Tag: horror

Book Review: Filaments by KZK

Categories Dark Fiction, Horror, noir, psychological thriller, Surreal FictionLeave a Comment on Book Review: Filaments by KZK

Book Details:

Author: KZK
Release Date: 23 September 2025
Series:
Genre: Horror, Body Horror, Psychological Thriller, Eco-Horror
Format: E-book 
Pages: 215 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
When Thea returns to her quiet Minnesota hometown, she expects to confront her mother’s erratic behavior. Instead, she finds herself tangled in a chilling mystery: two men have vanished without a trace, and whispers of prejudice and paranoia ripple through the community.
As Thea digs deeper, secrets buried in the bog begin to surface. Family lies, hidden forces, and small-town grudges collide in a suspenseful story where survival means uncovering the truth before it consumes her.
Fans of Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and dark rural thrillers will be gripped by Filaments — a haunting tale of disappearances, betrayal, and the dangerous threads that bind us together.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Filaments by KZK is the kind of uneasy read that creeps into your bloodstream and refuses to leave. It is a richly atmospheric eco-horror story that blends fungal body horror, grief, myth, and psychological tension into a narrative that feels intimate as well as deeply unsettling. From the very first chapter, author KZK establishes a voice that is confident, immersive, and unafraid to linger in discomfort, and that is precisely what makes this book so compelling.

At the heart of the story is Thea, a protagonist shaped by loss, guilt, and unanswered questions surrounding her mother’s death. As she searches for the truth, the natural world around her begins to feel increasingly hostile and alive. The forests, bogs, and soil are not just backdrops but active participants in the story. KZK’s treatment of mycelium and fungal networks is particularly striking, as they are used not merely as a horror device, but as a metaphor for inheritance, interconnectedness, and the way trauma spreads invisibly, and relentlessly.

One of the strongest aspects of Filaments is its atmosphere. The writing is lush and tactile; you can feel the damp earth, the creeping tendrils, the oppressive stillness of the bog. The horror here is not loud or gratuitous; it is slow, biological, and psychological. When the body horror does appear, it feels earned and meaningful rather than sensational. This restraint gives the novel its power.

The emotional core of the story is equally strong. Themes of female rage, autonomy, grief, and control are woven seamlessly into the narrative. The relationships, particularly between women, are complex and fraught, adding layers of moral ambiguity that take the book beyond a straightforward horror novel. By the time the story reaches its climax, the tension feels both terrifying and inevitable.

The ending is haunting, resonant, and perfectly suited to the tone of the novel. It does not rush to comfort the reader, nor does it over-explain. Instead, it lingers, much like the filaments themselves.

Overall, Filaments is a standout eco-horror novel that is original, disturbing, and beautifully written. If you enjoy atmospheric horror, fungal or biological themes, and stories that balance emotional depth with genuine unease, this is a book you should not miss.

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Book Review: The Quiet Ones (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER #1) by Adam Fike

Categories crime, Horror, Literary Fiction, noir, psychological thriller, Surreal Fiction, ThrillerLeave a Comment on Book Review: The Quiet Ones (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER #1) by Adam Fike

Book Details:

Author: Adam Fike
Release Date: 19 March, 2021
Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGER
Genre: Literary Horror, Psychological Horror, Crime-Thriller, Noir, Horror
Format: E-book 
Pages: 66 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
SUBURBAN THRILLER. When a young girl goes missing, families fall apart and neighbors grow together with the help of their friendly local serial killer.
PEOPLE MAKING DANGER is a collection of quick, fun, three-act, feature-length stories, full of suspense, surprises and dark humor. All told in the present tense. Like reading a movie.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Adam Fike’s The Quiet Ones is a sinister slice of small-town noir with a macabre twist: neighbors who “grow together” under the shadow of a serial killer. Set in the sleepy but unsettling town of Clearfield Falls, the story layers the ordinary things like funerals, lawn services, and office gossip with the grotesque, where bodies double as fertilizer and everyday people reveal darker impulses. The writing blends dark humor with chilling violence, making the mundane (like mowing lawns or family dinners) feel like it’s always one step away from horror.

What stands out most is the interplay between banality and menace. Characters like Ruth, who hides behind oversized glasses, and Junior, the deceptively gentle gardener, embody the theme that danger doesn’t always roar, sometimes it whispers. Fike’s pacing is cinematic, cutting between suburban kitchens, cemetery burials, and sinister sheds with a rhythm that keeps readers uneasy yet hooked. While the sheer length of descriptive passages and overlapping storylines could overwhelm some readers, the atmosphere is thick, immersive, and undeniably memorable.

Overall, The Quiet Ones succeeds as a dark, satirical portrait of community and complicity. It’s a story that asks unsettling questions about what people are willing to ignore to maintain comfort, and whether monsters are truly outsiders or simply the neighbors we never look at too closely.

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Book Review: We Can’t Tell You: Part III (B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You Book 3) by Josh Martin

Categories Horror, psychological thriller, SupernaturalLeave a Comment on Book Review: We Can’t Tell You: Part III (B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You Book 3) by Josh Martin

Book Details:

Author:  Josh Martin
Release Date: 13 April, 2025
Series: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (Book #3)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Psychological Thriller
Format: E-book 
Pages: 119 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
The terrifying mystery has taken yet another turn. The stakes are higher than ever. Grayson’s running out of time…
It’s a frenetic race to an ending you won’t see coming! The exciting conclusion is finally here.
Buckle up!

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

With Part III, B&G Mystery pushes the series into even darker, more labyrinthine territory, tying together threads of family trauma, supernatural manipulation, and the relentless questioning of what is real. Grayson remains at the center, but the narrative expands to test his endurance (emotionally, physically, and spiritually) as he faces deeper betrayals and revelations.

The atmosphere continues to be the series’ greatest strength. The imagery is often chillingly cinematic: houses that appear and vanish, the eerie pendants that tie characters to forces beyond comprehension, and the grotesque presence of Replicas, which hint at an apocalyptic design far larger than Grayson’s personal struggles. The recurring motifs of rain, sigils, masks, and mirrors take on even heavier symbolic weight, layering the story with mythic resonance.

As with the previous installments, the book does occasionally stumble under its own weight. The dialogue can still feel circular, with characters volleying cryptic half-truths that slow pacing rather than sharpen tension. Some middle chapters linger too long on Grayson’s inner turmoil, repeating questions the reader has already internalized. That said, Part III raises the stakes in ways that make the payoff worthwhile. The climactic confrontations are both grotesque and heartbreaking, a reminder of how personal loss lies at the center of this sprawling supernatural puzzle.

We Can’t Tell You, Part III by Josh Martin delivers a darker, more ambitious continuation of the saga. While it inherits some of the repetition issues from earlier volumes, its atmosphere, symbolism, and devastating emotional core make it a gripping addition. For readers who have followed from Parts I and II, this installment deepens the nightmare in ways that will both unsettle and haunt.

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Book Review: We Can’t Tell You: Part II (B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You Book 2) by Josh Martin

Categories Horror, psychological thriller, SupernaturalLeave a Comment on Book Review: We Can’t Tell You: Part II (B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You Book 2) by Josh Martin

Book Details:

Author:  Josh Martin
Release Date: December 26, 2024
Series: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (Book #2)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Psychological Thriller
Format: E-book 
Pages: 115 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Grayson’s night isn’t over! Can he finally unravel the terrifying mystery that’s taken hold of his small town?

…or will he be another victim?

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The second installment of We Can’t Tell You wastes no time plunging us back into the eerie, shifting landscape where Grayson, Jane, Michael, Sophia, and Brooks remain entangled in a web of rules, betrayals, and realities that seem to fold in on themselves. The narrative opens with disorientation, Michael collapsing, Jane half-explaining, half-withholding, and Grayson struggling against the endless cycle of questions with no answers. From the very first pages, the book continues the claustrophobic dread established in Part I, and amplifies it with a sense of inevitability: the sense that Grayson is not just walking into danger but being deliberately shepherded towards it.

