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Nightmare #1
Nightmare Abbey
An evil force pulses deep within Malpas Abbey, overflowing with maniacal glee…
Overlooking a dark hill, the gloomy Malpas Abbey has been avoided by locals for centuries. Its infamous history is marred with blood and terror. Only the foolish would dare enter such a place, where devilish hauntings have left a string of dead bodies in its wake.
Just as the building is about to be permanently closed, things take an unexpected turn. An American television crew shows up, hoping to investigate the source of the structure’s paranormal activity. Led by producer Matt McKay and paranormal expert Ted Gould, the hapless bunch enter the confines of the hellish residence only to discover that they are in way over their heads.
As the group tries to make sense of the strange occurrences, they soon realize that the cellar might be the key to unlocking the mystery. Inside lies a stone altar that emanates with the evil strength of the Devil himself, feeding upon the crew members’ worst nightmares.
With the ominous cloud hanging over them, they realize that there’s much more at stake than a disruption in filming. The only hope for survival rests on Ted, Matt and his crew’s ability to find their way out of the darkness, before the house devours them, capturing all the gory details on camera…
Overlooking a dark hill, the gloomy Malpas Abbey has been avoided by locals for centuries. Its infamous history is marred with blood and terror. Only the foolish would dare enter such a place, where devilish hauntings have left a string of dead bodies in its wake.
Just as the building is about to be permanently closed, things take an unexpected turn. An American television crew shows up, hoping to investigate the source of the structure’s paranormal activity. Led by producer Matt McKay and paranormal expert Ted Gould, the hapless bunch enter the confines of the hellish residence only to discover that they are in way over their heads.
As the group tries to make sense of the strange occurrences, they soon realize that the cellar might be the key to unlocking the mystery. Inside lies a stone altar that emanates with the evil strength of the Devil himself, feeding upon the crew members’ worst nightmares.
With the ominous cloud hanging over them, they realize that there’s much more at stake than a disruption in filming. The only hope for survival rests on Ted, Matt and his crew’s ability to find their way out of the darkness, before the house devours them, capturing all the gory details on camera…
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2018
1119 people are currently reading
1001 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
January 25, 2021
The book started very promising. A haunted abbey, a decadent noble man conjuring up the devil, a Celtic altar, an uncanny setting. Then we move forward to modern times and a team of paranormal investigator is entering Malpas Abbey. From then on the story becomes a bit weird. We hear about interlopers switching between the PD (phantom dimension) and the real world. They are almost humans in copying human forms (like waxworks). Then we have allusions to Machen's Little People and a war going on between humans and little people. After that one of the investigators is lost in the other dimension... this was a bit of a downturn. On the one hand we have a tale about the devil on the other hand Arthur Machen's world re-told in a simplified way. Well, to be honest, I preferred Machen's original invention to this book. The reactions of the paranormal investigation also bothered me. Too one dimensional, to stereotypical not very moving and credible. Maybe the series gets better in the next couple of volumes but I wasn't fully convinced here. Interesting thoughts and eerie motifs were thwarted with a story line becoming more and more implausible. Maybe for fans. The cover is quite outstanding and extremely creepy though!
May 11, 2018
2.5 stars.
NIGHTMARE ABBEY is Book 1 in the "Nightmare Series", by author David Longhorn. The action in the Prologue is immediate, causing a great deal of interest into the place known as Malphas Abbey.
Fast-forward to the present time, where an enigmatic British "supernatural researcher" is trying to get a team of American ghost hunters, who are down in their show's ratings, to come and film Malphas Abbey.
". . . I think that at least one member of that team triggers intrusions without realizing it . . . "
This is where things got a bit "muddled" in my opinion. while the British researchers seemed to be more of a covert operation, what they were after was very specific. Without spoilers, I found this concept very original and genuinely scary in its implications. Had the story veered more into this direction alone, and focused on the "hows and whys", I think I would have found this a very satisfying read.
Unfortunately, the other research team brought in just made me lose all credibility in the matter. Most of these characters were so underdeveloped that I couldn't remember their names--and in two cases, whether they were male or female--let alone what their individual roles were. Even the few individuals that had more definition, I felt unable to connect with.
While there were some very good action scenes, the lack of convincing characters detracted so much that I ended up simply frustrated.
Overall, a great idea, but too many forgettable, stock characters that took away from the good points.
NIGHTMARE ABBEY is Book 1 in the "Nightmare Series", by author David Longhorn. The action in the Prologue is immediate, causing a great deal of interest into the place known as Malphas Abbey.
