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Midas
An epic horror novel about a family fighting against death in an unsettling vision of the Old West, by the author of Burn the Plans (an Esquire Best Horror Book of 2022).
Former preacher Jeremiah Pevensie has lost his faith after the death of his young son. When he discovers a dead body in the woods near his house, and a map depicting a location that doesn’t exist, Jeremiah and his wife begin a journey to uncover the secret of a power that can transform anything to pure gold. A journey that puts them on a collision course with a violent cult leader.
From the peak of a secret mountain where time stands still, to a stone fortress that never stops growing, Midas is a brutal and gripping novel of greed, terror, sacrifice...and consequences.
“Midas is a heart-wrenching cautionary tale about greed, and love, and loss, and so many of the flawed parts of ourselves that leave gaping holes where perfection should be. However, as Jones points out—in gruesome, diabolic detail—it’s those missing pieces that make us human, and fallible, and—in some cases—murderous. This is a story I won’t soon forget; there is imagery in this book I’ll take with me to the grave.”
—Philip Fracassi, author of Boys in the Valley
Former preacher Jeremiah Pevensie has lost his faith after the death of his young son. When he discovers a dead body in the woods near his house, and a map depicting a location that doesn’t exist, Jeremiah and his wife begin a journey to uncover the secret of a power that can transform anything to pure gold. A journey that puts them on a collision course with a violent cult leader.
From the peak of a secret mountain where time stands still, to a stone fortress that never stops growing, Midas is a brutal and gripping novel of greed, terror, sacrifice...and consequences.
“Midas is a heart-wrenching cautionary tale about greed, and love, and loss, and so many of the flawed parts of ourselves that leave gaping holes where perfection should be. However, as Jones points out—in gruesome, diabolic detail—it’s those missing pieces that make us human, and fallible, and—in some cases—murderous. This is a story I won’t soon forget; there is imagery in this book I’ll take with me to the grave.”
—Philip Fracassi, author of Boys in the Valley
368 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2023
About the author
Tyler Jones
19 books178 followersTyler Jones is the author of CRITERIUM, THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, ALMOST RUTH, BURN THE PLANS, TURN UP THE SUN, HEAVY OCEANS, MIDAS, and NIGHT OF THE LONG KNVIES (coming December 2024 from Earthling Publications). His work has appeared in the anthologies BURNT TONGUES (edited by Chuck Palahniuk), ONE THING WAS CERTAIN, 101 PROOF HORROR, CAMPFIRE MACABRE, PARANORMAL CONTACT and in Dark Moon Digest, Coffin Bell, Aphotic Realm, Cemetery Dance, LitReactor, and The NoSleep Podcast.
He lives in Portland, Oregon.
He is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Agency and Alec Frankel at IAG for Film/TV.
He lives in Portland, Oregon.
He is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Agency and Alec Frankel at IAG for Film/TV.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 17, 2022
Midas is Tyler Jones’ magnum opus - a truly exceptional story and a remarkable gift to the literary world.
I’ve been shot through with adrenaline in Criterium, suffered nightmarish visions with The Dark Side of the Room, had my heart torn open and crushed underfoot in Almost Ruth, and my nerves shredded by his short story collection Burn The Plans - but nothing could prepare me for what I encountered with Midas.
It’s a masterpiece; gilded in gold and polished with bloodshed and heartache.
It’s a study of grief, pain, love and suffering.
Tyler’s prose is powerful, but delicate, his story horrific yet beguiling, but his message is tender whilst being hard-hitting.
All of these elements converge to manifest an intrinsically beautiful fable / folklore - told in the vein of The Brothers Grimm, with elements of Stephen King’s ‘Pet Sematary’, Carlo Collodi’s ‘Pinocchio’ and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’.
Jones has crafted his own Frankenstein’s Monster with Midas, a monster of a book that is forged in gold, ensuring this story, the message of this book, will not tarnish over time, but will grow priceless with age and will become a rare antiquity on the shelves of horror literature.
Midas is a gift for the reader, but it’s also a gift for the ages!
