JT Lawrence Day 5 of 7 | Fantasy Review | AstraDaemon

THE BARON by JT Lawrence is radically different from most everything I read these days, as well as being quite a departure from what I've come to expect from the author. However, this short fantasy story is an absolute delight, and highlights what a versatile story-teller Lawrence is.

If you enjoy authors such as Ursula K Le Guin or Terry Pratchett, you should make time for this tale by JT Lawrence.

As always,

AstraDaemon

A Life For A Life | AstraDaemon

LA SIGNORA by Bruce McAllister is a fantasy short about an American teen attending a village school in Italy, during the Cold War. He makes new friends by bonding over fishing, among a few other things. As time goes by, he begins to hear references to the "Signora."

When his father becomes distraught, his friends offer an unusual solution. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes during the special night with his friends, and he learns the hard way what it is to love too much.

Well-written, and full of suspense.

As always,

AstraDaemon

MORE, PLEASE!!! | AstraDaemon

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY by Naomi Kritzer is a flash fiction fantasy story, and I am BEGGING the author to write more. I love this story. I love all the details, the suspense, but the ending is too abrupt...the interaction is too fleeting.

Definitely making my Top 2020 list. Recommended to everyone who loves books, as well as sharing them.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Flat As A Deck of Cards | AstraDaemon

OF ROSES AND KINGS by Melissa Marr is disappointing. Not much happens. I thought it would be interesting to read a new twist on a classic, but the story is seriously lacking character development. Even the relationship between the maid and Alice lacks any real depth...more or less Beatrice/Rose rambling about her obsession, and yet never showing any real passion.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Splattered With Horror

OUT OF THE CAVE created by MacKenzie Publishing is an anthology of stories by several talented authors:

Foreword by Steve Vernon - discusses how scary stories are good for kids

Preface by Cathy MacKenzie - mentions mix of fantasy, supernatural and suspense stories geared towards readers as young as 13

OUT OF THE CAVE by Cassandra Williams - young boy is determined to discover a troll (this legitimately freaked me out)

PROPER METHOD by Stephen Millard - a young man is given more responsibility on the family farm (this one is terrifying)

I WAIT by Chiara De Giorgi - teen runs away from home (ending is confusing)

BECOMING CLARISSA by A.W. Powers - great coming of age story

DANGER STREET by Rod Martinez - better than Tron (veggie scene made me LOL)

THE GRIP by Val Muller - horrifying curse (would make a great movie)

DOWN THE MYRTLE TREE by A.P. Sessler - exploring on Halloween night (sweet & sad)

TAKERS by Paul Stansbury - interesting folklore piece

THE LEGEND OF POUTINE by Randy Whittaker - another folklore story with an amusing ending

THE MONSTER OF BEINN LEITIR by Kristin Roahrig - horrifying folklore

BEARING WITNESS by Alan Kemister - should be required reading by teens (mind-blowing ending)

THE GRAVEDIGGER by Tom Robson - gruesome discovery

IN TENTS by Heron Greenesmith - my favorite story (needs to be made into a novel) *clever title*

THEY CAME FROM OGIJIMA by S.L. Kerns - very original (great descriptions)

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES by Kathy L. Price - a grisly tale

THE FOURTH FLOOR by E.F. Schraeder - very freaky (would love a full-length novel about the school)

NO DEEPER by Chantal Boudreau - terrifying Lovecraftian story

TIM AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD REANIMATED ANIMAL ATTACKS by Katherine Sanger - strange ending (left me wanting more)

THE STONE FOUNTAIN by Matthew D. Laing - spooky

MEASURED IN MINUTES by Jeff C. Stevenson - very different

BEAT WELL by Steve Vernon - damn, Steve...just, damn

This anthology deserves far more attention than it has received. Even though the stories are "safe" enough for young adult readers, the twists will entertain even the most seasoned readers. I recommend this one to all my viewers.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Interdimensional Hellscape

THE CAVE by Eric S. Brown is an action-packed science fiction thriller, much like Starship Troopers and The Mist, mixed with the apocalyptic terror the author is well-known for. What begins with a camping trip, ends with bloodshed and destruction. Unable to escape his past childhood trauma, Nick must guide a military expedition into a cave full of nightmares.

