Steve Stred's Blog, page 74

Book Review: The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

Title: The Demonologist

Author: Andrew Pyper

Release date: March 5, 2013

Winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel (2014)

I’ll spare you the story of how I discovered Pyper’s work. I’ve written about it a million times as well as mentioned it on a couple podcasts already. But, I will let those who haven’t heard it know, that ‘The Demonologist’ was the first book of Andrew’s I ever found and read and have been hooked ever since. I’m also not a typical re-reader. There’s a few books I’ve re-read over the years, but normally a book like this, which I read in 2014, I wouldn’t re-read. But, over the years, a few things changed.

The first is, I realized that while I remember large sections of this book, I can’t remember everything that happens. In fact, for a book that changed my reading habits and put me on a path of finding a favorite author, I couldn’t believe just what I struggled to remember. The second was that I’m about to celebrate the fourth annual Pyper-May-Nia! The last two years, I’ve really gone all in, but for this year’s I decided I was going to reread the first three of Andrew’s books I’d ever read, ‘The Demonologist,’ ‘The Damned,’ and ‘Lost Girls.’ The third thing that changed was that I am now a father. How would ‘dad Steve’ connect with this work compared to how ‘non-dad Steve’ did?

‘The Demonologist’ sits directly in the middle of Andrew’s five book arc of looking at grief and searching for answers related to a lost or deceased loved one. Now, ‘Lost Girls’ does look at grief and the ripples that an event can cause in a small town, and ‘The Wildfire Season’ tackles grief and guilt, but it wasn’t until 2008’s ‘The Killing Circle’ that Andrew began to really dive deeper into how grief makes us tick and how sorrow and melancholy can guide us, even in the darkest times. That was followed up with 2011’s ‘The Guardians,’ a haunted house/coming-of-age story which really examined friendship and how the death of a childhood friend can rip off some bandages. ‘The Demonologist’ arrived in 2013, which I’ll discuss in more depth, and Andrew continued the theme with ‘The Damned’ in 2015 and ‘The Only Child’ in 2017. Some could even argue that 2019’s ‘The Homecoming,’ which is based around grief (a father dies and a family discovers not all is what they thought), would make up the sixth book in the arc, but in that sense the book doesn’t have the journey element. Similar with ‘The Residence.’ Pyper’s stunning 2020 release that focuses on Jane Pierce and her desire to have her deceased son return from beyond is completely focused and informed by grief. But once again, no journey.

So it was, that from 2008 until 2017, Andrew Pyper released five of the greatest grief-based thrillers to ever be written and smack dab in the middle; ‘The Demonologist.’ From the get-go, ‘The Demonologist’ was a book that was primed to explode. Andrew’s work was already well read, well respected and award winning, but something about the synopsis, the title and the timing all coincided to have this book become an Instant International Bestseller.

Now, I know some of you will have already wondered how can I be impartial or fair towards a book that has so greatly affected my reading and do a degree my own writing? I’ll admit, I probably can’t. I try to prepare fair and thorough reviews going over what it is that I liked and what it is that I didn’t like (or that the reader may not enjoy) and I’ll do my best here. And to try and garner some trust towards you, reading my review, I will say – this isn’t my favorite of Andrew’s work. In fact, it’s not even top three! But, much like people who love King and Rice and Barker and Koontz and Straub, when you love an author’s output so much, your favorite books of theirs all become 1A and 1B and 1C in the grand scheme of things.

What I liked: ‘The Demonologist’ follows Professor David Ullman who is an expert in demonic mythology. More specifically, John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost,’ the epic 17th-century poem that tells the tale of Satan and Adam and Eve. With his personal life in freefall and his daughter’s descent into depression, Ullman is visited one day by the Thin Woman. She offers him an invitation to Venice, to get his thoughts on something. A phenomenon. Ullman accepts and brings Tess, his daughter with him.

From here, Pyper crafts a story that follows a father’s grief in trying to find his daughter, as well as looking philosophically at the question of if we’re alone or is there other forces that guide us.

‘The Demonologist’ itself has one of the most frightening scenes I’ve ever read. When Tess and David arrive in Venice, they do some sightseeing, before David decides to get the task at hand over and done with. It is the scene that plays out, in a small house nestled in the winding alleys of the town that I’ve always remembered and once again read with anxiety. Greeted by another man, they tell David to go up the stairs, see what’s waiting in the room. David pleads with them, begging to know what is up there, but when no answer comes he finally goes. What’s waiting is so well done that I long for this to be filmed, just to watch this scene alone.

