This is No Christmas Carol

Dead of Winter Review

Dead of Winter

It’s often said that the best fiction is built on a foundation of truth. And in Dead of Winter, Angus Houvouras manages to do just that by expanding on the well documented premise of the Nazi penchant for pushing the bounds of scientific and medical experimentation, without any regard for the consequences.

So, bearing that in mind, just take a quick look at the blurb:

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The Third Reich has created an undead Nazi killing machine. Can a handful of American soldiers prevent this seemingly indestructible monster from escaping the POW camp and prevent the research of a crazed doctor from turning the world into a battlefield of bloodthirsty bioengineered machines?

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Short and sweet, eh?

And cunningly understated too, as Houvouras initially introduces us to the story in 1949 – as told from the point of view of an investigator – hunting down those responsible for the many atrocities committed by the Third Reich during the Second World War. A subtle strategy, as this opening character is extremely thorough. He’s resilient. And his actions are portrayed using the flavor of a noir murder-mystery detective novel.

A clever move, for it not only draws you in from the outset, but sets the mood for what’s to come very nicely . . .

And for THAT we then take a trip back through time, to eastern France in 1944. The German army is in retreat, leaving certain bases and installations vulnerable to capture and exploitation by the advancing allied armies. And the master planners of the Third Reich are worried, because they’ve been abusing their power and treating the people they’ve oppressed like cattle, experimenting on them, and using foul means to achieve unholy results.

When a U.S. army unit is charged with clearing the hamlet of L’hiver, they have no idea of the horrors that await them, for a secluded facility just outside of town harbors dark secrets. Oh yes, the Nazis have tried to destroy all trace of the diabolical machinations taking place there . . . but they weren’t thorough enough, and when the U.S. army moves in? Let’s just say, what they find is as alarming as it is hard to believe. And the death count starts to rise, because how do you kill something that just won’t die?

You’ll find out, in an engaging, well-paced story that hooks onto the ‘echo’ inside – you know, that part of us that ‘just has to find out’ what happens next – and leads you along toward a finale back in 1949, containing a twist that is oh so sweet. . .

A great example of how to end a thriller properly.

Amazon Review

 Mosey On Over To My Review Of. . .

Ghosts of Crimson Hollow

As my followers will have discerned, I’ve been mixing my reading list up a bit lately. Dipping my toes into genres and sub-genres I haven’t really tried all that much in the past. Crossover novels; straightforward horror thrillers; mixed genre. And the reason for that is quite simple: Enjoyment!

Although I’m an avid sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal buff, I’ve been missing out on whole worlds of fun. So I thought I’d take my adventures that one step further, and try something that mixes the spirit of freedom, individualism and adventure of a western, with the nail-biting, crawling up your spine suspense of a horror. And the Ghosts of Crimson Hollow by Jon Dobbin fitted the bill quite nicely. Here’s the blurb:

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Jim Colton is a loner living on the outskirts of the dying town of Crimson Hollow. Content in his ways, Colton lives off the land with no one to keep him company besides his trusty horse, Bill. That all changes when he meets archaeologists Basil Forsythe and Alice Green.

Hired as a guide and guard, Colton leads them to a local wonder— a large sinkhole made of red rock. There the archaeologists begin their exploration, and people start dying.

Problem is, the dead don’t stay dead.

With a handful of survivors, and the town of Crimson Hollow in danger, Colton is faced with the choice to either be a leader and take a stand or leave them all to die.

Either way, Colton is going to be haunted by the ghosts of Crimson Hollow.

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Cool eh?

Think of the cowboy legend, Shane, set down in a Legend of Sleepy Hollow situation, with all the blunt realism incorporated within the 2017 revisionist Western, Hostiles, and you’ll capture the mood of Jon Dobbin’s adventure quite nicely. Because, believe me. This is one tidy adventure you won’t want to miss.

What I particularly enjoyed about this story is that it was soundly constructed, well thought out, and simply delivered in a style and language that allows you to immerse yourself in Jim Colton’s life. As well it should.

Colton is a loner. A survivor who lives a solitary life, fending for himself in the wide expanse of a land can be as much an enemy as it is your friend. While out hunting one day, he does a good deed that turns into something of an obligation. An obligation that ends up dragging him into all sorts of trouble.

How so?

Well, when you’re used to a maverick lifestyle, the sudden arrival of devious treasure hunters; naïve damsels in distress; foolhardy hangers-on who are not only too trusting in their duplicitous boss, but totally unprepared for the dangers ahead can cause quite the headache. Especially when they seem determined to ignore local knowledge regarding cursed caves, and forge blindly ahead, delving into things best left alone.

