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...

---

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

Throwback Thursday: Brom | AstraDaemon

The acclaimed artist Brom brilliantly displays his multiple extraordinary talents in The Child Thief—a spellbinding re-imagining of the beloved Peter Pan story that carries readers through the perilous mist separating our world from the realm of Faerie...Brom takes a classic children’s tale and turns it inside-out, painting a Neverland that...is darker, richer, more complex than innocent world J.M. Barrie originally conceived. An ingeniously executed literary feat, illustrated with Brom’s sumptuous artwork, The Child Thief is contemporary fantasy at its finest—casting Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, even Captain Hook and his crew in a breathtaking new light.

THE CHILD THIEF by Brom explores the darker perspectives of the tale that Disney turned into a "happy fairytale." Peter lures runaways - usually kids who have already been through hell (abuse, rape, etc) - by offering them sanctuary away from the grown-ups that have hurt them...but he doesn't tell them about the dangers of the Mist, or the war he is waging for his Lady (Brom's version of the Lady of the Lake). He promises them a new family, but he doesn't discuss how brutal their new life will be, or how many lost children have died before them.

If I didn't know any better, I would think that the "pirates" are supposed to be the lost colonists of Roanoke. In any case, they are New World colonists who were trapped on Avalon by the Mist. During their time on the island, they have been twisted both physically and mentally, so that there's barely any humanity left among the Flesh-Eaters.

Even the fairies associated with Peter are not creatures of light and joy, but mean-spirited pixies that torment anyone who lets his or her guard down. For example, Peter's Devils have to sleep in cages to protect themselves at night from the pixies.

It's tempting to think of Peter and the inhabitants of the island as evil tricksters, but when we catch glimpses of Peter's past, such as his separation from his mother, you soon realize that nothing is as simple as good or bad.

Most of the story is told through the experiences of Nick, a kid who thinks he has no choice but to follow Peter into the Mist. However, the longer he stays in Avalon, the more Nick wonders if his previous life was as bad as he thought. I recommend The Child Thief to anyone who likes a dark fantasy.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Silent Souls | AstraDaemon

LIFESONG by Julia Blake is nothing like the fiction I usually read, but I've enjoyed her writing style in the past, so I thought I would read something else by the author. Based on the description, I expected a sci-fi story about mankind being a plague upon the Earth. However, there is a deeper message within this story, coming from a place of hope, rather than condemnation of our species.

I found the setup to be slow-paced, with heavy emphasis on the lifesongs of the main character's world, making me rather impatient for the story to get underway...which became rather ironic, once I realized how our world appears to the traveler.

Blake's contrast of the two worlds reminded me of a quote by Neale Donald Walsch, “If you think your life is about doing-ness, you do not understand what you are about. Your soul doesn’t care what you do for a living and when your life is over, neither will you. Your soul cares only about what you’re being while you’re doing whatever you’re doing. It is a state of being-ness the soul is after, not a state of doing-ness.”

Lifesong is the power of choice: if we choose to change from just existing to make a living to living a life where we are doing what we love, we will connect in a way which benefits the planet as well as ourselves. Until then, the disconnect in our world allows an infection to poison our world in numerous ways, as has happened with other worlds. The revelation of the main character towards the end has given me serious food for thought. 

I also recommend Blake's THE FOREST, folklore woven with suspense, drama and romance.

As always,

AstraDaemon

The Logic of Fairy Tales | AstraDaemon

Dark fantasy about a kitchen girl obsessed with fairy tales, who upon discovering a ragged woman outside the castle during a storm, takes her in--certain she’s a princess in disguise.

RED AS BLOOD AND WHITE AS BONE by Theodora Goss is a strange short story with a mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I love the way Klara approaches her life with logic based on fairy tales. The best part is how well that logic gets her through the dark times in her life.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Hell's Gates Look Inviting

AT HELL'S GATES: ORIGINS OF EVIL is the second volume of an effort to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. I have already read volume one, and whatever method they are using to choose the stories, it's working well. There is something for every horror fan, including science fiction and fantasy subgenres mixed with classical horror elements, and, if you're not normally a fan of the horror genre, you will be after reading this anthology.

This particular volume had numerous stories bordering on the bizarro genre, so, once again, the volume is unique:

PULSE BY MARK TUFO is a fantastic thriller about a bug zapper, kind of like Borne Identity meets the SyFy channel.

COOKIES FOR THE GENTLEMAN BY C.T. PHIPPS is a dark and hopeless tale about an unwanted visitor.

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY BY EVIN AGER introduces an Army MP with a Lovecraft-type of deployment.

HISTORY'S END BY FRANK TAYELL is proof that even the smartest person can make a really stupid mistake.

A MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE BY J. RUDOLPH is a sad zombie story that will tear your heart out.

PATIENT 63 BY STEVE KOPAS is one of my favorites; this is an excellent outbreak story.

TYRANNICAL ASCENSION BY SHANA FESTA is a twisted apocalypse story that I enjoyed a lot.

INK BY JAMES CRAWFORD is another favorite of mine about the dark meaning of a tattoo.

THE MAN WITH FOUR SCARS BY STEPHEN KOZENIEWSKI is Clan of the Cave Bear meets Night of the Comet, and is one of the very best stories in this volume.

DADDY'S GIRL BY IAN McCLELLAN caught me off-guard with the twist; well-written.

OPERATION DEVIL WALK BY DAVID MIKOLAS is a personal holocaust.

THE INFECTED BY SG LEE shows how a zombie virus is born.

FORGET ME NEVER BY SHARON STEVENSON tells the tale of a starlet's dark secret to success.

MIRAGE BY SEAN T. SMITH is a story that Ray Bradbury would be proud of.

THE MILLSTONE BY LESA KINNEY ANDERS is another favorite in this collection; it's one of the best vampire stories that I've ever read.

GENESIS BY KIT POWER is an intense thriller-prequel to the novel "Godbomb!"

LOCKDOWN BY TIM CALDWELL features a zombie outbreak at a school.

COLLECTION NIGHT BY CURREN GEIST is a gut-wrenching sci-fi story...a damn good one.

THE COLD BY DEVAN SAGLIANI is one of the most unusual stories in the entire anthology.

A DIFFERENT COCKTAIL BY CLAIRE C. RILEY is about a cult meeting that goes horribly wrong for one young man.

A SONG TO SING IN BABYON BY BOBBY METEVIER & MATTHEW BAUGH is very weird...told from a demonic POV.

THE GOUGER BY PAUL MANNERING is a brutal ending to a brutal anthology.

The variety and originality of the stories makes this a perfect gift for horror fans, while contributing to a good cause.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Different Kind of Punk

THE MAZE'S AMULET by Auctor Trevel is kind of like Harry Potter mixed with Nightbreed. The author has created one hell of a dark fantasy dystopia about a moonpunk witch trying to keep her business going despite a serious illness and threats from a demonic mobster. (All of this takes place after a war of magic with creatures from another realm.)

The relationship between Elza and Noah is reason enough to read this novella, but the criminal element adds to the drama and suspense. The magic duels provide some intense action scenes, and the interactions between characters provides readers with more details about the society they now live in.

The ending is somewhat unexpected, but I LOVED the extra Elza backstory. Great touch!

If you're into dark urban fantasy fiction, this may be right up your alley.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Book of Skin

The Battle of Lepanto left the Ottoman Empire's navy in ruins. Although Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha has overseen the replacement of every lost ship, he fears economic trends are against the Empire.

Seeking an advantage over his Latin foes, the pasha seeks knowledge man was not meant to have, a quest that brings him face to face with the Great Old Ones...

THE BEAST OF BOSPORUS by Matthew W. Quinn is a Lovecraft-styled story, set in the Ottoman Empire. The alternative history is thrilling and horrific, and I wish this had been a novella instead. The flashback within the story is fantastic foreshadowing of the otherworld nightmare Pasha plans to unleash.

Life is what happens when you make plans, but death is what follows when your plans come undone. If you enjoy the Cthulhu mythos, I highly recommend this short!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Ready For Abduction

ILLEGAL ALIEN by Matthew W. Quinn begins with a battle between two alien species, bringing the fight to Earth. Immigrants from Mexico are abandoned by their guide, only to find themselves facing a bigger threat than the desert heat or border patrols.

Quinn takes two popular topics, completely unrelated, and uses science fiction to mix them together, resulting in an intense struggle for survival. I'm hoping readers can leave politics behind and appreciate the story as simply a great piece of sci-fi.

As always,
AstraDaemon

To The Rescue

Scholarly John Fiore has long sought to preserve the literary heritage of the fallen Empire in a library, a library funded by the proceeds of his life as a mercenary, assassin, and adventurer. His most recent assignment is to rescue Adriana Cimino, daughter of a lord of the Narrow Sea, from the lecherous Talassos, prince of the serpentine Naga.

LORD GIOVANNI'S DAUGHTER by Matthew W. Quinn would make a good video game, complete with half-serpent guards and rescuing the damsel in distress. Unfortunately, this tale doesn't work well as a short story. Plenty of action, but barely any dialogue, and no character depth, making it difficult to feel anything for Fiore or Adriana.

I don't know if it's the genre or the plot, but this is nothing like what I've come to expect from Quinn. The author's horror stories are much better than this fantasy piece.

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