This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
This is how you write a horror novel.
I've read a fair number of horror/darkThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
This is how you write a horror novel.
I've read a fair number of horror/dark fantasy novels recently, and it seems that I keep repeating the thought that writing and sustaining horror for the length of a novel is extremely difficult, and most of the books I've read haven't quite succeeded in this task. Author Edward M. Erdelac doesn't only succeed, but prevails. The structure of this book is remarkable and the horror builds all the way through the book.
Andersonville is set primarily in the notorious prisoner of war camp of the American Civil War. It features historical characters who were actually associated with Andersonville, such as Henry Wirz. The story begins with a Negro soldier, Barclay Lourdes, seemingly trying to find his way IN to Andersonville. Once inside, he is punished (whipped) for taking another soldier's identity and then he begins to explore the camp. Factions and lawlessness are rife inside, but Barclay seems intent on finding something in particular. What he discovers is huge and beyond the power of ordinary men.
Author Erdelac masterfully crafts this book.
First of all, there's the mystery to what is happening. Why is Barclay heading in to the worst prison camp in the country? What is he looking for? Who is he working for?
And then there is the horror. Erdelac starts with the horrors that humans inflict on other humans by sharing the horrendous acts inflicted on the prisoners in Andersonville. If you think that only the Germans treated their prisoners horribly in the concentration camps of World War II, then you should look up Andersonville on Wikipedia.
But as bad as this already is, Erdelac pushed the boundaries a bit and we begin to think that there's maybe something deeper and darker happening. And just as we get to a point where we think we know what track this story is taking, Erdelac pulls us back and let's us rest in the 'ordinary' horrors before springing the ultimate, Lovecraftian-styled horror upon us.
I fought myself in the first war there ever was. I was the slaughter of angels, Lourdes. Angels. How much more fragile you bloody little men are. ... (It) is empowered by human suffering. Its ferocity is commensurate to the sin it has fed upon.
I've read a few horror books recently, but most of those authors could learn a thing or two from Erdelac in how to set up a story. This really was a brilliant piece of work in craftsmanship. I liked the characters I was supposed to like. I didn't like those who were evil. I was repulsed by the horrors of the camp and fearful of the other horrors that Erdelac created. And I was completely engaged from moment to moment. I wanted the horrors to end, but not the story.
I was not previously acquainted with the works of Edward M. Erdelac, but based on this book, I will be looking for his other works.
Looking for a good book? If you enjoy good horror fiction, then Andersonville by Edward M. Erdelac is a book you will WANT to read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
This is how you write a horror novel.
I've read a fair number of horror/dark fantasy novels recently, and it seems that I keep repeating the thought that writing and sustaining horror for the length of a novel is extremely difficult, and most of the books I've read haven't quite succeeded in this task. Author Edward M. Erdelac doesn't only succeed, but prevails. The structure of this book is remarkable and the horror builds all the way through the book.
Andersonville is set primarily in the notorious prisoner of war camp of the American Civil War. It features historical characters who were actually associated with Andersonville, such as Henry Wirz. The story begins with a Negro soldier, Barclay Lourdes, seemingly trying to find his way IN to Andersonville. Once inside, he is punished (whipped) for taking another soldier's identity and then he begins to explore the camp. Factions and lawlessness are rife inside, but Barclay seems intent on finding something in particular. What he discovers is huge and beyond the power of ordinary men.
Author Erdelac masterfully crafts this book.
First of all, there's the mystery to what is happening. Why is Barclay heading in to the worst prison camp in the country? What is he looking for? Who is he working for?
And then there is the horror. Erdelac starts with the horrors that humans inflict on other humans by sharing the horrendous acts inflicted on the prisoners in Andersonville. If you think that only the Germans treated their prisoners horribly in the concentration camps of World War II, then you should look up Andersonville on Wikipedia.
But as bad as this already is, Erdelac pushed the boundaries a bit and we begin to think that there's maybe something deeper and darker happening. And just as we get to a point where we think we know what track this story is taking, Erdelac pulls us back and let's us rest in the 'ordinary' horrors before springing the ultimate, Lovecraftian-styled horror upon us.
I fought myself in the first war there ever was. I was the slaughter of angels, Lourdes. Angels. How much more fragile you bloody little men are. ... (It) is empowered by human suffering. Its ferocity is commensurate to the sin it has fed upon.
I've read a few horror books recently, but most of those authors could learn a thing or two from Erdelac in how to set up a story. This really was a brilliant piece of work in craftsmanship. I liked the characters I was supposed to like. I didn't like those who were evil. I was repulsed by the horrors of the camp and fearful of the other horrors that Erdelac created. And I was completely engaged from moment to moment. I wanted the horrors to end, but not the story.
I was not previously acquainted with the works of Edward M. Erdelac, but based on this book, I will be looking for his other works.
Looking for a good book? If you enjoy good horror fiction, then Andersonville by Edward M. Erdelac is a book you will WANT to read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
In the rural town of Harrow there is an orchard. An unusual orchard with seThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
In the rural town of Harrow there is an orchard. An unusual orchard with seven unusual trees. The trees produce an apple that is such a deep red as to be almost black. The taste of the apple is incredibly sweet and eating an apple from one of these trees will have you wanting another. And then another. To say they are addicting is to understate their power.
One person knows the secrets of the orchard and one fall, just at harvest time, a stranger arrives in Harrow and the magic in the apples is revealed and those rare few who haven't taken a bite of the precious fruit will find themselves in mortal danger.
I will admit from the start that I am not particularly objective because I really like Chuck Wendig's writing. It is just the right shade of dark and dreadful.
Wendig gets just every part of this story just right. The characters are to die for (pun intended). Everyone here is carrying baggage. We may not see it or be privy to it, but we can sense it's there by the way the carry on, by the way they interact with others, by the very fact that Harrow has such a hold over them. Our central characters have baggage, but also promise and it's this promise that keeps us going because there's no way we would want to spend much time here if we didn't think someone would step up and fight.