The question isn't whether or not the group will survive, but how many creatures can each one kill before they take their last breath? Will it be enough? The ending is shocking...I didn't expect this to be part of a series, but I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

School's Out Forever

THE GUARD by Eric S. Brown is one of his most action-packed Bigfoot novellas. I love the different ways the townsfolk and the soldiers kill the monsters in this one, especially the efforts of Tim and Cato. While most characters aren't around long enough to reveal much of a personality, the survivors make an impression with the various ways they fight back.

If you enjoy this story, I recommend HUNTERS and RISE OF THE YETIS, both by Brown.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Trapped In Virtual Reality

THE LAST DAYS OF MYTH-REAL by Eric S. Brown is nothing like his Bigfoot stories. The premise is straightforward: the crew of a space voyager are in stasis, while their minds are hooked into a virtual reality game. Unfortunately, the AI running it has changed the parameters, and the crew is now trapped inside.

I love the blend of genres within the game...kind of like World of Warcraft mixed with Fortnite and a touch of Westworld. The characters are diverse and completely awesome, and they provide some spectacular action within the battles. Even the dialogue is exciting. Long-time fans of Brown will also love the inclusion of Squatch.

I'd love a sequel to follow-up on the ship's original mission.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Nightmare Or Dream?

SLEEPING BEAUTI by D.B. Green and A.K. Stein is a mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror, and more plausible than the backstory of the Matrix movies.

The coma is an excellent touch. I can't comment any further without risking spoilers, but the description doesn't do SLEEPING BEAUTI justice. I wouldn't call this a retelling at all. Green and Stein have created a very frightening dystopian future.

I recommend this short story to all readers.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Unusual Pets Discovered

YOUTH by Isaac Asimov is a great sci-fi short story. Aliens, an explorer and a merchant, arrange to meet with an astronomer and an industrialist on Earth, after the wars which changed life as we know it. Unfortunately, the aliens crash land and are found by two children with plans of their own.

The misunderstanding between the six characters is very entertaining, but the ending is a fantastic shock. Just one more reason to love Asimov's storytelling.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Fantasy Writers Fighting Cancer

Fantasy For Good: A Charitable Anthology
edited by Richard Salter

First and foremost, the proceeds from the sales of Fantasy For Good are donated to the fight against colon cancer. This is the second in a series, following Horror For Good, and both have raised a standard for charity anthologies.

This anthology brought me back to my childhood, when I fell in love with fiction, particularly the fantasy genre. In addition to many well-known authors, readers are also introduced to many other talented writers...it's like a buffet for the imagination: sword & sorcery, fairy tales, paranormal, etc.

The number of stories within is well worth the price, and readers can feel good about giving to a charity at the same time. However, what truly impressed me is the variety and originality of each and every story. Not once was I able to predict an ending, and when you read as much as I do, that, in itself, is an amazing feat.

I recommend this anthology to readers of all ages, and if you're not a fan of the fantasy genre, you will be after reading Fantasy For Good.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Bone To Pick

GRAVE DIGGER by Brandon Lee Hayes is a flash fiction mystery about an entity which comes to a graveyard at night, digs up fresh corpses and then places the bodies back into the grave. For generations, the caretaker's family has simply reburied the dead, too terrified to interfere with the wraith.

The last of his bloodline, the caretaker has decided to find out for himself what happens when the deceased are disturbed. The truth is horrifying.

Not as action-packed as the author's previous stories, but still chilling in its own way.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Flagg's First Appearance

Pretty sure everyone in the horror community is already familiar with Stephen King, either through his books or movies...and there are so many great stories from indie authors and small presses...I usually avoid reviewing authors who are world famous. However, I felt I should review at least one story from King, so I chose my favorite novel by the author.

THE EYES OF THE DRAGON by Stephen King is so incredibly different from the majority of his stories set in New England. This novel is largely fantasy-based, complete with an evil wizard by the name of Flagg (yes, THAT Flagg) in a medieval setting. In fact, many King fans are still unaware of this novel, even though a lot of material for the Dark Tower series originates from this storyline, as you will soon realize.

A mysterious narrator shares the tale of Delain, a kingdom thrown into dark years when King Roland is poisoned, and his eldest son Peter is accused of the murder. Of course, throughout Delain's downfall, the magician Flagg is behind the many deaths and increasing turmoil. Eventually the narrator reveals Flagg has been destroying kingdoms for centuries. (Any of this sounding familiar yet?)