It is shortly after this that Tess leaves, offering up the haunting refrain of ‘find me,’ as their hands slip from one another’s and Pyper deftly utilizes Paradise Lost to guide Ullman as he goes across the US, searching for his daughter and uncovering more clues as to where she is.

Throughout, as I mentioned in my intro, Pyper layers everything with grief and sorrow. From his history with his brother and father, his relationship with his wife and how things have now changed, and with himself and Tess. Paramount to this story is O’Brien, at first a side character who thankfully becomes more involved and intricately woven into the plot itself.

Andrew uses setting like few other others and once again, each place that Ullman visits and investigates/searches becomes a living, breathing character, one that instantly feels like a place reader has visited with his lush descriptions, but also a setting that can become sinister with the subtle dimming of the lights. A scene that plays out with two older women in a small farm house is a fine example of this, one that rivals the earlier scene in Venice. So much so, that while reading it, you’ll swear you can smell rotting vegetables and musty dirty.

The character of The Pursuer was fantastic and oddly enough, a piece of the puzzle I’d completely forgotten about. I remembered the room at the top of the stairs like the back of my hand, but not this character who follows Ullman and ultimately is just as afraid of what Ullman is discovering as Ullman is.

Lastly, I want to touch on the ending. Once again, I was completely stunned to realize I had no recollection of how this ended. I think the ending is the make or break for most readers, as either it works or it doesn’t, but in my case it was spot on and a yin to the yang that was the ending to ‘The Killing Circle.’ I do wonder if those two works are of a related narrative or something Andrew subconsciously plotted out to offer a similarly based story of grief and clues. Saying all of that, I found I had to reread the final few pages a dozen times to see some tied in clues with The Unnamed, Ullman and what ultimately happens when David sits.

What I didn’t like: As I mentioned, the ending here will make or break the story for you. It is incredibly well-paced, often frantic and as we learn more and more about both Ullman’s past and how The Unnamed has been using Ullman for a selfish purpose, the finale does leave a couple boxes open. For me, I absolutely love the resolution we get, but the ending will be a very personal thing for each reader.

The other thing I’ll mention here – I wished we learned a bit more about The Thin Woman. Her role at the beginning is very significant and we do get a return later on in the story, but (and maybe this is on me) I failed to connect the dots to where she fit in the grand scheme of things, other than being used to get Ullman to Venice.

Why you should buy this: Pyper has created a story that captures the imagination. At times large sections of this reminded me of ‘What Dreams May Come’ but it is also very much a horror novel that is anxiety inducing and pushes chaotic actions to cause plausible reactions. Time and time again, I found I needed to know what Ullman was discovering and where he’d go next and I’d read this already. I was hooked from page one and that opening line of, ‘Last night I had the dream again.’ This book was so pivotal in my dark-fiction journey and I’m happy to say that it once again completely destroyed me.

Was I fair in my assessment? I think so. Like all books, this one may or may not work for you. But it worked for me and ultimately introduced me to the works of my favorite author.

‘The Demonologist’ is a fast-paced thriller that has some of the deepest, darkest moments you’ll ever read. A book that focuses on the blackness of grief and the lengths a father will go to find his daughter, I can’t recommend this book enough. One of my all-time favorite books, I’d absolutely love it if you’d check this one out. Now, I’ll be starting my re-read of ‘The Damned.’

5/5

** If you’re keen – there’s a free ebook of ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton that also features an interview with Andrew and a preview of  ‘The Demonologist’ **

Book Review: Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit in my Forties by Tim Lebbon

Title: Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit in my Forties

Author: Tim Lebbon

Release date: March 10, 2021

Source: Digital ARC from the author

“Slowly, I went from hoping I could to thinking I could,” – Tim Lebbon.

I hope you’ll bear with me for this review. It’s going to be a bit introspective.

Many of you know me from my reviews. Many from my writing. And many know me from my professional career as well as my athletic endeavors. It was interesting to read this, knowing Tim has very similar parallels. There will be a large percentage of you who know him as a writer of amazing dark fiction. But also a number will know him from his passion over the last decade. And even then, some of you will know of him through is Netflix movie ‘The Silence.’

I remember when Tim threw the concept of this book out to the world on Twitter. An almost ‘if I write this, will people read it’ tweet. I was emphatic there was an audience for this, because it ticks a number of boxes that people look for in non-fiction, sports/health books.

