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Burning Down Paradise (Book Review)

July 2, 2017 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Burning Down Paradise is a poetic story by Eric Kapitan, and it’s a tale the reaches the depths of hell. My first thoughts as I write this review is that sensitive readers should steer clear of this title because it’s really as gruesome as the title suggests. With a good handle between telling a story through the eye of a poet, Kapitan delivers a very disturbing reality.

The story starts with God and his adventure through the darkness, before he sets out to create angels and mankind. It follows Kapitan’s version of what the creation process entailed, followed by the unrest Lucifer sows among his fellow angels. From there a baby girl is introduced into the world, given to a family that hates, rapes and abuses her. She grows up only to give birth to a baby boy, who was created through incest.

Unable to live with herself, she commits suicide soon after Timothy is born. From there Timothy rides the vicious cycle so many abandoned kids have to go through, only to fall in love with death as he grows older. But then he gets to meet his maker so-to-speak, and get the revenge he’s been aching for.

This is the second book I’m reviewing from Eric Kapitan, and I can honestly say it holds as many disturbing details as the first. Given that the first book was a collection of poems and this is a short story in poetic form, the darkness Kapitan captures is very much the same. There is no distinguishing between the horror he aimed for the first time round and the horror and achieved with the follow-up piece.

From the start, I was intrigued with the plot of the story, especially because it’s a personalized vision of how everything came into existence. And as it is kept unfolding I kept on cringing at the disturbing turns it took. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does.

Out of all the recent books I’ve reviewed, this one has to be the shortest and darkest of them all. With a very straightforward style, Kapitan effectively mixes storytelling with a poetic execution, staying true to both approaches. And it’s this element I liked the most. Even though it’s an age-old premise, it takes a deeper look at the questions surrounding fairness and judgment. It tackles a serious issue many religious people struggle with, such as the consequences of suicide. What really happens?

When it comes down to it, I found Burning Down Paradise to be very original and it lives up to the reputation Kapitan is establishing. I honestly don’t think the plot could’ve sounded better if it was a full-length novel because the poetic part makes up for it. It’s the perfect length, the perfect choice of words, and a very unpredictable ending. Kapitan sells his characters using very little, a quality I personally respect very much.

Readers who are looking for a different type of hardcore ride, I’d definitely suggest Burning Down Paradise. Kapitan doesn’t pull any punches, so be warned. For a poetic story, it’s still very explicit and unnerving. Dark hats off to the writer.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

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Also by Eric Kapitan: As The Blade Cuts

The Seer of Possibilities and Other Disturbing Tales (Book Review)

July 2, 2017 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

I’m going to be completely honest and say I was skeptical when I read the first few lines of “The Seer of Possibilities and Other Disturbing Tales”. I’m a big believer in Stephen King’s words, namely that the opening line is crucial for setting the pace for the rest of the book. The writer should always invest a lot of thought in that first word or line. And in this instance, the opening line wasn’t boring, but it didn’t quite grab me either. So, I kept reading, and reading, and reading some more till I finished the collection. You might not get hooked on the first page, but beware when you turn it. That’s when Thomas O. gets dangerous.

The introductory story is called “The Seer of Possibilities” and it follows Jack – a nice guy everybody likes, but not somebody who stands out in a crowd. He’s contacted by a strange entity through his computer, and the entity asks Jack to do a few basic things. In return, Jack gets rewarded. It’s a straightforward transaction Jack doesn’t see any problem with until it runs full circle.

This is followed by “Second Seer – A Story of Death and Beauty”, which tells the story of two college students and a flirtatious interaction with an older man. Naturally, this interaction leads to much deeper and darker things. The collection continues with four more, very interesting stories that ultimately end with “The Perfectly Behaved Boy – A Dark Christmas Tale”. And what a dark Christmas story it is.

Like I mentioned in the introduction, I had my doubts whether Thomas O. would be able to keep me locked in, and he rose to the occasion thrillingly so-to-speak. Don’t expect too much blood or scenes with guts flying everywhere. This collection is more focused on the mental horror, and some might say it’s the most powerful kind.

