Steve Stred's Blog, page 17

Book Review: The Bunny Man by Lance Dale

Title: The Bunny Man

Author: Lance Dale

Release date: November 7th, 2023

Originally released as a limited chapbook back in the summer of 2023, Lance Dale has now released his short story about a strange folkloric/urban legend as a standard ebook and paperback. Lance and I connected I don’t know how long ago and he’s been a massive supporter of my work (and all things Alanis) ever since, so I absolutely knew I was gonna grab this and give it a spin upon arrival.

What I liked: Lance has only released short fiction up to this point, but has an extension non-fiction background, and his ability to craft a story is front and center here, packing a novel’s worth of story into roughly twenty-five pages.

The story follows Sally, who was chosen to tag along with a super popular Youtube show in a contest, as they go to film their next video. It’s exploring the history of ‘The Bunny Man,’ a mysterious creature or man-in-a-suit, who attacked some people back in the 70’s near a bridge, but has popped up a few times over the ensuing decades.

Lance does a very solid job of introducing us to the cast, and getting us to understand their quirks and ticks and how they all interact together.

Once there, we get a quick rundown on how the episode will go and, as this is a short story, arrive at the apex of the story, with the action/conclusion taking place. It was a lot of fun, gave us some great brutality and showed us how far someone is going to go to survive.

What I didn’t like: I think the obvious part is the length. I think Lance could’ve easily expanded this to a novelette or novella length to give some of the story more room to breathe and to flesh out a bit more of the backstory. As is, the backstory is pretty tame when it comes to the urban legend world.

Additionally, the ‘twist’ is telegraphed far in advance, so I think expanding this would’ve helped keep those cards closer to the chest. And when it comes to a secondary ‘twist’ involving a character, that came a bit out of left field and more of that aspect could’ve been infused.

Why you should buy this: For such a quick read, this packs a wallop and it’s one dark fiction fans will whip through. Lance has really created a dynamic world with these characters and the setup and it definitely excites me to see what he creates next!

5/5

Book Review: The Valley by Mike Salt

Title: The Valley (Linkville Horror #2)

Author: Mike Salt

Release date: April 5th, 2023

*Disclosure – ‘The Valley’ was published by DarkLit Press and was offered to me as a digital ARC. I have a novella releasing through DarkLit in 2024, but saying that, I declined accepting the ARC and preordered the three books in the series – at that time – and have recently purchased the fourth. This review is completely my own thoughts.*

After whipping through the first book in this ‘linked’ series (see what I did there!) of horrors set in and around Linkville, ‘Damned to Hell,’ I dove into book two, ‘The Valley.’ This book had me really excited and if you’ve read my reviews before or read any of my own works, you’ll know I’m always up for strange things happening in the woods.

This one, just from the description, had me salivating over a novel that sounded like it would be a throw back to the Eli Roth time period of horror movies. There was a solid stretch there where every director was ripping and shredding their actors and actresses by tossing them into the woods – in literally every country – and having things there attack. And I was all for it.

So, with this one, a group of friends rent a cabin in the woods (YES!) and find a strange map (DOUBLE YES!) and they decide to hike to the place on this strange map (GOOD GOD YES!) only to run into trouble (AHHHHHH!!!!!!), I knew this novel was gonna be perfect for me!

What I liked: If you read that previous paragraph and didn’t skip it – thanks for that! – then you’ll know exactly what you’re in for. A group of friends, who gather annually in different places around the world to have fun, decide this year that they’re going to go to the mountains instead of say, Vegas, or Cancun. At first, there are some grumblers, a few who are annoyed and don’t want to hike, but the cabin is great and the scenery is world class.

Salt does a solid job of getting us to that point, some great banter between life long friends, but it’s when the generator runs out of fuel that things really take off. A few head to the basement to refuel it and while down there, stumble upon what looks like a desk specifically for researching an area of the mountains. A waterfall that isn’t noted on some standard maps. And as a group, they decide to hike to it and see what it’s all about.

Of course, this is after learning that the previous owner died a grisly death and one of the friends in the group has been having strange dreams. You know, normal stuff in horror books that characters immediately overlook, ha!

It’s from here that the group faces its first real obstacle. As they go, a stranger arrives. They threaten them, the group scatters and soon enough they find themselves in a ghost town that seems to have been abandoned long ago. While here, a strange fog settles, time becomes irrelevant and they have to work together to potentially escape.