The author excels at atmosphere. The scenes are written with a cinematic eye for horror. The recurring symbols create a thread of mythology that grows darker and more complex as the story unfolds. The introduction of the Superior Entity and the horrifying suggestion of Replicas expands the scope, moving the tale from small-town occult mystery into apocalyptic cosmic horror.

Though I must point out the book’s two persistent weaknesses. First, the dialogue. While the constant volley of questions and evasive non-answers fits the theme of rules and manipulation, the repetition sometimes dulls its impact. Second, the pacing suffers in the middle stretch. While the buildup of symbols, diary clues, and shifting allegiances is fascinating, the narrative occasionally lingers too long on Grayson’s inner monologues, replaying realizations multiple times.

That said, the final act more than redeems the slower middle and, on the whole, We Can’t Tell You, Part II is unsettling, ambitious, and at times overwhelming, but it delivers a rare kind of dread that lingers. It is a compelling, nightmarish descent that fans of psychological and cosmic horror will find both rewarding and unforgettable.

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Book Review: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You by Josh Martin

Categories Horror, Mystery, noir, psychological thriller, Supernatural, Surreal Fiction, Thriller1 Comment on Book Review: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You by Josh Martin

Book Details:

Author: Josh Martin
Release Date: January 27, 2025 
Series: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (Book 1 of 3)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Psychological Thriller
Format: E-book 
Pages: 107 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Have you ever awoken from a deep sleep and still feel like you’re dreaming? A few minutes of confusion is certainly common…..
But what about several months?
Not so common, unfortunately.
One day, not quite a year ago, it happened to me. I couldn’t shake the feeling. I could remember, and not remember, all at the same time.

Confused? Yeah, I was too….
Still am, as a matter of fact.
That one morning changed everything. I mean everything. Nothing could have prepared me for the events that followed.
Prepare yourself….
You’re about to see why.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You by Josh Martin is an ambitious and unsettling thriller that begins in the quiet of a Wisconsin morning but quickly spirals into a labyrinth of déjà vu, cryptic notes, phantom figures, and rules that seem to govern fate itself. Told through the eyes of a seventeen-year-old whose memory and reality keep splintering, the novel places readers in the same disoriented state as its protagonist, never sure whether he is awake, dreaming, or being manipulated by forces beyond comprehension.

The book’s strength lies in its atmosphere. From the very first pages, the story is drenched in dread. The text messages, the mysterious trio in the woods, the near-death experiences at intersections, and the omnipresent feeling of being watched create a constant sense of unease. Symbolism is cleverly threaded throughout, providing narrative cohesion even when the plot itself veers into deliberate chaos.

I must point out that the narrative often undermines itself with repetition. Tension that should build steadily sometimes loops back on itself, making the pacing sag in the middle chapters. Yet when the book works, it works brilliantly. The closing chapters bring together many of the scattered clues and escalate the narrative into cosmic horror, suggesting that the story is not merely about one boy’s fractured reality but about humanity itself being manipulated, collected, and used.

We Can’t Tell You Part 1 is a bold, eerie, and at times brilliant psychological thriller that thrives on atmosphere and symbolism. It is a gripping, confusing, and unforgettable experience that lingers long after the last page, even if the reader is left with more questions than answers.

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Book Review: The Day After: A Day in the Life Series, Book Two by Andrew Masseurs

Categories Dystopian, Horror, Thriller2 Comments on Book Review: The Day After: A Day in the Life Series, Book Two by Andrew Masseurs

Book Details:

Author: Andrew Masseurs
Release Date: May 1, 2024
Series: A Day in the Life series (Book #2)
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Horror, Dystopian
Format: E-book 
Pages: 372 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
CLBC International Book Excellence Gold Award Winner
Dystopian & Apocalyptic Thriller.
“A spell-binding thrill ride, The Day After: A Day in the Life Series, Book Two by Andrew Masseurs will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
They called it, The Vanishing. When the world’s population mysteriously disappeared. Michael Stevenson and his family somehow managed to survive in a world of adversity filled with new strange predatory creatures. Now, in the sequel to the well received novella, A Day in the Life, that reviewers called:

“An unparalleled reading experience.”
“A literary roller coaster that defies expectations.”
“Unputdownable.”
“Impressed is an understatement.”
We will find out what the strange being really meant when it said, “you will probably not survive, Michael Stevenson.” When the world recognises you as a virus. The worst enemy in an existence that wants you dead. Might just be yourself.Join our brave heroine, 14 year old Shelby Frances O’Leary and author, Andrew Masseurs on the adventure of a hazardous, devastating lifetime.
This is…The Day After.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Day After by Andrew Masseurs is the gripping continuation of A Day in the Life by Andrew Masseurs. What I love about this book (and loved it in the first book too) is the fact that Author Andrew brings out not only the physical challenges of surviving in a hostile environment but also the emotional toll it takes on the characters in his writing.

The pacing of the book is exceptionally relentless, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Each chapter unfolds with a new revelation or threat, propelling the story forward with gripping momentum. Author Masseurs’ ability to blend action-packed sequences with introspective moments takes this book to a whole different level.

With its Gold Award-winning narrative and unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking an exhilarating journey into a world of survival, courage, and the enduring power of hope.

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Audiobook Review: A Day in the Life by Andrew Masseurs

Categories Horror, Lancelot Schaubert, Suspense, Thriller3 Comments on Audiobook Review: A Day in the Life by Andrew Masseurs

Author: Andrew Masseurs
Narrator: David Piper
Release Date: October 18, 2023
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Horror, Novella
Series: 
Format: Audiobook
Length: 2 hours and 36 minutes
Publisher: Author’s Republic
Blurb:
Michael awakens to a world where everyone has mysteriously disappeared. Not only must he come to grips with the sudden loss of his family, but he must also survive in a changing, overgrown, perilous earth filled with new predatory creatures while searching for his wife and missing daughter. A Day in the Life for a man on the edge surviving in a dangerous new world.
A gripping suspense, thriller, horror debut novel by author Andrew Masseurs. Superbly narrated by the amazing David Piper.

REVIEW

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A Day in the Life by Andrew Masseurs is a splendid book that will take you on a riveting journey through a world suddenly devoid of human life. From the first moment, the narrative gripped me with its exceptional premise. As the story progresses, the tension only builds up.

Masseurs’ debut novel is a genre-bending blend of suspense, thriller, and horror, skillfully crafted to keep listeners engaged and intrigued throughout. The pacing is expertly executed, with each twist and turn propelling the story forward and leaving you craving more. As Michael embarks on his harrowing quest to find his missing loved ones amidst the chaos, you can’t help but be drawn deeper into the mystery and danger of his world.

What sets this audiobook apart is the brilliant narration by David Piper. His captivating delivery brings the characters to life and immerses you in the eerie atmosphere of the post-apocalyptic world. Piper’s ability to convey the protagonist’s emotions and struggles adds depth and intensity to the story.

Overall, A Day in the Life is a gripping audiobook that delivers on every front. With its compelling storytelling, exceptional narration, and spine-tingling atmosphere, it’s a must-listen for fans of suspense and post-apocalyptic fiction.

