Horror Books

Desert Flower (Book Review)

January 16, 2013 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Book: Desert Flower
Year: 2012
Publisher: Eternal Press
Author: Tom Olbert
Language: English
Chapters: 23
Pages: 66
Type: Novella

Author’s Summary: A lost dream, a desperate hope…lost innocence, and a horror black as night. A young girl’s innocence is ripped from her when she is turned against her will into a vampire. Hunted and alone, Fleurette longs for escape from her hellish existence of eternal night, blood-letting and carnage. In war-torn Afghanistan, another young girl, Ruhee has been cast into another kind of dark bondage as a child bride. Raped, tormented and suffering, she longs for escape. These two lost souls find a strange but pure form of sisterly love together as they survive side-by-side in a world gone mad. Ruhee must grow up amid war and turmoil. As if American predator drones and the deadly raids of the Taliban were not bad enough, she must keep her “sister’s” dark secret, while merciless vampire hunters lurk in the shadows. When Ruhee comes of age and finds an unlikely but pure love with a brave but deeply troubled young Taliban soldier named Batal, Ruhee finds herself trapped between light and darkness. Her heart is torn in two, and she must make an impossible choice between love and immortality, as her young life teeters on the brink of hell.

Review: A teenage girl, Fleurette, has no one left, everyone she knows has been killed. She gets turned into a vampire and wanders around until she crosses paths with another teenage girl who desires help as the youngling is being raped and badly bitten. Onwards to lost souls, torment, brutality and the desire for blood.

Fleurette’s changing ways…she is amped to become a creature of the night who helps save other girls during a war-torn society. So many soldiers are cruel with destruction and lack of unjust humanity without a care in the world. It’s up to Fleurette to save the ravaging brutality and death of the teens in these despicable times.

The story is incredible and snagged my attention from the get-go. I should say I am a touched bias as the vampire novels are amongst my favorites. There’s a fascination with this ravaging undead that I have always gravitated to. I read this from start to finish in one sitting, and so will you, I guarantee it. It’s a scary story that makes you cringe with all of the violence, mayhem and torture which leads you continue on in hopes of a happy ending.

Desert Flower is available to buy online at many outlets in Paperback form for $10.96 (the lowest I found). Or you have the option of buying the Electronic Edition (E-Book) for your portable device like a Kindle or iPad at a price of $3.95. I have to conclude with the pricing on this book; for a novella of fewer than 70 pages, I think the price is awful steep, but…and this is a good but…this is a fantastic read and should be purchased unequivocally if you are a horror reader. My ratings, suggestions and links are below.

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Reviewer: Dark Goddess
Date: 01/16/2013
Rating: 10/10
Suggestion: Paperback: Buy
Suggestion: E-Book: Buy

A Demon Lies Within (Book Review)

January 11, 2013 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Book: A Demon Lies Within
Year: 2012
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
Author: Tony Hubbard
Language: English
Chapters: 59
Pages: 412
Type: Novel

Author’s Summary: The powers of hell that lie within are very real . . . Following his murder, Andrew McMurray finds himself transported to the depths of hell. There he is indoctrinated as an apprentice to a demon master, Sonneillon. Exposing Andrew to the dark reaches of his evil powers, Sonneillon demonstrates a demons’ ability to possess, torment and control the thoughts and actions of the living. What is Andrew’s ultimate goal following his apprenticeship? Revenge on his wife, Katelyn and their nine-year-old son, Joshua, both of whom he holds responsible for his murder. Andrew’s plan of revenge begins to materialize once he inhabits Joshua, having him act out in often violent and disturbing ways. With possession of Joshua s mind and body complete, will hell’s ultimate evil goals come to pass, or can the local priest of a small Maine town exorcize Father from Son? At stake, doom-laden repercussions for all involved . . . and perhaps the world as a whole.

Review: This story is about a woman who is married to a very abusive husband. Together they have a son named Joshua. One dark night the sad being of a man, the husband Andrew, brings home another woman and they begin a romp of sex and drugs with Joshua in the house and doing their deeds in the bedroom. When the wife Katelyn gets home she hears noises, moans and the such, and when she investigates, all chaos breaks loose and Joshua becomes a killer. The soul of the father goes straight to hell wherein one of Satan’s minions plots a revenge tactic to get back at his family and other close friends.

It really takes a turn for the gruesome when the father tries to fulfill his revenge by possessing his son’s own flesh and the blood telling him what to do. Demon fans will be in-tune to the malevolent diatribe of what is to come. There is no remorse and killings a flew. An exorcism is the only answer. You have spirits, freaky happenings and the norm that comes with possession-style reads.

