Book Reviews
Updated on July 28th, 2010
Book of Shadows (St. Martins Press, 2010)
Author: Alexandra Sokoloff
Review By Mari Lynne Rupp
"Book of Shadows" starts out as almost any other paranormal suspense. With a mysterious death under mysterious circumstances, discovered mysteriously. Throw in a few 'magick' dabblers, witches, demon-summoning spells and catholic cops, you've got a fantastic mix...............read more
Ruthless
Edited by: Shane McKenzie
Review By David Rupp
Ruthless,an extreme shock horror collection is just that, in fact it's all of the above. Released by Pill Hill Press and boasting many talented authors, this collection of stories is guaranteed to find a nerve exposed and pluck it...............read more
Jacks School of Shines
Author: Jack Sorenson
Review By G.L. Giles
This young adult novel of 203 pages moves along at a good pace with lots of action, so it’s fairly easy to read. The similarities to the Harry Potter series are readily apparent as it is the story of five Wizard boys from Jacks School of Shines Witchcraft and Wizardry...............read more
Pussy Tales
Author: Natasha Brooks
Review By G.L. Giles
After Jasmine’s husband, Marcus, abandons her and her two daughters unexpectedly, Jasmine is basically forced to go into escorting (in this case, it’s really prostitution) to make ends meet. Being basically forced into prostitution isn’t a new story, but what makes this one stand out is that the lead character, Jasmine, actually likes having sex with multiple strangers: including a teenage boy and masochistic senatorl...............read more
Revenant
Author: Carolyn Haines
Review By G.L. Giles
This mystery/thriller novel of 362 pages is a definite keeper due to the excellent character depictions. For starters, there’s the protagonist Carson Lynch, a female investigative journalist, who responsibly covers the deaths of five young ladies killed about a quarter of a century ago---left buried with their ring fingers cut off and wearing bridal veils. Carson has a soft-spot for these victims and their families as her own daughter was tragically killed as well...............read more
Empire: A Zombie Novel
Author: David Dunwoody
Review By G.L. Giles
As the PROLOGUE informs the reader, the zombie outbreak began in 2007 when a zombie virus accidentally spread. These zombies, or afterdead (as the military classified them), were resurrected due to a dark energy emitted from a source in a swamp in Louisiana. So it should come as no surprise that most of the action in this novel takes place in Louisiana (Jefferson Harbor specifically). However, the main storyline takes place over a hundred years after the outbreak...............read more
The Graveyard Book (2008)
Author: Neil Gaiman
Review By Sam O'beirn
Set in a town in England, The Graveyard Book is the story of a little boy named Nobody Owens, who gets taken in by the local dead of a graveyard when his family is horribly murdered. There he is raised and cared for by the ghosts, as well as by his guardian, Silas. He makes and loses friends, learns about the dangers of the world (and of the graveyard itself)...............read more
Gothic Charm School (2009)
Author: Jillian Venters
Review By Sam O'beirn
Jillian Venters has written an invaluable guide for all Goths who've asked themselves such questions as "What should I do if people want to take my picture?", "How can I convince my Parents/Boss/Friends that I'm not a demon worshiping, drug addled orgy organizer?" Dispensing good advise for Goths, Goths-to-be, and others who may have people they know who are Goth...............read more
Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter (Damnation Books LLC, 2010)
Author: Edward M.Erediac
Review By Mari Lynne Rupp
This is one of the most unusual books I have read in a very long time.
by the definition in the glossary at the back of the book, a Merkabah Rider is a Jewish mystic
Who can leave his body and explore the upper and lower worlds of heaven and hell through various
Solomnic and hebrew magical texts. This story is told by way of four short stories that could
stand on their own, but weave together a picture of a lonely soul travelling...............read more
The Crescent (Black Rose Writing, 2010)
Author: Jordan Deen
Review By G.L. Giles
I was immediately drawn into Deen's paranormal world of werewolves. Written in a hip, colloquial style, it's both easy and a treat to read. Life can be trying enough for frequently hormonally-challenged teens, but add to that the trials and tribulations of being caught up in the drama and bloodshed of feuding werewolf families? Well, it's certainly enough to have seventeen-year old Lacey Marie questioning her sanity...............read more
Convict Grade (Xlibris, 2009)
Author: Azrael Paul Damien
Review By G.L. Giles
If you're looking for a thick book with gore galore, then this will probably be a good, long read for you! This novel of 340 pages will probably not be a one-sit read, so I like how Damien includes chapter titles (many books don't these days) to help you remember exactly where you left off (even if you forgot to mark it). Plus, chapter titling enables you to get a preview of what's to come. Obviously, I dig that feature of the book...............read more
Twilight Fall: A Novel of the Darkyn
Author: Lynn Viehl
Review By G.L. Giles
This is one of the best paranormal romance novels that I've read in some time. I believe this is in large part due to the fact that there aren't too many sappy love scenes included. Rather, the "paranormal romance" scenes are somewhat sadomasochistic in parts. Perhaps I'm a bit jaded, but I found that refreshing. The lust-making scenes between Valentin Jaus and Liling Harper are of particular note. Valentin Jaus is an Immortal Darkyn Lord, which basically means he's a vampire...............read more
A Sigh for Life's Completion ( Infinity Publishing 2009)
Written by Sara Kuhns
Review By G.L. Giles
That Sara Kuhns has a great command of the English language is readily apparent from start to finish in this lengthy novel of 401 pages. And that should come as no surprise as the back cover reveals that she taught English in the Chicago and Phoenix areas. Added to that, her modern-world descriptions are unparalled by most, especially those centering around the bar crowd at Lolly's...............read more
Red Wet Dirt (Black Bed Sheet 2009)
Written by Nicholas Grabowsky
Review By G.L. Giles
This is one of the most interesting, attention-grabbing collections of writings I've come across in a while. From short stories, including two tales of holiday horror I was particularly engrossed in, to screenplays to a letter to Playboy to poetry, etc., this book was certainly diverse enough to hold my attention from start to finish...............read more
Vampire, Interrupted (Avon Books, 2008)
Written by Lynsay Sands
Review By G.L. Giles
Vampire, Interrupted is a novel in Lynsay Sands's Argeneau vampire series. Set primarily in England in current times, I was happy to be taken to that place across the pond where I also picked up some new lingo, like the word snickelway. In Sands's mythology, vampires prefer to be called immortals, and they can eat human food, though most generally don't unless they've only recently turned or have found their lifemates...............read more