Flash Review Day 6 | AstraDaemon

 

THE SONG OF THE LADY ROSE by Gabino Iglesias is a terrifying read, and I'm glad I didn't listen to the audio version because I probably would've spoiled myself.

I love the writing style of Iglesias and will definitely be reading more of his work.

I recommend this short to everyone.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Review Day 5 | AstraDaemon

THE CABIN by Brian Evenson is the second story I've read by this author, and, once again, I love this story. Centered on a hunter, living in solitude, the suspense builds as the snow increases.

I expected a Wendigo or some other forest cryptid, but what Evenson delivers is a creature which will haunt my nightmares. Highly recommend this one!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Review Day 4 | AstraDaemon

MUSIC OF THE ABYSS by Shaun Hamill is the first story in a long time to remind me of Lovecraft, but surpasses anything written by the old master.

I wish this was a full-length novel.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Review Day 3 | AstraDaemon

SPYDER THREADS by Craig Laurance Gidney is a fantastic tale of otherness. The imagery is powerful, and the characters are striking.

Very well-written.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Review Day 2 | AstraDaemon

IF LIVING IS SEEING I'M HOLDING MY BREATH by Sunny Moraine is an excellent addition to the sightless-apocalypse genre. After interacting with Ellis over time, Riley begins to feel the increasing "call of the void."

Highly recommend this one.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Review Day 1 | AstraDaemon

PRODIGAL SON by Daniel M. Lavery doesn't come across as a horror story (or humorous, dark or otherwise). More like bizarro fiction. Definitely not the retelling of the parable.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 4 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

What’s drawn four damaged people back to Merle House? The answer could destroy them all in a gripping short story of the truths we bury and the lies we tell ourselves.

Matthew, Claire, Ian, and Mason haven’t set foot on the Merle family property since the summer they were sixteen. They tried for years to put their history behind them, to forget the mystery of the girl who vanished so long ago. But a powerful force from their past is still at play. This time, there’s no hiding from it.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE by Lisa Unger is an interesting ending to the series. Still not sure if the author intended this as a crime thriller or a story with a supernatural twist. Easy to blame one character in particular for events, and yet, thinking back on details in the three previous installments, the Dark Man's origin/status is debatable.

I honestly don't know if readers can trust the POVs of the characters, as one or more might still be hiding something.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 3 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

Is it a hoax, or is it something unspeakably real? In this short story about evil games and spiraling secrets, whatever bargain you strike, there’s a price to be paid.

Mason Brandt dropped out of seminary and found a job at a spiritual center offering guidance to troubled teens. Mason was one himself years ago—a suspect in a young girl’s disappearance. When a female student is found murdered, Mason is dogged by suspicion and flees. He hopes Merle House will offer him sanctuary once again.

CIRCLING THE DRAIN by Lisa Unger is the third installment of the House of Crows mini-series. This one centers mainly on Mason, one of Matthew's childhood companions, now an adult struggling to keep his life stable. His connection to Amelia and her disappearance is revealed, but the Dark Man and his intentions remain unknown. History repeats itself, and Mason has no choice but to reconnect with his past.

As the pieces fall into place, there is an obvious pattern to events. However, the main characters are either in denial, hiding secrets or both. I really hope the last book will answer all my questions.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 2 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

A grief-stricken spiritualist thought his faith in life after death was broken. Until the ghosts of his past come calling in this short story of believing in what can’t be seen.

Driven by an uncanny mystery from his youth, Ian Randall became a “spiritual cleanser,” ridding disturbances from homes. But his belief in the beyond was challenged by his wife’s death. Merle House, the root of Ian’s obsession, could change that. The woods are restless again. Maybe here, Ian will find what he needs—if he’s willing to make a deal with the dark.

FOG DESCENDING by Lisa Unger is the second installment of the House of Crows mini-series. I was already hooked on this series after reading Book 1, but the flashbacks in this installment have me completely freaking out. I can't wait to find out who the Dark Man is, how he is connected to the Merle House and why he seems fixed on the four friends.

I love Unger's writing style...even with the alternating POVs and flashes to the characters' childhood discovery, the story flows quite smoothly. I hope the rest of the series is as horrifying as the first two books.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 1 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

For disgraced professor Matthew Merle, the inheritance of his grandfather’s crumbling mansion is both a burden and an offer of safe haven. His childhood friend Claire, a psychiatrist, desperately needs a haven of her own after one of her patients unleashes his dark side. At turning points in their lives, it’s inevitable that they should return to the past. And to Merle House. It’s been waiting for them.

