GLOSSOLALIA:
Psychological
Suspense
"Glossolalia is a 60-foot tall blender, set on high, with equal amounts Tom Robbins, Philip K. Dick, and Carlton Mellick III. In the shadow of the giant pink flamingo god, Bennu, the truth will be revealed. Buckle up."
--Richard Thomas, author of Disintegration, Breaker and five other acclaimed books. Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press, with Storyville column at LitReactor.com, book reviews for The Nervous Breakdown, and articles for BuzzFeed and Flavorwire.
Beware of Spoilers on Amazon. I've begun marking those reviews here with SPOILER ALERT after the titles. Amazon has removed a large number of reviews, though they are all legitimate, but many of those are archived here. So this is the sweet place to read.
Amazon Review
An unforgettable journey!
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Glossolalia caught my attention at first by its cover alone. The cover spoke to me in a way that piqued my interest. I looked at the front cover and it appeared similar to what one would see in a modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Then the title was the next item that caught my interest. It's an unusual​ title that I don't normally run across on books. I am an avid reader and this book was so peculiar that I couldn't pass it. I just had to read it.
Tantra Bensko's novel, Glossolalia, is a complex and most compelling read that I have ever laid eyes upon...the book consists of several different genres and combinations that make it a powerfully engaging read. Suspenseful, check. Conspiracy, check. A political thriller, check. Science fiction fantasy double check. Alternate universe double checked. Readers worldwide can find a little of everything within this stunning novel. This tale is full of action and intrigue from page one to the last page. Mind control, murder, and sex. All of these interesting things woven into a surprising story that will blow readers' minds away. I just finished reading this and now, I am looking forward to the next brilliant adventure by the talented writer.
Here, we have a masterfully woven novel that brings the most unusual events into a fascinating world of fiction. Glossolalia means speaking in tongues. A young woman, Nancy, is the leading female character that instantly grabs readers attention. She does things like chasing after a truck that dumps harmful chemicals, works at her uncle's firm that kills animals, and fighting. There's never a dull moment. The main character suffers from bouts of amnesia. She takes us through her entire life and into a mystical land. This is the first book in the psychological suspense series called The Agents of The Nevermind. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this intoxicating fantasy series by Tantra Bensko. Glossolalia takes readers on an environmental and psychological journey. Overall, I highly recommend it to all.
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Amazon Review
Fast-paced and full of suspense - great read!
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What a ride! I wasn’t sure what to expect from Glossolalia and the genre of psychological thriller got me interested. Firstly psychological is definitely an apt description of this yarn beautifully spun by Tantra Bensko. Nancy had traits I could see in myself, the awkwardness, being affected by her past and acting on her present situation despite these problems she faces within herself. Of course I would love to read more!
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Amazon Review
Outstanding
I very much enjoyed this book. If you are ready to go on a journey into the complexities of personality, enjoy strong characters who mightily deal with the difficulties of managing good and evil, and at the same time enjoy a suspenseful and intriguing story then you will love Glossolalia! I'm looking forward to more in the series! Thank you Tantra. Great work.
Amazon Review
Escape from Trance Mountain
Ordered GLOSSOLALIA not knowing it's a novel. Thought it was, rather, a book of TIPS on writing "psychological suspense" (ha!) .. but the fact is, the book is a sort of, eh, endlessly suggestive *tool box* for any writer interested in handling non-traditional material.
Non-traditional? Let's say stuff at the margins of both "the novel" as it is commonly digested and, sure, Reality Itself (hey!). As a reader, I was reminded of everything from - gosh - Sybil (1976 TV film) to Candleshoe (1977 Disney romp with Jodie Foster) .. to the more discerning literature on mind control and its symbiosis with our electronically-mediated reality (the Videodrome). And the novel's plain style appears to be part of its strategy.
During the period of High Modernism (early 20th century), Left-leaning writers with strong, highly-individual styles could be celebrated in the Anglo-American world simply by ignoring any Leftish content and focusing on the "art."
Bensko's .. transparent style, however - which nicely captures the psychology of her three protagonists - compels us to confront the material itself. GLOSSOLALIA is listed as Book I in a proposed series. Looking forward to where the author goes next !
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How to reconcile the search for truth with the right to privacy? It’s not always a straightforward task as the right balance had to be struck between the desire to continue to believe and trust with hope and a wish to give voice to our plight and improve our lives in a fair, balanced and independent manner.
If you like roller coasters at all, it’s going to be absolutely mind-blowing to ride this thing – Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense by Tantra Bensko. The book has a lively story line and I anxiously returned to its reading after putting it down for a while. I suspected how the book would end, but Tantra’s development of it was thought-provoking, plausible and entertaining. Among other things, I liked the different mental states of Nancy which are gradually incorporated in the inert mass of the maybe-reality, combining the physical sensations with the imaginary experiences. The development of the plot is in permanent movement and does not stop even for a minute, escalating the significant messages, morals and thought-provoking questions that still needed to be addressed.
Some books that engage me that way leave me edgy but this had a nice, steady pace to it. The author kept my attention with the twists and turns and even made me wonder about the heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next.
-- Igor Eliseev author of One, Two
Amazon Review:
Intriguing
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This was one of the most suspenseful novels I’ve ever read. I was drawn in right from the beginning and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I had to tear myself away from it and ended up reading it mostly all in just two sittings.
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I had never really read psychological thrillers prior to this, except maybe the DaVinci Code (well the DaVinci code is not strictly psychological suspense). This was a lot stranger and harder to put down. I think if you liked the DaVinci code, you will like this. Probably a more apt comparison for me is with the David Lynch movie Mulholland Drive. There is a sort of Lynchian dread lurking in the background.
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Not to drop any spoilers but there is a scene at the Super Bowl that is the most surreal thing I’ve ever read. Very strange and also oddly very realistic. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
Amazon Review
The Old MK-ULTRA Spy-Builders SPOILER ALERT
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I hope readers didn’t get too excited about Obama’s BRAIN Initiative
The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space . . . [...]
Because it is wallowing in the blood of the millions of MK-ULTRA victims satanically offered up by the psychopathic science bequeathed to the U.S. by Operation Paperclip Nazis. Did you think that the advances in neuroscience come from abusing only mice, bunnies, and chimpanzees? Think again.
In her main character Nancy, Tantra seeks to characterize the plight of a personality intentionally shattered by drugs, hypnosis, and endless repetitive trauma (sex, beatings, terror, starvation)—in other words, by the old MK-ULTRA spy-builders. To cope with amnesiac fugues plagued by “sleepwalking,” bewildering bruises and cuts, semen- and blood-stained clothes, seeming nightmares, etc., Nancy keeps popping “illicit pills called Jolly Wests” provided by her evil uncle. Jolly Wests make sure she won’t remember switching to alter personalities and the terrible things they are commanded to do: “She excused the dubious bruises and cuts that arose from her dissociative fugues: she couldn’t take responsibility if she was too much of a trouble-maker when she was sleepwalking, could she?”
With desperate courage, Nancy tries again and again to kick the Jolly Rogers and remember how her parents really died and who her Uncle Geoff and the Agents of Nevermind really are and what Pentecostal programming of children has to do with Venezuelan football players and what the XXX waste management plant is really up to and what flamingoes and Bennu and Dog have to do with her and how she learned Enochian and who she really is. Caught up in Nancy’s fugue consciousness and the mysteries that all the Jolly Wests in the world are committed to burying, we follow closely behind her thoughts and courageous acts to learn what it means to be shattered and what it takes to put Humpty Dumpty together again.
Why is this valuable? Because it isn’t just dissociative identity survivors who are on a treasure hunt for The True Self through consensus reality and the labyrinth of their minds; we all are. We all meet people at work, church, temple, stores, bars, and have no idea who they really are. They may be consciously deceiving us or just themselves. We don’t know. But whatever we see in just a few frames is certainly not all there is. If we suddenly feel paranoid, we have to ask if it’s groundless or a gut-level perception.
Nancy worries about her computer keystrokes being surveilled, but so do we since Edward Snowden told us what we should have figured out decades ago. Have we at least learned that corporate logos have a double meaning for the unconscious? And that remembering an entire telltale song like Nancy does is as good as six months of rummaging around in our childhood?
I would have liked more and deeper character development, but on the other hand, how much character development is Nancy capable of perceiving? Tantra Bensko’s Glossolalia is an introduction to her Agents of the Nevermind series and an introduction to what a shattered self in search of the pieces might be like inside the strange phenomenon we call our thought life.
-- Elana Freeland, author of SubRosa America
Amazon Review:
High octane story with a great heroine!
What an amazing book! I don’t normally read suspense novels, so imagine my surprise to find myself on a roller-coaster of action and intrigue! It felt a lot like watching an action movie, with car chases and knife fights and deadly poisons. The sense of movement never stopped. What I found most fascinating was the weaving of the three separate stories. At first it felt very confusing to be pulled from one woman’s world into another’s, but as the novel rolled forward, the jumps between them became cleverly smaller and smaller, until the moment when I saw how they all fit together. What a satisfying feeling!
The novel is optimistic but not sunny. It doesn’t pull back from some dark themes - most disturbing for me was the child abuse. But it’s not a victim story, and I liked that. Nancy has doubt, and self-doubts, galore, but she glories in action, and I love that about her. Very satisfying ending. I find if a book has a weak ending, then that diminishes the pleasure I took in the reading, as I go forward and shift the book into memory. But this ending nailed it, and my memory of the book is richer for it.
Amazon Review
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you allow their creativity to flow into your sub-conscious mind and as you fall into your dreams you find yourself awaking into
Imagine yourself to be a taxi driver in Brooklyn and you are transporting in the back of your cab, David Crosby, Raymond Chandler and William Burroughs. Being an audist voyeur, you allow their creativity to flow into your sub-conscious mind and as you fall into your dreams you find yourself awaking into a brilliantly chiseled world called, Glossolalia.
Tantra Bensko has ventured into a new style of storytelling, one that mirrors the lighter side of our human nature against a harsh new world order that seeks to extinguish the creative soul. Echos of a Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984, reverberate in this modern thriller that once you start reading, you will not want to put this book down. read it, and then ask for more.
--- Paul Barnett, author of Cosamodo's Travels
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Amazon Review
Brave and Unique SPOILER ALERT
Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko has the subtitle, a psychological suspense, but I’m not sure this reflects the true nature of the novel. It’s a story that is impossible to categorise and quite possibly the most unique book I’ve ever read.
It’s a complex and surreal story which highlights lots of modern dilemmas, chiefly by using irony and exaggeration. The imagery that Bensko creates is both visual and bizarre. The only way I can think of to explain it is – imagine staring at a Salvador Dali painting whilst on speed because the pace of the novel is almost neck breaking.
Bensko’s protagonist is a character called Nancy. It’s quite difficult to get a real sense of Nancy as, due to her fragmented mental state, she is a very unreliable narrator. She is being used as a pawn by a group called the Neverminds, who are basically running a mind control programme. Nancy has been split into compartments by the Neverminds so that she is three different personalities. They accomplished this by traumatising her as a young child and then keeping her medicated.
The novel works on the premise that the world is controlled by an alliance of the US government, church and big business, who use mind control to ensure that the world is run as they see fit. The glossolalia of the title is a language used by the powers that be to create a hypnotic effect. Hence once they hypnotise someone they use the secret language to control their behaviour. Bensko offers us a world where power corrupts. Nancy works for her Uncle Geoff, an agent of Nevermind and the owner of D-CIDE, an unscrupulous pesticide company. The chemical XXX which is used in the pesticide is known to have killed both humans and animals but the corruption within the establishment is such that Geoff is given the job of investigating chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
Geoff colludes with the charismatic Reverend Terry Crank who has incredible power within the church despite being a sexual deviant. He is also an agent of Nevermind and uses his position to control and eliminate any opponents of the status quo.
The levels of corruption run so deep it’s hard to know who is part of the Nevermind conspiracy and who is actually a genuine character. The main anti-Nevermind voice is an activist called Elias Brandon who runs an online blog exposing wrong doing. He is so shrouded in mystery and bizarre however, it just adds another layer of distrust and confusion.
Nancy also has an online friend called Jeff who, when he visits her turns out to be a sinister childhood associate with hands fashioned to look like flamingos, which he then uses to control her mind. There is a love interest called Julio who again seems like a shadowy character which makes us doubt his authenticity.
There is no doubt that Bensko is a talented, intelligent writer and she successfully gets us to question everything by making us doubt our own perceptions. She maintains control over her writing despite taking it to such surreal heights that her readers have no choice but to suspend all reality.
I suspect that Glossolalia will appeal to a niche audience who will absolutely love it. The problem I had is that I didn’t really get it and this was more to do with me than the actual novel. It’s a bit like some people love Terry Gilliam films whilst others are left feeling out of the loop. I’m not sure if my inability to connect was cultural because the book is very American or caused by the fact that I’m quite conventional and couldn’t immerse myself fully into the madness.
I would definitely recommend that you give Glossolalia a try. It’s a brave and unique story and Tantra Bensko is an assured writer. I’m willing to bet that if you connect with it this novel may well turn out to be one of your all time favourites.
Amazon Review
Five Stars
A fun read!
Amazon Review
A Psychological Suspense Thriller
A psychological suspense thriller. This is adult reading but I am sure many adults would enjoy this book. A great book to read if you like suspense books!
Amazon Review
That was an awesome ending! The rest of the book is brilliant...
I know this is a strange way to start a review, but that was an awesome ending! The rest of the book is brilliant as well don’t get me wrong but I love a good book with an even better ending. I want to read it again because of how it made me feel! Incredibly well written and very different at the same time, I highly recommend Glossolalia to anyone wanting something different in all the best ways, and enjoys a book that can be reread rather than just get to the end and stick on a shelf or get rid of it.
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Amazon Review
An enriching book, fascinating and engrossing, I could not put it down
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I eagerly purchased her book when it was published. The book exceeded my already high expectations. The cover itself provided some hint of what lay inside - a mysterious chessboard of intrigue reflecting the unusual mental universe at play in the main characters consciousness.
The main character, Nancy, starts off with a pang of conscience, hungry to take meaningful action against the system she's found herself part of. Yet, her unique situation makes what might otherwise be a simple scenario much more complex and multi-layered.
Interesting themes of mind control, secret organizations, occult capabilities, esoteric locks, multiple personalities and covert plots began to emerge as I continued to read. "Just one more chapter, then I'll go to bed" I found myself saying several times over the course of the two night period required to read the book.
It was an engrossing read, and quite interesting, reminding me of the multi-layered nature of the deepest mysteries dark and vast that populate our world and the world of imagination, which provides a rich tapestry of content here sure to satisfy anyone who longs for a more adventurous read that will stoke the fires of imagination.
