new horror books

Class Four: Those Who Survive (Book Review)

August 28, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Class Four: Those Who Survive is the latest novel by Duncan P. Bradshaw in a continuous apocalyptic story. It picks up where Class Three left off and it explores several different storylines, but the main focus comes down to a man and his mission to find safety for the boy within his care. With a great handle on expression and tone, the Bradshaw introduces the reader to a new world where the only thing that makes sense is surviving.

The story unfolds in the aftermath of a deadly virus, which left the whole planet on its knees. Modern society has been pushed back to the primitive ways of the world and simply surviving deserves great recognition. Francis, who was also a character from the previous book, along with 8 year old Nathan are the first characters to be introduced. The reader meets them while they are already on their journey to safety. Through all the death and destruction that has already occurred there is a small sanctuary they need to find.

Unfortunately, their journey is filled with danger, as the dead are now in charge of empowering a different kind of justice. The reader will also be introduced to an array of colorful characters who are doing their best to work through the trauma. Within the walls of a factory and under the leadership of The Gaffer, they participate in group therapy sessions while trying to rebuild what is left.

The controversial side of the story comes in the form of Devin and his right-hand man, Malky. Together they serve a female entity as they scheme and torture their way to ruling the communities that still manage to function.

Just summarizing this book is rather challenging, because there is so much going on. The list of characters, their multiple points of interest, the twists and turns, everything flows perfectly into one big story. To top it off, Bradshaw didn’t spare any mental expense when he created the people who play out the scenarios. Each one of them have such distinct features and backstories, whether it’s a cannibal who eats the dead before they can return or a butch female police officer with temper issues, the degree of depth is very explicit.

Another aspect readers will enjoy is the comic relief that creeps in from time to time. Don’t be surprised if you burst out laughing shortly after reading about a gruesome and cruel death, because Bradshaw has perfect comedic timing. He’ll paint a very graphic picture that includes body parts, death and buckets of blood, but he’ll still find a way to break the tension without losing credibility.

In terms of Bradshaw’s style, it’s very professional. Where several authors need to use multiple sentences to describe one specific thought, Bradshaw only needs one. His choice of words along with his creative expressions results in a powerful combination, which makes for a very vivid, engaging, and entertaining story.

For those who haven’t read Class Three it might be a little harder to get into the swing of things, but it’s worth it. And there sure is nothing wrong with reading Class Three first to get the full impact.

Bradshaw is more than capable of making the reader comfortable regardless if they are accustomed to his voice. Overall, Class Four: Those Who Survive is another great installment in this ever evolving series.

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

Also by Duncan P. Bradshaw:

Class Three Review

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Hell’s Shadows (Book Review)

August 25, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

The first thing to notice about Hell’s Shadows is the sophisticated style translated through a simplistic choice of words. Dean Klein, the author, has no intentions of confusing his readers. Instead, he wants to tell them a tale of horror, within a fashion that will leave them bound till the end. Klein really got the tone right from the start by keeping it clean, yet effective. What could have been just another story based on a haunted house is now a vivid depiction that causes strange chills.

It follows the lives of Gil and Robin Turner, a happily married couple. She comes from money and he is used to the middle class lifestyle. Despite their differences the relationship is very deep and loving. Gil’s new job as the plant manager in Carson Creek, NC, sees them buying a house that is known for its horrific history. Against the advice from their realtor they go through with the purchase. The reason they bought the house was because something within Parsons Knoll had strangely ‘called’ to Robin while she and Gil were returning to the realtor’s office, causing her to nearly faint. Robin has no idea what just happened to her or why. She is a sensitive person who feels the emotions and pains of others…and in this case she unconsciously feels a cry for help – to come to the house – to stay – from something undead in the house though she is consciously unaware of this as well. The bond between the spirit and Robin is strong, particularly at first, so much so she strangely insists to Gil she must have the house. Gil does not understand at all this obsession with the old house, especially given its derelict condition, never mind its reputation.

From the get-go strange things begin to happen as they enter the property, but Robin is convincingly content on moving in. All the while Gil harbors a constant fear of why his wife is so determined. To make matters worse, the house is only the center of a wide circle. It has fed from the ground and the surrounding area since the 19th century, the site of a shocking ghastly evil. After making a horrific discovery in the well situated in the backyard, Gil starts to believe that Robin was meant to be there.