The story is simple and yet, like a tree, it's roots are deep and sprawling. Pay attention to those prologues!
One of the many things I like about Wendig's work, and this book in particular, is that even in the early portion of the novel, when things are still at their brightest, there's still a sense of dread spreading through the story and then it just hits - almost without warning (except truth is, we've been warned from page one) we're in a horror novel and it's too late to back out. You can't spit out the apple once you've punctured its flesh with your teeth.
This is a long novel, even by today's standards (600+ pages) but it moves along well and you don't really get the feeling that it's somewhat epic. The story is well contained and tight and it needs no pruning.
Looking for a good book? If you enjoy being brought into a world and then having that world shaken up and take a dark, eerie turn, please let yourself go into Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Nergalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 2.0 of 5
I had no idea that this was the second book in a series until I went to graThis review originally published in . Rated 2.0 of 5
I had no idea that this was the second book in a series until I went to grab the image from Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to add to the blog. Now I understand! I understand why I didn't enjoy this book. I was missing some vital parts of the story! I also hadn't realized, when I requested a copy, that it's cyberpunk - a genre that I don't generally click with (though there are exceptions).
Access to a virtual world known as the Slip is in the head of Shock Pao. He stole the bioware program and now he control's all the systems around the globe. This makes him a target, of course, for every criminal wanting that access.
While Shock is constantly seeking new hiding places, there is a strange illness plaguing the planet. The source seems to be from one of the outer hubs (former Earth cities that were sent into orbit). Time is running out to secure a cure.
The post-apocalyptic world, as created by author Ren Warom, is dark, gritty, messy, and brutal. There's plenty of action - fight and flight. And there's plenty of high tech intrigue. What I didn't find was a reason to care.
The characters living, fighting, and dying in this world start as enigmas to me, and remain so all the way through. And while I like the dark sci-fi that borders horror, at some point I need to be let in on why the world is the way it is. How does it work? How do our characters navigate this new space? I'm willing to wait for some of these answers - and in fact prefer to be led slowly to the reveals. But if this information came, I was already too lost to care.
It makes some sense, though, to discover that there was a previous volume. I highly suspect some of my questions were already addressed with the first book, meaning you really would want to read the series from the start to truly enjoy this.
Looking for a good book? Virology, by Ren Warom, is the second book in the Shock Pao series and this book does not stand alone as a novel to this reader. Curious readers should check out the first book, Escapology, before deciding whether or not to read on.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
The "Freaks" of Quapaw City, Arkansas are high school juniors now and maybeThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
The "Freaks" of Quapaw City, Arkansas are high school juniors now and maybe being adults is scarier than facing monsters from other dimensions. ... Nope, the monsters are still scarier. But other adults ... such as the clandestine government group known as "The Team" ... are, if not scary, a definite threat to the teens trying to save their families, their friends, their town, and the world (in pretty much that order). The Team knows that there's something strange - extradimensional? supernatural? - going on, and they a pretty sure the Freaks are involved, but they don't quite trust the Freaks and the Freaks don't trust the team, even though they may be on the same side. But with the newest monster entering their dimension being a dragon, it's going to take all their skills, resources, and trust in one another to be successful in battle.
I've been a bit underwhelmed by "The Freaks" books but I thought that there were some nice touches here. The fight with the dragon is well done. It was exciting and dangerous and it definitely had me turning pages to see what would happen next. It was quite thrilling.
But the 'monster' was such a small part of this book. Mostly this was about relationships, and, being a book of the 2020's era, LGBTQ+ relationships are all the rage and author Brett Riley plays right in to the hot topic.
I think, however, that the book tries to do too much. The relationships take up the majority of the novel. This makes a lot of sense ... high school juniors, really starting to become young adults and now facing things, like adults, for the first time. This is very appropriate for a YA novel.
The dragon is a terrific conflict to intersperse with the relationship drama. It's high energy and demands their focus, which of course is hard to do.
But what's up with The Team? Do we really need this side story? It sort of made sense in the first two books, but it feels completely out of place here. This is a complication that detracts from the other two stories and just slows the reading down. At this point it would be hard to just remove them completely, but they didn't add anything to the story.
Looking for a good book? Rubicons by Brett Riley is a YA dark fantasy, the third book in a series, that spends more time with earth-bound, human relationship concerns than it does the extra-dimensional threats.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Whoa! Strap yourself in and hold on because Grady Hendrix has another tightThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Whoa! Strap yourself in and hold on because Grady Hendrix has another tightly strung, gut-wrenching horror novel that will keep you up at night.
Siblings Louise and Mark Joyner are absolutely devasted at the death of their parents at the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Mark and Louise haven't gotten along for years and would rather not be in each others' company but the circumstances have forced them to work together to clear the family home and put it on the market. But upon arriving they notice how strange their parents' final days must have been as mirrors are covered by newspapers and the attic door has been nailed shut. There isn't much up there other than some old family puppets.
But when worn, one particular puppet won't come off and it controls the movements of the wearer. Louise is forced to cut off her own brother's arm to save him. But she can't do the same when her daughter puts the puppet on her hand.
I am not generally a fan of horror stories featuring dolls or puppets - it seems like they've been done to death (pun intended) - so there was definitely a moment or two when I rolled my eyes. Fortunately this is a horror novel by Grady Hendrix, who fuses the horror with humor better than anyone else I've read, making this a delightful read.
There's a small cast of characters here and Louise and Mark are just a little bit bland, letting Punkin the Puppet take the leading role. This is just a bit odd because most of the book is about setting up the characters of Louise and Mark, giving us a reason to care about them so that we can want them to survive the horror about to befall. It's a lot of setup and I'm not entirely sure the payoff is there.