I highly recommend the book. I'm looking forward to future work in the Agents of the Nevermind series. Based on Volume 1, the rest of the series will be required reading, and I look forward to seeing where Tantra goes next in this journey of imagination and suspense.
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Book Blogs Say
Urban Book Reviews
What if your subconscious determined the fate of nations?
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SPIES AND POLITICS – CONSPIRACIES/ASSASSINATIONS No one but her uncle will hire Nancy, considering her habit of snapping out of amnesiac fugues, wondering how she got her bruises and the scent of men’s cologne. When she sees a crime of poison in progress at her uncle’s pesticide company, she chases the truck carrying away the chemical legally deemed too toxic to use or to dump. Her pursuit leads to more earthshaking discoveries than she’d imagined, in a convoluted world of international political intrigue and assassination, dark romance, esoteric occult rituals based on an Elizabethan spy code and CIA practices.
This political conspiracy suspense novel introduces a young woman with an ambiguous past involving herself in a killer organization with the engagement of one layer after another of her psyche. The Agents of the Nevermind series dares to explore the edgiest controversies and the complicated lives that disinformation-dispensing intelligence agents must endure as they create bizarre delusions in order to hide the uncomfortable truth about the financial foundation of their country’s power.
Fights, chases, edgy sex, power to the people, twists and turns, secret rooms, missing time, and bold truth rarely found in novels until now.
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
Glossolalia caught my attention at first by its cover alone. The cover spoke to me in a way that piqued my interest. I looked at the front cover and it appeared similar to what one would see in a modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Then the title was the next item that caught my interest. It’s an unusual title that I don’t normally run across on books. I am an avid reader and this book was so peculiar that I couldn’t pass it. I just had to read it.
Tantra Bensko’s novel, Glossolalia, is a complex and most compelling read that I have ever laid eyes upon…the book consists of several different genres and combinations that make it a powerfully engaging read. Suspenseful, check. Conspiracy, check. Political thriller, check. Science fiction fantasy double-check. Alternate universe double checked. Readers worldwide can find a little of everything within this stunning novel. This tale is full of action and intrigue from page one to the last page. Mind control, murder, and sex. All of these interesting things woven into a surprising story that will blow readers’ minds away. I just finished reading this and now, I am looking forward to the next brilliant adventure by the talented writer.
Here, we have a masterfully woven novel that brings the most unusual events into a fascinating world of fiction. Glossolalia means speaking in tongues. A young woman, Nancy, is the leading female character that instantly grabs readers attention. She does things like chasing after a truck that dumps harmful chemicals, works at her uncle’s firm that kills animals, and fighting. There’s never a dull moment. The main character suffers from bouts of amnesia. She takes us through her entire life and into a mystical land. This is the first book in the psychological suspense series called The Agents of The Nevermind. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this intoxicating fantasy series by Tantra Bensko. Glossolalia takes readers on an environmental and psychological journey. Overall, I highly recommend it to all.
Muses and Marvels
Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko is a thriller about Nancy, a mild-mannered woman who suffers from regular blackouts where she wakes up with bruises and the scent of men’s cologne. She has no idea what goes on during these blackouts, but she does manage to uncover a crime at her uncle’s pesticide company, where she works. The deeper she digs into it though, the more she learns about a complicated, dark world full of politics, sex, violence, and occult rituals.
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You may remember Tantra Bensko as the writer of a recent guest post, about shifting from writing literary to writing political fiction. Tantra recently made the switch and Glossolalia is her latest novel, a mix of entertainment, political analysis, and history.
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The story is a bit confusing at first, though that’s probably deliberate. The reader is only exposed to Nancy’s point of view for the first few chapters, and Nancy is an unreliable protagonist (she often blacks out, after all). Eventually we learn the cause of her blackouts, and how Nancy’s life is not as simple as it appears on the surface.
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What is really interesting about Glossolalia is its underlying message about the importance of critical thinking. Nancy starts off as naïve and not knowing much about the world, and she’s jealous of people who have more knowledge than her. But then she learns to not just accept things at face value and instead she decides to investigate until she figures out the truth. Even if the truth turns out to be terrifying and turns her world upside down.
Spoiler alert
Nancy turns out to be a super agent whose personality has been split. The reason for her blackouts is because she can’t remember anything when she assumes a different personality.
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However, one of her personalities, known as Angela Ageless, does appear to know about everything that goes on. Yet, somehow, when the Angela Ageless personality was formed, she was programmed to not rebel, so even though she apparently knows all the dark secrets of Nancy’s world, she never helps Nancy figure it out. This seems a little odd, especially since Angela and Nancy are so dependent on each other for survival (Nancy needs all her personalities in order to be a whole human).
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So Nancy must fight an enormous number of obstacles, including herself, in order to find out what really happened to her and set herself free. That’s a tall order, especially if you can’t completely trust yourself. Plus Nancy has to protect a new friend and a love interest from being hurt or worse by the group who has turned her into an unwitting super spy.
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Glossolalia is chock full of sex and violence and mystery. It is also the first book in Tantra Bensko’s The Agents of the Nevermind series, which explores different aspects of social engineering. If you’re looking for more in this series, check out Giant Jack, the prequel to Agents of the Nevermind, or Remember to Recycle, the next book in the series. 4 star rating
Lindley Reviews
Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko has the subtitle, a psychological suspense, but I’m not sure this reflects the true nature of the novel. It’s a story that is impossible to categorise and quite possibly the most unique book I’ve ever read.
It’s a complex and surreal story which highlights lots of modern dilemmas, chiefly by using irony and exaggeration. The imagery that Bensko creates is both visual and bizarre. The only way I can think of to explain it is – imagine staring at a Salvador Dali painting whilst on speed because the pace of the novel is almost neck breaking.
Bensko’s protagonist is a character called Nancy. It’s quite difficult to get a real sense of Nancy as, due to her fragmented mental state, she is a very unreliable narrator. She is being used as a pawn by a group called the Neverminds, who are basically running a mind control programme. Nancy has been split into compartments by the Neverminds so that she is three different personalities. They accomplished this by traumatising her as a young child and then keeping her medicated.
The novel works on the premise that the world is controlled by an alliance of the US government, church and big business, who use mind control to ensure that the world is run as they see fit. The glossolalia of the title is a language used by the powers that be to create a hypnotic effect. Hence once they hypnotise someone they use the secret language to control their behaviour. Bensko offers us a world where power corrupts. Nancy works for her Uncle Geoff, an agent of Nevermind and the owner of D-CIDE, an unscrupulous pesticide company. The chemical XXX which is used in the pesticide is known to have killed both humans and animals but the corruption within the establishment is such that Geoff is given the job of investigating chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
Geoff colludes with the charismatic Reverend Terry Crank who has incredible power within the church despite being a sexual deviant. He is also an agent of Nevermind and uses his position to control and eliminate any opponents of the status quo.
The levels of corruption run so deep it’s hard to know who is part of the Nevermind conspiracy and who is actually a genuine character. The main anti-Nevermind voice is an activist called Elias Brandon who runs an online blog exposing wrong doing. He is so shrouded in mystery and bizarre however, it just adds another layer of distrust and confusion.
Nancy also has an online friend called Jeff who, when he visits her turns out to be a sinister childhood associate with hands fashioned to look like flamingos, which he then uses to control her mind. There is a love interest called Julio who again seems like a shadowy character which makes us doubt his authenticity.
There is no doubt that Bensko is a talented, intelligent writer and she successfully gets us to question everything by making us doubt our own perceptions. She maintains control over her writing despite taking it to such surreal heights that her readers have no choice but to suspend all reality.
I suspect that Glossolalia will appeal to a niche audience who will absolutely love it. The problem I had is that I didn’t really get it and this was more to do with me than the actual novel. It’s a bit like some people love Terry Gilliam films whilst others are left feeling out of the loop. I’m not sure if my inability to connect was cultural because the book is very American or caused by the fact that I’m quite conventional and couldn’t immerse myself fully into the madness.
I would definitely recommend that you give Glossolalia a try. It’s a brave and unique story and Tantra Bensko is an assured writer. I’m willing to bet that if you connect with it this novel may well turn out to be one of your all time favourites.
Amazon Review
Reality or Fantasy?
GLOSSOLALIA is a suspense novel like I've never read before. Usually with suspense novels, and perhaps because I've read so many, its usually same s*** different faces - NOT HERE!
For a first SUSPENSE attempt by this author, I'd say she's onto something really good. The imagination that pours out over the pages was very striking to me...although, I think this author has done some homework; telling a story through Nancy's experience with her Uncle, there are people out there who could relate.
This first book left enough questions for me where I look forward to the next. I can only imagine what unseen fixin's come to life with the Nevermind. In another review, someone asked "who is the Nevermind"?....perhaps I will have to read on to find that out. I too would love to know.
The writing style is bold, creative and fearless...I like that, A LOT!
The movement in the novel went fast. I felt like I was watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, every scene action packed with very little rest. More detail could have been added, as some suggest, but I'm unsure if it would have made this story all that much better, because I really enjoyed it, and now want MORE!!
Perhaps the author will guide us into some background as the books come out - I can only imagine she will. For a first taster of the ideas the author wanted to relay, I love that she jumped right in and shared the twisted, convoluted, corrupt dealings that go unseen, but are perhaps very real.
Amazon Review
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Very Unique and Complex!
The first thing that caught my attention from this book was its weird cover. Its intricate design and appearance were very hard to miss. Some say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but with me, it is what I see first; so you buy me with image and then with plot. So in this aspect, this book gets all the points.
Now, let’s talk about the plot. Glossolalia is a very unique story that highlights lots of modern dilemmas. At the same time, it is about Nancy, a young woman with amnesiac fugues that often leave with no clue of what just happened. I won’t elaborate much because since it’s a thriller, it’d ruin it for the rest, but I do have to say it’s a very fast paced story that keeps you entertained through all of it.
I really liked the story but as always, not everything is perfect. There were some issues regarding descriptions and background information. They were lacking. There were so many unanswered questions and very important details that were left out, making it look like it was all pushed in there to fit together. Anyways, I think you should give it a chance.
Thanks Booktasters and the author for the e-copy of this book.
Amazon Review
Unique and Powerful Book
Glossolalia is one of the most unique books I've read in a while, from the plot, the characters and obviously its amazing cover art.
Our story centers around the main protagonist called Nancy. She's a young woman who has a habit of snapping out of amnesiac fugues not knowing where she went or what she did, she also works for her uncle Geoff making and selling poisons that killed animals, one of them being poison XXX, a poison that's invisible, has no taste and because its impossible to track is being used by a dangerous organization named Nevermind. The main plot points being how Nancy, Uncle Geoff and two other seemingly unrelated women called Angela and Emily are involved with Nevermind, and figuring out what happens whenever Nancy has one of her amnesiac fugues.
The plot of the book never gets boring although very confusing if you don't pay attention, there is always some event moving the plot forward while making the characters develop and grow more and more complicated as the book goes on. The characters are definitely the best part of the book seeing how each character relates to each other and how their behavior changes depending on what their goal or state of mind is, I loved each and every character with the exception of the main character Nancy. Don't get me wrong when I finished the book I couldn't help but love her, but for almost the entire first half of the book I found her to be unlikeable and almost annoying which made me focus more on the plot rather than the dialogue. This brings up the other aspect i didn't like about this book, I felt like there was a lack of information. There were a lot of things that were left to the imagination and questions about the background of things like Nevermind and the poisson XXX were left unanswered which I hope are answered in the following books.
Overall I liked the book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read something powerful and different.
Thanks to Booktasters and the author for the e-copy of this book.
Amazon Review
In Tantra Bensko's Glossolalia, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Tantra Bensko’s novel Glossolalia gives deep insight into the darkest of human impulses, and lends credence to the phrase, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
It deftly delves into the question of personhood vs. a person’s role in society. In the novel, the chemical company, the church, and the government see harmony as dictatorship, or the desires of the elite few deciding the futures of the many, while Nancy values and desires personal freedom, not simply to be a cog in a machine, a feat particularly difficult for her to achieve, given her fugue states that send make her an extremely unreliable narrator.
This congeals into one of the more unsettling conceits of the book, “Glossolalia” itself. The idea is that Nancy is being controlled by a confluence of church and state, and she doesn’t know it. In a situation of art deeply imitating life, the takeaway is that if you were under that kind of control, you wouldn’t know that you were, and therefore be powerless to resist. However, knowledge is resistance.
The novel terrifies the reader by attacking perception. The problems that Nancy faces are not only in the world she inhabits, but inside her own mind. Part of the problem has to deal with her perception of the outside world, the most frightening of all, because perception is the only means by which we understand the world. If we cannot trust it, then what (or whom) can we trust?
The novel also frightens us by highlighting how much we owe to others, and how fragile our systems of society really are, based on norms and unspoken contracts rather than actual rule. Even as Nancy discovers more and more about the world in which she lives, it doesn’t matter as much as how many people know about it, and how many are willing to stand against it.
The novel offers a bleak, but redeeming picture of ignorance vs. knowledge, bravery vs. cowardice, and fact vs. fiction. Bensko’s Glossolalia thrills from the first page to the last, answering some questions and leaving others for the and some for the audience to ponder for a long time.
Amazon Review
Very exciting thrilling and suspenseful!
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I've always been interested in suspense and thriller one. This book, however, gave a new point of view, from the side that I have not heard much about. Love the action and intrigue from start until ending. I found it to be so great to read.
Amazon Review
“It’s got to be fun being ageless. I want to know your secret.”
By Grady Harp HALL OF FAME TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE VOICE
California author Tantra Bensko has published ten books and I included in a number of anthologies. Her degrees include an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop and she has studied the methods of social engineering through manipulation of mass beliefs which she blogs about social engineering at Agents of the Nevermind. Tantra teaches fiction writing through UCLA X Writing Program, Writers.com, and her own Online Writing Academy. GLOSSOLALIA (‘Glossolalia or speaking in tongues, according to linguists, is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables that lack any readily comprehended meaning’) is a psychological suspense thriller that is Book 1 of her series The Agents of Nevermind.
Tantra pulls us into her well titled novel with a mixture of all the elements we will encounter as the novel move forward – the bizarre, humor, concepts awaiting to be developed, and a fine image of our protagonist – ‘What was the sound outside D-CIDE’s office window? Clinks and bangs. One boom was so loud Nancy clasped her pale, slender hands over her ears. Tuning things out was her superpower.