Fast-forward to the present time, where an enigmatic British "supernatural researcher" is trying to get a team of American ghost hunters, who are down in their show's ratings, to come and film Malphas Abbey.
". . . I think that at least one member of that team triggers intrusions without realizing it . . . "
This is where things got a bit "muddled" in my opinion. while the British researchers seemed to be more of a covert operation, what they were after was very specific. Without spoilers, I found this concept very original and genuinely scary in its implications. Had the story veered more into this direction alone, and focused on the "hows and whys", I think I would have found this a very satisfying read.
Unfortunately, the other research team brought in just made me lose all credibility in the matter. Most of these characters were so underdeveloped that I couldn't remember their names--and in two cases, whether they were male or female--let alone what their individual roles were. Even the few individuals that had more definition, I felt unable to connect with.
While there were some very good action scenes, the lack of convincing characters detracted so much that I ended up simply frustrated.
Overall, a great idea, but too many forgettable, stock characters that took away from the good points.
January 9, 2021
This is between a 3.5 and 3.75 star read, rounded up to 4.
I quite enjoyed this creepy, freaky little book, the first in a trilogy. Well written with fast pacing, it made for a quick read although the ending did feel a tad rushed. It was also exciting to find out that while it definitely is a horror, it's rooted quite firmly in the sci-fi genre as well. I have already started the 2nd in the series!
I quite enjoyed this creepy, freaky little book, the first in a trilogy. Well written with fast pacing, it made for a quick read although the ending did feel a tad rushed. It was also exciting to find out that while it definitely is a horror, it's rooted quite firmly in the sci-fi genre as well. I have already started the 2nd in the series!
March 10, 2019
This book was something of a special surprise to me.
From the description and marketing, I thought I had this book pegged: a ghost hunter reality show that did not take itself seriously, which lands a gig in a real haunted house, doesn't think it is really haunted, slowly finds out it actually is haunted, the body count mounts, and a few survivors get out just when you think all hope is lost.
Yes, in a way, that's exactly what you get. However, you get an awful lot more. It's that "lot more" that makes all the difference. In stead of supplying the perfunctory ghost story, David Longhorn spins a vision of reality and intersecting worlds which is squarely within the cosmic horror tradition. My short, run-of-the-mill haunted house story slowly turned into a dark world building exercise right before my eyes... and it was great.
This has all the hallmarks of the Lovecraftian spirit. Lovecraft didn't really write ghost stories and - it seems - did not really care for them all that much. But this is exactly the sort of meta narrative he would have loved. You're left going to bed with he distinct feeling that the world is not safe, not right, and not going to go on well either.
From the description and marketing, I thought I had this book pegged: a ghost hunter reality show that did not take itself seriously, which lands a gig in a real haunted house, doesn't think it is really haunted, slowly finds out it actually is haunted, the body count mounts, and a few survivors get out just when you think all hope is lost.
Yes, in a way, that's exactly what you get. However, you get an awful lot more. It's that "lot more" that makes all the difference. In stead of supplying the perfunctory ghost story, David Longhorn spins a vision of reality and intersecting worlds which is squarely within the cosmic horror tradition. My short, run-of-the-mill haunted house story slowly turned into a dark world building exercise right before my eyes... and it was great.
This has all the hallmarks of the Lovecraftian spirit. Lovecraft didn't really write ghost stories and - it seems - did not really care for them all that much. But this is exactly the sort of meta narrative he would have loved. You're left going to bed with he distinct feeling that the world is not safe, not right, and not going to go on well either.
March 23, 2019
A good start for a series
This is a good start for a new (to me) series. The story flows easy, making this a quick read. The suspense and horror are both here and done very well. I plan on reading the next one. The only complaint I have is the house on the cover isn't what picture when you say Abbey.
This is a good start for a new (to me) series. The story flows easy, making this a quick read. The suspense and horror are both here and done very well. I plan on reading the next one. The only complaint I have is the house on the cover isn't what picture when you say Abbey.
January 7, 2023
It was a disappointing read
December 17, 2025
I literally just read this book and forgot that I read it. I had to check it to see whether I had finished it or not. I remember nothing about it. Either it’s early stage dementia or this wasn’t very good. I’m going with the latter, for the moment. I’ll apologize to the author if I’m wrong.
June 10, 2018
I was excited for a good haunted house story.
But when you try to squeeze haunted house, some sort of X-file style stuff, backstories of few characters and Lara Croft style shit into 151 (!) pages, you get... well... 2 stars.
