Review: Island of the Forbidden

Island of the Forbidden by Hunter Shea

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Island of the Forbidden from the publisher in return for an honest review.

An isolated island with an awful past. A creepy house that's falling to bits on the outside is in perfect condition on the inside despite laying empty for 20 years. The grounds overrun by trees, greenery and the ghosts of over 100 children, and a new family has just moved in. Sounds like a recipe for disaster right?

Island of the Forbidden has it all, ghosts, an evil presence, psychics, creepy dead children, old haunted house, good guys, bad guys, the list goes on. I would have been out of there faster than cake at a weight watchers meeting!

The atmosphere and tension in this book was perfect, I was gripped right from the start and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The pacing is just right, the tension building slowly as the atmosphere gets darker and creepier before going off the scales as everything comes to a head. Island of the Forbidden is very much a plot driven story, the characters having just enough depth and background for the plot to take the lead. Usually I prefer characters to be a bit more fleshed out but in this case it worked perfectly just as it is. The descriptions made the island, house, and grounds easy to picture in my minds eye and added so much more to the creepiness, especially when picturing the house and all the children.

This was such a good read, I couldn't put it down. I got to get my hands on more books by this author!


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: The Pendle Curse

The Pendle Curse by Catherine Cavendish

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Pendle Curse from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Finally a proper witch story! I have been in the mood lately to read about witches and the few that I was recommended weren't really what I was looking for. I jumped at the chance to review this one as soon as I saw witches mentioned in the blurb and I wasn't disappointed.

I recently reviewed another of Catherine's books Saving Grace Devine and really enjoyed it, so I was even more keen to start this as a result. The Pendle Curse is written much in the same way as Saving Grave Devine in that the tale weaves between two time periods that come together wonderfully in the end. The attention to detail when describing the scenes and building and connecting the tales between past and present is very well done. The characters are well developed, the relationships and tension between them are expressed in such a way that you can feel the emotions and tensions building as the story progresses. The story moves at a nice pace and held my attention from start to finish.

The only thing missing from this (thank goodness) was the cliché "Hubble bubble toil and trouble!" It had it all, witches, cauldrons, spells, familiars, curses and more. I really enjoyed this one and ended up reading it in one sitting. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks




View all my reviews

Review: Echoes

Echoes by Michael Bray

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great book in the Whispers trilogy, roll on book three!!

Echoes picks up seven years after book one and a hotel has been built on the area of Hope House. A paranormal team are going in to investigate and the previous tenants of the house have returned for the event, although not really having wanted to. Will everyone be safe and things go as planned?

There are a few storylines running together in this one, each with it's own characters and it works really well. The individual storylines really build the tension up on several different fronts and brings them all together for a great finale. One that will have you itching to get your hands on book three to see what happens next.

There isn't as much mystery in this one as in the first one but the tension really picks up in Echoes as previous characters make an appearance and are determined to have their revenge and to try claim what they didn't get in book one. You are swept along with the story, watching the characters take steps that you just know are going to have dire consequences later on.

I'm eager to get my hands on the last instalment to see what's coming next!

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: The Rose Man

The Rose Man by Terry M. West

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Rose Man from the author in return for an honest review.

Well that was kinda creepy. I'll never look at roses the same ever again.

Such a thoughtful and simple gesture buying a rose for the one you love and what awful consequences that simple gesture results in in this tale. The Rose Man is a very creative and imaginative story with twists that I couldn't even have begun to see coming. If I had any flowers in my house while reading this they would certainly be hidden out of sight as soon as I was done! Just the thought of them sat there gives me the shivers!

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks




View all my reviews

Review: Seed

Seed by Lisa Heathfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Seed from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down, I picked Seed up earlier this afternoon and before I knew it it was dark outside and the rest of the day had gone without me realising.

What would you do if you discovered everything you'd learned or been taught was a lie?

