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I got a taste for Tarzan’s writing already, with his, A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell where he weaves a whimsically tragic story, that’s a metaphorical autobiography. So I went into this knowing what was ahead of me, but that still paled in comparison to what was on these pages. Where A Cup of Tea was whimsy, The World Maker Parable is a slow psychological horror that will push readers to their limit, reflecting over its themes of mental health and the human psyche. While this is such a dark and brooding novel, there’s still beauty within, and that beauty starts with Tarzian’s, elegant prose. No matter the intensity of the scene, the sentences are so smooth and impactful, just flowing with an unforgettable touch, that remind me of Neil Gaiman and the king of macabre, Edgar Allen Poe.

I saw Tarzian say that this book “examines the consequences of nationalism and is a loose interpretation of Dante Alighieri’s, The Inferno,” which describes going through the nine circles of hell and the torments people experience, and I think he nails that narrative of this story, to a tee. What he was able to get into a 166 page novella is incredible, because the characters are all deeply flawed and it’s what drives the story to its deep dark depths, but the slow methodical pacing makes the darkness feel even more profound. There’s so much to unpack within the pages of this novel, but one thing is for sure, you better be ready to be emotionally devastated by the time this novella ends.