Homeless Hell

Beneath the city of Boston, evil is gathering.

Journalist Daniel Finley is determined to save the impoverished of the world. But the neglected part of humanity has a dark side too. While living under a bridge with the homeless for six months, Daniel witnessed something terrifying. Something that nearly cost him his sanity.

Now, two years later, he’s published a book that exposes a deadly underground cult and its charismatic leader who preaches a dark prophecy. Down in the abandoned subway tunnels exist unimaginable horrors that hunger for human flesh. And in a church of darkness, the cult’s numbers are growing. Soon Daniel’s worst nightmares are coming true. A fanatical army is rising to shed blood on the streets of Boston.

THE SEEKERS by Brian Moreland is an updated version of the story formerly titled The Vagrants. While I enjoyed the original, this version is a thousand times better. This is now a story I can recommend to all horror fans.

Daniel Finley is a journalist who lives under a bridge for six months as a vagrant, while gathering research for a book that he plans to write. However, during his time with his homeless group, another group shows up. The "Seekers" are a cult, recruiting more followers, but Daniel does not fully realize their purpose.

Two years later, after he published his book, not only does the cult reappear in his life, but he finds out that his father is in debt to the local Irish-American mafia. Too late, Daniel finds himself in a territorial battle between the two groups, and what he discovers just might be the death of him.

Just when Daniel manages to escape one danger, he finds himself in a much worse situation. The ending is great, but I wouldn't say no to a sequel.

Brian Moreland does a fantastic job of taking a real issue and turning it into a horrific nightmare with a demonic twist.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Review Revised For New Edition

Marty Weaver, an emotionally scarred poet, has been bullied his entire life. When he drives out to the lake to tell an old friend that he’s fallen in love with a girl named Jennifer, Marty encounters three sadistic killers who have some twisted games in store for him. But Marty has dark secrets of his own buried deep inside him. And tonight, when all the pain from the past is triggered, when those secrets are revealed, blood will flow and hell will rise.

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Darkness Rising by Brian Moreland disappointed me with the original version. This novella lacked the level of creativity that I'd come to expect from Moreland. In the first edition, Marty's special "talent" is extremely original, but the majority of the old imagery reminded me of various horror movies pieced together - kind of like Frankenstein's monster.

This most recent edition is freaking awesome! I have no idea what Moreland has been doing behind the scenes in the last few years or so, but, whatever it is, it's working for him. The story is more personal, and the action is quite brutal...the way horror should be.

Moreland also released a new edition of The Vagrants, retitled THE SEEKERS...if you enjoyed this story, make The Seekers your next read.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Need More of Moreland

Dark Needs by Brian Moreland is a diverse collection of five horror stories:

THE DEALER OF NEEDS adds a supernatural twist to a story of addiction.

OFFSPRING is a story of desperation with an extremely dark and shocking ending.

HOLOMORPH is more science fiction than the other stories and is a frightening look at the possible future of social media.

BEAST OF WINTER is flash fiction with a strong folklore element, but it's not nearly as good as the other stories.

CHASING THE DRAGON is reminiscent of cultural mythology, with a difficult lesson to learn for a modern man.

I enjoyed reading this collection so much, I wish there had been more than five stories.

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Addiction is its own demon...thankfully, it's one I haven't had to deal with personally, but it is a struggle I have witnessed among friends. It's not always a substance addiction...sometimes it's an unhealthy relationship, sometimes it's a self-destructive behavior...hell, what addiction doesn't wreck the other aspects of an addict's life?

The idea that addiction could be made worse with a supernatural element is soul-crushing. It also present the chicken-and-egg question: which comes first? Would an addiction open one up to a demonic attack? Or would a demonic encounter drive a person into something they wouldn't normally do?

Gotta love these stories that find a way to make everything worse...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Halloween Reading: Devil Week | Ancient Family Feud | AstraDaemon

THE DEVIL'S WOODS by Brian Moreland is thrilling mix of folklore, tradition and horror. Three Cree siblings visit their ancestral grounds, only to learn their father has gone missing during a forest expedition. While searching for answers and uncovering family secrets, the two brothers and their sister find themselves in the middle of a war between tribes, which spans centuries...and the dead demand retribution.