And when things do eventually go belly up, a town full of disbelieving folk isn’t the best place to be when your life’s on the line. So, how does Colton dig himself out of this mess?

You’ll see, in a rather entertaining adventure that leaves you feeling as appreciative of the fun you’ve just had, as you are of the eventual outcome. (No spoilers).

On a personal note, I was also intrigued, in a strangely reminiscent way, about Jim Colton’s character. And that’s a good thing, as every author wants to leave their readers wanting more. So, roll on the next Jim Colton adventure. It's as much dastardly fun as you can have with your hat on!

Amazon Review

Goodreads Review

 The Beast From Beyond

The Beast From Beyond

I don’t know about you, but I’m attracted to stories that stand out as unique. And while I do have a preference – you know, a style, a theme and a genre that I always seem attracted to – I also like to keep my eye open for those examples that differ from the norm.

And ‘different’ is what you get with Sam Phillips’ The Beast From Beyond, Book 1 of the Dead Sun Chronicles.

Here’s the blurb:

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The sun is dying and with it the Earth. Ryon Barker is a young man aboard a ship fleeing into the unknown abyss of space, but where exactly are they heading? Inter-dimensional demons lurk in the shadows beyond reality, waiting to guide Ryon and the ship towards a horrifying destiny no one is prepared to confront. As the Beast looms in his waking nightmares and terrifying visions haunt his fevered mind, Ryon must navigate his parent’s high expectations for his future while living up to his own hopes for love and purpose.

But how will he overcome the cosmic forces which seek to use him as a pawn in a game bigger than reality itself?

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Our story develops from the perspective of Ryon Barker. A young man who, for all the wrong reasons, stands out from the rest of the crew. His mother just so happens to be the ship’s captain. His father is the chief medical officer. And Ryon himself? He’s something of a social misfit who doesn’t fit in. He’s ‘complicated’ and has a tendency to avoid everyday challenges by overanalyzing everything and procrastinating. This makes him come across as an obstinate whiner. Don’t get me wrong, he has a small circle of friends. But even they are irritated by his attitude, because, instead of making any attempt to integrate himself into the sterile environment and routine aboard the ship, Ryon holds them at arm’s length, preferring the solitude of the engine room over the company of friends.

And that’s a problem, because the engine room is where the void drive is housed, a physics-warping dynamo that wreaks havoc on human physiology. As you can imagine, Ryon soon falls ill, and succumbs to a malady that is more like an invasive infection that exotic radiation poisoning.

An apt analogy, for as the infection spreads, Ryon finds himself able to peer through the veil separating the real world from what lies beyond/within/without, making him question his grasp on reality, and reminding us of an old adage: when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you . . .

Only in this case, it speaks!

Eerie, insidious stuff.

I will admit that it took me a while to adapt to Phillip’s writing style, but once I had, I was able to progress at a comfy pace and relate to how the story arc was developing. And it develops well, containing insidious, classic sci-fi elements that help reveal what’s going on inside Ryon’s head as much as it lays the foundations for what’s to come. And I get the feeling the crew of this ship had better hold on.

Spacefaring spookiness.

Amazon Review

 See My Smashing Review Of. . .

The Girls Who Break Out

Having reviewed The Girls Who Come Back – the opening chapter of The Beyond series several weeks ago, I was itching to find out what happens next, in The Girls Who Break Out.

Here’s the blurb to set the mood:

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Kate, Caro, and Darcy are very special girls. They used to be dead, and now they’re not, but they are trapped in the Institute. Dr Kerry Sullivan, Kate’s mother, brought them back. Now she’s poking around inside their heads. And they don’t like it, especially Kate.

Kate starts to turn the girls against their keepers, making Kerry’s job even more difficult. And, as if Kerry doesn’t have enough to do keeping the girls in check, another crisis erupts threatening the future of the Institute and her work. When Kate learns their time might soon run out, she and the others form a plan to escape. Caro and Darcy don’t want to hurt anyone. But Kate doesn’t feel the same way. She’s getting out. Even if it means there will be blood.

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So, it would seem that all is not well in the world of Kate and Co, and they’re determined to change the playing field so that it suits their particular needs more readily. The trouble is, to do that, they have get out. And rightly so. The powers-that-be seem to have had enough of their antics, and, suspicious of the girl’s real motives and condition, are now intent on pulling the plug. Lives are in danger . . . But whose lives? And from where does the real danger originate?