But when you try to squeeze haunted house, some sort of X-file style stuff, backstories of few characters and Lara Croft style shit into 151 (!) pages, you get... well... 2 stars.
December 22, 2021
DNF
Lohnt leider auch nicht.
Lohnt leider auch nicht.
December 20, 2020
“Evil is not merely a falling short, a failure to observe some code or other. It is an active force in the world, a darkness at least as powerful as that of light.”
This was a rather dark story of a haunting but with a much larger scope. The beings are not as you may think and this book sets up a series very nicely.
While it didn't find it particularly scary I certainly have found it intriguing and definitely will be reading more.
This was a rather dark story of a haunting but with a much larger scope. The beings are not as you may think and this book sets up a series very nicely.
While it didn't find it particularly scary I certainly have found it intriguing and definitely will be reading more.
April 23, 2018
A group of paranormal investigators gets much more than they bargain for when they are hired by the Romola Foundation to investigate the centuries-old home of an English Lord, George Blaisdell.
What they don’t realize is in the year 1798 Lord Blaisdell opened a doorway that should never have been open, and now they will face unamiable evil, the Interloper, from a different realm who hate all humanity and will stop at nothing to us all.
This suspense-filled horror provides an interesting and creative twist to the old haunted house storyline.
What they don’t realize is in the year 1798 Lord Blaisdell opened a doorway that should never have been open, and now they will face unamiable evil, the Interloper, from a different realm who hate all humanity and will stop at nothing to us all.
This suspense-filled horror provides an interesting and creative twist to the old haunted house storyline.
September 24, 2025
This was okay. The cover might fool you a bit. It started off as a creepy haunted house tale, but as it progressed it moved more on the sci-fi spectrum, which effectively made it not as scary as I would have hoped it'd be.
May 17, 2018
I have been a fan of David's work for a very long time. He never ceases to amaze me with his imagination, and this book does not disappoint in that department. I finished it quickly, eagerly, hungrily, knowing well that Cthulhu would be proud :)
July 6, 2018
A group of paranormal investigators led by producer Matt McKay and paranormal expert Ted Gould, are sent to film and investigate the gloomy Malpas Abbey before it's permanently closed, but they get way more than they bargained for and are now stuck at the Abbey. The only hope they have is the basement and what it leads to.
This book sucked me in from the start. The prologue sees the owner of The Abbey, Lord Blaisdell, doing something that is the precursor to the events that happen in the book. I was immediately hooked on the authors style of writing and was intrigued to explore the Abbey more and see what happen. When the team come to film the Abbey, things start getting interesting! Even though they do the paranormal investigating for a living, this is more than they've ever experienced. The plot is well paced, exciting and has plenty of little twists that held me riveted.
I liked all the characters and thought they were all well developed. I enjoy watching Most Haunted so this was right up my alley. It had a spooky feel the whole way through and I'm really looking forward to book 2!! This is sure to be a great series.
I've listened to a good few books narrated by Thom Bowers and I feel like he is going from strength to strength as a narrator. His tones, voices and inflections are great and he brings the atmosphere to life. He also gives each character their own personality and it was easy to follow who was talking.
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
This book sucked me in from the start. The prologue sees the owner of The Abbey, Lord Blaisdell, doing something that is the precursor to the events that happen in the book. I was immediately hooked on the authors style of writing and was intrigued to explore the Abbey more and see what happen. When the team come to film the Abbey, things start getting interesting! Even though they do the paranormal investigating for a living, this is more than they've ever experienced. The plot is well paced, exciting and has plenty of little twists that held me riveted.
I liked all the characters and thought they were all well developed. I enjoy watching Most Haunted so this was right up my alley. It had a spooky feel the whole way through and I'm really looking forward to book 2!! This is sure to be a great series.
I've listened to a good few books narrated by Thom Bowers and I feel like he is going from strength to strength as a narrator. His tones, voices and inflections are great and he brings the atmosphere to life. He also gives each character their own personality and it was easy to follow who was talking.
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
October 6, 2022
I loved the idea that fairies and other similar myths are all actually shape shifting creatures from another dimension; fabulous. But the book was too short to really sink my teeth into and it gave me college fiction class vibes.
December 26, 2020
Not bad for a free ebook special! I’ll probably read more in the series eventually.
March 12, 2023
Very entertaining
May 25, 2023
A fast paced story, that kept me hooked from start to finish.
February 5, 2020
Kindle version.
This was the start of a good story. I think it needed a little more development. The structure was there, it just needed more meat on the bones.
