Review : Series A Lonely Broadcast by Kel Byron
"The other day, I saw a deer with its head on backwards, staring directly into the camera for an hour before I started throwing rocks at it just to chase it away. Worst part was, it started throwing the rocks back. It had hands. Motherfucker had hands."
Double Review in one today because the second tome has been released in early 2025, and i really loved it, too.
Author : Kel Byron
Publisher : Self-Published
Released : June 2, 2023 (book 1), Feb 7, 2025 (book 2)
Page count : 274 (book 1), 242 (book 2)
Genre : Cosmic Horror, Gruesome Gore
Content warnings : Language, Blood, Gruesome description.
Representation : LGBTQIA+, female Lead
Part of a series : 1/2+
Despite everything, 104.6 FM is still on the air.
Hidden between tall trees and snowy mountains is the village of Pinehaven, a quaint town with a horrifying secret. For years, the Operators at 104.6 FM have protected the village from ravenous, mutated beasts that live deep in the forest and emerge every time the fog rolls in. The current radio hosts - Evelyn, Daniel, and Finn - have been keeping watch for over a year.
But suddenly, things are changing. A hypnotic light has appeared between the trees, earthquakes have been putting the radio tower in danger, and something massive has moved into the Pinehaven coal mines. The forest is getting smarter. A blight is spreading. And this year, the winter is colder and more vicious than ever.
Jack Townsend has a gas station, Kel Byron has a lonely broadcast in a refurbushed ex fire watch tower settled in the middle of a creepy forest, protecting a mountain village that never let you leave, from monsters that wear the face of your loved ones. Or is it an arm ? An eye ?
I stumbled upon the first settlement of A Lonely Broadcast a year and a half ago while looking for books to start the spooky season. And let's me tell you that : I've been hooked from page one and got super excited when I saw that the second book was coming a few months later.
The vibes are creepy, weird, gory, and bloody but so funny in a really unhinged kind of way 🤣 . The plot is awesome, and the setup partially enclosed in an old fire tower, now shaky radio broadcast to protect the village, does the trick.
The characters are unhinged, broken, funny, loyal, totally bag shit crazy and witty. It was so easy to root for Daniel and Evelyn, the main duo, and I liked the fact that Finn takes a bit more "screen time" in the second book.
World building, background history, and character development are top-notch. The whole plot makes sense, and the rhythm and tension definitely work together for the best creepy and horror atmosphere.
I usually don't like horror series, especially when all the books are not written yet, but A Lonely Broadcast is now my favourite horror series, and I can't wait for the next settlement.