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Book Review: Beast: Book One by Emma Roberson

Categories Fantasy, Horror, Monster FictionLeave a Comment on Book Review: Beast: Book One by Emma Roberson

Book Details:

Author: Emma Roberson 
Release Date: September 13, 2023
Series:
Genre: Moster Fiction, Fantasy, Horror
Format: E-book 
Pages: 220 pages
Publisher: Green Hill Publishing
Blurb:
FORCED FROM THE SEA HE ONCE ROAMED AS AN APEX PREDATOR, THE LEVIATHAN MUST FIGHT TO SURVIVE ON LAND.
With a new face and name the Leviathan carves a place for himself in a volatile and violent world where monsters and humans wage war against each other and amongst themselves for survival and supremacy.
An unlikely alliance is forged between the Master of the Vanguard, the leader of the kingdoms royally sanctioned monster hunters, and the Leviathan, once the most notorious and elusive monster of the sea. United by terrible circumstance and bound by a shared purpose, the Master and the Leviathan struggle to overcome the hatred and fear which rules and rots the realm.
The Leviathan must defend the realm from all things monstrous, including himself. He must find a way to conquer the turmoil of the kingdom and the darkness of his own nature.

Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Beast: Book One by Emma Roberson immerses readers in a vividly crafted world where monsters and humans coexist in a tumultuous and brutal society. This dark and gripping novel follows the journey of the Leviathan, who was once an apex predator of the sea but is now forced to adapt to a hostile land where he must navigate warfare, alliances, and personal transformation.

Roberson’s narrative sense shines in her ability to weave together a complex story of survival, identity, and the blurred lines between monster and man. The Leviathan’s evolution from sea creature to land dweller is a captivating journey filled with moments of tension, violence, and unexpected alliances. The unlikely partnership between the Leviathan and the Master of the Vanguard adds depth to the narrative, as they grapple not only with external threats but also with their own inner demons. The world-building in Beast is both impressive and immersive, painting a vivid picture of a realm where darkness and brutality reign. Roberson’s descriptive prose skillfully brings this world to life, and readers will find themselves fully engaged in the visceral and often visceral experiences of the characters. While the novel excels in its exploration of complex themes, there were moments where pacing and exposition could have been refined to enhance the overall reading experience.

Beast is a thought-provoking and captivating tale that blends elements of fantasy, horror, and introspection. Emma Roberson’s skill in crafting a dark and intricate world, coupled with the compelling transformation of the Leviathan, makes this novel a really compelling read.

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Book Review: To the Solemn Graves by Kim Idynne

Categories Horror, Paranormal, Short-Stories, SupernaturalLeave a Comment on Book Review: To the Solemn Graves by Kim Idynne

Book Details:

Author:  Kim Idynne
Release Date: October 13, 2023
Series:
Genre: Supernatural, Paranormal, Horror, Short Story Collection
Format: E-book 
Pages: 346 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
Feeling shunned in their new neighborhood, a family attributes the cold attitude of the neighbors to prejudice—but a little investigation unearths a more shocking motive. A conniving widower finds a new wife through a foreign dating service, but the bride turns out to know him much more intimately than he imagined. A young man enlists a shaman to exorcise a terrifying spirit from his apartment, and as he learns more about the supposed ghost, he begins to form a strange and tender bond with her. To the Solemn Graves presents thirteen stories that, while laced with the supernatural, remind us that most horror comes from the all too natural.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As a writer myself, I found Kim Idynne’s To The Solemn Graves to be a compelling anthology that masterfully blends elements of the supernatural with the innate horrors of human nature. The collection of thirteen stories is a testament to Idynne’s skill in crafting narratives that are as eerie as they are intriguing. Each story in this collection serves as a mirror reflecting the darker aspects of humanity, intertwined with a touch of the paranormal.

The range of characters and settings in Idynne’s stories is impressive. From the family grappling with prejudice and its unexpected roots in their neighbourhood to the unsettling twist in the tale of a man seeking love through a foreign dating service, Idynne showcases a diverse range in her storytelling. Her ability to create a sense of unease and anticipation is simply remarkable. As a reader, I was particularly drawn to the story of a young man and a shaman dealing with a haunting, where the evolving relationship between the protagonist and the spirit adds a layer of complexity to the conventional ghost story.

However, while Idynne’s narrative style is engaging, some stories in the collection could have benefited from deeper character development and a more thorough exploration of their psychological aspects. Nonetheless, the book delivers what it promises—scary stories with character. To The Solemn Graves is a strong book and I’d recommend it to all supernatural and horror fiction readers.

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Book Review: Welcome to Neverbury by Chris Lynch

Categories Horror, Short-Stories, Urban Fantasy1 Comment on Book Review: Welcome to Neverbury by Chris Lynch

Book Details:

Author: Chris Lynch 
Release Date: June 28, 2023
Series:
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror, Short-Stories
Format: E-book 
Pages: 180 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
Somewhere on the coast of England, Neverbury is a quaint little seaside town with the kind of problems that a lot of quaint little English seaside towns have these days… demons, serial killers, immortals, thieves, time travellers, ghosts, vampires, haunted houses, witches, an extraordinarily strident village council, and monsters.

There are the gods above and the great thing below… praise them all.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Neverbury by Chris Lynch is an exceptionally well-written book of short stories set in the fictional town of Neverbury.

First off, the world-building of the town itself is phenomenal, and I absolutely loved it. Secondly, the stories are all so good that it was hard to pick a favourite; each one had something different to offer. The writing style of the author is great, and it resonated well with me, which, for me, is one of the most important things when it comes to dark or horror stories. Each and every story had a great flow, and the pacing and tension were simply perfect.

This book was more like an experience, and I’d definitely recommend it to all fantasy and horror fans, as this book has so much to offer.

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Book Review: The Study of Sentient Things by Trevor McCall

Categories Horror, psychological thriller, Short-Stories, Surreal Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Trevor McCallLeave a Comment on Book Review: The Study of Sentient Things by Trevor McCall

Book Details:

Author: Trevor McCall
Release Date: 30th May 2022
Series:
Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Horror, Short Stories
Format: E-book 
Pages: 367 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
The first four stories in this collection are adapted straight from works by EDGAR ALLAN POE. You will read updated and expanded versions of The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe’s poem The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Black Cat. They’ve each been given new twists that will intrigue your imagination while maintaining the spirit of the originals. The final story in this collection, Broken Vessels, when reviewed as a standalone novel by Kirkus, received a STARRED review:

“Powered by razor-focused writing, relentless pacing, and a masterfully intricate storyline that includes references to Freud, Descartes, and Edvard Munch, this tightly woven novel reads like a Ray Bradbury short story—especially the brass knuckle thematic impact of the conclusion.
While somewhat uncategorizable, this dark gem of a novel is supremely gratifying.”
– Kirkus Starred Review
All five stories are connected by their dark and powerful imagery, and each features an immurement motif. If you’ve ever enjoyed one of Poe’s stories, you will love these five tales.

Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Study Of Sentient Things And Other Stories by Trevor McCall is a collection of short stories that will definitely keep you up at night. I loved reading this book because, a) I am a Poe fan and, b) these stories were indeed very well written! I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every story and was impressed by the author’s take on some of Poe’s legendary tales. Although I love the original, these adapted stories were great too.

The writing of the author is quite impressive and I did feel like I was reading Edgar Allen Poe’s work itself. It wasn’t an imitation of writing style though, the originality of the author’s style did not fail to shine through, especially in gritty scenes. The flow of the stories was really lucid and smooth and I was able to read this book in just one sitting – I simply could not put it down!

I’d highly recommend this book to all horror readers and fans of surreal fiction. I strongly believe this book has a lot to offer to readers of dark fiction in general.

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Book Review: A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Categories Coming Of Age Drama, Dark Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Paul Tremblay, psychological thrillerLeave a Comment on Book Review: A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Book Details:

Author: Paul Tremblay 
Release Date: 2nd June 2015
Genre: Horror, Psychological Mystery
Series:
Format: E-book 
Pages: 309 pages
Publisher: William Morrow
Blurb:
The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.
To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.
Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface—and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

In one sentence, this book is a heart-breaking read. One that I don’t think I will be able to get out of my head for a while.