The plot line is around a ghost hunter TV show, doing a special in England on a haunted abbey. Unbeknownst to the cast and crew, the person who brought them in has prior knowledge of the "haunting" of the abbey.
It seems that a portal to another world has been opened in the basement and "Interlopers" have been coming through and snatching humans.
I realize that this is a series and so the story may go on in the next installment, but much more could have been done with this piece.
This was the start of a good story. I think it needed a little more development. The structure was there, it just needed more meat on the bones.
The plot line is around a ghost hunter TV show, doing a special in England on a haunted abbey. Unbeknownst to the cast and crew, the person who brought them in has prior knowledge of the "haunting" of the abbey.
It seems that a portal to another world has been opened in the basement and "Interlopers" have been coming through and snatching humans.
I realize that this is a series and so the story may go on in the next installment, but much more could have been done with this piece.
February 16, 2022
I hate to give bad reviews, I really do because writing a novel and publishing it is something to be admired. BUT, this was absolutely horrible. It started out interesting - then we switch to present day with ghost hunters and from then on nothing makes sense.
The characters are totally confusing - who is who?? I constantly had to remind myself which one was which and what their roles in the story were. I still don't understand who Matt is!
It may have been bearable if the story played out a little - it rushed right into mayhem, never really giving us the true backstory.
It was definitely creepy tho - one star for that.
The characters are totally confusing - who is who?? I constantly had to remind myself which one was which and what their roles in the story were. I still don't understand who Matt is!
It may have been bearable if the story played out a little - it rushed right into mayhem, never really giving us the true backstory.
It was definitely creepy tho - one star for that.
November 28, 2018
Unsatisfying
This work has the creepy factor but it needs a decent amount of editing. The characters are easily confused and need further differentiation earlier. Even the author gets confused occasionally. I was surprised when I reached the epilogue because there was no wrap up I'm not even sure there's anything to wrap up.
This work has the creepy factor but it needs a decent amount of editing. The characters are easily confused and need further differentiation earlier. Even the author gets confused occasionally. I was surprised when I reached the epilogue because there was no wrap up I'm not even sure there's anything to wrap up.
October 10, 2022
Too painful to finish.
December 31, 2023
Framed in the doorway was a reddish-brown figure, crouching to allow it's curved goat horns to pas under the lintel. It was reddish-brown, cloven-footed, shaggy with clumps of black hair. It was the devil of a thousand Medieval pictures and carvings, the Satan of Dante and Milton. It's face was goat-like, smiling evilly, the eyes slits of orange fire. At the end of hugely muscled arms, it's hands sported wicked black talons.
Begining back in England, 1792 to Lord George Blaisdell, he was a ruler with sick and devious strings to Hell. Nothing could to off limits to a powerful man such as himself, and it includes tortured and sexual crimes. While entertaining several important men at the time, he allows it to spill he found the alter in the basement where Monks used sacrifices to appease the devil as a spit on God. High on liquor and doubting his claims, they all enter the basement where a servant brought out a baby pig swaddled in a blanket. Killing it stop the alter, George called for the Devil to appear and show himself, and unfortunately for everybody there he did show. Killing him and his few guests, he was quickly carried off into Hell, never to be seen or heard from again for over two hundred years.
I can't do this. I can't go in there.
Fast forwarded to the present day, and members of the Romola Foundation are gearing up for the ultimate collaboration at the most haunted location in Europe; the Malpas Abbey. Using two popular mediums; Brie Brownlee and Marvin Belsky, the group also included the host Ted Gould and fellow cast Frankie Dupont, Matt McKay and Denny. As they entered a home sealed yo for decades to find just how gay Ted a location can be, they open more doors than imaginable as the Interlopers are begining to rem-emerge from Hell itself. As rie is the first targeted by the deceased childhood friend who died of cancer, Denny also witnesses the Interloper as the face morphs back and forth. Terrorized and ready to leave, they enter the bricked entrance to the celler and see the alter carved with scary faces carved into it. When a portal to Hell opens and drop out of George and takes Frankie, everyone now fears what is next. Everyone who tried to leave would find it impossible, and many would end up dead before everything ended.
She never did grow up. She never got the chance.
When Denny decides to save her friend Frankie she enters a world so different from Earth. With trees and the ground alive, she rescues Lucy instead only to learn too late she's an Interloper. Horrified to see his younger sister who went missing decades earlier, Gould tells the tale of them trucking her to her abduction before his eyes. He tells of the body discovered days later and how it didn't belong to his sister at all, just a look a like as she was trapped in Hell. With so much deceit and death, it's hard to imagine why anyone would ever want to dance with the Devil, but so many continue to do so. With Lord George being experimented on and the symbiot on his back being cut away, researchers of the foundation are planning on using it to help other people enter the realm with the Interlopers.
