The Otherworld...It Hates You

You never want to trip and fall into the Otherworld. Blaine found out many years ago that the town of Castle Santos sits close to another world beyond the veil. He slipped, once, but that was enough to change his life.


A stranger arrives on the eve of the Witching Hour and seeks to steal Blaine back to the Otherworld. But he must stall long enough to put a plan into motion to escape their clutches forever. Can Blaine weave a childhood tale to enthrall his would-be captor and escape final judgment?

THE PICKING TREE by Zachery Miller is a thrilling mix of horror, fantasy and folklore. Before I get into this review, I recommend reading The Shopkeep first, just so you can appreciate some of the details of this novella.

The story is told mostly through one long flashback. Young Blaine is a Stephen King fan, and loans his dad's copy of IT to a girl he likes. Little moments like this offer a lot of insight into Blaine's personality and his way of thinking (during his childhood), which really sets the mood. Much like the the kids in King's book, Blaine is terrorised by two psychotic bullies, and one of his escapes leads him into a frightening landscape. He soons finds himself moving back and forth between worlds.

As an adult, Blaine has found a way to avoid the Otherworld, and he has become a writer. However, he's suffered years of PTSD and he comes face to face with the source of his nightmares. He uses what he learned as child and his storytelling skills for one final confrontation. The ending had me completely freaking out, right up to the very last sentence.

I think this story is good enough to entertain both old and young horror fans, ages 14 and up.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Tuesday Terror: Morbid Tale #5

Beth thought she’d escaped the cult-like traditions of her childhood home in Drumfort, Illinois. College life has given her what she yearned for; the ways of the world, for knowledge, and the freedom that it brings. No more of that nonsense and ridiculous blind faith that has kept so many trapped back home.

But when a strange being disturbs her dreams she returns home to find out why. And when she is chosen for the Sacrifice she must hold firm to her unbeliefs if she is to survive.

The Unbeliever is the most recent Morbid Tale written by Zachery Miller. There are so many layers and themes in this story. Miller blends horror and folklore, religion and psychology, and family drama. You could call this a thriller, a coming of age...a warning. At first glance, it appears to have a happy ending, but, upon closer examination, Beth does make a sacrifice after all. More than one, in fact.

For some reason, I'm curious what this story would have been like if told from the POV of some other character, instead of Beth's perspective. The town had such an odd assortment of people, Miller should consider revisiting Drumfort in another tale.

I'd lose my mind if the author found a way to tie all the Morbid Tales together.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Monday Murder: Morbid Tales Returns

Tonight, little Amy lays in bed, hurt and sad at how unfair life has been toward her. From a dark corner, the darkest place in her dimly lit room, a silhouette watches, listens, and speaks.


Fearful and distraught, and nowhere to run, she has no choice but to stay. But who is this thing, this creature, this…it? It asks a question, Amy answers, and with her words many will die tonight.

The Silhouette by Zachery Miller is the fourth addition to his Morbid Tales. I love everything about this story. Amy is a very relatable character...I'm sure most readers probably have known someone like her, maybe they were her. I found the demon, Many, intriguing and intimidating at the same time. The deaths are heavily influenced by modern culture, a detail which gives this tale the appearance of an urban legend to be passed around. Miller doesn't show his characters any mercy...he is the silhouette.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday Suspense: A Morbid Tale

Trish and Henry mistakenly turn onto a dead-end street. The wrong street, at the wrong time of twilight, and find themselves in the grip of the Nightcomer. But in this cul-de-sac of horrors these two people, so busily caught up in their lives, will find that there can be only one kind of ending on a dead-end street.

The Nightcomer is the third story in the Morbid Tales series by Zachery Miller. This one is considerably more horrifying than the previous two. I only expected one monster, not the Home Owners Association from Hell. I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would leave the safety of their car, and wander around a strange neighborhood, especially if they think they're lost. The ending is brutal...wouldn't surprise me if Miller walks the streets at night with a bloody wheelbarrow.

This author doesn't do happy endings.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Another Morbid Tale

About a year ago, I stumbled upon Zachery Miller, a horror author who grabbed my attention with The Shopkeep. I asked for a full-length novel; he wrote a mini-series instead: Morbid Tales. There are now five stories and I'll be reviewing the rest of the short tales over the next few days.

The Amorphous Horror is number two. Laura is listening to her grandfather tell her stories about his imprisonment in Nazi Germany. Something is thrashing about in the locked basement. Laura knows where he keeps the key. She decides she needs to find out the truth behind his last day in the concentration camp.

Slightly predictable with only a few terrifying moments, this story is still very entertaining. Miller's setting reminded me of the "creepy German guy" scene in the movie The Monster Squad, blending real-life tragedy with supernatural folklore.

Although Miller's writing style is somewhat charming in a dark way, his work hints the author may be on his way to seriously establishing himself as a modern-day Edgar Allan Poe...for example, in this tale, he balances the reckless curiosity of youth with the agonizing secrecy of old age to keep his readers captivated.

Keep checking back for more Morbid Tales...

As always,
AstraDaemon