“Have any plans for the weekend?” the tall secretary, Martha, loudly asked her, leaning over her desk in the office, as she grabbed a floating hair lit up by the evening sun. Martha elaborately waved her hands in front of Nancy’s face as she did so. Nancy got confused by the motion and forgot what she’d been thinking about. Oh yes, the weekend. It was Friday already.
“Fighting.” Nancy spoke with her head high and her shoulders back, her rosy cheeks plumped with a confident smile.
D-CIDE’S saleswoman, Betsy, looked Nancy up and down and said, “What, shadow boxing?”
Nancy laughed and said, “You know, uncle Geoff told me I was so upset by my shadow when I first noticed it, I pounded my fists on the sidewalk trying to beat it up.” (Geoff was pronounced like Joff.) “He said I didn’t know my own strength. And that’s when he first decided I should have fighting lessons. Been studying ever since.” She chuckled, “And fighting off my shadow, too!” “Who’s winning?” chirped Betsy, grinning. “Honey, if you could team up with your shadow and fight together, I’ll bet you’d be able to take us all on at the same time.” “I’d never have pictured you as a brawler, Nancy-Pants. More like a fashion model.”
It is so rare to find a writer who can combine abuse, mind control, corporations bent on destroying the environment, and government conspiracies with cocky humor and a sci-fi overtones. But Tantra does just that. In her synopsis enough of the story’s secrets are revealed to entice the curious reader – ‘
What if your subconscious determined the fate of nations? No one but her uncle Geoff would hire Nancy, considering her habit of snapping out of amnesiac fugues, wondering where she got her bruises and the scent of men's cologne. When she sees a crime of poison in progress at his company, D-CIDE, she chases the truck carrying away the chemical legally deemed too toxic to use or to dump. Her pursuit leads to a convoluted world of political intrigue, esoteric rituals, an arcane Elizabethan spy code, and assassinations she never imagined – though her imagination is what holds that world together.
This conspiracy novel introduces a young woman with an ambiguous past involving herself in a killer organization with one layer after another of her psyche. Through a fictionalized intelligence agency, the books in this series dramatize the shady side of covert experiments, creating destabilizing coups for profit, media theater, psychological warfare, and illicit methods of funding dark ops. The Agents of the Nevermind series dares to explore the edgiest controversies and the convoluted lives intelligence agents must endure as they create bizarre delusions for the world in order to hide the truth about their nation's financial foundation.’
Tantra’s story is mindboggling – in a good way. While films and television series attempt to push borders of belief with the help of CGI, Tantra accomplishes this goal better with just words. She is extraordinarily fascinating. Highly recommended for thinking readers. Grady Harp, April 17
You won't be able to put this down!
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This is the first book in the series, it sets the foundation and the author introduces us to an amazingly unique story line. Main character Nancy works for her uncle at his business called D-CIDE. One day Nancy witnesses a crime in progress and ends up chasing a truck carrying away chemical legally deemed too toxic to use or to dump. From here, the story gets interesting. The reader is thrown into a world full of covert experiments, psychological warfare and more. The organization dares to unearth the most darkest controversies. This is one of those books that you won't be able to put down because there is always something happening! Loved it.
Amazon Review
Excellent piece of literature. Would highly recommend this to anybody who is interested in a smooth read, intriguing plot.
Amazon Review
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Glossolalia takes you on a wild trippy ride from start to finish. Each wacky character leaves you wondering if they are just plain crazy or if maybe you aren't seeing the complete picture. The author, Tantra Bensko does a marvelous job of making each characters point of view believable and vivid. The context of the book is thought provoking. Glossolalia elevated my paranoia level to a stage 10! The main character Nancy will have you laughing one moment and biting your nails the next as she stumbles through her wacky life. The author Tantra Bensko's impeccable details and descriptions paints a brilliant picture as you follow Nancy on her adventures. The twists in the book leave you on the edge of your seat. Glossolalia is a fantastic page-turning, kindle-swiping read. By the end of the book you will want to immediately immerse yourself in to the next chapter in this fabulous series.
Amazon Review
There is defiantly no boring place in this story
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Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko is a psychological suspense novel with sci-fi elements. This book has an very unique writing. The author wisely combined everything in her novel: killing, sex, mental problems, mass theories, and cult activities. It is fast paced and has a lot of suspense. There is defiantly no boring place in this story, but keep in mind, please, that some things can be difficult to understand if you will not to read this book the page after page.
The main character, Nancy is an young girl with a quite compulsive behavior. The fact that she is absolutely unpredictable brings this book to the top of the reader's interest. Nancy's uncle Geoff works for an organization called Nevermind, that sales the poison and became very dangerous for the society. Nancy gets herself involved in their dark business involuntarily. What will be her actions toward this crime?
The particular slang and some sexual scenes appears in the book.
Overall, this book is entertaining, page turning. Adults only!
Amazon Review
It takes some focus and patience to read it.
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This book definitely gets you thinking. It was almost incredibly confusing at times. But, if you keep with it and pay attention, it all works out.
It takes off immediately out of the gate with Nancy chasing after the waste truck taking away the containers with XXX and her resolution to find out exactly what's going on because she's sure her uncle is involved with something illegal and dangerous. It felt very fast-paced right away, but then the story seemed to stall a little bit.
Suddenly, there were chapters about Emily and Angela Ageless which seemed confusing in the context of everything else. However, once Nancy starts her detox and begins to recall memories, all of the strange and confusing details start making sense. So, if you can hold on through the first half of the book, once she goes to the church and starts unraveling how she's been programmed, it makes much more sense to look back on the first half of the book and understand why things were revealed as they were.
The history behind Enochian language was really interesting and I wish there would have been more of that. All of the information about the government conspiracies was a little hard to follow. In the scene where Alyssa and Nancy were practicing karate and talking about all of it, that information was hard to follow, like it was almost taken for granted that the reader would have as much of an understanding about the subject as the characters did.
Overall, the plot did make sense in the end. Nancy even became a character whom you could root for as a reader, especially once she finally was able to discover "her whole self." It was a satisfying moment, as a reader, to see all of those potentially confusing details and chapters about other characters come together.
In a way, the author makes you feel like you're Nancy coming out of a drug-induced amnesia. When you look back over the story in that light, it's actually quite complex and sophisticated writing to pull off. It helped me to enjoy the book by the time I got to the last one hundred pages or so. I felt like my patience in continuing to read on was satisfied by the clarity that came with all the pieces coming together, even if all of the larger picture details (like just what exactly Brand was spouting off in his videos) meant each time they were mentioned.
All in all, it's a very intriguing book. Definitely out of the norm in its stylistic approach. It takes some focus and patience in reading at times, but I appreciate the work involved in the research involved and the writing style.
A fascinating political spy thriller due to its unique perspective
By Stuart C. on May 16, 2017
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'Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense' is the first installment of Tantra Bensko's thrilling "The Agents of the Nevermind" series. The book follows Nancy who is working for her uncle and who loses large tracks of time in "amnesiac fugues." That alone would be strange enough if she didn't end up waking up with bruises and worse and finds out that her subconscious kept her hard at work in these states... As a major player in political intrigue and spycraft.
Her past is shrouded in mystery, even from herself, and we jump between a very strange take on it with only hints being dropped, the present, and an apparent fantasy world. What ends up being real and what doesn't is quite a fun surprise.
I wouldn't call Nancy the most likable of characters which would usually be a detractor but the mystery about who and what she is that slowly is pieced together would have kept me reading the book by itself. All of the spycraft, politics, murder, and mysteries on top of that were almost icing on the cake if they weren't so vital to the story.
Now, you ARE going to jump around in this story a bit as we follow Nancy who isn't completely there, to begin with. That being said, if you know that going into it and don't mind a bit of craziness - you'll quite enjoy this story!
Your never quite sure what real and what's in her imagination. A great psychological thriller.
By Literary Titan on May 23, 2017
Nancy is like any woman in the prime of her life; active, engaged with hobbies, and busy with a normal day job. But underneath the surface, she is anything but ordinary. Plagued with a strange form of narcolepsy, Nancy can’t help but feel the grip of forces other than her own. With her uncle’s seemingly gracious help coming into question, she is soon exposed to the world of government conspiracy, mind control and espionage. It’s up to her to find out who’s behind it all, but can she get a grip in time to save herself and others?
Tantra Bensko’s Glossolalia is a thrilling and bumpy ride through the mind of a woman who comes off initially as relatively boring and normal. She’s crushing on a co-worker and at the mercy of jokes from her cube mates. She has her hobbies, piano and karate, and a good friendship with a girl named Alyssa. After Nancy’s parents died mysteriously when she was younger, her uncle Geoff took her into his care and provided her with a stable job at his corporation. Plagued with fugue states and narcolepsy her whole life, her uncle has also been giving her a steady supply of pills that she can’t seem to break her addiction to. She starts to question her uncle’s intentions and in an effort to break free from him and the pills, she coincidentally starts to reveal Geoff’s much darker agenda for her.
Initially, I began to question Nancy’s motives and her own sanity. The writing was quite scattered and jumped around enough to make me wonder if Nancy was just in a constant state of a psychotic break. In one moment her mind was scrambling for answers and in the next it was calm and reasonable. It took quite some time to figure out the relationship between Emily, Angela and Nancy, but the slow reveal did add to the suspense. Nancy’s tenacity and constant questioning of her life kept the book moving along at a nice pace. And there is plenty of references to the Nevermind, the CIA, MKULTRA, and other government groups which helps to build the psychological suspense of the novel.
while also being extremely fun to read’ the book has so many elements and ...
By Julius Z on June 1, 2017
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Well this was an interesting experience.
The description wasn’t lying when it says it’s a ‘psychological suspense thriller,
while also being extremely fun to read’ the book has so many elements and it’s
one of those stories that let our imagination decide possible outcomes outside
of the book and after the story depicted.
Another welcome change this book brings is the departure of those rather
clichés good guys vs bad guys, that was really getting stale at this point and it’s
nice to see a new contrast of characters with very different development from
one another and it’s intriguing to know where those paths might lead, especially
the completely unpredictable Nancy.
Despite being complex, don’t let that stop you for enjoying this book, in fact I
believe that is the main reason people will look to read this book, it’s not like any
typical thriller out there, it’s a challenge for anyone who decides to give it a try,
but it’s worth it.
Wow, a rollercoaster thriller.
By Kimberly-Aisha Hashmi on June 2, 2017
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I read the summary for this book and got super excited. Someone who basically passes out and has no idea of what happened, with the fate of a nation in her hands. I just jumped into the book and.... got so confused with the multiple layers and storylines. It was a bit to keep up with. In the end I did seem to have my head wrapped around all going on but I should not have to work that hard to understand. It was interesting and good, but I am giving 4 stars because it was TOO complex. The author did a good job weaving it all together but it needs to be a lot less difficult to read. It was like an onion unwrapping, but finding more and more to unwrap. I am glad I read it, but be prepared to sit down and read several main ideas all at once.
Ingenuous concept and storyline, but just not my cup of tea
By Sarah on June 3, 2017
I'm going to preface the rest of this review with the fact that I don't think this was my kind of read. I do enjoy suspenseful novels, but not necessarily ones that delve into the world of occults or secret government agencies/conspiracies. If that's your thing then yes, this is your read for sure. I rated it a "3" but just because I did like the concept of the novel; it's reminiscent of the Jason Bourne saga/movies/type of story.
Though it was a slow start, I did start to piece together what was happening with the main protagonist, in terms of the changing chapters and secret organization it turns out she worked for. And again, that's why I gave it a "3" because the concept of how she gave the main character sort of a multi-personality disorder controlled by songs/queues/etc was a neat concept, and a great theme for any good book or movie. And I applaud the author for this ingenuous and complicated story line, it's clear to me how hard the author worked on this novel in terms of research and story development.
But....this is where my critique begins. It wasn't that the writing was poor, but I think it's that I did not like the character at all. Having read plenty of novels with heroines that lean towards the martyr side, it gets old. But not only that, but some scenarios or scenes with other characters didn't fully seem realistic with how they were talking or acting. And last reason I wasn't a big fan of this book, and therefore didn't quite finish it - there was too much going on for me. In reality, the story was simple, but with the slow development of the beginning and of the character in general, the story eventually just lost me. I reiterate again though - the story line and concept = creative and fun, writing = middle of the road, but my type of read = nuh-uh.
5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling novel of mind-manipulation SPOILER ALERT
By Eva on June 5, 2017
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Nancy often finds herself recovering from a fugue state, hours seem to have been lost from her day (or night), she is often in a state of disarray or suffering from a bladder infection when she has not had sex. What has been happening? This is a chilling thriller of mind manipulation to create an army of people doing illegal and immoral things - like killing - for their country without even knowing it. Nancy slowly realises that she is several different people: one is an innocent young girl who stars in children’s films, and the other a man-eater who uses sex to get her way.
She is also Nancy who tries to hold down a job and relate to people in a normal manner. Nancy discovers that’s she has been groomed and abused by her loving uncle, Geoff, since she was a small child, and he medicates her with ‘jollys’ to keep her docile. Nancy’s awakening forms the plot of this novel. Much in the style of the Manchurian Candidate and the Bourne Identity, the American government and organised Christian religion are behind the brainwashing of the ‘agents’.
I have absolutely no problem with believing this – I think it is already happening - and the author also has much to say about the brainwashing of children and young people through the movies they are allowed to see and the news they are allowed to read.
Interesting Story, But More Realism Required
By Sky Rae on June 5, 2017
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Tantrum Bensko’s latest novel Glossolalia, is a conspiracy thriller about a young woman named Nancy who discovers her uncle is poisoning the environment, and then she takes matters into her own hands. But Nancy is not your run-of-the-mill protagonists. She is an amnesiac – it’s clear very early on that there is more than meets the eye to Bensko’s heroine.
As much as I wanted to love the storyline, I had a hard time with it from the beginning. The dialogue didn’t make that much sense to me (co-workers talking about male anatomy), and the action seemed far fetched (yes, the watermelon truck!). The first part of the novel didn’t convince me that Nancy or her story were real. If you're looking for a fun read, this might be it. But it can use an extra dose of realism for my taste.
Lastly, the font on this book is very light (I had the Kindle version). And it couldn’t be fixed.
A nice start and an intersting premise.
By Sarah S. on June 7, 2017
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This was a ride of a book.As someone who enjoys looking into conspiracies and conspiracy theories I jumped at the chance to receive a copy from the author.
Nancy is an odd duck who has amnesic fugue states that left her dependent on her shady uncle.She was kind of annoying at first but I assumed it was a MKULTRA type of thing and the disjointedness would calm down. The story is written in a 3rd person limited style so the reader knows as much as Nancy which is to say not much at the beginning. My attention was caught within the first couple of chapters and I wanted to know more.
