Category: Horror

REVIEW: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

5/27/2016

Title: Outpost

Series: Razorland #2 - NOT stand alone

Author: Ann Aguirre

Genre: Young Adult, Futuristic, horror (kind of)

Length: Novel - PURCHASED BY REVIEWER

TBR Reviewer: Christine K.

Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read!

Welcome back to the Razorland trilogy. Deuce, Fade, Tegan and Stalker have survived the infested cities and are now in a small town called Salvation. It’s protected by large walls that have kept the muties/freaks out but they’re getting smarter…

I love this world and the characters. There so much dark and it’s peppered with so much hope. The beginning is kind of slow moving for me. I found Deuce losing herself within the school of Salvation and it just doesn’t feel like her character. The flashbacks are also strange. They are just passages from the first book and don’t move the story along. Once Deuce joins the patrol to protect the fields things are filled with action. I love the fight scenes. Deuce is so graceful and awesome when she fights with her daggers. The romance issue between her and stalker and fade is perfectly done. It makes sense that she doesn’t understand the boys because she’s lived her whole life underground. Then we learn more about the muties/freaks and the whole ‘eat me’ thing is so freaking creepy! The ending is perfect. It gave closure to this book and set up a quest for the third and final book. I can’t wait to read it!

Outpost is another amazing book in the Razorland Trilogy.

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REVIEW: Save Me by Penny Brandon

11/23/2015

Title: Save Me

Series: Voodoo Dolls 1

Author: Penny Brandon

Length: 197 Pages

Genres: Romance, Gay, Paranormal, Horror

TBR Reviewer: Laurie P

Rating: 4 Stars – Recommended Read.

Heat: 4 – Smoking hot

Steve is the quiet, shy, mild mannered and at times, the whimpy guy. Everyone walks all over him. Nathan is so down on his luck. His ex boyfriend baled on him, taking everything with him. So he’s got no boyfriend, no job and no clothes or furniture. But he does have an intriguing neighbor, Steve.

The play between the characters is one of the best things about this book. Watching the relationship grow and then apart then back together again made the characters feel real. This book is good. It has all of the elements of a great story. Yep, the doll is creepy, showing up everywhere. And it’s doing really bad things, like trying to kill Nathan. I love the characters, but at the start I did want to yell at my kindle to tell Steve to grow a pair. This is also one of those stories where I don’t want to say too much. There are times when I think the author tries too hard with this story. If you enjoy paranormal I think you should read this book. I’m interested to see where this author takes the next book. Overall, a very good read.

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GIVEAWAY: The Vitandi by Denver Batiste

2/12/2015

Title: The Vitandi

Author: Denver Batiste

Length: 294 page novel

Genre: Horror, fantasy, romance, vampire

TBR Reviewer: Shyla

Rating: 5 Stars - A Must Read

Heat: 3/5 - Blush Worthy

This book is brilliantly written. I love stories that have a strong foot hold in reality. If you think you’ve read every vampire book there is, this one will not disappoint you. I was completely sucked in from the start. I’ve always wondered what would happen if the birth of vampires was linked to the twelve apostles, and Batiste has given me my answer.

Turned into vampires after drinking Jesus’s blood from the Holy Grail, the twelve apostles are doomed to an eternal existence, until they can track down the daughter with the proper lineage and use her in a ritual that will turn them all human. I’d like to go into more detail here, but that’s the fun part of reading this story, the discovery, the mystery, and the myth. Baptiste is a mastermind with a knack for painting details, and pacing. I loved the blend of romance, adventure, and dialogue.

The characters were all memorable, and while Kellan and Nicole are the stars, each of them play a part in this epic narrative. Our hero Kellan, has what’d I’d call a Peter Pan Syndrome. He has some growing up to do, and Nicole, who was meant to be a means to an end, turns his life upside down forcing him to take a long look at himself in the mirror. It’s amazing what a connection to someone and the beginning of love can do to a person.

Nicole is impossible not to love. She’s a kind-hearted soul intent on doing good for others. It’s a rarity nowadays. She was well suited for the role she was being placed in. I don’t think anyone else would’ve been able to move Kellan the way she did with her sweetness and sincerity. I don’t want to go into too much detail, because this is truly that unfolds with plot bombs that make your head spin. In the best possible way, of course.

I highly recommend this fresh take on vampires.

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GIVEAWAY: Ms. Batiste is giving away an Ecopy of her book. The TBR Pile is giving away an Ebook from our prize list. TO ENTER: Comment below if you've read this author before and why you want to read The Vitandi!

