Steve Stred's Blog, page 3

Book Review: Seed by Shelly Campbell

Title: Seed (Dark Walker Series Book 3)

Author: Shelly Campbell

Release date: June 13th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Eerie River for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

I have to admit, that way back in 2021, when I read ‘Gulf’ – and was blown away – I never could’ve predicted the scope of the world/world’s Campbell had waiting to unleash over the three book Dark Walker Series.

With ‘Gulf’ we had a – on the surface at least – simple story of a teenage boy who goes to a cabin with family and discovers something behind a door. It was phenomenal and when the sequel, ‘Breach,’ arrived a few years later, we got to see the door fully open and everything behind it and beyond exposed and out in the open.

So, beware – going forward, there may be inadvertent spoilers for book two (and a bit for book one) simply because we’re here, at book three of the series. I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise!

What I liked: The book picks up not long after book two – so here be potential spoilers! – and we find that David has survived being shot and the Embassy has saved his life. Though, he’s now stuck in what he calls his ‘hamster wheel,’ a clear glass, round cage designed to not let him ‘blip’ or travel between dimensions.

The book hangs on a few threads (not in a bad way!) to progress us along. First, David’s former team is being held hostage and the woman he loves (Charlie) is imprisoned. Second, his family is in danger, the darkness is growing closer and he doesn’t think it’ll take long until they’re found. And lastly, he needs to get out of here, and he can’t. His friend Cory visits, but things seem different and after he overhears a conversation between him and the one in charge of his imprisonment, he’s not sure who he can trust.

This all comes to a head when Cory helps David, David reveals he can blip  without the need of a touch piece and they head off to try and save David’s family.

From that point on, the novel becomes more of a revelatory piece, where we learn the truth of everything that’s gone on, who David is and we see him get to connect with family and Charlie and Cory.

With this shift, it took us from a bit of a harder sci-fi story and offered a heightened emotional aspect that was buried through the first two-thirds. To me, it was this softening of the characters and connection of family with events that elevated this finale of the series. It went from a solid ‘good’ to a ‘great’ conclusion, which made me so very, very happy.

Of course, the scenes with the dark walkers was pristine, and though they weren’t in here as much as previous books, it was their inclusion that also ramped things up in the best way possible.

The ending was touching and sad, and was a perfect way to close the door on everything that came before. I often get to the end of a series and think that I hope we’ll maybe see more down the line, but in this case, I think Shelly absolutely closed this one in the most perfect way possible and I’d be happy to see this concluded and closed. (Of course, if we get a fourth or related book, I’ll be reading it!)

What I didn’t like: There’s two things I want to address and the first isn’t really a ‘didn’t like.’ Having finished book three, I actually think a lot of the revelations that happened within would’ve been better, or heightened the stakes of David’s quest, if they’d occurred in book two. It’s hard not to discuss it – BECAUSE THAT’S MASSIVE SPOILERS! – but I think the things David learned and what Cory creates, would’ve been a fundamentally altering building block in book two and would’ve caused book three to be that much more emotionally charged. It all still works, but my brain screamed that too me once done!

The second thing – and this is just me closing something – but the character of Angus (whom I felt was particularly useless in book one!) returned briefly and I felt that once again, his inclusion wasn’t warranted, but it was fun to see what becomes of his character.

Why you should buy this: HEY YOU! YEAH YOU! THE ANNOYING READER WHO SAYS THEY WON’T START A SERIES UNTIL IT’S DONE BECAUSE ROTHFUSS AND GRRM HAVE TRAUMATIZED YOU! IT’S DONE! START IT NOW! But seriously, if you’ve not read book one, go grab it. If you’ve read the first two, you’re in for a treat with what Shelly does in book three. David is a phenomenal lead, Charlie is a great second and Cory makes for the dependable muscle, three elements that will have you rooting for success and crying when things go bad. The Dark Walker series was fantastic and to see this coming from a Canadian author and a Canadian press makes me smile even more!

Book Review: The October Film Haunt: A Novel by Michael Wehunt

Title: The October Film Haunt: A Novel

Author: Michael Wehunt

Release date: September 30th, 2025

*Huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Michael Wehunt for the digital ARC of this!*

Like many readers, my first foray into Michael’s work was through his phenomenal debut collection, ‘Greener Pastures.’ And, like many readers, one of the stories in that collection that stood out most to me was ‘October Film Haunt: Under the House.’ Told through multiple POV’s and using a found-footage narrative, it was unsettling like few stories before.

Fast forward almost a decade from when ‘Greener Pastures’ was released and Wehunt is delivering his debut novel, ‘The October Film Haunt,’ which excitedly jumps from where that story led us and carries us is a wildly imaginative and creepy journey.

I was beyond excited when this was announced, as Michael’s work is stunning, but while reading it, I came to realize this was written on another level all-together. Even for Michael. I say that, because in my long life of reading, very few books have ever invaded my dreams. Sure, I’ve had a lot of crazy dreams – and if I’m being honest, 99% of all of my dreams are apocalyptic, so there’s that to discuss with someone one day – but typically, whatever it is I’m reading, I don’t dream about. But this novel was different.