Within the pages of this fantastic book, Tim takes us on a journey from where he was on the precipice of turning 40 years old and a fateful Holiday season that transformed his life. Finding it difficult to walk up a hill with some friends and realizing he was not at the level of fitness he was happy with, he had a conversation with a long time friend who himself had worked on his own fitness. When he mentioned to Tim that they were going to attempt a grueling event where you scale three different peaks in 24 hours, Tim decided to pursue that and fell head over heels in love with what can be described as “duration challenges.”

It was interesting for me to read this book. Here I am at 39, roughly four years post-retirement from a goal I had set of trying to make the 2018 Winter Olympics. Where Tim states he was active growing up and even competed in canoeing for a few years, he’d never been a gym goer. Joining and stopping time and again as he found it just wasn’t for him. Myself, I was the opposite. Growing up, I played Golf and Soccer and when I turned 17, began to hit the weights, falling in love with Body Building and Power Lifting. That transformed into a love of the throwing sports and at 24, I returned to Track and began competing in Shot Put. A series of injuries slowed my progress and then an opportunity came up. Bobsled. Much like with Tim going from triathlon training to full on Ironman level events, I devoted myself. In my 29th year, I set a goal of transitioning into a sliding sport. I trained seven days a week, often twice a day. I completed adjusted my diet (which I will say was 100% the hard work of my wife) and over the course of a year, I went from a 375lb shot putter, into a 245lb slider. (Hey, I said you’d get some introspection here!)

So, I’m going to hop into my normal review format from here and return the focus onto Tim’s book (with still some nuggets of my journey!)

What I liked: ‘Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit in my Forties’ isn’t your normal ‘training’ non-fiction book. No, what Tim’s done here is to write an incredibly heart-felt, emotional book that is incredibly motivating. The book pops back and forth between what he loves about doing Tri’s/Ironman’s and Race Reports. Through this set up, we get to see one of the most talented writers out there go into great depth and detail about the hills around his house that he trains on, the delicious cakes that he partakes in and how the chase of the ‘runners high’ can motivate someone to reach for a goal and achieve it. Much like the sliding sports, Tri’s and Ironman’s are unique, in that these are individual sports done within a community setting. Where everybody wants to see you succeed and people come from all around to watch on race day and cheer you on.

The Race Reports are fantastic insights into Tim’s mindset and experiences from those days. Each one was originally written back at the time of the race and updated for the book. I loved that we get a great snap shot of different race courses and set ups, from open water swims to encounters with vehicles and animals, Tim doesn’t sugar coat anything and the book is elevated because of this.

I found time and time again, Tim peppers this book with golden moments of pure motivation.

“That’s part of the reason for writing this book – talking about what I’ve achieved because it’s fun to look back, and also in the hope that it might inspire other people to take on their own challenge, and perhaps even change their own lives.”

Tim doesn’t preach to the reader in here about health, he doesn’t try to make you believe in a specific fad diet or a weight training regimen and for that, this book sets itself from many others in the pack. This isn’t a self-help or guided training book. You’ll not find running programs, swimming splits or riding intervals. Instead, Tim pleads with the reader to find something they love and to dive in and do it with passion. Throughout my many, many years in athletics/sports, I can absolutely say that this philosophy or approach will work every time. I hate running. But, for a year I would go to the track and do 30m, 45m and 100m sprints as well as bleacher sprints. Why? Because I had a goal, I had a passion and honestly, I loved what I was attempting to do. In my case, I also absolutely loved going to the gym and clanging weights.

The last thing I’ll mention here that I loved, is that Tim fills this book to the brim with humor and does it absolutely create a truly amazing read. Many books similar to this want to jam it down your throat that only the elite will finish a race and that training is tough and the weak will fail, blah blah blah. I didn’t keep track, but I’m fairly confident in saying that at least once in each chapter, Tim mentions that no matter how tiring or difficult training or a race had become, he was doing it for fun. In that regards, Tim and I share that philosophy. It was actually something I took heat from a number of coaches over the years. Me keeping things light, cracking jokes and supporting other athletes. In fact, one of the few times I ever lost my cool was with a bobsled pilot from another country who told me to shut up and focus. A few of my sliding friends will remember that confrontation in the Ice House and chuckle over him turning tail and leaving when I got serious and raised my voice.

This book, as I said, will be an introspective journey and will be an incredible motivator no matter where you are in your own personal life and health, but one thing is for certain – no matter what you are doing – make sure you have fun and it makes you smile. Tim makes sure to tell the reader this frequently, but also sets the example with the humor within.

