Book Review

Book Review: Forever and Ever, Armageddon: A collection of 24 short stories

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This is a fantastic collection from David Court. I’ve read some of his short fiction before and knew I liked his work and this collection has confirmed that.

There is a good variety of stories here. There’s a few that made me think, one of which made me stop what I was doing and say “oh sh*t”, and a couple that are just the written version of a gut punch. There was a couple of the stories that had me grinning like a kid!

Kristina Fitzgerald does a fantastic job of narration. Great range and delivery.

This one is definitely worth checking out.

Book Review: The Other Side Of The Mirror by Lex H. Jones

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The Other of the Mirror tells the story of Carl Duggan as he tried to piece together a series of homicides in a city split by a river with wealth on one side, and poverty on the other. Duggan’s world is that of poverty and death.

This is a crime noir story that just feels dirty. With the characters and their depth and individuality, the city (which is itself a character), the story that has a pace that is beautifully executed and is well crafted to deliver what the reader needs at just the right time, we have a story that quickly hooked me and left me wanting more from these characters and this city.

Lex H. Jones has smashed it with this one. Definitely one of my reads of the year so far. 

 

Book Review: Four: A Novella by P.J. Blakey-Novis

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I liked Four: A Novella. I liked the format of slipping from the main characters to the stories they tell while sitting around a camp fire. It felt smooth and wasn’t over done. P.J. Blakey-Novis kept these transitions simple.

The characters are established quickly, and again smoothly. We don’t get hit over the head with too much unnecessary information.

The use of gore is not overdone and fits in nicely with the feel of the story.

I found the layout of the story very pleasing. I don’t get much time to sit and read, so most of my reading is in bite-sized chunks. This book was written for someone like me in mind. P.J. Blakey-Novis breaks the scenes down into nice sized sections that were just the right length for the whole. I’d be interested to know how many drafts this went through because it’s tightly written book.

Definitely worth checking out.

Book Review: Skinzz by Wrath James White

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Skinzz is a brutal ride that doesn’t let up and builds to an ending I really didn’t see coming.

Wrath James White crafts this story with these characters with a stunning amount of skill that puts you into this world and makes you feel what the characters are fighting their way through.

This is one of those stories that isn’t going to fade away with time, it’s going to sit with me and I’ll be thinking it through for some time to come yet.

Book Review: Empty Graves by CL Raven

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The story of the grave robbers of that time isn’t something I know much about. I knew it happened but getting into the why and how was really interesting and CL Raven put in characters who have their conflicts they’re dealing with.

The Grayfriers Gang was fun and the banter between them is fantastic. I would happily read another book with them in it!

CL Raven do a lot of research for their books, and with these historical ones (The Malignant Dead, The Devils Servants, and this one) they really manage to put that research to good use and you feel like you’re in Edinburgh, whether in a graveyard or an inn you feel part of the city. Edinburgh is now definitely on my to visit list.

Empty Graves is a page turner. The characters are fun and have depth to them that leaves you wanting to know more, and I learned a little about our past that I hadn’t known before.

Book Review: Soul Asylum by CL Raven

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Aside from a couple of places where it felt a little slow I liked this book a lot. The atmosphere created sticks true throughout and CL Raven give you a good feel for the Asylum. I think if they hadn’t then it would loose some of its impact because the Asylum feels like another character.

The characters are in part a little annoying but also engaged in trying to discover the secrets of the history of this Asylum.

I did find the protagonist, Phineus (yeah I know I’ve spelt that wrong!) particularly annoying, but in the way that makes me want to turn the pages and get to the bottom of the mystery.

I did suspect one of the big reveals, but not the other one. That one was bigger and I didn’t even have a clue, but it slots everything into place once you’ve realised.

This is one I’ll read again in the future so I can connect all the clues now I know the secrets of Raven Retreat.

Book Review: Werwolf by Matthew Cash

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Werwolf is a very tight, well structured, and gripping read. The setting is quickly established. The characters motivations are in some cases presented clearly while others are subtle and not explained but reading between the lines and knowing a little of the era this is set in it doesn’t take much to make a decent guess.

One characters motivation kept me guessing till the last moment.

I’ll be start the novel FUR after this as I’m keen to see more of this world.

Book Review: King’s Justice by Maurice Broaddus

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I’m liking this world that Maurice Broaddus has created here. I like how he’s weaving the myth into this world, it’s very finely done which works well and is nice to see.

The characters have some good depth to them, you get the feeling that each one really does have an agenda they’re trying to push.

I’ll definitely be checking out the final book in the trilogy in the near future.

Book Review: The Complex by Brian Keene

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I went into this not knowing much about it. All I really knew was that it was loosely inspired by Brian Keene’s former home.

So, I went into this book pretty blind and wasn’t disappointed. Keene gives us a broad range of characters each with their own depth and motivations.

There’s not a complicated storyline, it’s pretty simply about what the characters would do when thrown into the chaos of the events in the story.

Definitely worth checking out.

Book Review: Why Can’t I Be You? By Matthew Cash

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This short had an interesting story that it told, one that I could see having a foundation of truth to these groups and how toxic I’d imagine some can be.

Matthew Cash paces this one well, and although I’d have liked a little more detail and background here and there it does move along at a healthy pace, that more of that detail and background might have disrupted.

I really enjoyed how the ending played out and was written, anytime a writer can make me go ‘ewwww’ is always a win for me.

Overall, this is short, and fun, with just a pinch of brutal to balance it out.