The payoff comes because of a minor character ... Barb, 'an expert on cursed dolls."
"Don't worry!" Barb laughed, seeing Louise's expression. "Dolls and puppets come under the same department as far as the Lord is concerned. I do dolls, I do puppets, I once even did a blow-up s-e-x doll. Now, that one was wild, let me tell you. Come on inside and let's pray together."
Barb plays a small role here, but she (along with Aunt Gail, who introduces us to Barb) steals the book - I laughed out loud a number of times with her.
The final quarter of the book is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride - not only exciting but fear-filled. It was an absolute page-turner and it makes up for the earlier, slower-moving set-up.
This isn't my favorite Grady Hendrix, but it's well worth reading.
Looking for a good book? How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is an often funny, yet still dark horror novel that is worth reading, but fair warning it relies on the horror trope of possessed dolls/puppets.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Sisters Eve and Dinah are youthful members of a cult, led by a man known onThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Sisters Eve and Dinah are youthful members of a cult, led by a man known only as "Uncle," living in an old stone castle on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Uncle promises his wards, his followers, all young girls, that the future holds something profound, something they've never seen before. One of the girls will inherit tremendous powers and Eve is willing to do anything to be the chosen one. But even on a remote island in Scotland, just after the war to end all wars, a cult with young girl followers catches the eyes of the law. Chief Inspector Christopher Black investigates a brutal murder, which derails a sacred ceremony on the island, and he desperately wants to get Eve away from Uncle's control. But no matter how bad things get, Eve is devoted to Uncle and his teachings.
It is quite appropriate that this was a Shirley Jackson Award winner (2019) because this feels so much like a Shirley Jackson book - it is a dark, Gothic horror novel, heavy on character.
Author Catriona Ward plays fast and loose with time here and it's important to pay attention to the date at the beginning of a chapter. We bounce around a bit but rest assured, the story does come together.
I especially appreciated the character of Inspector Black. He seemed the most complex character. While the focus is on Eve, she doesn't seem to be in control of her own actions through most of the book and her wants and desires seem pretty straight-forward. Black on the other hand is highly conflicted. He is suspicious of Eve, but he also wants to get her out of her situation (being in a cult), but he also knows he has no direct action he can take other than trying to convince her it's in her best interest - which is typically not enough to get someone out of a cult.
There are layers of horror here, sometimes subtle, sometimes in your face, but overall it definitely has a gothic horror feel to it, and as I've already mentioned, it sings of Shirley Jackson.
Author Catriona Ward notes that while this is only just being published by her current publisher, she actually wrote and had this published in 2018 (it received the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel in 2018), making this her first novel. I've now read two books by Ward and she is definitely an author to seek out.
Looking for a good book? Little Eve by Catriona Ward is solid, spine-tingling, Gothic horror and worth reading if you like a little shiver in your reading.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
Jukes Wahler is a psychiatrist working in Manhattan - a city filled with peThis review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
Jukes Wahler is a psychiatrist working in Manhattan - a city filled with people who could use his services, but is he soon to be in need of a psychiatrist himself?
One day, while looking out through a deli window, Jukes sees a tremendously beautiful redheaded woman walking past. She turn to look at him and then continues on down the block, disappearing in the crowd of people. It is a memorable moment, but it will become a bit more.
Shortly after seeing the stunning beauty, a patient tells Jukes that a woman has been stalking him - not an ordinary woman, but a banshee (an Irish angel of death) - a beautiful redhead. It's probably just coincidence since the patient is generally quite delusional.
Jukes will forget about this when something more immediate gets his attention - his sister and her abusive boyfriend have gone missing. One man has offered to help find them ... an ex-IRA commando who is the leader of a radical terrorist group in Ireland.
This book is part horror novel, part detective mystery, and part supernatural fantasy. Each of these is a high-selling category, so this should be a clear hit with a lot of different readers, but it doesn't always work out that way.
I love using classic mythology in modern fiction and we haven't seen a lot of Irish spirits or creatures, so this may have been my favorite part of this book.
The detective mystery aspect is also quite nicely done. I do like the classic, hard-boiled-style detective, and we get that here in spades with our New York cop. I think that a straight-forward mystery with this cop would have a good deal of appeal to readers such as myself.
While I like a good horror novel (and I'm okay with splatterpunk as horror), the horror doesn't work too well here. It's extraneous and just doesn't add anything to the story.
For a hard-boiled detective story, this moves along just right. But for a supernatural thriller/horror novel, the pace is too slow.
Looking for a good book? Shade of Pale by Greg Kihn has just about everything ... a New York cop, Irish IRA fighters, and even a banshee, but the various storylines move at an uneven pace, bringing the enjoyment level down a notch.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 5.0 of 5
Oof, this was good.
Have you ever wondered why, during the Salem witchcraft This review originally published in . Rated 5.0 of 5
Oof, this was good.
Have you ever wondered why, during the Salem witchcraft trials era, if the women accused of being witches really were witches, they didn't perform some sort of magic to survive? I'm thinking author Brom may have wondered this.
Abigail is an innocent and energetic young English girl, sold by her father to a Puritan in the Colonies. She arrives, nervous, but staying positive and looks to make the best of the situation. Fortunately, her husband, Edward, is a good man who is willing to work hard to make a good life for he and his bride.
But Edward dies under suspicious circumstances, and his brother, Wallace, claims Edward's property (including his wife, Abigail) which, due to Edward's work, is in much better condition than his own. But Abigail knows enough about the local law to stake her claim on the land as long as she meets the agreed upon terms and can pay for the land when the payment (to Wallace) comes due.
Abigail has a deep connection with the land and continues to farm it well, which annoys Wallace no end, and he is determined to see Abigail fail - even if he has to help her out in that regard a little bit.