Mike keeps the tensions high, the anxiety growing and the hope of any of them surviving barely dangling out in front. We learn the horrible truth of this cursed place and when we get to the very end, are given a glimpse of just how much that strange town had wrecked havoc on those who make it out.

What I didn’t like: While I did enjoy the group of friends, I did find that there was almost too many of them, which made for tough going as the story progresses and you’re trying to remember who is who and who they are with. This also worked to diminish some of the emotional moments where a stronger connection between reader and characters would’ve resulted in a more impactful reaction.

As well, the time spent in the town did feel a bit longer, as we do circle around a few times, seemingly not progressing towards a resolution. It pays off in the end, but a few chapters did come off as repeats of the previous ones.

Why you should buy this: After reading the first two books in Salt’s Linkville series, I’m invested and really want to see what book three will throw at me. So far, both books can be read as individual books with no ties to each other, other than a shared location, and even that was a bit of a stretch based on this one being up in the mountains.

This one was a fast-paced story, set in a great spot with some truly fantastic storytelling that had me intrigued and unsettled at the same time! Now, onto book three!

4/5

Book Review: One of Us by Craig DiLouie

Title: One of Us

Author: Craig DiLouie

Release date: July 17th, 2018

You know, social media is a funny beast. Those of us who frequent it to sell our own books, as well as post about other people’s books, and connect with book folk, often focus on the shiny new releases. The books that have just released, as well as those books that have the completely random staying power that some of them do. Now, don’t get me wrong, each and every author wants to see their newest books flying off the physical and digital shelves, but sometimes, truly phenomenal books seem to fly under readers radars, and for this reader, ‘One of Us’ is a prime example of that.

I discovered Craig’s work through his novel ‘The Children of Red Peak.’ From there, I dove into ‘Suffer the Children,’ ‘Episode Thirteen,’ and his most recent horror novel (at the time of writing this) ‘Djinn.’ It was while reading ‘Djinn’ that I knew I needed to grab another of Craig’s novels and when I popped on Amazon, one of the first books that was listed was ‘One of Us.’ For whatever reason, I’d never heard of this book. Funny, that when I posted I was reading about it, so many others commented about how amazing it was. But how did I miss it? Who knows.

Before starting this review, I also want to note that this book is unputdownable while also being one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read. This hit me much like David Demchuk’s ‘Red X’ hit me. So, when reading a book like this – even with it being five years old – and seeing how topical, how timely and how infuriating life continues to be for those without privilege. It was a lot to digest. This book broke me a number of times. It’s been awhile since a book has made me cry more than once. Especially a fiction book. Non-fiction can often get me going easily. But fiction is tougher. And this one cracked me good and hard.

What I liked: Set in an alternate, dystopian history, and taking place in the early 80’s, the novel follows a group of kids from two different sides of life. In the late 60’s, kids were born with a mutated gene, creating ‘monsters’ or who many people refer to as ‘creepers.’ They didn’t look like normal kids, they had upside down faces, fur, fangs, tentacles, whatever, just not the ‘normal’ human body. It occurred because of an infection past through sexual contact, and as such, the world is trying to stop the spread as well as segregate and confine the ‘creepers.’

DiLouie has managed to create a novel that metaphorically can be applied to every single marginalized group. This could be about Indigenous people. Blacks. Slaves. Jewish people. LGTBQ. Women. Ethnic minorities. It doesn’t matter which non-white group you plug into the metaphor he’s created, you’ll see it is horrifically accurate towards how the larger Caucasian (and often Christian) population treats those. And within, we get glimpses of that battle. The normal son of the town preacher begging his father that God preaches love and acceptance and not hate and intolerance. And his father turning his back on him. Time and time again, Craig offers up the sentiment – it is better to do what is right than what you’ve been taught – and time and time again, that sentiment is crushed under archaic beliefs.

Throughout, we get some truly wonderful characters. ‘Dog,’ whose real name is Enoch, might be one of the best characters I’ve ever come across. From his loyalty to his friends, his desire to ‘run on my four legs like God intended,’ to his ‘awe-shucks’ good-naturedness. Enoch was a gentle soul and one that plays a pivotal role in how the world treats the normal people vs the monsters.

