Supernatural Sex

THE DEMON GUARDIAN by Neil Davies begins with a man hearing voices and seeing shadows. Just when he thinks the situation can't get any worse, his wife, Swan, disappears. Around the same time, a couple of friends find a strange stone in the woods behind the haunted house. After contacting an expert, digging begins on the mysterious site. Eventually the separate storylines merge, and everyone soon learns the area is tied into a Norse myth, in more ways than one.

There's not much character development, aside from a little personal history here and there, mixed in among the interactions between the three groups of people. Most of the story comes across as supernatural erotica, rather than horror. For example, Swan's backseat tryst is described, but not her abduction. The author focuses on the lust rather than the destruction, which makes the suspense more trashy than terrifying.

I don't have a problem with sex in horror stories, but I would have preferred emphasis on the demon guardian, instead of the town orgy. I recommend Davies' Vampire Worms instead of this novella.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Terrifying and Tragic Transformation

For as long as Darius Fischer can remember, his grandfather had an air of mystery about him, and he harbored many secrets, secrets he kept hidden from his own family. Now that the old man has passed away, Darius is free to explore those secrets and dispel the mystery surrounding the man. But what he hinds only deepens the mystery.

THE MEMOIR OF DARIUS FISCHER by Ezekiel Kincaid is Grave Marker Book 18 (Grinning Skull Press). I want to tell other readers why I love this story, but I can't -- not without revealing spoilers. I can say the grandfather is Native American, and Darius, being an atheist, should have taken his grandfather's stories more seriously. At the very least, he should've discussed his intentions with his grandmother before digging around in the loft full of secrets.

I can also tell you, Kincaid has mixed theology, mysticism, folklore and more with the precision of a master. The author delivers his demonic concoction in the form of journal entries and clinical notes, written by Darius and his psychiatrist. The personal experiences are ghastly, the observations are insightful, and the ending is both beautiful and tragic.

This is definitely making my Top 2019 list.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Sin Always Begins With A Tree

Timothy Carpenter was the lone survivor of the pirate ship Ravager. In custody, the tale he had to tell was too outlandish to believe -- native curses, a deadly fog, and something within the fog. Admiral Buchanan of the HMS Lionheart read the pirate's account of the things that transpired with mounting disbelief. But now the fog is rolling in, and he's about to realize just how much truth is in the man's words.

RED BLOOD, WHITE WOOD by Rob Smales, Grave Marker Book 17 (Grinning Skull Press), includes a variety of supernatural horror, everything from an angry witch doctor to an ancient creature seeking revenge. Set back in time, among uncharted seas, with men going missing one by one, there is a subtle hint of Lovecraft throughout the writing style.

The story is told through a written account of pirate's nightmarish experience, when his ship is run aground, after his crew have violated the trust of an island tribe. Even though it's apparent no one survives, Smales manages to slip in one more nasty surprise at the end.

I dare you to read this one at night, on a boat, in the fog...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Not Today

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of.

And that's exactly what Arthur Rosenbaum was looking for -- the perfect woman. One who was, like him, a romantic, one who was old-fashioned...one who was pure. That was important because good little girls didn't do bad things. But Arthur had learned there were plenty of bad girls out there, bad girls who pretended to be good. Those girls needed to be punished. And he needed his faith in love restored. So all that nasty flesh became the pages upon which he "wrote" his stories, the fairy tales that mad him happy again and restored his faith in true love. Once the story was done, he was free to continue his search for the perfect woman.

And then he meets Rowan, a "special" young woman who possesses a child-like innocence. She is perfect in every way, and Arthur feels as though he has finally found the one. But Arthur is about to realize that no fairy tale is complete without its villain, its evil witch... Its big, bad wolf. And to win the hand of princess he must first defeat this adversary. The question is, at 55 years old, is he up to the challenge?

THE GRIMM REAPER by Barlow Adams is a great mix of folklore, crime drama and, of course, horror. At first, I thought this would simply be a story about a serial killer because of the intense brutality. However, the author crafts Arthur's twisted quest into a macabre fairytale complete with a princess and a curse. The result is a chilling reminder about stranger danger.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Melt the Cerebrae

DANIEL REGINALD LEWIS.

For years he had been known only as Head-Explode Guy because of his iconic death in the cult scifi/horror film Brain Attack. But a convention organizer has finally succeeded where all others failed, tracking down the elusive actor and securing his appearance at this year's Horr-Onto Con, surely to go down as one of the greatest cons in history.