I’ve been shot through with adrenaline in Criterium, suffered nightmarish visions with The Dark Side of the Room, had my heart torn open and crushed underfoot in Almost Ruth, and my nerves shredded by his short story collection Burn The Plans - but nothing could prepare me for what I encountered with Midas.
It’s a masterpiece; gilded in gold and polished with bloodshed and heartache.
It’s a study of grief, pain, love and suffering.
Tyler’s prose is powerful, but delicate, his story horrific yet beguiling, but his message is tender whilst being hard-hitting.
All of these elements converge to manifest an intrinsically beautiful fable / folklore - told in the vein of The Brothers Grimm, with elements of Stephen King’s ‘Pet Sematary’, Carlo Collodi’s ‘Pinocchio’ and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’.
Jones has crafted his own Frankenstein’s Monster with Midas, a monster of a book that is forged in gold, ensuring this story, the message of this book, will not tarnish over time, but will grow priceless with age and will become a rare antiquity on the shelves of horror literature.
Midas is a gift for the reader, but it’s also a gift for the ages!
October 30, 2022
Midas will be Earthling Publications 2023 Halloween Limited release. Expect a full review after the pre-order goes live, but watch for that announcement like a hawk.
Midas is bleak and contemplative, a meditation on the aftermath of loss and grief. Violent when it needs to be, quiet when the story demands it, Jones follows the lead of his characters and pulls the reader to uncomfortable places. When the story ends, we are all the better for it. Terrifying and thoughtful in equal measure, Midas promises to be one of the strongest 2023 releases and I suspect it won't be long before it finds a home for wide release.
Midas is bleak and contemplative, a meditation on the aftermath of loss and grief. Violent when it needs to be, quiet when the story demands it, Jones follows the lead of his characters and pulls the reader to uncomfortable places. When the story ends, we are all the better for it. Terrifying and thoughtful in equal measure, Midas promises to be one of the strongest 2023 releases and I suspect it won't be long before it finds a home for wide release.
March 9, 2024
This book was an incredible mixture of weird western and fairy tale. Tyler Jones writes such beautiful prose, and he weaves a tale about a grief stricken couple willing to do anything to be a whole family again. This is the story of a preacher(Jeremiah) and his wife whose son is lost to sickness. This completely destroys their lives and when Jeremiah finds a dead man in the woods with a very dangerous secret he can’t help but try and bring happiness back to their lives. I’m a huge lover of grief horror, and this is an amazing rendition of it. Such a beautiful and sad story with incredible characters that you can’t help but feel for, this story had me from the first page. I need to read everything by Jones now, he has a fan for life!!
October 26, 2023
Someone once said a great story needs to ensnare you with its opening chapter. Obviously someone has mentioned this to Mr. Jones.
“𝘼 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨.”
-Thomas Dekker
After the loss of his child a grieving father stumbles upon a deceased traveler who possessed an impossible treasure and a mysterious map. Inspired to solve this mystery Jeremiah Pevensie begins a journey into impossible wealth, murder, and a set of experiments that reach beyond our mortal coil.
Sometimes an impulse buy can really surprise you, and sometimes it’s one of the best things you’ve read all year. The later is the case with 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬. It’s a story with traces of classic fable but with characters and plotline that are altogether it’s own. Jones talent as a storyteller has created something that feels rich (no pun) and imaginative. And it’s wonderful to swim through these pages exploring alongside the characters every step of the way.
The horror genre can sometimes feel bogged down by repetitive tropes and one dimensional characters so it’s always refreshing to read a novel like this. Do yourself a favor and step into the old west and ponder the limits of your greed and the strength of your moral fiber. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
“𝘼 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨.”
-Thomas Dekker
After the loss of his child a grieving father stumbles upon a deceased traveler who possessed an impossible treasure and a mysterious map. Inspired to solve this mystery Jeremiah Pevensie begins a journey into impossible wealth, murder, and a set of experiments that reach beyond our mortal coil.
Sometimes an impulse buy can really surprise you, and sometimes it’s one of the best things you’ve read all year. The later is the case with 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬. It’s a story with traces of classic fable but with characters and plotline that are altogether it’s own. Jones talent as a storyteller has created something that feels rich (no pun) and imaginative. And it’s wonderful to swim through these pages exploring alongside the characters every step of the way.