Early on, we also learn that some of the kids who are forced to live in these group homes away from regular society, have started to develop super powers. Mind-reading. Super strength. Telekinetic abilities. And as they continue to get beaten down and treated poorly, a rising up is rumored and a rumbling begins.

The final third of this book is a fantastic look at how, even within that group of kids who wish to live like normal people, there are some who want to fight and those who want to live harmoniously. Again, a timely, topical narrative over the explosive events we seem to be living with each and every day in this crazy, mixed up world.

The ending was perfect. It lets us, the readers, know things will never be the same, things may never calm down, but that we each need to find our own way and do the best we can. A sentiment that applies profoundly at the tail end of 2023.

What I didn’t like:  There will be a number of times this book FRUSTRATES you to no end. When the right decision is directly in front of that character and you know they won’t make it and then they don’t make it and you’ll want to scream. But DiLouie winds this tale magically and it only works to heighten the tension.

Saying that – if you’re someone who believes wholeheartedly that those with different beliefs are lesser humans, or that someone with a different skin color is scum, you’re going to hate this book. Actually, you probably won’t be reading it as you’re most likely too busy trying to ban books like this down in Florida.

Why you should buy this: This is one of the most powerful, beautiful and horrific books I’ve ever read. Time and time again, while reading this, you’re gonna have that hitch in your breathing, that dangle of hope in front of your eyes. But just know, it will never get to you. Everything gets crushed and those who just want to live life free of titles, designations and fear will never get there, unless they take it. Because, as we often see, those who are in power are in power for all the wrong reasons. They don’t care about the little guys. They don’t care if people can eat, afford a roof over their heads, or have equal rights. They only care about being in power and padding their bank accounts. And as you can see, that applies to this book and to the world around us.

This is perhaps one of the best books I’ve ever read and a book that has deeply shaken me and changed me. And I thank Craig for that.

5/5

Book Review: Grim Portraits by Kealan Patrick Burke

Title: Grim Portraits: Six Stories About the Dark Side of Art

Author: Kealan Patrick Burke

Release date: September 11th, 2023

Every time Kealan Patrick Burke announces a new release, it feels like an event. A celebration. A gathering of excited Burke-ians who can’t wait to see what creepy, dread-filled nightmares Kealan has conjured and is unleashing on his ever-growing fanbase.

When this one was announced, it was evident this one meant a lot to Kealan. If you’ve followed him on Twitter for any sort of time, you’ll see three constants – hilarity, his dog, and his sharing and appreciation of all things art. The last one there, typically has included him sharing paintings (though I think this was a more common a few years back than currently), and I was always intrigued by the paintings shared, as they always were very different in tone and texture each time.

The foreword to this one is wonderful and creepy and sets the stage for the stories that follow and if you’ve been a fan of Burke’s work for any length of time, I think you’ll know what awaits.

What I liked: This collection featured six stories that all infused the world of art really nicely. It opens with a bang, and one of my favorites – ‘Sometimes They See Me.’ This story felt ‘off’ from the beginning, as a troubled artist connects with another and we get a deftly told paranormal style story that felt so cinematic.

Up next was ‘The Binding,’ which felt as though it was plucked from Clive Barker’s vault itself. A man wakes, completely bound to a bed, unable to move anything expect his eyes and unable to remember much of what happened that led to him being there. The only way I can describe this one is as though you found yourself trapped inside an oven and someone turns it on, the heat rising and increasing until you can no longer handle it. Just amazing.

From there, we get the one-two punch of ‘Portrait’ and ‘The Acquisition.’ Both felt similar and thematically linked, while different enough to have each completely engaging for this reader. I would be hard pressed to choose which one I preferred more, but ‘Portrait’ I think comes out slightly ahead.

Which leads us to my personal favorite in the batch – ‘The Barbed Lady Wants for Nothing.’ Two small-time crooks decide to rob a rare bookstore, knowing that riches await, but things go hideously wrong when one of them discovers a comic book that shouldn’t exist. This was the most ‘Tales From the Crypt’-style story of all of them and I could almost hear Kealan cackling like the Cryptkeeper while reading this.

The collection ends with transcribed story, ‘The Amp,’ which is typically not my style of storytelling I enjoy, but it ripped along and I was whisked away into this ‘interview’ easily enough, making sure I enjoyed how this collection ended.

