Tribute Novella | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

Thirty years ago, a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings began recording what would become their first and final album. Titled “The Final Reconciliation,” the album was expected to usher in a new renaissance of heavy metal, but it was shelved following a tragic concert that left all but one dead.

The sole survivor of that horrific incident was the band’s lead guitarist, Aidan Cross, who’s kept silent about the circumstances leading up to that ill-fated performance—until now.

For the first time since the tragedy, Aidan has granted an exclusive interview to finally put rumors to rest and address a question that has haunted the music industry for decades: What happened to The Yellow Kings?

The answer will terrify you.

THE FINAL RECONCILIATION by Todd Keisling reminded me a bit of Lucifer Sam by Leo Darke, but Keisling's rock horror was published first...so now I'm wondering if The Yellow Kings were inspiration for the band Cat O' Nine Tails. In any case, presenting the story as an interview with Aidan Cross is the perfect format for this occult thriller.

The author reveals just enough about each character to evoke an emotional response from readers whenever Camilla manipulates the band members for her hidden agenda. I clung to the fact Aidan was alive to share the events with the interviewer, but the downward spiral of the band still devastated me. I felt as though I was reading an article in Rolling Stones, and sincerely mourned the fallout from the creation of the album.

Keisling's real skill shows through the clever way he weaves in elements from the various short stories in THE KING IN YELLOW by Robert W. Chambers, while creating an original cosmic horror mixed with intrinsic musical details. The imagery is terrifying and grotesque. By the very end, I found myself screaming as much Aidan.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Body Horror | Extreme Horror Review | AstraDaemon

POWER by C.S. Alleyne centers on a young woman trying to improve her station in life without prostituting herself. Unfortunately, one customer refuses to acknowledge the no-touching policy after she models for some photographs. Maude decides then and there to take revenge for herself and all the other girls who have been victimized.

This short is full of brutal scenes, including rape and torture, so consider this a content warning. However, the author is careful not to go into detail about the violations against Maude and the other girls, but rather focuses on the fallout, after she makes the monster her prisoner.

This definitely qualifies as body horror, and I don't recommend this to anyone with a weak stomach or casual tourists of the genre. However, if extreme horror is your thing, you're going to love the ending.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Bram Stoker Winner | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

In this modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf takes to the city streets to capture his prey, but the hunter is close behind him. With Grim Marie on the prowl, the hunter becomes the hunted.

LITTLE DEAD RED by Mercedes M. Yardley should have a trigger warning. While the author is careful not to go into details, hints of rape and domestic abuse set the foundation of the story. This is absolutely one of the most horrifying and traumatizing stories I've ever read, and so well-written, not a single solitary graphic scene was needed to convey the twisted evil of the wolves.

Readers are never shown the wolf attacks, but Yardley reveals the devastating outcomes and gut-wrenching emotions with such skill, one can easily imagine the hot breath and sharp teeth of the wolves, without witnessing the desecration of the flesh.

Absolutely no surprise this story won a Bram Stoker award. Recommending to all horror fans who can manage the content.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Stranger in a Strange Land | Bizarro Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

HOLLOW HEART by Ben Eads is like walking into a movie which has already begun and feeling like I missed some important details in the beginning. I was about halfway through before the story made any kind of sense to me, reminding me of bizarro fiction (something I'm not really into). There doesn't seem to be much to the characters either: vets with PTSD, methhead, teen with attitude, etc....not much in th eway of backstory, even with the flashbacks here and there.

However, the concept is very original, and I did remain hooked throughout the story, eager to find out more about The Architect and his project. While not my cup of tea, I think there are many other horror fans who will enjoy this.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Monster Week | Squid Vicious | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

OF MEN AND MONSTERS by Tom Deady is one of the very best stories I've read in 2021. A boy escaping an abusive father with his older brother and mother discovers his new sea pet is a vicious creature. As if this wasn't enough to deal with, he soon finds out he's not the only one with a monster in his house. Ryan eventually learns one problem can be a solution to the other, but the price will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Deady sinks his hooks into his readers and drags them below the surface of his characters, revealing the darkness each is hiding within. I highly recommend this novella to everyone, even if horror is not your preferred diversion. I would also like to add, the choice of cover illustration is perfect.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Dip Into The Lake

In an effort to introduce readers to new authors and their various collections, Crystal Lake Publishing released four short stories as part of their Crystal Lake Shorts:

In Victorian London, a select group of writers, led by Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and Henry James held an informal Ghost Club, the price of entry to which was the telling of a story by each invited guest.

This is one of the tales.

In the House of the Dead is a Ghost Club short story by William Meikle and told through the fictional voice of Bram Stoker. The story itself is revealed through letters and journal entries. Although there is little action to be had, the suspense is captivating and the ending is rather ironic, given the nature of the situation. I think Meikle did a good job capturing the spirit of Stoker.

---

On a trip through the Sipsey Wilderness Area in remote Alabama, a couple is rescued from the flooded river they’re canoeing by two burly men in overalls who seem to have their best interests in mind.

That’s until the two brothers deliver Blaine and Casey into the horrifying nightmare that is their twisted household—the patriarch of which is involved in a project that exceeds the human realm.

A Puddle in the Wilderness is a Varying Distances short story by Darren Speegle and I'll be damned if I can describe it at all...an erotic chaotic alien mind trip? That sounds about right.

---

Teen sleuth Beatrice Beecham and her gang of friends have a new case to solve. In the coastal town of Dorsal Finn a timber wolf escapes from a smuggler’s boat at White Wharf. Livestock is found mauled, and the locals are crippled with fear by the hideous sound of snarls and howls in the moonlit nights.

Because Dorsal Finn is not like any other town, things are often drawn to it, strange creatures that are not meant to exist. Now Beatrice and The Newshounds have to find out if the creature roaming the fields and moors is actually an escaped wolf, or something far more sinister. And somehow stop it before the beast adds the residents of Dorsal Finn to its menu!

The Wolf of White Wharf is part of the Beatrice Beecham series by Dave Jeffery. This story is campy young adult fiction with some supernatural elements in an attempt to keep things interesting. Unfortunately, the story didn't live up to any of the hype. I honestly wouldn't recommend this story to anyone above age 13.

---

Fires are being started in abandoned warehouses in the older industrial area of San Francisco, and none of the professionals in the fire department can figure out how they're being started in order to catch the arsonist. 

What is the motive? 
Why is the arsonist setting fires? 
Insurance? 
Revenge? 
Some kind of psychological perversion?

Firebug is part of the Frozen Shadows anthology by Gene O'Neill. I enjoyed the spark accompanying the journal entries, but found the ongoing investigation somewhat suffocating. I'm not sure if the author wrote the opposing moods that way on purpose or not, but it highlights the differences between the two main characters: one starting fires, one trying to put them out. The supernatural element is so subtle, maybe it is a figment of the arsonist's imagination, but it's a brilliant touch to the story.

---

Crystal Lake Publishing hasn't been around as long as some of the other dark fiction publishers, but they have a diverse stable of authors with all kinds of stories and novels to choose from. If you're looking for something new, readers should definitely check out their website.

As always,
AstraDaemon