The last time I had such vivid, waking dreams that invaded my brain and held me so tightly was during the four-year period when I was researching (and joined) a cult on the dark web. I saw things there that deeply disturbed me, changed my beliefs about everything out there and settled into my psyche and decayed. And I haven’t felt that since leaving that group behind.

Until I read this book.

What I liked: The story follows Jorie Stroud. She’s fled her abusive husband with her son to remote Vermont to start again, while still on a self-imposed exile from her past life as a film blogger. Her, along with her friends Beth and Colin, used to have a blog where they dissected horror films, but also went to various locations where they took place to discuss them in greater detail. After an incident where Jorie fictionalized one such stay, birthing an urban legend life to an unknown film’s demon, a teenage girl died, and she holds herself accountable.

Things are moving along in her life now, though. She’s got some editing clients. Has a decent job at a local grocery store and she’d doing the best that she can for her and her son.

Until odd things begin. Teaser trailers for a supposed sequel to ‘Proof of Demons,’ the movie that Jorie, Beth and Colin brought to a larger group, pop up online. And though Colin died years prior, Jorie feels the need to contact Beth and try and reconnect, to see if anything’s happening to her.

Wehunt sets the stage marvelously. We get some extra players – Coleman, an older man with terminal cancer who suddenly realizes what happened to his brother when they were kids is related to this new movie. We get Jorie’s neighbor, Mrs. Compton, who is there to help take care of her son, but wavers between standoffish and ecstatic. And we get Trevor Henderson, creator of Siren Head, who created the original Pine Arch Creature in Proof of Demons, who starts to see the same people in green sheets with cameras, just like the rest of them.

As each chapter unravels and more pieces to the puzzle are revealed, Wehunt does a magnificent job of elevation your heart rate. You suddenly wonder if things within the book are actually going viral online, in the real world. It has to do with the meta elements, but also a harkening back to the old days when we all watched The Blair Witch Project and wondered if it was just a movie… or a documentary.

I want to go on and on about more elements, but I fear those will fall into spoiler territory, but I have to mention that the elements carried forward from Under the House, but also the supernatural creep that happens, was fantastic and perhaps the most powerful element within.

The last few chapters were perfect and the ending – though jarring – was quite possibly the best non-jump scare, jump scare I’ve ever read.

What I didn’t like: Often times, books with multiple POV’s that are switched from chapter to chapter seem to slow any momentum, and I found that to be the case for the first quarter. It felt like every time we were were on the cusp of some new details, the chapter ended and the next one started out with no tension or revving of an engine. Once things get established, that faded, but in the beginning I definitely noticed it.

As well, I personally wasn’t a fan of the Trevor Henderson meta character. Because I interact with him, DM occasionally and he’s been super kind to my son, his introduction took me far out of the ‘fiction’ aspect of the book. It’s the same thing when you’re reading a fantasy book or a horror book and a character pops up named in ode to one of your author friends and it kind of breaks the fourth wall. Saying that, the Trevor angle was fantastic and I just told myself to get over it, ha!

Why you should buy this:  This isn’t an easy read. No, it’s a heavy, weighted, cloud-covered story that sucks the air from the room and drops the temperature with ease. But such is the case with all Wehunt stories, no matter the length.

‘The October Film Haunt: A Novel’ does what few books ever do to me. It made me anxious and untrusting of random people on the street. It made me question whether this was ‘just a book,’ or was it part of a larger, meta, viral angle that has us all being played by Michael, who is sitting back with a grin on his face while moving the marionette strings.

Much like ‘The Blair Witch Project’ moved a generation of us moviegoers at the ends of the 90s, ‘The October Film Haunt’ is poised to usher in a similar movement for readers here in the mid 2020’s. I worry we may not be ready for it. But we should be.

The Pine Arch Creature is about to arrive.

The shadows are already moving.

Book Review: A Book of Tongues by Gemma Files

Title: A Book of Tongues (Hexslinger #1)

Author: Gemma Files

Release date: January 1st, 2010

I don’t know how many years ago now, I was having a conversation with Andrew Pyper and he told me there were two books I absolutely HAD to read. The first was Sara Gran’s ‘Come Closer,’ and the second was ‘Experimental Film’ by Gemma Files. At the time, I only knew of Files as being Canadian Horror Royalty. Having one of the most recognizable and longest lasting career in Canada based around Speculative and Horror fiction, Gemma was ‘must read’ as Andrew stated.

I read and loved ‘Come Closer,’ but at the time, I wasn’t in the right mindset for ‘Experimental Film,’ so after reading maybe a quarter of the book, I set it aside, determined to return to it at some point in the future.

It was around that time, that I had another book pal tell me I had to read ‘A Book of Tongues.’ If I wanted to read a weird-western-horror-queer-fantasy style mashup, then that would be the book – and the series – for me to dive into.

