The Price of a Gift | AstraDaemon

Society has reached its peak within the walled city of Utopia. While the outside world lies in inhospitable ruins, the city within brims with technological marvels—all thanks to a benevolent god that appeared during humanity’s darkest hour. But with the city on the verge of overpopulation, and the world outside not promised to be safe, time is running out for the Utopian people, and it’ll take one brave young woman to change the course of history.

UTOPIA FALLS by Kody Boye begins with scattered details about the dystopian way of life in this isolated society, hooking readers into the story like hidden thorns. Once you've peered into the thicket of dark secrets, you'll find yourself entangled with Ember, until she is able to light the way for her people's future.

I have always enjoyed Boye's complex characters and his particular way of portraying both the best and worst of human nature, and UTOPIA FALLS is another great creation by this author. I highly recommend this one to science fiction fans of all ages.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Self-Preservation | AstraDaemon

On an isolated island in the Philippines, it patiently waits. A mysterious terror lurks in the shadows, stalking the poor stranded souls who visit the island. When a group of four tourists find their vacation quickly turning into a nightmare, the terror taunts them and comes for them one by one. The sandy beach and crystal waters of the lagoon will run red with blood if they can't find a way off this savage island.

SAVAGE ISLAND by Brian Moreland pleasantly surprised me with the multiple layers of horror at play: a slumber party gone wrong, marriage to an abuser, sexual exploitation, a shipwreck, and a brutal battle for survival. With one man's final journal entry alluding to the deadly force occupying the mysterious island, the author sets a frightening tone for this shocking thriller.

The main POV belongs to Amy, happy to be reunited with her best friend Jasmine, but readers are also offered glimpses into the thoughts and feelings of the other characters. The story fluctuates between a creature feature and psychologcial terror, with Ted providing a dark twist to the future of the island's inhabitants. The imagery is vivid and detailed, compelling me to read this novella in one sitting. Moreland's jungle nightmare would make a great movie, and I highly recommend this book.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Allen's Reality Check Bounced | AstraDaemon

THESE GHOSTS BLEED by Christy Aldridge begins with the suicide of an abused wife. Once I entered her house occupied by her late husband Allen, I couldn't leave anymore than Anna's spirit could. I expected this to be some kind of revenge haunting. However, the author has created something far more horrific than a vengeful ghost. Just as she did with SETH, Aldridge peels off the mask Allen wears to expose just how monstrous he really is.

I read this in one sitting, racing from page to page, hoping someone would finally catch on to Allen's facade. The ending is absolutely brutal, and left me wondering how much could be blamed on Anna, and what color is the sky in Allen's world.

Not only do I recommend this novel, but I also look forward to reading more by Aldridge.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Dream A Little Dream | AstraDaemon

BAKER: DEMONS AND OTHER NIGHT THINGS by Terry M. West includes the previous four installments, as well as an additional short titled THE DARK ALP, which is my new favorite Baker story. The author mixes folklore and metaphysics for a unique horror twist.

Even if you already have the other stories, I still recommend getting this collection.

As always,

AstraDaemon

When Worlds Collide | AstraDaemon

Baker Johnson is a psychical researcher, demonologist and exorcist living in 1930s New York City. Brilliant but deeply flawed, Baker has an otherworldly perception that allows him to read people with but a glance. In "Things the Dark has Always Held", Baker is approached by a dangerous mobster known as Johnny Stücke. Baker's black room, a place where haunted items are cataloged and kept, holds an ancient item that Stücke is determined to possess. Baker is introduced to the secret society known as the Night Things. And he may be the only thing standing between the world of man and the most dangerous threat it has ever known.

THINGS THE DARK HAS ALWAYS HELD by Terry M. West features a return character from SERVANT OF THE RED QUILL, followed by more than one revelation. This is definitely my favorite installment in the series, and I'm now looking forward to reading the Magic Now series.

If you're a fan of Terry M. West, and you enjoy crossovers, make sure you read this one!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Lovecraft Is A Jerk | AstraDaemon

Baker is summoned to Providence by dying author of the macabre, H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft makes a confession that threatens Baker's life and sanity.

DARK DREAMS AND WEIRD TALES by Terry M. West is perfectly horrific, but you don't have to be a fan of Lovecraft to appreciate his appearance in this story. Up to this point in the series, Baker seemed somewhat closed-off, but his deep terror of the curse visited upon him has certainly changed my view of him.