The detailed histories of the two bloodlines are remarkable, and Elkheart's observations about his overseas discoveries are chilling. The personal struggles of the characters make the final outcome even more tragic. The terror of Hagen's Cove may only be the beginning.

Definitely my favorite story by Moreland.

As always,
AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed paperback.

Self-Preservation | AstraDaemon

On an isolated island in the Philippines, it patiently waits. A mysterious terror lurks in the shadows, stalking the poor stranded souls who visit the island. When a group of four tourists find their vacation quickly turning into a nightmare, the terror taunts them and comes for them one by one. The sandy beach and crystal waters of the lagoon will run red with blood if they can't find a way off this savage island.

SAVAGE ISLAND by Brian Moreland pleasantly surprised me with the multiple layers of horror at play: a slumber party gone wrong, marriage to an abuser, sexual exploitation, a shipwreck, and a brutal battle for survival. With one man's final journal entry alluding to the deadly force occupying the mysterious island, the author sets a frightening tone for this shocking thriller.

The main POV belongs to Amy, happy to be reunited with her best friend Jasmine, but readers are also offered glimpses into the thoughts and feelings of the other characters. The story fluctuates between a creature feature and psychologcial terror, with Ted providing a dark twist to the future of the island's inhabitants. The imagery is vivid and detailed, compelling me to read this novella in one sitting. Moreland's jungle nightmare would make a great movie, and I highly recommend this book.

As always,

AstraDaemon

BEST FICTION OF 2021 | End of Year Review | AstraDaemon

I decided to do something a little different with my end-of-year list, and categorize my favorite stories by theme. Four really stood out this past year, with most authors using houses, deaths, kids, or creatures. From there, I chose five titles for each theme, ranging from flash fiction to full-length novels. These are the ones which stayed with me, even though I read nearly 400 this year...

I present the BEST FICTION OF 2021 from the Lair, inlcuding horror, science fiction and supernatural suspense:

HOUSE THEME

THE HOUSE WHERE SHE DIED by Amy Cross is a very unique haunted house story with the narrator being the house itself. (novel)

HOUSE WITH ONE HUNDRED DOORS: AND OTHER DARK TALES by Travis Brown includes several house-themed horrors, but the one which gave me nightmares is THE WHISTLER. (anthology)

THE DOLLHOUSE by Bradley Poage tells the twisted tale of a house within a house. (short story)

THESE GHOSTS BLEED by Christy Aldridge is far more horrific than the revenge haunting of a dead wife.

BELOW DECK: HELL OR HIGH WATER by Matt Shaw technically takes place on a yacht, but is now home to a very depraved crew with a rather sick business venture. (novella)

DEATH THEME

A HOSTILE TAKEOVER by Christopher Motz first appears to be following the same formula as the movie, The Belko Experiment, but don't be fooled...this is far more brutal and sinister. (novel)

JUDGE DEE AND THE THREE DEATHS OF COUNT WERDENFELS by Lavie Tidhar centers on the vampire who serves as judge, jury, and executioner to make sure others of his kind are following their laws. (short story)

NAKED IN MY BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES and FOLLOW THE CROWS by Joshua Scribner are both told through the POVs of predators, with a supernatural element. (flash fiction)

THE REFLECTION by Dan DeLuise is my favorite of the Five-Minute Fright series. (flash fiction)

TOMB OF THE GODS by Brian Moreland is a terrifying mix of mythology, religion, horror and science fiction. (novel)

KIDS THEME

AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER by Jeff Strand is a coming of age story, under the most gruesome circumstances, and then some. (novel)

SCARY MOVIES by Stories From The Attic will definitely appeal to 80s horror movie fans. (short story)

HIDE AND SEEKER by Daka Hermon is a YA horror fiction novel centered on a group of friends who are marked by a demonic entity called the Seeker, after they break the rules of the game, Hide and Seek. (novel)