"You make us what we are." It repeated. "We are the captives of your wildest holes, your darkest fears. And if you're kind of pretentious, so are we!"
Begining back in England, 1792 to Lord George Blaisdell, he was a ruler with sick and devious strings to Hell. Nothing could to off limits to a powerful man such as himself, and it includes tortured and sexual crimes. While entertaining several important men at the time, he allows it to spill he found the alter in the basement where Monks used sacrifices to appease the devil as a spit on God. High on liquor and doubting his claims, they all enter the basement where a servant brought out a baby pig swaddled in a blanket. Killing it stop the alter, George called for the Devil to appear and show himself, and unfortunately for everybody there he did show. Killing him and his few guests, he was quickly carried off into Hell, never to be seen or heard from again for over two hundred years.
I can't do this. I can't go in there.
Fast forwarded to the present day, and members of the Romola Foundation are gearing up for the ultimate collaboration at the most haunted location in Europe; the Malpas Abbey. Using two popular mediums; Brie Brownlee and Marvin Belsky, the group also included the host Ted Gould and fellow cast Frankie Dupont, Matt McKay and Denny. As they entered a home sealed yo for decades to find just how gay Ted a location can be, they open more doors than imaginable as the Interlopers are begining to rem-emerge from Hell itself. As rie is the first targeted by the deceased childhood friend who died of cancer, Denny also witnesses the Interloper as the face morphs back and forth. Terrorized and ready to leave, they enter the bricked entrance to the celler and see the alter carved with scary faces carved into it. When a portal to Hell opens and drop out of George and takes Frankie, everyone now fears what is next. Everyone who tried to leave would find it impossible, and many would end up dead before everything ended.
She never did grow up. She never got the chance.
When Denny decides to save her friend Frankie she enters a world so different from Earth. With trees and the ground alive, she rescues Lucy instead only to learn too late she's an Interloper. Horrified to see his younger sister who went missing decades earlier, Gould tells the tale of them trucking her to her abduction before his eyes. He tells of the body discovered days later and how it didn't belong to his sister at all, just a look a like as she was trapped in Hell. With so much deceit and death, it's hard to imagine why anyone would ever want to dance with the Devil, but so many continue to do so. With Lord George being experimented on and the symbiot on his back being cut away, researchers of the foundation are planning on using it to help other people enter the realm with the Interlopers.
"You make us what we are." It repeated. "We are the captives of your wildest holes, your darkest fears. And if you're kind of pretentious, so are we!"
January 29, 2024
i got this for free on kindle, but wasn't sure about writing a review. i saw at the end of the book that scare street reads all their books' reviews, which is what makes me hesitate. but i still want to record my thoughts in case future me wonders why i'm not continuing the series.
nitpicks first:
i didn't love that the main group of characters in present day were from the US. for lots of petty reasons. they were a tv crew of a paranormal investigation show, but of course they faked the results and played up the drama. i get that it works with the premise of bringing outsiders to a place all the locals know is dangerous...i guess i'm just bitter that the idiot crew had to be americans written by an english author, you know? i'm just sick of people/authors shitting on my country. it's a big place and we're not all The Worst. things like them calling a flashlight a torch or getting into a car in a panic and being able to drive easily sitting on the opposite side of the car and driving on the opposite side of the street. i guess it sounds really petty, but they're things that take me out of the story. as an american who watches a lot of british shows, i know a lot of the different terminology and expressions; if someone asked me to hand them a torch, i'd know what they meant, but i'd still call it a flashlight when i was speaking about it.
the writing...just didn't work for me. i picked up on an annoying amount of references: at least doctor who, hitchhiker's guide, and monty python, though there could've more my feeble american brain missed. the dialogue didn't sound like real people speaking either. one character talked about getting some "cool clothes" for a child, and right at the beginning someone said "whoa nelly" which is not something i've heard anyone say this... century. i also thought it was a thing i specifically struggled to remember, but i've seen other reviews that said the characters were hard to keep straight. for me, it's introducing a character by first and last name, then alternating which one people use. it's like how it took me forever to realize ned is a nickname for eddard and what the hell littlefinger's real name was when reading a song of ice and fire. my brain just can't handle too many names and nicknames sometimes, especially not when a character is first introduced.
