Review: Hope for the Wicked by Edward Lorn

 Hope for the Wicked by Edward Lorn

 My Rating:

Well I am never going to unsee those scenes!

I have to admit that this book has been on my to-read list for a while as I'm a huge fan of the author. I have really enjoyed everything I have read from this author so far but I'm not a fan of PI stories so it kept slipping down my list. I wish I had picked it up sooner, it was brutal and I flew through the pages.

As always Lorn's characterization is brilliant. The plot grabs you and packs many well aimed punches that will stick with you long after you have finished. The book is full of the wit and dark humour that I have come to love in Lorn's work, while at the same time full of shocking and hard hitting scenes that worm their way into your brain and can't be unseen.

Highly recommended. I loved everything about this one, so much so I can forgive the sacrilege of what was done to poor Rabbie Burns!!


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Review: Night as a Catalyst by Chad Lutzke

 Night as a Catalyst by Chad Lutzke

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of Night as a Catalyst in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the shorts in this collection, they were unique, creepy and fun to read. I liked the small afterword at the end of each individual story where the author spoke a little about the inspiration behind each tale. It's always nice to get a peek behind the scenes and know what inspired a story.

I did have a few niggles however. There was a few instances of switching tense, occasions where words like lie were used instead of lay/laying/lying, a few typos, and parts where the wording could have been a little better but I overlooked those as the stories themselves were good.

There were a few stories that really stood out from the others and some that were just ok but all in all this is a nice collection.  Perfect for picking up when you only have a few spare minutes to read. This author has a lot of potential and I'd be interested to read more as his writing progresses.


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Review: The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.

 The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.

My Rating:


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

There was a lot I liked in book two and a lot I disliked. As before the author does a wonderful job of characterization, each character was strong and stood out as an individual with more of their back story and motives being revealed. What I didn't like was how quickly Kelsea changed in part two. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing her grow bolder, more confident and a little darker in nature. What I didn't like was how her character went from being the average sweet naive girl next-door to a stunning beauty with a mean streak trying to fight it's way out. The way it was done didn't sit right with me, she loses a lot of weight, becomes more ruthless and now all of a sudden she's seen as more attractive? That's giving the wrong message.

Book one in the Tearling trilogy left me rather confused about the time period the story was set in. Even though the story line takes place in the future, the world the author created was medieval and there wasn't much of an explanation of the how and why everything had changed so much. Book two explains the reasons behind this change and gives us a glance into both the past and the present(future). I enjoyed both the stories from the different timelines despite them being so different from each other but the time hopping did get a little bit much at times. The author seemed to switch at the most tense moments of the plot line or just as I was getting back into the swing of the era the story was in. It got rather frustrating at times, especially when it happened during an important part of the plot, the temptation to skim quickly to get back to where it picked up again was hard to resist at times.

Despite the above I still enjoyed the book. I enjoy the writing style of this author and the rich characters and worlds that she creates. The plot held my attention and it answered a lot of the questions that I had from book one. I'm looking forwards to the final book in the trilogy.


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Review: In a Dark, Dark Wood by Helen Ruth Elizabeth Ware

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Helen Ruth Elizabeth Ware

My Rating:


I received a free copy of In a Dark, Dark Wood from the publisher in return for an honest review.

"Someone's getting married. Someone's getting murdered.

In a dark, dark wood...

Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.

There was a dark, dark house...

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?

And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room...

But something goes wrong. Very wrong.

And in the dark, dark room....

Some things can’t stay secret for ever."

Sounds good right? Creepy, mysterious, thrilling and full of suspense? It wasn't. I was really looking forwards to this one, it sounded like it would be right up my street. I was expecting a dark tale, a thrilling page turner but I was disappointed.

The plot was predictable and dare I say it, laughable. There was none of the suspense, mystery, chills and thrills that the blurb hints at. It was like watching a lame teenage movie with the usual predictable cast: insecure girl, insecure girls outspoken friend, mean girl, mean girls duff and of course the token gay male BFF. The dialogue was petty, shallow and repetitive and certainly not what you would expect from characters that are all in their late 20's.

The characters were all very one-dimensional and acted more like immature whiny teenagers rather than the grown women they were meant to be. I found them annoying and disliked each and every one of them. As for the MC Nora, ugh! Get a grip woman. 10 years, get over it. Nora's story was so cliché and unbelievable. I just wanted to shake her and tell her get a grip.

Not one I would recommend.



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Review: We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk

 We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk

 My Rating:

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

We Are Monsters is cleverly told, it's multi layered and paints a very dark picture of all the different aspects of mental illness: from the patients themselves, to the doctors treating them and the methods used. It's psychologically complex and really delves into the horror of the human mind. The book opens your eyes to the complexity and treatment of those with a mental illness and delivers a hefty dose of reality throughout it's pages. Although that reality may not always be what it seems.

There were times that I felt a little lost and wasn't quite sure what was happening but all was revealed as the story unravelled. The author had thrown me into the same turmoil as the characters and I had to find my footing along with them.

The characterization in this novel is what really stood out for me, it's extremely well done. The characters felt real, each individual character so well developed that I feel I got to know them as a person instead of just characters in a book.

We Are Monsters is a book I would definitely recommend, although if your squeamish about needles, be prepared!


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Review: Car Nex: Trailer Park by Shaun Hupp, Terry M. West.

 Review:  Car Nex: Trailer Park by Shaun Hupp,  Terry M. West.

 My Rating:

I received a free copy of Car Nex: Trailer Park from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this instalment in the Car Nex series, it was full of the carnage and violence that I have come to love about the Car Nex. I have to say that so far this one is my favourite, the author drew me in effortlessly and I was easily swept up in the atmosphere and fear in the pages. At just 58 pages it's a quick read but there is so much in those 58 pages, the way it's written makes it feel like a whole book is condensed into a novella without the feeling of something being left out or lacking.


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Review: Thirteen Days of Midnight by Leo R. Hunt

 Thirteen Days of Midnight by Leo R. Hunt

My Rating:

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

Luke's father dies and leaves him a strange book. The book won't open and Luke thinks nothing more of it, that is until strange things start happening and ghosts start turning up unannounced. Luke learns that his father was a necromancer and along with the book he has left him his Host: a group of 8 spirits that Luke is expected to keep under control. Having left Luke when he was a young boy, Luke knows nothing of necromancy and with the ghosts threatening to mutiny he has to learn how to control them before they gain their freedom on Halloween night.

Thirteen Days of Midnight was a fun read. The characters were a great mix and were well developed. The plot and dialogue was a lot of fun, the story is both quirky and creepy while not being overly scary and would make a great introduction to the horror/paranormal genre for younger readers. The pace was consistent and the writing style created a vivid picture of the story. The author writes in a way that makes every scene easily pictured in the minds eye and it really brings the story to life.

Keeping in mind that this is a young adult book it won't be for everyone, but on a huge positive note there was no love triangle, although there was a love interest it was a very very small part of the story, no eye rolling teenage angst and no overly bad language.

The review copy I was provided with had a lot of problems with missing letters, I had to mentally fill them in while reading which was really frustrating at first. I got an email saying the problem had been fixed the same exact day I finished the book, go figure! Those of you who know me know that usually I would give up on a book with problems like this but the fact that I persisted with this one reflects how much the author drew me into the story and the visual world he created.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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