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Maryland's dark electronic act Ego Likeness has made a name for itself onstage with captivating music. But why stop there? The pair of Donna Lynch and Steven Archer has branched out from music into the world of writing to produce works of comparable measure.
Luna Maris
Steven Archer is known for many things, namely his musical footprint (via bands Ego Likeness and Hopeful Machines) and art. With Luna Maris, Archer takes his creative nature and delves into the world of children's stories. Written and illustrated by Archer, Luna Maris> tells of an oceanic adventure the Moon takes one night to discover once and for all just what the ocean is all about anyway.
Archer deviates away from the overly simplistic and uniform children's book format, using his mixed media postmodern artistic style to create wonderful and captivating illustrations. The illustrations move with the story, giving the book a three-dimensional feel perfect to capture the reader's attention and pull one into the story.
The story itself is new and refreshingly fun. Archer tells the tale in a way that is both enjoyable and intelligent, detailing a fantastical adventure by the Moon while explaining to the reader just how important the Moon is in relation to the ocean. Archer even brings a Coelacanth into the tale; one might think it a bit too bold featuring a creature one would normally only hear about in a science textbook, but this is part of what makes this story unique. Archer treats his audience with respect, feeling comfortable enough to bring science into the equation. Archer even touches a bit on the ontological, but just enough to let you ask the questions on your own.
For anyone who is tired of the same cookie-cutter children's stories and wants a unique and fun tale to share with your young ones, Luna Maris is the book for you. Archer's debut book will entertain, educate, and entice - a winning combination in this field.
Red King Black Rook
While Luna Maris is a fantastical and educational tale, Archer's Red King Black Rook takes a harsher, grimmer turn. The sinister fable is rife with dark imagery and an overwhelmingly gritty feel in both tone and illustration. One would almost deny that this is the same author who brought us the charming tale of a sailing moon.
Red King Black Rook is a morosely told parable whose gloom is reflected in all aspects of the book. The illustrations seem angrily carved into the pages with harsh lines and sharp edges that mimic the cut of the tale's tone. Even the typeface itself carries the sullen mood, letters seemingly stamped to the page in jagged format, like a downtrodden taleteller gloomily pounding keys on a typewriter, recounting a most tragic of tales. Some pages are filled with text, others are but a few lines isolated in a sea of white.
The fable tells that story of war and woe, deception and decadence, violence and villains. The story centers around a dark kingdom, ruled over by the decrepit Red King, who has recently taken on a new advisor, the Black Rook, with war on the horizon. The story is told in such a sigh, such a reminiscent tone that one wonders if Archer himself is recounting a dream or if he himself is the third-person viewer of this retelling. Red King Black Rook marches forward steadily like the pounding of soldiers' feet through every gruesome detail, all the way to its bitter end.
This is not your Aesop fable. This is not a feel-good story. This is Steven Archer in a dark, dark place, and when reading Red King Black Rook, you're there with him.
Isabel Burning
There are scary stories. There are horror stories. And then there's Isabel Burning, by Ego Likeness' vocalist, Donna Lynch. Isabel Burning is not your traditional horror story - it's something more. There's a very personal feel to this story that will have you feeling chilled, sickened, and mortified from the inside out, which only furthers the want to read it again.
Isabel Burning centers on Isabel, a young woman living in industrialized England without meaning or direction in life... that is, until she falls into the service of the enigmatic and eccentric Edward Grace. Entranced by his demeanor and tales of adventures in Africa, Isabel finds herself entirely taken by Edward. This decision will lead Isabel into a life she could never before have imagined, full of secrets and darkness beyond her comprehension.
Lynch's lyrical ability serves her well in the telling of this tumulus tale, the narrative captivating and poetic throughout. The words seem very personal, to the point that they embed themselves inside you and become your own; feel cold when Isabel feels cold, feel scared when she does, and find yourself wrapped in her confusion all the way through.
Lynch knows how to write a gripping narrative. The journal entry style of the book gives the story a great amount of realism, allowing the reader to feel a personal connection to the story, as if reading the diary of Isabel's dark past. Isabel Burning merges supernatural mystique with a mundane grotesqueness to bring about an incredible world of horror. Lynch refuses to let up for a second, hitting you with twist after turn after shakeup to the point of mental imbalance. Lynch makes you truly question how it is possible for one person to undergo so much, and that is where you are hooked for good.
This is more than just another work to Lynch. The Ego Likeness fan will notice innumerable parallels between the book and multiple songs by the group. Search the book for references to “Wolves,” “Save Your Serpent,” “16 Miles,” and of course “Isabel.” This is more than a novel; this is a work over eight years in the making. Isabel Burning has been locked in Lynch's mind for nearly a decade, only now just beginning to form.
Isabel Burning is more than just scary. It's morbid and grotesque. It's deeply disturbing and intensely mortifying. And you'll love every minute of it.
In closing, read these books. Put Ego Likeness in your literary rotation immediately, or you'll be missing out on some great reading.