I grabbed the first book, but after the original publisher ceased, I purchased the digital boxset of all three books. When it came to the top of my TBR recently, I was elated, because I’d been meaning to dive in sooner. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had been told three things by my book pal previously – it’s wild, one character is completely ruthless, and there is a lot of male on male fornication. Color me intrigued.

What I liked: The story follows the Rev, Asher Rook, who has returned from the dead. Along with his sidekick/lover, Chess, they’ve fled from the confederation army and formed a gang, killing and stealing as they go. Rev’s foray – though brief – to the other side has gotten the attention of a Mayan Goddess, who seeks him out.

Meanwhile, Morrow – a mole working their way into the gang – battles his feelings and his orders.

As I said, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this book is grimy and unflinching. It actually reminded me of what Seth McFarlane’s movie, ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ would’ve been like had it not been a comedy. A sideways glance deemed disrespectful means a quick draw and an exploded head. Chess is a complex character that often steals the spotlight with his wit, disdain for everyone but the Rev, and his insatiable lust for having the Rev fuck him. He’s a character you unexpectedly find yourself rooting for.

The Rev is a looming figure, one that seems happy to keep his powers hidden, only to then unveil them and do as he pleases. That was a huge plot aspect that resonated throughout – the complexity of their relationship and what was love versus lust versus forced acts. Files handles it really solidly.

The storyline involving the Goddess was a solid foil angle for the Rev and Chess and ultimately works as a distraction over Morrow’s growing storyline and ultimately what happens in the final quarter and sets up things to continue in book two.

What I didn’t like: It did take me a bit to find the flow in this book. It has a jarring prose angle to it that really forced my brain to work hard to follow along, but once I did, it was smooth sailing.

Though some reviews say that there is a lot of detailed male/male sex within, I didn’t find it to be lewd, over-the-top or grotesque. It was pretty much what I would expect it to be. But if you prefer to stay away from books with a decent amount of sex in it, then this one might not be for you.

Why you should buy this: With the Splatter-Western novels continuing to grab readers and the Fantasy-Western subgenre becoming more and more prominent, it should be a no-brainer to grab this and read it, considering it was released over a decade ago.

Files is a living horror legend, an inspiration to many, many writers working today and this book showcases a different arsenal in her writing tool box, that will have readers very happy.

Now, I turn my sights back to ‘Experimental Film.’

Book Review: Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen

Title: Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen

Author: KC Grifant

Release date: May 29th, 2025

*Huge thanks to KC Grifant for a digital ARC of this one!*

Back in December of 2022, I read the first book in this series, ‘Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger.’ If you know me, you’ll know that from the title alone it would be right up my alley, but to add to the joy of reading a book with that title, KC Grifant vibrantly and viciously brought Melinda and the world she occupies to life, making for a truly fun read.

To my sheer excitement, KC emailed me last month to ask if I’d be game to check out part two – and I never even hesitated. Even with diminished reading time and a huge reduction in taking on review requests, I couldn’t say no. KC is a wonderful writer, amazing supporter to so many and the Melinda West character just might be one of the best characters you’ll ever be introduced to. Even better – she has a six-shooter and monsters run amok.

Saying all of that – this is definitely a book you need to have read part one for – though you could get away with not having read it, you’ll definitely feel more connected and in the know if you have.

What I liked: The book picks up a little while after the first one. Melinda and her partner, Lance, have settled down, saying goodbye to the gunslinger/magic days. Content to have a garden and keep adrenaline rushes and gun/magic battles to a minimum.

That all gets thrown out the window when stories make it tp them that something is killing people and as the bodies pile up, soon Melinda can’t push aside the idea of staying out of it. So, her and Lance saddle up and head out.

It should be noted, that from here, the story is pretty straight forward – and I don’t mean that in a negative way – not at all. We get an adventure, cherished characters live, cherished characters die, there are hideous events, action-packed moments and everything leads to a major showdown where we see if good can overcome evil. And it’s perfect. It’s exactly what you want in a book like this. It’s practically why you read it. You want to see just what type of crap Melinda can overcome and how she can successfully save as many people as possible and none of it feels stale or ‘done to death’ because Grifant has done such a magical job (no pun intended… well maybe a dash of pun!) of bringing this world to life and making Melinda West such a powerful and fantastic character. This is the type of character that would this have been an 80’s Saturday morning cartoon instead of a 2020’s novel, people would have Melinda West posters up on all of their walls and the action figures would be flying off the shelves. It’s BraveStarr meets She-Ra the Princess of Power and it works so very very well. And that’s because Grifant takes it seriously.

Judging by how this one ends, I can only assume we’ll be getting a third in the series and I sure hope that happens.

What I didn’t like: I will say, I’m not totally sure if I felt that the Gremlin Queen was as huge of an opponent as I was expecting. Sure, it was horrible, ruthless and violent, but from what I pictured in my mind to what we ended up seeing as Melinda brought things home, it just wasn’t as crushingly brutal as I thought we’d see. Or maybe that’s my issue and I overinflated it? Could very well be!

