Crik is a work of epic fantasy by author Karl Beer, set in a fantasy village of the same name. The people of Crik Wood are all quite extraordinary, possessing supernatural talents in a variety of different forms. Some can talk to different animals, others encourage plants to grow, but our central character, Jack, has a shadow with a life of its own. The perilous Yang, from whom Jack cannot escape, gets him into all kinds of trouble. When Jack discovers the brutal truth about how the Talents of Crik Wood are distributed, he makes a final decision to be rid of Yang for good. So begins an epic adventure of angst, magic, and heart-breaking sacrifice.

Karl Beer writes with a dark and almost political seriousness, but this is mixed with whimsical and fantastic fantasy elements which give it, for me at least, a Phillip Pullman style quality. Suitable for adults and younger readers, Crik is a hefty and involved read, but one that is absolutely packed with interesting turns of plot, vivid description, and harrowing choices for Jack to make. The inner theme of identity and the idea of being judged by your talents smacks home with startling emotional realism, and I found the relationship between Jack and Bill well founded and authentically written. Overall, I would highly recommend Crik to fantasy fans looking for a deep and engrossing read, as well as magical ‘creatures’ and abilities that are truly unique and fresh for the genre.

Crik is a fantasy epic for teens by Karl Beer. In the village of Crik each person has a special skill called a “Talent.” The Mayor speaks to insects, Jack has a misbehaving shadow called Yang, and his mother grows plants overnight. After seeing a giant bury an object in Grandma Poulis' garden, Jack digs it up and realizes it is an egg, which hatches into a lizard-like creature. The creature possesses Bill’s body, giving him the “talent” to talk to animals. He and Jack venture into the woods and are captured by the evil Marsh Man who wants to control their talents. They escape with another prisoner, Inara, and venture deeper into the wilderness where they are hunted by the Myrm monsters. As they encounter numerous dangers along the way, Jack realizes that his village of Crik has hidden secrets for many years that now affect their lives, and he suspects his shadow is a traitor to him.

Crik is an exciting, action-packed epic adventure that teens will like. In some ways, it reminded me of the novel Eldest, since a few characters and scenes are similarly repulsive. Karl Beer is an excellent fantasy storyteller who is not afraid to stretch his imagination to create unique plots. His writing style is fluid, and the dialogue is unforced with spine-chilling descriptive drama. Jack and Bill bravely learn how to deal with the new discoveries that affect and mature them along the way. Crik is a novel I highly recommend reading.

(Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Crik" by Karl Beer.]

4 out of 4 stars
Review by jacnthabo

I’m always apprehensive when selecting a fantasy novel by an unfamiliar author due to the extremely high bar set for this genre. The list of top fantasy authors has no shortage of easily recognizable names, like J.R.R. Tolkien; George R.R. Martin; Robert Jordan; and R.A. Salvatore. Relative newcomers, such as Brandon Sanderson; Brandon Mull; and Steven Erickson; are also well on their way to prominence and will soon take their respective places among the greats. For such an exclusive, niche market, the fantasy genre is inundated with some of the best writers of our time; for this reason, any fantasy novel that is less than exquisite is sure to become lost in the proverbial shuffle. With this in mind, I sat down to read Crik, a fantasy novel from debut author Karl Beer. Crik seemed to have a strong premise and a heavy dose of originality, which is a must in a genre laden with recycled themes, plots, and characters. In short, Mr. Beer did not disappoint; as it happens, Crik is easily one of the best novels I’ve read in recent memory.

Crik is a small village nestled in the vast and dark Crik Wood. The residents of Crik are unique in that almost all of them bear unique “Talents.” One boy has extremely good vision. Another woman can grow a seed into a fruit-bearing tree in a matter of minutes. Yet another man can communicate with insects. Jack’s Talent is that his shadow has free will and can contort and change shape on cue; this Talent has not served him well because his shadow, named Yang, is mischievous and ends up causing a lot more trouble than he’s worth. Jack’s best friend Bill has no Talent and is treated as second-class by the kids in the village. The two are, for different reasons, the outcasts of the small town.

I had to read but a few chapters of Crik to realize that I was holding something special; to simply say that Crik was good doesn’t do the book any amount of justice. Mr. Beer has created a rich, complete world that is simultaneously beautiful and macabre, surreal yet eerily familiar. The story itself is masterfully told, and the author was able to make his adventure “come alive.” I could identify as much with Jack’s mistrust of Talents as I could with Bill’s blind allegiance to them, and I found myself cheering the resulting strengths of each character (and cursing the weaknesses). What truly set the novel apart, however, is Mr. Beer’s ability to at-once be as lighthearted as Lewis Carroll and gruesome as Stephen King. While it is true that Crik Wood is a magical place full of wondrous surprises waiting to be discovered, it is also a place of darkness where evil is patiently waiting for the opportune moment to seize its prey. When these two personalities converge, the result can be brutal, gory, and tragic. The result is a roller coaster of highs and lows that kept me on the edge of my seat, pouring through chapter after chapter. I cannot express how much I truly enjoyed this novel.

I will warn you that this book shares another common trait among fantasy novels: It’s long. It might not be War and Peace long, but Crik is no quick read. The book is a solid adventure that tells a complete story, and casual readers may be overwhelmed by the novel’s depth. In addition, this book is not for all ages. While Crik is reminiscent of popular children’s authors like Brandon Mull or Chris Colfer, there is a little coarse language; a couple of innuendos; and enough graphic imagery to give younger readers nightmares. That being said, this book is not marketed toward younger readers, although if they have already been introduced to the likes of Cassandra Claire or Joseph Delaney, then Crik is probably safe. Either way, as an adult and an avid reader, Crik completely won this reviewer over.