While most of the book is devoted to Peter and his punishment resulting from Flagg's treachery, as well as the suffering of anyone who remains loyal to Peter, Roland's second son, Thomas, plays a pivotal role in more ways than one. When Flagg attempts to play one brother against the other, readers will soon realize there are some things a demon may never understand.

One of the best aspects of this novel is the way the personal relationships between characters are woven together. Even though they are tested and frayed, those relationships hold strong, and prove to be more powerful than any dark magic. There are many things to love about this novel, and, to this day, The Mist is the only King story I love nearly as much. Last I heard, Hulu is going to make a series based on this book.

This is the one Stephen King novel I can recommend to all readers ages 12 and up.

As always,
AstraDaemon

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EMMALINE LAVENDER FIELDS has been chosen as the winner of the Lair's last giveaway. Hope everyone enjoyed the reviews and interviews about monsters this month! November will be returning to a mix of genres...

More Skaven Stories!

THANQUOL'S DOOM by C.L. Werner is a brilliant way to tie together the storylines from the previous two novels.You have Jeremias Scrivner, the human sorcerer from the first novel, and Lord Tlaco, the mage-priest Slann from the second novel, planning a combined effort to "fix the Great Math" by getting rid of a "miscalculation" by the name of Grey Seer Thanquol.

Thanquol, always involved in some Skaven controversy, is forced into yet another political conspiracy between clans, the inventive Skyre clan and the muscle clan Mors, by Seerlord Kritislisk, which includes a war with the Dwarves of Karak Angkul. Everything goes wrong for the Grey Seer. Everything. I had no way of predicting what was going to happen from one chapter to the next.

The POV switches between the skavens and the dwarves, but this time the alternating narration worked much better than in Temple of the Serpent because both views were describing the same point in the timeline. When you leave the Skavens' perspective to read the Dwarves' perspective, you are returned almost to the exact moment you leave the Skavens' POV, so you are never left to wonder what happened to either group while you were reading about the other.

Despite his obvious negative traits, Werner has done an excellent job developing Thanquol as the ultimate antagonistic character. I haven't enjoyed a bad guy this much, since Darth Vader. Thanquol's Doom provides a lot of insight into the Grey Seer's twisted way of thinking, as well as showing how powerful he has become since the first two novels. Unfortunately, Thanquol has been so preoccupied with the intrigue of Skavendom, he completely overlooks how many other races perceive him as a very dangerous threat.

This was definitely my favorite of the three Thanquol & Boneripper adventures. Even the rat-ogre bodyguard has changed over the course of the series!


While I've reread the first three novels more than once, this is the first time I've read the short story, MIND-STEALER. Classic Thanquol over-thinking, thanks to his inflated opinion of himself, but I still love this character! This time, the Grey Seer attacks a human caravan, triggering a battle between villagers and outsiders, only to find himself fighting a powerful witch.

The ending is a bit of a surprise, and little abrupt. I'm wondering if this story might be referenced in The Black Plague trilogy...

As always,
AstraDaemon

SKAVENS IN THE LAIR!!

Not sure if I'll get any pushback for including Warhammer in my month of horror, but I am a huge fan of the Skaven, and I felt the man-sized rat-like creatures deserved to be included among my monster roster.

GREY SEER by C.L. Werner is something I first read about ten years ago, after I had already been introduced to the Gotrek & Felix series. Thanquol is a recurring enemy of theirs, along with his rat-ogre bodyguard, Boneripper. He is also a Grey Seer, a natural-born wizard, aided by Warpstone, which is dark magic in solid form (humans call it Wyrdstone). Unrefined is far more dangerous than refined, and Thanquol is absolutely addicted to the stuff.

Grey Seer Thanquol is forced to retrieve the Wormstone (a toxic version of Warpstone) by the Council of Thirteen. He's made many enemies among the Skaven clans, mostly due to dirty politics (and a certain dwarf screwing up his past plans), so the Council considers Thanquol to be disposable.

The narration switches views between the skavens and humans, and it's easy to follow. I personally prefer the scenes with the skavens. The smugglers who find the Wormstone seem so boring compared to Thanquol and his adept, Kratch. While the mysterious Dark Master, playing the skavens and humans against each other, is interesting, very little is revealed about him. Thanquol and Boneripper are completely awesome characters, even if they are technically the "bad guys."

TEMPLE OF THE SERPENT is the second book in the Thanquol & Boneripper series. The Grey Seer is called before the Council to explain to the Lords of Decay what happened in the first book. TOTS actually begins with a prologue from the POV of an ancient creature named Lord Talco, who studies the Great Math of the Old Ones, and views the xa'cota (the rat fractals) as corrupted algorithms. A bit difficult to follow, but necessary to illustrate how different the lizard race is from the Skaven or humans.