Enter the dark stranger who recognizes something special in Abigail and who helps her build on her connection to the natural world around which in turn keeps her farm healthy and prosperous. Which in turn, drives Wallace absolutely mad. The better Abigail does, the hard Wallace works to cut her down in order to get the land.
And the harder Wallace works to bring Abigail down, the more she must turn to her dark friend to get her out of trouble. But by doing so, Abigail is giving Wallace the best ammunition to use against her. He recognizes what she has become even before she does, and being accused of being a witch in Puritan New England is a death sentence even she can't escape.
Or can she?
There is so much power in this revenge story, and make no mistake, this is a revenge story, for both Wallace and Abigail. But it's also a tightly woven character study of Abigail, who never loses her faith even after she's changed, but even she reaches a breaking point.
As readers, we watch her growth and her slow conversion to the bewitchery indicated in the title, and we're absolutely held spellbound. We want her to maintain her sweetness and her kindness and her innocence, but Wallace and his cronies are set up so well, so evilly, that we also want Abigail to triumph over them. I mean, we REALLY want to see them suffer for what they do.
The first three quarters of the book is set-up. Setting up the characters, the relationships, the obstacles. There isn't a lot of horror, darkness, or gore in this set-up, but once it starts, it's full on graphic horror that might just turn your stomach. But what's most fascinating, even here, is that this graphic horror starts with the human, Puritanical world. What Abigail and another suffer, as enticement to admit to their crimes of witchcraft and consorting with the devil, is every bit as gory and horrific as what will later befall them as part of the supernatural aspects of the book.
Yeah, this is smart, well built horror. And I love that author Brom isn't just picking on the so-called religious Puritans. There is a reverend here who really is the 'good' in the book, holding true to his beliefs and representing what can be, or should be, about religion.
I've never read anything by Brom before, but now I want to read everything. This is so incredibly well structured, with fantastic characters, and I was pulled into the story and felt as though I was an active viewer, a member of the crowd so to speak, rather than just a guy holding a book.
Look at the glorious cover. Really look at it. If this makes you think. "Oh, wow" then read the book.
Looking for a good book? You found it. Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom is a fantastic tale of the descent, or ascent?, to darkness with a fetching young girl as our protagonist.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
I've thought, longer than usual, on how to start this review. Often I'll stThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
I've thought, longer than usual, on how to start this review. Often I'll start with a plot description -- too difficult with this book. Sometimes I'll start with some general comments about other books I've read by the author -- been there, done that already with Wendig. And sometimes I'll dig right in and talk about what I really liked (or disliked) about a book -- again, too difficult with this.
Chuck Wendig's The Book of Accidents is a serious excursion into so many different horrors that it's difficult to summarize.
We enter with a man in an electric chair. Serial killer Edmund Walker Reese who still maintains that the young girls he killed needed to die and he only regrets that the fifth girl got away. Mysteriously. And when the executioner flips the switch to send the killing volts into his body, he mysteriously disappears.
We meet Nate and Maddie Graves. Nate, a Philadelphia cop, grew up with a nasty, abusive father. That father is now dying - painfully and slowly, just the way Nate hoped. But the father has left them the house in the country - a house Nate wants nothing to do with but Maddie recognizes the financial benefit to not paying city rent. So they move with their child to the 1700's-build farmhouse where things that shouldn't be, are.
And all the horrors that we recognize as deserving of their own book come to be just a drop in the bucket as we discover that alternate universes converge in darkness here.
Wendig combines the best of Lovecraftian horror with his own modern dark fantasy storytelling to deliver a very special, anxious horror.
This isn't a slasher novel and it's not full of splatter but it will gnaw at your spine and raise the goosebumps on your flesh, so if you like a story that will do that, look no further. Wendig has taken some risks by expanding on what he does so well, but it pays off.
Looking for a good book? The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig is one of those accidents you can't stop staring at, even though you know that what you see will give you nightmares. It's a great dark fantasy/horror story.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
A secretive organization called The Cabal believe that Lorelai "Lori" PalumThis review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
A secretive organization called The Cabal believe that Lorelai "Lori" Palumbo has committed unspeakable crimes in the past and now she must pay. To that end, The Cabal slowly rips apart Lori's safe, organized life. The Cabal ruins Lori's job, her health, everything and everyone she loves. And Lori has no idea what The Cabal thinks she's done to deserve this punishment. After being pushed to the brink, Lori has nothing left to lose and she decides to take her questions (and her anger) directly to the Cabal. But they are not exactly easy to find, either. Lori's direct approach takes her into a mind-spinning world where anything can (and often does) happen.
Your Turn to Suffer is more than just horror fiction, it is weird horror fiction.
I've been a fan of author Tim Waggoner's work since reading his Shadow Watch novels back in 2014/2015 (you want weird horror ... it doesn't get much stranger than those!). His work is fresh (with a strong scent of decay), highly original, gruesome and dark, and often bitingly humorous.
Your Turn to Suffer seems an apt title as nearly everyone here does, indeed, suffer. And suffering in a Waggoner novel is usually pretty gruesome. I mean ... really gruesome. If you can't handle some putrefaction and a side of gangrene, then this is definitely not the book for you. But if you don't mind a little flesh-ripping in your horror, then you really need to check this out.
Lori starts out being a bit of an unreliable character. She doesn't know what's going on and she's lost and afraid, and yet she's clearly our main focus. Her character grows as the story grows. But it's the Cabal who are the true mystery here. What ... or who ... are the Cabal? (Is the Cabal?) Not quite human? More than human? And what is their problem with Lori? The answer lies somewhere beyond reality.
This is a fun and fast read, but I don't want to undersell how gruesome and gross it can be. Waggoner doesn't pull any punches or hide his fangs.