Pearl has just become a woman and is looking forwards to one day becoming the companion of Papa S like many young girls have done before her. It's all she's ever wanted but the arrival of three new members to the community begins to awaken doubts within her and she finds herself questioning everything she's been brought up to believe in.

Pearl lives a happy, content and perfect life, she has everything she could ever need. A roof over her head, a family who loves her and food on the table. Food that is grown lovingly by the hands of the community she has grown up in, the only one she's ever known. The community of Seed.
Seed is run by Papa S, they all look up to him, they live their daily lives following his beliefs and thanking Mother Nature everyday for all she provides. Secure and happy in the knowledge that as long as they stick to the beliefs and live their lives by the rules their leader has put in place, that life will go on as Mother Nature has planned, together, perfect and happy, safe from the outside world. But things aren't always what they seem to be.

Seed is a coming of age story with a difference, it's both beautiful and horrifying and will open your eyes to the stark truth that goes on in places all over the world. We all want to have that ideal life, to be surrounded by people we love and to feel safe and content with everything we have but sometimes things are too good to be true. The story is beautifully written and the characters give us a peek into a world that many of us will have heard of and found ourselves wondering, what were they thinking? How couldn't they not see what was going on? Why didn't they leave or question things? To us looking in, these questions seem so simple, the signs so blaringly obvious but on reading this book you find yourself understanding why they didn't leave, why they weren't seeing what was really going on and why they didn't question things. The power that someone can have over a group of people is scary to witness, how easily someone can manipulate and control, how far they will go to make sure they maintain that control.

I really wasn't expecting this book to touch me in the way it has, It just grabs you, and doesn't let go. The character development was fantastic and I felt for them, I just wanted to grab them and save them, show them that the outside world isn't such a bad place.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks




View all my reviews

Review: Dark Prayer

Dark Prayer by Natasha Mostert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Dark Prayer from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Once again Natasha Mostert writes another great book around the concept of memory. I was keen to dive into this one as I was fascinated with the use of memory in Season of the Witch and I was eager to see where else she could go with it in this book.

Jennilee's mother is murdered and she's the only one to have seen the person who murdered her but she has no memory of who the murderer was. Her mother was part of a group made up of 4 people who were studying the mystery of the human memory, how we remember and how those memories change over time. Is it possible to make those memories more vivid at the time? Is it possible to restore forgotten memories? Can we remove unwanted memories from those who have experienced trauma and want to forget?

Daniel Barone who was part of the group, takes Jennilee in and becomes her guardian after the death of her mother. Many years later she disappears and on finding her, her guardian soon discovers that she has no memory of who she once was, she's suffering from what is known as a fugue state and has a whole new identity. He reaches out to her and she refuses to come home, so Daniel in an attempt to get her back contacts another member of the group who sends his son Jack Simonetti to help. All is not as it seems however, and there is a darker side to the story. One which you're going to have to read to find out!

I really enjoyed this one, it wasn't as heavy a read as it sounds from what I have written above. It's a very well paced mystery and I learned quite a few things while reading. I was actually quite shocked to learn what they used to do in medieval times to young children. During a time when few could write, they would use these children in the most awful way in order to make them remember certain occasions more vividly so that the memory would be remembered exactly as it happened, unchanged even in the childs old age.

The story has a lot of detail and it's obvious a lot of research went into this one. It was well executed and it left me with many things to think about after having finished. My 16 year old son and I actually ended up having a rather interesting conversation, there was one part of the book that I read out loud to him - "If there were memories to sell, what would you buy? I would buy memories of love. If there were memories to buy, what would you sell? I would sell memories of love." - and we ended up talking away for almost 2 hours about the possibilities of this and what we each would choose and why.

Oh and I just can't finish this review without my favourite quote from the book - Books. They tumbled from the bleeding sky like wounded birds. The spines snapping open and the pages fanning white. Black letters slipping off the slanted pages and falling, falling to the ground where they... Shatter.” It's not very often I quote from a book in my review but I just loved that one!