This book is so well-written that at times I’d have to pause to fully appreciate the gravity of a simple sentence that the author adds in between a seemingly benign paragraph that leads to an unsettling realisation that the book is told from the perspective of a child who doesn’t fully understand the consequence of anyone’s (least of all their own) actions or decisions, whereas at the same time failing to understand the gravity of their predicament or the situation going on with others around them.

This book makes one confront the odd truth of life that memories are always polluted and diluted by one’s ever-changing perspective, other’s perception of their reality and truth and their own quest for filling up the ‘gaps’ – the blank spaces that the mind cannot recall or would not recall. It is a heavy read and cannot be read as a casual or a horror read because it covers so much ground that it will baffle, shock and stun you at times. 

The ending is obviously a very lucrative thing in this book. The author leaves it to the reader to make of it as they please and so it is a haunting end in its own right.

“To be honest, and all the external influences aside, there are some parts of this that I remember in great, terrible detail, so much so I fear getting lost in the labyrinth of memory. There are other parts of this that remain as unclear and unknowable as someone else’s mind, and I fear that in my head I’ve likely conflated and compressed timelines and events.” 

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RMFAO October’20 Buddy Read Book Selection

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So we are planning to have a buddy-read over at RMFAO, my Goodreads Book Club.

It will be a month-long buddy read and we have some really great book options to select from. For the month of October, we’ve picked books released in 2020 that’ve been garnering the attention of the online book community. For this list of books, please see below. We have a poll on RMFAO’s homepage and anyone who is a member fo the group can vote there.

We will select the book with maximum votes and in case of a tie, we will have both the books with maximum votes as our BOOK OF THE MONTH and will read it (or them) in the month of October. As it is a month-long buddy read, you can join us anytime throughout October, the only requirement is to finish the book before the end of October.

We will be discussing the Book Of The Month throughout the month of October on a separate dedicated thread in the group itself but will be maintaining a spoiler-free policy till at least we reach the ‘more than half the month’ mark. After that even spoilers would be welcome as most of the readers tend to finish the book by then.

Here are the options to choose from:

  1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
  2. The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
  3. Sisters by Daisy Johnson
  4. Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
  5. A Long Petal Of The Sea by Isabel Allende
  6. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
  7. Things In Jars by Jess Kidd
  8. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
  9. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

And here’s the RMFAO Goodreads Poll:

Poll
Which book would you like to read for the month of October?
(Please vote only if you plan to join the Buddy Read. Don’t worry about the book, we’ll be more than happy to provide you the ebook if you really want to participate in the read with us.)
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/widget/207332-which-book-would-you-like-to-read-for-the-month-of-october-please-vot

Everyone is welcome to join and anyone can participate at any time during the month of October.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: 22 Dutch Road by T. C. Schueler

Categories Cross-genre, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, psychological thriller, Science-Fiction Fantasy, Speculative-Fiction, Supernatural, Suspense, T.C. Schueler, Thriller, Urban FantasyLeave a Comment on Book Review: 22 Dutch Road by T. C. Schueler

Author: T.C. Schueler
Release Date: 13th January 2020
Genre: Speculative Fiction Fantasy, Psychological Thriller, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal
Series: 
Format: E-book
Pages: 492
Publisher: 
Blurb:
An estranged son drives twelve hours to collect badly needed money from his father’s estate. The same ugly McMansion still sits behind a security wall, but there are new features: a gaudy slate roof, a 70s-style conversation pit, and nearly two dozen statues posted along the wall like sentinels. It makes no sense: Billy Buchanan’s scheming father was broke; where had these fierce, obviously valuable sculptures come from?  Forced to spend the week at 22 Dutch Road, Billy begins believing these samurai-styled carvings can talk to him by day, and worse, move at night—his father might not be so dead after all.

REVIEW

★★★★

22 Dutch Road by T.C. Schueler is a very unique blend of and a cross-over of a lot of interesting genres such as Paranormal horror thriller with elements of sci-fi fantasy and speculative fiction but still giving off the overall vibe of a fantasy read. So many things happen in this book that it is hard to get bored while reading it so it definitely made for an entertaining read.

When I started reading the book, I was instantly pulled into the plot with a great opening and thankfully found myself involved and engaged with the story throughout till then end. The characterisation was okay but the writing was good along with the overall story-line.

It was a surreal read if I have to describe it in one word, and I really think that it is worth a read, so I’d recommend it to all the readers of sci-fi fiction-fantasy and paranormal and horror fantasy fans (well, that was quite a handful, innit?!)

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Maybe The Dream Knows What Is Real by Steve Grogan

Categories Dark Fiction, Horror, Steve GroganLeave a Comment on Book Review: Maybe The Dream Knows What Is Real by Steve Grogan

Author: Steve Grogan
Release Date: 24th June 2018
Genre: Horror, short story, dark
Series: 
Edition: E-book
Pages: 61
Publisher: Self-Published
Blurb:
He was lost, directionless, unable to find his identity.
He thought he found it in her, which was good because he was teetering on the edge of madness.
She had no way of knowing her actions would push him over the edge.

This is a story about the dangers of depending on others to give you a sense of self-worth, taken to the extreme. It is a graphic, dark story not meant for the faint of heart. The graphic content makes up only 15% of the prose, but it is some of the most harrowing writing ever committed to page.

Steve Grogan has published several collections of poetry and short stories. This is his first story of extended length to be published.

REVIEW

★★+1/2

Maybe The Dream Knows What Is Real by Steve Grogan is a unique little book which is sure to make you squirm in your seat no matter how big your appetite for dark violence is. This book is a quick read which will make you feel unsettle and uncomfortable with a story and a character as unique as the book’s name.

I liked the book, even though I felt a bit queasy while reading it, but I would have enjoyed it more had the main character been developed a tad more. The story was okay but the characterization compromised the plot because it was a character-driven story which needed a very strong lead. Still, I won’t write it off only based on characterization because it was a short story and not a full-length novel.

If you have a stomach for violence and if you are okay being uncomfortable then go ahead and give this book a read.

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: We Call It Monster by Lachlan Walter

Categories apocalyptic, Lachlan Walter, Monster Fiction, Speculative-FictionLeave a Comment on Book Review: We Call It Monster by Lachlan Walter

Author: Lachlan Walter
Release Date: 10th February 2019
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Monster Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction
Series:
Edition: E-book
Pages: 251
Publisher: Severed Press
Blurb:
One ordinary day, an enormous creature dragged itself out of the ocean and laid waste to a city. In the months and years that followed, more and more creatures appeared, until not a single country remained untouched. At first, people tried to fight them. In the end, all they could do was try and stay alive.

We Call It Monster is a story of forces beyond our control, of immense and impossible creatures that make plain how small we really are. It is the story of our fight for survival and our discovery of that which truly matters: community and compassion, love and family, hope and faith.

REVIEW

★★★★

We Call It Monster by Lachlan Walter is a well-written and beautifully presented monster story which gives a great apocalyptic high to the genre lovers like myself. I enjoyed this book immensely and though I’m not a huge monster story fan yet, I absolutely enjoyed reading it!

The hero of this book is the story itself, the monsters and the different characters play a huge part in the story progression and in giving an idea to the reader about how the world collapses and how people try to cope with the downfall of society when threatened by something that is not only something incomprehensible but also ostensibly impossible to have happened. The book consists of different stories as chapters, each with a different cast of characters suffering in varying kinds of predicament.

The best part about the book was the slow build-up and the variations in pacing and tension at the right points. It kept me engrossed int he story throughout the book, right till the very end.

If you love reading about monsters, or if you love reading books set right in the middle of the apocalypse, you can’t afford to miss reading this book!

