Creature Review

I tried to think of one word that jumped at me to start this review. I couldn’t. So here are a few words that come to mind as I reflect on what I just read. Powerful, sad, tense, brutal, and emotional. This book is all of those things and more. Creature is considered by many to be the best book by Hunter Shea, and while I haven’t read his other works to be able to speak on that, I CAN tell you that it’s one hell of an impressive book.

Creature follows Kate and Andrew, a married couple who’s lives have been put through the ringer due to a number of autoimmune diseases that Kate suffers from and the havoc the treatments wreak on her body. Daily pain and suffering had made every day a test of will for Kate while Andrew is tasked with caring for his wife and working an office job he hates for the medical benefits. Not everything is how it seems and illness won’t be the only monster the couple must face.

Creature is a slow burn of a novel. We spend a large portion of the book witnessing the horrors of Kate’s medical conditions and the physical and emotional toll they take on Kate and Andrew, not only as individuals, but on their marriage as well. This is most definitely a monster novel, but the most effective horror on display here is the daily agony Kate is forced to withstand. The time Shea spends developing these characters pays dividends, as you genuinely care about them and want them to pull through. The feelings you have for them turn out to be a double edged sword as they’re also the reason why agony experienced by Kate will literally cause the reader to wince in pain.  I’m no easy scare and I don’t cringe easily but there were a few parts of Kate’s ordeal that I can only describe as truly disturbing. This is all before the monster even shows up. When it does, the shit really hits the fan.

I was pleasantly surprised by Creature. I thought it would be a straightforward monster horror, instead what’s on display here is a deeply personal, horrific story of a married couple doing the best they can with the bad hand Kate was dealt. The real monster here is the litany of illnesses Kate suffers and the medical torture she endures to treat them. It’s worth mentioning that in the authors notes Shea mentions the story being inspired by his wife and it shows in the care and effort he takes telling the story of Kate and Andrew. This is a must buy for any horror fan.

Remains Review

Andrew Cull. You’re going to want to remember that name. Remains, the authors Debut, is as good of a debut I’ve ever read. If this is any indication, Cull is going to be a mainstay in the horror scene for years to come.

With Remains, Cull tells the tale of a women named Lucy who for all intents and purposes, died the same day her son was brutally murdered. The author tells a wonderfully written tale of a mother who is haunted, literally and figuratively. Fresh out of being institutionalized, Lucy finds herself returning to the scene of her sons murder. She believes him to be there, and what transpires is a heartbreaking story of a mother confronted with a grief so heavy that the ghosts in her mind are just as dangerous as what’s in the house. Make no mistake about it, this novel is SAD. You feel Lucy’s heartache and desperation. I’m amazed at the skill Cull displays in making the reader share in the heartache, while still being able to scare the shit out of you. As much as this book is crushingly sad, it has teeth as well. They’re sharp, and they bite. Short chapters keep the pages turning and the tension to a high level, something that benefits the novel and keeps the reader engaged.

With Remains, Andrew Cull has cemented himself as a major player in the horror genre. He knows when to write with a chisel, gently carving Lucy’s ordeal into your heart, while at the same time knowing when to use his skill as a hammer, smashing you in the face with the violence and bloodshed horror aficionados will appreciate.

Gwendy’s Button Box Review

Where to start with Gwendy’s Button Box? Well, I guess it helps to start with this. I’m a constant reader, I love Stephen King. That being said, I’ve found much of his most recent work a bit lacking. This isn’t a knock on King, I’m here to review Gwendy’s Button Box and it must be said that this is by far the best thing I’ve read from King in a long time. Gwendy’s Button Box is a highly imaginative piece of work from two veterans.