ALL MY DARKEST IMPULSES by Lisa Unger is essentially the setup for the rest of the series, but I'm already hooked. The tone is a mix of AHS Haunted House with the writing style of Stephen King's It. However, Unger does a great job creating new twists on the common trope of the past catching up to the present.

So far, I dislike Matthew, feel sorry for Samantha, couldn't careless about Jewel, and Claire is the only character I care about. I don't know if any of that will change as the series progresses. With the cliff-hanger of the first installment, I'm looking forward to Fog Descending.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Cost of Doing Business | Horror Story Review | AstraDaemon

DEEP TERROR by Eric S. Brown is an action-packed mix of science fiction and horror. I can think of several movies and books with scientists disturbing something evil in an ocean trench, but Brown's creatures stand out from the rest...not at all what I expected.

The in-fighting among the crew is full of suspense, but didn't interest me as much as what happens outside of the research facility. I love the battle scenes with the Silt Stompers!

Anyone familiar with Brown's writing style won't be surprised by the ending, but I'm still hoping the author might give a us a sequel. I'd like to know more about the substance being harvested.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Kindle Challenge | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

Life is hard enough for a teenage girl in 1950s suburbia without having a mother who may—or may not—be a witch. A single mother at that. Sure, she fits in with her starched dresses, string of pearls, and floral aprons. Then there are the hushed and mystical consultations with neighborhood women in distress. The unsavory, mysterious plants in the flower beds. The divined warning to steer clear of a boyfriend whose fate is certainly doomed. But as the daughter of this bewitching homemaker comes of age and her mother’s claims become more and more outlandish, she begins to question everything she once took for granted.

MY EVIL MOTHER by Margaret Atwood isn't something I'd normally choose for myself, but I read it for the Kindle Campfire Challenge. I found the relationship between mother and daughter intriguing, but I'm not sure if I read a family drama, a supernatural tale or both. The ending is fantastic.

If you're into sci-fi and/or fantasy, approach this like a palette cleanser. Well-written, in any case.

As always,

AstraDaemon

New Addiction | Horror Story Review | AstraDaemon

THE DREAMS THEY WEAVE by Matt Shaw is my new favorite from this author. This is an excellent mix of science fiction and horror...a great example of why I continue to be a fan: suspenseful setting, intriguing characters, and intense format.

I would love to see this become a film, instead of the regurgitated garbage Hollywood spews out. I highly recommend this to all horror fans who have been searching for a new monster to fear.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Blah | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

SAFE AGAIN by Bradley Poage is one of the worst stories I've read by this author. No action, boring characters, very little suspense.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Trust Issue | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

COOKED ALIVE by Bradley Poage is a flash fiction story about revenge, but the ending is quite unexpected. Worth a read.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Lady of the Night | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THE WHISPER by Bradley Poage is too predictable for my liking. The author usually has more suspense in his stories.

THE CREEK and THE DOLL are much better.

As always,

AstraDaemon

March Book Video | Recommend Reading | AstraDaemon

"Welcome to my nightmare. I think you're gonna like it." ~Alice Cooper



As always,

AstraDaemon

Monsters Within | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

HATCHLINGS by Bradley Poage is a mix of science fiction and horror. Reminded me a little of the movie Night of the Creeps.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Creepy Dummy | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE CURSE OF MILEY by Bradley Poage features a husband who appears to be controlled by a dummy from his childhood. Kind of has a Tales From the Darkside vibe.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Difficult Customer | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

PET PEEVES by Bradley Poage centers on a customer who prefers one particular cashier at a store, but the cashier can't stand him. Very believable with a dark ending.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Death Run | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THROTTLE by Joe Hill and Stephen King is a thrilling short about bikers being run down by a semi truck. The bikers are returning from the scene of a brutal murder, and they are divided on what their next move will be.

As they continue on their journey, a familiar truck begins eliminating their numbers. As they struggle to stay ahead of certain death, father and son must overcome their differences to help one another.

Towards the end, the father discovers the reason the trucker went on his rampage, which leads to a final confrontation with his son.

Great action story.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Crisis of Faith | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD by Julio Miranda is bland compared to the other short stories in the Horror You Crave series. A priest is summoned by organized criminals to pray over an unexpected horror. This opens up the priest to a test of his faith. The ending doesn't offer any resolution.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Uncertainty | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

GET OUT OF MY HEAD! by Joshua Scribner is a guessing game: is the main character experiencing something supernatural or is having a psychotic breakdown? In either case, Scribner keeps readers hooked from beginning to end.

I've been enjoying Scribner's shorts for years, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

As always,

AstraDaemon