What I didn’t like: You know, sometimes I hate this section. I set this section up as a way to let readers know why they may not like this book and when I love a book and think it’s hit every target, I struggle. So, here’s what I think some readers may not enjoy – if they are specifically looking for training programs – there are none. If you’re looking for tough love and/or declarations of “only the strong survive!” – big miss.

Personally, and this may be different in the paperback than the digital book I had for review – I wish there were more photos. Especially from the Race Reports. Three big reasons may have prevented this – 1) formatting. That can be really tough. 2) photo credits and rights – the Race Reports are from sanctioned events, so it is very possible that the photos Tim has were taken from race day photogs and credits and rights may be tough or expensive to acquire 3) publication costs – I myself have released a book that has illustrations and paintings in it. I wanted to keep them in color. This greatly increased the cost of printing the books, so that may have been a factor.

Why you should buy this: Tim Lebbon has excelled with what he’s delivered here. I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim for my professions publication a few years back, and even then the passion he expressed about training and doing these events was palpable. To read an entire book of the last decade and a bit of his life was phenomenal. This book will not be for everybody and that’s fair. But, like me, if you’re wanting some motivation to get into the best health of your life, Tim leads by example. I turn 40 in July. I have suffered so many significant injuries from my attempts to achieve my goal that I am limited with what I can do and I’ve struggled mentally to kick myself in the butt and start moving again. I personally wouldn’t change it for the world and after reading this – Tim’s already achieved what he set out to do – motivate a reader to rekindle their passion for exercise and get moving again.

A top-notch, non-fiction read that I really can’t recommend enough. I’ll be ordering this in paperback on release day!

5/5

Book Review: Mayan Blue by The Sisters of Slaughter

Title: Mayan Blue

Authors: Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason aka The Sisters of Slaughter

Release date: May 25th, 2016

* Nominated for HWA Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel (2016)

From the very first day that I entered into the dark fiction community, Michelle and Melissa have been cheering me on and encouraging me every step of the way. I’ve been recommended their work time and time again, but it was ‘Mayan Blue’ and ‘Tapetum Lucidum’ that really stood out for me. (I’ll be starting Tapetum shortly!)

‘Mayan Blue’ always interested me as I’ve always been intrigued by Xibalba and the Mayan lore of the Underworld. The Mayan Death Gods, specifically Ah Puch, have always got my imagination running and because of this, I wanted to see what type of carnage the Sisters of Slaughter could conjure up.

What I liked: The story begins innocently enough. Four college students and the Professor’s Assistant hike into the Georgia wilderness. They’re off to meet up with the Professor of Archaeology who has discovered a doorway in a cave, that he believes is Mayan. Little do the group of five know that the Professor has accidentally disturbed things that should never have been disturbed.

From this point on, Garza and Lason craft a story filled with survival and brutal, brutal moments. As the Gods of Death march forward and lust to capture the humans and bring them to the massive pyramid for sacrifice, the humans struggle to stay alive, even if they don’t know it’s already too late.

There are some gruesome scenes in here, scenes that rival anything Barker ever conjured. We get tons of blood, amazing progression as the various creatures get their moments in the spotlight and we see just how much each of the humans themselves, want to stay alive.

I really enjoyed how fast-paced this was and how vividly each of the underworld incarnations were described.

What I didn’t like: Two things. The first was, I felt like three of the five individuals were there just to be slaughtered. I didn’t get enough of them or their actual personalities to care much about them and the one woman was incredibly annoying. The second, was I wished there was more background on the lore surrounding what was to come. I felt like I had to play catch up as various levels and events happened and some characters filled the reader in after. Minor, but I think some parts would’ve made more sense.

Why you should buy this: Absolute, underworld blast. This was a really fun time, with a ton of Mayan history and anytime you can get a horror story based around Xibalba, the reader should be happy. The twosome crafted a really frantic, high-energy story and I loved how we saw things go darker and darker. Great stuff!

4/5

Book Review: The Winter Box by Tim Waggoner

Title: The Winter Box

Author: Time Waggoner

Release date: Originally March 16, 2016, rereleased October 7, 2017

** Winner of the HWA Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

How shameful on my part that I didn’t even have this on my radar until Friday of last week (Feb 5). I connected with Tim some time ago and have read a few of his works (even been fortunate enough to have him blurb one of my books!) but for some reason, this release completely escaped me. It wasn’t until Tim posted a really well done blog about award season and nominations that I discovered it and dove in.

(Look before you message me with ridicule and shame – Tim’s had a wonderful career, with a number of releases that could’ve easily have won the Stoker at that time!)

This was a no-brainer for me to jump into – cold weather fiction? Yes, please!