What I didn’t like: As mentioned, I’m normally not a fan of transcribed type stories, which may dampen some people’s enjoyment of that final piece, but trust me when I say the story told through that interview is a blast.

Additionally, if you’re not typically a fan of reading themed collections or anthologies, this may not be your style, as Kealan makes it quite obvious that this is a collection focused on and based around art.

Why you should buy this: Kealan fans will most likely already have snagged this, but for those who haven’t yet, or who haven’t read Kealan, trust me when I say this is just a phenomenal collection that will grab you quick and not let go. Kealan is a master storyteller – both of short and long fiction – and it’s obvious throughout that he wrote these stories from a place that mattered to him.

Just a fantastic collection by one of the best authors out there.

5/5

Book Review: Under a Watchful Eye by Adam Nevill

Title: Under a Watchful Eye

Author: Adam Nevill

Release date: January 12th, 2017

It’s odd, that, as I work my way through completely reading Adam Nevill’s bibliography, I arrive at the last two – ‘Under a Watchful Eye’ and ‘Banquet for the Damned’ – and I could’ve sworn that this one, ‘Under…’ was far older than a 2017 release date. I had it in my mind that his debut ‘Banquet…’ came out in 2004, then this one followed shortly thereafter, and then ‘Apartment 16’ arrived. When I was done and looked at the order, I was shocked that this one came out after ‘The Ritual’ and ‘Last Days.’ And, in an odd turn of events, a novel about a writer descending into certain madness happened to also be Adam’s last novel before he devoted his career into going the Indie route – which certainly some would consider a descent into madness.

This novel grabbed me from page one and as it went on, a certain, eerie, familiar (Deja vu), feeling took hold and it wasn’t long before I understood that this novel was as close to parallel to my experience when I researched my Father of Lies series as I’ve come across. I want to try and keep this review focused on the novel – as I always try not to promote my own work during reviews as I can – but in this case, I’m not completely sure if I can stay neutral. Adam’s captured so much of what I experienced while joining the cult on the dark web for four-ish years, that a part of me is fighting the battle to email him and have a frank discussion with him regarding it. I feel like Seb reaching out to a character later in the book begging for details. But I digress, let’s take a look at this masterpiece.

What I liked: The story opens up with a scene that normally would be one of the more creepier moments in any novel, but this is an Adam Nevill project, so by the very end, it almost feels comedic. Seb is a fairly successful author, working his way through his next book, while understanding that the public wasn’t as happy with his most recent release as his publisher’s would’ve liked. He’s also trying to navigate the waters of his on-again-off-again relationship. Is she a friend? Is she more? When a figure appears. He realizes he knows who it is, but tells himself that’s impossible, until the figure, Ewan, shows up at his home and barges in.

It’s here that Nevill really begins the novel proper. Seb at first is annoyed, then frustrated, then angered at this intrusion. He’s anal, OCD and a perfectionist and everything the opposite of Ewan. They clashed as roommates in University and now, his intrusion has amplified everything Seb hated most about the man. But it’s the story that Ewan wants to share that slowly begins to whittle away at Seb. And with the story comes the ‘incidents.’ This is where Nevill really shines and where he does that thing Adam does – a one or two sentence pop of sheer fright, complete darkness that will make even the hardiest of readers reach for the light switch.

The story progresses as we learn more about the history of this association that Ewan has gotten involved with, as well as the ‘Master’ one M.L. Hazzard, as he comes to understand that this was more than a group of people interested in attempting to visit another plane of existence, that this was a cult and that they appeared to have become successful in their attempts. So much so, that they’ve achieved a sort of immortality, where time moves different in other astral realms and as such, they are able to still visit our here and now.

Throughout, Nevill illustrates the decay of Seb. From straight-as-a-board, even single detail to his precision, to a disheveled, unshaven, unbathed transient who has stayed awake for days on end and no longer has concerns for personal hygiene. Seb sees an escape, a way out, but as we often know, when dealing with a mad man at the helm of a cult – someone craving power and followers – the details can subtly change and no matter how well the exit strategy is, they are a dozen steps ahead.