LORD OF PLAYGROUNDS by Brett O'Reilly is essentially cult versus cult, scam artists versus true believers. (novella)

OF MEN AND MONSTERS by Tom Deady follows a boy escaping an abusive father with his older brother and mother..he discovers his new sea pet is a vicious creature and finds out he's not the only one with a monster in his house. (novella)

CREATURE THEME

WITH TEETH by Brian Keene also includes two short stories, The Last Supper and Down Under. All three are great vampire stories. (novella)

TRAPPED by Armand Rosamilia centers on characters from his previous five Severed Press stories (OGROMNY, THE BEAST, FROZEN IN ICE, THE SEA WAS ANGRY and ABANDONED) snowed in at the same airport during a massive blizzard. (novella)

THE THING THAT CALLS by J.J. Mott is a collection of a dozen short stories by the author. My favorite is LITTLE ONES, and the specific reason this anthology made my list. (anthology)

THINGS UNDONE by Travis Liebert is a collection of 18 frightening tales, full of Lovecraftian nightmares. (anthology)

SEVERED by Joshua Marsella is an action-packed battle with an ancient demon in the jungle of Vietnam. (novella)

HONORABLE MENTION

THE NIGHT AIR by Kiran Revi is quite excellent...I'd love to see this one become a horror film. Revi has essentially mixed themes from the Twilight Zone's episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the movie Escape Room, but added a terrifying element of demonic hell.

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Perhaps these themes could be called the four horseman of 2021?

Annnywaaay...if you've never read any of these authors, you now have a list of great starting points.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Cellars Should Be For Wine Only

Some houses should be left alone.


In 1972, twenty-five people were brutally murdered in one of the bloodiest massacres in Texas history. The mystery of who committed the killings remains unsolved.

Over forty years later, Sarah Donovan is dating an exciting man, Dean Stratton. Sarah's scared of just about everything--heights, tight places, the dark--but today she must confront all her fears, as she joins Dean and another couple on an exploring adventure. The old abandoned Blevins House, the scene of the gruesome massacre, is rumored to be haunted.

The two couples are about to discover the mysterious house has been waiting all these years, craving fresh prey. And down in the cellar they will encounter a monstrous creature that hungers for more than just human flesh.

The Witching House by Brian Moreland begins with a short story prequel, The Girl From The Blood Coven, which reveals details about the night of the Blevins House massacre. This served as the perfect set-up for the novella.

From the moment the four friends set out on their road trip to the haunted house, I found myself screaming in my head. The characters bring several unpredictable elements into the story: Otis has blood ties to the house, Dean withholds information from his three companions, and Sarah mentions her own ties to witchcraft.

The flashbacks are well-placed...enough to horrify readers with each revelation about the nature of the massacre, without ruining the terrifying battle for survival. Not knowing if any of the characters had a chance in hell filled me with dread. The ending had several surprising turn of events, but left one loose end. Sequel, perhaps?

As always,
AstraDaemon

Gates of Hell | Horror Review

In 1935, British archaeologists vanished inside an Egyptian cave. A year later, one man returned covered in mysterious scars.

Egyptologist Imogen Riley desperately wants to know what happened to the ill-fated expedition led by her grandfather. On a quest for answers, she joins a team of archeologists and soldiers in Egypt. Inside a mountain tomb, they’ve found a technologically advanced relic and a maze of tunnels. Dr. Nathan Trummel believes this tomb leads to the most guarded secrets of the pharaohs. When the explorers venture deep into the caves, they discover a hidden world of wonder and terror.

TOMB OF THE GODS by Brian Moreland is my new favorite by this author. The story is a terrifying mix of mythology, religion, horror and science fiction. All of the characters have dark backstories which come into play as the group attempts to retrace Harlan's steps, using his journal as a guide. The variety of creatures is impressive. I love every aspect of this story, particularly the imagery towards the end.

I highly recommend this story to all readers who enjoy action-thrillers such as Stargate and Anaconda.

As always,

AstraDaemon