My only real complaint with the book is the humor. Generally humor in a book like this is a relief. Sometimes it's the focus. In the case of the other Waggoner books I mentioned earlier, it's totally appropriate for a character to crack wise. Here I felt the humor - the jokes and wise cracks - were a tad forced. It didn't flow naturally from the characters.
Looking for a good book? If you are ready for a dark, twisted, flesh-peeling horror book, then pick up Tim Waggoner's Your Turn to Suffer.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
Lynette Tarkington is a final girl. In horror movies the 'final girl' is thThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
Lynette Tarkington is a final girl. In horror movies the 'final girl' is the one left standing. The one who fought back and defeated the killer who just brutally murdered everyone else in the film. The 'final girl' is the one people tend to forget about after the movie is over. The madman, the killer, people remember.
Lynette Tarkington is a final girl for real. Twenty-two years ago she survived a massacre and every day since then her life has been defined by this one event. By surviving. And she's not the only one. For many years now, Lynette has been joined by final girls Marilyn Torres, Adrienne Butler, Dani Shipman, Heather DeLuca, and Julia Campbell in Dr. Carol Elliott's Final Girl Support Group.
Meeting for years, that is, until one of the girls missed a meeting. Lynette is sure that this is the first sign of more horror to come - that someone has found out about the support group and is going to take them down, one by one, until there is only a final, final girl left. Unless they can stand together and fight back. They've had each others' backs for a decade and a final girl knows how to be the last one standing.
Author Grady Hendrix is an absolutely brilliant horror writer. In everything I've read by Hendrix to date, I've felt like I was right there, in person, observing the story as it unfolds. These stories take place in the real world, with real people trying to live an ordinary life but something beyond their control is interrupting them.
Hendrix toys with the reader with the central character, Lynette Tarkington. Is she right, or is she paranoid? Is there a legitimate threat or is Lynette's PTSD overwhelming every aspect of her life? Her apartment has a safe room and a cage that will trap unwanted visitors. Is this the behavior of a sane woman?
Hendrix keeps the reader guessing about so many different things (Is she crazy? Who's behind this? Is the ex-cop out to get her? Is Lynette even an actual Final Girl?) and is always moving the story forward that this is a joy to read.
Looking for a good book? The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix is a modern horror story rooted in reality that will keep you guessing and on edge until the last page.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.25 of 5
Ted lives in a run-down old house with his cat, Olivia, and sometimes withThis review originally published in . Rated 4.25 of 5
Ted lives in a run-down old house with his cat, Olivia, and sometimes with his daughter, Lauren. Ted has ... 'issues.' Could it be the obvious alcoholism? Or is it something more? He sees a psychologist regularly, but rarely tells the truth.
The woods behind the house hold secrets - secrets Ted is afraid will come to light when diggers and tractors wind they were behind the house and into the woods.
The cat knows many secrets, and Lauren never leaves the house when she's there.
Their awkward status quo is disrupted when a new neighbor, Dee, moves in on the dead-end street. Dee is the sister of a young woman who went missing years ago. Dee is convinced that Ted, the man behind the boarded-up windows at the end of her street, is responsible and she'll do anything to prove it.
I'm always on the lookout for a good horror novel and The Last House on Needless Street definitely fits the bill.
Author Catriona Ward sets us up first with our main character, Ted. We can feel something is 'off' about him right from the start and much of the book is a slow reveal into more and more of the man and what has caused him to behave the way he does.
But the book has multiple points of view, including that from the cat. The Bible reading cat seems to be the most observant of all the characters, and perhaps the most reliable as well. Even more so than the obsessed Dee.
The book is a study in character and psychosis and it's quite haunting. Ward really establishes a tone for the book using characters and her work here should be a stellar example of how to create mood.
One of the more intriguing aspects of the book is how Ted is established right away and as readers we think we know him or at least his 'type.' And here again it's the cat who keeps us focused, not settling in too early in thinking we know exactly what's going on because ... well, a cat. Why are we getting the cat's point of view?
But as the book goes along and more and more is revealed about Ted, we really do think we understand the direction of the book. The presence of Dee is sort of an 'ah ha' moment and yeah, we know exactly what's going to happen now.
Except we don't.
I think it's safe to say that the majority of readers will not accurately predict the ending (especially if they haven't read a bunch of reviews) and isn't that ultimately what we want? To be tested and surprised and entertained along the way?
At one point, maybe two thirds of the way through, I felt like the story stalled just slightly - that we had stopped getting new information and were repeating aspects of Lauren's character. But this was just a passing moment.
Readers should be aware that there is some pretty gruesome child abuse described herein.
Looking for a good book? Fans of horror and well-written, character driven fiction will gleefully devour The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Liverpool just after World War II and three students (the Tremendous Three)This review originally published in . Rated 4.0 of 5
Liverpool just after World War II and three students (the Tremendous Three), best friends Dominic Sheldrake, Jimmy, and Bobby (Roberta), are discovering that there is something dark and maybe sinister about Mr. Noble. Noble had been their teacher who, after bringing in his father to talk about his experiences in the war, suggested a trip to France so that the class might visit some battlefields. But Dominick believes that Mr. Noble is looking for a way to commune with the dead. The Tremendous Three recognize that it may be up to them to stop Mr. Noble, but Noble is always one step ahead and the teachers at their religious schools see only the need to put a damper on some overly-imaginative students.
When it comes to dark fantasy or horror, there are only a handful of authors whose work I will delightfully look for and Ramsey Campbell is high on that list.
This is not splatterpunk or horror that makes you jump from a sudden shock. This is a slow, methodical horror that creeps up on you and is at your heels before you even know it's coming.
The book is rich with story. There's a supernatural element to the horror but it is balanced so delicately with the 'modern' horrors of WWII that are still fresh in peoples' minds. Our narrator is only a teen at this time, and because of this the unknown horrors of what his teacher is doing are the stronger, more frightening reality. For him the war is already a thing of the past, something he experiences second-hand.
