book reviews
Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.
The Trilogy of the Jars
I hoped to create a worthwhile piece of literature and wound up writing three books, which I have dubbed The Trilogy of the Jars. The novels are available now on Amazon.
Marten HoylePublished 4 days ago in Horror
Shapeshifting Night Owl
Eeringly hooting, silently gazing, & territorially possessing, Malor is waiting in bone penetrating darkness for his prey. His focus and will are without flexibility in this moment. His readiness of action is still and immaculate. Malor has been waiting to devour his prey with joyable ruthlessness. How could Malor feel any mercy for a man that abused his mother, privately molested him, and cowardly got rid of his dog that his mother and father bought him for his fifth birthday?
ROSE
ROSE is a fantasy-horror novel by Rami Ungar that tells the story of Rose Taggert, a 21-year old sociology graduate, specializing in criminology who awakens in a greenhouse with no clear memory of the past two years of her life and discovers that her body is in the process of transforming into a human/plant hybrid. Root-like tentacles are emerging from her neck; a crown of rose-buds is growing out of her head and her skin has turned green.
Eric B. RuarkPublished 10 days ago in Horror
Reed's Literary Horror Review of 'Through The Deep Forest' by Russell C. Connor (2021)
Yeah, this is a pretty good dark fantasy. It's not my favorite read coming out of 2020, but then this is my first for 2021 and had its hooks in pretty deep. Already I'm giving this one my ADHD seal of approval. I found it easier to consume than most of the books I read in 2020 which is an impressive feat, in of itself. Seriously, getting me to throw back 100 pages in a single sitting just never happens. Due to my severe ADHD, it can take me a good week to read a whole book, this one I took down in three days.
Reed AlexanderPublished 13 days ago in Horror
The Psychology of The Haunting of Hill House
It's rare for a novel to genuinely earn the term “psychological horror.” Haunted house stories, along many others in the horror genre, tend to rely on our more primal responses to make an impression. Vampires, serial killers, and demonic spirits can be used effectively to disturb us, but rarely do creatures like these confront a person's identity, persona, and insecurities so palpably. With Shirley Jackson's novel, however, these are the essential elements at play. Through the delicate language used to express her characters' thoughts and feelings, built up with layers of personal experiences exacerbated by inexplicable forces, we're given a story that turns out the psyches of those characters for us to feel, empathize with, and above all, to share in their terror.
Sanya WalmaPublished 19 days ago in Horror
The Worm and His Kings
A friend of mine gave me this book knowing what a fan I am of all things Gothic, Horror and Fantasy. And from the get-go, let me just say that I wasn’t disappointed. Hailey Piper’s novella transcends the LGBTQ niche in which it is usually placed. It is truly a magnificent story.
Eric B. RuarkPublished 20 days ago in Horror
Upcoming Book
The horror genre has always been close to my heart. A child of the 80’s I grew up among some of the most disturbing horrific characters that have ever come across the big screen 📺 as well as the tv screen. Kudos to Stephen King for his “It” that either instilled in me a fear of clowns 🤡 or it exacerbated it.
Works From The True Masters Of Fear And Anxiety
Fear is part of the fundamental core of human existence, as connected to the basic functions of survival and the psyche as the survival instinct or the need to mate. Fear and anxiety, therefore, are among the staples of any genre that deems itself fit to entertain the masses, an art form to be mastered in the hands of a true artiste. Fear, dread, and anxiety are all integral components of any successful horror story, for example, but not everyone who writes horror manages to get the mix of the important elements — pacing, plot, and characterization — all of which must be just right to create a classic that will frighten generations long after the first copy was printed. There are a few that manage to accomplish the difficult feat of being eternal in their horror and long-lasting in their ability to turn anxiety into outright terror.
Reed's Literary Horror Review of 'While The Witch Whispered a Prayer' by Alan L. Perkins (2020)
Is Historical Urban Fantasy a thing? That's what this comes down to; a Historical Fiction that is also a Dark Fantasy. While it definitely has a hard horror edge, I wouldn't classify it as horror. It's more of an action-adventure which is why I consider it Dark Fantasy. But GOOD LORD the historical accuracy of this Dark Fantasy is engrossing.
Reed AlexanderPublished about a month ago in Horror
Fallen by Lauren Kate - Book Review
This review was originally written in 2016 and published on Goodreads: This is a book was sitting on my bookshelf since I was sixteen, but I never got round to actually reading it and as I was recently given the rest of the series and the film adaptation is due for release this September, I thought I should finally read it.
BloodLaw by Blaise Ramsay
The chills. The thrills. The overwhelming sense of impending dread that conjures images of pure nightmare fuel. This is what makes a good monster story.
Warren JohnsonPublished about a month ago in Horror
Reed's Literary Horror Review of 'Blood of the Sun' by Lee Murray and Dan Rabarts (2020)
I'm impressed by the way this writer duo created vivid scenes using very subtle descriptions. The best way to captivate your audience is to let the reader construct their own experience between what's described and what's not. Getting too bogged down in the details can be a slog. For readers like me, with severe ADHD, too much detail is sure to stymie the imagination and make the read boring. So, when a writer casually works the details in with the flow of the stories and characters, It makes for better immersion and a far more enjoyable read... for me anyway.
Reed AlexanderPublished 2 months ago in Horror
