I enjoyed reading it. ( )

I just couldn't get into this one. It began well and then slowed way down in the middle. I went in expecting more. The concept and writing are what saved it from a lower rating. ( )

Within the first five minutes I knew this was going nowhere. ( )

Note: this review applies to the novella "Winds of Change."

When supernatural forces do battle on earth, only one species can lose—humans. “Winds of Change,” a novella by Jason Brannon (Permuted Press, March 2011) is the exciting tale of a group of individuals left in a hardware store when the world begins to end.

If you liked Stephen King’s “The Mist,” you’ll want to read this one too. Brannon originally wrote “Winds of Change” in 2008, but Permuted Press has recently released it as a stand-alone Kindle edition, and at $1.99 it’s definitely worth a read.

Though he’s somewhat unfamiliar on the gothic scene, Brannon is an experienced horror novelist and short fiction writer. He’s the author of “The Cage,” “The Order of the Bull,” and no less than four short story collections. His experience shows up in “Winds of Change.” The characterizations are exceptionally fleshed out, the horror-humor is entertaining, the Kindle formatting is fantastic, and the nod to traditional Judeo-Christian values is refreshing without being overtly religious.

The novella begins with Matt, who manages a hardware store, relaying the terror he experiences as he watches everyone who steps outside turn into a pile of salt. Those in the store each have a different theory, but we never know what’s causing the apparent destruction of mankind until the end, and Brannon keeps the suspense going the whole way through.

He also has a well-developed sense of symbolism, and uses it to great effect. The hardware store speaks to the devices of man juxtaposed to the pile of salt we all eventually turn into. This forces us, on an emotional level, to deal with our impending mortality in the face of greater issues that are dealt with by the characters such as sin and confession, the power of man vs. the power of God, and the fact that we will all turn to our beliefs and even our superstitions when faced with a change in the expected order of our world—whether we want to or not.

However, for all its merits, the story ends in a deus ex machina (day-es ex mah-ken-ah—translated: god from the machine). In ancient Greek plays, in order to wrap up all the elements of the plot, it was common for a god-character to be lowered mechanically onto the stage. He would then magically set all things right. In modern literature, it refers to an ending that’s too convenient and not properly motivated, and it comes across as false. In “Winds of Change,” this deus ex machina clashes with the 95% of the story that’s nothing less than captivating.

Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining read and it’s priced to sell. If you want a good novella to keep you company over a couple of nights or on a long trip, this is one to get.

Reviewed by Edward Gordon
The Gordon Composition Gothic Novel Review ( )