I felt claustrophobic the entire time I read this novel. I was constantly thinking about it while not reading it. I was remembering moments of my time engaged with the depraved people in the cult I was researching. I shuddered thinking about how they would live in squalor in the hopes of achieving ascension, immortality and when Adam introduced the and developed the two women characters, who played such a pivotal role, I was reminded of the leaders whom the followers looked up to in my own situation and how they worked so hard to manipulate those who were mentally weaker and those whom they could control.

The ending branches into a very well executed ‘meta-ness.’ I won’t discuss it too far into detail, other then it was a really enjoyable conclusion seeing how Nevill also manipulated Seb.

Two last things I’ll mention here.

First – it was wonderful to see the inclusion and connectivity between this novel and ‘Last Days’ with the Temple of the Last Days being mentioned several times. (And a nod to Hasty for the Dark.)

Second – on the surface, you could take this as purely a novel about a man who is forced into a position to act as a ‘vessel’ to complete the tasks (under constant threat of blackmail/death) in order to bring this cult to a wider audience. OR. Or, you could read this as an allegory of Adam Nevill the author himself. If we place Adam as Seb, maybe this was the story of a writer struggling to break free of the chains of being a writer. We see an agent, we see the use of Pan MacMillan itself within the book, and we see these two women who seemingly take over Seb and his life near the ending. All and all, it could be a way for Adam to communicate to use readers that he had reached a potential ending, a way of sharing that with this novel, his last with Pan, that he wanted out, that he was sick of doing a song and dance for his publisher, his agent, and those who constantly tell him what he should write and how he should write it.

I could be stretching things here, but that was the other side of the coin I considered when I had closed the last page and sat back and took a solid few hours of time to contemplate what it was I’d read and how it had connected with me.

What I didn’t like: It’s funny because one of the frequent ‘negatives’ I see in reviews of Nevill’s work is how long his books are and how descriptive they can be. Ironic, considering his last release, ‘The Vessel,’ was a novella and I actually wished it was about twice as long, ha!

But in this case, you won’t find that here. What may ‘annoy’ some readers is the repetitious nature of Seb and Ewan’s initial meet up at Seb’s place, where they go back and forth on things for three dozen pages or so. At first, I rolled my eyes, longing for progression, but when I analyzed it at that moment, I understood – that was how things would ACTUALLY occur in real life. So, push past that section if you find it a slog, things ramp up quickly from there.

Why you should buy this: At this point in time, I don’t think Adam Nevill really needs me to try and convince you to buy any of his books. His novels are modern day classics and he steadily bridges the gap between the old guard and the way they told stories and the new group of writers and how they write their tales. For this particular book, which I don’t see much on social media in comparison to his other novels, Nevill went darker than even a lot of his darker books. This takes the ‘developing rabies’ full-throttle approach of ‘Last Days’ and pairs it with the smoldering ‘something’s in the shadows’ dread of ‘No One Gets Out Alive.’ Nevill is a modern master, his own Hazzard if you will, who conjures the deepest scares through the barest of sentences. I’ve never read another author like Adam. One who injects a mass market story with black metal aesthetic.

I can’t rave about this one enough and honestly, I’m hard pressed to decide where this one fits into my list of ‘Best Nevill Books’ because they all fill me with the same mix of dread and joy. An outstanding novel by one of the best writers out there and a writer who continues to club us over the head with new and exciting releases. Just don’t sleep on his back catalog at all.

5/5

Book Review: Damned to Hell by Mike Salt

Title: Damned to Hell (Linkville Horror #1)

Author: Mike Salt

Release date: April 5th, 2023

*Disclosure – ‘Damned to Hell’ was published by DarkLit Press and was offered to me as a digital ARC. I have a novella releasing through DarkLit in 2024, but saying that, I declined accepting the ARC and preordered the three books in the series – at that time – and have recently purchased the fourth. This review is completely my own thoughts.*

In the last few years, DarkLit Press has been releasing some truly fantastic horror. From paranormal to pirate, they have you covered and I’ve become super excited to see what Andrew has coming up. I’m also very proud to have joined the DarkLit family and seeing the amazing things happening behind the scenes only furthers my excitement over the books being released. With Mike Salt’s ‘Linkville Horror Series,’ I wasn’t completely sure what I was jumping into when I ordered them. Was it a traditional series? Each book leading into the next. Or was it a ‘linked’ series (pun intended) where it takes place in and around the same neck of the woods, much like Alan Baxter’s phenomenal ‘Gulp’ novellas?

