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The Demon's Grave
When strange shadows and messages plague Nora's daily life she fears for her sanity. To escape questions from her family, Nora joins her friends on a weekend getaway. Despite not liking Aidan Birket, Nora finds his remote, Victorian house charming. Until they discover the marble doorway on the third floor and, against Nora's better judgment, they open it.
Trespassing into an unfamiliar world called the Demon's Grave, the group face a charismatic demon and six nightmarish Challenges as punishment. Those that make it to the end can go home, but those that don't will be his forever. Friendships are tested, secrets revealed and sacrifices will be made.
Nora battles zombies, doppelgängers, eyeless bikers, and the demon—whose interests are more than just a game of cat and mouse. If it's all in her head, then it should be easy. But, if not, it means the demon knows about her sticky past, and the death of her twin sister.
Trespassing into an unfamiliar world called the Demon's Grave, the group face a charismatic demon and six nightmarish Challenges as punishment. Those that make it to the end can go home, but those that don't will be his forever. Friendships are tested, secrets revealed and sacrifices will be made.
Nora battles zombies, doppelgängers, eyeless bikers, and the demon—whose interests are more than just a game of cat and mouse. If it's all in her head, then it should be easy. But, if not, it means the demon knows about her sticky past, and the death of her twin sister.
435 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2015
127 people want to read
About the author
E.M. MacCallum
9 books126 followersRating system:
5 Stars = Blew my socks off. This novel had everything, checked all the boxes, and I could read it over and over.
4 Stars = I really liked this story. It had everything I'd want in a good story.
3 Stars = This was a great story, though may have missed one or two details, for me.
2 or less Stars It didn't speak to me, but that doesn't mean it won't speak to you. I will likely not rate if I feel this way.
I love long walks through bookstores or libraries, gothic themes, trash tv, gaming, and almost everything on the Discovery Channel. I am a graphic designer of 7+ years and have worked with books, flyers, posters, social media and everything in between.
"The Demon's Grave" is my first novel, published June 2, 2015. Book Two "Midnight Ruling" was July 2015 & Book Three, "The Haunting" came out August 2015
My previously published novella "Zombie-Killer Bill" was re-released October 2015.
5 Stars = Blew my socks off. This novel had everything, checked all the boxes, and I could read it over and over.
4 Stars = I really liked this story. It had everything I'd want in a good story.
3 Stars = This was a great story, though may have missed one or two details, for me.
2 or less Stars It didn't speak to me, but that doesn't mean it won't speak to you. I will likely not rate if I feel this way.
I love long walks through bookstores or libraries, gothic themes, trash tv, gaming, and almost everything on the Discovery Channel. I am a graphic designer of 7+ years and have worked with books, flyers, posters, social media and everything in between.
"The Demon's Grave" is my first novel, published June 2, 2015. Book Two "Midnight Ruling" was July 2015 & Book Three, "The Haunting" came out August 2015
My previously published novella "Zombie-Killer Bill" was re-released October 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 5, 2016
Thanks to E. M. MacCallum for giving me this book to review.
Nora’s life is turned upside down when she and her friends go on a weekend getaway in a remote Victorian house. When they open a door on the third floor, they enter an unfamiliar world called The Demon’s Grave and to escape they must complete 6 nightmarish challenges, but those who fail will never leave. With the demon knowing about her past and her sister, Nora is not sure whether is this is real or all in her mind.
The Demon’s Grave is an OK book but I felt it was too much of a horror novel for me which meant I found it very hard to get into. Nora is a character who is struggling with a lot of issues but like with most of the characters I felt she was underdeveloped. This dark horror story was not for me but I would recommend to fans of this genre.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Nora’s life is turned upside down when she and her friends go on a weekend getaway in a remote Victorian house. When they open a door on the third floor, they enter an unfamiliar world called The Demon’s Grave and to escape they must complete 6 nightmarish challenges, but those who fail will never leave. With the demon knowing about her past and her sister, Nora is not sure whether is this is real or all in her mind.
The Demon’s Grave is an OK book but I felt it was too much of a horror novel for me which meant I found it very hard to get into. Nora is a character who is struggling with a lot of issues but like with most of the characters I felt she was underdeveloped. This dark horror story was not for me but I would recommend to fans of this genre.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
August 20, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Once I got past of the giant spider on the girl's face on the cover, I dove into the book to see what the heck this was all about. Well, I can tell you that the picture on the cover is definitely pertinent to the story. At first when I started reading the book I was a little confused as to what was going on. I had to go back a couple of times and make sure that these were college kids that the author was talking about because they read like high school kids. It's almost like the author started writing it with high school kids but decided to change it to college and just went back and added "college" where the phrase "high school" was. Most college kids, even the younger ones, have some air of maturity around them. I didn't get a sense of that from anyone in the story. One of the characters name is "Read" and it perturbed me that his name was spelled this way. Was it supposed to be "Reed" or was the "Read" pronounced like the color red, as in Eric Foreman's father on That 70s Show.
There are some things in the book that don't make sense to me or that feel like they were just thrown in there to add content. There is a part in the beginning where Nora is walking with her sisters and she finds a hand mirror on someone's lawn. Something odd happens with the mirror and I can't figure out why that was put in the book because it didn't make any sense to me and it seemed really out of place. Nora, at times, was very childish and immature. I understood that she was troubled and had a horrific past, but that didn't explain her behavior.
After the group heads to Aiden's place, the book gets weirder, not necessarily scary or creepy, just weird. The group has to go through these challenges and if they die, they stay. The demon in the book is named Damian (cliche) and I can't quite figure him out. At one point, he seems attracted to Nora as a possible love interest and she actually kisses him back because he's handsome (cliche). I don't know what Damian's deal is because he seems to want to help Nora escape but keep her there at the same time.
The challenges are definitely hard and creepy and would make anyone freak the eff out. I don't know if I will finish this series because of the issues in this book that I had. I might pick it up and start it and if it's improved, then keep reading. Otherwise, I'm not in a big hurry to continue.
Once I got past of the giant spider on the girl's face on the cover, I dove into the book to see what the heck this was all about. Well, I can tell you that the picture on the cover is definitely pertinent to the story. At first when I started reading the book I was a little confused as to what was going on. I had to go back a couple of times and make sure that these were college kids that the author was talking about because they read like high school kids. It's almost like the author started writing it with high school kids but decided to change it to college and just went back and added "college" where the phrase "high school" was. Most college kids, even the younger ones, have some air of maturity around them. I didn't get a sense of that from anyone in the story. One of the characters name is "Read" and it perturbed me that his name was spelled this way. Was it supposed to be "Reed" or was the "Read" pronounced like the color red, as in Eric Foreman's father on That 70s Show.
There are some things in the book that don't make sense to me or that feel like they were just thrown in there to add content. There is a part in the beginning where Nora is walking with her sisters and she finds a hand mirror on someone's lawn. Something odd happens with the mirror and I can't figure out why that was put in the book because it didn't make any sense to me and it seemed really out of place. Nora, at times, was very childish and immature. I understood that she was troubled and had a horrific past, but that didn't explain her behavior.
After the group heads to Aiden's place, the book gets weirder, not necessarily scary or creepy, just weird. The group has to go through these challenges and if they die, they stay. The demon in the book is named Damian (cliche) and I can't quite figure him out. At one point, he seems attracted to Nora as a possible love interest and she actually kisses him back because he's handsome (cliche). I don't know what Damian's deal is because he seems to want to help Nora escape but keep her there at the same time.
The challenges are definitely hard and creepy and would make anyone freak the eff out. I don't know if I will finish this series because of the issues in this book that I had. I might pick it up and start it and if it's improved, then keep reading. Otherwise, I'm not in a big hurry to continue.
September 16, 2015
Grab the flashlight, another Halloween gem has risen from the cauldron of reading! The Demon’s Grave by E.M. McCallum follows the nightmares and messages sent to Nora and a group of her friends, each reluctant to divulge their tales. Perhaps a weekend getaway to a remote Victorian home would clear Nora’s mind of her fears of insanity or will it confirm that what she has seen are real and dangerous and evil?
One demon, six challenges, lose a challenge, remain forever as the Demon’s minion or score big and go home. Will everyone make it through? Will the true friends be separated from the acquaintances? Secrets are revealed, the best and worst sides of humanity lay bare as Nora and her friends must battle both their fears and the evil spawns of Hell. Can the demon be trusted? Did I really just ask that?
E.M. McCallum has penned a twisted and dark tale, where evil knows everything about you and the humans are pawns in a game of life against eternal imprisonment. Nora is a no nonsense woman, a loner, methodical and fairly level-headed, but are her team mates up for the challenge or will they forge ahead through passages and doors that should say,”Fools rush in….” Edgy, tense and filled with twisted challenges, E.M. McCallum has the perfect answer to how to what to read for Halloween chills. For an extra thrill, ask yourself how you would do in the challenge? Would you be a survivor? What does the demon represent in Nora’s life?
Enter The Demon’s Grave at your own risk…
I received this copy from E.M. MacCallum in exchange for my honest review.
Series: The Demon's Grave - Book 1
Publication Date: May 31, 2015
Publisher: E.M. MacCallum
ISBN 9780994778208
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy | Horror
Print Length: 392 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
One demon, six challenges, lose a challenge, remain forever as the Demon’s minion or score big and go home. Will everyone make it through? Will the true friends be separated from the acquaintances? Secrets are revealed, the best and worst sides of humanity lay bare as Nora and her friends must battle both their fears and the evil spawns of Hell. Can the demon be trusted? Did I really just ask that?
E.M. McCallum has penned a twisted and dark tale, where evil knows everything about you and the humans are pawns in a game of life against eternal imprisonment. Nora is a no nonsense woman, a loner, methodical and fairly level-headed, but are her team mates up for the challenge or will they forge ahead through passages and doors that should say,”Fools rush in….” Edgy, tense and filled with twisted challenges, E.M. McCallum has the perfect answer to how to what to read for Halloween chills. For an extra thrill, ask yourself how you would do in the challenge? Would you be a survivor? What does the demon represent in Nora’s life?
Enter The Demon’s Grave at your own risk…
I received this copy from E.M. MacCallum in exchange for my honest review.
Series: The Demon's Grave - Book 1
Publication Date: May 31, 2015
Publisher: E.M. MacCallum
ISBN 9780994778208
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy | Horror
Print Length: 392 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
June 10, 2015
REVIEW: THE DEMON'S GRAVE by E. M. MacCallum
Oh, I LOVED this book! Thankfully there's a sequel to anticipate. Imagine your every nightmare come to life, controlled by a demonic entity, every event and process just as real as possible, being in danger, your friends disappearing, other versions of yourself and friends appearing as if from the future--and all the time this smiling demon of perfection keeps downing on you. I don't think I breathed the entire time. What an adventure!
Oh, I LOVED this book! Thankfully there's a sequel to anticipate. Imagine your every nightmare come to life, controlled by a demonic entity, every event and process just as real as possible, being in danger, your friends disappearing, other versions of yourself and friends appearing as if from the future--and all the time this smiling demon of perfection keeps downing on you. I don't think I breathed the entire time. What an adventure!
March 27, 2017
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review (Lop or Lovers of Paranormal)
PROS
The overall premise is captivating; a cast of characters lured into the demon's lair and forced to complete the deadly challenges of a demon through confronting their worst fears. Throughout the story it is hinted at that the demon and the MC have a possible connection/history that is only partial dealt with since this is the first in a series.