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: Journals of Horror: Found Fiction

Journals of Horror: Found Fiction by Terry M. West

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Review copy provided by Terry M. West in return for an honest review.

I used to spend many a sleepless night on Reddit reading the horror case files and found footage horror stories. Journals of Horror is much the same but in book format, so I was looking forwards to this one. There are so many stories in this collection that if I were to say a little about each like I usually do with anthologies, my review would be too long. Instead I've given them each a rating and will say a little about my favourite and my least favourite in the collection.

"If you have an arse you're as good as buggered already" Hole By Joseph Ramshaw is by far my favourite and it's so aptly named! I kinda cottoned on roughly where this story was going, enough to know there was a huge cringe factor ahead of me. It was so wrong in so many ways but I just had to keep reading.

My least favourite was Vermilion A Traveller's Account By Stuart Keane. I don't like zombie stories. I'm sick of them, they are everywhere and most are rehashed and done to death in my opinion, so I wasn't far into the story before I knew it wasn't one for me. I also didn't like the homophobic tone used by the MC or his use of the word "fags" or the way the guy with a stutter was classed as a retard. That kind of stuff honestly sets off my moral compass and I don't want to read it.

1. Bagged, Tagged & Buried by Terry M. West - (4 stars)

2. Turn Me On, Dead Man By Robin Dover - (2.5 stars)

3. Truant By D.S. Ullery - (5 stars)

4. The Book of Flesh and Blood By Jeff O’Brien - (4 stars)

5. Beyond Castle Frankenstein By Paula Cappa - (1 stars)

6. Dying Scrawl by DJ Tyrer - (1 stars)

7. Girl in the Woods By Evan Purcell - (3 stars)

8. Going Home By Michael McGlade - (2 stars)

9. Hamburger Lady By Darryl Dawson - (3 stars)

10. Hole By Joseph Ramshaw - (5 stars)

11. Human Resources By Todd Keisling - (1 stars)

12. In the Woods, We Wait By Matt Hayward - (3 stars)

13. “Killing Jessica” By Glenn Rolfe - (5 stars)

14. Letter to Grandma By Crystal Leflar - (3 stars)

15. Look Up By Michael Seese - (3 stars)

16. Lucca By John Ledger - (2 stars)

17. Night Terrors: Journal By Michael Thomas-Knight - (5 stars)

18. Finders Keepers By Paul D. Marks - (3 stars)

19. The Anniversary By Sonja Thomas - (3 stars)

20. The Breath Within The Darkness By Essel Pratt - (3 stars)

21. The Devil’s Irony By Lori R. Lopez - (2 stars)

22. The Note By P. D. Cacek - (3 stars)

23. The Seahorse Speaks By Erik Gustafson - (4 stars)

24. Vermilion A Traveler’s Account By Stuart Keane - (1 stars)

25. Whispers on the Wind By Robert McGough - (4 stars)

26. There's something in my house By Wesley Thomas - (2.5 stars)

27. Tweets of Terror By Robert Holt - (1 stars)

28. Self-Consumed By Terry M. West & Regina West - (4 stars)

29. Note-To-Self By Christopher Alan Broadstone - (3 stars)


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: Abram's Bridge

Abram's Bridge by Glenn Rolfe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Abram's Bridge from the publisher in return for an honest review.

At 85 pages Abram's Bridge is a quick read, it's a ghost story but it's also a lot more than just that. The story revolves around Lil'Ron meeting the ghost of a young girl, so it is at it's heart a ghost story but it also has elements of thriller, suspense and the horror every day people are capable of. Drawn to the Sweet Kate, Lil'Ron spends more and more time with her and wants to know what happened to her and why she is still around, little does he know that in looking into her death his life will change drastically. Every town has their secrets and this small town is no different.

Short stories tend to be a hit or miss for me, many of them have big gaps in the story where the reader has to try fill in the information themselves, or on finishing you're left with questions and no answers given and you're left wondering what the heck just happened or they lack depth and background and have boring flat characters. Abram's Bridge had none of that, it's a good solid story with a main character you can't help but like and root for. The pacing and tension builds slowly throughout and the story has a good beginning, middle and end and held my attention easily.