Yes, events are beginning to spiral out of control within the institute, and everyone – living AND dead – are becoming embroiled in a situation that is as much cat and mouse as it is a game of chess. One wrong move and the hunters become the hunted.

But how to pick a side when the Beyond is determined to interfere?

I rather enjoyed this second installment of the series. The mood becomes far more menacing; the pace more frantic; the threads binding everything together, even more intriguing and complex than before.  And that’s a good thing. Because it’s often said that we are our own worst enemy. Do you see? We writers have to exploit that when it comes to storytelling. Authors need to bait their readers and trigger those parts of their imagination that conjure up all sorts of what-ifs and what-was-that’s? Yes, we have to squeeze their emotional triggers, because only then will we increase the tension and suspense in the minds of our audience. And L’Erin Ogle manages to achieve this quite well, as I couldn’t help but become involved in the fates of the various characters portrayed, while trying to work out what they Beyond might be, and what it is, exactly, that drives it. So kudos there.

And better still . . . there’s more to come.
(And I promise you, no mirrors or windows were hurt in making this review) 

Amazon Review Link

 See My Tempered Review of. . .

Iron Widow

I’ve often mentioned that I’m the kinda guy who is drawn to quality writing. But it isn’t just the quality that attracts me. No, to truly appeal, it has to be ‘different’ in an unconventional, offbeat way that makes it stand out as special. Ethereal, like Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere; Powerful, like Mike Shackle’s Last War series; unique, as is definitely the case with Tyler Whitesides’ Kingdom of Grit series . . .

. . . and as is definitely the case with Iron Widow, by cow-suit toting Xiran Jay Zhao.

Just fight your way past one of the most amazing covers I’ve seen in a long time, (you know me and my penchant for an eye-catching first impression), and take a look at the blurb. You’ll see why I was hooked from the outset.

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The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
 
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​
 
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

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Bam!

Part of me finds it incredibly difficult to write a review about this book, because there’s sooo much detail I’d like to include that it would end up spoiling the actual surprise. So, I’ll leave that part for Xiran Jay Zhao and her champion – Wu Zetian, the Iron Maiden – to do that for me. As well I should, for you’ll soon be immersed in a tale that is as action packed as it is suspenseful; as exasperating as it is cathartic; and as is infuriating as it is fully satisfying.

Why?

Because this is as much a story about the fight against prejudice and bigotry as it is against the Hundun, a relentless foe from another world out to squash the human race from existence. As the blurb reveals, mankind’s system for fighting the Hundun is bias, for females are looked on as nothing more than elemental batteries, used by the male pilots to help power the giant combat mecha machines. And if their energy runs out? Well, that’s okay. After all, there are lots of other girls to take their place.

Oh really?

Enter Wu Zetian. . .

What follows is truly cinematic in scope. Think Pacific Rim meets The Hunger Games, but it all takes place within the Matrix. And everyone is Agent Smith, out to get you.

Better still; navigate the unfolding drama as if you’re Zetian. You’ll embark on a personal journey of revenge and revelation; of evolving love and devolving empathy; of duty, compromise and betrayal. Most of all, you’ll find yourself refusing to bend to an unfair, unjust system, and doing everything you possibly can to survive against overwhelming odds. And it’s all wrapped up in a rampaging, primal scream of an epic that will take your breath away. It really will, as there’s one hell of a twist on the final page that threatens to change everything!

(But the clues are there, seeded throughout the story if you care to look).

Iron Widow: Without doubt, one of the best science fiction/fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. And who knows, perhaps Xiran Jay Zhao will set a trend, encouraging us all to dress as our favorite farm animal?
(I’ll stick to my tutu for now) J

Amazon Review

 No Boomerangs Required!

See my Review of. . .

The Girls Who Come Back

I was drawn to this, the first of The Beyond series, as the subject matter is something that I’m sure intrigues us all: What happens when we die?
Better still, what happens if you try to answer that question within the setting of a dark fantasy thriller, where scientists are meddling in things that should best be left alone?

Here’s a clue:

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In the backwoods of the Midwest, Dr Kerry Sullivan is raising the dead. All she wants to do is fix the girls, so they don’t break again. And all Kate, Kerry’s daughter, wants is to escape this world, but Kerry keeps dragging her back into it.

What Kerry doesn’t know is that the girls didn’t come back from the grave alone. Something returned with them. And now they’re learning they have the power to change the world around them just by thinking about it.

