Visceral & Hypnotic
Review by Julia Kalman
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The Circle of Emotions and Magical Realism
“You are part of the story,” the author wrote to me in the dedication of the second volume.
And that’s exactly how it is.
Her book is not meant to be read but lived — a brutal immersion into deep emotions, horror, and suffering.
Each page pulses with cruelty and beauty, like a relic of a visceral, primeval past.
Cezarina Anghilac doesn’t merely create characters; she extracts them from our reality, adjusts them, amplifies them until they become alive, palpable.
Her world is so vivid we feel its vibration, are overwhelmed by its roar, taste the unknown, and are stained by the blood gushing from its open wounds.
We are not mere readers, but actors caught in the web of a story from which there is no escape.
Her style recalls Baudelaire’s aesthetics of ugliness, where the grotesque becomes seductive in French poetry.
It forces us to face the Gorgon, whose ugliness doesn’t repel but hypnotizes.
At first, everything seems terrifying, but the intensity of detail reveals a strange, magical beauty.
Cezarina Anghilac’s world does not offer peace.
It is both infernal and earthly, populated by characters emerging from the fringes of society — those forgotten, lost, abandoned, afflicted, struck by fate, but also strange healers and seductresses who find an unexpected refuge in this parallel reality.
I find myself there, among them, absorbed into this fantastic universe until I lose my sense of self.
And what could be more beautiful than dissolving into the story?
After all, as we expose ourselves, we, the creators of worlds, become particles… scattered in time and space, and we continue to unravel until we no longer belong to ourselves.
And so, I, too, am there — among the pages, alongside many others.
A name, a fragment, a shadow — trapped within the raw, visceral world of Cezarina Anghilac’s literature.
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The Narrative Style of Cezarina Anghilac: Between Poetry and Viscerality
Cezarina Anghilac writes with force, crafting dense sentences full of sensory intensity that provoke and unsettle.
The aesthetics of the ugly dominate and reality is transformed into a dark fantasy where suffering and cruelty become impossible to ignore.
So her world is not merely imaginary but a distorted reflection of reality.
A universe dominated by brutality, where only the female characters provide brief moments of warmth and fleeting smiles.
But… the question remains: where does this world begin and where does it end?
The answer is disturbing — it doesn’t end, because it is our very own world.
It is evident that this novel, an original blend of fantasy (magical realism) and horror, could serve as study material for any aspiring writer.
It is a sophisticated work, a demonstration of narrative mastery that pushes the boundaries of the genre and captivates us from the very first volume.
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The Characters: Symbolism and Typological Diversity
The world of Cezarina Anghilac is populated by characters with strong identities and distinct symbolism, designed with depth and complexity, as if shaped by an anthropologist well-versed in sociology.
Effisians, Golshans, Hrivans, Sarzans, Kirbs, Sarcopians, Noktians, Verdifae, Urchemists, Oblithors, Prenthors, Lerephii, Urminthes, Hexacons, Vulperians — all these entities enrich this complex universe.
The characters are not just fantasy constructs but allegories of our world, embodying profound themes of power, suffering, and the fragile balance between humanity and nature.
In the Circle of the Beast is not just a story but a labyrinth of humanity, where reality and imagination merge into a profound experience — a meditation on our world, disguised in near-mythological forms.
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The Story Stays with You
In the Circle of the Beast is not just a fantasy novel — it is a memorable experience, an emotional carousel arising from the dissolution of boundaries between reality and fantasy, as well as the juxtaposition of harsh, almost unbearable scenes with moments of profound human fragility.
This literary encounter stirs and challenges, compelling the reader to reflect on their own profound experiences.
In the Circle of the Beast evoked the oppressive atmosphere and powerful message of Stalker (1979) for me.
The setting may at times recall epic fantasy classics like The Lord of the Rings, yet it leans more towards dark fantasy and horror in the vein of Berserk and Clive Barker.
All these references further emphasize the intensity and symbolism of In the Circle of the Beast, which delivers an experience akin to that of profound literary and cinematic works.
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Buy Now! 🔥📖🐺
Cezarina Anghilac’s books are available in their original Romanian version on the links below, via Crux Publishing House’s website. If you’d love to read them in English, leave a comment and inspire us to bring them to life in translation — I’d be thrilled to take on the challenge!
View at Medium.comView at Medium.comView at Medium.com
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Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and passion for great literature! ❤️
Please continue to clap, engage, and, most importantly, stay tuned for the next story! Your encouragement means everything to me, and I’m deeply grateful to each one of you. If you’d like to further support my work, feel free to show your love here:
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Julia Kalman 