You can also read this review on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Categories Dark Fiction, Horror, Joe Hill, Short-Stories, SuspenseLeave a Comment on Book Review: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Author: Joe Hill
Release Date: 24th October 2017
Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Dark, Short Stories
Series: 
Edition: Hardback
Pages: 448
Publisher: Gollancz
Blurb:
Four short novels from the author of THE FIREMAN and HORNS, ranging from creepy horror to powerful explorations of our modern society.
One autumnal day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails, splinters of bright crystal that tear apart anyone who isn’t safely under cover. ‘Rain’ explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as clouds of nails spread out across the country and the world. Amidst the chaos, a girl studying law enforcement takes it upon herself to resolve a series of almost trivial mysteries . . . apparently harmless puzzles that turn out to have lethal answers.
In ‘Loaded’ a mall security guard heroically stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun movement. Under the hot glare of the spotlights, though, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it…
‘Snapshot, 1988’ tells the story of an kid in Silicon Valley who finds himself threatened by The Phoenician, a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid that can steal memories…
And in ‘Aloft’ a young man takes to the skies to experience parachuting for the first time . . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapour that seems animated by a mind of its own.

REVIEW

★★★

This book turned out to be an okay read. I had a lot of expectation from this one, mostly because I had heard a lot about Joe Hill’s writing but also because he is one of the offsprings of my favourite writer. Overall, I liked the concepts of the stories, but what I did not like was the way they started to feel “lost” after a good beginning. The writing was good, no doubt, but the narration seemed to have faltered a lot as the story reached a certain point and then it went downhill from there at a fast speed.

Snapshot – 3/5 – Being a king fan, I felt this was very much like his works. I liked this story, but do feel that the ending was a slog. Hill could have totally ended the story 10-20 pages before and it would have been a great read rather than having over-stretched it.

Loaded – 1/5 – I read the first 2 pages and I left it there itself. I didn’t find the writing very appealing in this one nor did the story made any sense to me (I mean it is a short story, it has to make some sense in the first 2 pages, right?!) So… DNF

Aloft – 4/5 – A very good story. I loved the backstory more than anything else but overall, I really enjoyed this one. This book was a big relief and felt like a glass of chilled water in the desert heat as after such average stories, it was good to read something Hill is famous for – his unique imagination and style.

Rain – 3/5 – I really liked the beginning of this story and thought that this one would be my favourite one from this collection but towards the end, it started to feel like a burden and I was not sure where was it even headed to (something that I felt in the first story, Snapshot, too.)

You can also read this review on Goodreads

ARC Review: Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

Categories Horror, Melanie Golding, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense, ThrillerLeave a Comment on ARC Review: Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

Author: Melanie Golding
Release Date: 30th April 2019
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction, Horro, Supernatural, Suspense
Series: 
Edition: Ebook
Pages: 304
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Blurb:
“Mother knows best” takes on a sinister new meaning in this unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and Aimee Molloy’s The Perfect Mother.
Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things.
A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley—to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies.
Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life.
Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking—and rechecking—your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.

REVIEW

★

Let me begin by saying that when I first saw this book’s listing on NetGalley, I was totally in awe! It had the most amazing cover, an incredible blurb and (upon further research) some really good reviews in the book’s favour. So basically it had it all and I was positive that this will be one heck of a read.
To be honest, I couldn’t start reading this book fast enough and I felt like this right till the moment I started reading this book:

description

But when I started reading this book, say about 20-25 pages in, I was really not sure if I was reading the right book because the writing felt very forceful and unnecessarily dramatic. For one, the author kept going on and on about how the main character (don’t even remember the name) did not feel “the rush of love” for her newborn twins. I am all for complex and grey characters, but after a while, it did start to feel like the author was unnecessarily pressing the point on the readers in order to make them hate the MC (or maybe they just wanted to make the readers feel that the character was very complex) either way, it felt too forced and outright fake. Still, I kept on reading in the hopes that maybe once this part gets over the good part would begin.

description

Then came the part where the MC was being checked by the doctor in order to see if her womb (?) was okay (not even sure if I even understood that part) and then everything went to hell because the descriptions got so crazily gross that it’s going to take me a long time to get over it. I mean, if you haven’t been pregnant ever, then I recommend not to read this part as it sure as hell scared the shit out of me!!

description

AND THAT WAS IT FOR ME!
I COULDN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!

If you’ve read this book and liked it, then hats off to you! But you haven’t yet read this book and are planning to read it, then I’d suggest to check out some other book on twins and/or pregnant-female-horror fiction like Cleaving Souls by Chauncey Rogers or stick to the plain ol’ decent thrillers like Sister Sister by Sue Fortin or The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena.

You can also read this review on Goodreads

Book Review: Souls Of The Dark Sea by A.F. Stewart

Categories A.F. Stewart, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural1 Comment on Book Review: Souls Of The Dark Sea by A.F. Stewart
Author: A.F. Stewart
Release Date: 13th September 2018
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural
Series: Saga of the Outer Islands (Book #2)
Edition: e-book
Pages: 202
Publisher: –
Blurb:
From the depths, darkness is rising…
Something ancient and powerful stirs beneath the sea of the Outer Islands. A creature strong enough to challenge Captain Rafe Morrow, God of Souls, for control of the dead and the survival of the living.
Still reeling from the aftermath of his battle with the Goddess of the Moon, Rafe and the crew of the Celestial Jewel find a mysterious shipwreck and strange tales of bones. Tasked by a new ally to find answers, Rafe stumbles on long-buried secrets shrouded in the shadows of the Nightmare Crow.
Now armies of the dead ascend from the ocean. And their master is not far behind.
Set sail on a new adventure with ghosts, gods and sea monsters!

Review

★★★

Souls Of The Dark Sea by A.F. Stewart is a dark fantasy novel with a strong plotline and good writing.

The book started out good, the progression was also decent but at some places the pace slowed dramatically and then picked up at unexpected places, making it a mixed bag of positives and negatives. The characterization, to me, felt a bit off but that might be because I haven’t read the prequel to this book.

On the whole, I liked reading this book; I might not have loved it but it was still a good read – dark (as promised), well-written with a good storyline and didn’t feel like it was a part of a series (as the blog tour promised) but I think I would have appreciated the characters in this book more had I read the previous book.

I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a new dark series to explore.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: One Night’s Stay by C.B. Collins

Categories C.B. Collins, Horror, Supernatural, ThrillerLeave a Comment on Book Review: One Night’s Stay by C.B. Collins
Author: C. B. Collins
Release Date: 9th September 2018
Genre: Supernatural, Thriller
Series:
Edition: e-book
Pages: 476
Publisher: C.B.C. Publishing
Blurb:
Thirteen strangers check into the Sunset Inn hoping to find rest. When one of them is murdered in the middle of the night, the survivors realize they’ve found something else entirely; an ancient evil looking to satisfy an undying hunger. If the guests want to make it through the night, they’ll have to discover the secret behind the motel and the mysterious town it serves. However, in uncovering the truth, they might find that the town’s past is nowhere near as dark as their own.

Review

★★★

One Night’s Stay by C.B. Collins is a new supernatural thriller with a lot of potentials that serves as a perfect Halloween read.

When I started reading this book I was pulled into it so fiercely that for the first 30% of the story I was not at all ready to put it down! But, much to my dismay, as the story progressed, I started to feel a little distant as the plot began to drag and the characterization started to falter. It began to get more and more difficult for me to feel a connection with the characters that started to emerge as the main ones as the story progressed. And by the time I finished 80% of the book I wasn’t sure if it was the same book that I had started. Maybe it’s simply my monumental expectations from the story or maybe the story was that way, but I feel that overall the story progression suffered heavily after the first 30-40% of the story. The second half of the story was totally dominated by the first half and wasn’t able to live up to the expectations that were set in the brilliant first half of the story.