Why you should buy this: If you loved book one, this is a no-brainer. If you love Grifant’s writing – again no-brainer. But otherwise, if you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced, dusty, western-magic-horror mashup, look no further. Melinda West is a phenomenal character, this world and landscape is perfectly balanced between being accessible and absolutely terrifying and at the end of the day, Grifant writes with such a joyful glee, it’s infectious and you can feel it flowing from the page.

This one’s a winner and so, so much fun.

Book Review: Zombie Billionaire by Nick Sullivan

Title: Zombie Billionaire (Creature Quest Series Book 2)

Author: Nick Sullivan

Release date: March 26th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Nick for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Way back in 2018, Gavin from Kendall Reviews absolutely insisted I read ‘Zombie Bigfoot.’ I wasn’t too sure going in, as I’d fallen out of love with zombie fiction around that time, but ‘Zombie Bigfoot’ was such a great read and it was my introduction to Nick Sullivan. If you don’t know Nick – he’s a talented author, renowned narrator and an awesome guy. ‘Zombie Bigfoot’ finished with the door wide open for a sequel. We were excited! We couldn’t wait! And then we waited… and waited… and waited… And as Nick even says in the afterword or this one, book two was in the process of being written, but then he started his Caribbean Dive Adventures series, which have taken off, and his attention was pulled in a different direction.

But now, after an eight year delay, book two has arrived and I was so excited when he emailed me to see if I’d like to give it a read!

I will say – and Nick says this both in the description on Goodreads/Amazon etc. as well as at the start of this book – you ABSOLUTELY have to have read book one to read this one, so go grab that one first, but also beware of potential spoilers going forward!

What I liked: This one picks up directly after the events that concluded book one – SPOILERS HERE BUT NECESSARY – our billionaire Cameron Carson has been viscously killed by the infected bigfoot. Brighteyes and Littlefoot have fled, looking for a new bigfoot tribe to call their own, and our main characters are trying to get away from the gathering government forces descending on the area.

It’s from here where the story splits into three different subplots, with a few more arriving as well.

When it comes to Cameron, we see him regenerate from the dead, infected by the same meteorite virus that infected the large bigfoot. It’s a fun storyline, with his hideousness and horribleness on full display. We see him determined to use what’s happened to elevate himself further, but also he returns to the forests in search of the meteorite and the bigfoots.

In the case of Brighteyes and Littlefoot, we follow them as they flee from those trying to capture them. We get some backstory on Brighteyes and we meet a female bigfoot from his past who he has a connection with. Their storyline does bring them back to reconnect with the humans, which was wonderful and helped to close off the book as well.

When it comes to Joseph and Sarah and the crew, we see them work together to try and stop Carson and make sure the bigfoot escape. Their storyline also comes around to the next storyline aspect that was introduced.

As this is a Creature Quest book, Sullivan introduces Sharlie, a Loch Ness Monster type creature that lives in the local lake. With a celebration going on in town, Sharlie begins to rampage and eat those on the lake. This intertwines with a monster hunter who goes to the area to find the bigfoot, but ends up also learning about the sea creature. It made for a really fun additional element of cryptid adventure and I really enjoyed how the two storylines between the sasquatch and the sea creature ended up working together.

Throughout, this book reads and feels like a really great movie exploding off the pages and I loved returning to this world. The ending does give us a glimmer of hope for a third, but we’ll have to wait and see.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, as much fun as it was having the Sharlie storyline, I kind of wish that was a completely separate third book. Sullivan alludes to it in the afterword that it was a consideration at one point, and I think if it had been saved for a third book, we would’ve had more bigfoot action, as that seemed to be the element that was lessened because of that.

Why you should buy this: If you read book one, you’ll definitely want to return to this world, as Sullivan writes with such glee if it infectious. The characters are a ton of fun, the setting is spot on for the events and the masterful way Nick brings Brighteyes, Littlefoot and the other bigfoot to life is reminiscent of Harry and the Henderson’s. Overall, a fantastic follow up and one I think creature fans will definitely love!

Book Review: The Broken Places by Blaine Daigle

Title: The Broken Places

Author: Blaine Daigle

Release date: March 24, 2023

*Huge thanks to Blaine for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

You may have noticed my reviews have slowed a bit. Well, for those who care, I’ve swapped a bit of my scheduling around and have taken about half of my reading time away and devoted that to extra time to write. So, with my reading time cut in half, I just haven’t been zipping through as many books! But rest assured, I’m still plugging away each night on two or three books at any given time.

As with the case of Daigle’s ‘The Broken Places,’ over the last few years, I’ve read a couple of his books for blurb and when I mentioned I still hadn’t grabbed this one to read, he kindly send me a copy as a thanks. Now, you may ask yourself – how the heck did I not grab this yet as it’s 100% right up my alley – remote setting, creatures, woods etc., etc., – well in this particular case, this book came out about a month after my own novel, ‘Churn the Soil.’ Both are set in the same neck of the woods, both focus on remote locations with creatures and things that go bad, and while these two books are very different (in actuality, I found this one to remind me a lot of my novel ‘The Stranger’ which was awesome), with how close they were in terms of release dates, I needed some distance between having immersed myself in those worlds and then I just never swung back around to grab it!