What I liked: The story follows a married couple, Todd and Heather, trying to come to terms with how their marriage has ended up as it has and where did it take a turn towards two people who tolerate each other, when a blizzard hits. 

From here, Waggoner crafts a stunning chilled, supernatural story. One thing I always love about really well done novellas, is when we get 300+ pages of story in 50-75 pages, which is what Tim does here. We get character depth with back story aplenty and from this we really begin to formulate how we feel about each of these two, even as events begin to unfold. 

I loved when the two begin to realize that they’ve each been experiencing odd moments and that it’s interconnected. Waggoner really did a fantastic job of letting things dawn on each of them and by that point their reactions felt so true, from how well Tim had breathed life into these two characters.

The ending. Wow. I wasn’t expecting that and even though it was a really dark moment, it definitely had a glimmer like sun does on a fresh snow fall.

What I didn’t like: Irrational now, but at the beginning I wasn’t a big fan of how the characters interacted. It was their anniversary after all, but that soon gets pushed aside when details are revealed. 

Why you should buy this: ‘The Winter Box’ shows just why Waggoner is so well respected and has had such a long and storied career. This was a masterclass in dread and tension while using very minimal parts. Every aspect of this story felt bigger and more expanded than was offered, which is a testament to Tim’s ability.

I loved this one and, while it took me far too long to discover it, am thankful that I did.

Outstanding work.

5/5

Book Review: History is a Lie by Morton R. Leader

Title: History is a Lie

Author: Morton R. Leader

Release date: January 2, 2021

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Over the last year or so, I’ve connected with Morton on Twitter and read his first two releases. One thing I’ve loved seeing is his continued growth and improvement with each release and as he’s become a more refined writer, his ability to tackle ambitious concepts has also improved.

Case in point is ‘History is a Lie’ a novel that time jumps with most chapters to follow a central character. Leader dove into this with enthusiasm, which was evident from a few direct messages he sent me, sharing how excited he was for this book.

What I liked: ‘History is a Lie’ is tale that shares how an unknown or hidden race of creatures has been behind some of the biggest moments in Earth’s history and how the powers that be are in the know, but keep it covered up. Leader does a fine job of tackling different points throughout history and I really enjoyed seeing each section tackled.

As well, the banter between two of the characters that propels this story was really great. A mixture of sarcasm and disbelief.

The story moves along at a really great clip, which allows the reader to really become immersed in the worlds that Leader has created and the last quarter of the book finds another level, another gear where we see things come to a head. Leader really shines here, with some fantastic descriptive moments.

What I didn’t like: The biggest thing I noticed was for a story that is set in Vegas, there is a lot of ‘UK-isms’ in the dialogue and descriptions. Granted, Leader is from the UK, but there were a number of moments that pulled me from the story when I struggled to think that a US based FBI agent would use a specific word or phrase. Not sure if Leader used a North American Beta Reader on this, but if so – they should be fired haha!

Why you should buy this: As I mentioned, Leader has continued to make leaps and bounds of progress in his writing and ability to craft a story. I really enjoyed how this one rolled along and I think for fans of dark fiction, this would be a pleasant surprise. Leader does have another book out, which may be something fans of gang/crime fiction may want to dive into (personally not a genre I enjoy very much of), but I’m excited to see where Leader goes from here.

Well done, Morton!

4/5

Book Review: She Ain’t Pretty by Renee Miller

Title: She Ain’t Pretty

Author: Renee Miller

Release date: February 25, 2021

Source: Netgalley ARC

Have you read Renee Miller?

Miller has written survival/winter horror (Stranded), serial killer horror (Cats Like Cream), creature feature horror (Howl and Blood Lake Monster), cult horror (Church) and so many others. Over the last year I’ve read all of those and each time, I’m blown away seeing Miller tackle a subject and absolutely obliterate it. When it was revealed that she’d have another Unnerving ‘Rewind or Die’ release I was excited. When ‘She Ain’t Pretty’ was officially revealed and the synopsis indicated we’d get a cult/demon based story I was over the moon.

What I liked: Miller wastes no time getting dirty with ‘She Ain’t Pretty.’ Blake needs a job. A listing for a farm position comes up and he gets an interview. Within minutes of arriving he’s under the spell of Lily, the owner/head of the farm. Eva is an investigative journalist. When she finds out that Lily, cult leader, has a new commune, she decides to infiltrate and get details for a book.