I absolutely loved this novel; for one it contains valuable life lessons to those who ponder or dis-believe if heaven and hell exist. The afterlife can be a touchy subject, and I for one was scared off of my toes. It’s a gripping and horrific story that will keep you up late at night and give you those demonic dreams us horror readers so gloriously look for.

A Demon Lies Within is available to buy online in Paperback form for $15.95 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others. During my research I even found it cheaper than that at a great book store called Books-A-Million for $10.68, outstanding price for a novel of this length. My ratings, suggestions and links are below.

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Reviewer: Dark Goddess
Date: 01/11/2013
Rating: 9/10
Suggestion: Paperback: Buy

Arcane (Book Review)

November 14, 2012 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Book: Arcane
Year: 2012
Publisher: LuLu
Author: Brian Sweet
Language: English
Chapters: N/A
Pages: Paperback = 282, E-Book = 284
Type: Script-Novel

Author’s Summary: While being tracked by a team of Demon Hunters, hordes of demons of all shapes and sizes scurry and lurk in the darkness at every bend. Overwhelmed by the bloodthirsty demons and the satanic Dwellers that live in the sewers, one former angel would lend a helping hand. Through tenacity and gadgetry, Arcane will rise as a formidable adversary to ward off evil. As the arrival of the biggest threat the city has ever encountered, Arcane will need all the help he can get. Follow this giant screenplay with multiple characters on their own personal journeys through Hell and back again, while being delighted with Noir style masterful illustrations to keep your mind racing and your nightmares plentiful.

Review: It’s judgment day and Arcane (an angel) battles Arioch, the president in Hell, one of Lucifer’s strongest allies. Arioch created havoc on Earth killing humans with gobs of minions. This master demon wants his own domain to control the entire universe. But…the human population that hold strong beliefs fight back even though their cities are destroyed and there food is scarce. With the help of Arcane, the homosapiens faith and power try to survive by outwitting and destroying the malevolent demons that walk amongst them.

Arcane proves to be a formidable script, with ferocious demons, all described in pain-staking depths. These creatures of sorts; devour, torture and skin their human prey. Each demon has their own way of destroying their victims, all written in vivacious detail. This story is scary and amounts to a few evenings of shivers while lying in bed before nighty-night.

For those of you that watch horror television programs, Arcane brings to mind a similar portrayal as in Supernatural, a long-running show about the unknown, which stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. One of my favorite TV shows about the supernatural with many demons on a regular basis all with differing powers.

Arcane in summary; a supernatural tale where good combats evil, and as we all hope, you must read the novel to see who triumphs over one another. Arcane captured my attention thoroughly, and with the addition of artwork scurried throughout the novel, gives Arcane high marks. You actually get to see visuals of these demons that go perfectly along the storyline – huge props for that. I feel credit is due to the illustrator, Nathan Thomas Milliner, who provided an artist’s rendition of the action and characters.

The book is available to buy at a few online book sellers in Paperback form including Barnes & Noble and Amazon where it is the most inexpensive at $21.99, or you can get the E-Book also known as the Electronic Edition for $2.99. Please be advised; Arcane is written in a manner of a screenplay. I personally liked it, but it is possible that it may bother you as the story flows in an untypical nature. My ratings, suggestions and links are below.

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Reviewer: Dark Goddess
Date: 11/14/2012
Rating: 8/10
Suggestion: Paperback: Buy
Suggestion: E-Book: Buy

Crogian (Book Review)

November 9, 2012 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Book: Crogian
Year: 2012
Publisher: Necro Publications
Author: John Leahy
Language: English
Chapters: 8
Pages: Paperback = 256, E-Book = 258
Type: Novel

Author’s Summary: Alaska, 2010 In a remote Alaskan creek the U.S. Air Force unearth the find of the millennium. Little do they know that the mysterious discovery will lead them to something that will unleash a terrifying nightmare upon Earth… Texas, 2017 The military is moving into the abandoned chemical plant next to Ken Forde’s farm. But the military isn’t the only new arrival in Speaker. A weird, frazzled stranger is keeping a close eye on the plant, as well. What could possibly be going in there? Unfortunately, Ken and the rest of world will soon find out… CROGIAN: a highly secret military project that has gone horribly wrong unleashing an apocalyptic blight on the world. Ken and all the residents of Speaker awake to a nightmarish landscape. Cut off from civilization, they must make their way to Houston and sanctuary — a journey through stifling heat, and a route filled with giant abominable creatures. Who will make it to Houston? Who will survive the horror that is… CROGIAN

Review: Crogian is a story of survival and I loved it. When the head of the military hires a batch of scientists to do experiments on plants and animals, an ex-employee bombs the lab they are working in and all hell breaks loose. This causes massive damage in Texas, and all trees, plants and animals, except rodents and birds have dire consequences in which their growth is sped up and they tower like never before, exuding treacherous bigness with a fierce nature.