Still, it made for a good Halloween read with an engaging plot. If the characterization would have been better, I would have given this story another star, but it wasn’t. So if you like stories with a decent plot and can do with not-very-strong characterization in a supernatural setting then do give this book a try, you might enjoy it more than I did.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Deadmarsh Fey by Melika Dannese Lux

Categories Dark Fantasy, Horror, Melika Dannese LuxLeave a Comment on Book Review: Deadmarsh Fey by Melika Dannese Lux
Author: Melika Dannese Lux
Release Date: 2nd May 2018
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Horror,
Series: Dwellers Of Darkness, Children Of Light #1
Edition: e-book
Pages: 674
Publisher: Books in my Belfry
Blurb:
Flesh and bone and hearts unknown, lead to the rath and your fate will be shown…
Deadmarsh. The name struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it. But to Roger Knightley, neither Deadmarsh the house, nor Deadmarsh the family, had ever been anything to fear. Nearly each summer of his young life had been spent in that manor on the moors, having wild adventures with his cousin, Lockie, the Deadmarsh heir. This year should have been no different, but when Roger arrives, he finds everything, and everyone, changed. The grounds are unkempt, the servants long gone. Kip, the family cat, has inexplicably grown and glares at Roger as if he is trying to read the boy’s mind. Roger’s eldest cousin, Travers, always treated as a servant, now dresses like a duchess and wears round her neck a strange moonstone given to her by someone known as Master Coffyn, who has taken over the teaching of Lockie at a school in Wales called Nethermarrow.
And soon after he crosses the threshold of Deadmarsh, Roger discovers that Coffyn has overtaken Lockie. The boy is deceitful, riddled with fear, and has returned bearing tales of creatures called Jagged Ones that claim to be of the Fey and can somehow conceal themselves while standing in the full light of the moon. What they want with Lockie, Roger cannot fathom, until the horror within his cousin lashes out, and it becomes savagely clear that these Jagged Ones and the Dark Wreaker they serve are not only after Lockie and Travers, but Roger, too.
Joining forces with an ally whose true nature remains hidden, Roger seeks to unravel the tapestry of lies woven round his family’s connection to the death-haunted world of Everl’aria—and the Dark Wreaker who calls it home. The deeper Roger delves into the past, the more he begins to suspect that the tales of dark deeds done in the forest behind Deadmarsh, deeds in which village children made sacrifice to an otherworldly beast and were never seen or heard from again, are true. And if there is truth in these outlandish stories, what of the rumor that it was not an earthquake which rocked the moors surrounding Deadmarsh sixteen years ago, but a winged nightmare attempting to break free of its underground prison? Enlisting the aid of a monster equipped with enough inborn firepower to blast his enemies into oblivion might be as suicidal as Roger’s friends insist, yet the boy knows he needs all the help he can get if there is to be any hope of defeating not only the Dark Wreaker and his servants, but an unholy trinity known as the Bear, the Wolf, and the Curse That Walks The Earth.
And then there is the foe named Blood Wood, who might be the deadliest of them all.
Racing against time, Roger must find a way to end the battle being waged across worlds before the night of Lockie’s eleventh birthday—two days hence. If he fails, blood will drown the earth. And Roger and his entire family will fulfill the prophecy of fey’s older, more lethal meaning…
Fated to die.

Review

★

When I first came across Deadmarsh Fey by Melika Dannese Lux, I was quickly convinced to read this title because it seemed very interesting but unfortunately, it turned out to be insanely lengthy and full of exhaustive exposition. There are a lot of details and an insane amount of wandering. It took me 3 days to complete the first 1% of the book and somehow I managed to plough on till 5%, not wanting to give up on the book, but it was for nought because same old exposition continued (even more so than before.)

The story idea seemed good, but it was thwarted by the descriptions and the wanderings, then same two elements that put down the characterization as well. Overall, it wasn’t for me.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

RMFAO Buddy Read: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Categories RMFAOLeave a Comment on RMFAO Buddy Read: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

First off, I’d like to share a good news that we’ve crossed first 500 members at RMFAO! For those of you who don’t know what RMFAO is, it is a book club/group on Goodreads where book lovers from all over the world share their latest reads and reviews and participate in exciting year-long challenges and buddy reads.

Coming back to the topic, for the month of October this year, we’re hosting a buddy read for Strange Weather by Joe Hill at RMFAO. The buddy read would be lead by Cheryl, one of the moderators at RMFAO.

I’ve been waiting to read this book since its release last year! I got the hardback copy of it as a birthday gift from Vishal in December itself, but then we planned to have a buddy read for this book in October, so I saved it for later and finally, after a long and arduous wait, October is here and I’m super thrilled to read this book! The best part is that this book fits in the Horror genre so it makes it easy for all of us who are participating in RMFAO 2017 Genre Challenge (October – Horror) challenge to count it in.

If you want to read this book or like horror fiction or want to explore it then come along and join us. This is a month-long buddy read so you can join in anytime as long as you finish the book by the end of the month.

You can find the main discussion thread for Stange Weather buddy read here.

If you want to know more about RMFAO then you can check out this page: RMFAO

Ciao ❤

Book Review: Cleaving Souls by Chauncey Rogers

Categories Chauncey Rogers, Horror, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller2 Comments on Book Review: Cleaving Souls by Chauncey Rogers
Author: Chauncey Rogers
Release Date: 10th October 2017
Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Thriller, Suspense
Series:
Edition: E-Book
Pages: 225
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Some dangers you cannot outrun. Some nightmares do not end when you wake.
Something is watching Katherine Harris. She can feel it when she goes out. She can feel it inside her home. She feels it in her bed. Her husband, Alex, wants to blame her anxiety on her pregnancy, but he’s often away for work. He doesn’t know what it’s like to be stuck in a small town, to be trapped in a tiny house on a run-down street, to be alone. Kat does, and the feeling only grows worse.
Whatever is going on, Kat’s certain that it’s far more serious than pregnancy jitters. When Alex takes Kat on a second honeymoon to get her mind off things, it becomes far more dangerous as well.

Review

★★★★+1/2

Cleaving Souls by Chancey Rogers is a super fast-paced supernatural read that is literally un-put-down-able.

Wow, what a suspenseful and goosebumps-inducing ride! The first part (out of all 3) was my favourite as the suspense built up was so perfect that it was literally impossible to put down the book! The characterization wasn’t overly relatable for me, but it felt very realistic and seemed apt for the story, so it served the purpose well.

A very well-written book with simple and smooth writing which made for a very quick read. The flow of the writing was so good that I finished this book in less than 48 hrs when I wasn’t even planning on reading it and happened to pick it up randomly on a whim, earlier than I had planned.

My only complaints are the slight slack in pacing around the 70-90% mark in the ebook and a somewhat down-played climax-built up. Just before the end, the plot progression suffered because of downplaying the main conflict of the story. It wasn’t bad as suck, but I feel that given the thrilling Act I and the sensational Act II, this part, Act III of the story could have been so much better in terms of tension, pacing and overall progression of that bit. Thankfully, the ending made up for this little negative, the only negative in the book.

I’m sure as hell looking forward to reading other books by the author! And I’d recommend this one to all supernatural and horror fiction fans and to those who won’t mind reading an unsettling or pregnancy-related story.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Our Frail Disordered Lives by Mary M. Schmidt

Categories Comedy, Cross-genre, Horror, Mary M. Schmidt, SupernaturalLeave a Comment on Book Review: Our Frail Disordered Lives by Mary M. Schmidt
Author: Mary M. Schmidt
Release Date: 1st June 2018
Genre: Horror-Comedy, Supernatural
Series:
Edition: e-book
Pages: 188
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
Blurb:
Larry Kavanaugh is an ordinary kind of guy. He’s got a nagging wife and two kids, both annoyingly gifted. No matter what he does, there is no end to what his family needs. What’s a regular, everyday guy to do? Well, he cuts a few corners, obviously—one very big corner in particular. He sells his soul to the Devil. Maybe it’s not the actual Devil, but Larry is ready to make a deal with one of the Devil’s minions. He meets some demon whose name he can’t remember. Funny, it was right on the tip of his tongue, a name of something you step on. Roach the Demon has sort of good intentions. He just wants a re-write of Dante’s Inferno with himself as the star. Roach goes after Larry as a rogue operation. He needs to make a point to his boss, Satan, so he uses the body of a human to follow Larry around and stir up trouble. He offers Larry an airtight guarantee that nothing could possibly go wrong. After all, Larry doesn’t feel like he has much to lose—or does he? Even Roach might be in over his head this time.

