horror novel reviews

From the author simply known as The Behrg comes the twisted tale entitled “Housebroken”, and it is sadistic as it is haunting. Horror and thriller fans that pick up this book will have to ready themselves for an experience that will affect them mentally and physically. Even though it’s not the most original plot, it has rarely been used with such creativity. The Behrg has successfully taken a situation that is usually considered as traumatic and turned it into different types of hell.

Blake is a successful consultant and software developer who takes the biggest risk of his career. This risk involves uprooting his wife, Jenna, and their son, Adam. The story starts with Blake sitting in the cage he uses to train their dog, wondering how he is possibly going to get out of the mess they are in. Six days earlier their home was invaded by two men who don’t want money or ransom. All they want is to observe the way Blake and his family lives.

Unfortunately things get out of hand as Blake’s neighbor mysteriously disappears, which draws the attention of the police. Meanwhile, Blake and his family undergo torture they will never be able to forget. With dead bodies in the house and in the trunk of Blake’s car the situation only escalates into a disaster that doesn’t have any silver linings.

The author is clearly focused on creating believable and relatable characters, because a lot of time is spent on introducing the situation between Blake and his family. Before anything happens the reader is well aware of the tension and problems within the family unit. In other words, The Behrg takes a very patient approach.

Another element that reinforces the character focus is the detailed experiences, especially for Blake. Every nervous, awkward and scary moment is shared with the reader, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the reader’s preference. From a personal point of view it definitely added to the substance of the plot. Whereas most writers will simply love to exploit the physical torment, The Behrg really drives down the invasion of privacy on an emotional level.

In terms of graphic horror and suspense, there is more than enough to go around. The sadistic personalities of the invaders provide a steady foundation for making the reader very uneasy, and in some cases just plain angry. Something that really stands out, which can be seen from the moment the invasion starts, is the tiny moments of hope that come through. But as quickly as they arrive they transform the situation into something worse.

Last but not least, the story is filled with twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the very end. This was a very nice touch from the author, because what appears to be a rather straightforward scenario at face value becomes a very complex maze where anything can happen.

For most readers who love tales with a fair share of twisted ideas and plot lines, put Housebroken on the list of must read horror novels. Even if it doesn’t fall into the style or taste that you like, you will definitely gain respect for the author.

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

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Also by The Behrg:

If you’ve haven’t had the pleasure of reading a short ghost story by Dominic Selwood, then start with The Voivod. It is nothing short of amazing in terms of substance, literary quality and engagement. One might even say that the story embodies what sophisticated ghost stories should be like, atmospheric and psychological. Selwood goes above and beyond, making sure that each line either paints a picture or plays a crucial part to the overall flow.

The date is January 27, 1897, and the narrator immediately expresses his concerns after reading a letter from his good friend, Sir Oberon Worsley. In his unsettled state he conveys how he believes to be in danger and fears the act of telling anyone about it. He also shares with the reader the contents of the letter, or more specifically, the experiences of his good friend Worsley.

Worsley had just finished his long career as Bodley’s librarian, a post at Oxford he cherished dearly, but before he left he acquired an early occult diary for which he needed translation. After contracting a friend and expert in the field to help make sense of the book the dire consequences of reading it becomes quite clear.

One prominent element that can be seen in Selwood’s writing is consistency. From the opening sentence to the last word, Selwood practices a great control and balance. There are never moments where the reader can get mad because the author wasn’t descriptive enough, or lingers too long. Along with his rather large vocabulary and descriptive choice of words the combination is very impressive.

But what is really impressive is the style of the story. It sounds more than just authentically convincing, but also accurate. In fact, the reader is taken back more than 100 years with great ease. Then there is the matter of research that goes into the story. For somebody who isn’t educated in literary history it will be a daunting task to separate fact from fiction, which is also probably why the story is so convincing.

However, the audience the story speaks to is lovers of traditional English. It doesn’t contain gory details about severed heads and blood covering the walls. Instead Selwood uses a more human approach. In other words, readers who prefer bloody thrills will most likely appreciate something more in the line of Stephen King.

This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a level of thrill or excitement. It has many dark aspects and haunting descriptions that will leave the reader dwelling on what has just been read. It is also the haunting quality that makes the story really worth reading, whether you prefer lighter reading or the highest standards of English, it’s just something every horror fan should read within a lifetime.

The Voivod is definitely a recommended short story that belongs in the valuable section of literary horror, because it’s more like witnessing a moving art piece rather than reading a story. Selwood has successfully added another gem to his collection and his reputation as a writer will most likely get more renowned due to this particular short story.

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

Also by Dominic Selwood:

Suffer The Children Review

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O.P.#7 – Horrors of War by Adam Fenner is a military themed horror novel based in Afghanistan. His experience in the military is evident in his style and especially the details that go into making the story realistic. His personal experience adds more depth into personal situations, which may have been hard for an inexperienced writer on the subject. Writing about a military setting and keeping the attention of the reader are elements that don’t always walk hand in hand, but Fenner held a nice balance throughout the story.  This is definitely one of the reasons why the book is worth reading.

The first chapter opens with a crew of 10 soldiers, known as the Reapers, on their way to replace the previous company that occupied the combat outpost called Najil. Everything is bizarre about the outpost, but the true bizarre element is all the casualties the previous company had taken even though they hadn’t seen combat for the 6 months since they were there.

Although Fenner introduces a strong cast, he places more emphasis on two specific people, namely Sgt. Stone and Ulrich. As they lead the platoon to secure more ground and “build up relations” they quickly discover why the former marines, or at least those that survived, looked the way they did before they left. They also realize that the enemy they have to fight doesn’t fear their military weapons as the platoon gets picked off one by one in classic horror fashion.

Fenner isn’t really in a rush to present the evil that awaits Stone and his men. He prefers to build his characters and sell the scenery first. There are some strange events that occur, but they disappear as quickly as they appear. Just like the characters in the story, the reader will notice, but won’t pay too much attention until they become more substantial and lethal. In fact, the characters are dumbfounded for a great deal of the book, but this is where Fenner’s experience comes in.

A marine is wired with logical situations and arguments, which is why the excitement of the book is enhanced. Fenner knows how an experienced marine would approach the situation and he uses it to create more controversy. He also likes to implement “dream state” moments where the characters wake up to find they still have all their limbs. This technique keeps readers on the edge of their seats, but he may have used it just a little too much.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the fact that the characters are trained to fight. Where typical horror stories prefer embracing characters who tend to be weaker and not exactly fighting material, this story is filled with people who know how to fight and handle fear.

Fenner is very casual in his graphic descriptions and readers partial to animals will definitely find themselves a little unnerved at moments. He also doesn’t spare the imagination any gruesome details making the overall progression of the characters very good. The military nature of the story makes it a fresh read and less predictable than a more typical approached horror novel, howeverr experience horror readers will find a couple obvious twists and turns.

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

More Horror Book Reviews

Also by Adam Fenner:
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