The prologue had me hooked and racing to get thru the first third of the book, where I ran out of steam.
The actions scenes in the demon’s dimension were well described and vividly brought to life. I felt the spiders crawling across my skin.
The ending was not as predictable as I thought it would be, it wasn’t a happily ever after, more of a set up for round two to deal more damage to the MC and co.
CONS
I don’t know if it was an editing mistake or intentional but the character Read, I kept suspecting that the author meant to have it spelled Reed. Perhaps it was intentional and I am just nit picking. The other nitpick I had was placing the age of the characters; were they high school or college? It could have gone either way based on their behavior. I know that it’s mentioned once or twice that they are in college but this story could have easily taken place at high school ages with the way some of the characters acted.
The characters felt underdeveloped, even the MC. The wild best friend who always jumps first and doesn’t ask questions later, the silent jock, the easily scared cheerleader type, the male friend that’s popular with the girls but may harbor a ‘secret’ crush on the MC, and the mysterious new kid, who’s one trait is... he makes the MC feels uncomfortable around him. There is some hint that Read (I keep wanting to type Reed) has feelings for MC but it’s pushed aside to push the mysterious new kid and MC tolerant partnership (don’t know if I’d call it romantic, more of a ‘hey I don’t distaste you as much I used to’). The demon is also portrayed as mysterious and seems to have some sort of love/hate thing for MC that’s never really explored beyond the whole ‘you sacrificed the wrong one, I wanted the other one.’
OVERALL
It was an okay book, its premise is interesting and it is written rather well. I couldn’t see the characters as being college students, kept picturing them as high school age, because some of the things they did were what I’d expect dumb teenagers to do in a standard horror flick. It’s a decent way to pass the time if you like a little bit of angst/mystery mixed with a tiny bit of horror. While I am curious as to the events of the second book, I’m just not invested in the outcome for the characters. Perhaps it is just my jaded soul but every time one of them disappeared a part of me went ‘oh good one less to try to care about’. Admittedly I’m more of a character driven person that a story. I need to care about the character, feel that they are real and breathing. The story was interesting but the characters…I couldn’t care less. Live, die, trapped to be perpetually set on fire, wouldn’t faze me.
PROS
The overall premise is captivating; a cast of characters lured into the demon's lair and forced to complete the deadly challenges of a demon through confronting their worst fears. Throughout the story it is hinted at that the demon and the MC have a possible connection/history that is only partial dealt with since this is the first in a series.
The prologue had me hooked and racing to get thru the first third of the book, where I ran out of steam.
The actions scenes in the demon’s dimension were well described and vividly brought to life. I felt the spiders crawling across my skin.
The ending was not as predictable as I thought it would be, it wasn’t a happily ever after, more of a set up for round two to deal more damage to the MC and co.
CONS
I don’t know if it was an editing mistake or intentional but the character Read, I kept suspecting that the author meant to have it spelled Reed. Perhaps it was intentional and I am just nit picking. The other nitpick I had was placing the age of the characters; were they high school or college? It could have gone either way based on their behavior. I know that it’s mentioned once or twice that they are in college but this story could have easily taken place at high school ages with the way some of the characters acted.
The characters felt underdeveloped, even the MC. The wild best friend who always jumps first and doesn’t ask questions later, the silent jock, the easily scared cheerleader type, the male friend that’s popular with the girls but may harbor a ‘secret’ crush on the MC, and the mysterious new kid, who’s one trait is... he makes the MC feels uncomfortable around him. There is some hint that Read (I keep wanting to type Reed) has feelings for MC but it’s pushed aside to push the mysterious new kid and MC tolerant partnership (don’t know if I’d call it romantic, more of a ‘hey I don’t distaste you as much I used to’). The demon is also portrayed as mysterious and seems to have some sort of love/hate thing for MC that’s never really explored beyond the whole ‘you sacrificed the wrong one, I wanted the other one.’
OVERALL
It was an okay book, its premise is interesting and it is written rather well. I couldn’t see the characters as being college students, kept picturing them as high school age, because some of the things they did were what I’d expect dumb teenagers to do in a standard horror flick. It’s a decent way to pass the time if you like a little bit of angst/mystery mixed with a tiny bit of horror. While I am curious as to the events of the second book, I’m just not invested in the outcome for the characters. Perhaps it is just my jaded soul but every time one of them disappeared a part of me went ‘oh good one less to try to care about’. Admittedly I’m more of a character driven person that a story. I need to care about the character, feel that they are real and breathing. The story was interesting but the characters…I couldn’t care less. Live, die, trapped to be perpetually set on fire, wouldn’t faze me.
August 12, 2015
Nora has a very sad past that involving the death of her twin sister. During that time, a demon was beckoned from The Grave, who then denied the summoner. As Nora tries to grow up as normal as possible, there are still residual hauntings that hit her out of nowhere.
This is what she thinks is happening after she hears things, sees things, and begins having ghoulish nightmares. In order to regain a sense of normalcy, Nora agrees to a weekend away from it all with a bunch of her friends. The getaway is at Aidan's house - the guy she can sense from across a room and kind of creeps her out.
When they go into the old Victorian home, Aidan has pretty strict rules about not going up any higher than the second floor. When questioned, he doesn't really have an answer but insists that his late grandfather indicated that it's unsafe. Of course, teens will be teens and next thing you know, the whole group of them are suddenly locked in a room without a door and a demon is beckoning them to the Challenges that await just beyond his shadow.....
Are you ready to be taken on the "living nightmare" of a lifetime? That is exactly what happens as soon as you open this book. Join Nora, Aidan, and a bunch of their friends as they try to outsmart a demon in room-after-room; each containing one friend's nightmare. Only those who can survive the trials will get to escape The Demon's Grave.
What a mind bending horror story! I was hooked from the prologue. As the story progressed you can't help but become attached to the main characters. Nora has such deep seated issues pertaining to her past and she's tries not to let it affect her. Most of the time she's successful at hiding her pain but when strange things start happening, little bits of memory force themselves to the surface. Aidan is a huge mystery throughout the book. Does he know the demon, or what his familial house harbors? Can either one of them trust each other to get them out of The Demon's Grave safely?
The writing style of this book is wonderful; smooth and flows along nicely. The entire book is engaging for the reader and there aren't any dull or boring moments. I found The Demon's Grave to be a nice and easy read. It took me a couple days to finish the book but when I wasn't able to be reading it, The Demon's Grave was all I thought about. It's one of those novels that tug at you and beg to be picked back up.
Please note that this is a trilogy and as such not all in Book 1 has been wrapped up into a nice neat package.
Also, remember that there is a Content Warning for Language, Sexual Innuendos & References, Minor Gore, & Violence.
Age Recommendation: 17+
Review copy courtesy of the author, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
This is what she thinks is happening after she hears things, sees things, and begins having ghoulish nightmares. In order to regain a sense of normalcy, Nora agrees to a weekend away from it all with a bunch of her friends. The getaway is at Aidan's house - the guy she can sense from across a room and kind of creeps her out.
When they go into the old Victorian home, Aidan has pretty strict rules about not going up any higher than the second floor. When questioned, he doesn't really have an answer but insists that his late grandfather indicated that it's unsafe. Of course, teens will be teens and next thing you know, the whole group of them are suddenly locked in a room without a door and a demon is beckoning them to the Challenges that await just beyond his shadow.....
Are you ready to be taken on the "living nightmare" of a lifetime? That is exactly what happens as soon as you open this book. Join Nora, Aidan, and a bunch of their friends as they try to outsmart a demon in room-after-room; each containing one friend's nightmare. Only those who can survive the trials will get to escape The Demon's Grave.
What a mind bending horror story! I was hooked from the prologue. As the story progressed you can't help but become attached to the main characters. Nora has such deep seated issues pertaining to her past and she's tries not to let it affect her. Most of the time she's successful at hiding her pain but when strange things start happening, little bits of memory force themselves to the surface. Aidan is a huge mystery throughout the book. Does he know the demon, or what his familial house harbors? Can either one of them trust each other to get them out of The Demon's Grave safely?
The writing style of this book is wonderful; smooth and flows along nicely. The entire book is engaging for the reader and there aren't any dull or boring moments. I found The Demon's Grave to be a nice and easy read. It took me a couple days to finish the book but when I wasn't able to be reading it, The Demon's Grave was all I thought about. It's one of those novels that tug at you and beg to be picked back up.
Please note that this is a trilogy and as such not all in Book 1 has been wrapped up into a nice neat package.
Also, remember that there is a Content Warning for Language, Sexual Innuendos & References, Minor Gore, & Violence.
Age Recommendation: 17+
Review copy courtesy of the author, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2015
Pros: Excellent characters, excellent story
Cons: Need more books!
Overall rating: Highly, highly recommended!!
Impressions: Loved this book! Excellent story and had to pick up the next one as soon as I was done with this one.
Review:
I received this book in exchange for an honest review (LoP or Lovers of Paranormal)
I have no idea where to start with this review. I loved this book and am so glad that I got to review it. From the get go I feel in love with the characters and the storyline/ideas. It draws you in quickly and keeps you hooked.
Nora is a strong lead and I loved how she has to step up and be the strong person she doesn't think she is. She is flawed and honestly I love the characters that are flawed. She suffers from mental health issues and really that makes her more real for me. I think that when the main characters aren't perfect you get a real connection with them.
I do have to say that in this book I fell for the bad guy. What can I say, he appeals to me. Damien is strong and I think that he really doesn't want to do what he has to do, but he is following the rules. He hints at things through out the book and even up until the end you don't get a full picture of him. I love him though, and I was secretly hoping he was real and I could find him myself. :)
The book is well written and there are no issues with the flow and feel of things as you read through it all. It was easy to follow and for once I didn't have to go back and read something to understand the next point in the book. I love when I can just pick up a book and keep reading until I get to the end.
Cons: Need more books!
Overall rating: Highly, highly recommended!!
Impressions: Loved this book! Excellent story and had to pick up the next one as soon as I was done with this one.
Review:
I received this book in exchange for an honest review (LoP or Lovers of Paranormal)
I have no idea where to start with this review. I loved this book and am so glad that I got to review it. From the get go I feel in love with the characters and the storyline/ideas. It draws you in quickly and keeps you hooked.
Nora is a strong lead and I loved how she has to step up and be the strong person she doesn't think she is. She is flawed and honestly I love the characters that are flawed. She suffers from mental health issues and really that makes her more real for me. I think that when the main characters aren't perfect you get a real connection with them.
I do have to say that in this book I fell for the bad guy. What can I say, he appeals to me. Damien is strong and I think that he really doesn't want to do what he has to do, but he is following the rules. He hints at things through out the book and even up until the end you don't get a full picture of him. I love him though, and I was secretly hoping he was real and I could find him myself. :)
The book is well written and there are no issues with the flow and feel of things as you read through it all. It was easy to follow and for once I didn't have to go back and read something to understand the next point in the book. I love when I can just pick up a book and keep reading until I get to the end.
June 12, 2022
I recieved this ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review of it.
Nora has been having some strange experiences lately but she is afraid to share her fears about them with her family and friends The reason is that she is not entirely certain that shes not imagining it all in her head...
After all its happened before.
She is even more unsettled when the newest addition to her circle of friends,Aidan Birket invites them all to go to an old house that his family owns. Not only because she dislikes him but that she senses that they would be wrong to to go to there.
But in the end Nora is convinced to go with them against her own doubts and her best friend Phoebe reinforcing it by telling her about a strange dream she had. But in the end they all convince each other that they are going.Who care about some weird things like that.