By now, most are familiar with the fact that King can write long, epic length novels. What you should never forget about King is that he is also a master of the shorter works. The novella length also plays to the strengths of Chizmar as well. Gwendy’s Button Box is the tale of a Gwendy Peterson. We’re dropped into the story when Miss Peterson meets up with a certain man in black, Richard Fair. Yes, that man in black. Gwendy is given a box which has certain mystical qualities, but also harbors a great power, which in the wrong hands could wreak havoc at the push of a button. Literally. What follows is Gwendy’s experience as the box’s keeper. We witness a young girls coming of age, her highs and her lows. This being a work of SK, you know it won’t take long for bad things to happen, and bad things DO happen. I don’t want to say much more about this.  This one is a bit tough to discuss without spoiling anything. It’s worth noting that as soon as I finished this I pre-ordered Gwendy’s Magic Feather. It was that good.

I read Gwendy’s Button Box in one sitting. Stephen King and Richard Chizmar have crafted an excellent Novella. It’s beautiful written, highly imaginative and it keeps you turning those pages. If you’re going to buy this, and you should, it’s worth noting that the Hardcover edition from Cemetery Dance is a beautiful book and looks amazing on your shelf. I highly recommend this one.

5/5

The Dark Game Review

WOW. That's the only word to start off this review. Jonathan Janz is very quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is my second Janz title. After reading the first I went and ordered everything he has written. I was provided a copy of this by Flame Tree Press for review. Upon receiving it I cleared my schedule of any other book and put this to the top of my TBR. I’d heard good things, and let me say this. Janz and The Dark Game deliver.

Janz’s latest novel is the tale of 10 writers with aspirations of hitting it big. Some have tasted success and other’s have yet to glimpse it. They’ve been selected by superstar Scribe Roderick Wells to partake in a competition in which the winner is guaranteed literary success and financial security. The only catch being that only one of them can survive this competition. Unbeknownst to the writers, this is quite literal. Janz delivers us a cast of well developed characters, aside of course, from the early novel cannon fodder.  The cast of characters in this novel share one thing in common. They all have some serious skeletons in their closets. They don’t stay buried long. I had a blast reading this book. The chapters are short and move at a lightning fast clip which I found to be perfect for that just one more chapter feeling when you’re reading something you love. 

At times the book is sexually explicit. Other times it’s violent and aggressive. One thing it always is, is entertaining. As I finished this book, I found myself wishing that the antagonists past and his abilities had been further explored, although I understand sometimes too much explanation in a horror just ruins a good thing. I’m fine with what we did have here as the mystery of Wells serves the story just fine. If anything it’s a credit to how interesting of a character Janz wrote that I’m dying to know more. The book wrapped up nicely. So many times horror botches the endings. Whether it’s in print, on film, or in video games, people seem to have trouble sticking the landing. I’m very happy to say that isn’t the case here. I found the conclusion of this book equal parts satisfying and intriguing.

The Dark Game, by Jonathan Janz is another awesome title for the author. This is my second book by Janz, the first title being Dust Devils. Although I did love that as well, there is no denying that the leap in the quality of Janz’s writing from then to now is remarkable. This would be a standout title in any authors bibliography and I can’t recommend this one enough.

5/5 mortar Rounds

Summer Reading Love (Horror)

Summertime is here. Over on the east coast that means plenty of cookouts, beach visits, trips to the liquor store, trips to the book store! Whether you need something to read poolside or Oceanside, why not give some of my summertime favorites a read.

Duma Key by Stephen King
Not much to say about this one other than its one of the best novels we've gotten by the modern "post accident" Stephen King. That's not to say we haven't gotten some great ones, but this one is a personal favorite of mine. The Florida Key setting is perfect for summertime scares


Ocean Grave by Matt Serafini
You want an Ocean Creature read? Some might tell you to read Jaws, some might tell you to read The Meg. How about you do yourself a favor and read Ocean Grave. It's got what you need. Adventure, Treasure, Action, and a Prehistoric Ocean Creature that's going to make you think twice about swimming anywhere near Madagascar.


The Troop by Nick Cutter
If you haven't read Nick Cutter, I really need to ask you. WHY NOT? Really, I don't care why you haven't, because we’re going to fix that. You're going to read The Troop and witness this Boy Scout trip gone horribly wrong.  It's disgusting, it's terrifying, and it scratches that summertime getaway itch. Say goodbye to camping trips.