I enjoyed this one, it took me on a whole different journey than I was expecting.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks




View all my reviews

Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl: Book One

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl: Book One by Paige McKenzie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl: Book One from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book because it's written around a series of YouTube videos, I haven't watched any of the videos but the idea intrigued me. The blurb really doesn't give much away in regards to what the story is about, so unless you've watched the videos all you really know before reading is that it's about a girl living in a haunted house. It's so much more than that.

The story revolves around Sunshine and unlike most YA books, the female lead doesn't have boys falling at her feet, she's not pretty or perfect and there's no love triangle or overly mind numbing teenage angst. The first half of the book felt slower than I would have liked. There was plenty happening but I just wanted it to hurry up and get to part where I could really get my teeth into what was happening. I think it was more impatience on my part though because of the other voice in the story, someone who throughout the story is watching Sunshine but who we don't know who until nearer the end.

The characters of the book are well done and each play their own part very well. The overall atmosphere is dark, cold and creepy and I felt so sorry for Sunshine feeling like she did all the time. I enjoyed the plot, I won't go into the plot details as I don't want to spoil it but it was original and held my attention throughout.

I don't know that I enjoyed it enough to want to carry on with the series, like I said before it was slower than I would have liked but that's just my personal preference.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: A Place for Us Part 4

A Place for Us Part 4 by Harriet Evans

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I received a copy of A Place For Us Part 4 from the publisher in return for an honest review.

You can find my reviews for previous parts here: A Place For Us Part 1 / A Place For Us Part 2 / A Place For Us Part 3

Part 4 is the final instalment of A Place for Us and I have to admit, I'm kind of sad to see it finish. I started reading this series originally because I was sent an invite to review part one, this is not my usual choice of reading material so it's not something I would have chosen for myself to read. I have really enjoyed getting to know the Winter family and I'm going to miss them. The character development during this series has been fantastic, I feel like I'm losing contact with good friends now that it's over.

This is the perfect ending to a great series, full of joy, pain, personal struggles and journeys of a family who have really been through good and bad times together. I was eager to see how they would all come together and overcome everything they have been through, I really couldn't have pictured things ending any more perfect than they have.

Harriet Evans has a real talent when it comes to developing characters that draw you to them and have you feeling like you've known them forever. I will definitely be reading a lot more of her work.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: The After House

The After House by Michael Phillip Cash

My rating: 1 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The After House from the publisher in return for an honest review.

From reading the blurb I was expecting this to be a great creepy and spooky read, a ghost story that would be full of atmosphere and chills. It was nothing like the blurb would have you believe. What I got instead was a mix of romance, predictable mystery and the paranormal with a little humour.

The main character Remy I found really irritating, she allowed herself to be so easily led by others and her decisions and reactions made no sense. The inner dialogue and conversations of Olivia, Remy's 6 year old daughter, were totally wrong for her age. And cmon Remy's mother meets this guy Hugh once and after everything her daughter has been through, she's pressing her to meet what is basically a total stranger. A stranger who within a few minutes of meeting, Remy then falls madly in love with. One thing I hate more than love triangles is people falling head over heels in love within seconds of meeting each other, especially when it's grown ass adults. I get that you have to suspend belief when reading fiction but not this much.

The After House just didn't work for me at all. Yeah I got a few chuckles out of it but overall it didn't live up to the expectations given by the blurb. Nothing came across as believable and I couldn't connect with any of the characters at all.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: A Grimm Legacy

A Grimm Legacy by Janna Jennings

My rating: 2 of 5 stars




I received a copy of A Grimm Legacy from the publisher in return for an honest review.

This book frustrated me quite a bit. It could have been a great story, the idea was fun and the basic story was there, but the writing lacked and let it down.

What you have here is the story of 4 children who are transported to another world and on trying to find their way home they find themselves travelling through several different fairytales. Some you may have heard of and some not so familiar.