Moving on to pace and technique, I really did like the tempo Thomas O. followed. These are meant to be short stories and a lot has to happen in a paragraph, which he gets exactly right. In terms of technique, I was pleasantly surprised to find the point of view switching from third to the first person and making it more personal. I also remember thinking through “The Seer of Possibilities” that a few more “power” words could’ve really hit home at some points, but he made up for it by the end.

Personally, I love the way Thomas O. approaches the plots and ultimately strings everything together. The dialogue was a little bit melancholy for me at times, but it didn’t bother me nearly enough to stop reading. The originality of the stories alone gave me respect for Thomas O., and even though I feel he’s still experimenting and finding his voice, there’s a lot of talent to back it up.

In conclusion, I have no problem recommending this dark collection to readers who love the subtle horror that can possibly seep into daily life. It’s for those who look for the unexpected and find something completely different.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

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Unmasked (Book Review)

July 2, 2017 By Horror Palace 1 Comment

Unmasked is a short horror/thriller novel by R. Saint Claire, an author with some good skills to share. It’s a combination of melodrama and colorful characters that will keep you reading till the end. Although I wouldn’t categorize it under the “heavy gore” section, it’s got enough chilling moments to maintain the excitement.

Karla is a famous pop star with more than just a few skeletons in the closet. At the age of 50, she still looks like a young woman in her prime, and there seems no end to all her riches. While everyone believes her good looks come from a special plastic surgeon, her siblings are going to discover the truth after all these years.

The star organizes a special “retreat” for all her estranged brothers and sisters at an old camping ground where their parents died. However, they only find out that they’ll be staying there after Karla makes her first stunning appearance on their first night. She offers her brothers and sisters a million dollars each if they can handle the intense therapy she has in store for them. Little do they know what is really waiting.

I’m going to start this review with the entertainment value of the book because it’s the element that stood out the most for me. It’s well thought out, it’s smoothly executed, and it doesn’t drag on to a point where you feel it’s maybe a little too long. The story really is a neat little package filled with all the entertainment value a horror/thriller book lover can hope for.

What I particularly liked was the way Saint Claire handled the group settings so-to-speak. Not once did I feel confused between all the character dialogue. She easily moves from one character to the next, maintaining the integrity and authenticity of their characteristics. From this perspective alone I loved this book.

Given the length of the book, you should expect a fairly quick pace. A lot happens in one page and Saint Claire is heavily focused on keeping a good momentum, which is fitting for the type of plot she chose. It’s familiar in all the right ways, especially if you’re thinking about the Hollywood approach, but it brings its own unique attributes to the table. These attributes you’ll discover while reading because I don’t want to spoil anything.

As an author, Saint Claire shows a lot of promise and talent. She knows what she’s doing and how to captivate her audience. It might not be the most original plot in the world, but she makes it interesting in her own way. Or for the lack of a better description, she makes it worth the while to go through some of the clichés again.

If there’s a line between commercial and cult horror, I’d say Unmasked falls into the former. As mentioned earlier, Saint Claire is heavily invested in her characters, and she does it at the cost of going full-on gore. There’s a big audience for this specific horror novel and I don’t think Saint Claire will have any problems collecting fans.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

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The Contained: Book 2 of the Necropolis Trilogy (Book Review)

July 2, 2017 By Horror Palace 1 Comment

I had the pleasure of reading the first installment of the Necropolis Trilogy, and now I get to review the second one, namely The Contained. Sean Deville is at it again, bringing his very technical zombie story into its second phase. His web of characters continues to spread and a few more surprises are waiting if you loved Cobra Z. And once again, Deville doesn’t slack on his precise style of storytelling.

The Contained picks up where the virus outbreak continues to destroy the United Kingdom. The country is literally being quarantined from the rest of the world, and the American government is being warned that martial law might become a necessary option if the problem can’t be contained. Within a few days of the virus spreading, everyone knew things would never be the same again.

At the helm of the problem are several characters, situated in different challenging positions. Some of them are familiar, like Major David Croft, and others are new, like Rachel, a flesh-eating monster with more than just feasting on the brain. And as the UK crumbles, these civilians, government officials, and military agents try to survive the onslaught.

