Elias is an unreliable narrator, but not in the traditional "deceptive" sense. He is a man desperately trying to be of "sound mind" while his environment gasps for air. Reyes explores the stigma of mental health through a dark fantasy lens, suggesting that the "restraints" society places on the neurodivergent are often more hellish than the visions themselves. Why It’s Topping the Charts
The prose is dense and rhythmic, forcing you to slow down and experience the same agonizing hyper-awareness as the protagonist. Every floorboard creak is treated with the gravity of a gunshot, and every whispered doubt feels like a betrayal. Themes of Sanity and Agency infernal restraintsof sound mind riley reyes
What sets Riley Reyes apart from contemporary horror writers is a refusal to rely on cheap jump scares. Instead, Infernal Restraints of Sound Mind builds tension through "sonic horror." The way Reyes describes sound—or the absence of it—creates a visceral reaction in the reader. Elias is an unreliable narrator, but not in