I enjoyed this tale far more than the previous two installments.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Better Than The First | AstraDaemon

The year is 1927. The place is New York city. Baker Johnson is reluctantly pulled into a case involving a troubled family in Yonkers. Jeremiah Simms, a wealthy collector of haunted objects, has acquired a rare tome penned by the infamous Marquis de Sade. Titled Servant of the Red Quill, this cursed book unleashes an evil spirit that threatens to destroy the Simms family. Baker must face a cunning and powerful demon to save the innocent. But the deadliest demons of this battle lie within Baker.

SERVANT OF THE RED QUILL by Terry M. West picks up a couple of years after the first installment. In my experience, if you've read one possession story, you've read them all, but the author sets this story apart from the others with an intriguing dynamic between the characters. The ending did not disappoint either.

As always,

AstraDaemon

And So It Begins... | AstraDaemon

Baker Johnson is a flawed parapsychologist in the year 1925. After the death of Richard Johnson, Baker inherits his uncle's estate and moves into the legendary psychical researcher's home. But he soon discovers that the Black Room of the property, the place where haunted items are safely contained, has been emptied.

THE GIVING OF THINGS COLD & CURSED by Terry M. West introduces readers to Baker, who eventually becomes a part of the Magic Now universe. While there does not appear to be much to the story, this does lay the foundation for the series.

I do recommend this story, but it might be more practical just to buy a copy of BAKER: DEMONS AND OTHER NIGHT THINGS, which includes this story as well as others.

As always,

AstraDaemon

No Frequent Flyers | AstraDaemon

THE NIGHT AIR by Kiran Revi is quite excellent, but I think the author is being an absolute turd by not continuing the narrator's experience on the flight. Not only would this story make a captivating full-length novel, but I'd love to see this one become a horror film.

Revi has essentially mixed themes from the Twilight Zone's episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the movie Escape Room, but added a terrifying element of demonic hell.

I am recommending this one to all readers. Even if you're not a horror fan, you will be after this flash fiction piece.

As always,

AstraDaemon

May Book Video | AstraDaemon

The month of May had quite a mix of genres...these are the ones which made a big impression:



As always,

AstraDaemon

Matchbox Madness | AstraDaemon

THE BEES by Stories From The Attic is an outstanding horror short, which deserves to be made into a movie. With classic elements reminiscent of the original Fly movie, the author has created a terrifying and heart-breaking turn of events for a mother with a homemade honey business.

I am recommending this one to all horror fans.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Chained to the Past | AstraDaemon

THE PARK AT MIDNIGHT by Stories From The Attic is a very suspenseful ghost story with a touch of crime drama. The inclusion of a psychic "helping" the police is a clever touch. The ending, however, is absolutely tragic.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Move Aside, Stork | AstraDaemon

THE CURSE OF ABUNDANCE by Stories From The Attic includes a fascinating cross-mix of mythology, building up to a terrible misunderstanding with the powers of a goddess.

While this story functions well as a short, I'd love to see this concept expanded into a novella.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Chewed Out | AstraDaemon

THE HARM I HAVE DONE by Stories From The Attic is an excellent revenge story concerning a fast food worker who has had it with his racist manager.

You won't look at chewing gum the same way again.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Spit Roast | AstraDaemon

THE LITTLE PEOPLE by Stories From The Attic is not what I expected from the cover or the description. In fact, the story is far better. The author mixes folklore, horror and specualtion to create a chilling tale. (The ending appears to have a few lines form some other story though.)

As always,

AstraDaemon

Hoarding | AstraDaemon

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Stories From The Attic has a great build-up to a very morbid ending, but the editing notes kind of threw me off.

Regardless, the neighbor's secret is far worse than Clark ever imagined. Highly recommended.

As always,

AstraDaemon

What If | AstraDaemon

FAIR AND FOUL by Stories From The Attic is a mix of theology and supernatural suspense, built on a rather horrifying concept of the afterlife. The pace is slow burn, but absolutely worth the effort.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Seeing Is Believing | AstraDaemon

Drew and Britney have finally started their lives together. But a dark secret from Britney's past will take it from them.

THE SNOWMAN by Bradley Poage is quite a thrilling creature feature, and I recommend this one.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Bad Decision | AstraDaemon

Four friends are heading for a camping trip they hope they will never forget. But when the location is changed to a new one, they may soon find they wished they had never decided on the creek...

THE CREEK by Bradley Poage is a very original creature feature, and one of the author's better stories.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Dangerous Brat | AstraDaemon

When Annica takes in a new foster child in, she doesn't realize that this child has secrets of her own.