The horror genre can sometimes feel bogged down by repetitive tropes and one dimensional characters so it’s always refreshing to read a novel like this. Do yourself a favor and step into the old west and ponder the limits of your greed and the strength of your moral fiber. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
January 2, 2024
I've read all of Tyler Jones's books so far, and this one is probably my favorite. Part Pet Sematary, part Pinocchio, and all enjoyable. My only complaint is that the last 50 pages or so have some very detailed, non-urgent conversations that don't seem practical given what's going on in the characters' immediate surroundings. This is #18 in Earthling's Halloween Series. The cover is fantastic, and the few interior illustrations are great too. I couldn't help but notice the resemblance between Solomon and either the author as he appears on the book jacket, or a young Clive Barker. Either way, that was a nice touch by Vincent Chong.
November 21, 2023
A great book to read (this is more for me to recap this story)
This book has grief, pain, loss, lust, greed, guilt and other emotions that wonderfully written and described by Tyler within each character.
After the loss of their son Jeremiah and Emma live in an empty home in grief, once a lively home when their son was alive. Jeremiah loses his faith and denounces his position as the preacher of Charwood, the small town in which they live in. After a riderless horse arrives at house he soon seeks out its rider in which lead to a series of events that lead to a world within a world where he eventually possesses the power to turn anything into gold with the price of sacrificing his brother. He then seeks more answers which leads to a bookstore in San Francisco where he finds and learns from old scrolls of reviving the dead. Wanting to bring life back into Emma’s life, along with his own selfish reasons, he resurrects their son. With the new found wealth Emma has just building and adding to their castle. In the meantime, Solomon a cult leader has been seeking the power that Jeremiah now posses his entire life sacrificing a total of 27 of his newborn children to no avail. Solomon seeks and finds Jeremiah both of them dying horrible deaths. The story ends with the maid Abagail making out with the gold and knowledge of the mountain and the world within the world. Later in life after having loss her husband and youngest daughter she seeks out the power Jeremiah once had thinking that she would be different and a stronger person than he was. She sets off with her eldest son Jesse, whom to my own conclusion she’ll have to sacrifice for it and no doubt her ending will be similar to Jeremiah’s end. There’s also a Wolf who I think it’s the embodiment of the Devil or the evilness of the Midas touch.. he’ll help but then it all results in death and he’s usually only present nudging characters and changing their decisions therefore their eventual tragic faiths.
My favorite part of this story is Emma’s character, most of my favorite chapters are drawn out in her point of view. You can really feel her emotions. Her interactions and emotions with her son and pretty much everyone around her and the way she deals with things feel much too real.
This book has grief, pain, loss, lust, greed, guilt and other emotions that wonderfully written and described by Tyler within each character.
After the loss of their son Jeremiah and Emma live in an empty home in grief, once a lively home when their son was alive. Jeremiah loses his faith and denounces his position as the preacher of Charwood, the small town in which they live in. After a riderless horse arrives at house he soon seeks out its rider in which lead to a series of events that lead to a world within a world where he eventually possesses the power to turn anything into gold with the price of sacrificing his brother. He then seeks more answers which leads to a bookstore in San Francisco where he finds and learns from old scrolls of reviving the dead. Wanting to bring life back into Emma’s life, along with his own selfish reasons, he resurrects their son. With the new found wealth Emma has just building and adding to their castle. In the meantime, Solomon a cult leader has been seeking the power that Jeremiah now posses his entire life sacrificing a total of 27 of his newborn children to no avail. Solomon seeks and finds Jeremiah both of them dying horrible deaths. The story ends with the maid Abagail making out with the gold and knowledge of the mountain and the world within the world. Later in life after having loss her husband and youngest daughter she seeks out the power Jeremiah once had thinking that she would be different and a stronger person than he was. She sets off with her eldest son Jesse, whom to my own conclusion she’ll have to sacrifice for it and no doubt her ending will be similar to Jeremiah’s end. There’s also a Wolf who I think it’s the embodiment of the Devil or the evilness of the Midas touch.. he’ll help but then it all results in death and he’s usually only present nudging characters and changing their decisions therefore their eventual tragic faiths.