But someone doesn't want Lewis to make that appearance. Someone afraid of what he might expose. Secrets a shadow organization never meant to go public and will go to any length to make certain they stay buried. Will this mysterious actor be able to expose the truth behind Brain Attack, or will he be silenced—again?

BRAIN ATTACK by A.P. Sessler is a story which should be made into a film. This story has the feel of an 80s chiller-thriller, but with the drama of a modern scifi-horror flick. While the originality is mind-blowing (pun intended), there are times where keeping track of the plot gets a bit difficult. There's nothing wrong with the story, I just think the details would work better in a movie.

I've read three stories by this author, and this is my new favorite. In the future, I'd like to see Sessler write stories with more science fiction worked into his horror creations. Anyone who has ever attended a horror and/or scifi convention needs to read this story!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Waiting to Follow the Worms

When the first body appears drained of blood, Paul Walker automatically thinks the killer is a vampire. But vampires aren't real, or so he's been told by the local constabulary. But when he witnesses the murder of his sister by one of the vampires, he realizes the creatures are real; they're just different from what the books and movies have led him to believe. Now he only needs to convince the local police before the town is overrun. As he races back to town, though, he realizes he might be too late.

VAMPIRE WORMS by Neil Davies is another excellent creature feature in the Grave Marker series from Grinning Skull Press. The author balances the right amount of personal history with looming danger to present one of the most original and tragic vampire stories I've ever read.

If Davies ever felt inclined to write a sequel, I'd love to know what becomes of the survivors. I'd especially like to see a POV from the military, perhaps Lt. Colonel Draper. These monsters are just too damn gruesome to contain to one story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Trouble in the Heartland

Truman Bonner is used to battling personal demons, but an encounter with a parasitic imp leaves him shaken to the core. He locks the imp in a secret cell beneath Deadwood, hoping never to encounter the evil entity again. Then Truman's wife disappears from their homestead after a late-night argument, and Truman and his son, Isaac, set out to bring her safely home. Confronted by a series of harrowing supernatural ordeals, the trail leads them back to the imp's macabre prison. Casualties mount, innocence is lost, and before the family is reunited, more than one person will have made a deal with the devil.

BOTTLED SPIRITS by Adrian Ludens is a western supernatural story set in the Badlands of South Dakota. After the initial imprisonment of the imp, the pace is a little slow and the storyline meanders a bit, but, once everything falls into place, readers are able to see how interconnected the characters are, giving the story the depth and drama of an old world saga.

The author is so careful with historical details, this novelette comes across as an alternative history of Deadwood, implying the imp is the reason for the Badlands' reputation. One could easily imagine Ludens telling this story by a campfire, with coyotes howling in the background.

Bottled Spirits is the perfect example of the originality and creativity readers can expect from the Grave Marker series.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Princely Racket

Elizabeth had always fantasized about two of her handsome co-workers, but she knew better than to start anything while she worked side by side with them. Now that she's about to leave the bank for a new job, her wildest, naughtiest fantasies are about to become a reality. But a home invasion wasn't part of what the threesome had planned, and now her wildest dreams are about to become her worst nightmare—in more ways than one.

THE BATHTUB by Andrew Richardson reminds me a bit of 80s horror movies: the characters get screwed in more ways than one. While the erotic backdrop is an interesting way to reel in readers, the setup is unnecessarily long. Even after the initial invasion, there's more dialogue than action.

Elizabeth soons find out Brad and Paolo, her co-workers, have been hiding some disturbing secrets. I found myself more interested in Elizabeth's thoughts and feelings than whether or not she survives the attack. In fact, I didn't feel much sympathy for any of the characters.

The ending is spectacularly brutal, making up for the slow pace of the story. I didn't see it coming, even though, in hindsight, there is some foreshadowing. If you're a Jigsaw fan, you'll probably enjoy soaking yourself in The Bathtub.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dirty Secret

They call him The Tailor, a nightmarish fairy-tale creature called upon by parents to deal with unkempt children. When it's inadvertently summoned by an up-and-coming rock band during an all-night jam session, their routine practice turns into a night of terror as The Tailor tries to clean up The Filthy Habits' act.

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS by Sebastian Bendix is a terrifying twist on golem folklore. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, so I can't write much about this story, but this would make a great SyFy movie. The ending is the scariest surprise of all, and the epilogue is the perfect final stitch.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Quilt Reveals Guilt

When Angie Berg suspects her husband is having an affair, it has an impact on every aspect of her life. Confiding in her boss, Angie learns Carol's husband had also been unfaithful, and it was the reason for their divorce. Carol wants to help Angie get to the truth, and she has the means to do so --- a handmade Amish quilt. Thinking her boss has gone off the deep end, Angie accepts the gift in the spirit in which it had been intended.

