Item: On the Threshold
Author: Gina

On the Threshold by M. Laszlo | #BookReview #Historical #ScienceFiction #SciFi #Givaway $25 Gift Card @GoddessFish

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Book Details

On the Threshold by M. Laszlo | #BookReview #Excerpt $25 Gift Card #Historical #ScienceFiction #SciFi @GoddessFish

On the Threshold by M Laszlo
Published by Awesome Independent Authors Publishing on 02/14/2024
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 342

Obsessed with learning the origins of the Cosmos, the actual meaning of life, and the true purpose of civilization, a fine Scotsman named Fingal T. Smyth dedicates himself to the study of Plato’s most extraordinary ideas.

Convinced of Plato’s belief that humankind possesses any and all innate knowledge deep within the collective unconscious mind, Fingal soon conducts a series of bold, pioneering, occult-science experiments by which to resolve the riddle of the universe once and for all.

However, Fingal forgets how violent and perilous the animal impulses that reside in the deepest recesses of the unconscious mind. And when Fingal unleashes a mysterious avatar of his innate knowledge, the entity appears as a burning man and immediately seeks to manipulate innocent and unsuspecting people everywhere into immolating themselves.

Now, with little hope of returning the fiery figure into his being, Fingal must capture his nemesis before it destroys the world.

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions

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Excerpt from On the Threshold

Autumn, 1907: late one morning, some kind of torrid, invisible beast seemed to wrap itself all around Fingal T. Smyth’s body. Each one of his toes twitching fiercely, he exited the castle and scanned the distant, Scottish Highlands. Go back where you came from. As the entity wrapped itself tighter all about his person, Fingal blinked back his tears. I’m melting, I am. Aye, it’s the heat of fusion.

Gradually, the beast’s heartbeat became audible—each pulsation. At the same time, too, the illusory heat of transformation emitted an odor as of oven-roasted peppercorns dissolving in a cup of burnt coffee.

Over by the gatehouse, Fräulein Wunderwaffe appeared—the little German girl wearing a plain-sewn robe and square-crown bowler. In that moment, she no longer seemed to be a sickly child of seven years: her inscrutable expression resembled that of a wise, indifferent cat.

Perhaps even some kind of lioness. Fingal cringed, and he recalled a fragment of conversation from three weeks earlier.

“She suffers from a most unnatural pathology, an anguished, maniacal obsession with cats,” Doktor Hubertus Pflug had explained. “Ever since the poor girl was a baby, she has always regarded it her fate to one day metamorphose into a glorious panther, for she believes herself to be ein Gestaltwandler. Do you know this word? It means shapeshifter and refers to someone who possesses the power to take the form of anything in nature.”

The heat radiated up and down Fingal’s spine now, and his thoughts turned back to the present. Aye, it’s a change of phase. I’m melting into a chemical compound. Despite all, he greeted the girl and willed himself to flash a grin.

Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.

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Purchase Links for On the Threshold

Kindle –

On the Threshold

Amazon Kindle Edition
Laszlo, M (Author)
English (Publication Language)
316 Pages - 10/27/2023 (Publication Date) - Awesome Independent Authors Publishing (Publisher)

Paperback –

On the Threshold

Laszlo, M (Author)
English (Publication Language)
342 Pages - 02/09/2024 (Publication Date) - Alkira Publishing (Publisher)

If the above links do not take you to your country’s Amazon page, please let me know, and I’ll gladly get a link for you.

Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share, and every penny helps to support this blog.

The book is also available from the publisher, AIA.

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My Thoughts on On the Threshold

Buckle up for a mind-bending journey through the cosmos with “On the Threshold” by M. Laszlo! Step into the shoes of Fingal T. Smyth, a Scottish explorer of the unknown, whose thirst for unraveling the universe’s secrets leads him down a perilous path.

In a daring occult-science experiment, Fingal unleashes a projection of his own consciousness, hoping to glean profound truths. But what emerges is beyond his wildest nightmares—a fiery avatar brimming with primal urges and a sinister agenda. As this enigmatic figure threatens to engulf everything in its path, Fingal faces a race against time to quell the flames of destruction.

Spanning decades and brimming with historical references, “On the Threshold” seamlessly weaves together the threads of imagination and reality. Prepare to be immersed in a world where the boundaries of science and mysticism blur and the darkest corners of the mind come alive.

Laszlo’s vivid prose paints a tapestry of sights, sounds, and sensations, transporting readers to familiar and fantastical realms. From the crackling intensity of burning embers to the whispers of bygone eras, every page is alive with imagery that leaps off the page.

But beware: amidst the intricate plot and richly drawn characters, it’s easy to lose oneself in the labyrinth of the narrative. Keep a notepad handy to chart your course through this captivating odyssey.

I love strong, intellectual female characters and am pleased this book covers that base, perhaps influenced by the author’s sister.

For fans of historical science fiction, “On the Threshold” is a must-read. So, dive in and let your imagination soar to new heights—it’s an adventure you won’t soon forget!

I read the book through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I have previously featured Mr. Laszlo on my website. Read a guest post from the author about Keeping an Idea Journal & learn about his unique set of novellas, The Phantom Glare of Day.

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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!

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About M Laszlo

M Laszlo is the pseudonym of a reclusive author living in Bath, Ohio. According to rumor, he based the pen name on the name of the Paul Henreid character in Casablanca, Victor Laszlo.

He has lived and worked in New York City, East Jerusalem, and several other cities around the world. While living in the Middle East, he worked for Harvard University’s Semitic Museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio and an M.F.A. in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.

His next work is now available from AIA Publishing. There are whispers that it purports to be a genuine attempt to explain the universe's riddle and is based on journals and idea books he made while completing his M.F.A. at Sarah Lawrence College.

Goodreads | Amazon

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Guest Post from M. Laszlo, author of On The Threshold

Character Creation

The creation of a character hinges on a short list of things.

First, the character must embody at least some of the author’s intellectual and/or emotional obsessions. If so, the character will actually care about something and have a viable personality.

Second, the character must be based on either someone specific or a composite of more than one person. This will challenge the writer and force the writer to create someone who would not necessarily think in the same way. In addition, when an author bases a character on a real person, it affords the writer the ability to describe the character’s natural, physical traits.

This, in turn, makes the character real—and more importantly, the specific traits make the character universal. Only by giving the character a set of highly specific physical traits can the reader find the character relatable. This probably follows from the fact that we can all recognize those precise, physical traits in very real friends and relatives and classmates and colleagues that we have known.

Third, the author must let the character make decisions that complement that character’s personality. It would be a mistake to interfere with the character and to make the character enter into the kinds of decisions that the author himself or herself might make. Remember, any character with a problem worth discussing probably won’t have the same level of maturity that the writer has come to have.

As such, the character must be free to make bad decisions. For that matter, the character must be free to espouse beliefs and politics wholly different to those held by the writer. Think, too, about the question of honesty. Even if the author tends to be a sincere individual, that’s not to say that the point-of-view character can’t be inclined to deceive others.

Fourth, and finally, the author must permit the character to make moral choices that the author might not have made in his or her life. This heartrending fact alone explains why tone is so crucial. When the writer lets the character go truly free, tone provides the writer the only way to adequately show disagreement or disapproval.