Having now read the first book, it is just that – a series of stories linked by location. Saying that, I’m sure familiar characters will pop up as I progress through the next three books that have been released.

What I liked: Ahhhhh, the classic Faustian Bargain. That’s where we find ourselves embroiled in for book one. The story follows Rob, a man who has hit the bottom of the barrel. His son has died, his wife has left him and cheap booze (and lots of it) are what fills his time as he struggles to continue with his life.

Then, an odd thing happens. He meets someone at work. A younger woman, Emily, who looks past his surface level of despair and recognizes his pain and appearance for what it is – grief. She wants to make a life with him, pull him out of the dumps, but he’s not ready.

And it’s here where Salt really kicks things off – by a friend of Rob’s asking him the age old question – “What are you willing to do to see your loved one again?”

And, seeing as this is a horror story, the answer should be obvious. “Anything.”

Rob of course, does what he needs to, to reset things and see his son again. But, like all Faustian Bargains, there is the unexpected Butterfly Effect, a ripple, that keeps messing things up and taking back what should never have been given in the first place. The idea of death missing its victim but swinging back around to collect later on, plays paramount throughout this and it continues all the way up to the very bitter end, where Salt gives us a fine capping of this tale.

What I didn’t like: To be fair, Salt solidly sets this one up, taking some time to get the ‘better life’ aspects in place. Some may find the opening quarter a bit slow, wanting brutality right off the hop, but patience is rewarded.

Additionally, Rob, at the beginning at last, is a complete scum bag. Unempathetic, willing to drive drunk and not caring about anyone but himself (and barely that), so you may find it hard to sympathize with him as the story progresses.

Why you should buy this: The story is fast-paced and if you’re a sucker for the ‘how far would you go’ narrative, this one will definitely have you riveted. Salt has created a great world already, one I’m excited to visit again, and seeing the haunted aspect he embedded into this story – very sneakily I’ll add – really ramped up the unnerving atmosphere that floods the entirety of this one.

4/5

Book Review: Haunted Souls by Samuel M. Hallam

Title: Haunted Souls

Author: Samuel M. Hallam

Release date: July 14th, 2022

Social media has a unique ability to connect and get work out there from all levels of authors, from Internationally Recognized Best Sellers all the way to the Debut Author. It’s been a phenomenal tool for me personally, to connect with and discover new authors and it was through my 3Q’s series that I was exposed to a significant amount of new authors. That series – which is actually technically still going on, I have one I need to post and there’s probably close to fifty that haven’t been sent back – is how I connected with Samuel M. Hallam, over on Instagram.

At some point around that time, I snagged his debut novel, ‘Haunted Souls,’ and when it arrived at the top of my ever-expanding TBR, I was excited to see what he’d created.

What I liked: The novel follows the events that take place in and around a house known as Stone Acres. We follow a family, torn apart when two members perish and they take in their niece, as they navigate the every growing reach of this seemingly haunted place.

On its surface, ‘Haunted Souls’ follows a very tried-and-true paranormal formula. We get throwbacks to the 1800’s and learn about the history and the ‘why’ of this place becoming the place it has become, and we see how the Reaper of Souls, this inhabitant that is duty-bound to Stone Acres, goes about its devilish business.

Hallam then veers off to really grab the reins and make the story his own. The family dynamics are great, the love that these two have for their niece is palpable as, is the love (and loss) for their family members and its within that aspect of the story that Hallam grabs the reader and holds them tight.

The story takes us in some really great directions and we get to stress along with the characters over how they can possibly overcome this centuries old evil that has taken root and won’t let go.

The ending helped to wrap things up (while keeping a few loose ends for further follow ups if warranted), but it was great to see how Hallam tied things together and closed the doors on Stone Acres.

What I didn’t like: For a debut novel, this was a really solid read. Some people may find aspects of the book ‘light’ and not as fleshed out as they’d like, but considering the amount of ground Hallam covers, I was impressed how he handled the trickier aspects of the story.

Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a spooky book that’ll keep you company for an evening while wrapped up in your favorite blanket, reading in your reading chair, look no further. Hallam gives us everything you’d expect in a haunted/paranormal house tale and does so with characters you’ll root for and want to see succeed.

