Review: Wizard's Rise by Phillip Tomasso III

Wizard's Rise by Phillip Tomasso III

My Rating:


I received a free copy of Wizard's Rise in return for an honest review.

I really struggled with this one. I don't think I have ever before used the highlight function as often as with Wizard's Rise. Almost every other page had at least one highlight, covering everything from: spelling errors, wrong words, missing words, random single letters, sentences that made no sense, dialogue for characters that weren't present at the time, plot holes, inconsistencies and more.

I also wasn't very impressed with the way women were overly described and the men totally neglected. I couldn't tell some of the male characters apart or tell you what many looked like. Especially the two kings. Nothing made them stand out. Not enough information was given in order for me to visualise them and set them apart from each other. The women on the other hand? Oh boy! I know a lot about them: pretty, ugly, naked, eye colour, hair colour, how well they filled their blouse, slim, overweight (cause being overweight means unattractive, ugh!) Way to win over female readers.

The story had potential but all of the above totally ruined the whole reading experience. I also found that not much really happened, the story didn't actually move very far forwards. It read more like a prequel. I had to force myself to finish the complete book. It took me almost 2 weeks to read just under 300 pages, says it all really. I continued only out of obligation to review and to keep note of errors discovered, something I don't usually do but did out of respect for the person who sent the book for review on behalf of the publisher.

Not one I would recommend at all.




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Review: Woman In White by Kristin Dearborn

Woman In White by Kristin Dearborn

My Rating:


I received a free copy of Woman In White from Erin at Oh, for the Hook of a Book in return for an honest review and as part of the Hook of a Book Woman in White blog tour of which my blog Scarlet's Web is taking part.

I really enjoyed the cold, harsh and stormy atmosphere of the Woman in White. The author has done a wonderful job. The descriptions of the scenery, the snowstorm and the environment really made this one stand out and resulted in an amazingly chilly backdrop that gave me the chills and had me reaching for my reading blanket.

I usually find character development to be somewhat lacking in many novellas but the balance here was just right. There was quite a few characters and they were all well rounded and interesting, each had just enough of a backstory to make them feel real and stand out as an individual. The pacing was consistent, the writing flowed well and the storyline had me engrossed from start to finish.

Woman in White has just the right mix of mystery, suspense, horror and gruesome scenes to appeal to all horror fans. I thoroughly enjoyed it would definitely recommend giving it a read.



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 Synopsis of Woman in White 

 
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: DarkFuse
Publication Length: 139 pages

 

Rocky Rhodes, Maine.

As a fierce snowstorm descends upon the sleepy little town, a Good Samaritan stops to help a catatonic woman sitting in the middle of the icy road, and is never seen or heard from again. When the police find his car, it is splattered in more blood than the human body can hold.

While the storm rages on, the wave of disappearances continue, the victims sharing only one commonality: they are all male. Now it's up to three young women to figure out who or what is responsible: a forensic chemist, a waitress struggling with an abusive boyfriend, and a gamer coping with the loss of her lover.

Their search will lead them on a journey filled with unspeakable horrors that are all connected to a mysterious Woman in White.

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Biography, Kristin Dearborn

If it screams, squelches, or bleeds, Kristin Dearborn has probably written about it. written books such as Sacrifice Island (DarkFuse), Trinity (DarkFuse), and had fiction published in several magazines and anthologies. Stolen Away was recently a limited edition offered from  Thunderstorm Books, which sold out.

She revels in comments like “But you look so normal…how do you come up with that stuff?” A life-long New Englander, she aspires to the footsteps of the local masters, Messrs. King and Lovecraft. When not writing or rotting her brain with cheesy horror flicks (preferably creature features!) she can be found scaling rock cliffs or zipping around Vermont on a motorcycle, or gallivanting around the globe. Kristin’s latest DarkFuse release is Woman in White.

Find more about Kristin online at kristindearborn.com or Facebook.

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Praise for Woman in White 

 
“Horror born straight from a nor’easter, Dearborn’s Woman in White is a great read for a winter night—with a monster I’ll never forget.” —Christopher Irvin, author of Federales and Burn Cards

“Kristin Dearborn’s Woman in White is a rip-roaring monster tale with sharp-eyed characterization and something to say about the power dynamics between men and woman. Thought-provoking and entertaining as hell!” —Tim Waggoner, author of Eat the Night

“Great stuff! Suspenseful, quickly paced, unpredictable and wonderfully evil tale. Kristin Dearborn’s best yet!” —Jeff Strand, author of Pressure’

“Dearborn has a wonderful sense of the macabre, along with the ability to balance the spookier aspects of her work with well-rendered, solid characterizations…Sacrifice Island is a blazing fast read, with engaging characters and a compelling narrative.” —The Maine Edge

“Sacrifice Island is a fresh and interesting take on a tried and true horror setup.” —Examiner

 

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Media, information and review copy provided as part of the Hook of a Book blog tour by Erin Al-Mehairi from Hook of a Book Media & Publicity.