The trusted guardian, the teacher Mr. Noble, is a perfect foil for Dominick and his friends. They know him, he seems like a good man, but they also feel as though they know him better than anyone else and no one seems to be taking their concerns seriously.
The horror here is honest and deep but this is really a story about character - Dominick's character, specifically. How do we behave under such circumstances? How do we remember these things?
Looking for a good book? If you are looking for a dark, fast read, then this is not the book for you. But if you want to read something that will grow on you and imbue your soul with a little darkness, then Ramsey Campbell's The Searching Dead is the book you should read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
Coburn just woke up. Coburn has been asleep for the past five years (not stThis review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
Coburn just woke up. Coburn has been asleep for the past five years (not strictly by choice, and he is now awake and hungry, and for someone like Coburn ... a vampire ... being hungry is not good for the rest of the world. Unfortunately, however, Coburn woke up to a world in which everyone (or almost everyone) is dead. Not dead like he is, with a thirst for blood and a keen intellect, but rather dead with rotten blood and a hunger for brains.
Awake now in a world in which most of the blood around him won't sustain him, Coburn the vampire is hungry and must fight off the other undead seeking to be sated by the few remaining living humans.
Chuck Wendig has become one of my favorite authors ... someone whose books I actively search for. His prose is delicious, his characters gritty, real, and often on edge, and his stories always have a bite to them (pun slightly intended).
Double Dead is one of Wendig's earliest published novels and for the discerning Wendig reader, one can tell. Even though we've got an angry vampire as our protagonist, Coburn doesn't have nearly the venom or heated angst as other Wendig characters, such as Miriam Black or Atlanta Burns (or is the fact that Miriam and Atlanta are teenage girls simply make them seem more venomous?). Some of the biting humor is still here, and the world we're visiting is bleak and dark, though it's a bit more manufactured - its dark because the population has become zombies, rather than being dark because of the seedier side of human nature as we see later on.
I've been reading (and a fan of) vampire fiction since the mid-1970's so I really thought I found gold to find a vampire Wendig novel, and I did enjoy the take here, with the vampire struggling to find the food he needs.
I have not, however, been a fan of zombie fiction (though I did really like Mira Grant's Newsflesh series). A vampire story can be about the vampire, but a zombie story is about someone else surviving in a zombie world.
As vampire novels go, this is a fun read, though it does feel a bit repetitive by the end. As a Chuck Wendig book, it clearly shows signs of being an early Wendig work, hinting at what he'll produce later, but not yet his best work.
This book contains both Double Dead and Double Dead: Bad Blood.
Looking for a good book? Fans of paranormal fantasy, specifically vampire and zombie fiction, will find Chuck Wendig's Double Dead to be a good vacation read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
This is an INTENSE book. The faint-at-heart may want to stay away.
Mattie liThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
This is an INTENSE book. The faint-at-heart may want to stay away.
Mattie lives with William, alone in a remote location in a small wooden shack on a mountain. Mattie must always obey the will of her husband. She must keep quiet, keep out of sight, and fulfill all wifely duties. If she questions William, it is the same as questioning God and therefore she will be punished by William's wrath. She knows what William is capable of and she does not want to make William upset.
One day William takes Mattie with him as he goes further up into the mountains to explore an old cave. Mattie sees the mutilated body of a fox and senses something evil, something ancient, something primal, nearby and she desperately wants to get away - so much so that she's even willing to defy William and suffer his abuse.
Later, Mattie encounters three hikers looking to record the presence of an ancient creature. Despite her protestations to get away, they insist on searching. Mattie's sure that if the creature she knows is out there doesn't get them, William will. He's very protective of his property - including Mattie.
But worlds collide when one member of the exploring trio recognizes Mattie; when William discovers the hikers; and when beast in the mountains feels threatened by all the activity
Author Christina Henry is a remarkable, talented story-teller. Early on she sets a tone for this book that is dark and troublesome. We readers begin to form assumptions about the situation, but Henry slowly builds on what is, unfortunately, a very real horror for too many women in this world. That building changes only the direction in the readers' mind, but not the realness of the horror.
The horror builds gradually, shockingly, beautifully.
This is some of the best horror I've read in a long time. In part because the horror lives on at least two different levels - and I'm not sure which one is more horrific.
There is a trail of blood and gore through the end of the book, though Henry doesn't rely on 'splatter fiction' to get under the reader's skin. And the ending hints at something positive, as well as the very real possibility of a returning horror.
Looking for a good book? Christina Henry's Near the Bone is a tremendously well written, dark tale. If you think you can handle a powerful, real horror, as well as the dark unknown horror, then you must give this a read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
I'll repeat this every time I read a horror novel ... novel-length horror iThis review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
I'll repeat this every time I read a horror novel ... novel-length horror is difficult sustain. There are very few names that stand out in this field because so few can doo this well. Clive Barker is among those few.
Poland at the end of World War II. Our protagonist, unnamed, a thief, is looking for a man named Mamoulian - a gambler who never loses.
Move forward a few dozen years where Marty Strauss, a prisoner in the United kingdom, is offered early, supervised release. The condition? He will go to work for a wealthy recluse, Joseph Whitehead. How hard can it be? It has to be better than rotting away in prison, right?
When Strauss finally finds himself in Whitehead's inner sanctuary he learns that Whitehead is trying to get himself out from an oath he doesn't think he even made in the first place with a certain Mamoulian many years ago. But is this nothing more than part of a (Damnation) game?
This book is a reprint, originally published in 1985, and apparently this was author Clive Barker's first novel. (I'm familiar with Barker but not what I would consider a huge fan so I'm not familiar with his body of work). One of the nice things about good horror fiction is that it doesn't really go out of style. As long as humans are reading it, the terror that it is universal to most people will continue to invoke horror.