Unfortunately somethings weren't really developed. I never quite got a grip on the world itself and the lean details to continue the suspense didn't always work. I ended the book with answers but with many more questions. As this is a series and this book the foundation I hope to find out more about this world.
In all this isn't bad book. I can see it having an appeal to a audience who enjoys suspense thrillers with political and/or psychological leanings or people who are into conspiracy theories. The title itself is an interesting choice and after I looked up the meaning I was even more intrigued(hint hint)
5.0 out of 5 starsI am going to read the following book.
By fausto marmol on June 8, 2017
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Nothing is what it seems, I didn't have many expectations at the beginning of the story, but I was quite surprised when the story took an unexpected turn. We see a lot of fiction and conspiracies. It is genuinely interesting. It is not always good to have knowledge of all the secrets. because Nancy wanted to know the secrets and then we see how the truth is scary.
I am going to read the following book, it was a very interesting experience, I had suspense and reflection when I was reading it.
5.0 stars I am delighted to have stayed fully engaged to the end
By C. Cannon on June 11, 2017
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Nancy has a dependency issue. Her dependency is controlled by the person that was her guardian. Nancy discovers something nefarious and struggles with the decision to follow through with what she thinks is right or to follow the path that helps her get what she thinks she still needs.
As Nancy follows the path she has chosen we are taken on the adventure that will revel the deepest secretes of her mind and the inner workings of a chemical company that is poisoning the nation with their byproduct with no regard for the well being of human or animal kind.
As we get deeper into the story, secret plots are reveled and we discover an ancient occult. Religion has been used to control the masses for centuries. Now we see how deep that control truly runs. All our fears about brainwashing, mind control, and media manipulation are realized as Nancy's inner mind and blackout activities are reveled.
The story stays a step ahead of excitement with the introduction of a secrete language and hidden doors. Rituals based on myths thought to have long ago been abandoned pop up as the foundation of a conspiracy that entangles politicians and sports teams alike. Tantra Bensko has crafted a story worth reading.
While some of the sentence structure needs a little development the story as a whole flows well and moves along at a steady pace. I am delighted to have stayed fully engaged to the end. I am looking forward to more from Bensko as my excitement at watching this budding talent grows.
Unsure of what I read, but I kinda liked it
By Phil Bolos on June 13, 2017
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Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko is a psychological suspense and thriller focused around Nancy and her imagination. When we meet Nancy, she is working for her uncle Geoff. She had no choice but to take the job working for him because she often sleep walks and vanishes for chunks of time. No other boss would be able to tolerate someone vanishing for long periods of time during the day, so her uncle took pity on her. Her uncle's business, D-CIDE, has created a toxin simply known as XXX. This toxin is so dangerous that it can not be dumped anywhere because of the long lasting and deadly effects it will have on all life it comes in contact with. It can not be traced, can kill all biological life, and can eat it sway through most storage containers.
These are all reasons why when Nancy sees some of the XXX being taken away to be dumped, she follows the truck to find out where it was taken and what was going to happen to it. When she goes to report the crime, she discovers that her uncle has become the head of the board that would handle the reports of such activity. Unsure of what to do next, Nancy begins to fear for herself and what her uncle may decide to do to her. Nancy's mental stability then begins to fall apart and she struggles to keep the evidence and events in front of her making sense. That is when we dive into the darker parts of her psyche and we see what she believes, or wants to believe, is really going on.
It was hard for me to write a review of this because I had a hard time following everything that was going on. It was a little annoying, but at the same time I think the author did this on purpose so the reader could experience the slow decay of Nancy's mental state. Or, at least that is how I am going to interpret this. I think this story will really appeal to only a small group of readers who are really into the psychological fiction genre. I also think many readers will be turned off when this book really starts going out into left field, but I'm will also say that if you have the stomach to stick it out you will not be disappointed.
By Crys O. on June 13, 2017
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I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting when I started reading Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko. As someone who doesn't normally read psychological suspense novels, I was pleasantly surprised. The author goes into such vivid detail describing the main characters that I felt as if I knew them by the end—especially Nancy with all of her nuance and complexity. Bensko was unafraid to highlight the quirky inconsistencies in her characters that you see in everyday individuals trying to engage in the fast-paced world we live in today. Further, I was impressed how Bensko was able to weave in modern themes into the novel that made the story come to life. At times, I knew the novel was fiction, but the way she used corruption in politics, religion, and business in the story line seemed like this could be a suspense novel based in reality. Every chapter is filled with intrigue, whether it is lust, deception, occult practices, or multi-layered conspiracy within business, religion, and politics.
While there is plenty of detail, it can be easy to get lost in, so pay attention. I took notes as I read to follow along, which I think is a great tip. Overall, I think this novel is a candid reflection of the complexity of the reality of the social landscape we live in today—even if it is fiction.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Psychological Suspense Novel
By Denise Lucas on June 14, 2017
Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense (The Agents of the Nevermind Book 1) written by Tantra Bensko is a psychological suspense novel, as the title suggests, but is far from the typical. This well written story has been thoroughly thought out. At first I found it a bit hard to follow but as the story progressed everything came together and made sense.
This book makes you think and ponder if what the main character, Nancy, experiences and thinks is truth or not. Nancy is a strange character, who is paranoid and very unpredictable. I really liked her character as she had a good moral basis and I found that very commendable.
Nancy chasing down a truck that was carrying a poison too lethal to be dumped, leads her into unknown dangers and shows the link to politics. I really enjoyed this book, especially the fantasy side of the story. Glossolalia is a well written work of art and something far from the norm. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a great story that is out of the ordinary.
By Renee Spicuzza on June 14, 2017
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“Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense (The Agents of the Nevermind Book 1)” is Tantra Bensko’s first book in the series that follows Nancy through some extremely precarious and exciting experiences. This is an extreme political thriller, to say the least, as it involved high level political involvement, covering up a myriad of issues within the system. Nancy has these states that she passes into, where she will do and act in some crazy manner, and will later wake up with some minor physical representations of what she had done in her mental state. These get her into some trouble within the political hierarchy that she soon becomes entangled in. As she starts to uncover more conspiracies and covers ups that affect many different areas of society, it starts a snowball effect for more discovered problems. There are quite a few different problems going on that Nancy is trying to overcome throughout the duration of the novel, but that is what the next installment is for!
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent in Every Way
By Kimmy on June 16, 2017
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Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense (The Agents of the Nevermind Book 1) by Tantra Bensko is a conspiracy novel and psychological suspense novel about a woman named Nancy who gets involved with all kinds of things most of us wouldn’t. Things like chasing a truck that is involved in a crime or fighting.
I first thought it might be pretentious; I’m sorry but I’m being honest. However, I started reading it and really got into the character of Nancy and soon, I found myself reading more and more till I finished.
It’s delightful and not one bit pretentious. Loved the conspiracy type setting and loved Nancy as well.
5.0 out of 5 stars great book!
By A. Watts on June 16, 2017
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The protagonist, Nancy, is very much the center of this novel; so much so that it feels as though the story unfolds from a combination of her ambiguous and traumatic past as well as her fantastical present life. She's employed by her uncle -- who she suspects may have killed her parents when she was a child -- at a company that manufactures a super-toxic chemical, comically named 'XXX'. On top of this, she frequently blanks-out and remembers nothing when she wakes up, only earning strange cuts and bruises as evidence anything happened at all. As a reader, you're tossed into a pretty bizarre environment.
I felt connected to her, though!
Something about the tragic absurdity of her situation and her bizarre -- and sometimes awkward -- attempts of creating something real from it all felt very honest. Questing for justice against her uncle seems impossible -- especially when he's actively pulling the strings against her -- but, I don't know, you just believe in her. The story is indeed pretty wild and sometimes the other characters are hard to care about -- or remember for that matter -- but I think Nancy is a good enough reason to stick around.
By Kerstin Vollbrecht on June 26, 2017
Nancy, who works for her uncle's enterprise that produces poisonous substances contaminating the environment, suffers from strange blackouts with complete amnesia. As she decides to stop taking the medicaments her uncle provides her with, she obtains insight in what happened during these times her blackouts took place, having split personalities integrating three different characters with different functions and attributes. The book relates the journey of Nancy fishing out that her split personalities were induced on her since childhood in order to serve as an agent to maintain the American power in the world. The story goes deep into the journey that Nancy undertakes in order tho integrate all her split personalities to become her whole self and to show the truth about the involved agents.
The plot is well developed from beginning to end and the description of the characters is very lively, showing the characteristics of each of Nancy's personalities and how they integrate to complete her. It has been a nice read.
political intrigue and deception
By Rebecca Norton on July 12, 2017
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"Glossolalia" is the first book of Tantra Bensko's "Agents of the Nevermind" series, which is a fact I learned after accidentally reading the second book first... oops. It was kind of fun to read them in that order, though, because it was like getting a prequel. Anyway, the book follows a heroine named Nancy as she tries to unravel several mysteries at once: what is her uncle's company doing with those toxic chemicals, what is the mysterious organization called the Nevermind and what do they want, and why does she keep blacking out and losing hours of her life, waking up in strange places with unexplained bruises? These mysteries, of course, are all connected, and Nancy navigates a world of political intrigue and deception as she searches for answers and tries to find her true self.
This book is definitely not a relaxing beach read - the pace is frenetic at times, and there are a few pretty disturbing scenes. But if you're a fan of the psychological suspense genre, or think you might be, it's worth a try. Bensko has a way of pulling readers into her world, and although it's a crazy, disturbing, complicated world, you'll hopefully enjoy the ride.
5.0 out of 5 starsNever mind the xxxxxxx, Here's the Nevermind
ByHarvey Thomlinsonon August 1, 2017
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Glossolalia, the first title in Tantra Bensko's Agents of the Nevermind series, is the pleasurably unnerving and surreal story of Nancy, an amnesiac who must work for her Uncle’s pesticide factory because ‘people who suddenly came to consciousness, bewildered by where they’d been for several missing hours, weren’t generally the studs of steady employment’.
As girl detective fan Nancy looks into the mystery of disappearing chemicals at the factory she finds herself immeshed in a conspiracy involving a sinister organization called Agents of the Never Mind to which film companies, libraries, a pentecostal church, the CIA, and her Uncle all may plausibly fit. The biggest mystery of all, though, is the puzzle of her own identity and her links to film character Emily and the assassin Angela Ageless.
A football player murdered; a pentecostal poisoner; a president framed; a date with weird artificial hands; a girl with multiple identities; an Ecochian language of psycho-suggestion; these tales are woven together into a tale of mayhem and delightfully uncontrolled chaos.
In this Neverminds opener, Bensko sharply satirizes contemporary society in a mindbending but highly entertaining story that riffs on themes including mind control, multiple identities and dimensions, environmental desecration and transcendental states which are familiar from her earlier novels. Bensko’s sustained commitment to mixing and matching realities, combined with her prolific output, has propelled an extraordinary fiction project. Glossolalia, however, also seems to reflect the increasing tension of America in the Trump era well as the rising post-Snowdon sense of paranoia around mass surveillance. There is even a shady preacher man campaigning for a ‘Republican presidential candidate'.
Obvious referents for Bensko’ s dimensional trangressions include Philip K Dick, William Burroughs and Lynch, but her warm, playful voice is her own. Her gift for clarity – rare among experimental writers - delivers lyrical moments such as when Nancy’s search for the chemicals leads her to the dump:
‘In the dirt, in the smell, among he homeless people digging, in the sadness of humanity’s destruction of the planet.'
And more often, wryly funny ones when Nancy reflects that:
'She felt so free when growing up when she’d let go of the notion of a God listening to her every thought But at least God wouldn’t try to knock her off for reporting damaging information. Or would he?'
Unwrapping Bensko’s thematics in Glossolalia is an exhilarating ride which speeds through car chases, wild orgies, bizarre dates and mad murders. It’s no wonder that the Nevermind series has become so popular, up to number seven on one Amazon bestseller chart. The paranoid might even suspect that Bensko herself has solicited the psycho-suggestive services of her shadowy agents. Highly recommended, it's under my skin, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
5.0 out of 5 stars Complex but fun!
By Brandi Perryon August 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Wow!! Glossolalia surpassed my expectations 10 fold!! I honestly didn't know what to expect when I picked it up but I love anything about psychology. The deeper I got, the harder it was to put it down. I love hearing and researching conspiracy theories and this book just ignited my interest even more. One of the most complex books I've ever read but it was so easy to follow and so much fun to read.
A psychological and political labyrinth
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By Precious on April 25, 2018
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In Glossolalia, Tantra Bensko introduces us to Nancy, a seemingly average young woman who, unbeknownst to even herself, actually lives a life full of intrigue and conspiracy. Though much of the nation does not realize it, the political and economic direction of the country is heavily influenced by the Nevermind -- an intelligence organization with uncomfortably significant amounts of power in Bensko's world. The Nevermind has some very specific goals for the country's future, and they are willing to employ everything from blackmail to murder to obscure religious rituals in order to steer the state in that direction. Nancy finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the Nevermind and, in the process, ends up learning some rather disturbing truths about herself as well.
Bensko has managed to weave together an intricate labyrinth of mystery and collusion, dropping seemingly casual hints and clues right from page one of the novel, yet managing to hold off on giving away the resolution until the time becomes right later on. She incorporates a myriad of worlds, including politics, drugs, sex, sports, environmentalism, and religion, and wraps it all up in a psychedelic bow of mind control, psychological disorders, and, of course, glossolalia. Everything from playing the piano to toy dogs has a role in this story, and Bensko doesn't shy away from uncomfortable topics like sexual deviance and bodily functions. Throw in the fact that Nancy is such a relatable and genuine character, and the result is a truly fascinating, brain-twisting story about a world that is disquietingly realistic.
5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Remember Remember to Recycle
By Brown the Reviewer on August 1, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Remember to Recycle is a psychological suspense novel about a ragtag crew that reside within a tenement in a dystopian society. The story jumps back and forth each chapter, following three main characters: Nancy, Becky, and Dave. Remember to Recycle intertwines the stories of a struggling woman, a homeless man, and a mysterious investigator against a political backdrop where World War III can be launched at anytime.
All of the characters are complex, well-developed, and beautifully written. The story vacillates between the first and third person. The one con to this approach is that the shifts can be abrupt and a little confusing. Nonetheless, the powerful and alluring narrative will make the reader push through in order to get to the crazy good surprise ending. As an aside, this book is actually the second in The Agents of the Nevermind installment. However, I haven’t yet read Glossolalia and was still able to keep up with the action.