Review: Northwoods by Bill Schweigart

Northwoods by Bill Schweigart

My Rating:


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

Had I written this review right after finishing Northwoods it would have been higher rated but I have found, after contemplating on it for a bit, certain things which didn't really jump out at me at the time. I did enjoy Northwoods while reading but on writing this review I have come to realise that it was more of an OK read than the great read it seemed to be.

At times I felt there was too much going on and that the characters spent more time apart than they did together. As a result a lot of the action was happening at the same time, this I feel caused a lack in the overall building up of the tension and fear.

I also had trouble with the believability aspect at times. Take for example the opening scene of the book. The area is monitored by sensors and drones and although the sensors were triggered they didn't pick up on the people that were in the vicinity. Surely they would pick up on these people, that is what they are there for after all. Also, the opening scene gets totally forgotten about as the story progresses and the item found in this scene is actually an important item to the storyline. What happened? How did it get there? Where did it come from? Why did no one ask these questions or look into it more?

On a more positive note. I enjoy when an author includes lore or legend in their storylines, I find it fascinating and it added a whole new level to a story for me. The scene setting was done well and the interaction between the characters, when they were all together, were well written. I can't say that I found all the characters likeable or relatable but I did enjoy the character of Alex Standingcloud more than the others. I found Lydnsay to be, as time went on, rather annoying.

Overall it was an OK read. Northwoods was my first by this author and I would read more but I would have to be drawn into the story way more than I was with this one before I would pick up a third.




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Review: Eight Deadly Kisses: A Dark Chapter Press Anthology

Eight Deadly Kisses: A Dark Chapter Press Anthology

My Rating:


Dark Chapter Press and the writers gathered in this anthology have committed to supporting CAMFED, a charity providing education for girls and young women in Africa, to build brighter futures and to encourage the development of female leaders. All money received by Dark Chapter Press from sales of Eight Deadly Kisses will be donated to CAMFED.

You can find out more about the CAMFED campaign at the following links: Dark Chapter Press to Support CAMFED and Our new charity anthology is now unleashed on Kindle


Evil does not consider, or discriminate, it simply selects its target, stalks, and strikes. Evil is a concept in which the sexes are equal. We’re all fair game.

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As you can see from my individual ratings I didn't love every story in the collection but that's usually the case with anthologies. I'm hard to please when it comes to short stories but as a whole I would give this one 4 stars. The concept is a great idea and even though some of them have a lower individual rating they were still pretty good stories, they just weren't of the same quality, in my opinion, as the higher rated ones.

1 - Night Terrors by Audrey E. L. Coots - 4 stars

That was a great start to the collection. A very well written creepy little tale. If they are all this good this is going to be a great collection of stories.

2 - Soul Seekers by Alice J. Black - 4 stars

That was certainly one kickass female! Me likey. Two really good stories in a row, this bodes well.

3 - The Dead Season by Fiona Dodwell - 2 stars

This is a decent and original little story but I found the dialogue to be repetitive in parts.

4 - Marion by Erica Chin - 3 stars

I was really enjoying this one until the ending, I'm not a fan of how it ends. I can't imagine that the outcome, if I am understanding correctly who the voice is, is one that the voice would have wanted for the boy.

5 - Commuting by Veronica Smith - 3 stars

I was not expecting that! However it felt like a rather abrupt and random way to finish.

6 - The Black Cat by Sharon Higa - 2 stars

While this was an OK story, the way the parents interacted with the MC like she was a young child rather than a 14 year old girl didn't match with how strong and mature she instantly became afterwards. You don't sit a 14 year old on your hip like they're a young child or carry them to bed, change them into their night clothes and tuck them in like a baby.

7 - Late Lunch by C.A. Viruet - 2.5 stars

Well that was weird but I'm left thinking why? What was the actual reasoning behind it? The writing was a bit choppy and there was repetitive use of words in places but it was original and rather bizarre.

8 - Prick by DA Chaney 4.5 Stars

This has to be my favourite of the collection. I really enjoyed the sarcasm and humour in this story.



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Review: Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

My Rating:


I received a free copy of Closer Than You Think from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I would happily give this one 5 stars if it wasn't for the speed at which the MC fell for the FBI agent that was on her case. I found that part of the story totally unbelievable, along with the reactions of the detectives, and other people involved in solving her case, towards said relationship. They all accepted it way too easily when it's a huge no no to get involved in circumstances like this.

I particularly liked being able to experience both sides of the story. The parts that cover the killers POV were very well done and added a lot to the over all feeling of tension and suspense to the book. Karen Rose is one of the few authors who keeps me guessing almost right to the end . I can even tolerate the romance that is always included in her books, which alone is testament to how well she manages to pull the reader in as I usually hate romance in all forms in books.

Closer Than You Think is, in my opinion, Rose's best book so far. At 690 pages it's a lot of reading and I have to admit I put off reading it for a bit because of how big the book is. Little did I know that I would get so sucked into the storyline that I would read all 690 pages in one day.

