Homeless Hell

Beneath the city of Boston, evil is gathering.

Journalist Daniel Finley is determined to save the impoverished of the world. But the neglected part of humanity has a dark side too. While living under a bridge with the homeless for six months, Daniel witnessed something terrifying. Something that nearly cost him his sanity.

Now, two years later, he’s published a book that exposes a deadly underground cult and its charismatic leader who preaches a dark prophecy. Down in the abandoned subway tunnels exist unimaginable horrors that hunger for human flesh. And in a church of darkness, the cult’s numbers are growing. Soon Daniel’s worst nightmares are coming true. A fanatical army is rising to shed blood on the streets of Boston.

THE SEEKERS by Brian Moreland is an updated version of the story formerly titled The Vagrants. While I enjoyed the original, this version is a thousand times better. This is now a story I can recommend to all horror fans.

Daniel Finley is a journalist who lives under a bridge for six months as a vagrant, while gathering research for a book that he plans to write. However, during his time with his homeless group, another group shows up. The "Seekers" are a cult, recruiting more followers, but Daniel does not fully realize their purpose.

Two years later, after he published his book, not only does the cult reappear in his life, but he finds out that his father is in debt to the local Irish-American mafia. Too late, Daniel finds himself in a territorial battle between the two groups, and what he discovers just might be the death of him.

Just when Daniel manages to escape one danger, he finds himself in a much worse situation. The ending is great, but I wouldn't say no to a sequel.

Brian Moreland does a fantastic job of taking a real issue and turning it into a horrific nightmare with a demonic twist.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Cellars Should Be For Wine Only

Some houses should be left alone.


In 1972, twenty-five people were brutally murdered in one of the bloodiest massacres in Texas history. The mystery of who committed the killings remains unsolved.

Over forty years later, Sarah Donovan is dating an exciting man, Dean Stratton. Sarah's scared of just about everything--heights, tight places, the dark--but today she must confront all her fears, as she joins Dean and another couple on an exploring adventure. The old abandoned Blevins House, the scene of the gruesome massacre, is rumored to be haunted.

The two couples are about to discover the mysterious house has been waiting all these years, craving fresh prey. And down in the cellar they will encounter a monstrous creature that hungers for more than just human flesh.

The Witching House by Brian Moreland begins with a short story prequel, The Girl From The Blood Coven, which reveals details about the night of the Blevins House massacre. This served as the perfect set-up for the novella.

From the moment the four friends set out on their road trip to the haunted house, I found myself screaming in my head. The characters bring several unpredictable elements into the story: Otis has blood ties to the house, Dean withholds information from his three companions, and Sarah mentions her own ties to witchcraft.

The flashbacks are well-placed...enough to horrify readers with each revelation about the nature of the massacre, without ruining the terrifying battle for survival. Not knowing if any of the characters had a chance in hell filled me with dread. The ending had several surprising turn of events, but left one loose end. Sequel, perhaps?

As always,
AstraDaemon

Review Revised For New Edition

Marty Weaver, an emotionally scarred poet, has been bullied his entire life. When he drives out to the lake to tell an old friend that he’s fallen in love with a girl named Jennifer, Marty encounters three sadistic killers who have some twisted games in store for him. But Marty has dark secrets of his own buried deep inside him. And tonight, when all the pain from the past is triggered, when those secrets are revealed, blood will flow and hell will rise.

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Darkness Rising by Brian Moreland disappointed me with the original version. This novella lacked the level of creativity that I'd come to expect from Moreland. In the first edition, Marty's special "talent" is extremely original, but the majority of the old imagery reminded me of various horror movies pieced together - kind of like Frankenstein's monster.

This most recent edition is freaking awesome! I have no idea what Moreland has been doing behind the scenes in the last few years or so, but, whatever it is, it's working for him. The story is more personal, and the action is quite brutal...the way horror should be.

Moreland also released a new edition of The Vagrants, retitled THE SEEKERS...if you enjoyed this story, make The Seekers your next read.

As always,
AstraDaemon