the thing that upsets me most though is that SO many things about this book are things i absolutely love, which is why i'm inclined to think i just didn't click with the writing. (without spoilers) there's a point where things take a weird turn and i LOVE weird shit lol and the specific things that happened are things that i specifically have enjoyed reading before!! and thinking back, i love the ideas and remember those parts most clearly. i'm really sad i didn't love it. sigh.
there are also some weird continuity things my brain can't move past. again, no spoilers, but the reason this group were asked to investigate is eventually revealed/discovered, and it doesn't make sense that it would've happened before they arrived. it's a thing i noticed in ascension by nicolas binge as well; there's a creepy thing at the beginning that hooks you, but when it's explained how/why it happened, it makes absolutely no sense outside of the main story setting. for different spoilery reasons in each book, but still. it doesn't work.
good things, though!:
some seriously great ideas. and the weird parts were SO exactly the type of weird wtf is going on stuff i adore. by that point, i really didn't care what happened to any of the characters though (never really did, honestly) so the fear and worry for their safety just wasn't there.
the prologue! even though i had some trouble keeping the characters straight in my head, the whole idea of how it all started was so intriguing! and then when our american characters first show up at the abbey/house(?), things get weird fast. and the one scene maybe halfway in where one character is resting under a blanket...damn. i knew what was going on but the one character didn't and it made that part so much better! gloriously creepy.
as a final note and the last good thing: it was about 150 pages and it was free! so even if you're slightly interested in reading this, i say ignore my review and go for it! there are some really solid moments and if you get along with the writing style, you might love this = )
nitpicks first:
i didn't love that the main group of characters in present day were from the US. for lots of petty reasons. they were a tv crew of a paranormal investigation show, but of course they faked the results and played up the drama. i get that it works with the premise of bringing outsiders to a place all the locals know is dangerous...i guess i'm just bitter that the idiot crew had to be americans written by an english author, you know? i'm just sick of people/authors shitting on my country. it's a big place and we're not all The Worst. things like them calling a flashlight a torch or getting into a car in a panic and being able to drive easily sitting on the opposite side of the car and driving on the opposite side of the street. i guess it sounds really petty, but they're things that take me out of the story. as an american who watches a lot of british shows, i know a lot of the different terminology and expressions; if someone asked me to hand them a torch, i'd know what they meant, but i'd still call it a flashlight when i was speaking about it.
the writing...just didn't work for me. i picked up on an annoying amount of references: at least doctor who, hitchhiker's guide, and monty python, though there could've more my feeble american brain missed. the dialogue didn't sound like real people speaking either. one character talked about getting some "cool clothes" for a child, and right at the beginning someone said "whoa nelly" which is not something i've heard anyone say this... century. i also thought it was a thing i specifically struggled to remember, but i've seen other reviews that said the characters were hard to keep straight. for me, it's introducing a character by first and last name, then alternating which one people use. it's like how it took me forever to realize ned is a nickname for eddard and what the hell littlefinger's real name was when reading a song of ice and fire. my brain just can't handle too many names and nicknames sometimes, especially not when a character is first introduced.
the thing that upsets me most though is that SO many things about this book are things i absolutely love, which is why i'm inclined to think i just didn't click with the writing. (without spoilers) there's a point where things take a weird turn and i LOVE weird shit lol and the specific things that happened are things that i specifically have enjoyed reading before!! and thinking back, i love the ideas and remember those parts most clearly. i'm really sad i didn't love it. sigh.
there are also some weird continuity things my brain can't move past. again, no spoilers, but the reason this group were asked to investigate is eventually revealed/discovered, and it doesn't make sense that it would've happened before they arrived. it's a thing i noticed in ascension by nicolas binge as well; there's a creepy thing at the beginning that hooks you, but when it's explained how/why it happened, it makes absolutely no sense outside of the main story setting. for different spoilery reasons in each book, but still. it doesn't work.
good things, though!:
some seriously great ideas. and the weird parts were SO exactly the type of weird wtf is going on stuff i adore. by that point, i really didn't care what happened to any of the characters though (never really did, honestly) so the fear and worry for their safety just wasn't there.
the prologue! even though i had some trouble keeping the characters straight in my head, the whole idea of how it all started was so intriguing! and then when our american characters first show up at the abbey/house(?), things get weird fast. and the one scene maybe halfway in where one character is resting under a blanket...damn. i knew what was going on but the one character didn't and it made that part so much better! gloriously creepy.
as a final note and the last good thing: it was about 150 pages and it was free! so even if you're slightly interested in reading this, i say ignore my review and go for it! there are some really solid moments and if you get along with the writing style, you might love this = )
July 5, 2022
Hmm. This was an interesting one for me. On one hand I'm glad that I read it. It was a different author and a genre I like to read now and again, but don't always take the time to do. I like horror and mystery and the far out there at times.
