August Book Video | Recommended Reading | AstraDaemon

Prepare for a wild ride with these stories...



As always,

AstraDaemon

From the Grave | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE DAMNED HANDS MURDERS by Stories From The Attic is an excellent mystery-horror short. The author takes readers down a twisted road and drives them right off a cliff at the end.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Sang Noir | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

JUDGE DEE AND THE POISONER OF MONTMARTRE by Lavie Tidhar is a bit different from the previous Judge Dee stories. The other two are more sinister and intense, while this one features the lighter side of vampires, with more human moments among the undead, including flashes of dark humor.

I feel sorry for Jonathan though. The poor guy is usually the one providing the POV, but he seems so hopelessly detached from every aspect of life at this point. In the previous stories, he at least seemed to have moments happiness when eating. I don't know if the Judge is apathetic or clueless...in any case, he needs to pay more attention to the mental health of his traveling companion.

If you enjoy mystery and suspense in a supernatural setting, I recommend you read this mini-series of vampiric investigations.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Get Off My Lawn | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE BEAST by Armand Rosamilia is a coming-of-age creature feature, complete with political corruption and family drama. The townsfolk live in an area where they do NOT have large predators such as bears, which explains why most don't have the proper firepower to deal with the problem. The characters also remain in denial, until the beast is tearing through their neighborhoods and breaking down their doors. FUBAR doesn't even begin to describe this nightmare unfolding around a group of teens.

This story takes place in the same world as OGROMNY, FROZEN IN ICE, THE SEA WAS ANGRY and ABANDONED, and, even though all of the stories are stand-alones, one survivor from each book ends up snowed in together with the others at the same airport in TRAPPED. I highly recommend reading all of them.

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 7 of 7 | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

STAY THE NIGHT by JT Lawrence is a sinister short story. Linda's idea for her next book is a great hook, and the ending is shocking. I felt like having a drink with Andrew, after the epiphany about Granny Hodge.

If you enjoy this one, I also recommend THE HONEY TRAP by Lawrence.

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 6 of 7 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

AN EYE FOR AN EYE by JT Lawrence is definitely one of the author's darker stories. It's not too hard to guess what is happening, but the question of why remains until the main character is finally honest about who he really is.

For some reason, I thought of the music video for One by Metallica.

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 5 of 7 | Fantasy Review | AstraDaemon

THE BARON by JT Lawrence is radically different from most everything I read these days, as well as being quite a departure from what I've come to expect from the author. However, this short fantasy story is an absolute delight, and highlights what a versatile story-teller Lawrence is.

If you enjoy authors such as Ursula K Le Guin or Terry Pratchett, you should make time for this tale by JT Lawrence.

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 4 of 7 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE PATRON SAINT OF CHILDREN by JT Lawrence touches on a real-life horror which continues to this day. I didn't know if I would be able to read through this flash fiction piece, but the author does not exploit any children for shock value, which is a welcome relief.

Even though I had an idea how the story would end, Lawrence captured the final moments perfectly. I recommend this one to everyone who is sick of apathy in the face of cruelty.

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 3 of 7 | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THE FERTILITY CAVE by JT Lawrence is an adaption of a memoir the author wrote about struggling to conceive. I really wish this had been in the description. I expected something supernatural and was given an angry vagina instead.

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 2 of 7 | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THE LITTLE SPARROW of JT Lawrence is an unusual story, which is hard to discuss without giving away spoilers. Gives new meaning to the word "retirement."

As always,

AstraDaemon

JT Lawrence Day 1 of 7 | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

HONEY TRAP by JT Lawrence is an excellent short story about deception and desperation. The Hello Kitty flash drive is a fantastic hook. I had no idea what to expect at any point. Even when we reach the end of the rabbit hole, the ending shocked me as much as the journey.

I'm recommending this one to all readers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Shadow Walkers | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

BAD VISION by Dave Jeffery is a strange story, quite different from his supernatural and post-apocalyptic stories. I struggled with the format of this one because the POV changed often, without warning, and I had to backtrack several times once I realized the storyline had shifted from one character to another.