I am enthusiastically awarding Crik 4 out of 4 Stars; I would feel shameful rating it any less. Karl Beer is that diamond in the rough, that needle in the haystack that you hope for when you try an unknown author. Crik is simply a masterwork of fantasy fiction - Disney meets The Dark Tower – and you’re not required to be a fan of orcs, ogres, and wizards to fall in love with this book. If you’re looking for one heck of a good adventure, look no further; you’ve just found one.

​ I don't even know what to say, yes, I am at a loss for words. I abso-friggin-lutely loved this book!! I think that everyone who likes books at all should read this one, and you won't be disappointed! This is a classic along the lines of the Never-Ending Story and the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and has elements of both books inside it's pages. Karl Beer has a unique and engaging imagination and I can't wait to see if he has more in store for us. I am adding this to my list of favorite books of all time. ( I'm so glad I got on that dumb Twitty thing that day and saw his book offered for free in exchange for an honest review. I have since bought a physical copy because I loved it so much.)

Crik is a sweeping, harrowing tale of self-discovery, acceptance, understanding, loyalty, perseverance and, ultimately, love. The story begins in and around Crik village and the surrounding area known as Crik Wood. The people of this town all have unique Talents that have been bestowed upon them. Some can grow plants at an accelerated rate, others can talk to insects, and then we have our main character. Jack, also know as Yin, has a Talent unlike any other. Jack has a shadow, named Yang, that acts independently of him. Much to Jack's annoyance, his shadow is also playful and mischievous, and is always getting him in trouble. This leads Jack to wonder where the Talents come from, and why he got stuck with a Talent that seems to actually be a hindrance to him. One night Jack sees something that changes his whole life, he gets to witness a Talent being "bestowed" upon his best friend, Bill, and he is repulsed by the sight. He vows to find out where the Talents come from, and who all in his village know the secrets that are literally and figuratively buried in his town.

One day Jack and his friend Bill set out to develop Bill's new talent and that is when the story really picks up, and their magical childhood ends. We are swept along at this point into turn after turn of horrific and mystifying events, even though some new friendships are also developed along the way. Jack becomes completely distrustful of his Talent, Yang, and will stop at nothing to rid himself of the Talent that lives inside of him. He pushes boundary after boundary, even endangering the lives of those he loves, just to rid himself of the one that has stood beside him his whole life; who saves him and his friends multiple times along the way. Is his shadow only saving them out of a sense of self-preservation? Are the Talents able to control people's lives? Would their lives be the same without these Talents that were forced upon them? These are the kinds of questions Jack struggles with along the way.

There are many themes throughout the book as I mentioned before. Though the book is magical, the themes mirror issues that we face in real life. Who am I, really? Why are some people more talented than others? Why do some people tease others because they are not as talented, or their talent is not as glamorous as another person's? Can you trust people who keep secrets from you, all the while knowing that you are keeping secrets as well? How far are you willing to go, regardless of the cost, to find the answers you seek in life? Would you lay down your life for a friend's? These questions, and many more, are asked and answered throughout these pages.

I would list the things that I didn't like about the book, but there were none. The only thing I would say is that Jack got annoying at times with his angst in finding the answers that he sought. There were many debates between the main characters over and over about the same issue, and while this was sometimes redundant to read, it played a huge part in the story. Also the topics that were being debated were relevant. Jack thought he had been lied to his whole life, and he wasn't going to take anyone's flippant answers, he was going to find the truth or risk everything trying.

Abso-friggin-lutely five stars. All in all, an epic book written in a thought-provoking way, with an amazing ending. You will have to read the book to find out what that is, but let's just say someone rides a wolf...............do you need to know more? Why are you still sitting there reading this?
Should you read this book?
Do you have eyes?
You have my answer.

If Clive Barker dreamt of Middle Earth it may have been something like Crik, the first Novel by Karl Beer. A dark, extremely ambitious fantasy novel, which has a few familiar tropes but it so evocative in its description that you can actually feel the cold damp wrapping your skin whilst journeying through dark, dank forests, hear the howling of wolves carrying for miles across green hills but more importantly, you feel the bond between the characters on their journey. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is your common every day fantasy novel, this is an Epic Grimm Fairy Tale. The thought and imagination is unparalleled since early Stephen King or Clive Barker when they were at their hungriest. It is an organic story which builds believably and the revelations are esoteric and original. The world building and characterisation are top notch and the story itself is extremely original. This is no Tolkien-esque high fantasy novel, nor is it a political/army based fantasy novel that cram the bookshelves these days, it is totally original. There is no quest. There are no elves. What there is is a captivating, exciting, horrific, fantastic journey into the mind of an author that is totally worth your time. Go and buy!

At first, all I saw was the small text and 407 pages of it...It was daunting. It isn't a quick read (Unless you're a fast reader) and I needed to give it my full attention to keep up with the story. I don't think I would have been able to read this book in one sitting. However, there were plenty of times when I wish I could have as there were many moments when I couldn't put the book down.
I am SO glad I gave this book a chance. I rarely give books 5 stars but felt this one deserved it, especially as this is the authors first book - although with the amazing writing you wouldn't be able to tell.
There are lots of unexpected moments where the story just gets better. It's like someone threw X-Men and fairytale/fantasy into a blender and this was the result - I loved it.

A great, truly original fantasy story. Beer creates a thoroughly absorbing dark fairy tale world reminiscent of that of Gaiman's Stardust. The main characters are lovable yet beautifully flawed. The bad guys are truly horrific and grotesque yet complex enough to keep you guessing.

The book follows roughly a quest storyline it but never feels monotonous. The author has chosen, quite rightly, to keep the focus on the main characters. There are no long descriptive narratives, just enough to frame the story as it hurtles from one exciting episode to the next.