The Phantom Beast

By Kevin Gordon Broas

Jake's best friend should be dead.

Buried underground for nine days, Johnny somehow survives. But when he returns, he sees strands of light woven through reality itself and insists that what people call "real" is not what it seems. Jake tells himself Johnny must be losing his mind. Until impossible things start happening to him too.

"Blends ideas from Carlos Castaneda, A Course in Miracles, and Stranger Things." - Amazon Reviewer

As Johnny pulls Jake, Brooke, and Emma deeper into the truth, the boundaries between dreams and reality begin to collapse. Watsonville no longer feels safe. School feels different. Home feels wrong. Even the people they've known all their lives seem oblivious to the danger around them. Beneath their quiet town, something terrifying has noticed them. It flickers in the shadows, whispers in their minds, and waits for them to remember.

At first, Johnny's discoveries are exhilarating: strange and beautiful worlds, unseen forces, and a hidden reality that bends to those who can truly see. But every revelation changes Johnny. The deeper Johnny goes, the more consumed he becomes. Jake begins to realize he may not be trying to save his best friend... He may be watching him disappear.

Because seeing too much changes you.
And once you notice the truth, there's no way to stop seeing.

A COMPLETE, REALITY-BENDING FANTASY TRILOGY
RECOVERED FROM THE JOURNALS OF AN UNNAMED BOY
Jake and Johnny begin as ordinary teenagers who learn they can bend reality itself. It emerges in small, quiet ways, then in ways that are impossible to hide. But each step deeper raises the same question: if reality bends to you, how do you know what's still real? This is a story about fractured friendships, obsessive curiosity, and what happens when someone you love becomes unrecognizable. It is a dark fantasy thriller about the terrifying consequences of seeing too much.

What Readers Are Saying:
"The writing alone makes it unforgettable." - Reedsy Discovery
"Wildly imaginative, mind-blowing, and vividly immersive. What a rush " - Travis Borne Reviews
"Beautiful, eerie, and unsettling in the best way. Extraordinary." - The Page Ladies Book Club
"Completely swept me off my feet." - Goodreads Reviewer

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F6XNKT25
• ISBN13: 9798313106441
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"