This is more or less five short stories blended together to form one novella, with Ray being the one to connect them all, even if the connection is tenuous at best. Jeffery presents a psychic, an adulterer, a murderer, a stalker and an artist  to readers, while cleverly comparing and contrasting the different shades of immorality. I suppose the detective could pass for a sixth, with his story being a crime drama of sorts.

If you would enjoy a soap opera of deception and horror, this is one you can't pass up.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Pandemic Casualty | Science Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

FIVE DIMENSIONAL DREAMS by John A Connor didn't entertain me as much as his previous collections. Unlike the others, which mix science fiction with horror, these stories are strictly sci-fi. They also lack the variety I've come to expect from the author. Instead, the common theme seems to be: humans are a disease.

I've always thought humans make the best monsters, so I don't have a problem with people being the bad guys in stories, but there's no character development within these shorts. They come across as very impersonal and apathetic. This is quite a departure from Connor's usual style...lacking his dark humor.

Instead of reading this, I highly recommend THE OCEAN OF SKY by John A Connor.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Down the Hole | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THERE'S SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG WITH MY SON by Christopher Maxim (Never Sleep Again, Velox Books) is more science fiction than horror. There's so many twists, I felt like I had fallen down a rabbit hole. There seems to be a major plot hole, but I can't mention it without revealing spoilers.

I wish I hadn't read the product description...I feel like I went into this story with the wrong expectations.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Unknown Caller | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

A train journey home for Owen breaks from its uneventful tradition when all of the phones in his carriage begin to ring simultaneously. A private number. Owen ignores the call and heads home from the station. Turns out it wasn't just the phones on his train. Owen soon discovers that the event occurred around the world, though it seems that nobody thought to answer it. Some kind of poorly judged advertising campaign, it appears.

Three months later, the private number rings again.

As the calls continue to come, it becomes increasingly obvious that those that have answered the phone are no longer the same people they once were.

COLD CALL by Jon Hillman is far more intense than I ever imagined. The first phone call is strange, and, even though people are immediately impacted, I understand why no one made a connection until the third and fourth calls. Anyone who may have linked the calls with the worldwide pandemic of severe depression would have been dismissed as conspiracy theorists.

However, despite the lockdowns, even Owen doesn't seem to be afraid enough to take better precautions, especially with his twin infant daughters. The effect of the calls moves from psychological to physical, and Owen has a complete meltdown around the time he realizes there are other ways to reach people besides phones.

Of all the horrible things which happen to Owen and his loved ones, the scene with the dog is the one I broke down over. I knew not to expect a happy ending, but I wasn't expecting to be left with unanswered questions. I'm fine with the story as a stand-alone, but I think some readers are going to be furious.

In any case, this novella is absolutely terrifying, especially after the events of 2020 and 2021...which is why I'm recommending this to all horror fans.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Dark Folklore | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

In a fairy tale equal parts gorgeous and gruesome, village couples seek approval for marriage from a stag with golden rings adorning its horns. That is until one suitor, determined to convince a woman to fall in love with him, makes a rash decision.

THE WONDERFUL STAG, OR THE COURTSHIP OF RED ELSIE by Kathleen Jennings has all the elements of classic storytelling (which made a reader of me in the first place) with wisps of horror woven into this tapestry of folklore.

While being somewhat predictable in nature -- bad man runs afoul of a fantastical creature -- the reaction of the other villagers is chilling, yet satisfying.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Tied Up, Tied Down | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE HAUNTING OF MATTHEW THORNE by Amy Cross plays the long-game with readers...for most of the book, this appears to be just another great ghost story from the author. Plenty of action, drama and suspense among the characters, with Stella and Gary under constant threat by a drug lord, and Matthew's mansion apparently haunted.