4/5

Book Review: The Claw of Craving by Joseph Sale

Title: The Claw of Craving

Author: Joseph Sale

Release date: June 18th, 2023

Over the last decade, I’ve been devouring Joseph Sale’s imaginative fiction. I’m often left humbled and in awe of the world’s he creates, the characters he blesses us with and the sheer scope of each and every piece he unleashes. His novel, ‘Gods of the Black Gates’ is still one that I think of often and with this novel, ‘The Claw of Craving’ having come out about four months ago, I smile, seeing where his focus is turning.

This is the first part of Sale’s new ‘Lost Carcosa’ series, a retelling of the Carcosa mythology and the King in Yellow. Now, I readily admit, my horror life has had very limited experience with the King in Yellow and Carcosa itself. I knew Barker was inspired by it, but it has never been a mythology that I’ve dove into, never been something I’ve explored or spent much time with and going into this novel fairly blind, I did end up taking frequent pauses to Google character and place names.

With an existing mythology, there will be gatekeeper’s and naysayers a plenty, but in this case, I am neither, someone who simply is excited to enter a world and see what Sale’s adaptation will bring. He is no stranger to ‘epic’s,’ his own ‘Virtue’s End’ poem having already shown his willingness to go there, so it was that I joined along with Alan Chambers and found my way to Carcosa.

What I liked: Right off the bat, I’d like to say this is Sale writing like a possessed man. Every single page of this bristles with an energy, an energy a reader knows only comes when a writer is so deeply embedded into the subject matter, that they are creating the closest thing to real world magic that you can get.

Alan Chambers has lived a life of struggle and desperation. A man who knows there is something else out there, somewhere, and when he finally finds a way in, he is willing to do whatever it takes to get there. He goes to a place, tells the little person (Petruccio) his desire and is introduced to Cali. Cali inflicts the greatest pains she can to make Alan break, but he embraces them and once the ritual is done, he awakes on the other side, on the outskirts of the horror that is Carcosa.

From here, Sale takes us on an epic adventure, where Chambers is considered an outcast but a necessary cog in the power struggle taking place and ultimately, they travel to confront a demon and make Chambers whole again.

This reminded me of everything I used to watch when I was a kid. Most of all, it reminded me of the ‘Den’ segment in the 1981 movie, ‘Heavy Metal,’ where a nerdy teen wakes up in a strange world and an adventure awaits. As the story progresses, Sale takes his time making the reader flinch and feel disgust with outrageous (but amazing) descriptive moments that once again highlight why his writing mind is second to none.

The ending – while abrupt – sets us up for Book Two and with the brief epilogue, it sounds like it’ll start off with a band.

What I didn’t like: 100% my issue, but by not having much knowledge on Carcosa and the ‘hierarchy’ of how that world operates, there are a few throw away moments that didn’t exactly distract me, but after I had Googled them, I did scratch my head over why they were included. Saying that, this was just an opening entry into a longer series and those moments may very well come back to be answered.

Why you should buy this: It’s long been said that dark fantasy and horror are frequent bedfellows and I know, in my own writing, I often mix and mingle. Sale though is on a completely different level and as a huge fan of his work, it is disheartening that I don’t see his stuff plastered on every single social media site I’m on. It could be a case of being born in the wrong time, that is Sale had been writing these books in the 60’s and 70’s our great literary awards would be named after him, but for now, I will continue to do my best to rave about how amazing his work is and hope that people who preach the gospel of Barker will begin to see that Sale very well might be the next coming of the man.

‘The Claw of Craving’ just might be the SINGLE best thing Sale’s released yet, but with Book Two hopefully coming soon, that statement may already be outdated by the time you read this.

5/5

Book Review: The Black Lord by Colin Hinckley

Title: The Black Lord

Author: Colin Hinckley

Release date: September 12, 2023

Man, you could just show me this cover and I’d tell you this was a book for me haha! And then you could add the first line of the synopsis – ‘There’s something knocking on the window.’ – and I’d tell you the author would have to do a REALLY poor job with this story for me not to love it! And guess what – Colin nailed the story here, so no worries on that part.