Well, thanks to Blaine, I dove in ASAP and what a dark, atmosphere-driven tale this one was!

What I liked: The story follows three long-time friends heading to a remote cabin near a small town in the Yukon. Ryne’s family originates from there and with all three friends having recently had life-altering events, it seems like a solid place to go, unwind and have a fun weekend. Unbeknownst to two of them, Ryne’s actually planning on staying. But none of them know that the town hide’s a centuries old secret, one that directly involves Ryne.

Daigle does a great job of setting things up and showcasing the brotherly bond all three have. We get snippets of what each of them are like and what each has gone through, saving a lot of their stories for when we get it the thick of things. The town is well done and immediately makes everyone – including the reader – feel unwelcome.

Things really pick up when a storm is forecast, they head to the cabin and a strange deer shows up. From there, everything unravels and Daigle hits us with some long-held rituals, folklore terror and creepy animals that act as harbingers of horrible things to come.

The final quarter of the book is a solid info dump and revelation of secrets. As Ryne begins to connect the dots about his family, their place in the history of the small town and what it ultimately means to him and his friends who’ve come with him, was great and cinematic.

What I didn’t like: While I did like the ritualistic aspect and discover, I found it wasn’t fully formed – or at least fully described. We got some of what was happening, but not all of it and while that can work in cases, in this sense, we need it all.

As well, I found an overuse of the Robert Frost quote/poem without really learning why it was so specifically poignant to that character. I might have missed it, but for the amount it is used, I think that should’ve been something that would’ve stood out.

Why you should buy this: If you like Daigle’s books, you’ve probably already read this. If not, this is a great place to dive in. As well, if you like my own books, this will be right up your alley. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a cold-weather novel that’s chalk full of isolation, insane animals and long-held secrets, this one will be right up your alley!

Book Review: You’ll Do As You’re Told by Craig Wesley Wall

Title: You’ll Do As You’re Told

Author: Craig Wesley Wall

Release date: February 19th, 2025

Back in 2021, I read my book from Craig and was blown away. ‘The Briar’ had everything I love in horror novels – isolated location, small town zaniness/craziness, ancient curse and survival at all cost. When I saw his newest novel announced, I was even more excited. Craig was moving the horror to the PNW, a place I lived just north of in BC for over a decade. Seattle itself is a wonderful city, and one we visited a handful of times, but the areas surrounding it and north are… unique. They have their own pulse, their own individual populations that bob and weave to the sound of their own drums. It was interesting even just stopping for fuel and realizing that it wouldn’t be hard to be sucked into these little pockets of oddness and become one with them in short order.

Such is the backdrop of ‘You’ll Do As You’ll Told,’ and Craig effortlessly delivers an unnerving thrill-ride.

What I liked: The story itself might seem – on the surface at least – like one you’ve read before. On the outskirts of a small town is an abandoned asylum, previously home to a doctor who did unspeakable acts and experiments and now the land around it is considered haunted.

Craig takes that basic set up and turns it on its head.

The story follows Ray, recently divorced after his young son passed away from Cancer. He’s purchased a place in a secluded small town in Washington, a forty-five minute drive into the nearest city where he works. The house seems to have it all – wonderful views of Mt. Baker, land aplenty and a perfect spot for a home office.

Craig does a wonderful job setting things up, having Ray move to town, while also revealing that something seems to live in the basement, something that mimics each person who goes down the stairs deepest nightmare. I’ll admit, numerous times I was unnerved, pulling my feet in and making sure the blankets were tucked in tightly. Craig’s deft prose and descriptive prowess bring these visions to life.

And after Ray meets his neighbor, Court, an old man who has been investigating the asylum’s history, things begin to appear faster and more violently. After Ray falls for his realtor and Joyce becomes involved as well, the story goes full-throttle and we get some truly excellent PNW-fueled horror.

The last quarter of the novel is a pure sprint, the action coming fast and furious and we see the three of them have to figure out how to stop the spreading nightmare before it commits more atrocities.

What I didn’t like: I think the only thing that stuck out to me, at least, was that considering this was set in a remote, small town, not a lot of stuff actually happened in the small town. What I mean by that, was outside of Ray going to get a haircut and then later returning to the barbershop, we didn’t get much in the way of local folks questioning Ray or directly disgust or fear towards him elsewhere over where he lives. It would’ve been a solid addition to show the fear the citizens have towards the place by having a few public confrontations.

Why you should buy this: Craig is easily one of the most overlooked authors. Even at this stage of being out for almost a month, ridiculously there’s not a single rating/review on Goodreads. I’ve stopped giving star ratings on my reviews, but I’m making an exception here, because more people need to read Craig’s work and this book and ‘The Briar’ as a one-two punch duo of eco-horror work so perfectly together that they should be on everybody’s TBR’s and should be read ASAP.

This book features characters you’ll root for, super creepy and scary scenes and a back story of horrible acts that get slowly revealed over the course of the novel.