THE DOLLHOUSE by Bradley Poage has a great twist at the end, and this is one of the author's stories I recommend.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Bad Idea | AstraDaemon

Eric and Sarah are hosting a New Year's party, and can't wait to have all their guests arrive. But when the last guests arrive wounded and full of blood, it may just be that there's more guests coming, uninvited...

UNWANTED GUESTS by Bradley Poage has lots of action, but the storytelling is a bit sloppy.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Sentimental Security | AstraDaemon

Erin thinks she's met the man of her dreams. He's kind, affectionate, loving, and he seems to be everything she has ever wanted. She invites him into her home, but he immediately changes. As he attacks her she succumbs. But thankfully she has a best friend with her who will not let her die, Teddy...

TEDDY by Bradley Paoge is predictable, but has some entertaining action.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Why Tho | AstraDaemon

CAGED by Bradley Poage has very little substance, with zero chracter development. The author's older work is preferable to this one.

As always,

AstraDaemon

No Thanks | AstraDaemon

THE ALLEYWAY by Bradley Poage centers on a young woman determined to keep a dark secret. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst stories I've read by this author.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Finger Food | AstraDaemon

THE DOOR by Ell P begins with a mother telling her son a bedtime story. This has the kind of terror one would find in the television series Tales From the Darkside, or, better yet, the series Monsters.

Very entertaining.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Blood and Ice | AstraDaemon

THE HUNGRY MAN by Giovanni Diaz appears to be a combination of Irish mythology and American folklore, in the form of classic storytelling, resulting in a dramatic twist of legendary creature.

The story is a horrific coming of age tragedy, with an ending full of powerful imagery. Diaz is definitely an author to keep on your reading radar.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Roger Roger | AstraDaemon

SCARS OF THE BROKEN by Ryan C. Thomas is the third book in the Roger Huntington Saga. I'm really digging the person Roger has become, his dark sense of humor is an oasis in the sea of blood he calls his life. His roommates have a Cabin-in-the-Woods feel to them, and Fountain is shady from the very beginning. For several chapters, I worried this book would be the one to sink the series, but Thomas came through with a mix of horror, crime drama and the paranormal in the most unexpected way.

This story is radically different from the first one, even with the torture element, but I'm still hoping Thomas will continue with the Roger near-death experiences.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Learning the Hard Way | AstraDaemon

BORN TO BLEED by Ryan C. Thomas is the second book in the Roger Huntington Saga. I'm slightly aggravated by the character's choices, considering what he went through in the first book. I suppose Roger figured, "What are the chances THAT will happen again?" and decided he paid his dues for the rest of his life. Not a chance...

When he fails to see the warning signs of another possible threat, two people he knows are soon facing a similar hell to the one Roger barely survived. To his credit, he doesn't hesitate to attempt a rescue, but he doesn't appear to have learned much from his previous captor. Maybe it's the junk advice he receives in his therapy sessions, but I'm grateful he has the sense to involve Teddy.

As strange as the storyline becomes, I couldn't help but think of the Armie Hammer scandal in Hollywood, which makes a person wonder how likely this psycho stuff takes place, and how much could a group of elitists get away with.

While not as strong as the first installment, I'm definitely sticking with the series.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Roll of the Dice | AstraDaemon

THE SUMMER I DIED by Ryan C. Thomas is the first book in the Roger Huntington Saga. I've been a fan of the author for years, but somehow I missed this series, and I'm shocked to discover Thomas had this inside of him. So many times, I imagined myself in the place of the narrator, Roger, and there's no way I would have had his fortitude. I would have run away as soon as the screaming began.

The setup is slow, but absolutely brilliant, allowing readers to bond with all the characters, before the nightmare begins. Tooth and Roger are an unusual pair, but their individual issues seem to compliment each other. However, their personal histories beg the question, can you break someone who is already damaged?

While some may be tempted to call this torture porn, the story is not graphic for the sake of being shocking. Make no mistake, what Roger and Tooth endure is horrifying, but the details are necessary for the ending and the future installments to make sense.

If you are simply a visitor to the horror genre, this will definitely be too much for you, but I am recommending this one to hardcore horror fans who read other authors such as Matt Shaw or Armand Rosamilia.

As always,

AstraDaemon

April Book Video | AstraDaemon

I didn't forget...I've just been very busy. If you missed the April book reviews, here are the stories which stood out from the rest:

As always,

AstraDaemon