In the first review, I did of the trilogy, I noted that Deville is very proficient with his writing skills. I had no doubt that he would use the same quality with the second book, and I was right on the money. This is not the type of story you’ll find under the easy reading section because it pleads for all your attention. Given that there are many characters to follow, and the plot is thick with political and military detail, you want to switch off the phone if you plan on reading this one.

This part of the trilogy doesn’t really speak to a central character as much as it focuses on the fight to survive. In fact, it felt a little more technical than Cobra Z. While Deville has no problem selling his characters and all their twitches, it seemed like he leaned more towards exploring the realistic consequences of an outbreak. I would’ve liked to connect more with the characters, but the complexity of the plot makes a little difficult at times.

Nevertheless, Deville is stunningly creative while maintaining his urge to keep things simple. He switches between perspectives quite well, especially when entering the mind of an infected, and he doesn’t make his job easier with all the complexities surrounding the virus outbreak. He covers all the details and lays down a very convincing plot.

In terms of style, Deville prefers a sophisticated and professional approach. When you read his book you’ll know a lot of effort went into making a solid story with more than enough action. He’s spot on with the gory details, the cast of characters are diverse, and you don’t really know what’s coming next.

I’d recommend The Contained to readers who love making their brain work while they read. When you finish that last page it will probably feel like you ran a marathon, because it’s just that intense once you get into it.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

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Also by Sean Deville:

Cobra Z

Don’t Fear the Reaper Part 3 (Book Review)

July 2, 2017 By Horror Palace 1 Comment

This is it. This is Lex Sinclair’s final book for the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” trilogy, and it’s everything I thought it’d be…and then some. Sinclair puts his distinct skill and style to the test when he offers you an ending you won’t quickly forget, to a trilogy you probably won’t want to put down. This particular book contains the big showdown to what I can only refer to as a very intense ride.

The last book starts with Sapphire, Jane and Natalie, and the aftermath they face. They are emotionally broken, tired and hungry. But their journey only gets more dangerous and more complicated. After losing too many people already, they might have to say another permanent goodbye. Although still incredibly confused, and not yet as ready as he wants to be in terms of accepting his responsibility, young Sapphire steps up to save those he holds dear.

His enemy is the same entity who was introduced within the first pages of the first book, namely the Reaper. His elite squad of demons has failed to get close to Sapphire, but he’s not about to give up. At the same time, the reincarnated devil child is getting more powerful, and preparing for the fight that will decide the fate of the human race.

Wow! I’m going to say that again…wow! In all seriousness, I was expecting Sinclair to make the ending epic, and it was nothing short of spellbinding. Everything came together to finish one of the best horror trilogies I’ve read in the last year. So, with the goose bumps out of the way, let’s get into the details.

With the third segment in the series, I’m reminded of how Sinclair loves to linger on the scenery. Prepping the stage and setting the perfect atmosphere before introducing the characters is a powerful style he has adopted, and for many modern writers, it’s a difficult discipline to master. Having the patience to really draw the reader into this fictional world where the Reaper is running rampant requires more than just a lust for writing. In Sinclair’s case, it’s as much hard work as it is a natural talent, not a combination that’s seen very often.

Sinclair maintained the authenticity of his characters, and they felt familiar from the start. He also maintained the quality of his writing, and dare I say, he saved the best for last? With the last book in a trilogy, there’s always an expectancy for more emotion, action and character development, because this is the moment where everything plays out. Sinclair has nailed the last touch to the trilogy. The pacing changes at the right moments, and there’s even some romance involved. But mostly, Sinclair did what he does best, which is to tell a very dark story very convincingly.

I’ve recommended his first two books, and I’m doing the same for the third. Sinclair has an old-school style he takes a lot of pride in, and for fans who love that classic element – this book is for you. For those who’ve already taken it upon themselves to read the first two books, you are going to love what Sinclair cooked up for the ending.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.

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Also by Lex Sinclair:

Don’t Fear The Reaper Part 1