REVIEW: Primal Shift, Episode One by Griffin Hayes

12/22/2013

Primal Shift
Episode 1
by Griffin Hayes
Length: Short
Genre: Horror
TBR Reviewer: Christine
Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read.

I found this whole book really interesting. It’s a plot I’ve never read or heard of before. You meet all the characters and see how they experience the ‘lights and earthquake’. It wasn’t confusing and each character had a great depth.

However, it was jumpy. We meet all the characters and then jump back to Finn facing this caveman guy with a pipe and shaky legs. The story continues on this way, jumping back and forth between the characters. Now, you should know this is not a full story, beginning, arch and ending. It’s like the first snippet of the book but it is free (At least at the moment), so I recommend picking it up.

The story is still good with only a few editing issues. I have to say I couldn’t stop reading. Strange lights, earthquake and then people suddenly go crazy. It reminded me of The Happening with a dose of The Walking Dead. I really wanted to learn more about what the hell happened and how these people were going to survive.

I can’t wait to read more!

Download here (At the time of this review, Primal Shift is free on Amazon.)

REVIEW: Eden by David Holley and Jeremiah Pinto

4/11/2013

Eden by David Holley and Jeremiah Pinto
Genre: Horror/ Adventure thriller
Length: novel
Reviewer: Mark
Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read!

Whilst on an Orbital Space Plane travelling from London to New Zealand, Mia, one-half of a pair of twins, experiences a vision of impending disaster. Her reaction to what she sees is the deciding factor that dooms her parents but saves herself and her brother from certain death. When members of a terrorist cell activate a device capable of disrupting the controls of the Orbital Shuttle, the Plane is
torn in half; one section crash landing on a remote island just off the coast of mainland New Zealand, the other lost beneath the turbulent seas. Among the survivors is Noah, a former Special Forces soldier who has recently left the Armed Forces, and his strong-willed wife, Evelyn, who together unite to lead the
stranded passengers across a hazardous and perilous terrain in a bid to reach civilization and safety. Along the way, the survivors encounter tsunami, landslides and an erupting volcano that threatens to engulf the island in ash and molten lava. But even when they reach civilization, they quickly learn that
everything is not quite how they left it.....

This was an engrossing thriller, set in the near future, that quickly swept me up in its enthralling plot. I found the tale of Noah and his fellow survivors to be extremely fast-paced with lots of action and which wasted very little time before getting down to the main crux of the story with very little unnecessary
preamble. Though many elements of this novel were far from original (there was a T.V disaster movie in the Eighties, starring Lee Majors I believe, that featured an Orbital Space Plane almost crashing on its maiden flight and the whole stranded-on-an-island-miles-from-anywhere idea has been recently used in the popular cult T.V show, Lost). For me this didn’t matter as I thought the authors still managed to bring something new to the table. It is true that their editing needed work. Many questions are left unanswered, hopefully to be resolved in the next installment one hopes, and though the climax takes a bit of a different and quite unexpected turn, still I look forward to reading what happens next. It is difficult to talk about the ending without giving anything away but needless to say, the twist in direction that this novel takes almost makes its final act feel like a whole different novel altogether. Whether or not this entirely works I am not sure, and I strongly expect that there will be those who are left alienated by this novels ending, but personally, I thought it a clever twist that throws everything else that comes before it into a completely different ballpark.

Would I read future books by this author co-op partnership? This is a question I ask myself a lot when writing reviews, whether I would come back again for more, and here, my answer is a definite yes! Eden manages a very respectable and very strong four stars and a recommendation that if you are looking for something different with a lot of thrills, chills and spills then this book is definitely for you!

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CONTEST: Temperature: Bitter Cold by Adam Santo

2/21/2013

4 Comments

Temperature : Bitter Cold
Author: Adam Santo
Genre: Horror Science Fiction
TBR Reviewers: Shyla
Length: 240
Rating: 5 stars - A Must Read.

The second book in the Temperature series takes on a much darker, sinister tone. I was chilled to the bone, riveted and curious about where Mr. Santos was taking me. Our hero Bo is forced to team up with a witch named Zemra to find Sally, our heroine who's been kidnapped in the
last book; I hate to be a spoiler kind of gal but that's a need to know basis for this review. Mysteries and legends prevalent in society are explained with the wit and whimsy I've come to expect from Santos as Bosnic and his partner trek to find someone who can give them the locations of Sally.