My favorite part of this story is Emma’s character, most of my favorite chapters are drawn out in her point of view. You can really feel her emotions. Her interactions and emotions with her son and pretty much everyone around her and the way she deals with things feel much too real.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2023
4.5 stars- thank you to Earthling publications for providing me with an ARC.
In "Midas," we follow former preacher "Jeremiah Pevensie," whom we quickly learn is devastated and questioning the existence of God over the death of his son Samuel. After an outburst at a sermon, in which he proclaimed God to be a thief to his congregation, Jeremiah and his wife Emma now live in ruin. The story truly takes off when a horse approaches the Pevensie home (which is situated next to a notoriously dangerous forest), concerned for the rider's safety, Jeremiah enters the woodland.. changing his life forever. The former-preacher finds the horse's owner dead, and not only does the man have more gold than Jeremiah has ever seen before, but he's bleeding it.
This is a story featuring grief, greed, religion and pure terror. It is of course inspired by the legend of King Midas. It is well-thought out, incredibly intelligent, exquisitely written.. and so HEAVY. I have a full review live on my blog
georgereadshorror.blogspot.com
In "Midas," we follow former preacher "Jeremiah Pevensie," whom we quickly learn is devastated and questioning the existence of God over the death of his son Samuel. After an outburst at a sermon, in which he proclaimed God to be a thief to his congregation, Jeremiah and his wife Emma now live in ruin. The story truly takes off when a horse approaches the Pevensie home (which is situated next to a notoriously dangerous forest), concerned for the rider's safety, Jeremiah enters the woodland.. changing his life forever. The former-preacher finds the horse's owner dead, and not only does the man have more gold than Jeremiah has ever seen before, but he's bleeding it.
This is a story featuring grief, greed, religion and pure terror. It is of course inspired by the legend of King Midas. It is well-thought out, incredibly intelligent, exquisitely written.. and so HEAVY. I have a full review live on my blog
georgereadshorror.blogspot.com
November 29, 2023
Wow! Where do I start? This is my first book by Tyler Jones, but it certainly will not be the last. Here is a name to get used to because you will be seeing it a lot in the future. Boy, can he write a good, scary, tense, uncomfortable book that grabs you from the first page and never let's go.
I think you can guess from the title where this book may take you, but once you are there, it goes much further than the King Midas story ever went. A book of family. Of love, both between husband, wife, and child, but also between brothers.
To tell you what happens would be an injustice to you, the reader. This is a journey you will want to take without knowing what's going to happen. The story does take place in a time when horse and wagon were the usual means of travel and where life was so much harder than it is for the people that live today. But, what happens there can easily be brought to today's world, and the end would most likely be the same.
As I said earlier, look for the name Tyler Jones in the near future. This man can write!
I think you can guess from the title where this book may take you, but once you are there, it goes much further than the King Midas story ever went. A book of family. Of love, both between husband, wife, and child, but also between brothers.
To tell you what happens would be an injustice to you, the reader. This is a journey you will want to take without knowing what's going to happen. The story does take place in a time when horse and wagon were the usual means of travel and where life was so much harder than it is for the people that live today. But, what happens there can easily be brought to today's world, and the end would most likely be the same.
As I said earlier, look for the name Tyler Jones in the near future. This man can write!
July 3, 2023
What a great original tale about great loss and the lengths humans could go to try to alleviate the grief that comes with losing a family member. this book is coming out this year from Earthling publicatios as the next in the Halloween series. Could not have picked a better book. this is my first read from Tyler Jones, but knowing Earthling and the past books in the series had to have it.
sometimes loss and grief are better than what you might find trying to cover it up instead of dealing with it. part of life is dealing with loss. one of my favorite lines in this book was "to be alive is painful".
loved this book, easy five stars and is in the running for my favorite read this year.
sometimes loss and grief are better than what you might find trying to cover it up instead of dealing with it. part of life is dealing with loss. one of my favorite lines in this book was "to be alive is painful".
loved this book, easy five stars and is in the running for my favorite read this year.