What I liked: If you’ve been reading anything from the mighty Tenebrous Press, you’ll know you’re in for a good time. The fiction they publish tends to walk that line of either ‘mass marketable’ or ‘very weird.’ Easy comparison – ‘Lure’ from Tim McGregor. Strange, sure. But pretty straight forward story (or as straight forward as a mermaid’s vengeance on a small town can be). On the other hand (pun intended) – ‘One Hand to Hold, One Hand to Carve’ by M. Shaw. This one is WEIRD. And phenomenal. And follows a body waking up on the autopsy table, split in two, and deciding to live life again together, while still being surgically and anatomically apart. What all of that is to say – I had no idea which way Hinckley was going to go, and I think that works to heighten the tension in this story, which starts from page one.

We follow young Eddie, struggling to understand how his infant brother, Danny, has disappeared, seemingly snapped up from his cradle in the middle of the night from his room. His parents are crumbling, both as individuals and as a couple, but things get worse when there’s a light tapping on his window one night and the thing he calls ‘The Tall Man’ begs him to open the window and come out to visit.

Hinckley nails the shadowy anxiety that folklore revels in, a way of making the reader feel unsettled, even when the lights in the room are on. As the story progresses, we get to learn the truth about The Tall Man, and when Eddie’s mom, Laura, has her own experience, the door between the two world’s is thrown open and all bets are off.

The last quarter of the book races along like a roller coaster ride coming off the tracks. Family runs into the woods trying to find the missing, the shadows lurk closer and The Tall Man wants to eat. It all scrambles haphazardly until Hinckley reels us back in and we finally meet The Black Lord.

What I didn’t like: The length of this novella makes it so that we get a surface level of back story and not much in the way of description of the world over there. Hamill’s ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ did a wonderful job of giving the reader a lot with a little about the ‘over there,’ but this one doesn’t go very far into it, so if you’re wanting more of that aspect, be warned.

Why you should buy this: Well, fans of Tenebrous Press will most likely already have this, as any books coming from them will be an auto-buy! Otherwise, if you’re a fan of odd things in the woods at night and strange events that connect the generational dots, look no further. This one was jarring, unsettling and ultimately a terrifying romp through the trees at night!

5/5

Book Review: The Stepney Green Killer by E.C. Hanson

Title: The Stepney Green Killer

Author: E.C. Hanson

Release date: August 6th, 2023

Thanks to E.C. Hanson for sending me a digital copy of this!

Excluding Matt Wesolowski’s ‘Six Stories’ series of books, I’ve never been a big reader who has enjoyed the straight forward (with minimal inclusion of anything supernatural) murder mysteries. Going into this, I wasn’t completely sure what I was getting myself into, but I really enjoyed what Hanson did with his novella ‘Wicked Blood,’ so I pushed aside any of my preconceived notions and dove in.

What I liked: The story follows three characters – Benji, Dolores and The Killer – as murders begin to pop up in the small town and authorities become ever perplexed. First – why is there a killer? Second – why do they kill, take a singular piece of their body, and leave the rest for police to discover?

Benji is a high school senior, struggling with grief and depression over losing his loving mother to cancer the previous year. His father is an asshole, focused on selling houses and his son moving out as soon as he’s eighteen. Meanwhile, Dolores is a retiree, dealing with the reality that her and her husband are drifting apart and suspecting that he’s not telling her the truth about where he goes a few times a week.

All of that works together as The Killer takes a hand here, a foot there and continues to work towards their grand finale.

I really enjoyed seeing how Benji and Dolores end up connecting, Benji as he prepares his big senior project – a true crime piece on the murders – and Dolores who becomes interested in these horrific acts happening in a town that shouldn’t be dealing with murders.

When all is said and done, Hanson connects all of the stories, connects the dots (pun intended) over the ‘why’ and we get a very disturbing climax that also seems quite possible with how far down into the depths parts of this world have gone.

What I didn’t like: As mentioned, my brain always goes towards supernatural/occult etc etc, so at first, it was tough for me to switch that off and just accept this as a straightforward story where none of that will come into play.

The big reveal may come as a surprise for you or it may not. Depending on how early you pick up on the clues Hanson leaves, you’ll either race to the ending to see who The Killer really is, or meander to the ending to confirm your theory and pat yourself on the back over a job well done!

Why you should buy this: If you like topical, True Crime fiction, this one should be on your list. Hanson does a wonderful job of creating characters you’ll want to follow along and events that you’ll want to see unfold.

3.5/5