I wholeheartedly give this book ten out of ten stars! Not only is it entertaining but also a commentary on the current political climate. Remember to Recycle speaks volumes on the effects of social engineering through the manipulation of mass beliefs. Themes of fascism, intel, propaganda, fake news, and questionable regime change plots makes this a must-read for mystery lovers and conspiracy theorists alike.
Tantra Bensko has a bright future ahead!
By Erin Thorp on September 7, 2017
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review.
Glossolalia was an unexpectedly engaging read. As with most self published authors, there are a few aspects of the book that could be tweaked and improved with the help of a professional editor, things like excessive descriptive words and so on. The more you get into it, the less those things stand out because the story itself is quite complex, well structured, and takes you on a few twists and turns along the way.
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing suspense story
By Scilla Yasland on February 25, 2018
This book is amazing. I was a little worried not to understand it because this is the second book and I didn’t read the first, but it was only a little part that I couldn’t fully get. I could still follow and enjoy immensely this story. I was expecting something really exciting, with twists and that made me gasp, and I really got it. Some aspects felt really close, and some others sounded like the dystopian story it is, but as a whole, it’s really interesting.
English is not my first language, but I’m used to reading and writing in it. Even though, I sometimes had trouble following the narrative, but all I had to do was to re-read once or twice more. I really enjoyed it.
Hollywood Book Reviews Says
Title: Glossolalia Author: Tantra Bensko Publisher: Insubordinate
Genre: Psychological Suspense Reviewed by: CC Thomas Rating: 5 Star Review Hollywood Book Reviews
One glance at the front cover of author Tantra Bensko’s book brings to mind the stylistic intentions of wickedly clever Tim Burton, the American film director and artist who forays into the gothic world in his works, perhaps most famously the recent Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with Johnny Depp. While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, reading Glossolalia most certainly brought to mind those dark and quirky fantasy films, with a dose of snorting laughter thrown in for good measure. You’ll most certainly feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole after taking in a few paragraphs.
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Nancy, the main character, is just plain weird. Here, though, that isn’t a complaint. It is a reader’s compliment, especially if the reader is tired of the same mainstream, ho-hum dramas and mysteries that are popular right now. Nancy isn’t easy to like, but is even harder to resist. She’s swept along in a mystery, largely of her own making, from the very first chapter and what follows is a roaring ride through her own dark mind, and the even darker landscape of CIA secrets and spies. All of this from an unscheduled delivery? Be honest—haven’t you ever wondered about those secretive delivery trucks roaming our streets?
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Put on your seat belts and get ready because the action starts as soon as Nancy roars off in chase. While she has mostly good intentions at heart, Nancy’s battle against the Agents of Nevermind shows her skill as an action-heroine to the extreme and her surprising skills as a spy/detective/puzzle solver. Clearly, Nancy, like this story,is a bit hard to categorize. Except, it’s mostly in her deluded mind. Or, is it all real? You’ll have a fun time trying to puzzle out the who and what and why in this novel.
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The book is most certainly entertaining, but it’s also a bit something more. It’s a story that will resonate with the reader, a plotline that yearns for connections in this equally strange world we inhabit, and a far-off yarn that comes a bit too close to home. There are, though, a lot of meaty bones thrown in, so don’t think the book is a light-hearted look at life with a quirky heroine. This heroine has some major obstacles and gritty noir events to get through that are as uncomfortable for the reader as they are for her.
Most of all, Nancy is a character you’ll be rooting for, in a world you don’t’ want to inhabit, in a setting that looks suspiciously like your own neighborhood. Is that Tim Burton enough for you? The book is probably closer to an experimental spy thriller…if Alice’s Lewis Carrol had written in for modern times. Edgy and fun, dark and disturbing, high octane and low blows—this reader is definitely ready for the next installment down Bensko’s imaginative rabbit hole of creativity!
Amazon Review
Quirky book that lives up to its tagline of being a “psychological suspense thriller” while also being extremely fun to read
Glossolalia is a fast-paced, quirky book that lives up to its tagline of being a “psychological suspense thriller” while also being extremely fun to read. Bensko balances the heavy themes of sexual abuse, mind control, nefarious companies that are destroying the environment, and government conspiracies with tongue-in-cheek humor and a surreal edge. I empathized with Nancy as she uncovered and dealt with the secrets of her past buried in her own head, and I laughed along with her when her gluten- and sugar-intolerant body insisted on eating desserts–and lusted after the handsome Julio. Glossolalia sparkles with Bensko’s unique prose style, and ultimately left me feeling uplifted, even as I found myself thinking about the things we all might prefer to keep buried.
-- Deborah Steinberg
Fiction Editor, Rivet Journal and Red Bridge Press
Amazon Review:
A wild ride through a world where the narrator's mind and reality have become intertwined
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Glossolalia is the phenomenon of speaking in tongues--of having the some underlying essential form erupt from you by way of language. In Tantra Bensko's book by this title, we find a heroine at the verge of understanding the actions that erupt unconsciously from within her as she finds herself fighting her own family's pesticide company in what may be a battle for the survival of the planet. Filled with car chases, cults, sex scandal and nail biting suspense, this book will please anyone who loves a good mystery, or who is interested in the bigger mysteries that all of us must face.
Indie Reader says:
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After an unscheduled pick up of an untraceable poison goes missing from her workplace, Nancy finds herself tangled in a conspiracy that threatens both her sanity and her life.
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Nancy believes the company she works for, D-CIDE, is intentionally using its most popular untraceable poison for things far worse than pesticide. Her suspicions are piqued after a shipment of the poison (aptly titled XXX) is picked up without prior knowledge. Knowing what XXX is capable of, she decides to follow the truck but loses it amidst the twists and turns of the city. With the missing shipment weighing heavily on her fragile mind, Nancy decides to take action, and is thrust into a world of government conspiracies, brainwashing, snake-handling churches, and a hell of a lot more that makes falling down the rabbit hole seem like a tiny spill.
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The term “glossolalia” refers to one who babbles random syllables that sound like words (unlike “xenoglossia,” which is when the speaker can fluently communicate in a language they claim to not know — something often seen depicted with the Pentecostal church), and given it’s also the name of the novel, it’s important to keep that definition in mind.
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The amount of story jam-packed within the pages of GLOSSOLALIA is enough to make readers question their own sanity along with Nancy. Her oddities are often subtly (and not-so-subtly) reflected in the way she tells her story: one minute she wants to save the world, the next she’s too paranoid to answer her phone.
The unreliable narrator motif adds to the overall success of the novel, and as far out as the plot ventures, the actions of herself and those around her never feel out of place. To say more would give away important clues in Nancy’s journey.
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GLOSSOLALIA is an off-kilter mystery with a challenging storyline that ultimately leaves the door wide open for further exploits.
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~IndieReader
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IR received this book free from the author who paid for the review. The remuneration in no way affected IR’s feedback on the work
Amazon Review
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This unique book engaged me from the opening scene when Nancy, an otherwise skittish and awkward person, courageously follows a truck she believes is dumping illegal toxins. Throughout the story, one aspect of Nancy especially resonated with me: the everyday war with oneself and our vices. I think she represents many people in the sort of Gen X/Y age group. We continue to harm bodies and the environment despite the fact we know we’re destroying ourselves.
Our grandparents didn’t know that smoking was bad, that their cars were polluting the air, and that food coloring and preservatives were dangerous, but our generation does know, and most of us still go on as before. Like Nancy, we’re stuck in the gap between the past and the future and unconsciously hate ourselves for it.
Glossolalia is layered with visions from Nancy's past, present (as a person with mental health problems and a gluten intolerance), and a fantastical land tied to the ancient flamingo God, Nebu. Sometimes I couldn’t quite connect all the dots together between her experiences in her various mental states and the reality of her situation, but I liked the underlying themes and the provoking questions raised by the story and the charming way it was told.
I recommend this psychological suspense to people who enjoy books that step outside the usual tropes. Glossolalia shows how toxins, whether in our mind, body, or environment, can seep inside us and contaminate our lives.
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Portand Book Review says
Tantra Bensko’s latest novel, Glossolalia is the first in her planned series, Agents of the Nevermind. The story opens in the office at D-CIDE as the primary character, Nancy, talks with her co-workers. They tease with her about her upcoming karate tournament as well as comment on how petite and pretty she is. D-CIDE is a pesticide company owned by her Uncle Geoff, who is her only living relative. She seems to be the only one who sees a truck drive away with what she believes to be XXX, a deadly banned chemical being housed in a restricted section of the factory. On a whim, she decides to pursue the truck and to report her uncle, who is also her benefactor, for allowing it to leave the grounds to pollute and kill somewhere in the community.
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What follows is a tale filled with a convoluted combination of paranoia, sincerity, and innocence mixed with a dose of perceived personal and governmental manipulation. Though some of the twists and turns are overly foreshadowed and predictable, they are written by the hand of an expert in leading the reader through a steady series of dropped crumbs. At various points through the narrative, Nancy and the rest of the characters seem two-dimensional and cartoon-like in their simplicity within the complex activities going on around them. Yet Bensko’s writing makes it all come together in good form with well-developed main characters.
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Glossolalia traverses the space between a pleasant and a jarring read. As Nancy progresses through the story’s landscape, the reader is regularly faced with questions as to which of the various revelations are real and which are illusions. The book cover refers to the novel as a “psychological suspense” and that it is. As such, it follows in the literary footsteps of Tom Robbins rather than that of Thomas Harris, which provides the likable, if odd, flavor.
-- Portland Book Review (4 stars)
The US Review of Books says
Carol Anderson, D.Min., ACSW, LMSW writes:
"Martha laughed: 'What's up, girl, have you started speaking in tongues?' Martha raised her hands in the air and nodded her head, her eyes closed like an earnest Pentecostal."
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A novel that crosses genres, with a portal into the odd, Glossolalia offers a glimpse into the psychological aspects of both Nancy, our heroine, and others, including her Uncle Geoff, as well as into the minds of those in the Agents of the Nevermind with their secret language of Enochian. Armed with her wits and abilities of confusing origin, Nancy is influenced by Geoff, who employs her and utilizes mind control, including unknown medications; Martha, an employee where she works who teaches her about sex and sensuality; and Alyssa, her karate sparing partner and friend. Nancy is concerned about the poisons they make such as pesticides and the illegal dumping of XXX through her workplace, D-CIDE, which is run by Geoff and is affiliated with evangelist Terry Crank's church, a church that focuses on wanting war with non-Christians. Nancy chases the story of the connection between D-CIDE, the church, and the U.S. government.
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When triangles keep popping up in her life, Nancy tries to figure out their meaning. She also recognizes she must go off the medication Geoff gives her because they keep her in a surreal state that lessens her memories of the past and befuddles her current life. She is also confused about Dog, the toy pop-up that is associated with the child Emily. What does this toy have to do with her life as both a child and now as an adult? Also, who is the seductress Angela Ageless and how does she affect the story?
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The political aspects of the secret black ops of the U.S. Intelligence Agencies including the CIA and mind control, the use of XXX for murders as it is untraceable in the body, and the focus on political espionage adds a layer of mystique to the story. For who is an ally and who is a black ops killer, and most importantly, who can Nancy trust as she seeks the truth regarding governmental horror stories and her own culpability in these horrors?
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Never boring, the book takes us on a whirlwind tour of LSD projects, conspiracies, a love story, fugue states, mind control including drugs, the occult, the Mob, psychosis, fascist drug lords, glossolalia, sex, multiple personality disorder/dissociative identity disorder (MPD/DID), wars and arming various groups to overthrow politicians who are against U.S. government policies. Other concerns include illegal dumping of poisons, Aryan supremacy, childhood abuse and trauma, money laundering, the black market, secret languages, Satanism, and murders. At times, the presentation is fascinating, especially in the mostly accurate depiction of DID and the alters of the host personality. The occult influence adds intrigue to the story with the secret rooms of the church and the secret teachings of the Nevermind.
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While all of this makes for a fascinating read, the book tries to be something to everyone and, at times, becomes overwhelming with all the twists and turns. Within the interlocking stories, the book ends abruptly with little detail and many unanswered questions that perhaps subverts the rest of the story. This thriller is the initial book in a continuing series, which will offer the reader many insights into politics, evangelism, and psychological intrigue. On a deeper level, exploring what is fantasy and what is reality is something we all face as we search to explore meaning in our own lives, just as Nancy does, albeit, in her complex, surreal story.
Amazon Review
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The book that didn’t stop surprising me it would seem. Was not expecting the action packed adventure that Tantra Bensko had laid out before me with my new favorite characters, Nancy and co. I felt very satisfied by the end because though it was a fascinating read it was not the easiest for myself with so much going on but as I said because there is so much happening when you finish you will feel like you’ve accomplished something and even when it does get a bit confusing you can’t put it down anyways!
Want to see for yourself, maybe even share the reviews with your friends who might like the book?
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Publishers daily reviews 5 star reprinted in Midwest Book Review
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http://publishersdailyreviews.com/glossolalia-tantra-bensko/
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Hollywood book reviews CC Thomas 5 star http://tantrabensko.tumblr.com/post/148748872136/5-star-review-from-hollywood-book-reviews
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Portland book review 4 star Mary-Lynne Monroe http://portlandbookreview.com/2016/08/glossolalia-psychological-suspense-by-tantra-bensko/
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US Review of Books Carol Anderson, D.Min., ACSW, LMSW
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http://www.theusreview.com/reviews/Glossolalia-by-Tantra-Bensko.html#.V-vVO9xWckA
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Sabrina Ricci Musings and Marvels https://musingsandmarvels.com/2016/09/19/ebook-review-glossolalia/
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Urban Book Reviews Danielle Urban https://urbanbookreviewsrus.wordpress.com/2016/08/10/review-glossolalia/
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Lindley Reviews, E.L. Lindley http://lindleyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/glossolalia-psychological-suspense.html
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Indie reader http://indiereader.com/2016/06/poison-paranoia-conspiracy-glossolalia-psychological-suspense/
Literary Titan https://literarytitan.com/2017/05/23/glossolalia/
Amazon Review
Definitely worth a read for fans of the genre.
I'm a big fan of Nelson DeMille, and the suspense is on par with his work. Looking forward to the next volume.
Amazon Review
I highly recommend this book as a must read
I
was given the book as a gift in exchange for an honest review. I was not sure what to expect. I was very impressed. The story was well thought out. It was intriguing and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book as a must read.
Publishers Daily Reviews says
Nancy is a young woman held hostage by her own mind in the intricately layered and darkly entertaining book Glossolalia.
She sleepwalks through a shadowland of conspiracies and secret societies, snake-handling churches, and the evil intentions of a maker of forbidden chemicals.