October 18, 2023
Midas is a terrifying tale of greed, grief and obsession.
Tyler Jones is at his best in this one, his writing is phenomenal and poetic at times. Check out this line, from early in the book:
The fact that this is also Earthling's 2023 Halloween installment, makes this release all that much more special.
"Someday death will sneak up and rob you of something you didn't think you could live without. Who will you be then? What do you have that will take the pain away?"
Tyler Jones is at his best in this one, his writing is phenomenal and poetic at times. Check out this line, from early in the book:
"Smoky fingers moved over the field, stirring the dead grass with tiny shivers"It gives me shivers reading something like that. The book is filled with lines like that. The plot is a bit of a slow burn for most of the book, but you'll be so invested in the characters early on, that it never really feels slow. The end definitely ratchets up the tension and pace. I loved the short, snappy chapters...Tyler Jones knows how to keep me hooked. Wish more authors did this!
The fact that this is also Earthling's 2023 Halloween installment, makes this release all that much more special.
March 18, 2024
I don’t often treat myself to collectibles or special editions when it come to books. I made an exception recently and bought a special edition of Midas by Tyler Jones. As it turns out, this book is another juggernaut push for Tyler to take over the very coveted position as my favorite author - I know, many are fighting for the title, but Jones might just have it.
This book is something special. These characters are the most complex I’ve read in years, all exploring the very idea of being human, often in heartbreaking ways. A tale of greed and grief, it’s part frontier adventure, part fantasy horror, and completely compelling.
I just hope it gets the mass market treatment, because more folks need to read this one.
This book is something special. These characters are the most complex I’ve read in years, all exploring the very idea of being human, often in heartbreaking ways. A tale of greed and grief, it’s part frontier adventure, part fantasy horror, and completely compelling.
I just hope it gets the mass market treatment, because more folks need to read this one.
December 1, 2023
Midas is a Gothic/Western/Horror crossover and it's one of the best books of 2023.
Jeremiah and his wife have experienced absolute tragedy and soon find themselves on a quest for the extraordinary. You'll follow them on a journey that explores loss, greed, obsession, and the mystical.
Tyler Jones needs to get Midas released as a trade edition and you need to read this.
My full video book review can be found here:
https://youtu.be/ofrfzssJvxs
Jeremiah and his wife have experienced absolute tragedy and soon find themselves on a quest for the extraordinary. You'll follow them on a journey that explores loss, greed, obsession, and the mystical.
Tyler Jones needs to get Midas released as a trade edition and you need to read this.
My full video book review can be found here:
https://youtu.be/ofrfzssJvxs
January 26, 2024
Midas has a depth and sincerity to it that is haunting. I had heard good things about the book, but there is something so much more than solid writing here. The level of investment I developed for these characters was unlike anything I expected. I was fully committed. This is a great work that needs to be read! Find a copy!
October 31, 2023
Great! Might be my favorite from Tyler Jones now.
November 3, 2023
Best book that I have read so far this year.
July 25, 2024
Thoroughly creepy and thoroughly enjoyable!
November 13, 2023
wow, what an excellent book. Emotional, eerie, suspenseful - just great.
March 25, 2024
Tyler Jones is a literary alchemist. How else to explain the way he deftly blends several elements of horror and transforms them into a beautiful, golden amalgam of a novel.
MIDAS, at its heart, incorporates components of grief, family, cults, westerns, gothic, murder, and obsession seamlessly into a wonderful tale laying bare its soul for all of us readers to experience. And by experience I mean devastate us. Ruin us and leave us as hollow shells of our previous selves.
It follows the story of fallen preacher Jeremiah Pevensie and his wife Emma, still reeling from the death of their young son, Samuel. Jeremiah comes across a riderless horse, and he wanders the hills of nearby Charwood to find the horse’s owner. What he finds is life changing. And something which puts him squarely in the crosshairs of cult leader Solomon, who has been searching for this same gift for a long time.