Miller takes a really standard ‘cult’ idea and brings us a depraved story filled with tension and gut-churning moments. I loved how we get glimpses of Blake coming in and out of the fog when Lily is around and then leaves. His mind will clear just enough that he knows what’s happening there is horrible, but by the time he gets enough energy up to leave, Lily has returned and broken him down once again.

As more and more layers are revealed, Miller makes sure to keep the reader guessing as to what is really going on and the full understanding near the end was really well done.

What I didn’t like: I wasn’t too keen on the resolution. I want to stay spoiler free, but I felt things occurred far too quickly and with a suddenness that felt a bit light on oomph. The epilogue was a great touch, but it was still a bit reduced after how the final quarter played out.

Why you should buy this: If you love cult based horror, this should be high on your list to buy and read asap. Miller is a fantastic writer and her catalog continues to grow with each new, exciting release. With her and Unnerving frequently working together, I’m always happy to see when a new release is announced. Miller has easily cemented herself as a ‘must-read’ author for me and ‘She Ain’t Pretty’ is a perfect example as to why.

5/5

Preorder here;

Book Review: Yard Full of Bones by Armand Rosamilia and Jay Wilburn

Title: Yard Full of Bones

Authors: Armand Rosamilia and Jay Wilburn

Release date: May 22, 2018

Source: Purchased from Amazon Canada

If you’ve been around the Horror Community for any length of time, you’ve inevitably interacted with Armand Rosamilia. Armand is one of the nicest guys out there, always working to support and promote and has been super encouraging. It was through Unnerving that I first came across this book and I’ve long been meaning to read an Armand release. Saying that, a number of people have also been recommending to me that I check out Jay Wilburn’s work, so this was a nice trifecta of support; Unnerving, Armand and Jay, all in one shot.

What I liked: ‘Yard Full of Bones’ starts off with a stunning opening chapter. Hollywood producer/writer Mel sits on his couch in his home, only to have intruders slit his throat. From there, the mystery surrounding Mel Silver’s death and the struggles of his estranged husband Brock and assistant Gloria begin. Not only are they trying to understand just how and why Mel was murdered, but they themselves fall under suspicion of being the murderers.

It’s from this leaping off point that Wilburn and Rosamilia craft a murder mystery that also falls into folklore/creature based horror. This was really well done and the introduction of Mel’s former life in Vermont was fantastic and incredibly creepy.

The two authors write great together, with a singular writing voice propelling this story. I loved how the distinct genre’s meshed together and the characters had so much depth that I equally hated and loved each one of them, as more and more of their personal stories come out.

The ending in this was top notch and from what came before, very satisfying. With having a book start so imbedded as one thing and morph into something completely different, they handled it with expertise.

What I didn’t like: Two things really. The first was that it took a very long time to progress from Mel’s passing and his memorial/funeral to Brock and Gloria heading to Vermont. There’s a bit of a slower section during this where it felt a bit like we were spinning our wheels in some mud, but once the car popped out onto dry land, this thing took off. The second was the character of Felix. More specifically the early interactions between Felix and Brock. I struggled to understand why Felix was so aggressive with Brock considering the recent death of Mel. I can’t say too much more due to spoiler territory but during the first half I hated whenever Felix appeared.

Why you should buy this: The duo of Rosamilia and Wilburn have churned out a really fantastic read with ‘Yard Full of Bones.’ As the story moves along and more and more pieces come to light, the intrigue will grab you, but when they arrive at Vermont and they introduce this creepy small town to the reader, you’ll be hooked. This was a really well done story and one I’m so glad to have finally dove into and read. I’m definitely going to be checking out more by both authors but for new fans, I think this would be a really great diving in point.

4/5

Book Review: The Man From Beyond by Arytom Dereschuk

Title: The Man From Beyond

Author: Arytom Dereschuk

Release date: n/a

Source: Received free when I signed up to his website

Over the last number of years Arytom Dereschuk has quickly grown to become a favorite author of mine. Starting with his outstanding ‘Master of the Forest’ and followed up with his great collection ‘Russki Dread’ Arytom doesn’t hesitate to conjure dark worlds and to use his native Russia as a backdrop. While I enjoyed his novel ‘Hate the Sin’ it still showed his willingness to craft brutal stories. I’ve already purchased his newest release ‘Outside’ and will be moving that far up my TBR.

Throughout discovering his work, one thing I’ve noticed is Arytom’s distinct lack of an online presence. Well, that’s begun to change. He now boasts a really slick website (which I’ll link at the bottom) as well as a Reddit page (which I’ll also link). I’ve had some great chats with him via Goodreads, and was very excited to see this free story offered up by joining his mailing list.