This might be Craig’s perfect novel and I for one hope more people find this.

5/5

Book Review: Death Spell by David Sodergren

Title: Death Spell

Author: David Sodergren

Release date: May 1st, 2025

*Thanks to David for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Over the years of his writing career, we’ve watched Sodergren go from strength to strength while blurring genre lines. His most recent release, late 2024’s ‘Summer of the Monsters’ was perhaps his most tame book yet, more a YA/dramatic/suspense/monster novel than anything resembling gore/terror/horror. It was a magical turn, one demonstrating how widely he can cast his net and took it a step more ‘mainstream’ than even his hit release ‘The Haar.’

Since then, he’s publicly revealed that Carl John Lee was his pseudonym and with that, outside of ‘Satan’s Burnouts Must Die!’ this is the most Carl John Lee book of all of David’s novels. In fact, I’m certain that Uncle Carl influenced this book more than Boris did and for that we’re all the better for it.

What I liked: The book throws us headfirst into the fire with the prologue. We meet Ron, who has resorted to a grotesque act in order to ascend the company ladder. It will blow readers away with the repulsiveness we get so early on, but it does two things – sets the tone of how Sodergren has written this and sets the extreme level at ULTRA-EXTREME. You know quickly that this one’s not for the faint of heart.

We then fast forward in time, Ron is a successful business man, father and will do anything for his daughter. Which is the crux of the entire book. She’s scorned by her former lover, a movie star, so Ron takes her and his head of security to the darkest reaches of a jungle to find the black magic shaman who helped Ron become successful.

Sodergren does a great job of infusing this book with tons of random pop culture quips and jokes – a particular Meatloaf gag that extends throughout had me chuckling each time – and as the deal is made and the reality of what that means starts to take hold, this goes from a ‘romance-splatter’ novel to a straight up 70’s extreme movie novelization. Time and time again, just when you think Sodergren can’t go further, he does, and to great effect.

The final quarter of the novel is a smorgasbord of trying to undo what’s undoable and seeing if anyone can even survive. It is cinematic, vivid and visceral and has some really great moments of moral questioning for our main characters. It pushes the envelope right to the brink of toppling over the edge, but manages to keep the story from falling to the wayside.

What I didn’t like: At the beginning, our martial arts movie star, Nick, seemed destined to have a larger, more prominent role and his character seemed fully formed. Sadly, he becomes an afterthought not too far in and I thought that was a disappointing turn, as he could’ve had a fantastic character arc.

Why you should buy this: I mean, if you love David’s books, you’ll be buying this, but if you’ve not read anything from him, I think this is an excellent place to dive in and discover why so many people rave about his books. From start to finish this is unrelenting and ultimately filled with so much ultra-violence that you’ll wish you’d kept a body count. Or, if this was film, they’d be measuring how much fake blood was used to execute these scenes in all their pulpy glory.

Another fantastic book from one of the best writers out there, this was gloriously macabre!

Book Review: Exiles by Mason Coile

Title: Exiles

Author: Mason Coile

Release date: September 16th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbitt, Kristin & Jess from Penguin/G.P. Putnam’s Sons & Edelweiss for the digital ARC of this one!*

**Unlike my normal reviews, this one is more a deeper dive into the novel than what I liked, etc.**

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He means love, partnership, companionship, comfort. None of it could come after her. He was still married and had found a way to make sure he always would be. – From ‘Exiles.’

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I’m not even sure how to start this one.

When ‘William’ by Mason Coile – aka Andrew Pyper – was first announced, I knew it would harken a return. It would bring Andrew’s books back to the thousands and thousands of readers who had seemingly moved on from raving about his work. The lack of social media hype and posting about Andrew’s books was what led me to start over-saturating my own posts with his books. Every book Andrew releases is an embodiment of what a modern classic looks like and to have had so many books written and released by one of the BEST literary writers ever is something we should all count ourselves as lucky to have at our fingertips. BEST literary writers ever. Full stop. You may not like the story and you may not like the decisions Andrew made within the books – and hey, fair game, every reader will experience every book differently – but there is simply no arguing that few writers out there can craft sentences as textured and layered as Andrew could. And the fact that I’m writing could instead of can is where the difficulty of writing this review comes from.

Andrew has left this plane.

It’s still shocking to write those words. We’re almost two months since he passed and it doesn’t feel right and doesn’t feel real. But a saying I’ve always loved, and one a number of people commented and messaged me after Andrew’s passing, is that art makes us immortal. We live on forever through what we created and put out into the world. And Andrew has blessed us in the art department.

So, with ‘William,’ Andrew kicked down the door of expectation and people went collectively out of their minds. It received critical acclaim, recognition around the globe for its phenomenal content, and with its relevance in the surging AI frustration we’re dealing with, lifted it above the fray of other books coming out. By all accounts – it was a smashing success – and for this super fan, a book that put a huge smile on my face.