The Cabin at the end of the world by Paul Tremblay
 I think we should all be thankful for Tremblay. He delivers the goods each and every time. What we've got here is a family trip to a cabin. Sounds simple enough. Maybe even like good times are in order. If that's what you thought, you'd be terribly wrong. Nobody is having a good time here except for the reader. Pick this one up and thank Tremblay for spoiling a summer log cabin forever.



It by Stephen King
This book needs no introduction. It's everything you'd want in a summer vacation story. A coming of age tale, a group of childhood friends, cosmic entities devouring children. If you're looking for a massive tome of a novel to keep you occupied by the pool, King has you covered. You'll think twice before booking that local clown for your kids next party


There you have it guys, 5 picks for horrifying summer reading. This is by no means an all encompassing list, there are plenty of books that fit the bill, what we've got here are some of my personal favorites and I think you'll enjoy them too.

Dust Devils Review

I’ve got to be honest here, Dust Devils is my first Jonathan Janz title. I have no basis of his other works to compare this to, but I can tell you for sure this won’t be the last. In fact, halfway through reading this I started buying more books from his back catalog. I’m late to the party, but now that I’m here I’m going to enjoy it. 

Dust Devils is a western/horror mashup. It’s a tale of one mans Loss, Humiliation, and quest for revenge. Cody Wilson is a man who has struck out on his own, leaving his father behind in order to make a life with him and his Wife, despite his father’s warnings. Needless to say, life doesn’t turn out so good for Wilson. The book starts in the thick of things, Wilson already having been betrayed and left behind, on a quest for revenge where he meets Willet Black, a young boy with the same intent. From here, Janz treats us to a gory vampire tale where you’re rooting for a main character who is for lack of better words, a bit pathetic. I don’t want to get into spoilers, but Cody is most definitely not a badass hero. For the type of book we’ve got here, that could have derailed it and made it completely unbelievable for our hero to be battling these demons, but Janz clearly has the skill to make it work. The characters are written well enough that you care about the ones you should, and loathe the ones deserving of your hatred. I feel like Jonathan Janz walked a tightrope here with this novel, it could have went off the tracks at any time, but he hit it out of the park, delivering a very fun, very different vampire tale. 

Dust Devils by Jonathan Janz is one hell of a fun book. It’s a western vampire tale that probably doesn’t have any right to be as good as it is. I don’t mean that in any kind of negative way, I mean that with the highest respect to the authors skills. From what I’ve read in reviews, much of Janz’s catalog is even better than this, and that makes me very excited for the books I’ve just ordered.

Growing Things Review

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy by the publisher ahead of release in exchange for an honest review.

At last, it’s almost here! The Next Paul Tremblay release, Growing things. There is something about Paul Tremblay. Something about his writing that wiggles its way into your mind and leaves you weighing in on what you just read. He has a way of terrifying you with things that initially seem ordinary. Just when you think you know where something is going, you find out you didn’t have a damn clue. 

What we have here are 19 short stories from a man who has mastered long form horror. This collection proves that he is one of a select few authors who are able to do their thing just as good with the short stuff. That alone, is one hell of a feat. I enjoyed all of the stories in here. There was never a time I read something here that I didn’t like. A few of my personal favorites were “Growing Things”, “Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport”, “A haunted house is a wheel upon which some are broken” and Notes for “The Barn in the Wild”

Those are my favorites today. Tomorrow that might change. These stories are that good. One thing I want to point out, quite a few of the stories here use different methods of telling the tales. It works out great as Tremblay never stumbles, and it actually helps to make the stories stand out even more. 

If you haven’t read Paul Tremblay yet, this is a damn good place to start. I feel pretty confident in saying that not only will you NOT be disappointed with this collection, but after reading it you’ll feel compelled to dip into his back catalog. Do yourself a favor, read the best short story collection you’re going to find this year.

5/5 Mortar Rounds for Growing Things by Paul Tremblay