When they arrive Aidan warns them to not to go up the stairs to the third floor,because its not safe,but impetous Phoebe cant resist and goes to explore causing the others to follow her. They find a strange room and a door.
Things are set into motion and a shadow that takes the form of a man appears introduces himself as Damien and tell them that they have to go through the door and take on the Challenges he will make for them that will be based on their fears and desires.
If they pass the Challenges they will all go free but if they fail,or even die. They will all belong to Damien and stay in the Demons grave...
My initial thoughts about "The Demons Grave" was not entirely good as after the prologue I was thrown into a confusion in the first chapter when names where thrown at me in a rapid sucession. Who what?? I mean I the reader is not as wellknown with them,could have eased me in a little bit there author.
But after they all arrive at the house I just couldnt stop reading.
There are editing problems throughout the book,I wouldnt call them typos more like strangely constructed sentences that should be fixed.
As for our main character I liked Nora but it was not an immediate like if you understand me right. I am not sure I understood her very well at first but as piece of the puzzle began to fall in place,she grew on me.
at first Nora when they are taken to the Demons grave and meet Damien she is convinced that everything is part of her delusion and that she is finally slipping into insanity.She snaps out of it however and comes through as a strong character towards the later part of the book.
There is not really a romance in this wich I appreciated, I will however say there are hints of it but the greater emphasis is placed on friendship and other emotions. It does make sense that when you are fighting for your life you have other priorities than making googly eyes at each other.
Then...there is Damien. Our antagonist and the perpetrator of the friends miseries.In terms of personality I would say he is less whimsical than Jareth from Labyrinth but hes not quite as horrid as from Guardians Key.
I would say hes interesting in that I want to know what his deal is and why hes there.
Because of my interest in name meanings I put great significance on the meaning behind Damiens name but alas after a twitter convo with the author she told me
This book rightly belong on the horror shelf. The amount of things they go through were scary and weird.
II would expect some people will draw comparisions to L.J Smiths Forbidden Game series but to be honest this is hardly a new concept. Its all depend on what you do with it and McCallum does a great work expanding on the theme.
In fact the whole setup centers on one of my favorite reading tropes. Girl underground. Its all what you do with it and in the end this is a book I cant wait to read the sequel.
I just hope there arent any spiders.
Nora has been having some strange experiences lately but she is afraid to share her fears about them with her family and friends The reason is that she is not entirely certain that shes not imagining it all in her head...
After all its happened before.
She is even more unsettled when the newest addition to her circle of friends,Aidan Birket invites them all to go to an old house that his family owns. Not only because she dislikes him but that she senses that they would be wrong to to go to there.
But in the end Nora is convinced to go with them against her own doubts and her best friend Phoebe reinforcing it by telling her about a strange dream she had. But in the end they all convince each other that they are going.Who care about some weird things like that.
When they arrive Aidan warns them to not to go up the stairs to the third floor,because its not safe,but impetous Phoebe cant resist and goes to explore causing the others to follow her. They find a strange room and a door.
Things are set into motion and a shadow that takes the form of a man appears introduces himself as Damien and tell them that they have to go through the door and take on the Challenges he will make for them that will be based on their fears and desires.
If they pass the Challenges they will all go free but if they fail,or even die. They will all belong to Damien and stay in the Demons grave...
My initial thoughts about "The Demons Grave" was not entirely good as after the prologue I was thrown into a confusion in the first chapter when names where thrown at me in a rapid sucession. Who what?? I mean I the reader is not as wellknown with them,could have eased me in a little bit there author.
But after they all arrive at the house I just couldnt stop reading.
There are editing problems throughout the book,I wouldnt call them typos more like strangely constructed sentences that should be fixed.
As for our main character I liked Nora but it was not an immediate like if you understand me right. I am not sure I understood her very well at first but as piece of the puzzle began to fall in place,she grew on me.
at first Nora when they are taken to the Demons grave and meet Damien she is convinced that everything is part of her delusion and that she is finally slipping into insanity.She snaps out of it however and comes through as a strong character towards the later part of the book.
There is not really a romance in this wich I appreciated, I will however say there are hints of it but the greater emphasis is placed on friendship and other emotions. It does make sense that when you are fighting for your life you have other priorities than making googly eyes at each other.
Then...there is Damien. Our antagonist and the perpetrator of the friends miseries.In terms of personality I would say he is less whimsical than Jareth from Labyrinth but hes not quite as horrid as from Guardians Key.
I would say hes interesting in that I want to know what his deal is and why hes there.
Because of my interest in name meanings I put great significance on the meaning behind Damiens name but alas after a twitter convo with the author she told me
This book rightly belong on the horror shelf. The amount of things they go through were scary and weird.
II would expect some people will draw comparisions to L.J Smiths Forbidden Game series but to be honest this is hardly a new concept. Its all depend on what you do with it and McCallum does a great work expanding on the theme.
In fact the whole setup centers on one of my favorite reading tropes. Girl underground. Its all what you do with it and in the end this is a book I cant wait to read the sequel.
I just hope there arent any spiders.
September 18, 2015
The author created some good characters here and definitely a great world. I have to say that the beginning of this book was little tedious but once the characters ended up in the Demon's Grave? Wow. It was really good and completely pulled me in. I kept wanting to skip ahead just to find out what was lurking or what was going to happen.
Nora and her friends all decide to go away for a weekend. For all of them it's going to be a surprise except for Aidan. He knows exactly where they're going, just doesn't have a clue about what exists there in a tower that he was forbidden to enter as a child. If I were to play the blame game on who is to blame for all that this group is put thru, it would fall squarely on Phoebe's shoulders. That damn girl needs to be tied up or something because she doesn't fucking listen or even seem to care about anybody else. She really came across as not giving a damn about anything except for what she wanted to do. I'm glad she was one of the first ones lost.
So, like I said, because of Phoebe this group of friends end up venturing into the Demon's Grave and having no choice but to complete six challenges for their freedom. And our demon game master for all intents and purposes is Damien. We don't get nearly enough of him. At all. He's kind of cryptic with the rules and instructions though, so for most of the challenges they really have no idea how to beat them. They do know that if they die, they're there forever and they can really be hurt. It was especially Nora and Aidan who I could't believe were able to keep going. They may have no idea what's next, but not all of the challenges are random. Many of them are actually the nightmares of one of them recreated. I can't say that any of them were all that incredibly terrifying (though I'm sure if I were to experience it I would have a different opinion on that...) many of them had me on edge wondering how the whole thing had to be beaten. There were a few times that I wanted to smack them for how oblivious they were to a solution to something, but overall these challenges were pretty crazy and occasionally insightful on a character. Despite their best efforts, one by one friends all get taken leaving only Nora and Aidan for the final challenge. The end doesn't go as Damien wanted but he's not too broken up about it because he knows it's not over.
I really liked how we were given hints as to what happened to Nora when she was 5 throughout the book, but never enough to know exactly what happened to her. Some things were abundantly clear though . She finally realized her connection to that world and Damien but that doesn't explain some of the things that she was able to do there, things that came close to making her a cheater (which is a very bad thing btw). The end had the most information about what was going on and the whole part that Aidan played, or should have played in it. Damien is definitely fascinated with Nora and I can't wait to get more of him.
The only problem I had with this book was the editing. A lot of times there were extra words, occasionally there were missing words, and a bunch of sentences that could have used a comma.
Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Nora and her friends all decide to go away for a weekend. For all of them it's going to be a surprise except for Aidan. He knows exactly where they're going, just doesn't have a clue about what exists there in a tower that he was forbidden to enter as a child. If I were to play the blame game on who is to blame for all that this group is put thru, it would fall squarely on Phoebe's shoulders. That damn girl needs to be tied up or something because she doesn't fucking listen or even seem to care about anybody else. She really came across as not giving a damn about anything except for what she wanted to do. I'm glad she was one of the first ones lost.
So, like I said, because of Phoebe this group of friends end up venturing into the Demon's Grave and having no choice but to complete six challenges for their freedom. And our demon game master for all intents and purposes is Damien. We don't get nearly enough of him. At all. He's kind of cryptic with the rules and instructions though, so for most of the challenges they really have no idea how to beat them. They do know that if they die, they're there forever and they can really be hurt. It was especially Nora and Aidan who I could't believe were able to keep going. They may have no idea what's next, but not all of the challenges are random. Many of them are actually the nightmares of one of them recreated. I can't say that any of them were all that incredibly terrifying (though I'm sure if I were to experience it I would have a different opinion on that...) many of them had me on edge wondering how the whole thing had to be beaten. There were a few times that I wanted to smack them for how oblivious they were to a solution to something, but overall these challenges were pretty crazy and occasionally insightful on a character. Despite their best efforts, one by one friends all get taken leaving only Nora and Aidan for the final challenge. The end doesn't go as Damien wanted but he's not too broken up about it because he knows it's not over.
I really liked how we were given hints as to what happened to Nora when she was 5 throughout the book, but never enough to know exactly what happened to her. Some things were abundantly clear though . She finally realized her connection to that world and Damien but that doesn't explain some of the things that she was able to do there, things that came close to making her a cheater (which is a very bad thing btw). The end had the most information about what was going on and the whole part that Aidan played, or should have played in it. Damien is definitely fascinated with Nora and I can't wait to get more of him.
The only problem I had with this book was the editing. A lot of times there were extra words, occasionally there were missing words, and a bunch of sentences that could have used a comma.
Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
October 28, 2015
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Nora’s instincts are telling her not to trust the new guy, Aidan, but her friends like him, so she sucks it up and joins them all for a weekend getaway at Aidan’s deserted house. They discover a secret room in the tower of the house, and suddenly they are trapped inside the “Demon’s Grave” where they must make their way through Challenges before they can go home. Nora and her friends – the ones who make it through the Challenges – come face-to-face with their worst nightmares (literally) until Nora is ready to acknowledge that this is all related to an event that happened sixteen years ago when her twin sister was murdered.
I really wanted to like this story. The plot sounded so promising, and I do think that the concept of this story has so much potential. However, I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t really care for any of the characters (one character, Phoebe, in particular, was extremely annoying), and I couldn’t understand how any of these people were even friends with each other in the first place. Even the main character, Nora, seemed bland and uninteresting.
Then there was the pacing of the story. In the beginning, it was so slow. Characters just stood around chatting with each other and saying the same things over and over again. I lost count of how many times Nora mentioned that Aidan gave her a strange feeling, and that was before they even made it into his house for the weekend getaway. Then when the actual action of the book started, the pace didn’t seem to pick up at all. Fifty percent of the way through the book, they had only completely two of the six challenges, and I was already bored out of my mind and hoping it would hurry up and end. Sadly, I don’t think I have the patience to stick around for any other books in the series.
Reading this book was like stepping into a world of nightmares, which is cool if you are into that sort of thing. But for me, it felt like I just read a book where a bunch of stuff just happened for no apparent reason, but it was all good because they were in the Demon’s Grave, so anything can happen! Convenient. Plus there were these weird moments or awkward lines of dialogue that just seemed out of place and not relevant to the story at all. Overall, the book could use another round of editing to smooth out some typos and these awkward moments in the plot.
Nora’s instincts are telling her not to trust the new guy, Aidan, but her friends like him, so she sucks it up and joins them all for a weekend getaway at Aidan’s deserted house. They discover a secret room in the tower of the house, and suddenly they are trapped inside the “Demon’s Grave” where they must make their way through Challenges before they can go home. Nora and her friends – the ones who make it through the Challenges – come face-to-face with their worst nightmares (literally) until Nora is ready to acknowledge that this is all related to an event that happened sixteen years ago when her twin sister was murdered.