When Andrew first discussed ‘William’ with me, he had mentioned there was a thematic sequel already outlined and from that outline, ‘Exiles’ has arrived. Though this one doesn’t jump off from where ‘William’ left – with that phenomenal throat-kick of a final sentence – it continues the look into technology, where it fits in our lives and what happens when mankind continues to play god with robotics.

‘Exiles’ takes place in the future and follows Dana, Blake and Kang, three astronauts on the Citadel Mission, arriving on Mars to begin the colonization efforts. Three robots have already arrived and constructed where the humans will live in preparation of their arrival.

Andrew sets things up nicely, and it was refreshing to see a female lead (which I’ll share why that was on purpose shortly) again in an Andrew book – for only the second time, the first being ‘The Only Child.’ Dana is strong, calm, rational and terrified. Rightfully so. She feels ‘lesser than’ in the group, watching as Blake and Kang have this ‘brotherhood’ of odd handshakes, back slaps, inside jokes and shared jargon. A rough landing occurs and it’s a race to the living quarters. Once there, they discover significant damage has occurred and after getting inside, they find only two of the three robots, the third having fled into the Martian landscape.

This is a classic Pyper setup (as Coile, yes, yes, sheesh) – where he immediately heightens the tension, gets the reader (and characters, yes, yes, sheesh) to a place where we feel ‘safe’ before unravelling all the friggin’ reasons why nobody is. He perfected it with ‘The Homecoming’ and then elevated that perfection with ‘William’ and now, here, on Mars, he takes it to a whole other realm. A level of adaptation and self discovery. The robots are ‘terraforming’ themselves. They’re actively working to become more human-like. To develop hopes, dreams, feelings, emotions and expressions. It’s akin to what we see with Well’s Murderbot books. The three robots – Wes, Shay and Alex – complete their job and then begin to ponder where they are, where they fit into the larger world around them, and what it will mean for them to never return to earth. All while waiting for the humans to arrive.

Taken as a surface level sci-fi/horror novel, it’s a common trope, one that asks us to look within ourselves and see where we fall on the empathetic/hell-no scale. Do we want AI to progress? To allow androids to dream of sheep? An easy way to find out the answer for yourself as to whether you’re ok with robotics advancing – go to Youtube, search Boston Dynamics Robotics Dog and watch that video. And if you think, ‘awe, how cute!’ step to the right and await your new overlords. Skynet is calling. If you watch it and think, ‘JFC, turn it off, burn the schematics and delete the code!’ then step the left and prepare to fight. 

But this is the second of the three Coile books. This is no longer a normal, average, Andrew book. Andrew has always put real life into his books. He’s always had metaphorical themes that look at things he’s going through in life. ‘The Demonologist’ was a look at his relationship with his daughter and the fears you have as a parent. Heck, ‘William’ was a microcosm of Andrew’s life through the Covid pandemic. And ‘Exiles’ appears to be a novel he wrote to showcase the journey his loving wife was going to be dealing with as Andrew dealt with Cancer and ultimately succumbed to it.

Andrew used this book as a literary send off for himself – though, as I said, we do get that third Coile book – and as a big love letter for his wife and kids. 

Am I reaching? Maybe. But, I felt like I was reaching when I reviewed ‘William’ and had Andrew confirm all my theories. Well, except for the joking theory that I was the inspiration for the William bot, lol. 

From the very beginning the layers are revealed. We get the journey to the unknown (Mars in this case) – both with what comes next for Andrew after death and what life will be like for his wife when he is gone. We get the small, close quarters – ie Andrew keeping his illness close and keeping his family closer. We get the ‘four’ of the family. Much like with ‘William’ where Andrew used two of the wife’s coworkers to represent his kids, in this case we get Dana and Blake as the two adults and Shay and Wes as the kids. Both working through emotions they should never have to deal with, both unsure how to process what it means to be left behind.

And throughout, Andrew gives us turns of phrases, sentences and passages that not only directly relate to their life together;

‘… the proven strength of managing my life while carrying this with me the whole time, holding it down.’

‘She needed resilience. Physical, mental, emotional.’

We are shown how each of them have different connections and the hopes he has for happiness for them in the future, but we also get some very powerful moments, none more powerful than the final closing sentences that had me bawling like a baby.

Throughout, Andrew channels what his wife is going through, what she’ll be dealing with after he’s gone and how, hopefully, sometime in the future they’ll reconnect cosmically. It’s the ‘why’ of the book, the reason there was a female lead.

It was beautiful, powerful and emotionally gut-wrenching.

But don’t think this is all butterfly’s and rainbows. No, far from it. Within, Andrew shows his penchant for disturbing moments and glorious viscera. We get one of the most brutal and violent scenes Andrew’s ever given us. We get the hint of another ‘thing’ out there. What is it? Nobody knows. A suggestion of an alien lifeform not wanting the humans to be there. A suggestion of robotic espionage, the robots not wanting to be left behind. And a hint at it being purely a hallucination. Though, when taken from above, an out-of-body-reading-experience, that entity surely was the metaphorical inclusion of Andrew’s illness.

Again, I simply may be grasping at straws here, looking too deep into one of the final releases of an author who changed my life, but every person experiences every book differently, and in this case, this was my experience.