Our heroine, newly raised zombie, Sally is having one hell of a bad year! She's just trying to wrap her mind around what she's become, only to find she has powers none have seen in millennium, be threatened with death and finally kidnapped by a religious group of zombie haters. The torture she endures at the hands of top psycho Demric is enough to turn your stomach. But it forces her to explore just what being a necromancer means. If you have images of vile , half decomposes bodies rising from their grave you're dead on and you know just what makes this book so bad ass. One thing I really love about Sally is she's a save yourself kind of girl. ( The best kind in my opinion.) Bo is there to help her get out of tight spots but he's almost a last resort/mentor.

I could on and on about the plot and its wicked twists but that would be ruining. Suffice to say I highly recommend this dazzling jewel. Santos has a way with descriptions and distorting the everyday knowledge we take at face value that makes you devour each page.

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4 Comments

REVIEW: Tower in the Woods by Tara Quan

2/17/2013

Tower in the Woods by Tara Quan
Genre: Zombie, romance, post-apocalyptic, bdsm
Length: Novella
TBR Reviewer: Brutally Honest
Rating: 4 stars – Recommended Read.
Heat: 4 handcuffs – An erotic Ride.

What a unique idea! At the end of the world, we have zombies! Along with a virgin sniper trapped in a tower, rope made out of zombie hair and some wicked rope bondage. Add that to witty one-lines and extremely well written characters – you have Tower in the woods by Tara Quan

At the beginning, there’s a scene in her POV and then the same scene in his POV. That
was the first hurtle with this book. It slowed down the entire pace and it was redundant. It hurt the book rather than helped. There was a puppy torture reference that I absolutely hated and I nearly put the book down for that single line. It was horribly disturbing and completely unnecessary. There’s also a major hop in the story. They have sex and then jump to a week later, which put a damper on the character’s connection.

Still, after those issues the book comes together quite nicely. The characters were well written and the story itself a solid read. I’ve never read anything that blended a fairytale with zombies. It was a really good idea, the plot was well fleshed out and there were no annoying slow spots. The pace was constantly even. The sex was smoking hot with some bondage. I enjoyed it and would like to read more from this author.

Zombies plus fairytale story plus a talented writer equals a book you must read!

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REVIEW: The Dying of the Light by Jason Kristopher

2/7/2013

The dying of the light: interval by Jason Kristopher
Genre: Horror
Length: novel
Reviewer: Mark
Rating: 3 Stars: It was a good read.

Interval is the second of three books set in the same universe where Zombies or “Walkers” have taken over the planet forcing much of humanity to retreat to underground bunkers until such time as they can repopulate the planet. Though they are the last vestiges of mankind, the separate bunkers find it difficult to co-operate with each other and get along despite being under constant attack and that’s without mentioning the feelings of mass claustrophobia that begins developing amongst the population of Bunker One.

Meanwhile at McMurdo Base, deep in the heart  of Antarctica, one more group of humans struggles to survive in desperate and  dire conditions. There may not be any Walkers but they have their own separate  problems to deal with....

I really enjoyed the first book and the two  short stories I have read that accompany the series so had high hopes for this.  Unfortunately, I felt a little let down and disappointed by this second  installment which, although good, never quite matched the superiority of the
first novel. This was for a number of reasons.

Firstly this book quickly becomes less about  the Zombies and more about the individual pockets of humanity as they struggle  to survive and work together towards a common goal. In fact, the Walkers barely  feature for large chunks of the novel other than in passing. Secondly, the main  plot of the novel jumps around a lot. Not just between McMurdo Base and Bunker
One but also across vast stretches of time. Two years or more can have passed  between chapters and I found this, at times, a little disconcerting and thought  that it broke the story up quite a bit, meaning it didn’t flow as well as  it did in the first book.

It is an interesting take on survival and is a good read because it deals firmly with the practicalities of retreating to an  enclosed space underground for what could end up being decades and looks at the  various problems that could arise in just such a situation. But I just felt that this time around the plot was slightly lacking when compared to the first  book!

Another thing I felt let this down was that  characters from the short story What Ever Happened To Tom Reynolds feature  heavily and if you have not read this, then many fans may feel a little lost as  to what exactly is going on. What Ever Happened To is supposed to represent a
“lost” chapter from the first book and is due to be included in an anthology of  stories to be released once this series is over but without reading it, I just  felt that many people wouldn’t have a clue  who some of these people were or their relevance to the plot! This I thought to
be a major plot error.

Overall, this isn’t bad but don’t expect this  to be quite as gripping as the first book in the series. A big revelation towards the end almost feels like a bit of an excuse to string out
the series to another book and though I am keen to read it to see how this all  ends, still now I feel a bit skeptical about whether it will reach the high  standards set by the first book! Like I say, I didn’t hate this ~ I just felt a  little let down.