There's danger aplenty - actual and imagined - in this fictional story laced liberally with references to real-life incidents, people and black-ops agencies. Nancy and the fascinating ensemble cast of characters tread a treacherous road that often oversteps reality.
In a Pentecostal church several blocks from Nancy's house, a mysterious girl named Emily watches with precocious eyes the feverish religious activity whipped up by the Reverend Terry Crank. She whispers gleefully into the floppy ear of her enigmatic spring-headed toy named Dog, describing the Glossolalia - the speaking in tongues - that swirls through the sanctuary.
It is this kind of skillful foreshadowing that elevates Glossolalia far above any other ordinary examination of what the bad guys in our own government might be doing to us - or, rather, what they HAVE been doing for decades.
The CIA is transformed into a creepy, all-knowing agency called the Nevermind, which routinely alters the consciousness of people around the world, working ruthlessly with nefarious corporate entities and a radicalized Religious Right to steer destiny in the direction they deem most profitable.
This tale is well-told through skillful imagery and excellent writing. The author regularly delivers lyrical prose that transcends, as in this passage in which Nancy plays a 1909 Schoenberg piano composition:
"The music became more violent, full of divergent emotions that shocked each other with their nearness. The music was imbalanced, never matured or completed, just continued, dreamlike, until it was done. It was her favorite music. It was her."
And, there's this description that at once enlightens and forewarns the reader about Jeff, Nancy's cryptic Internet acquaintance:
"His ice blue eyes looked into hers with tiny pupils, though the light outside was soft." Jeff then softly intones, "You know, you won't get many more chances in life."
It's not a warning to be taken lightly in this dangerous new world where freethinking NFL quarterbacks must be silenced and Third World leaders are discredited and deposed through blackmail and poisonous drops of a substance known only as "XXX".
Nancy literally goes through several kinds of hell as she tries to break through the deception and psychological reconditioning engendered by the Nevermind.
But what can she do to expose this incredible, far-reaching conspiracy? You won't sleep until you turn the last page. It's that good.
Five stars to Glossolalia. We eagerly await the sequel, coming out soon.
San Francisco Review of Books Says:
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Book Review: 'Glossolalia' by Tantra Bensko
California author Tantra Bensko has published ten books and I included in a number of anthologies. Her degrees include an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop and she has studied the methods of social engineering through manipulation of mass beliefs which she blogs about social engineering at Agents of the Nevermind. Tantra teaches fiction writing through UCLA X Writing Program, Writers.com, and her own Online Writing Academy. GLOSSOLALIA (‘Glossolalia or speaking in tongues, according to linguists, is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables that lack any readily comprehended meaning’) is a psychological suspense thriller that is Book 1 of her series The Agents of Nevermind.
Tantra pulls us into her well titled novel with a mixture of all the elements we will encounter as the novel move forward – the bizarre, humor, concepts awaiting to be developed, and a fine image of our protagonist – ‘What was the sound outside D-CIDE’s office window? Clinks and bangs. One boom was so loud Nancy clasped her pale, slender hands over her ears. Tuning things out was her superpower. “Have any plans for the weekend?” the tall secretary, Martha, loudly asked her, leaning over her desk in the office, as she grabbed a floating hair lit up by the evening sun. Martha elaborately waved her hands in front of Nancy’s face as she did so. Nancy got confused by the motion and forgot what she’d been thinking about. Oh yes, the weekend. It was Friday already. “Fighting.” Nancy spoke with her head high and her shoulders back, her rosy cheeks plumped with a confident smile. D-CIDE’S saleswoman, Betsy, looked Nancy up and down and said, “What, shadow boxing?” Nancy laughed and said, “You know, uncle Geoff told me I was so upset by my shadow when I first noticed it, I pounded my fists on the sidewalk trying to beat it up.” (Geoff was pronounced like Joff.) “He said I didn’t know my own strength. And that’s when he first decided I should have fighting lessons. Been studying ever since.” She chuckled, “And fighting off my shadow, too!” “Who’s winning?” chirped Betsy, grinning. “Honey, if you could team up with your shadow and fight together, I’ll bet you’d be able to take us all on at the same time.” “I’d never have pictured you as a brawler, Nancy-Pants. More like a fashion model.”
It is so rare to find a writer who can combine abuse, mind control, corporations bent on destroying the environment, and government conspiracies with cocky humor and a sci-fi overtones. But Tantra does just that. In her synopsis enough of the story’s secrets are revealed to entice the curious reader – ‘ What if your subconscious determined the fate of nations? No one but her uncle Geoff would hire Nancy, considering her habit of snapping out of amnesiac fugues, wondering where she got her bruises and the scent of men's cologne. When she sees a crime of poison in progress at his company, D-CIDE, she chases the truck carrying away the chemical legally deemed too toxic to use or to dump. Her pursuit leads to a convoluted world of political intrigue, esoteric rituals, an arcane Elizabethan spy code, and assassinations she never imagined – though her imagination is what holds that world together. This conspiracy novel introduces a young woman with an ambiguous past involving herself in a killer organization with one layer after another of her psyche. Through a fictionalized intelligence agency, the books in this series dramatize the shady side of covert experiments, creating destabilizing coups for profit, media theater, psychological warfare, and illicit methods of funding dark ops. The Agents of the Nevermind series dares to explore the edgiest controversies and the convoluted lives intelligence agents must endure as they create bizarre delusions for the world in order to hide the truth about their nation's financial foundation.’
Tantra’s story is mindboggling – in a good way. While films and television series attempt to push borders of belief with the help of CGI, Tantra accomplishes this goal better with just words. She is extraordinarily fascinating. Highly recommended for thinking readers. Grady Harp, April 17
Editor's note: This review has been published with the permission of Grady Harp. Like what you read? Subscribe to the SFRB's free daily email notice so you can be up-to-date on our latest articles. Scroll up this page to the sign-up field on your right.
LITERARY TITAN SAYS
More Amazon Reviews
Nancy is like any woman in the prime of her life; active, engaged with hobbies, and busy with a normal day job. But underneath the surface, she is anything but ordinary. Plagued with a strange form of narcolepsy, Nancy can’t help but feel the grip of forces other than her own. With her uncle’s seemingly gracious help coming into question, she is soon exposed to the world of government conspiracy, mind control and espionage. It’s up to her to find out who’s behind it all, but can she get a grip in time to save herself and others?
Tantra Bensko’s Glossolalia is a thrilling and bumpy ride through the mind of a woman who comes off initially as relatively boring and normal. She’s crushing on a co-worker and at the mercy of jokes from her cube mates. She has her hobbies, piano and karate, and a good friendship with a girl named Alyssa. After Nancy’s parents died mysteriously when she was younger, her uncle Geoff took her into his care and provided her with a stable job at his corporation. Plagued with fugue states and narcolepsy her whole life, her uncle has also been giving her a steady supply of pills that she can’t seem to break her addiction to. She starts to question her uncle’s intentions and in an effort to break free from him and the pills, she coincidentally starts to reveal Geoff’s much darker agenda for her.
Initially, I began to question Nancy’s motives and her own sanity. The writing was quite scattered and jumped around enough to make me wonder if Nancy was just in a constant state of a psychotic break. In one moment her mind was scrambling for answers and in the next it was calm and reasonable. It took quite some time to figure out the relationship between Emily, Angela and Nancy, but the slow reveal did add to the suspense. Nancy’s tenacity and constant questioning of her life kept the book moving along at a nice pace. And there is plenty of references to the Nevermind, the CIA, MKULTRA, and other government groups which helps to build the psychological suspense of the novel.
5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Remember Remember to Recycle
By Brown the Reviewer on August 1, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Remember to Recycle is a psychological suspense novel about a ragtag crew that reside within a tenement in a dystopian society. The story jumps back and forth each chapter, following three main characters: Nancy, Becky, and Dave. Remember to Recycle intertwines the stories of a struggling woman, a homeless man, and a mysterious investigator against a political backdrop where World War III can be launched at anytime.
All of the characters are complex, well-developed, and beautifully written. The story vacillates between the first and third person. The one con to this approach is that the shifts can be abrupt and a little confusing. Nonetheless, the powerful and alluring narrative will make the reader push through in order to get to the crazy good surprise ending. As an aside, this book is actually the second in The Agents of the Nevermind installment. However, I haven’t yet read Glossolalia and was still able to keep up with the action.
I wholeheartedly give this book ten out of ten stars! Not only is it entertaining but also a commentary on the current political climate. Remember to Recycle speaks volumes on the effects of social engineering through the manipulation of mass beliefs. Themes of fascism, intel, propaganda, fake news, and questionable regime change plots makes this a must-read for mystery lovers and conspiracy theorists alike.
Tantra Bensko has a bright future ahead!
By Erin Thorp on September 7, 2017
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review.
Glossolalia was an unexpectedly engaging read. As with most self published authors, there are a few aspects of the book that could be tweaked and improved with the help of a professional editor, things like excessive descriptive words and so on. The more you get into it, the less those things stand out because the story itself is quite complex, well structured, and takes you on a few twists and turns along the way.
Amazon Customer Review
Intriguing,shocking,illuminating!
I read this fascinating book in two sittings. Although, I am not generally a reader of mystery novels, I could not put this one down. Of course, I will restrain from giving away elements of the plot and concentrate instead on certain feelings that arose in this reader.
Ms Bensko takes us into a world whose implications are paralyzingly horrifying, and yet she reveals the details so gently and artfully that we move from intrigue to distress to revulsion (and some relief) through well measured steps. We follow three central female characters of different ages to a remarkable and stunning realization. It starts as an investigation of a possible crime, a breaking of environmental law, and moves into a world-wide underbelly of the unbelievably nefarious and treacherous dealings behind “business as usual” and “things as they are.”
I understand that this is but the first in a series of novels in which Ms Bensko explores and exposes a “fictitious” network of deceit she entitles “the agents of the Nevermind.” I hope that is so because I would love to learn more and more about this “Nevermind” as she conceives it. What a concept! Just let it work in your imagination for a moment. Of what might the “Nevermind” consist, of what not? It is a whole complex of the misunderstandings, lies, machinations by which we have been manipulated since... well, when? These agents and the term Nevermind” are only the most recent incarnation. It involves everything from accepted religion, the mythologies behind such, the bureaucratic workings of Globalism, the individual enslavement of individuals and families. It is fascinating, absolutely, and, alas, a metaphor for a network of greed and deceit I fear is all too real.
Amazon Review
A book so unique, you won't be able to put it down
Tantra Bensko creates a powerful, unique and one of a kind narrative in her book 'Glossolalia' and it is so beautifully crafted that I haven't read anything like it in a long long time. This is a book that crosses over one genre to the next and is an amalgamation of many different genres into a one whole intense and action-packed narrative. The plot in itself is as intriguing and engaging as it gets, compelling the reader to read on and turn those pages one after the other through its beautifully woven plot. What stands out in the book and makes it special is the conceptualisation of the book, for I am sure the storyline and treatment are not that easily found in any novel and therefore this book is a treasure to keep.
The plot is quite an action-packed adventurous ride with events that are fast-paced and as you read on, the different layers of the plot and characters unfurl themselves. Nancy, the protagonist, is quite intricately woven and is a complex character, but at the same time, very relatable. Even other characters have different hues to them and nothing in this book is quite bland. Each and every aspect of the book is well thought of and well-developed and the action in itself will take your breath away. There is nothing lacking in it. Conspiracy, yes. Psychological elements, yes. Intrigue, yes. Suspense, yes. It is a platter full of various ingredients that make the read extremely powerful and suitable for varying tastes. It has something to offer to every reader and that is what makes it an exceptional read. Full accolades for the author on creating such a power-packed book where the reader can completely immerse themselves.
Amazon Review
Glossolalia takes us in a journey with the main character, Nancy, described not only through her eyes but through her mind.
It took me two attempts to finish it, as I wasn't quite used to the structure of the narrative and the plot. Described as a Psychological Suspense book, the first one in the series of the Agents of the Nevermind, Glossolalia takes us in a journey with the main character, Nancy, described not only through her eyes but through her mind and complete thought process.
The character is complex and well developed, there are several layers of the narrative and sometimes differentiating between what she's thinking and remembering (or forgetting, as she also suffers from episodes of amnesia) from what's actually happening can be a bit difficult. There's an agency that has infiltrated society on physical and psychological levels and is using several tactics to dominate society and even program some behavior in people. I've heard some of it before. She fights for her freedom on both levels, in a twisted and fast-paced plot.
To say that Glossolalia is a book that's out the conventional narrative and structure would be an understatement.
Amazon Review
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Something truly different for a change
Glossolalia is complex, unique, quirky, and everything opposite of mundane. This novel is certainly not your average psychological thriller. The protagonist, Nancy, is multi-layered and fascinating, and as we peel away her layers, and those layers of the story, we discover one gem after another. And...I might mention Ms. Tantra Bensko's writing style is innovative and clever. If you want to read a book that transcends the norm, and gives you something to think about long after you've finished it, you need to read this one.
Peggy Wheeler - author Raven's Daughter
Amazon Review
A beautiful young woman with a quirky habit
In Glossolalia we follow the story of Nancy, a young beautiful woman who has a quirky characteristic: she suffers from amnesiac fugues that leave her mind empty of memories but a room full of evidence of what happened. Soon, new characters enter the scene, intertwining in what seems to be a series of random and unrelated events.
It all starts with Nancy risking her life to decipher what seems to be the illegal disposal of a dangerous poison and deciding to report it to the authorities. The problem is, the person she has to turn in is her own uncle, who she depends upon for a lifetime supply of medication. But Nancy has a feeling deep inside her, telling her that things are not what they seem and that she needs to go through with it for her own sake.
The action in this book starts in the first sentence and does not stop until the last one. Things are happening all the time at a pace you can hardly keep up with. But I have to say: I knew things were happening continuously, I just didn’t know WHAT was happening for the first eighteen chapters – out of a total of twenty-five.
Facts are thrown at you non-stop, you meet people, you hear what they are thinking, how they are feeling and you just keep asking yourself “what is going on?”. But from the very first moment, I was able to connect with the main character, feeling her desperation as if it were my own.
The plot simply has everything: suspense, twists, fantasy, politics, brain-washing and even a bit of romance. It is a rich mixture of genres, difficult to typecast, and it honors each one of them. Hand in hand with our protagonist, we discover bit by bit the odd things that are part of her life, and we feel her struggle with herself, we suffer the frustration she suffers.
In Glossolalia nothing seems to make sense for a very good part of the book, but then…it happens. You start finding meaning in the little details, putting two and two together, seeing the connections between it all. And before you know it, you have it right in front of you: an intricate story where nothing is left to chance, filled with complex characters and with the most disturbing explanation. A plot where everyone plays their part and no one seems to be on Nancy’s side.
