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Halloween Fiend by C.V. Hunt | Book Review
Halloween Fiend is a seriously creepy tale. The residents of Strang (yup, Strange without the E) know not to go out after sundown. The streets are eerie and quiet, but that’s not the only thing that is wrong with this town. They are haunted by an entity that prowls the streets. The only thing that stops them being killed is the sacrifice of small animals being left on their doorsteps. Apparently, guinea pigs and the likes are a tasty snack for the creature that is called Halloween. Once a year however, someone gets the dot – a term for a randomly selected resident to satiate the monster for another year. …
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The Underclass by Dan Weatherer | Review
Right from the start The Underclass grabs you by the throat. Its spindly fingers reach out, the flesh dripping like a tap that can never be switched off. It is an intriguing take on the zombie trope; the idea that a sense of consciousness and emotion can remain intact was one that initiated deep thought…is everything that we have seen in Hollywood zombie movies just glorified the creation as brain hungry street walkers? Imagine dying in some accident only to come to and realise that you are now an undead version of yourself, only your spouse and relations want nothing to do with you? That is the dilemma that is…
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Generation Z by Peter Meredith | Book Review
Generation Z is a post-apocalyptic Zombie novel that didn’t hit home with me. It could have been something entirely different if the first half of the novel wasn’t being written solely for the second half. The cover instantly grabbed me, and it looked like it was right down my alley. Just from reading the first chapter I could tell that this series was a spin off from a much larger world and it did feel like I was missing out on a lot of the backstory and the world building in general. Generation Z did the zombie interpretation fantastically. The imagery and the fear were palpable, and I did find…
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The Night Silver River Run Red by Christine Morgan | Review
Oh, holy hell, The Night Silver River Run Red has been the cataclysmic explosion of me falling into a Western Splatter rabbit hole! I’ve written in a previous review that women authors are writing the gory and dark with abandon. It’s in your face, it’s messy and it is completely unapologetic. Surely some things are worth a whipping, right? The opportunity to see the marvels of a travelling show is too much to bypass. Is it worth much more? Being torn to shreds, witnessing bloodshed beyond all their worst nightmares, a sleepy hollow of a town, ran red the gore as much of their history as anything that came before.…
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25 Gates of Hell by Brian Keene |Review
25 Gates of Hell is perpetually locked in the darkness. It is a frank and conclusive investigation of how dark humanity can be. 25 stories from 25 writers, each one steeping into the fires of hell unsure of whether they could escape again. As the title suggests, each story is focussed on the opening of hells gates and the implications upon mankind. Each one is gritty, dark as hell and it kept my black heart beating for a little while longer. 25 Gates of Hell reminded me just why I love Horror short stories. They are quick to the point, devastating to the point of despair and they can display…
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The Hobgoblin of Little Minds by Mark Matthews | Review
The Hobgoblin of Little Minds…just how on earth do you review something of such important magnitude? The implications, the research, and the depth of such a poetic narrative…it blew my mind. This is the type of book that authors spend their entire careers trying to pen. The depth of feeling took it to a higher level, the bar being set with flair and empathy. This is the kind of horror that gets my gears churning, there is nothing more horrifying than the human condition and Matthews handed me a hand grenade. The Hobgoblin of Little Minds was a journey. Get that seatbelt locked in tight because you will suffer whiplash…