Barker throws in a little bit of everything - cannibalism, incest, monsters, animal abuse - and the visuals vary from the swanky mansion with all its opulence, to rotting meat with maggots. It definitely has all the hallmarks of a first novel in which the author packs the book with all forms of horror with the hopes that something will stick with each reader.
The prose is delicious and it's Barker's writing style that keeps the reader interested, more than the story itself. The basic story is is quite interesting, but it gets a little lost behind all the splatter thrown up.
Barker is the creative behind the Hellraiser films (writer and director of the first film) and we can see some of what will come out in that first film here in this early novel. It is dark and gritty and that touch of the supernatural really keeps the reader on edge.
It is great to have this re-released so that a new generation of horror readers can experience this first novel by a horror master.
Looking for a good book? The Damnation Game is a new edition of Clive Barker's earliest novel and fans of the horror genre should make sure to put this on their reading list.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated .5 of 5
I'm often on the look-out for a good horror novel to read, and when I saw thThis review originally published in . Rated .5 of 5
I'm often on the look-out for a good horror novel to read, and when I saw this, with a couple of author names I recognized, I thought this would be a good read and satisfy my hunger for something dark.
But I was wrong.
The horror genre can come in different forms and my least favorite is one that relies on a lot of blood and sinew and human body parts being torn or ripped off and described in explicit detail. It's horrific but the effect is numbing after a little bit. How many times can you describe blood or the sound of a limb being torn off, or the appearance of everything under a person's skin, now exposed, and still make it interesting? This is nothing more than splatterpunk at its extreme and I would agree with Robert Bloch who said of the genre, "there is a distinction to be made between that which inspires terror and that which inspires nausea" (Wikipedia).
To make matters even worse, from a story-telling perspective, the entire book takes place in one setting (a hospital) over the course of a few hours. How do you build tension and terror when it's essentially the same moment, repeated over and over? You don't.
Briefly, a collector of odd antiquities is in a rural hospital, losing his battle with cancer. A package arrives ... a skull he's been looking forward to owning. The skull has an unusual appearance ... it is a human skull but has sharp fangs. When it slips and the fangs sink into his skin, a transformation begins. He has become infected with something that now changes him. His cancer seems to abate, but he now has a powerful hunger for blood. His teeth fall out and new teeth, fangs like those on the skull quickly grow in. He uses them to bite into the nearest person. They lose their teeth and new ones grow in, and the hospital becomes a warzone of those who hunger for human blood, and those who are trying to keep theirs inside their bodies.
I don't mind changing up the 'rules' that have been previously established for certain supernatural creatures - and the authors here warn us that these vampires aren't going to be like any we've read about before - but if you're going to change the rules, change them! Don't just swap them! These 'draculas' (the term given them by other characters in the book) are nothing more than common 'zombies' except instead of hungering for brains, they hunger for blood. They have the same 'keep on coming' traits that most zombies in modern literature possess. Slash them, disembowel them, rend them limb from limb and the part with their fangs will keep coming. I was really disappointed that this wasn't really something new and instead the authors just changed one creature for another.
This was a huge disappointment all around.
Looking for a good book? You won't find it here.
I borrowed this book through the Kindle Unlimited program....more
This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
Honestly ... the main reason I wanted to read this was not so much because This review originally published in . Rated 3.5 of 5
Honestly ... the main reason I wanted to read this was not so much because it's a "Walking Dead" novel, but because it's by Wesley Chu. I'll read just about anything by Chu (though I'd prefer to read more in the Time Salvager or Io series').
China has been hit particularly hard by the outbreak that creates the walking dead (called "jiangshi") - there may be upwards of one billion jiangshi roaming the country. Survivors have clustered in large groups and created new settlements to best defend themselves from the walkers. These settlements bring together people of all backgrounds and from all walks of Chinese life, each now tasked with new day-to-day jobs for the good of the settlement.
At one such colony, known as Beacon of Light, we meet Zhu, once a poof, rural farmer, Elena, an American student taking a gap year to teach English to Chinese students, and Hengyen, a can-do military officer who firmly believes that the Chinese military will overcome this problem.
There are some 3,000 other citizens in Beacon of Light encampment which means there are a lot of people who need to be fed. The most consistent source of food comes from scavenging the homes and towns around them, but each scavenging raid means going further and further out, which of course has many dangers as the scavengers get further away from the safety and protection of the settlement.
On one such scavenging mission, Zhu finds himself in his home village and discovers that there are other survivors who've made their own small, protected settlement. Zhu isn't sure if he should leave them alone or encourage them to join Beacon of Light.
Meanwhile, a typhoon of jiangshi are soon going to engulf the countryside. The leader of the settlement assigns Hengyen with the task of rounding up anyone not in a protected settlement. Zhu, is even more conflicted given his love of the American, Elena. Does he run with the villagers who will attempt to flee the approaching tidal wave of walkers, or does he stay with Elena and Beacon of Light, which will surely be overrun.
While I watched The Walking Dead television show somewhat faithfully for the first three seasons, I never had the burning desire to make sure I stayed with it to see what would happen next. It's on my list of things to watch 'someday.' So I am somewhat, but not intimately, familiar with this series.
I liked Chu's storytelling a lot, and I really appreciated this look at The Walking Dead world from an entirely different cultural point of view. But at the same time, what as worked so well (for me at least) with The Walking Dead has been the set of characters, even though rotating in and out. This book could be any zombie novel. There's not much tying it to Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead other than that title. Maybe that works in its favor; maybe some readers want their zombies but are tired of the same old group of people.
I enjoyed this for the story itself, but not as part of The Walking Dead series.