I really wanted to like this story. The plot sounded so promising, and I do think that the concept of this story has so much potential. However, I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t really care for any of the characters (one character, Phoebe, in particular, was extremely annoying), and I couldn’t understand how any of these people were even friends with each other in the first place. Even the main character, Nora, seemed bland and uninteresting.
Then there was the pacing of the story. In the beginning, it was so slow. Characters just stood around chatting with each other and saying the same things over and over again. I lost count of how many times Nora mentioned that Aidan gave her a strange feeling, and that was before they even made it into his house for the weekend getaway. Then when the actual action of the book started, the pace didn’t seem to pick up at all. Fifty percent of the way through the book, they had only completely two of the six challenges, and I was already bored out of my mind and hoping it would hurry up and end. Sadly, I don’t think I have the patience to stick around for any other books in the series.
Reading this book was like stepping into a world of nightmares, which is cool if you are into that sort of thing. But for me, it felt like I just read a book where a bunch of stuff just happened for no apparent reason, but it was all good because they were in the Demon’s Grave, so anything can happen! Convenient. Plus there were these weird moments or awkward lines of dialogue that just seemed out of place and not relevant to the story at all. Overall, the book could use another round of editing to smooth out some typos and these awkward moments in the plot.
December 20, 2015
I got an eGalley of this book to read and review through NetGalley. The premise really intrigued me but this was more of a horror book than a paranormal read. The books starts out really slow; you are about 25% though the book before anything happens. There are also some portions that are awkwardly written and hard to follow.
Nora is plagued by strange messages and visions and is starting to doubt her sanity...again. Then her and her friends decide to spend the weekend at Adrian’s old Victorian house. This group of kids finds and opens a mysterious door they shouldn't and end up having to go through a series of seven challenges in order to return to their world. The challenges take place in a sort of horror underground labyrinth and basically consist of them confronting their own horrific nightmares.
So let me start out by saying horror really isn't my thing and this is very much a horror novel. I like dark fantasy and creepy stories, but that is not what this book is. This book is a series of horrific nightmarish scenes (spiders eating people alive and crawling into noses and ears, etc) loosely strung together by a plot.
There are a lot of characters to follow and I didn't really relate with any of them. The characters are presented in such a way that none of them are all that distinct.
The idea is kind of interesting but the pacing was just too slow in the beginning. The writing itself is okay; however some of the conversations and descriptions were a bit awkward sounding.
Overall I wasn’t really a fan of this book and wouldn’t personally recommend it. The book is more of a horror novel with lots of creeping and scenes with spiders eating people alive and horrors chasing kids through dark passages. Not what I was expecting given the description and not something I enjoyed reading. This paired with the slow start, occasionally awkward writing, and multitude of non-descript characters made this a no go for me. If you are a horror fan you might be more interested, it’s okay but not great.
Nora is plagued by strange messages and visions and is starting to doubt her sanity...again. Then her and her friends decide to spend the weekend at Adrian’s old Victorian house. This group of kids finds and opens a mysterious door they shouldn't and end up having to go through a series of seven challenges in order to return to their world. The challenges take place in a sort of horror underground labyrinth and basically consist of them confronting their own horrific nightmares.
So let me start out by saying horror really isn't my thing and this is very much a horror novel. I like dark fantasy and creepy stories, but that is not what this book is. This book is a series of horrific nightmarish scenes (spiders eating people alive and crawling into noses and ears, etc) loosely strung together by a plot.
There are a lot of characters to follow and I didn't really relate with any of them. The characters are presented in such a way that none of them are all that distinct.
The idea is kind of interesting but the pacing was just too slow in the beginning. The writing itself is okay; however some of the conversations and descriptions were a bit awkward sounding.
Overall I wasn’t really a fan of this book and wouldn’t personally recommend it. The book is more of a horror novel with lots of creeping and scenes with spiders eating people alive and horrors chasing kids through dark passages. Not what I was expecting given the description and not something I enjoyed reading. This paired with the slow start, occasionally awkward writing, and multitude of non-descript characters made this a no go for me. If you are a horror fan you might be more interested, it’s okay but not great.
February 22, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
In The Demon’s Grave, Nora struggles with hearing and seeing things that aren’t really there, and some of it has to do with what happened to her family years ago. She joins her friends on a weekend getaway to a Victorian house. A doorway on the third floor leads Nora and her friends into an unfamiliar world called The Demon’s Grave, where they face a demon and the challenges he presents to them. If they make it to the end, they will get to go home. If they don’t, then they will belong to the demon for all eternity.
The challenges are quite original, and Nora gets to battle a variety of monsters, zombies, demons, and so on. I liked Nora. For all she went through, she kept being strong and was level-headed. At times, she acted quite mature for her age, and other times, she acted like a regular teenager, and I liked the combination of that. She’s also very flawed, and struggling with the past, which made her all the more interesting.
The story was what grabbed me the most, especially the part where they have to go through the challenges. The writing is fast-paced and the book never slows down. A creepy, spine-tingling experience!
In The Demon’s Grave, Nora struggles with hearing and seeing things that aren’t really there, and some of it has to do with what happened to her family years ago. She joins her friends on a weekend getaway to a Victorian house. A doorway on the third floor leads Nora and her friends into an unfamiliar world called The Demon’s Grave, where they face a demon and the challenges he presents to them. If they make it to the end, they will get to go home. If they don’t, then they will belong to the demon for all eternity.
The challenges are quite original, and Nora gets to battle a variety of monsters, zombies, demons, and so on. I liked Nora. For all she went through, she kept being strong and was level-headed. At times, she acted quite mature for her age, and other times, she acted like a regular teenager, and I liked the combination of that. She’s also very flawed, and struggling with the past, which made her all the more interesting.
The story was what grabbed me the most, especially the part where they have to go through the challenges. The writing is fast-paced and the book never slows down. A creepy, spine-tingling experience!
August 19, 2015
I don't even know what to write in review of this book. Every time I'd think I had it figured out, the author would throw me for a loop. It kept me guessing from the very first page and, since it's the first in a series, I'm still guessing. I have lots of theories but, if this experience is any indication, this author will keep you in the dark as long as possible. It does end in a cliffhanger but the story is wrapped up, for the most part. Of course, you will want to read the next book, because it'll leave you with many questions. Plus, it's just plain good!
Demons, witches, untapped powers, sacrifices, paranormal challenges, zombies; you name it, this book has it! Not to mention, mystery, romance, and angst. If this book doesn't keep your interest, nothing will.
This book was offered to me through the Lover's of Paranormal group on Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
Demons, witches, untapped powers, sacrifices, paranormal challenges, zombies; you name it, this book has it! Not to mention, mystery, romance, and angst. If this book doesn't keep your interest, nothing will.
This book was offered to me through the Lover's of Paranormal group on Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exhange for an honest review from Lovers of Paranormal, or LOP. Demon's Grave follows the dark adventures of a group of college students as they are forced through a series of challenges by a striking demon who follows their every move. This story is not for the faint of heart and will leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It is a twisted, suspenseful look into the darkest part of human nature and the world of nightmares. Fears are transformed into a grim reality and nothing can be taken for granted. This is an intensely gripping read that will grab hold of you and refuse to let go. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.
September 25, 2015
I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review ( LoP or Lovers of Paranormal ). This was a good read from the beginning to the end. I loved the mass expansion of the many worlds and the way the environments shifted. The characters were awesome and really brought you into the story. My only issue with this copy was it felt like this was prior to editing because there were many grammatical errors. All together this was quite enjoyable and I do plan to read the next book.
Read
April 17, 2020This book was a lot of fun. Nora and her friends go through some crazy events in this book and there no lack of twists, turns and surprises. This was a good book with an interesting story.
October 31, 2015
Not quite thriller, horror, or urban fantasy, but definitely interesting and creepy!
The book begins with Nora receiving messages from some supernatural force. When she and her college friends go on a vacation, they get drawn into a portal governed by a demon. If they are to escape, they must complete six challenges that are their nightmares come to life. Nora learns that the messages have significance in this scary world and she wasn’t the only one who received them.
The book starts out with plenty of suspense. It doesn’t take very long before something unusual happens. Around a fourth of the way into the book, it gets really hard to put down because what is happening to the characters is so dangerous and strange. There is also some tension between the characters that keeps it interesting.
The main character, Nora, can be a little annoying at times because she freaks out and doesn’t always use her brain. There was one scene in which a simple solution was right in front of her face and she overlooked it. If she had realized the solution staring her in the face, she could have avoided a battle with zombies. So, that was a little irritating, but overall, I thought she was likable. I think what kept her in my good graces was her selflessness and bravery.
I am not sure how I feel about the other characters, because there are a lot of questions surrounding them that aren’t answered in this book. If I have to pass judgment, I’d say that Aidan, Cody, and Read are okay, but Phoebe and Robin can stay in the demon’s grave. Phoebe is impulsive and gets everyone into more trouble. Robin basically screams and cries during her scenes.
Overall, the plot was sound. My only complaint is I had a hard time keeping up with which trial they were. At one point around the midpoint of the book, a character said that they had only completed two trials. But, so much had happened already that it seemed they had completed more trials than that.
There are some scenes in the book that don’t seem to serve any purpose, especially the scene with Nora and her sister finding the mirror. I waited through the entire book for something to make that mirror scene relevant, but it never came. I think this story could have been made tighter and shorter, since some it just felt like filler.
I have to admit I got confused quite a bit while reading The Demon’s Grave, not just about how many challenges they had completed. I think my confusion was caused by different things. Sometimes it was because of typos, sometimes because of word choices, and sometimes because I couldn’t remember if things had been introduced earlier. For example, when the demon and Nora start talking about Nell, I was like who the heck is Nell? If Nell was mentioned before this, I don’t remember it. It wasn’t until almost a hundred pages later that I figured out that Nell was Nora’s aunt. Another example of where I got confused was when the word “it” was used without any reference of what “it” was.
The book did have grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. I know some readers aren’t bothered by this, while other readers go ballistic over mistakes. So, I am mentioning it here to let readers know. If you are in the latter category, you have been forewarned. Some readers also might not like some of the cliches in this book. The only one that really bothered me was the Alice in Wonderland reference, since at least one out of every three paranormal book I read has to throw one in there somewhere.
Overall, I think the story could have been told more concisely with more editing and proofreading. However, I did enjoy the premise, the pace, and the dangers the characters faced.
The strongest elements of The Demon’s Grave were the suspense of how the characters would survive their ordeal, the mysteries about everyone’s secrets (because I think each character had at least one or more secrets), and the character’s reactions–although annoying at times, they did seem believable.
I recommend this book to readers who like stories where the main character doubts her own sanity and frequently questions reality, the supporting characters appear to have hidden motives, and the characters encounter the things that terrify them the most. If you don’t mind cliffhangers, I strongly recommend checking out The Demon’s Grave.
*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review*
The book begins with Nora receiving messages from some supernatural force. When she and her college friends go on a vacation, they get drawn into a portal governed by a demon. If they are to escape, they must complete six challenges that are their nightmares come to life. Nora learns that the messages have significance in this scary world and she wasn’t the only one who received them.
The book starts out with plenty of suspense. It doesn’t take very long before something unusual happens. Around a fourth of the way into the book, it gets really hard to put down because what is happening to the characters is so dangerous and strange. There is also some tension between the characters that keeps it interesting.