So, where does that leave us.

Let’s wrap this up looking at two different routes if you will.

First route – the Mason Coile voyage. When taken as a singular book, ‘Exiles’ is a phenomenal sci-fi/horror novel that asks the reader some tough philosophical questions and then answers them firmly. It is tension-filled, claustrophobic and terrifying. When worked into the aspect of book two of Coile’s bibliography, it not only heightens what was started in ‘William,’ but also deftly (and subtly) elevated the family dynamic drama from within both books.

Second route – the Andrew Pyper bibliography. When added into Andrew’s larger bibliography, it takes the sci-fi aspects of ‘The Homecoming’ and the family dynamics of ‘The Killing Circle,’ ‘The Damned’ and ‘William’ and elevates that even more. It pushes the tension further than many of his previous books, utilizing a lot of what he did with ‘The Residence’ and ‘The Only Child,’ and the ‘vague’-ness of the ending gave us a smidgeon of what he did with ‘The Demonologist.’ Atmospherically, this one falls in line closer to ‘Lost Girls’ and ‘Oracle,’ the only obvious difference is location/setting. It’s one of the best books written by one of the most cerebral writers we’ve ever had.

To close this off, I’ll leave it with this.

Andrew was well aware of the time he had left. He completed ‘Exiles’ and the third Coile book, and if this is any indication of what the third one will be like – in terms of storytelling and quality of writing – then he left us in good hands. ‘Exiles’ will benefit from the buildup that ‘William’ created and for that, it’ll get in front of many more eyes than the standard ‘sci-fi’ crowd, which can be a fickle bunch. Andrew may be gone, but this second-to-last of the Coile books confirms to all of us just how magnificent of a storyteller he truly was.

He was the best.

Book Review: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Title: Annihilation (Southern Reach #1)

Author: Jeff VanderMeer

Release date: February 4th, 2014

Back in 2018, I watched the film adaptation of this book and absolutely loved it. Outside of movies like ‘Splice,’ ‘The Mist,’ ‘The Ritual’ and the Alien franchise, few movies hit deeper and inspired me more. In fact, my novel ‘Mastodon’ owes a lot to that movie. I loved the journey into Area X, the discover of odd things and this surreal ending that involved so many layers. It was still rattling around my brain when I outlined ‘Mastodon’ and I owe a huge amount of thanks to VanderMeer for inspiring me so much.

Saying that, a few years ago, and after ‘Mastodon’ was released, I figured it would be prudent for me to give the series a read. I purchased the Kindle ‘Area X’ three-book bundle and not too long after cracked open ‘Annihilation.’

Andddddddd…. promptly DNF’d it.

It wasn’t what I was expecting. It wasn’t like the movie. Yes, I know, the movie was an adaptation of the book, but still, I was expecting a journey, them crossing over and going in and none of that happened.

So, I let it sit. I knew I needed to readjust my expectations, but I needed time for that.

Recently, I was trying to decide what to bump up my TBR to offset some of the review copies I was on a time line with, and I saw my book (and real life) pal Julie aka grimdreadful had posted about reading it, that I decided now was the time to dive back in.

What I liked: Told through the point of view of the main character – the biologist – the book follows a group of four who make up the twelfth expedition into Area X. This is a strange area where suddenly things have changed and the government has worked to keep people away and it off of the known maps.

Not long after arriving, the group finds an anomaly, something the rest call a tunnel, while the biologist believes it to be a tower. In the distance, an odd – but known – light house.

It’s with that set up that VanderMeer creates a speculative juggernaut that keeps us readers wondering WTF is actually going on while also completely immersed in what is allegedly going on. And I say allegedly, because we never truly know if what the biologist is telling us is the truth, or simply their version of the truth, Area X working to glamor them and subtly shift key details.

We learn that the biologist’s husband was on the eleventh expedition, an expedition that seemingly disbanded and every member randomly returned home, forever altered.

And we learn that the leader of the group, the psychologist, may not be on the up and up.

It makes for an unsettling and uneasy experience, one filled with philosophical moments and revelations that continue to have the reader mistrust everything that they read.

The ending is another piece of that puzzle. An ‘ending,’ though for my money, I wouldn’t put any faith in how it happened being how things actually happened.

What I didn’t like: While I didn’t DNF it this time, I still was frustrated with a lot of the glossing over of some moments that could’ve been really amazing. We learn of the odd creature in the swamp/jungle that howls/moans, but never really get any details of it. We get tidbits of their journey to base camp, but nothing really about crossing over the border or the hike there. And, the open-endedness of the ending made for a frustrating conclusion, mainly because with so much information at the biologist’s hands, we still don’t fully know what they decided to do.

Why you should buy this: Fans of elevated and cerebral speculative sci-fi with horror elements will really love this. There’s three more books in the series – two that both arrived in 2014 and one that arrived last year – but I think for me, this is as far as I go with it. But, if you’re looking for a foray into an odd place with odder things and unreliable characters, I think this book – and series – will be right up your alley.