I will say that this book had a good beginning. I was liking the ghost hunter type of experience that the author was painting at the beginning. That was cool and I was interested in seeing where the story was going to go and how it would all play out at the end.
Unfortunately, I got lost a few chapters in. The author introduced a bunch of characters but with not a lot of background information so at times it was tricky to keep track of who the characters were. And, the story also lost steam for me. In the beginning we're given this preface of the story that takes place back in the 1700's with this Lord conducting a ritual to summon the devil and then minions come and overtake the guests in his house. So...creepy satanic stuff. Flash forward the the ghost hunter show arrives to this home ready to figure out if the tales of this mansion are true and this place is actually haunted.
All well and good. But then we get creepy things happen that reminded me more of aliens than demons and there's weird portals opening and I felt I never really fully understood what was going on and the conclusion of the story was all over the place.
Eh.
But, happy I tried something different. This one just didn't work the best for me.
Reading Challenge 2022
Month: July Letters: M/N
I will say that this book had a good beginning. I was liking the ghost hunter type of experience that the author was painting at the beginning. That was cool and I was interested in seeing where the story was going to go and how it would all play out at the end.
Unfortunately, I got lost a few chapters in. The author introduced a bunch of characters but with not a lot of background information so at times it was tricky to keep track of who the characters were. And, the story also lost steam for me. In the beginning we're given this preface of the story that takes place back in the 1700's with this Lord conducting a ritual to summon the devil and then minions come and overtake the guests in his house. So...creepy satanic stuff. Flash forward the the ghost hunter show arrives to this home ready to figure out if the tales of this mansion are true and this place is actually haunted.
All well and good. But then we get creepy things happen that reminded me more of aliens than demons and there's weird portals opening and I felt I never really fully understood what was going on and the conclusion of the story was all over the place.
Eh.
But, happy I tried something different. This one just didn't work the best for me.
Reading Challenge 2022
Month: July Letters: M/N
February 8, 2024
Book 178 - David Longhorn - Nightmare Abbey
This was an interesting and quite disturbing diversion in the macabre. The story begins with a few well worn horror tropes…a summoning set in a cellar in an old English stately home in the dim and distant past and then a jump to the present day and a US TV series that investigates the supernatural and effectively debunks them…seems like the setting for a rather run of the mill creepy tale…thankfully this is anything but that.
Dealing with ghosts or potentially creatures from another dimension…the film crew are caught up in a series of downright spooky goings on as one by one they are attacked and seemingly replaced by other dimensionally copies of themselves…very reminiscent of the great 1950s Sci-fi move ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’.
Sometimes the simplest of tales are the scariest…this one was fabulous. A strange fog…creatures that could read your worst fears and make them manifold…and want you body and soul…a mysterious Foundation that tracks and wants to study these ‘Interlopers’ from somewhere else…leads to a terrifying denouement where we discover what these creatures really want…brilliant…so good.
With more than a smidge of ‘Stranger Things’ it is disturbing…scary…and really well written…with 5 more books to come in the series I may very well return to the world of the ‘Romola Foundation’…
This was an interesting and quite disturbing diversion in the macabre. The story begins with a few well worn horror tropes…a summoning set in a cellar in an old English stately home in the dim and distant past and then a jump to the present day and a US TV series that investigates the supernatural and effectively debunks them…seems like the setting for a rather run of the mill creepy tale…thankfully this is anything but that.
Dealing with ghosts or potentially creatures from another dimension…the film crew are caught up in a series of downright spooky goings on as one by one they are attacked and seemingly replaced by other dimensionally copies of themselves…very reminiscent of the great 1950s Sci-fi move ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’.
Sometimes the simplest of tales are the scariest…this one was fabulous. A strange fog…creatures that could read your worst fears and make them manifold…and want you body and soul…a mysterious Foundation that tracks and wants to study these ‘Interlopers’ from somewhere else…leads to a terrifying denouement where we discover what these creatures really want…brilliant…so good.
With more than a smidge of ‘Stranger Things’ it is disturbing…scary…and really well written…with 5 more books to come in the series I may very well return to the world of the ‘Romola Foundation’…
August 1, 2020
I don't read a lot of modern horror, because, to be quite honest, it generally does not have enough atmosphere or suspense to suit me. Nightmare Abbey started off quite well, with a scene set in the past. The characters are dabbling where they shouldn't, and attract the attention of an otherworldly entity. The tension builds from moment to moment until the creature makes its presence known.