The main character, Nora, can be a little annoying at times because she freaks out and doesn’t always use her brain. There was one scene in which a simple solution was right in front of her face and she overlooked it. If she had realized the solution staring her in the face, she could have avoided a battle with zombies. So, that was a little irritating, but overall, I thought she was likable. I think what kept her in my good graces was her selflessness and bravery.
I am not sure how I feel about the other characters, because there are a lot of questions surrounding them that aren’t answered in this book. If I have to pass judgment, I’d say that Aidan, Cody, and Read are okay, but Phoebe and Robin can stay in the demon’s grave. Phoebe is impulsive and gets everyone into more trouble. Robin basically screams and cries during her scenes.
Overall, the plot was sound. My only complaint is I had a hard time keeping up with which trial they were. At one point around the midpoint of the book, a character said that they had only completed two trials. But, so much had happened already that it seemed they had completed more trials than that.
There are some scenes in the book that don’t seem to serve any purpose, especially the scene with Nora and her sister finding the mirror. I waited through the entire book for something to make that mirror scene relevant, but it never came. I think this story could have been made tighter and shorter, since some it just felt like filler.
I have to admit I got confused quite a bit while reading The Demon’s Grave, not just about how many challenges they had completed. I think my confusion was caused by different things. Sometimes it was because of typos, sometimes because of word choices, and sometimes because I couldn’t remember if things had been introduced earlier. For example, when the demon and Nora start talking about Nell, I was like who the heck is Nell? If Nell was mentioned before this, I don’t remember it. It wasn’t until almost a hundred pages later that I figured out that Nell was Nora’s aunt. Another example of where I got confused was when the word “it” was used without any reference of what “it” was.
The book did have grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. I know some readers aren’t bothered by this, while other readers go ballistic over mistakes. So, I am mentioning it here to let readers know. If you are in the latter category, you have been forewarned. Some readers also might not like some of the cliches in this book. The only one that really bothered me was the Alice in Wonderland reference, since at least one out of every three paranormal book I read has to throw one in there somewhere.
Overall, I think the story could have been told more concisely with more editing and proofreading. However, I did enjoy the premise, the pace, and the dangers the characters faced.
The strongest elements of The Demon’s Grave were the suspense of how the characters would survive their ordeal, the mysteries about everyone’s secrets (because I think each character had at least one or more secrets), and the character’s reactions–although annoying at times, they did seem believable.
I recommend this book to readers who like stories where the main character doubts her own sanity and frequently questions reality, the supporting characters appear to have hidden motives, and the characters encounter the things that terrify them the most. If you don’t mind cliffhangers, I strongly recommend checking out The Demon’s Grave.
*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review*
March 7, 2017
I received this free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Pacing: The pacing of the beginning of the novel worked well because little tidbits were dropped in the first few chapters to draw the reader in and make them start asking questions. This carried through a good portion of the book, but the pacing started to teeter near the end. It was obvious that plenty still needed to be completed before the end of the book, but the book felt like it should have been over already. In other words, the last third of the book dragged on.
World: The world adapts to the characters being put into it. It allows direct interactions with each character to show their strengths and weaknesses. However, it also seemed to lack imagination. There were parts of the world that were intriguing and yet the author does little to explain them, which makes the world feel under-developed.
Writing: At times the writing lacked clarity. There are certain scenes that don’t appropriately describe the scenery. As a result, some of the interactions were difficult to imagine and follow, making parts of the book a struggle to understand.
Non-Spoilered Plot: All Nora wanted was a routine weekend camping with her friends, but when their destination changes and curiosity drives them to open a portal into a demon world, the weekend turns into anything but routine. If they want to make it out alive, Nora and her friends must face their worst nightmares, reveal their darkest secrets, and see if their friendships can withstand this test. Yet, even then, some of them may not make it out alive.
Pacing: The pacing of the beginning of the novel worked well because little tidbits were dropped in the first few chapters to draw the reader in and make them start asking questions. This carried through a good portion of the book, but the pacing started to teeter near the end. It was obvious that plenty still needed to be completed before the end of the book, but the book felt like it should have been over already. In other words, the last third of the book dragged on.
World: The world adapts to the characters being put into it. It allows direct interactions with each character to show their strengths and weaknesses. However, it also seemed to lack imagination. There were parts of the world that were intriguing and yet the author does little to explain them, which makes the world feel under-developed.
Writing: At times the writing lacked clarity. There are certain scenes that don’t appropriately describe the scenery. As a result, some of the interactions were difficult to imagine and follow, making parts of the book a struggle to understand.
Non-Spoilered Plot: All Nora wanted was a routine weekend camping with her friends, but when their destination changes and curiosity drives them to open a portal into a demon world, the weekend turns into anything but routine. If they want to make it out alive, Nora and her friends must face their worst nightmares, reveal their darkest secrets, and see if their friendships can withstand this test. Yet, even then, some of them may not make it out alive.
December 21, 2015
Admittedly, the cover drew me to this book. Those of you that know me know that I am terrified of spiders! Even the remote possibility that the model who posed for the front cover might have had to have a real tarantula on her face totally freaked me out! It makes my skin crawl just looking at it (shudder). But it got my attention. I had to know why some girl had a freaking tarantula on her face! The author was kind enough to send me a copy of The Demon's Grave for review, so I mustered up all of my courage and began this horror novel.
Unfortunately, the anticipation (and the front cover) were a lot scarier than the actual book. While I did want to read the whole thing to find out what would happen, I wasn't glued to it until the end. Horror books should make you afraid to put them down and leave the characters in such terrible places. I didn't get that sense here. In fact, it took me awhile to get through the first portion of the book to the actual action.
Some of this was due to the stilted dialogue between characters. Their interactions didn't feel real. I had to really work to follow the conversation, not because it was hard to read, but because there were sections or transitions or background details that seemed to be missing. I wonder if some portions of the book that were cut during editing messed with the flow of the dialogue and action.
The Prologue was also an issue for me. It starts with a witch's ritual involving human sacrifice and all manner of creepy things. But then Chapter One commences with Nora, a regular college kid, and her life. It was a very abrupt change with no warning or clue as to the point of view shift or why Nora and the witch are connected. And this question isn't really resolved until the ending of the novel. There are a few clues along the way, but they are so vague that they don't give any help to the reader at all. I kept wondering as I was reading when we would get back to the witch, but the Prologue is the only section that is from the witch's point of view. When the witch finally enters back into the story, it is a very sudden introduction occurring right at the end of the book. It was almost as if there were two stories here that didn't connect very well. This section definitely needed to be restructured and integrated into Nora's story more.
Characterization also needed some work. I think the characters suffered from poorly written dialogue, making them less sympathetic to the reader. There are a few characters that suffer and die in the novel, that I didn't especially care about. For a good horror novel, you should anguish over the characters that suffer and die. I didn't get that here.
That being said, once Nora and her friends got into the Demon's Grave, the action picked up and got more interesting. This is where the author's imagination flourished. The Demon's Grave was made up of the group's nightmares. As someone who had a ton of nightmares as a kid, I wonder if any of the nightmares present in the book were actual dreams that the author had...
The only reason I kicked this book up to three hearts was because of the Demon. The Demon was very intriguing and left me with enough good questions that I want to read the next book. Why does he single out Nora specifically? What does he do with her friends that disappear? What is with the way he leaves things as Nora exits the Demon's Grave? (Sorry, I'm trying not to give things away here!) And if it is a demon's grave, then how is the Demon "alive" and kicking? I am curious about the other two books in the series and will probably go on to read them and find out what happens. Hopefully, they will be a little better developed than The Demon's Grave.
Rating
Overall, I give it a weak 3 out of 5 hearts.
Unfortunately, the anticipation (and the front cover) were a lot scarier than the actual book. While I did want to read the whole thing to find out what would happen, I wasn't glued to it until the end. Horror books should make you afraid to put them down and leave the characters in such terrible places. I didn't get that sense here. In fact, it took me awhile to get through the first portion of the book to the actual action.
Some of this was due to the stilted dialogue between characters. Their interactions didn't feel real. I had to really work to follow the conversation, not because it was hard to read, but because there were sections or transitions or background details that seemed to be missing. I wonder if some portions of the book that were cut during editing messed with the flow of the dialogue and action.
The Prologue was also an issue for me. It starts with a witch's ritual involving human sacrifice and all manner of creepy things. But then Chapter One commences with Nora, a regular college kid, and her life. It was a very abrupt change with no warning or clue as to the point of view shift or why Nora and the witch are connected. And this question isn't really resolved until the ending of the novel. There are a few clues along the way, but they are so vague that they don't give any help to the reader at all. I kept wondering as I was reading when we would get back to the witch, but the Prologue is the only section that is from the witch's point of view. When the witch finally enters back into the story, it is a very sudden introduction occurring right at the end of the book. It was almost as if there were two stories here that didn't connect very well. This section definitely needed to be restructured and integrated into Nora's story more.
Characterization also needed some work. I think the characters suffered from poorly written dialogue, making them less sympathetic to the reader. There are a few characters that suffer and die in the novel, that I didn't especially care about. For a good horror novel, you should anguish over the characters that suffer and die. I didn't get that here.
That being said, once Nora and her friends got into the Demon's Grave, the action picked up and got more interesting. This is where the author's imagination flourished. The Demon's Grave was made up of the group's nightmares. As someone who had a ton of nightmares as a kid, I wonder if any of the nightmares present in the book were actual dreams that the author had...
The only reason I kicked this book up to three hearts was because of the Demon. The Demon was very intriguing and left me with enough good questions that I want to read the next book. Why does he single out Nora specifically? What does he do with her friends that disappear? What is with the way he leaves things as Nora exits the Demon's Grave? (Sorry, I'm trying not to give things away here!) And if it is a demon's grave, then how is the Demon "alive" and kicking? I am curious about the other two books in the series and will probably go on to read them and find out what happens. Hopefully, they will be a little better developed than The Demon's Grave.
Rating
Overall, I give it a weak 3 out of 5 hearts.
April 4, 2016
A word of advice; do not start reading this book while trying to have a bath. I made this mistake, relaxing after a long day into a bubble bath only to be completely terrified when the protagonist takes a shower, only to have a strange unseen presence in the room with her, writing messages in the condensation.
I will openly admit The Demon’s Grave was not what I was expecting. From the blurb I guessed I’d be taken on a thrilling series of Battle Royale-esque challenges, dark fantasy, thrilling maybe. That isn’t the case, but I’m certainly not going to bash a book for not being what I expected it to be, especially since it does what it was clearly intended for so well, because it is straight up, trouser-crapping, Horror.
Returning readers will know I take to Horror like a Conservative MP to the off button on a live microphone, but that’s not through a distaste for the genre, more from my own cowardice and overactive trigger-happy imagination. So take my opinion for what it’s worth (probably not enough for a bag of chocolate buttons, but here goes) but this book was scary for me, disgusting and disturbing in parts. I don’t think I’ll be alone in that opinion either, the framework for the whole book, in which the characters move through a demon dimension, lets events switch pretty quickly between a variety of sets and set pieces, so there’s something for – all the family? The fast pace (after the prologue, that part could have been edited down a bit) also keeps things moving along too fast for you to think about much, which is pretty key in a book like this, and I never found myself bored, many things, but not bored.