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REVIEW: Whatever Happened to Thomas J. Reynolds

1/23/2013

Title: Whatever Happened to Thomas J. Reynolds? by Jason Kristopher
Genre: Horror
Length: short story
TBR Reviewer: Mark
Rating: 5 Stars - A Must Read.

Whatever happened to Thomas J. Reynolds is the second short story to be set in the same universe as The dying of the light: End but this time much later, about a week after Z-Day. When a group of specialist AEGIS military attempt to make their way to one of the vast underground bunkers to which much of mankind has fled to wait out the infection, they find their journey fraught with danger. Though the bunkers have all long since closed their doors, this team have a special dispensation to be allowed access...but only if they should survive!
But, for now at least, it is not the Zombies that are a problem! A group of religious zealots
determined to wipe out all those who are trying to cheat the Armageddon by  laying low are in pursuit and as relentless in their intent as their Undead counterparts! If not even more determined as they are driven by a fury that has lead them to turn against their fellow man.....

This is another cracking short story that perfectly compliments Kristopher’s already
established universe and also introduces a couple of characters who I am sure will have larger roles to play in future upcoming installments! Again, the story is fast-paced and gripping and is fascinating in the way it gives the reader a small glimpse into what is happening to the rest of humanity after all that befell the world in The dying of the light: End. By offering us this small
insight into what is happening to the rest of the world after humanity’s forced absence from the surface, Kristopher again paves the way for yet more stories set to run alongside his already established story line. One thing is for sure, it will certainly be interesting to see exactly what direction he has planned for the next full novel in the series after events depicted here.

I really enjoyed this story and thought it just as brilliant and original as Outbreak One, the previous short story! Both shorts are intended, according to the author, as being viewed as “deleted scenes” or the equivalent of DVD extras to compliment the rest of the main series and Kristopher has so far, managed to break with convention and actually deliver something wholly original in what can often be seen as the already over-populated genre of Zombie fiction. No easy feat by any stretch of imagination!

This short story really got me excited and did what all short fiction should do in leaving me wanting more. Much more! In the meantime, all I can do is wait in anticipation for the next full volume of The dying of the light and I for one cannot wait to see what is going to happen next....

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REVIEW: Outbreak One by Jason Kristopher

1/9/2013

Title: Outbreak One: The Washington Territory by Jason Kristopher
Genre: Horror
Length: short story
TBR Reviewer: Mark
Rating: 5 Stars - A Must Read.

Outbreak One is the first of two short stories written to accompany the new ground-breaking Zombie series, The dying of the light. This seems to be a common practice at the moment, writing shorter fiction to compliment existing novels and is a great way to keep fans interested between longer, lengthier installments of their favorite series! Some more cynical than I might suggest it is a clever, ingenious marketing ploy but I say who cares? The fact is that while authors are prepared to do this, fans like myself are able to get regular fixes of their favorite characters, a bit like sneaking in illicit snacks in-between main meals!

Outbreak One is a tale of the first ever official reported sightings of Zombies, way back in
the 1800’s. A group of American soldiers head into an abandoned garrison only to discover that a new plague is amongst them that causes the dead to rise to feast on the living! Outbreak One details what happens when the soldiers attempt to stem the tide of the virus the only way they know how; by destroying anything and anyone who has come into close contact with the infected. It is a tale that was briefly touched upon in The dying of the light: End but is
further expanded here. It is also very, very good and compelling reading!

More flash  fiction than a short story per se, the tale is very, very short but nonetheless
works well to build on the already established background that featured as a prelude to the events depicted in The dying of the light: End. It would be great to read more fiction set in this particular timeline of the infestation but whether this is something the author has planned remains to be seen. What is known is that this is just the first of  a series of related stories that the author intends to release at a later date in a separate volume. And if the rest of the stories are as good as this, then fans will have nothing to worry about!

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<<Previous

REVIEW: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

REVIEW: Save Me by Penny Brandon

GIVEAWAY: The Vitandi by Denver Batiste

REVIEW: Primal Shift, Episode One by Griffin Hayes

REVIEW: Eden by David Holley and Jeremiah Pinto

PURCHASE HERE

CONTEST: Temperature: Bitter Cold by Adam Santo

Purchase Here

REVIEW: Tower in the Woods by Tara Quan

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REVIEW: The Dying of the Light by Jason Kristopher

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Whatever Happened to Thomas J. Reynolds

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Outbreak One by Jason Kristopher

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