As Kate starts to exert dominance over the other girls, tensions rise. Secrets come out. And the girls who came back don’t want to be fixed. Especially Kate. She wants something else.

Revenge.

 

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Yes, what would you do if you had the power to resurrect the dead? After all, it’s something that has captured the imagination of mankind for as long as we’ve been able to conceptualize the concept of death, and what might occur once our threescore years and ten have expired.

The thing is, if we ever did gain the ability to bring people back, should we? Well, L’Erin Ogle answers that question from a rather provocative angle within, The Girls Who Come Back.

Now, I apologize at the outset if certain aspects of the review are a little bland. As my readers know by now, I often sacrifice detail to maintain the element of surprise, especially if the plot is a corker. And The Girls Who Come Back promises exactly that. As the blurb hints, the subjects Dr. Kerry Sullivan brings back from the ‘other side’ are different.

Just how different is up to you to discover in a cracking thriller that maintains an eerie sense of tension, by telling the story through the various perspectives of all the different people involved – staff and girls alike. In doing so, Ogle manages to weave a subtle mood of sufferance, sterility and inevitability into their voices. A clever strategy, as that evokes an invasive detachment of emotion. It’s almost as if the victims accept the inevitability of their situation, as much as none of the staff really caring what happens to them. They’re dismissive. Dispassionate. Angry. And that anger is the blue touch paper to the flame threatening to ignite trouble.

And trouble is most definitely brewing. Because, while the girls might be dismissive of their safety, you end up wanting answers. You want closure. You want to know what is that comes back from the other side with the girls, and how it affects them.

As I say, this is a cleverly conceived, deep, and provocatively sinister psychological thriller. And something the darkness in all of us can relate to. 

I look forward to seeing how the story develops.

Amazon Review

Goodreads

 No Superglue Required!

This is One Story That Doesn't Need Fixing

This Broken World

I’ve been a follower of Charles E. Gannon for a while now, and his Caine Riordan novels in particular. I enjoy his writing style, and the effort he puts into his world building. So, when I heard he was releasing an epic fantasy novel, it was a foregone conclusion I’d just have to take a look. And This Broken World doesn’t disappoint.

Here’s a little taster of what you can expect:

 

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A young man must face dangers from without and within—and question everything he believes to be true.

Since boyhood, Druadaen expected he’d ascend to the command of an elite legion and become the leader his father predicted he would be. However, fate had something different in store.

Assigned instead to a small group of outriders tasked with watching nearby kingdoms, Druadaen discovers that the world beyond his homeland is riddled with impossibilities. How do humanoid raiders, known as the Bent, suffer staggering losses and yet return as a vast horde every decade? How do multi-ton dragons fly? How have fossils formed in a world which sacrists insist has existed for only ten millennia?

Determined to solve these mysteries, Druadaen journeys into the dank warrens of the Bent, seeks out a dragon’s lair, and ventures into long-buried ruins in search of ancient scrolls. But, whereas legends tell of heroes who encounter their greatest perils during just such forays into the unknown, Druadaen’s most lethal enemies might lurk in even more unusual places:

The temples and council chambers of his own homeland.

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Intrigued? You should be, as what follows is a rather delightful journey across the world of Arrdanc, as told from the prospective of Druadaen, a young man who is more – much more – than he appears. Orphaned; backed by hidden sponsors; possessed of inexplicable talents; naïve in many ways, and yet wise beyond his years, his life’s journey meanders through tragedy, disappointment, failure and frustration, through enforced mundanity, to eventual high adventure. And darn it all, I can’t go into any real detail, because to do so would give away important details from the story arc . . . and that kinda stuff you need to uncover for yourselves.

But you’ll be glad you did, as Gannon has created a truly astounding world that draws you in, only to keep you entertained from beginning to end. As well it should. Because remember, we’re following the personal experiences of young Druaden, who, along the way to becoming one of the most competent outriders the kingdom has ever produced, meets more than his fair share of adventures. Fortune hunters; assassins; denizens of the undergloom; friendly giants; unfriendly wayfarers; and to top it all, snarky dragons possessing a cutting wit.

It makes for great reading. The pace is comfortable, fluctuating to fit the situation; the dialogue is engaging, and keeps things nice and tight. (I personally loved Druaden’s personal reflections and insights – kudos there); and the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle our young hero is trying to fit together, thoroughly stimulating.

Yes, there’s something about Arrdanc that doesn’t add up. And now Druaden is on the case, a lot of mysterious people are becoming increasingly unhappy. You’ll see.

Treat yourself. This Broken World just has to be experienced.

Amazon Review