So the sets and events are very well done, and very good at keeping me on my toes. I would have liked to see a few more challenges in which the characters had a little more agency, a lot of the time I felt they were being railroaded, yet the horrors where they made choices leading to their problems were much more frightening. For me the horrors that occurred as a result of a character choosing not to abandon someone were much more harrowing than the spider scene which was just forced on our characters, and I’m an arachnophobic.
But let’s talk about the poor souls who are being subjected to this torture. There are two protagonists, even though we only ever see one of their perspectives, and I wasn’t sure about them at first. The intro we get before the characters are plunged into the Demon’s Grave was rather shallow, so while I knew about their day to day lives I wanted to know more about what actually made them tick.
My hesitation evaporated when things started to go south (Go? I think plunged south may be more apropos for this title) as they grew and changed with the challenges, and were actually pretty dynamic. I want to read Book Two just to hear more about Nora because her character seems to be heading to a really interesting place, but spoilers won’t let me say more than that.
That said I didn’t think much to the rest of the group, the best friend, Phoebe, gets a special brush off from me because she’s one of those Horror characters that doesn’t seem to be aware of what Horror is. You know the guys I’m talking about? The ones that always want to venture into dark and dangerous places alone, split the group up and say things like ‘I’m sure that screeching noise was nothing’. No sympathy.
One last thing from me on this title, while I’m no expert on Horror, I can tell you that if you like Horror with a twist, this may not be the book for you. This book wears Horror like an ironic trilby. The big bad is called Damien for goodness sake.
But when all is said and done this book freaked me out, so if that’s your drug, give it a read.
Liked the review? Find more from me at blue-books.org.uk
I will openly admit The Demon’s Grave was not what I was expecting. From the blurb I guessed I’d be taken on a thrilling series of Battle Royale-esque challenges, dark fantasy, thrilling maybe. That isn’t the case, but I’m certainly not going to bash a book for not being what I expected it to be, especially since it does what it was clearly intended for so well, because it is straight up, trouser-crapping, Horror.
Returning readers will know I take to Horror like a Conservative MP to the off button on a live microphone, but that’s not through a distaste for the genre, more from my own cowardice and overactive trigger-happy imagination. So take my opinion for what it’s worth (probably not enough for a bag of chocolate buttons, but here goes) but this book was scary for me, disgusting and disturbing in parts. I don’t think I’ll be alone in that opinion either, the framework for the whole book, in which the characters move through a demon dimension, lets events switch pretty quickly between a variety of sets and set pieces, so there’s something for – all the family? The fast pace (after the prologue, that part could have been edited down a bit) also keeps things moving along too fast for you to think about much, which is pretty key in a book like this, and I never found myself bored, many things, but not bored.
So the sets and events are very well done, and very good at keeping me on my toes. I would have liked to see a few more challenges in which the characters had a little more agency, a lot of the time I felt they were being railroaded, yet the horrors where they made choices leading to their problems were much more frightening. For me the horrors that occurred as a result of a character choosing not to abandon someone were much more harrowing than the spider scene which was just forced on our characters, and I’m an arachnophobic.
But let’s talk about the poor souls who are being subjected to this torture. There are two protagonists, even though we only ever see one of their perspectives, and I wasn’t sure about them at first. The intro we get before the characters are plunged into the Demon’s Grave was rather shallow, so while I knew about their day to day lives I wanted to know more about what actually made them tick.
My hesitation evaporated when things started to go south (Go? I think plunged south may be more apropos for this title) as they grew and changed with the challenges, and were actually pretty dynamic. I want to read Book Two just to hear more about Nora because her character seems to be heading to a really interesting place, but spoilers won’t let me say more than that.
That said I didn’t think much to the rest of the group, the best friend, Phoebe, gets a special brush off from me because she’s one of those Horror characters that doesn’t seem to be aware of what Horror is. You know the guys I’m talking about? The ones that always want to venture into dark and dangerous places alone, split the group up and say things like ‘I’m sure that screeching noise was nothing’. No sympathy.
One last thing from me on this title, while I’m no expert on Horror, I can tell you that if you like Horror with a twist, this may not be the book for you. This book wears Horror like an ironic trilby. The big bad is called Damien for goodness sake.
But when all is said and done this book freaked me out, so if that’s your drug, give it a read.
Liked the review? Find more from me at blue-books.org.uk
December 22, 2015
THE DEMON’S GRAVE became a bit of a slog to get through, to the point where I really had to force myself to finish it. There was enough there to keep the story interesting, in theory, but there wasn’t a whole lot of context for what was going on and everything seemed to come out of nowhere that I really couldn’t anchor myself in what was going on, leaving me detached from what I was reading.
Nora had a bit of a rough childhood with the death of her twin sister but having the good parents she does they basically cut that portion of Nora’s life out and tried to make her forget it all. Because that’s how we deal with our problems, apparently. But Nora also saw some strange stuff the night her sister died and because no one believed her she ended up getting locked away. Something else her parents wanted to erase from their past and never talk about. So Nora has some issues and I can sympathize with her in that regard but that’s as far as it goes. I’m really not feeling her as a character. There isn’t a whole lot for me to grasp to and really sink my claws into with her so I just ended up not connecting. I found her just bordering on whiny and a nuisance and a general wet blanket for the entire group.
And then even with hindsight I still don’t know how the story really came about. For a solid two-thirds of the book the prologue made no sense and didn’t appear at all relevant to the story. Nora’s always felt weird around Aidan and when they get to his family’s house the weirdness intensifies. And then he has this attic that he’d never been in and lo and behold portal to a demon dimension. Now that you’ve all opened it you must face six challenges. I just don’t feel like it’s really grounded at all. And I don’t mean in reality. Supernatural. I get it. I just feel like the whole plot came out of left field and I was just supposed to be on board with what was going on with very little explanation for any whys. I fall short of saying it was contrived because it doesn’t have the solid base it would need to be a contrivance against. The demon’s grave and the challenges just felt really scattered, almost like the idea hadn’t reached maturity.
I liked the concept of it, hence me being drawn in by the blurb. But the execution of it fell short. I just wasn’t buying into what was going on. And with Nora being the protagonist and not being a solid enough character in the story for me to really like, definitely none of the other characters were doing it for me either. I needed more context for why this was all going on. I needed more interaction between Nora and the demon because there is definitely something there that’s drawing the two together but it’s really not touched upon until far too late in the book. I needed a better catalyst for getting this whole group of college students into the demon’s grave mess to begin with. Basically I need more solid writing. I think there’s good footing here but it’s toes on the edge of the platform. Now I don’t know if the copy I read from NetGalley was finished or an ARC but it didn’t help that the grammar was bad, sentences missing entire words, misused commas and periods. It really messed with what little flow the book had and made it even harder to read.
I think there’s a decent enough story here but it still needs a lot of wrangling to get it to be something solid.
2
I received a copy of this book from the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nora had a bit of a rough childhood with the death of her twin sister but having the good parents she does they basically cut that portion of Nora’s life out and tried to make her forget it all. Because that’s how we deal with our problems, apparently. But Nora also saw some strange stuff the night her sister died and because no one believed her she ended up getting locked away. Something else her parents wanted to erase from their past and never talk about. So Nora has some issues and I can sympathize with her in that regard but that’s as far as it goes. I’m really not feeling her as a character. There isn’t a whole lot for me to grasp to and really sink my claws into with her so I just ended up not connecting. I found her just bordering on whiny and a nuisance and a general wet blanket for the entire group.
And then even with hindsight I still don’t know how the story really came about. For a solid two-thirds of the book the prologue made no sense and didn’t appear at all relevant to the story. Nora’s always felt weird around Aidan and when they get to his family’s house the weirdness intensifies. And then he has this attic that he’d never been in and lo and behold portal to a demon dimension. Now that you’ve all opened it you must face six challenges. I just don’t feel like it’s really grounded at all. And I don’t mean in reality. Supernatural. I get it. I just feel like the whole plot came out of left field and I was just supposed to be on board with what was going on with very little explanation for any whys. I fall short of saying it was contrived because it doesn’t have the solid base it would need to be a contrivance against. The demon’s grave and the challenges just felt really scattered, almost like the idea hadn’t reached maturity.
I liked the concept of it, hence me being drawn in by the blurb. But the execution of it fell short. I just wasn’t buying into what was going on. And with Nora being the protagonist and not being a solid enough character in the story for me to really like, definitely none of the other characters were doing it for me either. I needed more context for why this was all going on. I needed more interaction between Nora and the demon because there is definitely something there that’s drawing the two together but it’s really not touched upon until far too late in the book. I needed a better catalyst for getting this whole group of college students into the demon’s grave mess to begin with. Basically I need more solid writing. I think there’s good footing here but it’s toes on the edge of the platform. Now I don’t know if the copy I read from NetGalley was finished or an ARC but it didn’t help that the grammar was bad, sentences missing entire words, misused commas and periods. It really messed with what little flow the book had and made it even harder to read.
I think there’s a decent enough story here but it still needs a lot of wrangling to get it to be something solid.
2
I received a copy of this book from the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2016
E.M. MacCallum: The Demon's Grave E.M. MacCallum takes the reader where your nightmares literally come to life: Strange shadows and whispers have recently started invading Nora's life, but this is not the first time it has happened to her, the same thing occurred when she was a child. When her friends ask her to join them on a weekend getaway she hopes that it will help her run from what is happening to her. They end up going to Aidan Birket's Victorian family home that has not been lived in for many years. While exploring the house they locate a marble doorway that should have remained closed. They are trespassing on the Demon's Grave and the only way to get out is to face that which scares and haunts you the most but each challenge you play for keeps die or fail the challenge and you are stuck in the Demon's grave forever. The prologue of this book really caught my attention,it was interesting, suspenseful and dark and I thought that it set the tone really well for the book to come, however, there were times that the book did not live up to the prologue. Other than the appearance of the Demon it does take more than half the book to make the connection to the prologue, I'm not saying this was a complete negative there were just times where I questioned if there is was two different books. I also think that to book dragged on at times, yes the challenges were interesting (and at times disturbing) but there was almost too many of them as it also took away from the side story as to really why they are all there. The characters within this book are supposed to be of college age, but to me they read more like they were high school students, even the college campus sounded like a high school. Maybe they were just first year college students but their maturity level is not one that I would associate with individuals in college. It's bad to say when you read a book but I really did not feel any connection to the main character Nora, I found her underdeveloped and the main traits that I could associated with her character are flat and whiny. I actually think that all the characters are underdeveloped and typical/typecast in this book, there was really no imagination. I liked the challenge aspect of this book and the idea of playing on the nightmares that we have all had. This book had me reliving some that I had when I was a child (and they were disturbing to say the least especially as I was a child when I was having them) and I think that is the scariest part of the book. Would I now be able to handle my own nightmares if they came to life? I think that is truly the horror aspect of the book, looking into yourself. However, other than that, the challenges did not really play on any true fears that I have, but it you are afraid of spiders for example, you will find some scenes within the book disturbing and probably more scary than I did. I have noticed that this book is part of a series but I question whether I would continue with it. While I enjoyed some of the aspects in the plot and the darkness that MacCallum has throughout, I really did not feel any connection or feel invested to any of the character which I find essential when reading a book. Cheers!!!
Instead Of This,
Check These Books Out:
Instead Of This,
Check These Books Out:
December 13, 2015
* i was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
So basically this is a story about a group of college students that decide to go camping and end up at one of their friend's inherited victorian house. But before going on the trip, they've all been plagued by weird nightmares and Nora in particular who has been to countless therapists thinks that she's going crazy again when she finds a weird note in her textbook with her handwriting and an invisible finger tracing words in her shower stall.