Review

★★★

Our Frail Disordered Lives by Mary M. Schmidt is a unique story about a guy who sells his soul to the devil a demon in order to make his life better and what follows is a litany of situations one could do better to stay away from.

A very unique story with lots of drama and twists and turns to keep the readers entertained throughout the book. Overall speaking, I liked the idea of the book, the main concept that is, but felt that it needed more polishing in terms of the execution of that concept. The writing was okay but the characterization, for this kind of story, felt weak, and that was my biggest issue. The pacing was good and the plot progression okay, but I really felt that if I would have been able to connect with the main character, Larry, a bit more then the story would have meant even more to me.

Still, it proved to be a pretty quick and easy read. So if you’re looking for a fresh quick read then this might be for you if you’re okay with reading stories with not very relatable characters and care about the story more than characterization.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Audiobook Review: Dead Of Night by William. R Todd

Categories Horror, William R Todd2 Comments on Audiobook Review: Dead Of Night by William. R Todd
Author: William R Todd
Narrator: Ben Werling
Release Date: 30th March 2018
Genre: Horror
Series: –
Length: 4 hours
Publisher: William Todd | 2018

Blurb:
Dead of Night is a compilation of turn-of-the-century-era horror stories with a Victorian flair and traditional horror story plots with unexpected endings. If you like ghosts and ghouls and demons and werewolves, these stories are for you.

Review

★★★★+1/2

Dark Of Night by William Todd is a gripping and scary horror story that was narrated in a way that took the spook factor to an entirely new level.

I loved this book, more than many other horror books I’ve read (that have totally failed to spook me.) This book was everything the short blurb promised – dark and macabre. I love reading short stories (the main reason why I picked this one up) and, to my relief, in this book all the short stories were good, some very good and some plain good, but good nonetheless.

All the stories were well-written and maintained a good pace. They all had a good beginning with a really good hook, a good middle point and a nice ending – even if it was an open ending. I enjoyed reading all the stories and plan to read more (or listen to more audiobooks) by the author.

The narration was really good and I loved the deep and dark voice of narration that leant this book a constant eerie air. My only complaint is that in some stories (especially in the first one) the background music seemed a bit funny at times and I felt that the audiobook could really do well without it.

I’d recommend this book to all horror readers and to anyone who’s looking for a nice spooky read around Halloween.

this review is also posted on audible and Goodreads

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Graphic Novel Review: Manga Classics – The Stories Of Edgar Allen Poe

Categories Classics, Dark Fiction, Graphic-Novel, Horror, Manga Classics, Mystery, Short-Stories, Stacy King, Suspense, ThrillerLeave a Comment on Graphic Novel Review: Manga Classics – The Stories Of Edgar Allen Poe
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
Adapted By: Stacy King
Illustrator: Several
Release Date: 17th October 2017
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Short-Story Collection, Graphic Novel
Series: 
Edition: PDF
Pages: 308
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
Blurb:
The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant collection of some of his best-known stories: The Tell Tale Heart (a murder s haunting guilt), The Cask of Amontillado (a story of brilliant revenge), and The Fall of the House of Usher (an ancient house full of very dark secrets). Also included in this collection are The Mask of the Red Death (horrors of ‘the Plague’), and the most famous of all his poems: The Raven (a lover s decline into madness). Best read in a dimly-lit room with the curtains drawn, Poe s brilliant works come to life in darkly thrilling ways in this Manga Classic adaptation.”

Review

★★★

The Stories Of Edgar Allen Poe is another adaptation by Stacy King, who has adapted several other Manga Classics including Sense And Sensibility. This was my first encounter with any of Edgar Allen Poe’s works, and to say that the stories creeped me out would be an understatement considering that I write horror and creep-worthy fiction myself.

To be honest, this book did not please me like some of the other Manga Classics did; maybe it was because I wasn’t able to connect with Poe’s writing, or maybe because there were only a couple of stories. Either way, I didn’t like this book enough to get and read other works by Mr Poe because having previously read Stacy King’s other adaptations, I know that that it wasn’t because of her or the illustrations, which were beautifully done, to say the least.

The illustrations, as mentioned above, were awesome and spell-binding (literally!) They felt eerie and many times I stopped reading only to examine the illustrations more closely as they had such amazing details. Unfortunately, I received a very early ARC edition of this particular book, so some of the illustrations were only in black and white. Nonetheless, the illustrations were remarkable.

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If you’re anything like me and dread reading most fo the classics, then go ahead and give this one a read. It never hurts to have read the condensed and illustrated version of the most famous works of one of the greatest authors of their time.

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Review also posted on: Goodreads and NetGalley

Book Review: Something Needs Bleeding: The Final Novel by Thomas Singer by Christopher Long

Categories Christopher Long, Dark Fiction, HorrorLeave a Comment on Book Review: Something Needs Bleeding: The Final Novel by Thomas Singer by Christopher Long

Author: Christopher Long
Release Date: 28th September 2015
Genre: Horror, Dark
Edition: E-book
Pages: 334
Publisher: Wallace Publishing

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Kensington Gore is a man on a mission. He always aims to give his readers something fresh from the world of horror. Only this time he is offering you something a little different. This time he is offering you a piece of horror history to call your very own. Collected in this volume are the final works of one of the great unsung heroes of horror, Thomas Singer. Singer was a man who truly knew how to terrify his readers with his strange, nightmarish tales. Sadly, though, he never received the acclaim in life he so rightly deserved. Following the mysterious death of the reclusive writer earlier this year, Kensington Gore Publishing author Christopher Long was invited to help edit Singer’s final five bone chilling tales and introduce them to the world. There are many rumours and theories about what secrets these stories may hold. Singer himself selected them from his extensive back catalogue and held them back to be released only after his death. So read Something Needs Bleeding, if you dare. See what you can find hidden in the final pages Thomas Singer had to offer the world. Just be careful you don’t come away with blood all over you.

Review

Something Needs Bleeding by Christopher Long is a compilation of horror stories by  Thomas Singer, a talented but recluse author and wanted who wanted these stories to be published and read by his readers only after his death.

The fact that this book has stories by a dead author who wanted them published only after his death is disquieting in itself. I did feel a queer feeling when I finished reading the introduction and started reading the first story and once I got started there was no turning back. The uncertainty that these stories could very well have been real experiences of the author made my nerves stand on end throughout the book.

I liked the introductions by Christopher Long, mostly because they added a layer of intrigue and uneasiness to the stories that followed. They were also quite informative, as not having known Thomas Singer at all, they helped me know a lot about him and hence, develop a connection with the stories. They added a layer of intimacy between the stories and the reader and it felt like I’ve known Singer all my life.

The stories… well, they were all masterpieces. And I say this being a horror author myself. They weren’t outrageously spooky or even scary, but they were quite firm in holding the reader’s attention and the detailing and the easy flow of the writing and the beautiful progression of each and every story was spot on and more than enough for me to give this book a full 5/5 rating.

In fact, I’m going to dig up other books by Thomas Singer and read them all because his writing deserves to be read and relished. I’m sure he’s smiling from up there reading this review and I hope that he did not meet his end in the way one of his stories end (Something Needs Bleeding – 3rd incision.)