Definitely one I would recommend.




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Review: Things We Fear by Glenn Rolfe

Things We Fear by Glenn Rolfe

My Rating:

Summer has just begun, and fear is in season.

School’s out, and the faculty at Fairington Elementary School are free for the summer. Emily Young can’t deny her attraction to Aaron Jackson, the Ed Tech from her classroom, but she’s afraid of being hurt again. Meanwhile, Aaron is determined not to let his phobia of drowning prevent him from enjoying the sun and the sand of Maine’s best beach town.

But they’re about to learn real fear. Fairington is home to a monster. Phys Ed teacher Matt Holmes has more to offer the ladies than a perfect smile. He’s a killer and he’s got his sights set on Emily. Who at Fairington will conquer their fears? And who will fall to a psychopath’s hellbent rage?

I received a free copy of Things We Fear from the publisher in return for an honest review. 

I usually enjoy Glenns books, his book Blood and Rain was one of my favourite reads of last year, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling this one. I think I prefer the horror Glenn to the more subtle thriller Glenn that is Things We Fear.

For me a good story has to be either character driven, plot driven, or preferably both, and I struggled to find that in Things We Fear. There wasn't enough substance there to draw me in. The plot needed expanding. I wanted more tension and suspense. I wanted to fear what was around the corner, to feel dread and anticipation for what was to come but it wasn't there.

I felt there was a lack of character development. I didn't get to know anyone well enough to make them stand out as individuals or care about what happened to them, and I also had a problem with the unbelievability of the characters reactions and their inability to see the obvious. It just didn't ring true for me. There was also a lack of imagery, I couldn't picture the environment very well at all. I knew where the characters were and what was happening but I couldn't visualise it or experience it.

I realise it's a novella and you can't squeeze great character development and visuals etc into just 85 pages, something has to give, but in this case I think it gave too much. There is potential here for a decent thriller, especially knowing what Glenn is capable of, but as it is it didn't work for me.


Purchase Things We Fear:  AmazonUS   AmazonUK   Barnes & Noble  Samhain

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Praise for Things We Fear

"Things We Fear is a compulsively readable tale of obsession and dark suspense, with one of the creepiest villains I've encountered in recent years." -- Tim Waggoner, author of The Way of All Flesh

"Glenn Rolfe's new thriller is addictive. A quick, compelling read. Rolfe creates tension with a minimal amount of words. His characters are so well-drawn they come alive (before they die)." -- Duncan Ralston, author of Salvage

"Fast paced and tense, with one of the most interesting monsters I've read about in recent times." -- Patrick Lacey, author of A Debt to Be Paid

"Glenn Rolfe is quickly establishing a name for himself as one of a number of excellent new writers to ensure the horror genre is kept alive and well. His previous books – Abram’s Bridge, Boom Town and Blood and Rain – have also served to show the extensive breadth of his imagination and Things We Fear carries on that trend. Quite simply, each story is fresh, new, exciting, and unpredictable." -- Catherine Cavendish, author of Dark Avenging Angel

"In this frighteningly real look at true horror, Rolfe manages to up the ante of tension while balancing genuinely heartbreaking moments, while showcasing his talent for creating unforgettable characters placed in equally unforgettable moments." -- David, Beneath The Underground

"There is a definite old school feel about this novella. It isn’t an over the top gore fest. Instead, what we have is a tense, psychological thriller that builds steadily towards a fitting climax." -Adrian Shotbolt, at Ginger Nuts of Horror

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Biography of Glenn Rolfe

"Glenn Rolfe is an author, singer, songwriter and all around fun loving guy from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King and Richard Laymon.

He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.

He is the author the novellas, Abram’s Bridge, Boom Town, and his latest, Things We Fear (March, 2016), the short fiction collection, Slush, and the novels The Haunted Halls and Blood and Rain (October 2015). His first novella collection, Where Nightmares Begin, will also be released in March 2016. His next book, Chasing Ghosts, will be coming by 2017.

He is hard at work on many more. Stay tuned!

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Review: Dastardly Bastard by Edward Lorn

Dastardly Bastard by Edward Lorn

My Rating:


I received a free copy of Dastardly Bastard from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Dastardly Bastard was somewhat of a surreal read for me, something I'm not used to from this author. All the previous books by Lorn I've read have had a real feel to them, not in the sense that it could really happen but more that I was present. This one felt different. I didn't feel connected to the characters in the way that I usually do. Don't get me wrong, the characters were well developed but I just didn't feel for them. I wasn't immersed in the events or part of the story like I am normally when reading this author. I was watching from the sidelines. I think it may be because a lot of the story was the characters reliving their memories and the manipulation of their memories, it had the effect of separating me from them and what was going on. Personally I like to feel present, which I didn't experience but that's not the fault of the book it's just my personal preference.

It's a hard one to rate as I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed the story, the pacing was consistent, the dialogue natural and the humour was great but it was more of a words on the page story than the immersive experience that I have enjoyed in all of Lorns other books.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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