I think this book was really good and throughout i could see it like a movie in my head. But there was a ton of cliche stuff too. I mean Phoebe, is the one that causes all of this simply because she wandered upstairs all alone in the dark while everyone was yelling at her to get down. This book takes place in the modern world, she wasn't drunk so after knowing the cliches of a typical horror movie how much could we blame humane curiosity? She should be like tied up to a tree or something! I guess it's the group's immature behavior that threw me completely off. But i do see this as a movie in my head. Like an Action/horror but if you read it, it will definitely give you a movie vibe.
The characters were all super unique. You had Phoebe, the brave and reckless one, Cody the quiet athlete who never talked, his girlfriend Robin who was all cute and talkative, Read the handsome player, Aiden the new guy who's trying to fit in and Nora. Nora, i couldn't get a specific read on her. She was an okay character but nothing about her really stood out unlike the rests. And sometimes she would say things that i couldn't quite understand so i couldn't really follow the dialogue. I liked the idea that she thought it was her dream and that she would wake up.
The writing was also fine but the plot was amazing! Sometimes it scared you and other times literally made you shudder and at times just plainly creeped you out, The challenges were tough and horrible, You had to watch as they were separated, tossed together again and then separated again. There were loads of things that was just plain weird but this book will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat because the action and mystery is non-stop from the beginning to the end.
I wished we'd gotten more of the demon because he only popped up a few times, Cliffhanger alert! Loads of things have been left unanswered but one of my complaints would be the lack of romance. I love romance in all my books and i know this one is an action/horror book but there were many hints at romance, even if they weren't developed i wish we had some of it. There were loads of repetition about "hot breaths" on her neck and the like so that kinda irked me a little....
The whole book revolves around them getting out alive and around the mystery that is Nora because she seems to be super important and she doesn't know why. More and more questions pop up instead of answering the previous ones. I think that is a negative and a positive in the way that it keeps your mind reeling but it also frustrates you to no end...
So if you guys are into action-packed mystery filled books this one is definitely one for you!
So basically this is a story about a group of college students that decide to go camping and end up at one of their friend's inherited victorian house. But before going on the trip, they've all been plagued by weird nightmares and Nora in particular who has been to countless therapists thinks that she's going crazy again when she finds a weird note in her textbook with her handwriting and an invisible finger tracing words in her shower stall.
I think this book was really good and throughout i could see it like a movie in my head. But there was a ton of cliche stuff too. I mean Phoebe, is the one that causes all of this simply because she wandered upstairs all alone in the dark while everyone was yelling at her to get down. This book takes place in the modern world, she wasn't drunk so after knowing the cliches of a typical horror movie how much could we blame humane curiosity? She should be like tied up to a tree or something! I guess it's the group's immature behavior that threw me completely off. But i do see this as a movie in my head. Like an Action/horror but if you read it, it will definitely give you a movie vibe.
The characters were all super unique. You had Phoebe, the brave and reckless one, Cody the quiet athlete who never talked, his girlfriend Robin who was all cute and talkative, Read the handsome player, Aiden the new guy who's trying to fit in and Nora. Nora, i couldn't get a specific read on her. She was an okay character but nothing about her really stood out unlike the rests. And sometimes she would say things that i couldn't quite understand so i couldn't really follow the dialogue. I liked the idea that she thought it was her dream and that she would wake up.
The writing was also fine but the plot was amazing! Sometimes it scared you and other times literally made you shudder and at times just plainly creeped you out, The challenges were tough and horrible, You had to watch as they were separated, tossed together again and then separated again. There were loads of things that was just plain weird but this book will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat because the action and mystery is non-stop from the beginning to the end.
I wished we'd gotten more of the demon because he only popped up a few times, Cliffhanger alert! Loads of things have been left unanswered but one of my complaints would be the lack of romance. I love romance in all my books and i know this one is an action/horror book but there were many hints at romance, even if they weren't developed i wish we had some of it. There were loads of repetition about "hot breaths" on her neck and the like so that kinda irked me a little....
The whole book revolves around them getting out alive and around the mystery that is Nora because she seems to be super important and she doesn't know why. More and more questions pop up instead of answering the previous ones. I think that is a negative and a positive in the way that it keeps your mind reeling but it also frustrates you to no end...
So if you guys are into action-packed mystery filled books this one is definitely one for you!
September 6, 2015
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via Lovers of Paranormal.
The Demon's Grave is a story that I struggled a little bit to get into. It is the story of Nora Fuller and her battle with both past demons and those that have seemed to have been resurrected for an unknown purpose. But this time she is confronted as an adult and her friends are brought into the fray.
The characters come together very quickly in the beginning and the reader has to play catch up to really figure out who is who and how they relate to each other. For me, Nora, is hardest to figure out. She begins seeing and hearing things that no one else can, and it has her so rattled that she can barely function yet she doesn't really confide in anyone. Though she surrounds herself with a core group of friends, Phoebe, Read, Cody, Robin, and Aidan (not really a friend in the beginning), it is not really clear what kind of relationships they have or how invested they are in each other. Nora seems to want to be somewhat of a loner because of her unfortunate past (don't want to give away anything for future readers) but yet she goes off on this weekend trip with the group when it is obvious that she'd rather not. I wanted to be more invested in the characters as they faced the six challenges of the Demon's Grave, but I spent more time trying to figure out what the challenges meant for those that were losing than anything else, and by the third or fourth challenge, I really wanted to fast forward to how it would end.
With that being said, the imagery of the book was excellent and reflected in my rating. I found myself afraid to continue reading as I waited for something to jump out or grab someone from the darkness...which I find to be a symptom of great horror writing. It took me back to my days of reading authors like Stephen King.
I finished the book a little confused. I wasn't sure what Damien (the antagonist) really wanted with Nora and what his role was in the death of her sister. I couldn't figure out Aidan's grandfather's role in the Demon's Grave or why Aidan and Nora's relationship was so strained. The end of the first book seemed forced in order to set up book two. The twists introduced right at the end will leave you scratching your head.
The book is the first in a series so I figure the answers are soon to come. My hope is that other readers will feel more of a connection to the characters than I did so that they will be willing to make the investment.
In summary:
Pro's: Imagery, well written scenes, overall premise (idea) for story
Con's : Character development, weaving scenes together into a developed story
The Demon's Grave is a story that I struggled a little bit to get into. It is the story of Nora Fuller and her battle with both past demons and those that have seemed to have been resurrected for an unknown purpose. But this time she is confronted as an adult and her friends are brought into the fray.
The characters come together very quickly in the beginning and the reader has to play catch up to really figure out who is who and how they relate to each other. For me, Nora, is hardest to figure out. She begins seeing and hearing things that no one else can, and it has her so rattled that she can barely function yet she doesn't really confide in anyone. Though she surrounds herself with a core group of friends, Phoebe, Read, Cody, Robin, and Aidan (not really a friend in the beginning), it is not really clear what kind of relationships they have or how invested they are in each other. Nora seems to want to be somewhat of a loner because of her unfortunate past (don't want to give away anything for future readers) but yet she goes off on this weekend trip with the group when it is obvious that she'd rather not. I wanted to be more invested in the characters as they faced the six challenges of the Demon's Grave, but I spent more time trying to figure out what the challenges meant for those that were losing than anything else, and by the third or fourth challenge, I really wanted to fast forward to how it would end.
With that being said, the imagery of the book was excellent and reflected in my rating. I found myself afraid to continue reading as I waited for something to jump out or grab someone from the darkness...which I find to be a symptom of great horror writing. It took me back to my days of reading authors like Stephen King.
I finished the book a little confused. I wasn't sure what Damien (the antagonist) really wanted with Nora and what his role was in the death of her sister. I couldn't figure out Aidan's grandfather's role in the Demon's Grave or why Aidan and Nora's relationship was so strained. The end of the first book seemed forced in order to set up book two. The twists introduced right at the end will leave you scratching your head.
The book is the first in a series so I figure the answers are soon to come. My hope is that other readers will feel more of a connection to the characters than I did so that they will be willing to make the investment.
In summary:
Pro's: Imagery, well written scenes, overall premise (idea) for story
Con's : Character development, weaving scenes together into a developed story
September 21, 2015
Original Review Here
For the majority of this book, I wasn’t sure whether I was enjoying it or not. The characterisation seemed weak and confusing at the start and the plot had so many creepy elements to it, I was too on edge to enjoy it. But as it progressed, I noticed I was gripped and that eventually, I couldn’t put it down. When it came to the ending, I realised I wanted to read the second book. Something must have been done right then.
This is not to be read if you have arachnophobia. The book was advertised as fantasy – which is true. But I had the shivers for a vast majority. Answers were withheld and the demons the characters had to face were every-day fears. The descriptions, however, brought those fears to life and truly drew the reader in. Effectively done, but better if you have some sort of warning about the book.
Nora’s characterisation is good. All of them are, in fact. But the start of the book has a growing “feeling” – not of a positive kind – between her and another character. It doesn’t get noted on by her friends and is dwelled on for too long without explanation at the start. Nora’s past is clearly traumatic, but it is not apparent which characters know her backstory. Elements of the supernatural are introduced early on and it needed to be made more apparent who believes and who is a sceptic and why.
Once the characters had passed from this world, the plot became stronger. The descriptions of their fear was well written – Nora was clearly terrified but wasn’t depicted as weak. However, some of the descriptions were repetitive – Damien’s “obsidian gaze” is a constant fixture throughout the whole book. When you notice a phrase repeating, it becomes an annoyance. This weakened the writing when the rest was strong and worked to engage the reader with unfolding events.
Despite it taking time for me to be convinced by this book, I enjoyed it. I would like to read the next one as it ends on a cliff-hanger with unanswered questions. If a book can grip me that way, then it has been written moderately well.
For the majority of this book, I wasn’t sure whether I was enjoying it or not. The characterisation seemed weak and confusing at the start and the plot had so many creepy elements to it, I was too on edge to enjoy it. But as it progressed, I noticed I was gripped and that eventually, I couldn’t put it down. When it came to the ending, I realised I wanted to read the second book. Something must have been done right then.
This is not to be read if you have arachnophobia. The book was advertised as fantasy – which is true. But I had the shivers for a vast majority. Answers were withheld and the demons the characters had to face were every-day fears. The descriptions, however, brought those fears to life and truly drew the reader in. Effectively done, but better if you have some sort of warning about the book.
Nora’s characterisation is good. All of them are, in fact. But the start of the book has a growing “feeling” – not of a positive kind – between her and another character. It doesn’t get noted on by her friends and is dwelled on for too long without explanation at the start. Nora’s past is clearly traumatic, but it is not apparent which characters know her backstory. Elements of the supernatural are introduced early on and it needed to be made more apparent who believes and who is a sceptic and why.
Once the characters had passed from this world, the plot became stronger. The descriptions of their fear was well written – Nora was clearly terrified but wasn’t depicted as weak. However, some of the descriptions were repetitive – Damien’s “obsidian gaze” is a constant fixture throughout the whole book. When you notice a phrase repeating, it becomes an annoyance. This weakened the writing when the rest was strong and worked to engage the reader with unfolding events.
Despite it taking time for me to be convinced by this book, I enjoyed it. I would like to read the next one as it ends on a cliff-hanger with unanswered questions. If a book can grip me that way, then it has been written moderately well.
February 12, 2016
I received a copy of this via Net Gallery.
