it’ll be something many will enjoy! If you’re after a different kind of thriller then maybe this would be for you.

The Spiral is an interesting concept and is without doubt a marmite book. You'll probably either think it's a stunning work of genius or you'll find it irritating, convoluted and ultimately unsatisfying.

I kind of fall somewhere in the middle. I banged through the first third of this novel with its crime story with fantasy dreaming and was intrigued to see where it was going.

But then I think it just over complicated itself. If you are a fan of those "choose your own " stories from childhood you'll likely get a lot more out of this than most but whether its the 2020 aftershock or whatever I found I had no patience with the shenanigans. I'm not sure how it will work in physical copy form but in kindle I felt like I'd missed half of it the only option being to go back and read again differently. If indeed there was a differently. I have no clue because see above re lack of patience.

Then the finale turned into another thing altogether. I quite liked that bit but it was over egged and frankly a bit ridiculous.

Kudos to the author for trying something different. Don't let the reviews whether positive OR negative put you off giving it a go because it may be the best book you've read in years. Or the worst...

I dont know if I recommend it. Yeah I know, not that helpful. Sorry.

I really enjoy books that mix things up, be it a book written entirely in lists or a story told via texts, screenplays or emails and The Spiral is another one I can add to this list!

Before I go any further I will say that this book is a mix of mystery / thriller but also sprinkled with some fantasy but even though I’m not normally a fan of the fantasy genre I really enjoyed this.

Chapters alternate between Erma and a character called Sero the Barbarian. Sero is a fantasy character who you follow in this alternate world as he battles Orcs and collects gold, all whilst he tries to find someone who can restore his memories.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, one to avoid spoilers and one because I really do think this book is best enjoyed not knowing anything. All I will say is that everything is connected, the fantasy parts are not just randomly placed, they are there for a reason. Part 3 was totally unexpected and is the part that mixed things up as mentioned above – also I felt like this section was a trick (you’ll understand when you read it) and wasn’t sure if what I was reading was correct so I did go back and re read that part once I’d finished where I discovered so much more.

I will admit this book left me feeling totally confused and even now I still think about it and I either remain confused or something falls into place. However, maybe I’m overthinking it, but I feel this is how the author wants you to feel. He wants you to be confused, dazed and lost in this strange world just like the character of Erma is. I really do feel after reading this that I definitely got lost in The Spiral and I’m still not sure I’ve made my way out!

Overall this book was completely different and unique to anything I’ve read before. As previously mentioned, the fantasy genre isn’t normally my ‘cup of tea’ but I felt it worked so well within this story and it just blew my mind that I’m still not sure exactly what I’ve just read.

Apologies this was a DNF for me,I dont mind swearing in context and even a bit out of context but there is loads of it and also not sure the concept worked for me,although wanted it to

I unfortunately did not finish this book, but I have thoughts nonetheless.
I went in to this book excited - the premise sets up the story to be a solid, gripping and dark thriller but I just did not get that from the book itself.
First of all, the characters; don't get me wrong, I honestly think unlikeable characters can be an excellent tool especially in thrillers, but I could not STAND these characters. They were annoying and inconsistent and I didn't feel like they really made sense. Even in a book where I dislike a character or multiple characters I feel I have to have at least a basic understanding of them: who they are, what their role is in this story, their motivations etc etc, but everytime I felt I had a grasp on a character their behaviour would suddenly and non-sensically change and for seemingly no purpose.
Another inconsistency was the pacing. For a lot of the book I felt like I was missing something; like I'd come into a conversation half-way through and needed to back-track - again, this is not inherently bad! This actually sets a thriller up in a good position to slowly sprinkle in reveals and to keep the reader hooked. However, despite this feeling of not being told something I felt most of the scenes in this book were much longer than they needed to be and that I was being spoon-fed useless information.
A positive - the plot is interesting, that's why I carried on reading as long as I did, because a part of me wanted to know what was going to happen.
Despite what I didn't like, I did think the writing style was good. Thorough and colourful. I do think the writing in and of itself was interesting.
I'm only going to give 3 stars; because I didn't finish it I don't think it's fair to give any less.

A highly unusual thriller depicting the quest of a young woman to find the person responsible for a brutal attack on her. Mysterious and original, this will take your breath away.

I really struggled with this book I'm afraid.

It's an interesting premise - a writer, Dr Erma Bridges is accused of inappropriate behaviour and is taking part in a disciplinary hearing as part of that process. Then, she is shot by her accuser who turns the gun on herself.
So far, so interesting. Unfortunately, it then goes down a rabbit warren of confusing, dreamlike narrative that just didn't work for me.

It's certainly unusual and I hope it finds it's audience. I'm not one, sorry!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview, but, it's a 1* Did Not Like from me.

This review will go live at the link below on 21 December:
Hi and welcome to my review of The Spiral!

I was so excited about this book! It seemed like the perfect fit for me, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be…

With the blurb mentioning The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, I was all in! Having now read The Spiral, I do feel mentioning Evelyn Hardcastle is a bit of an insult to Stuart Turton. I’m the first to admit that, just like Evelyn Hardcastle, The Spiral is inventive and original, but where the former was confusing in a clever, intriguing, mysterious way, leading to a mind-blowing reveal, the latter was confusing all the way through in a way that got on my nerves and having finished it I’m none the wiser.

Erma Bridges is a researcher working full-time on her book about young adult fiction, she has well and truly turned an obsession into a career and she’s on track to become the youngest associate professor. As the story kicks off, Erma is flying back to Australia to attend a meeting assembled because someone, she suspects her assistant Jenny, has been badmouthing her to HR. Flying in from Spain she’s severely jetlagged and, unfortunately, that’s the way that first part reads, like trying to follow the thoughts of a sleep-deprived person. It might be interesting, but part of you is thinking: what the hell is going on, slow DOWN – and by the end of it I kinda needed a nap myself.

For part two we skip to ten months later, Erma has recovered, physically at least, from being shot at, and after she’s given her shooter’s possessions, she’s trying to figure out what on earth possessed her would-be murderer. Still, the narrative has a sort of abrupt, jittery character. I was intrigued but the writing style made it rather difficult for me to get into the story and stay there.

The story is told in the present tense with the POV alternating between Erma in the first person singular and Sero in the second person singular. I had no clue whatsoever what the Sero chapters were about. They read like an utterly strange combination of a game of Dungeons & Dragons, a weird dream and severe psychological problems. It felt like anything was possible and I didn’t quite know what to do what them. Eventually I decided the best way to go about this book was to stop trying to figure it out, and just go with the flow.

The Spiral is hands down the weirdest book I’ve read all year. It had its enjoyable moments, when I managed to ride the confusion and not let it bug me. It’s a quick read, I flew through it, although admittedly I did skim parts of it. It has an interactive chapter that I really liked. It’s just a really weird mix of thriller and fantasy, which usually works for me, but The Spiral didn’t quite pull it off. I can handle weird and confusing but I hate feeling this confused after finishing a book. Or maybe I’m too dim to get it? I won’t rule it out, but then again, if I can handle Blake Crouch, I can pretty much handle any mind-boggling story out there I daresay. One thing’s for sure: for me this was hit-and-miss, but mostly miss. I dithered between two and three stars for the longest time, but considering my three-star reads this year, awarding The Spiral three stars seemed much too generous and in good conscience I just couldn’t do it.

If you’re at all tickled by any of the above, and looking for a shot of bookish quirkiness to finish the year, then by all means check out The Spiral and don’t let my confusion stop you!

The Spiral is out on the 24th! Thanks to Zaffre Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.