Looking for a good book? Wesley Chu brings to life (pun intended) a story of love and conflict in a strange time and a strange land in his foray into Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Typhoon.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
It is the one-year anniversary of the accident in which Jeffrey, Sierra SowThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
It is the one-year anniversary of the accident in which Jeffrey, Sierra Sowell's brother, was killed and now a mysterious man known as Corliss, has resurrected Jeffrey. But Corliss doesn't stop there. He transforms a few other people in town who have connections to Sierra - cursing them with an emphasis on their own vices. Jeffrey, Sierra discovers, is not quite alive. He's a walking corpse with a Midas-like corpse touch, sending those he touches to immediate death.
Corliss offers Sierra a bargain - he will return Jeffrey to being fully alive, but she must do something for him. How far is she willing to go for family?
I liked this book.
Be forewarned ... it is extremely graphic. There is violence that makes Pulp Fiction look like an animated DreamWorks film, and the sex would make Mae West blush. Then vomit.
So ... yeah, I liked this book!
My previous experience with Tim Waggoner were with his Shadow Watch books. Those books had a very 'bizarro-world' feel to them (which I love) and there was some of that same sense here. The character of Mandy and her succubus, sex-crazed actions are some of the most bizarre fiction I've ever read.
But here's the thing about Tim Waggoner's bizarreness ... as wild as it seems on the page, it is tightly controlled - the antics don't get away from the author - and there is a purpose. This isn't just a case of being strange for the sake of being strange. Even these odd behaviors and occurrences conform to a set of rules.
Despite the gore and despite the sex, Waggoner's biggest success is how he builds anxiety and fear. Not too long ago I read another book (which shall remain nameless [and I have not posted a review, so don't bother searching for it]) that was page after page of gore and splatter. And it was boring. Waggoner is never boring.
When I have taught theatre/drama to college students, I talk about the development of a dramatic story. And Waggoner successfully follows this pattern. We start off with a status quo and then something happens to create conflict. There is rising action as our characters must overcome obstacle until there is a resolution and a denouement. It's quite beautiful to see this in fiction, done so well.
Looking for a good book? If you think you can handle the heavy stuff ... the violence, the sex, the strangeness of it all ... then I highly recommend you give They Kill by Tim Waggoner a read. It is very well-written horror.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, through the publicist, in exchange for an honest review....more
This review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
Meet Kirk Vaisto, a heavy metal rock guitarist. He is often called "The GodThis review originally published in . Rated 4.5 of 5
Meet Kirk Vaisto, a heavy metal rock guitarist. He is often called "The God of Guitar" by his fans and the journalists who write about music.
Meet Egyptologist, Helmut Hartkopff. Helmut has been searching for a specific artifact, The Song of Sethis, which, when used properly, will release Sethis (sometimes better known as "Satan") from his imprisonment in the bowels of the earth.
Meet multibillionaire, Festus Baustone the Third, who has bank-rolled Helmut's search and who won't let anything stop him from having the Song of Sethis played for the world, including...
Meet Mona Baustone, the daughter of Festus. She doesn't know that her father is dying of cancer, and she doesn't know that he has no confidence in her ability to take control of his company when he dies, so she still works for her father.
Festus Baustone needs a musician to first transcribe the Song of Sethis. It is music but written in a form of Hieroglyphics. And because the author of the Song of Sethis, Aknaseth, was known to be a good musician who played a six-stringed instrument, much like the modern guitar, Festus and Helmut believe they need a guitar player. Since Festus wants only the best, he asks who is the best guitar player in the world. The answer is Kirk Vaisto - the "God of Guitar."
Festus pays a ridiculous amount of money to have Kirk transcribe the music and to play the song, and he sends his daughter, Mona, to follow and see how Kirk is doing. She gets there just as Kirk's computer program has finished the transcription and he is about to try playing it.
The song has surprising effects, sending Kirk into a trance-like state, with his fingers moving faster and faster, and images of chaos and destruction. As the song finishes and he comes out of his trance, he sees that his entire studio is completely trashed from the violence of the song. Mona, who witnessed the same things, assures him that the Baustone company will rebuild his studio for him. And while Kirk wants nothing more to do with the song, Mona is quite certain that her father won't let Kirk just walk away.
Kirk plays the song one more time, in a specially built studio, for Helmut and Festus hear what they have worked for so long to acquire. There are the same results, which has a negative effect on Kirk, but Helmut and Festus seem almost giddy afterwards. They know now that this is indeed the song that will release Satan from the underworld. But to do that it needs to be heard by the entire world. Baustone and Helmut plan for a live broadcast of the song, to be played by Kirk (his fame should get a large number of viewers).
Kirk does everything he can to avoid playing, but Mona was correct that Festus would stop at nothing to release Satan into the world. Fortunately, Kirk will get a little assistance along the way.
I was a little bit nervous about reading this ... I felt as though there was a good deal of hype surrounding this book, and I don't usually trust hype. But I'm always looking out for fiction that incorporates music. And that this was a dark fantasy or horror book just added to my interest. Fortunately, the hype is well deserved ... this is a really good book.
Author Jeremy Wagner really does a fantastic job balancing all the different aspects of this story. There could very easily have been too much of the German Egyptologist; too much of Kirk and his skills at guitar; too much of the set-up about releasing Sethis; etc. But the story moves along at a quick, but appropriate pace, with characters that are unique and clearly motivated. There's romance (you can probably guess with whom) and terror, good versus evil, and just enough religion/supernatural aspects to keep you on your toes.
I wondered, early, how Wagner would handle the religious aspects of Satan (can you have a Satan without God?), but the idea is addressed, and in a surprising and very satisfactory way.
I'm not into heavy metal music (the hardest rock I would listen to might be Ballroom Blitz by Sweet), but I did understand why a story about the devil and a musician might feature a heavy metal rocker.
Looking for a good book? The Armageddon Chord by Jeremy Wagner is a quick read, and a real page-turner ... I really wanted to read 'just one more' chapter each time I opened this book. You will, too.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review....more
Loading...
