Welcome to the Lair!
Exploring dark alleys. Discovering new nightmares.
Revisiting the masters.
An ancient evil born in the fire at the dawn of time with an insatiable hunger for violence and dread. Cursed with a weak physical form in our plane of reality HEINOUS seeks out hosts to do his bidding and feed his need for brutality and atrocity. Gavin Wagner is a decent kid from a happy home-not exactly the kind of person you think of as an instrument of evil. Gavin spends his time hanging out with his friend, smoking ganja, and wandering around the woods. After making a sinister discovery in the woods Gavin becomes the newest host for HEINOUS, a monster unlike any other. Gavin is forced to witness the despicable visions of former hosts as the demon instructs him to destroy those he loves most. Gavin struggles for control as Heinous unleashes him on a wild spree of terror with only one possible outcome.
Heinous by Jonathan Moon is not shocking, frightening or gory, and that left me a little confused about what the author had planned for this story. There is an incredible build up of the madness and suffering that Gavin felt and thought before he committed his atrocities - under duress, as he claims, but when it comes to the actions of Gavin, Moon sort of glosses over the monstrous carnage...with the exception of his dreams. So, I can't be sure if that was the author's way of showing the reader how Gavin was deluding himself.
I did find Heinous interesting because the author uses a lot of psychological symbolism that will have you questioning the sanity of the main character, Gavin Wagner, from the very beginning. The one attribute of Heinous that is somewhat scary is the thought that some people reading this book might be able to relate to Gavin's predicament with the source of his sickness: blaming a force beyond his control, and not being able to tell anyone about it.
I especially enjoyed the way Moon divides up the book by alternating between Gavin's dream sequences and Gavin's descriptions of major events in his life (I've only seen this style in one other book). Moon moves beyond foreshadowing, and paints a macabre picture of the struggle between the subconscious and the conscious that could eat away at anyone's sanity. Moon runs with that particular theme, and creates a desperate climax towards the close of Gavin's story.
As always,
AstraDaemon
Chad has a secret. They’ve been best friends for a while now, but if the hesitation in Chad’s voice is any indication, that could all be over. Trying to figure out what’s wrong may drive him crazy, but soon they will meet, and Chad’s secret will be revealed.
This book also has a secret. See if you can figure out what’s unusual about this story before you get to the end.
CHAD by P.T. Phronk isn't the worst fiction I've ever read, but it's terrible compared to the author's other stories. If you've never read Phronk before, don't start with this story or you might be turned off completely.
I hope the author returns to his previous writing style.
As always,
AstraDaemon
Susie Monroe hides in an old house with her brother, Billy. Billy is a shadow man who wears many faces. But none of them are his.
PUT ON A HAPPY FACE by Terry M. West is a chilling short story, featuring a very creative twist on a popular sub-genre. (Trying to avoid spoilers.) The horror within is low-key, yet extremely sinister. However, the bond between Susie and her big brother Billy is touching, nonetheless. With the exception of one scene, events are retold through Susie's POV, which creates the perfect build-up of suspense.
As always,
AstraDaemon
Imagine having dark dreams that permeate your life. One man goes in search of help with a online ad. What he finds out changes his outlook forever. When he finds out ghouls are real it might be his salvation.
The Shimmer Effect by Randy Norton is a very original short story with a fascinating twist on the history of ghouls. While the story is told from a man suffering from night terrors who encounters the ghouls, I think the author should seriously consider writing a full-length novel, or a novella, at the very least.
The horror genre needs more of Norton's creatures. I think his ghouls could be the new zombie.
As always,
AstraDaemon
When his sister dies, Lane seeks his revenge. He achieves satisfaction, but must pay the price. Prison is an extra scary place for him. There are many out to get him, and it seems one of those people has poisoned his body somehow. How will he fend off his enemies when he gets weaker every day?
Feed Me by Joshua Scribner is one of the creepiest, most satisfying horror shorts I've ever read! Even after reading the description, I never guessed what Scribner would deliver. It's like he pulled the story right out of his arse.
This is the kind of story which keeps me addicted to horror.
As always,
AstraDaemon
A mother becomes suspicious of her daughter’s preschool teacher.
Is Teacher Dalton who she appears to be, or is something more sinister afoot?
Astrid by JT Lawrence is an excellent short story drama about mother who starts to question everything about her daughter's preschool. I knew the author had something painful in store for readers when the husband also seems distraught, but the ending still caught me off guard.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good suspense-drama.
As always,
AstraDaemon
It is everywhere, watching while you sleep, waiting while you lie in bed. Evil, without shape, yet with any shape, it takes its form. The Black is living and endless, malignant and eternal, and it takes what it wants.
The Black by R.P. Healy should come with a warning. There are two rape scenes, one being quite graphic. The violence could trigger some readers. However, the story reminds me of the movie, The Crossbreed, but set in modern times. Again, I have to stress, Healy needs to invest in an editor.
As always,
AstraDaemon
