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Warding by Kev Harrison | Book Review
Kev Harrison proves he can put his magic to anything, whether that’s writing about European Folklore or in the case of Warding, a story of supernatural proportions. As always with Harrison’s work I was intrigued by the premise but let me tell you – nothing prepared me for the intensity and claustrophobia that would have me enthralled. He is the master of uneasiness and reading Warding was no different. It’s a novelette but incredibly fast paced with a small bunch of characters that are instantly relatable with values and working moral compasses. Warding has done the impossible. How on earth can you pack in bucket loads of emotion, heart and…
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The Echoed Realm by A.J. Vrana | Book Review
The Echoed Realm…a masterpiece that reminded me absolutely of a love affair between the horror movie Insidious and The Mist. Miya’s back and I’ve fallen in love with these characters even more, didn’t think that was possible but that is the magic being summoned by the incredibly talented Vrana. If you haven’t read The Hollow Gods…rectify that immediately, its ethereal, haunting and the narrative is as likely to leave a hole in you as the devastating plot. Writers who leave you staring into the void with anguish and joy at the ending is something to cherish and Vrana is no exception. The Echoed Realm takes place three years after catastrophic…
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Shelter for The Damned by Mike Thorn | Book Review
Shelter for the Damned spins a tale of teenage rage and angst mirrored with the events occurring in the shack. Set the scene…A shack in the middle of a field, it has an exorable pull to the protagonist, Mark. It almost calls to him like a voice in the wind, a siren call. Thorn has a cutthroat ability to reel you in, a writing style so sharp and penetrating that it threatens to tear you open, layer by layer. It is a brutal examination of the emotions and turmoil that teenagers battle with. Shelter for the Damned felt like the lovechild of Barker and King. I’m not a huge fan…
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Banished by Lou Yardley | Review
Banished is the newest offering from one of my favourite indie authors, Lou Yardley. She teaches us that deception is a fruit best left well alone. Every village has its secrets and Elkbury is no exception, the residents will find this out the hard way. Wren, Hedwin and the villagers will come to regret no questioning everything. On the outside it seems they all have the perfect life – a safe village to live out their lives, no death and disease, all thanks to a secret ceremony called The Banishment. You know what they say about illusions, they are there to be shattered. The Banishment ceremony should ensure that murder…
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Misfits by Hunter Shea | Blog Tour
misfits /ˈmɪsfɪt/ noun a person whose behaviour or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably conspicuous way: “a motley collection of social misfits” The definition behind the word is a whole spectrum of meanings. What is your definition of normal and do you fit nicely inside it. I would probably class myself as a bit of a misfit, I don’t follow the crowd, I don’t follow trends and I’m a massive geek. This is a story about a group of five friends, those who have never fitted in, who have never fitted into that perfect mould that society has deemed, normal. The stoners, the kids with traumatic childhoods and…
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The Raven by Jonathan Janz | Blog Tour
What do you associate with an awesome reading experience? The final page has been digested, the last word consumed, and time feels like it has literally stood still. The Raven made me feel like I was in a different place…in a different time. The book felt like it was magnetised to my fingers. If I had to put it down to do you know, adulty things, I ended up looking for any excuse to get straight back to it. I’m ashamed to say that this was my first Jonathan Janz book, but it will a gazillion per cent not be the last. The Raven was fully inhaled in one sitting…