At first, I felt that the ending had fallen short. We find out the reason behind Nancy’s uncomfortable existence and it all seems to fall into place. But I wasn’t satisfied with the end, I needed more. That’s when I confirmed my suspicion that this is the first book of a series and that, luckily, there is more to come.
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Amazon Review
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This has been the most interesting work of fiction that I have read this year. The development of the main character kept me in suspense the entire time. The narrative of this story shines a light into the darkest corners of toxic waste disposal. Bensko is a consummate wordsmith and a writers' writer. I am looking forward to the sequel.
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Amazon Review
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An enriching book, fascinating and engrossing, I could not put it down
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Based on the title, I was sure this book would be impactful and a great read and the book exceeded my expectations. The cover itself provided some hint of what lay inside - a mysterious chessboard of intrigue reflecting the unusual mental universe at play in the main characters consciousness.
The main character, Nancy, starts off with a pang of conscience, hungry to take meaningful action against the system she's found herself part of. Yet, her unique situation makes what might otherwise be a simple scenario much more complex and multi-layered. Interesting themes of mind control, secret organizations, occult capabilities, esoteric locks, multiple personalities and covert plots began to emerge as I continued to read.
"Just one more chapter, then I'll go to bed" I found myself saying several times over the course of the two night period required to read the book. It was an engrossing read, and quite interesting, reminding me of the multi-layered nature of the deepest mysteries dark and vast that populate our world and the world of imagination, which provides a rich tapestry of content here sure to satisfy anyone who longs for a more adventurous read that will stoke the fires of imagination. I highly recommend the book, and gave my copy away to my brother, to pass on when he has finished reading it. I'm looking forward to future work in the Agents of the Nevermind series. Based on Volume 1, the rest of the series will be required reading, and I look forward to seeing where Tantra goes next in this journey of imagination and suspense.
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Amazon Review
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Thanksgiving and Christmas or this delicious confection ?
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I haven't finished reading this enthralling novel but it draws in mind the sort of off-the-wall characters and situations that have long attracted me to the writing of Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams. (Yeah, I know: I have a rather limited interest in literature). The initial blast of context on the first page took me by surprise (I don't know what I was expecting) and as I have been reading, I find I am turning each page with "WTF will happen next ?" puzzlement and anticipation. Now if I can only find some time to hide away from the family during this holiday season and finish consuming this delicious morsel....
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Amazon Review
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a young beautiful woman who has a quirky characteristic
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In Glossolalia we follow the story of Nancy, a young beautiful woman who has a quirky characteristic: she suffers from amnesiac fugues that leave her mind empty of memories but a room full of evidence of what happened. Soon, new characters enter the scene, intertwining in what seems to be a series of random and unrelated events.
It all starts with Nancy risking her life to decipher what seems to be the illegal disposal of a dangerous poison and deciding to report it to the authorities. The problem is, the person she has to turn in is her own uncle, who she depends upon for a lifetime supply of medication. But Nancy has a feeling deep inside her, telling her that things are not what they seem and that she needs to go through with it for her own sake.
The action in this book starts in the first sentence and does not stop until the last one. Things are happening all the time at a pace you can hardly keep up with. But I have to say: I knew things were happening continuously, I just didn’t know WHAT was happening for the first eighteen chapters – out of a total of twenty-five.
Facts are thrown at you non-stop, you meet people, you hear what they are thinking, how they are feeling and you just keep asking yourself “what is going on?”. But from the very first moment, I was able to connect with the main character, feeling her desperation as if it were my own.
The plot simply has everything: suspense, twists, fantasy, politics, brain-washing and even a bit of romance. It is a rich mixture of genres, difficult to typecast, and it honors each one of them. Hand in hand with our protagonist, we discover bit by bit the odd things that are part of her life, and we feel her struggle with herself, we suffer the frustration she suffers.
In Glossolalia nothing seems to make sense for a very good part of the book, but then…it happens. You start finding meaning in the little details, putting two and two together, seeing the connections between it all. And before you know it, you have it right in front of you: an intricate story where nothing is left to chance, filled with complex characters and with the most disturbing explanation. A plot where everyone plays their part and no one seems to be on Nancy’s side.
At first, I felt that the ending had fallen short. We find out the reason behind Nancy’s uncomfortable existence and it all seems to fall into place. But I wasn’t satisfied with the end, I needed more. That’s when I confirmed my suspicion that this is the first book of a series and that, luckily, there is more to come.
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Amazon Review
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Glossolalia is set in a world close to our own, but with a few extra conspiracies.
Sex! Murder! Conspiracies! This novel has it all, and it comes at the reader non-stop. There's no chance to catch your breath and it's hard to put down. So there's that. Social engineering is an interesting topic, especially in today's crazed socio-political climate. The protagonist is a kickass lady who doesn't take shit from anyone.
Amazon Review
Best book i have purchased so far and i love reading this book
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Best book i have purchased so far and i love reading this book. I was introduce to the book in my literature class and i glad bought one for myself best on Amazon so far.
Amazon Review
Extremely Innovative And Thrilling!
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This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Being an ardent reader of psychology, the title and description of the book caught my eye and set my expectations to a high level and I was not one bit disappointed. It in fact, exceeded anything I had expected.
The book is fast paced, and has a lot of suspense. It revolves around the idea of the protagonist having subconscious influences in her actions and various aspects of her life. I personally enjoyed analyzing the protagonist the most. She has a very interesting personality and has a lot of layers to her. As the story progresses, different layers of her personality are peeled back.
I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone that enjoys a good thrill, especially if you're interested in psychology. Hats off for the creativity.
Amazon Review
Very exciting thrilling and suspenseful!
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I've always been interested in suspense and thriller one. This book, however, gave a new point of view, from the side that I have not heard much about. Love the action and intrigue from start until ending. I found it to be so great to read.
Amazon Review
Interesting Book
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Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense (The Agents of the Nevermind Book 1) by Tantra Bensko is a wholly unique and ambitious book. The plot centers around Nancy who works for her uncle who sells poisons that kill animals and humans alike. Nancy is an interesting character and often doesn't sleep well, sleepwalking and doing random things. She is highly unpredictable and not altogether likeable. Her uncle works for an organization called Nevermind, who purchases the poison XXX from him; this organization also controls Nancy to an extent. With that confusing premise, some of the story line is a little hard to follow. While Nancy is not completely understandable, the plot is good and convoluted, and makes the reader pay attention. This book does take risks with tone and cadence in the story, especially with the calculated use of language, in particular slang, and for that reason, may be more appealing to some than others.
Amazon Review
Great for fans of bizarro and paranormal fiction!
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Really great for people who don't like to conform to any one genre with their reading. There's a lot to offer with this book, and I really enjoyed that it was similar to works that I'd read, but only nominally. It's a really original story and I don't like giving things away, but it's got cool mystery and spy and thriller overtones with codebreaking and lots of other fun.
Amazon Review
Glossolalia is an out of the Park Home Run
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I stared the 2 book series by Tantra Bensko of The Agents of the Nevermind in reverse reading Book 2 first, Remember to Recycle: Psychological Suspense and then Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense (The Agents of the Nevermind) (Volume 1).
Glossolalia seems like a completely new story line reading them in this way.
The unveiling of the lead Character Nancy’s complete psyche presents itself early on in this edition which gives insight into her later development in Book 2. This early reveal gives you a clearer vision of the inevitable split of her character in the series ahead.
Reading in reverse is almost like meeting her character later in life and learning her story over time, as we all do when getting to know someone new in our lives as an adult.
Nancy starts out normal enough with her part time job, apartment and passion for the environment considering she is working at a large pesticide company. You later learn her position there was not exactly one of choice but inevitable circumstance.
She quickly develops into a roaming sleuth of sorts as she realizes she may be innocently involved in a potential complex criminal conspiracy and yearns to unveil it and condemn the major master minds to their demise.
The unveiling of her obsessive-compulsive behavior, strange daily pills & alcoholic tendency allows you to grasp the effects of ones’ upbringing on their future, as her thoughts mirror her memories.
The way she is drawn into the political environment in the book, gives way to the understanding how mass theories and cult activities evolve.
Nancy’s array of personalities starts to unravel indicative of her mental state brought on by her past buried secrets and gives the reader more gateways to a constant stream of variances in the characters that appear.
This book constant changes in direction lead the reader on a path that makes one need to continue the journey to find out where the writer is leading them.
Adding in the mix of character building of a complex individual with the evolution of the collusion she is involved in throughout, evokes substantial interest in finding out where Nancy herself will end up.
As her enumerable splits in personality are brought to light, the story quickly moves fast forward into a barrage of intertwined, devious control operations, delivered from deep within the Nevermind group promising a bumpy chaotic ride for Nancy and reader alike.
The pages are also dashed with some playful sexuality as well as doses of provocative innuendo of disturbing nature without being blatantly raunchy in description.
This myriad of intrigue is captivating and fresh as Bensko paints a picture that causes deep reflection and while bizarre, is also not completely unrealistic in concept, to think this could not take place in today’s world or future one.
This book and the following edition are both winners and I am left wondering when the movie version will come out and who could possibly play Nancy.
She has an uncanny ability to throw a seemingly random phrase out that can magically describe a feeling better than any adjectiv, May 13, 2017
By
Verified Purchas
This review is from: Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense (The Agents of the Nevermind Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
WOW! What an interesting novel. From the get-go you the entire novel feels eerie and mysterious. I had no idea where it would take me.
Bensko is so descriptive in everything she writes. She has an uncanny ability to throw a seemingly random phrase out that can magically describe a feeling better than any adjective. This feels akin to JD Salinger, where you think you were the only person who live the world that way, but here it is, written as an analogy in a book you’d never thought you’d find.
The story was...offputting at times, which I think Bensko was going for. As a reader you’re constantly questioning the character’s relationship with her uncle and what shady things are going on behind the scenes. The entire beginning of the book had me questioning whose team I was on...if there were teams..and if I even liked Nancy.
The book consistently had this underlying sexual tensions. Furthermore, the suspense brought me to keep flipping pages. I had to know what was going on!
What I found greatest was all the fun conspiracies that Bensko built the novel on. The story line felt so current! I can easily see many readers catching onto this book and having fun connecting it to our political times now and ahead. There were moments where I couldn’t figure out when she had written the novel, because it seems I had read similar news just that day!
The novel is a little violent, a little sexual, and a little frightening. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids! As an adult I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The author does a wonderful job with providing details and giving great information about ...
By Kim Bon May 16, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This is a grab your seat and hold on type of suspense book. Never knowing where you will end up until the very end. The author does a wonderful job with providing details and giving great information about the locations and places. Really making this story feel real and possible to the reader. You really become involved with the main character Nancy right from the start as you follow her from her office to a car chase. I found that with each new chapter I just had to continue reading this one and was unable to set the book down reading it late into the night just to finish. Tantra Bensko does an amazing job of really bringing this story together and making the reader feel pulled in. I found that I really can’t wait until the next book and find out what happens next.
By kathy on May 19, 2017
This book was a good book it gave me on the edge of my seat.
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting suspense got to read
By jayne on May 20, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
I received the book for free and voluntarily reviewed. This is a grab a friend and read together suspense as I never knew what to expect with each page I turned. I felt like I was in the story and had a hard time putting it down.
By Connie Leapon May 24, 2017
Very unusual fantasy world of politics.
thrilling and so much going on
By D. S. Atkinsonon May 29, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This is a captivating and complex book, thrilling and so much going on. There are so many connections running, it's hard to imagine they could work out in time. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.
5.0 out of 5 starsYou won't want to miss this one!
By Chelsey McQuittyon May 29, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Whenever I find a book that combines a little thrill with a lot of abnormal psychology, I am usually drawn in straight away. This novel does just that and then some. I love the main character Nancy who is quite out of the ordinary. Her unpredictable nature and odd quirks make her a true star in this book. I can’t wait to see if this story is continued just to see what she does next.
The writing itself is a lot of fun to read and will have you on your toes. There’s so much going on that I had to go back and reread at times, but it was well worth it just to understand the story. I love the author’s writing style because I don’t think I’ve ever come across writing quite like it before. The unique voice combined with the material of the story make this a book a read you won’t want to miss out on.
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun suspense thriller
By Jimmy rayon June 1, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I was very interested in this story. There are multiple storylines all intertwined into a great tale of action involving knife fights, poison, and suspense throughout. I finished this book quickly. I found I couldn't put it down. I just had to see what happens next. Grab your sear and prepare for a grand adventure. This story will have you asking yourself did that really just happen. Very enjoyable read.
Three stories mixed into one and nicely written
By Ivan Hecimovicon June 2, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
When I first started reading Glossolalia, a novel written by Mrs. Tantra Bensko I did not think that the novel will contain any fantasy elements. And another thing that just never crossed my mind is that the novel will be a great mixture of “real world’’ and imaginary world.
We have a woman named Nancy. She seems just like any other- ‘normal’, everyday woman with everyday life and everyday problems. As I say, at first the novel looked like just another psychological thriller (not that that is a bad thing) with several characters with complicated past. But thankfully there is a lot more going on.
Nancy works for her uncle, who sells all kinds of poisons with which soil, flora, fauna and even air are polluted. But that is just the beginning. We also have a mysterious organization that sells those poisons to people and control them. How is that connected with our main protagonist? Well this is something that each reader needs to find for himself, because this review is spoiler-free.
How exactly do fantasy world, a huge bird (well flamingo) which is also a god-like figure, a pollution of the world, a mysterious woman and a secret organization, have in common? Yes, Glossolalia is a bit complicated read to read but that only adds more to the overall quality of the novel. Also, the novel is not too long or too short, which means that the author succeeded into completing her story (or all three of them) into less than 300 pages. Very impressive and also great job.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absorbing with awesome characters
By Romuald Dzemoon June 2, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense is the first entry in The Agents of the Nevermind series by Tantra Bensko, a book that features wonderful characters. Encounter the unleash of agents that could control the minds of the population, a female protagonist who slips in and out of amnesia, and a power that could alter the fate of an entire nation.
I found the idea behind this novel to be unique and original and the author has executed it with brilliance and great creativity. The story has surprising twists and the reader can’t determine where it would be taking them next. The characters are real. Combining humor with suspense and a great storytelling skill, the author has succeeded to have me captivated throughout the story. I love books that are well-written, absorbing, and fast-paced, and this is one of those.
Glossolalia - Psychological Suspense
By Lennette on June 3, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko takes readers on a suspenseful and sometimes horrifying journey through the evil of mind control. Nancy is an innocent young lady working in her uncle’s toxic chemical company. For the most part her life is mundane, and even mysterious, as she sometimes loses time and has no idea if she has been dreaming or suffering from bouts of amnesia.