I couldn't connect with the characters, I found myself getting frustrated with the way the author had portrayed them. It took me ages to get the characters right in my head and even then at 73% in I still wasn't sure which girl was which. The author didn't define them enough for me. I know one had blonde hair and one had dark hair but apart from that there was nothing. The author didn't given me much about them appearance wise to set them apart from each other, there was no picture built of them in my minds eye, yet I was expected to know who was who. I kept having to stop and try to remember which was which and I eventually gave up trying.

The story mostly centres around the two girls, which seemed weird to me as Frederick was really the only character that the author gave any substance to, he stood out more clearly and had way more substance than all the rest, yet he played a much smaller role than all of them. Also for some reason Quinn was the only one that got captured, not just once but every time someone got captured it was poor Quinn.

There were many places where the sentences and grammar were off and the dialogue could have been improved. Each chapter jumps between the four characters. When reading these chapters I found that sometimes on moving to the next paragraph the story had jumped ahead all of a sudden, like a part of the story was missing. Normally this would be where a new chapter would begin, but because of the chapters revolving around a character, it just goes right into a new paragraph instead and it got confusing and pulled me out of the story.

A Grimm Legacy had a lot of potential but I think it needs quite a lot of improvement and a lot more character building. The characters are flat and forgettable they need more substance. Show me, don't tell me, build the images in my mind so I can see the characters and remember them, make them stand out as individuals.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: The Nightmare Girl

The Nightmare Girl by Jonathan Janz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Nightmare Girl from the publisher in return for an honest review.

The Nightmare Girl is a fast paced tale of a family man who struggles to protect his family after saving a young boy from his abusive mother. After helping the child Joe and his family head home and try to get on with their daily lives but soon realise that in saving the boy, they have angered the cult that his mother was a member of and they are out for revenge.

I really liked the main character in this one, I could feel his fear and need to protect his family, especially his daughter. The love he had for his daughter was very well portrayed and I could relate to his fear and determination to protect her. The tension builds nicely throughout the book then really kicks off just over halfway, and boy do things kick off. The tension reaches an all time high and doesn't let up, just when you think it can't get any worse you are hit with one gruesome scene after another and you can't turn the pages fast enough to discover if everyone comes out the other end intact and alive.

This is only my second journey into the writing of Jonathan Janz and I am quickly becoming a fan. I read this in one sitting, it held my attention from start to finish and I had to resist peeking further down the pages in many parts. I will definitely be adding more of Jonathan's books to my reading list.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: Halloween Tales

Halloween Tales 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I received a copy of Halloween Tales from Terry M. West in return for an honest review. Thank you Terry!

1. The Devil Came to Mamie's on Hallowe'en by Lisa Morton - (3 stars)
This was a good story but cmon, that poor cat :( I enjoyed Leona's fire and determination in the end.

2. Worth the Having by Michael Paul Gonzalez - (1 stars)
Can't say I was keen on this one at all. The sexual aspect felt like it was put in for shock factor and was over the top, it just didn't add anything to the story. There was nothing as to who and why, we were just expected to read and believe without any explanation given at all.

3. Donuts by Hal Bodner - (5 stars)
This was so fun to read, I swear I was smiling the whole way through this one. It was imaginative and entertaining.

4. The Hairy Ones by Terry M. West - (4 stars)
Short, to the point and perfect for Halloween!

5. The Deal by Janet Joyce Holden - (1 stars)
The Deal is similar to another short story I read recently (Long Tall Coffin) in Funhouse by Michael Bray. I think, it being so similar and reading it so close to having finished Funhouse, I didn't enjoy it as a result.

6. Outlaws of Hill County by John Palisano - (3 stars)
The ending was the best part of this one. I have fond memories of my dad making up stories like this at Halloween.

7. The Cross I Bear by David Winnick - (5 stars)
I loved this story, it was funny and twisted and had me laughing out loud many times. My favourite one in the collection so far!