Readers will learn more about the different Skavens clans, as well as their ongoing political scheming. As a result of the chaos around him, Thanquol has to deal with a mountain of problems just to stay alive. Of course, there is always a human factor within these stories, and, when the three races converge in the City of Quetza, the battles are superb.

Werner does such a great job describing the surroundings and the jungle's other inhabitants, I felt the suffering of the characters as if I were there with them. You don't even have to be a Warhammer fan to enjoy this Skaven series!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Run For Your Life [INTERVIEW]

LAB ZERO by Brandon Lee Hayes is a short story about a lab intern who wants to know what is in the basement of his building. As soon as he realizes what has been going on behind closed doors, the doors are torn apart, and the intern is facing a life and death situation.

Hayes does a great job of combining terror and suspense by including the internal dialogue the intern is having. Rather than stay in self-preservation mode, he remains determined to figure out what escaped from the laboratory.

Hide and seek...and try not to die.

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Even though I've only read a couple of stories by this author, Brandon Lee Hayes, his horror creations have already made quite an impression on me. I decided to invite him into the Lair to discuss bears, hunting and Halloween:

Let’s get right to it…where did you get the idea for I’M ALL ALONE AND IT’S GETTING DARK?

The title popped into my head one day and I felt like I had to figure out what this story was about. Usually it’s the complete opposite for me. I have ideas that I write out, struggling to find a good title.

I opened up my journal with all of my story ideas and thought to myself “when is it scary to be alone?”.

The first thing that came to me was that it’s terrifying to be alone as a child. I also feel that an event from my childhood leaked into this story without me even realizing until this question was asked.

When I was very young, armed robbers broke into my house, pistol whipped my father and tied him up. They threw the phone down the basement stairs and rummaged through my house.

The whole intruder in the house and phone in the basement thing sounds a bit like I’m All Alone and It’s Getting Dark.

I have a blog section called “Why I Wrote” on my website that explains in greater detail where the ideas behind my stories come from if you’re interested in an even more in depth answer.

Is there any chance of seeing Roosevelt in another story?

It’s definitely possible. As of right now I think it would be as more of an easter egg rather than a main character in the story. I will say that my stories take place in the same universe, so anything is possible.

I have another story that isn’t completely written yet but the idea came before “I’m All Alone and It’s Getting Dark”. These stories originally were completely separate from one another but I decided to make them connect.

While this story isn’t written yet and doesn’t even have a title, I have a lot planned for it. Right now it’s just labeled “Rain”.

If you look at the photo of the newspaper article at the end of “I’m All Alone and It’s Getting Dark” you will notice there’s another article being covered by the main article. This may be a hint for how these two stories are going to connect. It’s a bit like an easter egg for something that hasn’t even been written yet!

So far, your stories include being isolated and hunted. Is it just a coincidence, or do you find this theme more terrifying than other horror scenarios?

I definitely find this theme incredibly scary. I absolutely love stories where monsters are on the prowl. I do want to make my stories a bit more diverse and I certainly have ideas for different themes.

That said, there are definitely more stories with the theme of being hunted coming soon.

How did you get into horror in the first place?

I watched a lot of horror movies as a kid. Alien, The Thing, The Shining etc. I don’t really like watching movies anymore but I have a soft spot for a good monster movie.

When it comes to reading or writing horror that was much more recent. A few years ago someone I worked with introduced me to The Dark Tower by Stephen King. I fell in love with the story and started reading all of his other novels, which introduced me to the world of horror fiction.

I loved it all so much I decided I wanted to write it too.

Halloween is around the corner…are you planning anything for the holiday? Maybe another story?

I do have some more horror stories on the way. I’ll have 2 more out by Halloween, hopefully 3.

I haven’t really thought of any Halloween themed stories though. I would like to make one of my stories Halloween themed and have it released on or around the holiday. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t make sense for any of my stories that I’m writing and editing right now and would feel forced if I just threw in the fact that it’s Halloween.

I do have one story that I thought of more recently that can take place on Halloween but I’m not sure if I’m going to get around to writing it in time. I have a lot of other stories that I’m really itching to write at the moment, as well as stories that are already written and I’m working on editing and publishing.