The military orders the townsfolk into an evacuation procedure but the people become stuck because all of the cars have been destroyed by monstrous insects like; worms, roaches, beetles, etc. A woman scientist named Anna tries to reverse the experiment or concoct a cure but she comes up empty and can’t master an antidote. The military ends up taking the situation into epic proportions in order to eradicate the disastrous fumes they have surfaced in Texas.

You may be wondering what the title “Crogian” means. A brief analogy would be “Creator of Giants” which is a term that is used in the novel to describe a secret military project that has gone horribly wrong unleashing an apocalyptic blight on the world. Crogian was devised to be a weapon but an insane menace causes mayhem to unleash.

A few positives for you; The book was very exciting, vivid in nature and the wording used was easily understandable especially since this is science fiction in nature with horror elements all over it. A lot of novels use made-up words or terminology which can be tough to comprehend. There is plenty of action in Crogian to keep you entertained in the mind; it’s exactly the type of book I like to read. There are zero, let me say that again, zero negative things about Crogian. It is the best horror novel I have read in a long time.

The book is available to buy at many online book sellers in Trade Paperback form for $15.95 or you can get the E-Book also known as the Electronic Edition for $4.99. I’m not done yet, there is a limited supply, signed by the author, Hardcover available too for $44.95. Crogian is a must-have book, I fully recommend it. My ratings, suggestions and links are below.

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Reviewer: Dark Goddess
Date: 11/09/2012
Rating: 10/10
Suggestion: Paperback: Buy
Suggestion: E-Book: Buy

Shady Palms (Book Review)

November 3, 2012 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Book: Shady Palms
Year: 2012
Publisher: Carnal Morgue Press
Author: Allen Dusk
Language: English
Chapters: 72
Pages: Paperback = 324, E-Book = 326
Type: Novel

Author’s Summary: A sleazy motel, burrowed on the edge of town, is haunted by rumors of dead hookers found between mattresses and peep holes drilled through walls. When Special Agent Daniels targets the motel during an investigation, the nefarious owner, Sanjay, must scramble to conceal evidence of his own dark deeds. Just when he believes things can’t get any worse, motel guests begin to vanish without a trace. Can Sanjay discover the truth behind the phenomena threatening his motel before the Feds get suspicious, or does he risk exposing his own sordid enterprises to seek help from the outside? Why don’t you book a room for the night and find out? At these bargain rates you’ll be lucky if you only find dirty sheets and a few skeletons in the closet. Welcome to the Shady Palms Motel. Check out is at 11, if you live that long…

Review: The overall thematic element of Shady Palms is a simple one, people end up going missing without a trace in the Shady Palms Motel. The owners name is Sanjay and he runs a rotten motel which he has no clue what is happening around him. One day his mind changes when he witnesses mutant bedbugs sucking the life out of a little kid whom he tries to rescue.

There is an FBI Agent named Daniel who is investigating this run-down motel because a terrorist is staying at this abode. In addition, all of his crew has died from mysterious circumstances. What everyone dares to find out is that these crawling bedbugs bite their victims or inject their antennae, and then it’s all over for the victim. Paralysis and the human carcass starts to melt turning it into a pink, slimy ooze.

There are a slew of positive points on Shady Palms. Mostly, I like that it is a science fiction story mixed with the macabre details of terrifying insects. The story captivates, draws you in, and doesn’t let go until you conclude your sensory overload with all of the vivid, gritty, grimy details of the unsuspecting – succumbing to the prey of the creepy crawlies. Shady Palms is a non-stop read you will want to finish in one sitting, kudos to the author.

I struggled to even be critical with Shady Palms. I was fascinated from the overview on the back of the book. I got sucked into the story and I didn’t want the novel to end. The only nitpick that I have is that it is not straight-up horror. SciFi is a close cousin to the horror genre so I deducted 2 points overall. Still, this doesn’t affect how good this book is, anyone who likes horror will indeed be tickled pink (tickled red for you seekers of dread) with Shady Palms.

The book is available to buy at Amazon on Paperback for $14.99 or you can get the E-Book or Kindle Edition for $2.99, and if you have an Amazon Prime Subscription the book is 100% free. Shady Palms is a no-brainer recommendation, I endorse it completely. My ratings, suggestions and links are below.

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Reviewer: Dark Goddess
Date: 11/03/2012
Rating: 8/10
Suggestion: Paperback: Buy
Suggestion: E-Book: Buy

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