Later that night, still plagued with doubts, Angie figures there's no harm in throwing the quilt on the bed. What does she have to lose? What she discovers is worse than she imagined, and now Angie finds herself in mortal peril as she tries to figure out what to do next.

THE ONE WHO LIES NEXT TO YOU by Russell Coy is a chilling mystery-thriller. The office scene, with Angie and Carol discussing a work incident, is a great way to connect readers to Angie's state of mind. The conversation Angie later has with Ryan is some great foreshadowing, but nothing prepared me for the horrific secret he has been hiding. While there are a few cringe moments, such as Angie watching the video with Ryan RIGHT NEXT TO HER, the ending is fairly satisfying.

I wouldn't mind reading another quilt story by the author.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Worst Birthday Present EVER

The antique waist coat was an impulse buy, and at the time it seemed like the perfect birthday gift for Ryan. Little did Julie know, however, there was something else at work that day---something sinister---compelling her to make the purchase. From the moment Ryan slipped on the jacket, Julie realized something wasn't right. The changes were subtle at first, but as they grew more extreme, Julie knew she needed to find out more about the jacket, and soon she's pitted against supernatural forces in a race for Ryan's life. Would she be able to figure things out in time to save him, or was she already too late?

COATTAILS by Joshua Rex kept me guessing throughout the story. Not only did I wonder about the coat, but the mysterious ring adds to the suspense. Unfortunately, readers never really learn anything about the history of the coat or the ring, which might have been fine, if there hadn't been so much emphasis placed on the two items.

I think I might not have minded the loose ends quite as much, if the story also included Ryan's POV, as opposed to being limited by Julie's outside observations.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Baby Back Ribs

Children are disappearing from the streets of West Hollywood. The police are clueless, but Christopher Driscoll suspects he might know who is responsible. The trail leads to a local new hot spot that has become THE place to eat. Has the owner been serving up finger-licking good baby barbecue, or has there been a HUGE misunderstanding?

TOLERANCE: A WEST HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRE NOVELETTE by Hal Bodner immediately grabbed my attention with the preternatural characters scattered among the human characters. About halfway through the story, the fate of the missing children becomes a bit predictable, but this is one of the rare times a little predictability provides a shocking reveal at the end.

On a more personal note, I found Christopher to be one of the most annoying vampires I've come across in modern fiction. While I'd love to read more about Bodner's version of West Hollywood, I hope the author gets rid of Christopher.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Movie Madness

SHRIEK OF THE HARPY by Sebastian Bendix is the story of cursed film being discovered by a film archivist. The story is broken into segments by Muriel's journal entries. The first half of the story seems largely unnecessary, and may lose some readers with the slow setup.

However, if readers stick with it, the action finally kicks in around the halfway mark. While Muriel's battle for survival is entertaining, her character doesn't have much depth, so I didn't really care what happened to her. The ambiguity surrounding the harpy film is a nice touch. The ending reminded me of the movie, In the Mouth of Madness.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Pack of Outlaws

Juan “Tezcat” Medina is about to take the law into his own hands. Having lost his wife and daughter to a gang of outlaws, he's been given the chance to have them back with him. All he has to do is kill the six men who robbed him of his family. But there's something different about this gang of outlaws, something Tezcat isn't aware of until it's too late and he's forced into a showdown with evil.

FULL MOON IN THE WEST by Dominic Stabile is a tale of revenge in Mexico, complete with werewolves. Tezcat makes a deal with a witch to bring back his wife and daughter from the dead, but she leaves out a key detail. The action alternates between shooting, biting and clawing.

Tezcat frustrates me, as he keeps flipping between wanting revenge and wanting peace. His sister is far more impressive, doing more damage than any of the men. Watson, the Sheriff, comes off as a real jerk, claiming the werewolves have to answer to his authority. The Sheriff shares a flashback, which only makes me question his logic even more. Not sure why he thought he could make werewolves answer to the Law.

While I enjoyed the story (and I usually dislike anything with a Western theme), I think the author should consider turning this into a novella or full-length novel, in order to include more details about the Pack of Outlaws. At the very least, I'd love a prequel about the original deal the outlaws made.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Bad Influence

Have you ever wondered why people do bad things? 

One man's desire to find out why turns into an obsession after his wife and unborn child are killed in a drive-by shooting. What Josh discovers defies all logic and reason. But now that he knows the truth, is he about to become the next victim of a random act of violence?