What I liked: ‘The Man From Beyond’ is a quick read, I’d estimate at around 10,000 words. I think I read it in about 20-25 minutes and it was fantastic. I was hooked from paragraph one. The story is simple. Set in the 60’s in small town USA, folks go about their daily lives without a care. Until one day a strange man arrives. He doesn’t seem remarkable until the townsfolk begin to notice his eyes and start to stay away.

Dereschuk tells us this story through 1st person POV of a young man who doesn’t pay mind to the stranger, until one night when things take a turn.

This entire story dripped dread. I loved how it slowly unrolled and the entire time I was expecting this explosion of action and gore, but Artyom kept dangling that carrot ahead of me, pulling the reader along.

I absolutely loved the ending to this. It was a great way of tying it all together and coming full circle.

What I didn’t like: Actually, it’s funny, as I loved this story a ton, but the only thing that irked me was a single line of dialogue. A character says; “maybe she’s just a gold digger.” With it being set in the 60’s, I can’t imagine that was a common phrase, but when I read it, I was annoyed haha!

Why you should buy this: Well, you don’t actually need to buy this – sign up for his site! It’s free when you do! But for why you should read this? Dereschuk has crafted a fantastic sci-fi/slow burn horror story here, one that pulls equally from The Twilight Zone as it does from The X-Files. The cover is spot on and if you like dread inducing fast reads, you can’t go wrong here. This is a perfect story to introduce you to Artyom’s work, and once done, seriously, go snag the rest of his releases.

5/5

You can sign up and get the story for free here;

Home

Arytom’s Reddit link is here;

https://www.reddit.com/r/Scandalist/

Just who the hell is Duncan Ralston?

Intrigued by the title?

Wondering just what’s going on?

I’ll tell you.

Recently a mutual friend (and fellow Canuck) Andrew the Book Dad tweeted about being able to claim book expenses on taxes. This guy, “Duncan Ralston” replied and of course, things got hostile. It was after all “Duncan Ralston” we’re talking about.

Here’s where things took a turn;

I couldn’t let it go.

I sat and stewed over YET ANOTHER Ralston attack and thought ‘That’s it!’

I, like many in the community, can’t take it anymore. But then things started to change. I thought to myself, self? Does anybody truly know who this Ralston douche canoe is?

NO.

NO, WE DON’T.

So, this past weekend, between building a rowing machine, cleaning the garage, going to Ikea, building a stupid Ikea credenza thingy, I did a deep dive into just who Duncan is.

What I found will most likely shock and repulse even the most hardened horror fan.

Exhibit #1 – “Author”

Many of us think of Duncan as an author, but let’s be honest – he’s tricked us before. Case in point – the Rex Garrote “campaign.” This was for Ghostland (which was a horrible non-fiction book at Marine Land in Ontario) where Ralston forgot about an author but they actually existed or did they and blah blah blah. But how do we know Ralston isn’t Garrote?

Hmmm…

I mean look at this photo;

Looks a lot like Garrote?

And let’s face it – did any of us meet up with him in 2020? Don’t think so. He’ll try and say it was the pandemic that kept him from travelling… but… I mean… that’s just a little toooooo convenient.

You can find more info about his “author” exploits at his website;

https://www.duncanralston.com/

Exhibit #2: “Married”

This was a really tough one to examine as for some people this may be life altering, even shattering, but I couldn’t find any example of Duncan actually being married. He has it listed on his Facebook page and there’s some conveniently “staged” wedding photos, but things just don’t add up.

First – this photo – where he says it was apparently of him and his significant other on vacation;

Not even looking at her. (Probably a random tourist he got to take the photo. For shame.)

Then we get this one, of him and his “wife” in Belize.

Clearly he set his phone down and put the camera timer on, but he’s trying to pass it off as “his wife” taking the shot.

But it gets worse.

This damning evidence – the wedding ring fiasco;

IT’S ON THE WRONG HAND!

He’ll say the mirror flipped the image BUT THIS;

NOW NO RING! COME ON MAN!

Or this?

We expected to believe someone else took this selfie of you on the plane? Sheesh.

Exhibit #3 “Chronic Disease”

Duncan has long led us to believe he’s had Crohn’s.

Time and time again, he’s posted photos of him in a lab, getting blood done, in a mask in an empty hospital, all to mask and deflect the horrible truth. Now, I took some time to really dive into the possibilities.

Theory #1 – He’s a Reptilian.