I found each and every story to be a work of genius. I loved each and every single story and I found myself completely losing in them and losing the track of time. The narration (and the first person POVs) were written in such a way that it made me feel as if I was right there and it was all happening right in front of me. The imagery (the proper term for what I just said) was superb!

I’d recommend this book to all the horror readers and to those who won’t mind reading dark and creepy stuff. If you love the horror genre, then you simply can’t afford to miss this one.

More from the author: Author Interview: Christopher Long

Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review: Deadraiser – Part 1: Horror In Jordan’s Bank by Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley & Wayne J. Keeley

Categories Horror, Paranormal, Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley, Wayne J. Keeley2 Comments on Book Review: Deadraiser – Part 1: Horror In Jordan’s Bank by Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley & Wayne J. Keeley

31927052Author: Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley and Wayne J. Keeley
Series: Deadraiser Series
Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Occult
Edition: Ebook (PDF)
Pages: –
Publisher: –

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Necromancy is an ancient black magic used for the purposes of communing with the dead. It is believed that practitioners of the dark art may harness the ultimate power of life and death and raise the departed for their own nefarious, malevolent purposes. It also is alleged that a true necromancer may realize the ultimate gift of mortality.
DEADRAISER is the tale of a present-day practitioner who achieves what others have been unable to do for centuries — to raise the dead. The problem is that he must sacrifice innocent victims in order to maintain his power.
Enter Fanchon (Frankie) Manning, daughter of the late movie star Erika Manning. She is the ideal sacrificial lamb for the Necromancer’s perverse desires. The only thing that stands between the Necromancer and the girl is Christopher McGuire, a lost soul who long ago has ceased believing in anything. In order to save the child, he must somehow rediscover his faith and summon the courage to take on the darkest, most sinister being imaginable.

REVIEW

Deadraiser by Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley & Wayne J. Keeley is one smasher of a book!
Staying true to its genre, this book kept me up at nights and gave me the chills.

The plot is really great and I enjoyed reading each and every single chapter. There was a mix of newspaper articles, journal entries, pages from the unpublished manuscripts, etc, and all these things took the plot and the setting of this book to an entirely different level.

The basic concept of the book is so unique that I was really intrigued and scared by it before even starting it. I’ve never read anything that was directly based upon Necromancy, and the fact that this book was entirely based on it really thrilled me. And after reaching the third chapter, I was sure that I was in for one hell of a reading experience.

I like the pacing, and the tension built-up was brilliant too. I also liked the flow of the authors’ writing, especially considering that it is a co-authored book. Right from the brilliant opening to the cliff-hanger of an ending , for me, this book scored a perfect 10 on all the fronts.

The characterization is not extraordinarily great, but considering the genre, it was pretty good. At least it was good enough for me to want to read this story without putting it down even for a second.

I’d recommend this book to all the Horror readers and also to those readers who want to read a nice scary read for Halloween. This is one horror book you wouldn’t want to miss!

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: The Conveyance by Brian W. Matthews

Categories Brian W. Matthews, Horror, Science-Fiction, Supernatural3 Comments on Book Review: The Conveyance by Brian W. Matthews

29985686Author: Brian W. Matthews
Release Date: June 17, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 260
Publisher: JournalStone

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Beneath the calm waters and pastoral fields of Emersville, a deadly secret lurks. But when psychologist Dr. Brad Jordan stumbles upon the odd happenings in the town, he sets off a series of tragedies that threatens to expose a danger long kept hidden from the world. Relentlessly following a trail of madness, suicide, and murder, he soon finds himself confronted with a massive conspiracy, and a sinister device known as the Conveyance.

REVIEW

The Conveyance by Brian W. Mathews is a splendid Supernatural Thriller novel.

The author has cleverly used his background as a psychiatrist to use in the novel as the protagonist’s profession. The struggles and the conflicts of the main lead were so realistic that i was able to connect with him right away and the bond only deepened as the story progressed further.

I was literally pulled into the book right from the very beginning, where the main lead is shown talking to one of his patients (a kid,) and I wasn’t able to put down the book right till the very end when everything goes to hell.

The pacing and the timing were brilliant and so was the fast paced plot. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and some of the parts really creeped me out! This book is a brilliant example of how a good super natural story can be written without having any of the stereotypes in it (yes, I talking to the Vamp and Werewolf lovers.) The author took the concept of creepy dolls to another level. It really blew my mind off!

I found the author’s writing really easy to follow and it made reading this book a really pleasant experience. It was fresh, clever and had a distinctness that I really liked.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who has a liking and an appetite for a creepy supernatural book that actually crosses its path with Sci-Fi genre. So, all in all, if you like Stephen King books and the likes then you really have to read this book!

My copy of The Conveyance:

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The Conveyance by Brian W. Matthews

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Fools’ Apocalypse by Anderson Atlas

Categories Reviews By Contributors6 Comments on Book Review: Fools’ Apocalypse by Anderson Atlas

31441018Author: Anderson Atlas
Release Date: August 26, 2015
Series: The Extremist Edge
Genre: Horror
Edition: mobi
Pages: 392
Publisher: Synesthesia Books
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Betrayed by one man. Sick with Lies. As the world crumbles, rots and succumbs to chaos, Ian seeks the truth. He seeks revenge. He needs his hands around the throat of the mastermind, the 6th Horseman.
6 other survivors learn they were the pawns of the 6th Horseman; who has left them to be torn apart by the puppets, the undead, who were their neighbors, friends and once beautiful strangers.
For hundreds of years, a ninth century mosque guarded a secret, an artifact covered with strange spores. Zilla tinkered with the spore’s DNA until a biological weapon emerged, one that obliterated all but a fraction of humanity. A new creature spawned inside the rotting corpses. In symbiosis, they attacked, adapted and learned. They were poised to inherit the Earth when they met Ian Gladstone.

Review

Plot/Story: I really enjoyed the plot. I like the idea that these zombies could not be killed by simply shooting them in the head. It was fun…in a horror sort of way. I will not say it was fast paced, because it did take it’s time to getting to the zombie part. But, I was okay with that because the author was just building the scene and showing how all these people played a part in the end of the world. Everyone had their valid reasons of why they participated and I loved it.

Characters: I felt like we got more of a sense of who Ian was more than anyone else. He seemed to be the main character in a story that had several main characters. He was also my favorite character from them all. I seemed to connect with him better than the rest.

Romance/Kills: There was no romance, at least not an obvious one. I felt like there was a budding romance between a few characters (Ian and Hannah), but nothing outwardly forward. As far as kills…it’s a zombie book, the end of the world. There are a million bloody kills. The descriptions of some of the killings were rather brutal and enjoyable to my horror loving heart.

Writing: The writing was fair. I feel like the novel could use a few more look throws for grammatical and spelling errors. I did notice a lot of words that were missing a few letters and a few places where the word was missing completely or there were extra words.

There was also an issue with switching the perspective of the story. I had a hard time keeping up with which character’s POV I was reading from. This could be a mistake of my own as I sometimes don’t even pay attention to the title of chapters half the time. But even when I did remember to read the chapter title to see whose POV I was reading from, I still got a little confused.

Beginning: The beginning was slow going and at one point I was a little bored. But once you get to the meaty part of the story, you understand the purpose of the slow beginning.

Ending: I enjoyed the ending. I felt like there was enough closure to end the book, but open enough to continue on to the next book.

Cover Art: The cover is simple and tells a story. It’s the picture of a world at its end and that is exactly what this book is about.

Blurb: The blurb is right to the point of the story. It doesn’t prepare you for the gore that riddles this book, which is great.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: I ran barefoot through deep, thick mud, not caring about the chill that was creeping into my skin, or the searing pain at the stump of my phantom arm.

Highlights: ZOMBIES!

Lowlights: A few errors.

Final Thoughts: This book is totally worth the read, even in its rough state.

 

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.