When Nora starts being plagued by shadows and strange messages from the unknown, she starts to fear she is losing her mind. In a bid to escape these strange goings on, she agrees to join her friends on a weekend getaway. Despite her unease with newcomer to their group Aidan, she is filled with wonder with his remote, Victorian house. That is until Nora and her friends stumble upon a marble doorway on the third floor and are drawn into a game of challenges against a Demon. Now they must face 6 challenges and win or face being trapped in The Demon's Grave forever.
The cover and title of this book drew me in and made me want to read this. Never having heard of the author or the series, i wasn't sure what to expect. However, I quickly released it was similar to a story i had read a while ago and really enjoyed, so i knew i was going to this one, just the same.
AND i absolutely loved it and i am so glad that there is another one for me to dive into. The story's prologue was so interesting that it drew me in immediately and i couldn't wait to find out where this story would take me. The chemistry between the characters shone through, throughout the entire story. I particularly enjoyed seeing the chemistry between Aidan and Nora develop from being mere acquaintances to maybe something bigger. Something i can't wait to see how the author builds on it, in the next installment. I also found myself liking the bad guy "Damien", there was just something about him that makes you want to root for him.
It was brilliantly written and flowed effortless, the author created details that were so vivid, that you could easily get lost in. If you decide to start this book don't plan to do anything else, as you won't want to put it down.
I gave it 5 stars but easily have given it more.
Well done!
When Nora starts being plagued by shadows and strange messages from the unknown, she starts to fear she is losing her mind. In a bid to escape these strange goings on, she agrees to join her friends on a weekend getaway. Despite her unease with newcomer to their group Aidan, she is filled with wonder with his remote, Victorian house. That is until Nora and her friends stumble upon a marble doorway on the third floor and are drawn into a game of challenges against a Demon. Now they must face 6 challenges and win or face being trapped in The Demon's Grave forever.
The cover and title of this book drew me in and made me want to read this. Never having heard of the author or the series, i wasn't sure what to expect. However, I quickly released it was similar to a story i had read a while ago and really enjoyed, so i knew i was going to this one, just the same.
AND i absolutely loved it and i am so glad that there is another one for me to dive into. The story's prologue was so interesting that it drew me in immediately and i couldn't wait to find out where this story would take me. The chemistry between the characters shone through, throughout the entire story. I particularly enjoyed seeing the chemistry between Aidan and Nora develop from being mere acquaintances to maybe something bigger. Something i can't wait to see how the author builds on it, in the next installment. I also found myself liking the bad guy "Damien", there was just something about him that makes you want to root for him.
It was brilliantly written and flowed effortless, the author created details that were so vivid, that you could easily get lost in. If you decide to start this book don't plan to do anything else, as you won't want to put it down.
I gave it 5 stars but easily have given it more.
Well done!
October 30, 2015
Nora has been haunted her entire life with mysterious messages and shadows as well as the death of her twin sister at an early age. In high school, Nora meets Aidan and along with her friends travel to his ancestral home. This is where the Demon’s Grave lies in wait for Nora, Aidan, Phoebe, Read, Robin and Cody.
Faced with six challenges in the world between light and darkness, all must successfully defeat their own challenges to escape back to their life. Within each challenge Nora and Aidan are reminded of who they are and what they have encountered.
“Was that really JWD? I stared at the foreign corpse-like creature. I couldn’t let it catch me, not like before. My shoulder ached with a phantom pain and I nudged Aidan.”
Nora has to defeat doppelgangers, spiders, eyeless bikers, zombies, an evil Maserati and the demon in charge of her nightmare. Nora questions her sanity – what if it’s all real and not just in her head?
“Sighing through his nose, shadow-man finally said. “Call me Damien, for now.” Like the little demonic kid in The Omen? Of course I’d pick that name for a demon.”
MacCallum has created an imaginative plot with realistic characters while engaging the readers and holding their attention captive. Well written and edge of your seat suspense, MacCallum has successfully crafted a tale that will have readers waiting eagerly for the next in the series.
Once you begin reading this book, there is no putting it down - it will haunt you until you come back and finish it!
WordsAPlenty awards The Demon’s Grave (Book One of the Demon’s Grave Trilogy) written by E. M. MacCallum with a 5-star review. Click here to purchase the book and begin your own experience.
Faced with six challenges in the world between light and darkness, all must successfully defeat their own challenges to escape back to their life. Within each challenge Nora and Aidan are reminded of who they are and what they have encountered.
“Was that really JWD? I stared at the foreign corpse-like creature. I couldn’t let it catch me, not like before. My shoulder ached with a phantom pain and I nudged Aidan.”
Nora has to defeat doppelgangers, spiders, eyeless bikers, zombies, an evil Maserati and the demon in charge of her nightmare. Nora questions her sanity – what if it’s all real and not just in her head?
“Sighing through his nose, shadow-man finally said. “Call me Damien, for now.” Like the little demonic kid in The Omen? Of course I’d pick that name for a demon.”
MacCallum has created an imaginative plot with realistic characters while engaging the readers and holding their attention captive. Well written and edge of your seat suspense, MacCallum has successfully crafted a tale that will have readers waiting eagerly for the next in the series.
Once you begin reading this book, there is no putting it down - it will haunt you until you come back and finish it!
WordsAPlenty awards The Demon’s Grave (Book One of the Demon’s Grave Trilogy) written by E. M. MacCallum with a 5-star review. Click here to purchase the book and begin your own experience.
September 21, 2015
Oh, hell. I need the second book.
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I loved this book.
I’m still not sure about the rating I gave it, I’ll probably change it in a few days or right after this review. I think it deserves something between a 3/5 and a 4/5, but I’m not exactly sure which one.
The story begins with a ritual, a woman opening a portal to call a demon and sacrificing people to it. Then you reach the next chapter and find yourself in an entirely different world, a mostly normal college girl’s life. It doesn’t take long before you forget all about the ritual and what it might have to do with the main character, until it all hits you at once with a shock. The whole book is one big pile of strong feelings, mostly tension.
It took me a while to get into the book. The ritual was interesting, the main character wasn’t, so I called it a night and went to bed while they were still talking about camping. I picked it up again tonight to read a little more and once I reached the challenges and stuff, I just couldn’t stop. The one word to describe this book would be gripping.
It wasn’t a 5/5, because while the action parts were awesome, the rest was not. I loved the backstories of the characters, but not the characterization. I liked the dialogues enough, but not the writing or the writing style. It is hard not to see the work that was put in this book and I am very sure that the next book(s) will kick ass, so I will shut my mouth right now and wait anxiously for the next book to show up in my hands.
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I loved this book.
I’m still not sure about the rating I gave it, I’ll probably change it in a few days or right after this review. I think it deserves something between a 3/5 and a 4/5, but I’m not exactly sure which one.
The story begins with a ritual, a woman opening a portal to call a demon and sacrificing people to it. Then you reach the next chapter and find yourself in an entirely different world, a mostly normal college girl’s life. It doesn’t take long before you forget all about the ritual and what it might have to do with the main character, until it all hits you at once with a shock. The whole book is one big pile of strong feelings, mostly tension.
It took me a while to get into the book. The ritual was interesting, the main character wasn’t, so I called it a night and went to bed while they were still talking about camping. I picked it up again tonight to read a little more and once I reached the challenges and stuff, I just couldn’t stop. The one word to describe this book would be gripping.
It wasn’t a 5/5, because while the action parts were awesome, the rest was not. I loved the backstories of the characters, but not the characterization. I liked the dialogues enough, but not the writing or the writing style. It is hard not to see the work that was put in this book and I am very sure that the next book(s) will kick ass, so I will shut my mouth right now and wait anxiously for the next book to show up in my hands.
February 4, 2016
The Demon's Grave by Emma MacCallum
Nora and her friends decide to go to a friends old Victorian house for the weekend. Aidan Birket s not one of Nora's favorite people but she decides to go even though he will be there. They discover a marble door on the forbidden third floor, and things change real quick.
They find themselves in Demon's Grave. Once there they are faced with a horrifying situation. The Demon gives them six challenges, those who conquer the challenges get to go home, if they fail they must stay and be his forever. For Nora is is a living nightmare, the Demon knows of her past and what happened to her twin sister many years ago.
Nora and friends are all likable, even the annoying Aidan. They are faced with many challenges , including dangerous creatures that want to kill them. They are faced with tough life altering decisions. Will Nora make the right choice? Will she be able to save herself and her friends?
A fantastic dark (thrilling) fantasy. The plot is steady, with attention to detail, which gives you a great feel of what is happening, as if you are part of the story. The characters are well developed, Nora with her hidden dark family secret, and Aidan has some secrets of his own as well. I highly recommend The Demon's Grave to those who love a great fantasy/thriller.
Nora and her friends decide to go to a friends old Victorian house for the weekend. Aidan Birket s not one of Nora's favorite people but she decides to go even though he will be there. They discover a marble door on the forbidden third floor, and things change real quick.
They find themselves in Demon's Grave. Once there they are faced with a horrifying situation. The Demon gives them six challenges, those who conquer the challenges get to go home, if they fail they must stay and be his forever. For Nora is is a living nightmare, the Demon knows of her past and what happened to her twin sister many years ago.
Nora and friends are all likable, even the annoying Aidan. They are faced with many challenges , including dangerous creatures that want to kill them. They are faced with tough life altering decisions. Will Nora make the right choice? Will she be able to save herself and her friends?
A fantastic dark (thrilling) fantasy. The plot is steady, with attention to detail, which gives you a great feel of what is happening, as if you are part of the story. The characters are well developed, Nora with her hidden dark family secret, and Aidan has some secrets of his own as well. I highly recommend The Demon's Grave to those who love a great fantasy/thriller.
January 12, 2016
Loved, loved loved this book. Loved the characters, how it was written, the descriptions, plot everything.
I'm not usually into anything horroresque but the cover enticed me and I'm so glad I did. There was everything I could want in a book.
I will admit it was a bit slow at the beginning and some of the characters read a little bit like high school stereotypes rather than college students but I could live with it.
The main character and the antagonist were well written and those are the one that count. Nora does develop as the story goes on and I saw that with both what she does and how she's written. She starts off as an almost shy introvert - shy rather than low self-esteem, never got that feel to her- who barely talked or finished a sentence yet by the end she had taken charge and become an almost leader of the group. Her taking charge was realistic though because it wasn't all the time, she was scared and timid at the right moments and strong when she needed to be. I really appreciated that she wasn't as self sacrificing as a lot of heroines and there wasn't really a romance for her in the story.
overall the I loved the story and can't wait to read the next book in the series. For a proper review look on my blog:
https://osbianreviews.wordpress.com/2...
I'm not usually into anything horroresque but the cover enticed me and I'm so glad I did. There was everything I could want in a book.
I will admit it was a bit slow at the beginning and some of the characters read a little bit like high school stereotypes rather than college students but I could live with it.
The main character and the antagonist were well written and those are the one that count. Nora does develop as the story goes on and I saw that with both what she does and how she's written. She starts off as an almost shy introvert - shy rather than low self-esteem, never got that feel to her- who barely talked or finished a sentence yet by the end she had taken charge and become an almost leader of the group. Her taking charge was realistic though because it wasn't all the time, she was scared and timid at the right moments and strong when she needed to be. I really appreciated that she wasn't as self sacrificing as a lot of heroines and there wasn't really a romance for her in the story.
overall the I loved the story and can't wait to read the next book in the series. For a proper review look on my blog:
https://osbianreviews.wordpress.com/2...
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