Do you think you might write a novella or full-length novel in the next year or so?

It is one of my goals, definitely. Over the next year I’d like to publish the 12 or 13 short story ideas I have, make a short story collection and write at least one of three novel ideas I have. Ideally I’d get two novels out but that’s probably a stretch.

I also have a story that is currently written and being edited called “Journal of a Missing Man”. It was originally a short story idea that turned into more of a novella now that it’s roughly 13,000 words. I’m still editing it and I’m not sure exactly when this one will be out.

Where can readers find out more about your new releases?

My website, www.brandonleehayes.com, has all of my stories and blog posts about my writing. I also have Instagram, twitter and litsy which can all be found through my website.

Thanks for visiting us in the Lair!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Fantasy, Folklore & Fate

THE FOREST by Julia Blake centers on the villagers of Wyckenwode and the Forest, filled with secrets which have affected the lives of every generation. Lords go missing, and when the White Hind is seen, three village deaths follow. Everything is tied together by love and jealousy, murder and suicide, and, of course, an ancient magic.

This generation, cousins Sally and Jack, and their friend Reuben, form the tragic triangle, but they refuse to let a curse decide their fates. Armed with clues from stories passed down by their elders, the three try to survive the evil which has fallen upon them. Time is running out as they struggle to make sense of the words given to the village from the Green Man through a young girl driven mad by her experience in the Forest.

Blake has skillfully woven folklore, suspense, drama and romance together to create a detailed coming-of-age tapestry. I haven't been this moved by a fantasy novel since the last time I read Ursula K LeGuin. I never knew what to expect, especially with Sally, and the ending left me breathless. Blake deftly ties up the various storylines with a rather intricate finale, spanning yet another generation beyond the main characters, while remaining firmly rooted to the Forest.

I discovered this novel through Instagram of all places, knowing nothing about Julia Blake or her writing style, but I will definitely be reading more of her stories in the coming months.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Teddy Bear vs. Monster

I'M ALL ALONE AND IT'S GETTING DARK by Brandon Lee Hayes is a story told from a child's POV. He wakes up from a nightmare to pee and finds the babysitter missing.

I freakin' love the teddy bear talking to the kid! (This story made me think of the illustration of a toy bear using a sword to defend the sleeping child from a monster.) Even though I thought the monster might be the child's perception of an intruder, the description is truly frightening. Roosevelt is the kind of bear I'd want my kid to have.

The news story at the end is a great touch, making me question everything about the child's experience. I recommend this story to all readers.

As always,
AstraDaemon

For The Love of Reading

Joel has spent the last five years building maps of an imaginary city to deal with his grief. Or at least he thinks it's imaginary, until someone writes to tell him they used to live there. To Joel, it's just a hobby - a way to blank his mind until he figures out how to move forward to his life. 

But then things take an increasingly strange turn - and a dark one.

Scienceville by Gary Gibson is a fascinating sci-fi fantasy short story, with traces of steampunk fiction here and there. Absolutely brilliant. The author needs to either create a short story series or write a full-length novel. The concept of Scienceville - the metaphysics behind it - is just too damn interesting to leave inside one story.

It has been decades since a story evoked these kind of emotions within me. Do you remember the first time you read some really grand fiction that wasn't part of a school assignment, and you fell in love with reading as a consequence? Do you remember the joy of having worlds revealed to your imagination through the printed word? Granted, I read this on my Kindle, but that same "Oh, I remember why I love fiction so much" feeling came rushing back.

If you've been feeling burned out on genre stories, or feeling like you've read the same themes over and over, you need to read Scienceville!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lunar Faerie Circle

Avery Rush is on an expedition into the moon's own version of the Bermuda Triangle - a mysterious region of the lunar surface where many a vessel has disappeared - though he is skeptical they'll find anything at all. But the fantastic world on the other side turns out to be full of surprises and dangers that may prove too much for this seasoned pilot who thought he'd seen it all...

OtherPlace by Michael D. Britton is a short story which takes place in the future. Space travel, everything from luxury cruises to shipping livestock, is a common occurrence. Avery, the pilot of a lunar vessel, is tasked with exploring the infamous Circle of Doom.

The mix of science fiction, fantasy and mythology had me spellbound as soon as the action began. While very little is revealed about the nature of the Circle, I still enjoyed the time twists throughout the story.

I can't remember how I found OtherPlace, but I would recommend it as YA fiction.

As always,
AstraDaemon