It’s said every Reptilian will slip and here you can see he did. Duncan goes for his blood transfusions so that he can continue to live amongst us and breathe our air.

Theory #2 –  He’s Catfishing Us

His better looking brother, Morgan messaged me to say Duncan doesn’t like to talk about his age. Maybe that’s because he’s actually 12? Photoshop a goatee on this baby face and suddenly we have grumpy Duncan we all know and love?!

Theory #3 – He’s embarrassed about being only 12″ tall

This could explain a lot. The goatee. The hat. The sunglasses. All someone trying to compensate.

He’s a foot tall and rides on a dog. I have it on good authority the dog sculpture is a life sized dog.

Theory #4 – He’s actually the living reincarnation of Chucky

The smoking gun. Look at this mug shot? Clearly he needs blood transfusions to keep his human skin from breaking down!

Theory #5 – He’s actually Hollywood Actor Paul Giamatti.

I’m not even going to give this one any credence. Of all of the far fetched conspiracy theories regarding who Ralston actually is, it ain’t Giamatti.

Conclusion:

I think I’ve presented enough evidence to conclude that Duncan Ralston ISN’T WHO HE SAYS HE IS OR WHO HE’S LED US TO BELIEVE! It’s been a sham since day one and a way for us to all spend our hard earned money on books from an author who may or may not even exist. An “author” who doesn’t even use his real name on Twitter or Instagram (looking at you userbits) but always jumps in with a hot take or a combative rebuttal!

Enough Duncan, WE DEMAND THE TRUTH!

Duncan – you shouldn’t be such a mean girl.

But seriously, you’re welcome for this hilarious Monday “hit piece”/”exposure piece.”

You’ve been a great friend and I look forward to celebrating your work in the future with a real feature.

For those still reading – absolutely go read his work!

His latest is Afterlife and it’s great;

And truly, this was all done sarcastically and as a joke. I retrieved all of the photos from Ralston’s Facebook page (if you want any removed Duncan, I’ll be happy to do so) and from the limited interaction I’ve had with his wife online, she seems lovely. And Morgan knows he’s the better looking brother.

Lastly, Ralston;

Book Review: Shards by Ian Rogers

Title: Shards

Author: Ian Rogers

Release date: January 27, 2021

Source: Amazon Canada Purchase

Before I start this review, I just want to post this link;

Shards

You can read this new release from Ian completely free on the Tor.com website and I highly, highly recommend you do that!

I’m self admittedly late to the Ian Rogers game. I had snagged his collection ‘Every House is Haunted’ some time back in a Story Bundle package, but didn’t get to it for a bit and then when his other Tor.com release ‘Go Fish’ came out recently, I snagged that and devoured it. It was amazing. Which pushed me into reading ‘Every House is Haunted’ which was also amazing.

So, when Ian announced ‘Shards’ I was excited… but also completely believed it wasn’t coming out until February. I was a bit surprised when he posted recently that it was available! I snagged a copy and read it last night.

What I liked: If you’ve not read Rogers work yet you’re in for a treat. One of the greatest short story writers out there ‘Shards’ is a fully formed and complete 300 page novel, told in approximately 35 pages. Much like why I love Calvin Demmer’s work so much, or Sonora Taylor’s short story talent (she’s also a stunning novelist too), Rogers delivers so much in such a short page count. It’s truly mind-boggling.

‘Shards’ follows a group of 5 friends to a cabin in the woods (yeah, I know but stay with me) where something bad happens. Taking a familiar narrative, Rogers does an amazing job of giving each character their own personality and traits while also showing how the events that occur that evening ripple and tangle into the survivors lives from that day forward.

The setting of the opening was simple but spot on. Rogers nails the banter between the college friends and once things take off, the reader has been pulled in so much that you’re left in shock and stunned silence over what causes it and what happens.

Rogers has a gift of giving dark corners darker shadows. I loved how this thing comes full circle and we see that the events that played out snared the survivors and how they are now connected and unable to escape.

What I didn’t like: As spoiler free as possible – I wanted to know more about what they find in the cabin and the place from where they find it. Maybe Ian will expand upon this in a follow up/prequel, maybe not, but it was so intriguing, I’d love to know more.

Why you should buy this: Well A) you technically don’t need to buy it. It is available for free on the Tor.com website and I’ll share that link again. B) if you do want to buy it, it is only 99 cents. For what you get, that’s an absolute steal. And C) Rogers is one of the best writers out there. He crafts stories that are a joy to read while crushing your soul and making you want to close the book and never enter that world again. But you must. And you will.

Loved this one.

5/5

Shards