The very next chapter jumps to modern times, and the tale takes a sharp turn into "Faux Reality" television, with the new set of characters come to spend the night in the haunted abbey to "ghost hunt." From here, the story reads like more of a behind the scenes look at the fakery of ghost hunter programs. Yes there are monsters, murder, and mayhem, but the feel and atmosphere is not as well developed as the initial chapter.
This isn't a bad book, I just didn't find it to be great, either. By the end, I had not developed enough sympathy for the surviving characters to read the next in the series.
The very next chapter jumps to modern times, and the tale takes a sharp turn into "Faux Reality" television, with the new set of characters come to spend the night in the haunted abbey to "ghost hunt." From here, the story reads like more of a behind the scenes look at the fakery of ghost hunter programs. Yes there are monsters, murder, and mayhem, but the feel and atmosphere is not as well developed as the initial chapter.
This isn't a bad book, I just didn't find it to be great, either. By the end, I had not developed enough sympathy for the surviving characters to read the next in the series.
October 22, 2022
I didn’t expect much from this book. Scare Street is a sort of horror press that seems to go for volume and quantity over quality and its authors are likely to follow the suit. At least, in my experience prior to this. And yet, this one was actually a perfectly decent read.
A by-the-numbers horror, certainly, with a haunted abbey located in one of those thin places where realities bleed together and a paranormal team investigating it, but all the elements were well done.
Strong descriptions, engaging characters, good dialogue, nice creepy atmosphere, dynamic pacing. All that. Made for a fun very quick read.
It’s possible that the (conspicuously prolific as in can't-possibly-maintain-quality-over-such-output prolific) author simply understands that the first book in the series has to be strong enough to attract the readership, but that’s just good business. And based on this book, one might not be disinclined to check out further entries in the Nightmare series. All in all, pretty good for a freebie.
A by-the-numbers horror, certainly, with a haunted abbey located in one of those thin places where realities bleed together and a paranormal team investigating it, but all the elements were well done.
Strong descriptions, engaging characters, good dialogue, nice creepy atmosphere, dynamic pacing. All that. Made for a fun very quick read.
It’s possible that the (conspicuously prolific as in can't-possibly-maintain-quality-over-such-output prolific) author simply understands that the first book in the series has to be strong enough to attract the readership, but that’s just good business. And based on this book, one might not be disinclined to check out further entries in the Nightmare series. All in all, pretty good for a freebie.
April 22, 2021
So I feel like I psyched myself out a little before reading this book, and when I say that I mean, from the reviews it looked like I was going to hate it. This book has been in my to read for a long-time because I love these kinds of books, it was short so I thought i'd give it a shot!
At first I really didn't like it at all, the beginning scene honestly didn't really make sense at all even after I read the book. I think the author just didn't deliver it correctly. I also had a really hard time trying to identify all the characters because nothing really stood out to me. I really only remembered Denny (which was hard at first because it was a girl, not a man) and then Gould, or "Ted." The more I read though the more I enjoyed it and I am actually very happy with the ending and all that happened. I am glad there are more books to come!
Overall, give this book a try... if you love horror and other dimensions, I think you'll enjoy this quick read!
At first I really didn't like it at all, the beginning scene honestly didn't really make sense at all even after I read the book. I think the author just didn't deliver it correctly. I also had a really hard time trying to identify all the characters because nothing really stood out to me. I really only remembered Denny (which was hard at first because it was a girl, not a man) and then Gould, or "Ted." The more I read though the more I enjoyed it and I am actually very happy with the ending and all that happened. I am glad there are more books to come!
Overall, give this book a try... if you love horror and other dimensions, I think you'll enjoy this quick read!
June 29, 2018
"There are worse than us." With these ominous words scratched into the wall of an abandoned abbey in England, a crew of paranormal investigators leave with their lives - barely. Demons have been summoned from the otherworld in an ancient rite and now can enter our world at will. They make nightmares for the investigators and anyone else who happens to find themselves in their path.
This book differs from other haunted house books I've read recently in that there are no ghosts, per se. That doesn't make this book any less creepy. There are plenty of unresolved issues that make me want to read the next book in this series. Good stuff.
This book differs from other haunted house books I've read recently in that there are no ghosts, per se. That doesn't make this book any less creepy. There are plenty of unresolved issues that make me want to read the next book in this series. Good stuff.
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