Follow Nancy on her journey as she unravels the shadows of her mind through music once she stops taking the mood altering pills that her uncle provides to her free of charge. She realizes that she has a very disturbing past and finds out that she is a key figure in the quest to help keep the balance of power in the world. This is a very interesting and mind boggling read, to say the least, and it reminded me of the movie Sybil in many ways.
After reading it the idea of church evangelists, government, the entertainment industry, and cults working together does not seemed so farfetched. The book was a bit confusing to me in the beginning but I decided to stick with it to see where it would go. It turned out to be an interesting mix of youthful innocence, evil, murder, greed, and newfound love.
By the last page I was really into the thrill of the story as Nancy risked everything to right the wrongs of a diabolical organization. Readers who like suspense, danger, and the idea of mind control will enjoy this book. The cover is very colorful and busy, but it portrays the characters in the book very well. I am definitely looking forward to a sequel because Glossolalia has a cliffhanger of an ending that begs for another chapter in Nancy’s life.
By Kristine Fisher on June 5, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Glossolalia by Tantra Bensko is billed as psychological suspense with an abstract art cover and takes place in a world sated by disillusioning pills and complex forms of surreal entertainment. It begins in an office environment during non-specific, mildly dystopic, spectulative future at a business called D-CIDE among a sisterly office pool. D-CIDE creates animal poisons/repellants that are allegedly used for untraceable human homicidal purposes (the main ingredient, XXX, immediately makes me think of the Joker's Secret Ingredient X). A lead character, Nancy, works there for her Uncle Geoff.
She also relies on a mood-enhancing pill called Jolly West - it gives her a feeling of confidence (like being attractive in the eyes of her office crush, Julio) and keeps bad memories at bay. Her karate partner, Alyssa, informs her about governmental, CIA-level projects to hide the pollution/contamination of corporate businesses and entities. The narration then moves onto Emily (a child spy savant who smuggles/transfers XXX for the evangelical reverend Crank) and Angela (a pleasure girl at a hotel where she is able to poison people in opposition to Crank's cause). We eventually learn that the title relates to an invented Elizabethan religious language called Enochian, which Emily has learned and uses to program people's thoughts. This leads to a big plot twist around the 3/4 mark that makes all the arrows & margin notes on my written review seem logical, before ending on a cheerful, yet vindictive note, then streamlining to fully end on a sudden, noggin-scratching note.
5.0 out of 5 stars Exposing Social Engineering through the Instrument of Awakened Literary Consciousness
By Scarlett Jensen on June 5, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Tantra Bensko teaches fiction writing with UCLA Extension Writing Program, Writers.com, Writers College, and Tantra Bensko’s Online Writing Academy. She has an MA from FSU and an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. She has several other books of a Literary nature put out by a variety of publishers, two hundred stories and novelettes and nearly one hundred poems in magazines and anthologies. She has a website about the types of real-world topics addressed in the Nevermind series called The Engineering of Society and it includes:
Suspense, Conspiracy, Occult, Political and Spy Thrillers, Gothic Tale, Science Fantasy and Alternative History. Some characters recur in multiple books. Each book explores a different aspect of social engineering and the heroism of recognizing, resisting, and exposing it.
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues, according to linguists, is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables that lack any readily comprehended meaning, in some cases as part of religious practice in which it is believed to be a divine language unknown to the speaker.
The author's work takes place in the same world as Glossolalia, book in the Nevermind series, which is basically this our own, but with this difference: the Agents of the Nevermind became part of the Intelligence community in the late 1980s, and the U.S. President ushering in the Occult Revival, making some changes to the society, as described in the Alternate History novel, Giant Jack, which is the prequel.
In the prequel, Giant Jack, in the 1980s and ‘90s, a scattered and hidden rural southern family finds a way to survive by medical subterfuge. Jack’s yearnings take him from the alleyways of New Orleans through the circus to BLM land in California where a cult begins that changes the world. This novel is based on the real history of Human Growth Hormone as well as Theosophy as a function of espionage through hoaxes that led to the beliefs many people have today. The Agents manipulate the public through propagandistic popular media, mind control, and the occult.
What is Glossolalia about:
Nancy can only keep a job at her uncle Geoff’s pesticide company, because she has amnesiac fugues, and she’s addicted to the drugs he gives her to stave off strange visions, which present themselves almost like surreal memories. When she sees a crime happening at the company, she has the choice to risk her job and life in order to turn him in. But there’s a big catch.
Her pursuit of a waste truck carrying away a poison legally deemed too toxic to dump leads her to a world of political intrigue, occult practices, shocking revelations, and her own involvement in layer after layer of a conspiracy.
It’s about the need to become authentic, and the power of determined individuals to transform themselves and the world. The series is about the heroism of recognizing, resisting, and exposing social engineering.
What inspired the author to write the book?
She feels empathy for people who have gone through trauma induced by US intelligence agencies, for the agents, and sometimes, they are one and the same.
Nancy is a sympathetic character who cares about the environment and wants to do the right thing, though she struggles, like many people, with being forced to take a job that bothers her conscience.The characters in the book could be based on real people.They aren’t portrayals of specific individuals but they’re influenced greatly by reality: the globe-trotting politically connected evangelist, the businessman with a conflict of interest, a president of a country trying to get off the dollar standard, the manipulative handler, the YouTube activist. The pills Nancy takes illegally are called Jolly Wests. That’s a nod to the famous MKULTRA doctor of that name.
Part of getting an MA involved teaching in labs, which the author had already done in high school, well prepared her to teach at FSU while studying. She then simply applied to Memphis State and taught years there before teaching at Iowa while she got her MFA. She was happy to be offered the teaching jobs while studying and to be accepted to the application to the instructorship in Tennessee. It was a simple process to be accepted every place she applied, possibly largely because the people hiring her liked reading her publications, and maybe they were also impressed by the number of them.
She never wanted her path to be academic straight though, partly because that wouldn’t let her live a varied enough life to write deeply in the way she wanted. It was a long time before she applied to online teaching jobs and again. The quality of her writing and her reputation in the Innovative Fiction scene as well as the classes she proposed in experimental fiction, which was not being taught much, propelled her career forward.
She attained a MA in English from FSU and MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop. Getting my early teaching jobs rested partially on my good grades throughout school, publications, reference letters from impressed professionals, and the quality of my writing. Having those jobs in tow and letters from pleased superiors, I could apply to the online schools. Being a consistent teacher students got a lot out propelled her forward from job to job, as well as continuing to be published and do a lot online to promote literary awareness.
She lives the kind of life expected of a writing instructor to obtain and keep a job: participating in panels such as at the &Now Festival of Writing, winning honors here and there, guest editing a magazine and putting out her own magazine as well as a resource site about experimental fiction and publishing people’s chapbooks, doing readings locally and at conferences. She continues to get work out to the public, with hundreds of short stories as well as other genres in magazines and anthologies.
Her love for helping students also ignite their passion for writing and appreciation for a wide variety of genres: She studied them all to be prepared for anything a student might write. She is trilled by the success of her students does not pay attention to the rhythms of the words but instead engenders their musicality. It’s subtle and she wouldn’t want to override it. She gets up and dances regularly when writing fiction, to silence. She hears the music in her head of the plot arc, how the audience should feel at a certain moment. She acts out the characters, scenes, the mood of what comes next.
Who reads her books?
The author attracts people with interests related to books such as Conspiracy Fiction, Barry Eisler, Psychological Thriller Novels. In her work the author rises awareness of indie publishing and movie production to allow for a new paradigm of spy novels that flip the old default good guy – US intelligence VS bad guy formula. If America turns into a dystopia would she want drugs to anesthetize her or would she stay sober and fight?
The author is a fighter for change and through her work fights for literary awareness, where her product is a teaching in itself...........you find out.
Scarlett Jensen
4 June 2017
Engaging but a bit hard to follow at times
By Robin Surface on June 13, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This book was a little hard to follow in the beginning, not only because of the weird light color of the text, but because it didn't make a lot of sense and jumped around a lot. I think maybe the author was trying to give the reader a sense of what the character is going through, but it maybe lost a little of its effectiveness because the reader doesn't become aware of what the character is going through until much later in the story.
I'm glad I stuck with this story, because it eventually it gelled and things came together to make an interesting story once I figured out what was going on.
The romantic interest needs a little work. It kind of goes from the main character liking to look at the guy when he comes into the office to them "being in love" in like one day. That could use a little work to make it more believable. I suspect he's actually something more than he appears and we'll find that out in the next book.
The overall concept of the book is good and with a bit of polishing I think it could be really great. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book.
By Archie on June 15, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense is a fiction based on conspiracies, secrets and suspense. The main character Nancy is on the journey to find the secret, but what she finds is dark and scary. The character of Nancy is not much likeable, not perfect and confusing at first, but as you drill into the story it starts connecting. This may be a little negative for some, but if you stick to the book long enough it will eventually grab your attention.
Though the story is suspenseful but also highlight issues of corruption in politics, religion and business with twisted events.
5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting Ride from Page to Page
ByK. Hoffman on June 15, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Tantra Bensko's Glossolalia: Psychological Suspense is definitely deserving of the genre. Its lead character is complex and likable enough that I found myself rooting her on. Nancy discovers that her Uncle is poisoning the environment and is enraged. Even though Nancy is uncovering the truth she’s plagued by delusions, forgetfulness, paranoia, and doubt. Bensko introduces just enough suspense to have the reader second guessing if the actions happened or not. It’s those moments of questioning that kept me glued to each page. In fact I read this book in only two days time.
There were a few scenes at the farm where animals were killed. They were a little difficult to read but helped to emphasize the desperate situation. The book was action packed and included enough about the characters to make them interesting. I appreciated that Bensko didn’t spend a huge amount of time on passive narration, instead the plot was laid out action by action. The suspense builds up steadily until the climactic ending. This is not one of those books that creates drama only to have a disappointing ending. Bensko ended the story in a fitting way, leaving us wanting more.
Even though Nancy is the clear lead, The Agents of Nevermind are creepy enough to give someone nightmares. They also made me wonder what nefarious activities our own government is up to. I mean, who doesn’t love a good conspiracy story? Bensko knows how to create an interesting, suspenseful story. I look forward to reading the next installment.
By Stacy on December 4, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This book was enjoyable, but there is a LOT going on to keep up with. It's got a lot of conspiracy stuff, coupled with an unreliable main character that sometimes made it a bit hard to follow. That being said, it is book 1 of a series, and I expect as it goes the characters will be more and more thought out and real. I do enjoy suspense/thriller books, and this fit the bill. I liked it, but I had to reread things sometimes, or go back and check on something. If you want to invest in a good psychological suspense series, go for it.
5.0 out of 5 stars Glossolalia reads like addictive mind control!
ByJ Mon March 14, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
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I sense author Tantra Bensko uses hypnotic phrases, either consciously or unconsciously, that makes the reader addicted to reading these pages. In fact, by the end of reading this outstanding suspense novel I was like a happy mind control victim!! It’s almost as if while you are going vicariously on the journey that the lead character – the intriguing Nancy – goes on, your mind enters a similar complex psychological state to the character. By the end, it actually feels as if a neurological Pandora’s Box occurs and you barely even remember what day it is or your own name. Wow, what a unique literary experience this book is.
The entire premise of Glossolalia, and all the intricacies of this “fictional” story, reads like non-fiction – albeit a reality many mainstream readers might naively assume is not reality based. But it is and Tantra is obviously very well-researched. Virtually all of the subjects covered are Wikileaks-style truths such as Western nations controlling vulnerable Third World nations, the CIA and other intelligence agencies purposefully creating multiple personalities in some agents, illegal sex rings of the Elite, etc, etc. The reality-based story not only makes it all the more powerful, but it also means the reader is educated along the way…not in a laborious manner or dry fashion, but this book simply teaches you little known and shocking facts in an organic fashion as you experience the intense story.
Nancy discovers she is part of a major conspiracy involving an occult-based secret order called the Nevermind and even finds out her traumatic past has been influenced by the ruthless agents of the Nevermind. In the end, the truth about her kaleidoscopic past, and the Nevermind agency itself which has infiltrated every aspect of the U.S. Government, all comes to a head in dramatic fashion.
I also like how this is full of all the usual suspense you expect from a thriller, but told with rich, poetic language that paints images in your mind. Glossolalia is a good mix of commercial and literary fiction and if ever turned into a film it would be one of those rare Hollywood blockbusters that has all the excitement but told in an indie/arthouse style that challenges audiences. JAMES MORCAN
5.0 out of 5 starsa real page turner that will have you reading between the lines of every news report...
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ByChristl R. Perkinson May 26, 2018
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Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
I have read a lot of conspiracy thrillers back in the day, mostly Robert Anton Wilson’s stuff and Pynchon, but I got bored. Then came Tantra Bensko and Glossolalia re-igniting my interest in psychological suspense. I love Tantra’s style combining chick-lit with conspiracy and psychological suspense -- definitely makes for real page-turner. I agree with one reviewer that commented that it reminded him of Tom Robbins and Phillip K. Dick. I love the protagonist, Nancy, because she is not the typical hero of this genre. I highly recommend this book as well as Remember to Recycle (the next book in this series) and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series as well Tantra’s other works. Be careful -- there is a lot of reality in this fiction and this novel will have you reading between the lines of every news report…
Instant Death — Poison Profits — Lost Time and Forgotten Memories: Glossolalia has it all
By eclecticCritiques on August 24, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Glossolalia will read with BANG replacing adverbs and adjectives, using action powered verbs. Crescendo pace, mid to three-quarters through the book, as Nancy’s memory, off Jolly Wests, fed her by Uncle Geoff Buzner—a man with thick skin covering his red, square, pock jawed face with a personality to match— gets a lot clearer.
Glossolalia is the story of Nancy (a type of Candy Jones); her struggle to recapture lost time and forgotten memories. Her intent, to expose and stop Uncle Geoff…his illegal dumping XXX, instant death ingested—a couple of hours after skin exposure, so toxic the chemical.
Poison profits support Nancy after her parents death(?) and she lives with Uncle Geoff until 19. She develops a consciousness. Now she’s 33 and on a mission.
~G~
Glossolalia is a creative story unmasking the deep state | shadow government and D.C.s corruption spreading to private industry and through the church door.
Novel could read smoother, faster by tightening the story and adjusting inconsistency in timelines. Still,
****stars for Bensko's Intent: (1) raising awareness about Nevermind, her fantasy government agency spawned from the CIA. Kudos for this. (2) her extensive and mentally exhaustive research into the deep | shadow government. Gratitude.