When the sinister reveal finally occurs towards the end, the twist is drawn out through more than one POV, and I couldn't have guessed any part of it. However, much like Matthew, I went mad trying to figure out the last third of the "knot."

This is one of my new favorites from Cross, and I highly recommend this story to horror fans looking for a change from the usual haunted tales.

As always,

AstraDaemon

The Last Lie | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE CALL by Matt Shaw is based on his film of the same name, not the other way around. This is definitely extreme horror...I thought I could handle the story, since it's not one of the author's black-cover books, but I struggled.

While Shaw has the class not to go into graphic detail with certain scenes of violence, the author has a unique way of showing without telling by using the reactions of his characters and describing the bits and pieces which capture their attention. In this way, Jaime Lee's POV is just as horrifying as, if not more than, the torture visited upon the others dragged into her bad decision.

Not only are the death scenes shocking, but the explanation of how one is prepared to inflict that level of pain and suffering is a gruesome process. In this way, Shaw illustrates how one selfish decision can change the lives of many, and drives his message home like hammer to the head.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Captive Audience | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE PARTY UPSTAIRS by Dan DeLuise caught me completely off-guard. I had no idea the author would take readers into such a dark place...not just "the party," but also the references to family drama.

Now that I've read all ten of the FMFs, I'm under the impression DeLuise is constantly improving his writing style, and I look forward to reading his novella series, THE WITCHING HOUR.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Harm None | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE STRANGER by Dan DeLuise is the 9th short I've read in this series, and is far superior to the others. This could be an episode of Tales From The Darkside. I had no idea what to expect, and the ending is shocking.

Highly recommending this one to all readers, even if you aren't a horror fan. Great folklore touch.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Gross | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE NOSEBLEED by Dan Deluise is super-gross. I've read more graphic stories, but the detail with the pool in the mouth still has me gagging.

This is another FMF short which leaves me with several questions and zero answers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

DeLuise is a Tease | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE VISITOR by Dan DeLuise has a great hook, plenty of suspense, and a frightening reveal, but ends too soon.

I don't understand why an author would create something so intriguing and not do more with the storyline.

I've read 7 of the 10 Five-Minute Frights, and there's no doubt DeLuise knows how to captivate readers, but flash fiction is not the format for such storytelling. Basically, this author is a booktease.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Passing Through | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE RENTAL by Dan DeLuise is an interesting take on life after death. Has a Twilight Zone style to it. Not as good as THE REFLECTION, but better than many of the other Five-Minute Frights.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Greek Twist | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE FORTUNE by Dan DeLuise is one of the darkest stories I've read by this author to date. This twists a common theme in Greek mythology into a special level of hell.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Dead in the Water | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE REFLECTION by Dan DeLuise is currently my favorite Five-Minute Frights short. While I had an idea where the story was headed, the author still manage to surprise me. Even the very ending gave me a chill.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Broken | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE HUNT by Dan DeLuise has the potential to be a fantastic family drama, if longer. Flash fiction is brief story telling, but the story should still be complete.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Wandered Off | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE GUEST by Dan DeLuise is pretty much the same story as THE ROOM: a suspenseful build-up, but no explanation of events. Reminds of me of someone who begins telling a story, then wanders off before finishing.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Leftovers | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE ROOM by Dan DeLuise has a great build-up of suspense, but leaves a huge unanswered question at the end. I really wanted to know if there is some societal event taking place, which would explain the behavior of the parents.

As always.

AstraDaemon

Copycat or the Real Deal? | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

PAYING THE PIPER by Stories From The Attic is a terrifying tale about a modern-day Pied Piper blackmailing various towns in Europe and America. Throughout most of the story, the villain appears to simply be a madman using a bioweapon, until the chilling detail about the two remaining children.

Definitely a must read!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Lame Last Line | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

TRUNK by Josh Ingleby has a lot of action, but leaves a bunch of unanswered questions. The ending is lame...can't believe the author added that last line, with zero explanations.

As always,

AstraDaemon