THE SOURCE by W.C. Jones is one of the best horror stories I've ever read! This novella has all the necessary elements for quality entertainment: drama, mystery, suspense and a touch of the supernatural. This is the kind of story I'd expect to see on a show such as Tales of the Crypt.

I love the originality of "the source," and, while Josh reflects on the details of his personal nightmare, I remained captivated from beginning to end. While the outcome is a bit predictable, the very ending is a great touch. I would love to see a longer story based on this one. Perhaps the author could write a story centered around Charlie.

I'm recommending this one to all horror fans as a must-read.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dark Fairy Tale

One wish and Blaze can have anything her heart desires -- no strings attached. She knows this is too good to be true, but the temptation proves to be too great for the young woman who only wants to dance. Because of her background, she knows she'll never be able to afford proper lessons and the opportunities that come with, but all that could change with just one wish.

What Blaze is about to learn, however, is that despite what she's been told, all things have a price. But is it a price she's willing to pay?

THE DANCE by S.L. Williams is more of a dark fantasy than a horror story, but I enjoyed the fairy-tale quality of the author's writing. The main character is developed just enough to create concern for her well-being, but not overdone in details.

Throughout the story, I was never certain who Blaze could trust and who was trying to harm her, and I didn't know where Williams would take the tale of caution. This is an entertaining version of the "be careful what you wish for" warning.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Just Skip To The Battle

The Mole People have long been part of New York City's mythology. An urban legend, much like the alligators in the sewers. But the Mole People are no myth; they are real, and they are being recruited into an Army of Darkness with one purpose: to claim the city for its own

Frank Burger, a NYPD homicide detective, and Harvey Goldblum, a paranormal investigator, have both uncovered the plot, but when they reveal the truth, will anybody believe them? Or will the lights of Broadway go forever dark and will the City that Never Sleeps become a playground for the undead?

THE FREAKS COME OUT AT NIGHT by Joseph Rubas is a crime noir with a vampire at the center. The pace is slow, which makes it difficult to get into the plot. I couldn't read this in one sitting, as I normally do.

The POV switches between the vampire, a couple of detectives, and an author with writer's block. The structure of the story reminds me of a Law & Order episode, with a few supernatural scenes tossed in here and there, and not much action, until about 3/4 into the novella.

Once Mr. Sewer Man unleashed his deadly tsunami into the streets of New York City, the story becomes quite thrilling, but it's too little, too late. Large sections seemed completely unnecessary. I don't know many readers who will stay with this story long enough to enjoy the ending.

I wish the author would've written the entire story in the style he used for the last 1/4.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Urban Sleepy Hollow

The death of a Drug Lord's first lieutenant ignites an all-out war between two rival gangs, a war that has raged on for a year. Homicide detective Karen Oswalt realizes she has no chance of bringing peace to the streets unless she can find the murderer, but it appears to have been the perfect crime. No witnesses. At least none have come forward. But all that is about to change. With one phone call from an informant long-thought dead, Karen Oswalt and her partner are about to come face to... uh... well, face with the killer.

NIKOLIS COLE: THE LOW-RISE SAINT by Richard Black is so good, I gave a copy to a friend. Nikolis Cole is kind of like a modern day Headless Horseman mixed with Shaft, and I would definitely read another story with this character. I also enjoyed Detective Karen and the way she carries herself throughout the novella.

I've never heard of Richard Black before, but the author is definitely on my radar now. I highly recommend this story to anyone who appreciates horror mixed with an urban legend.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Wicked Wednesday: Marital Issues

Marrying above your station is never easy. The money, the great house, the gorgeous wife, and the mind-blowing sex, they all come with a price tag. That was something Howie didn't realize when he entered into this relationship. But now it's time to pay the piper and the price is more than he is willing to pay. Is there an out, or will Howie find out what happens when he refuses to make the expected payment?

The First Suitor by A.P. Sessler should be considered a warning about marrying someone for a reason other than love. Sessler deftly uses little details as a trail of crumbs for readers to follow along, until they are hopelessly trapped within the story, along with Howie. Unfortunately those crumbs weren't filling enough.

While there is plenty of foreshadowing and frustration to go around, the only action in the story takes place in the bedroom. With the introduction of Nicholas and his "marital counseling," I thought Howie would become the new Elise, or maybe "Lily" would be short for Lilith, but no such luck. The author kept the storyline fairly simple, which is a shame because Sessler's work is so much better when it's complicated.

I recommend readers instead pick up a copy of The Stain in the Stairwell to see the real horror Sessler is capable of delivering.

As always,
AstraDaemon