8. By the Book by Kate Jonez - (3 stars)
That is one twisted babysitter.

9. Ankou, King of the Dead by R. B. Payne - (3 stars)
Hmm don't know what to say about this one, wasn't bad but not too sure about the style it's written.

10. The Lurker by Steven W. Booth - (4 stars)
Knew there was a reason I loved cats!!

11. Harvest of Flames by Maria Alexander - (2 stars)
Would have liked this better without the jumping back and forth I think.

12. The Patch by Eric Miller - (4 stars)
I'll never look at pumpkins the same ever again!

13. Beneath it All by E.S. Magill - (1 stars)
The sentences were really short and choppy in this one. I just didn't like this story at all.

14. Farkelberry Forrest Cemetery by Tim Chizmar - (3 stars)
Poor Henry, at least he had company lol.

15. Halloween in East Hampton by Robin Wyatt Dunn - (1.5 stars)

16. Hollywood Ending by R.B. Payne - (1.5 stars)

17. Johnny Jackson’s School Dare by P.S. Gifford - (0 stars)
Rating removed.

18. The Old Magic by Xach Fromson - (5 stars)
This was really good, great pacing and could feel the tension building.

19. Dead Devil in the Freezer by Nancy Holder - (4 stars)
Well that was confusing, weird but good.

Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks




View all my reviews

Review: The Hanover Block

The Hanover Block by Gregor Xane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I won a copy of The Hanover Block in a giveaway on Booklikes with no obligation to read and review.

I know.. That cover. WTF right? You just can't help but keep looking at it and wanting to know what the heck it is. I'm not gonna tell you either!!!

Things are happening on Marions street, strange sheds, buildings and objects are popping up in his neighbours gardens. People are behaving weirdly, just what are they up to and why?

I'm not sure what to say about this one, it's weird but it's a good weird. The story has a lot do with what is on the cover, so there's not much I can say about the story itself without giving away spoilers.

This is very much a case of what the hell did I just read. You start reading, are drawn into the story and before you know it you're finished and not quite sure what the heck you've just read. It's original, creative and somewhat bizarre and definitely worth a read. Oh and it's not one you want the younger ones to get their hands on either. Grown ups only!


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: Reality

Reality by Dani Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Reality from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book originally by the cover and on picking up the book I found myself captivated right from the start.

I didn't want this one to end, the writing had such a nice flow to it and it was a pleasure to read. The world building and the characters are both very well written and pulls you effortlessly into a world of beauty, wonder and danger. The plot and storyline had a few nice twists and turns and wasn't predictable at all, always a plus in my book.

It is a very emotional story and pulls on the heart strings. I will admit to a tear or two, ok maybe more than a tear or two, and plenty of sniffles while reading this one. I found it very easy to picture the world and scenes in my minds eye and I cared very much about the characters and their journey. The relationships between the characters are both touching, heart-warming and heart breaking, they will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. So have those tissues handy.

Although this is book one in a series, it very much works as a stand alone book too. It doesn't finish on a cliffhanger or leave you feeling like the story stopped before it got to the end. It does however have a love triangle, I hate love triangles! But this one works, it didn't spoil the book for me at all.

I'm really looking forwards to book two and seeing what's next for Arie.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | BookLikes | Goodreads | Leafmarks



View all my reviews

Review: Bad Apples: Five Slices of Halloween Horror

Bad Apples: Five Slices of Halloween Horror by Edward Lorn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I saved Bad Apples: Five Slices of Halloween Horror for Halloween weekend and boy was I glad I did. This was a great collection of stories and I enjoyed each of them very much.

I won't go into any details and rate each story as I normally do with collections as many other reviewers have done that already. They are all equally good in their own way, they are imaginative, dark, creepy and humerous at times and all worthy of 5 stars.

I find it hard to pick a favourite from this collection, they were all so unique but the ones that stood out for me were The Riggle Twins, Easy Pickings and The Scare Rows.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | BookLikes | Goodreads



View all my reviews