Jeremiah and Emma hide a secret within the walls of the castle they call home. A secret Solomon will stop at nothing to obtain. A secret which has been both a gift and a curse to Jeremiah and Emma in their quest to reunite with their son Samuel. But Jeremiah’s not going to let anyone take it from him. Jones knows how to build their story, all the while tearing apart their lives.
But to say MIDAS is a western horror thriller does not do it justice. Jones makes you care deeply for these characters, investing you in the story, so when the endgame comes it is soul crushing. Here Jones works his magic. These are familiar tropes to which Jones adds depth and dimension; a new sandbox for all of us to enjoy, turning it into something wholly shocking and invasive. I especially enjoyed (is that the right word?) Jeremiah’s arc—a man of faith who falters, finds a new faith, then realizes that,too, is a false god…albeit too late.
MIDAS is a chimera of a novel, merging all its distinct parts to form a literary monster of a tale. Feelings of obsession, grief, love, and pain play off each other symphonically, with Jones acting as maestro, landing every note with gut wrenching impact. This beast of a story packs a wallop on many levels. And through it all, Jones never lets you settle in.
Released as a limited edition of 500 through Earthling’s Halloween series it sold out quickly, meaning not everyone that wanted to read it got a copy. Here’s hoping for a wider release soon as it truly deserves to be read by more people #giveusmidas.
5 out of 5 g(u)ilt stars.
MIDAS, at its heart, incorporates components of grief, family, cults, westerns, gothic, murder, and obsession seamlessly into a wonderful tale laying bare its soul for all of us readers to experience. And by experience I mean devastate us. Ruin us and leave us as hollow shells of our previous selves.
It follows the story of fallen preacher Jeremiah Pevensie and his wife Emma, still reeling from the death of their young son, Samuel. Jeremiah comes across a riderless horse, and he wanders the hills of nearby Charwood to find the horse’s owner. What he finds is life changing. And something which puts him squarely in the crosshairs of cult leader Solomon, who has been searching for this same gift for a long time.
Jeremiah and Emma hide a secret within the walls of the castle they call home. A secret Solomon will stop at nothing to obtain. A secret which has been both a gift and a curse to Jeremiah and Emma in their quest to reunite with their son Samuel. But Jeremiah’s not going to let anyone take it from him. Jones knows how to build their story, all the while tearing apart their lives.
But to say MIDAS is a western horror thriller does not do it justice. Jones makes you care deeply for these characters, investing you in the story, so when the endgame comes it is soul crushing. Here Jones works his magic. These are familiar tropes to which Jones adds depth and dimension; a new sandbox for all of us to enjoy, turning it into something wholly shocking and invasive. I especially enjoyed (is that the right word?) Jeremiah’s arc—a man of faith who falters, finds a new faith, then realizes that,too, is a false god…albeit too late.
MIDAS is a chimera of a novel, merging all its distinct parts to form a literary monster of a tale. Feelings of obsession, grief, love, and pain play off each other symphonically, with Jones acting as maestro, landing every note with gut wrenching impact. This beast of a story packs a wallop on many levels. And through it all, Jones never lets you settle in.
Released as a limited edition of 500 through Earthling’s Halloween series it sold out quickly, meaning not everyone that wanted to read it got a copy. Here’s hoping for a wider release soon as it truly deserves to be read by more people #giveusmidas.
5 out of 5 g(u)ilt stars.
February 12, 2024
My first from Tyler Jones and definitely not my last. I posted a very odd and awkward and uncomfortable review on my YouTube channel The Jeff Word. But really what more do you need to know after you see my 4-star rating?
It's a great tale of grief and obsession. Made me think of death differently. That's not easy to do.
Gothic Frankenstein vibes. Man is screwing with things he can't understand or control. This leads to terrible stuff. But not done in the same-ol', same-ol' style.
Highly recommend getting this one!
It's a great tale of grief and obsession. Made me think of death differently. That's not easy to do.
Gothic Frankenstein vibes. Man is screwing with things he can't understand or control. This leads to terrible stuff. But not done in the same-ol', same-ol' style.
Highly recommend getting this one!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews