September Shorts: Day 2

It was supposed to be a fun trip in which the author could meet some of his readers but when he travels to their country, he soon learns their reasons for coming to meet him aren't quite as how he had imagined it...

MEET: HE CAME, THEY ATE by Matt Shaw isn't his best work. The action doesn't even begin until the story is halfway over. The characters lack any kind of depth.

Here's the thing, my favorite Shaw stories include amazing storylines, creative violence and bizarre characters. This didn't have any of that.

If you're new to Shaw I recommend his stories that take place in or around water. He's really in his element then.

As always,

AstraDaemon

30 Days of Creature Features: DOLPHIN

DOLPHIN by Matt Shaw needed to be written; I am so tired of everyone glossing over the dark side of dolphins. I'm not sure I would call this comedy horror, as I found the gory events quite serious. If you have a weak stomach, it's best to stay away from this one...unless you live near a beach. Then, read it as a cautionary tale.

If you decide to dive into this story, make sure to read the entire novella. The ending is a complete shocker.

I would love to see Shaw write about otters next.

As always,

AstraDaemon

30 Days of Creature Features: GOBLINS

They want the children!

Someone is taking children from their homes on Roanoke Island, and gruesomely slaughtering their families.

After a small, hideous-looking creature is discovered at one of the murder scenes, Chief of Police Marcus Hale realizes whatever is responsible for the killings isn’t even human. Hale suspects a bizarre link to the past, to the end of the 16th Century, when the island’s first settlers disappeared, leaving only the word Croatoan carved into a tree.

But something far more sinister than he ever imagined is at work. And if it isn’t stopped soon, the entire island’s population will perish. Just like it did so many centuries ago.

David Bernstein has been one of my favorite authors for years, so I dug around to see if I missed any of his books and found GOBLINS. The story flips between the POVs of the humans and the goblins, which is not something I expected from the author. Honestly, I wasn't sure this would be a good idea. I thought this might make the goblins cheesy instead of chilling.

At first, the characters seem stereotypical for this sub-genre of horror, but they are believable and not the usual close-minded small-town folk. They know something is slaughtering entire families and acknowledge this might not be a serial killer after all. Some of them are even willing to consider the folklore woven into their history is an attempt to warn and protect future generations.

While not as frightening as Bernstein's other stories, I still recommend this one to fans of 80s monster movies.

As always,

Astra Daemon

Beware of Reddit Recommendations

COWS by Matthew Stokoe was recommended to me on the Reddit horror sub. While the story kept me hooked like a slab of beef, this is waaay out of my comfort zone. The cows were a complete surprise to me...I thought the author was going to introduce cannibalism. I think people eating people would have been more mild than what the workers did to the cows, or what the cows did to folks in retaliation. Not to mention, Stephen's home life is a graphic nightmare.

If you're into extreme horror, read this. If you're just a tourist like me, consider this a warning.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Emotionally Devastating | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE THINGS HE HEARD by Matt Shaw is tragic and horrifying because of the realism. It doesn't take a stretch of imagination to envision this type of violence behind closed doors or in the classroom.

The most disturbing aspect is the way the boy's thoughts and feelings are completely disregarded. The emotional aspect is similar to IMMORTAL SHADOWS and THE SUICIDE CLUB.

I recommend all three.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Science Be Damned | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

When ships begin disappearing in the Bermuda Triangle, something survives long enough to show the gruesome tale of what may have been behind the disappearances.

But, when a run of the mill treasure hunter Rick Morgan comes across video footage that survived one of the shipwrecks, he is determined to uncover what happened. After enlisting the help of Dr. Strant, an expert in disappearances at sea, they set off to see what lies in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.

What they find there may prevent them from leaving.

CREATURE BEYOND THE TIDE by Kayla Hicks attempts to explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle with a creature feature. The action has a unique angle I haven't seen other sea horror stories, so I remained hooked from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, this piece is far too short...leaving me with unanswered questions. I'm hoping the author will give us a sequel with more information about the creature's hunting habits.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Hell in a Cell | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

The last scribblings of a damned soul, found scratched upon a wall.

SENSATION by Christian Hall is pretty much torture porn. Not much else to say about this flash fiction piece. I am curious about the author's other stories now...

As always,

AstraDaemon

Faulty Appliance | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

Going to be reviewing a lot of short stories and flash fiction this month...

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THE FRIDGE by J.R. Rain is a nightmare with layers...not getting the product as described, being forced to endure someone else's will, and more. While captivating, I do wish the author had written more about the history of the fridge.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Blood Feud | Kindle Vella Review | AstraDaemon

I've brought you zombies and werewolves from Kindle Vella...today, I'm bringing a vampire serial into the Lair...

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HAINT by Samuel Brower takes place in Kentucky, after a mine collapse. One tragedy leads to another, and corpses begin to pile up around the small town of Haint's Hollow. The sheriff soon realizes this is something much worse than the work of meth-heads and drug dealers.

The author does an excellent job of twisting family drama and crime drama into an action-packed horror serial. While the story comes to a natural conclusion, I'd love to see more of these characters. (Maybe the Appalachian Druid series?)

If you want a Vella story which doesn't use cliché cliff-hangers to keep readers interested, you really need to dip into these episodes.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Texas Terror | Kindle Vella Review | AstraDaemon

Yesterday, I posted a review about a Vella serial with zombies...now we move on to a werewolf story...

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THE BEAST OF SETTLER'S POINT by Kody Boye is a mix of western horror and supernatural folklore. The story takes place in 1845, told from the POV of a young girl who soon discovers war is not the only thing killing people in the wilds of Texas.

I've read many stories by this author, but Boye still surprised me with the interaction between characters and the ending. Every episode had me changing my guess about the details of the werewolf threat.

I'm recommending this one to Young Adult and New Adult fiction fans.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Barbarian Badass | Kindle Vella Review | AstraDaemon

In 2022, I began reading stories on Kindle Vella and I am surprised how much I enjoy the format. The following is the first serial story I completed...

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ISLAND OF THE DEAD by Brian Keene features a captured barbarian forced to row in a war galley. After he is shipwrecked with a few other prisoners and soldiers on an unchartered island, the barbarian soon finds out the ship was transporting the undead. Unfortunately, the zombies are the least of the survivors' problems.

I think Keene was channeling Robert E. Howard a bit for this one. The author mixes dark fantasy with science fiction, and soaks them in blood and guts for an action-packed horror serial. Every episode gives readers a reason to continue onto the next installment, particularly the cast of characters.

I'm recommending this to both horror and fantasy readers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Best Friend Betrayal | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

Happy New Year!

I'm sure many of you thought I abandoned the Lair...I suppose, in a way, I did. I simply had to step away to handle several back-to-back family emergencies. Never in my life did I think I'd be calling an ambulance for both my husband and my son in the same year. All is well within our household now, so I hope to resume posting daily.

I did read throughout 2022 (362 titles, according to my Kindle app), and I will be back-posting reviews for those stories...no idea how long it will take me, but I'm determined to fill the emptiness of last year.

With that addressed, I thought I'd begin the year with one of my favorite authors...

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SOMETHING UNNATURAL by Joshua Scribner is a novella centered on a family struggling to survive an apocalyptic event. While the author is best known for his flash fiction, he does write longer stories every once in a while, and they are usually mind-blowing. This one is no exception.

I love how Scribner mixes theology, folklore, science and horror to create a terrifying battle between humans and canines. Fair warning, there a few scenes which might upset animal lovers, but the sinister details prove rather important in the end.

This story is a stand-alone, but I wouldn't mind another one set in this global event. In fact, I'd love to see the story told from Bo's POV.

If you've never read Scribner's work before, this is an excellent starting point.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Transformation | Drama Review | AstraDaemon

A mysterious plague known as the Grey grips the small village of Pilam, which the world has quarantined without pity. Laying waste to Pilam’s residents, the sickness saps its victims of strength, drains the color from their eyes, and kills all promise. Only the young are immune. But beyond the barricades and walls of soldiers—the manifestation of a nation’s terror—there are rumors of a cure. Dunka, the eldest son of a family reeling from the Grey, takes on the daunting task of leaving Pilam to find that cure for his siblings and save them before it’s too late.

His brother and sisters, however, have plans of their own. Navigating the chaos of violence, hunger, and death, each of them tries to make sense of the bleak circumstances, forging new bonds with other juvenile survivors left to their own devices. Now an unlikely family of six, they choose their own perilous paths, at first separately and then together, coming to terms with the decisions they make and the ghosts they cannot leave behind.

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO BEHOLD by Umar Turaki is not the usual type of plague book I read, so I did not have any expectations going in. Very little is revealed about the Grey, aside from the symptoms. The POV alternates between characters and the timeline moves in concentric circles rather than a straight line. There is far more dialogue and descriptions than action, but the characters are very-well written.

The children are not afflicted, and they eventually become feral and brutal with each other and the few remaining adults. As terrible as the sickness is, there are more horrifying events outside the quarantine walls. The ending is full of revelations I didn't see coming.

If you enjoy stories such as ALAS, BABYLON, I recommend this novel.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Made for TV | Novel Review | AstraDaemon

OUR LITTLE SECRET by Kiersten Modglin deserves to be made into a mini-series. Not unlike a soap opera, a secluded neighborhood is about to explode with all the dirty laundry the residents have been trying to hide. A missing husband, a dead wife, an affair, and teenagers sneaking around while their parents try to stop an investigation. With judgment, suspicion and scandalous behavior increasing with every passing day, individuals must decide who they are loyal to and who they will sacrifice. The ending is a kick to the head.

If you enjoy stories such as EYES ON YOU (Kate White) or A LINE OF BLOOD (Ben McPherson), then you definitely need to read this one!

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