It’s easy to see why this book has received critical acclaim and five star reviews so far. As mentioned earlier, it’s the combination of sophistication and simplicity that speaks to a great audience. The overall pace is relatively comfortable, but the plot doesn’t take long to unfold. There is also an obvious professional touch in Klein’s style with a somewhat old-school feel. From a personal point of view, the experience of reading the book closely resembles the atmosphere of watching a movie like Children of the Corn.

One of the most interesting aspects has to be Klein’s choice to reveal a lot of information and clues so early in the story. Unfortunately, these can’t be mentioned without spoiling the plot a little, but readers will quickly recognize bits and pieces that are typically saved for the end. Even though it initiates some concern regarding future twists and turns, the reader will still be pleasantly surprised. The sheer depth of the story brings about other chills, which make up for the low-key sense of mystery in the beginning. The keen reader will pick up on Klein’s insertion of some mystery with the description of the house as provided by the Turner’s realtor to Gil and Robin.

In terms of taste, it’s not going to be every horror fan’s dream. In fact, Klein admits Hell’s Shadows was written for a female audience. Make no mistake, the book has all the characteristics of a talented writer with many creative ideas, but it is obvious that a female audience will find it more interesting. This is definitely a credit to Klein who managed to successfully tap into an area of horror rarely explored. It is obviously further demonstrated by the tone, style and pace that is more suited for patient readers who love small detail. There is a steady build up with several small climaxes so-to-speak, although some of the vivid information Klein shares may sometimes seem unnecessary to some readers. For example, the way Robin makes tea. But noting that this book was written with women in mind can justify the level of detail.

Ultimately it comes down to personal opinion, but from an objective perspective, Klein has done a great job focusing in on his target audience. That being said, men should not shy away from Hell’s Shadows as a lot of thinking went into giving new life to an old concept and there is no questioning his ability to pen down his vision.

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

ALSO BY DEAN KLEIN

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“Nightmares Unhinged” set for September Release

July 17, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

(Denver) – Just in time for Halloween, Hex Publishers, a new Denver-based publishing house, will release its first anthology, “Nightmares Unhinged,” on Sept. 8, 2015. The 280-page book will retail in print for $12.99. The e-book will cost $4.99

“Nightmares Unhinged” features 20 tales of dark and twisted fiction written by a roster of award-winning and bestselling authors that reads like a who’s who of speculative fiction. Contributors include:
• Bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones;
• Hugo Award winner Jason Heller;
• Colorado Book Award winner Warren Hammond;
• New York Times bestseller Keith Ferrell;
• Bram Stoker Award winner Steve Rasnic Tem;
• Nebula Award winner Ed Bryant;
• Bestselling author of “The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles,” Jeanne C. Stein; and
• New York Times bestseller Steve Alten, who penned the book’s foreword.

But it’s not just the authors who are notable. The Hex publishing team includes highly regarded and award-winning writers, gamers and designers. Their influence is felt throughout the project, which includes original artwork accompanying each story, a 90 second animated book trailer and award-winning cover art.

The Hex team includes founder Josh Viola, an author and art director whose work has been featured by Disney Interactive, Capcom and Konami. Hex designer Aaron Lovett has contributed to video games, books, comics and the music industry and has been published by Dark Horse. The cover art he created for Nightmares Unhinged was singled out for inclusion in “Spectrum 22,” a best-selling, annual printed collection of the best in contemporary fantastic art worldwide.

And, Hex animator Michael McKibben has developed video game-related content for Sony, Nickelodean, Comedy Central and Universal Studios. The trailer he created for “Nightmares Unhinged” features original music by Otto Cate, a world-renowned composer whose work has been featured in television programs, films and video games such as VH1 News, “So You Think You Can Dance” (Australia), “PreDestination” (trailer), Robot Chicken and MAG (Sony Playstation).

It is, admits Hex founder Josh Viola, an impressive lineup for a new publishing house. “Obviously, we’re incredibly pleased with the team we’ve assembled for both Hex and our first anthology,” he said. “’Nightmares Unhinged’ is loaded with strong names, from both the literary and art worlds. But more importantly, the quality of the stories and artwork is topnotch. We’re truly excited to release ‘Nightmares Unhinged’ to the public this fall.”

“Nightmares Unhinged” is dedicated to award-winning author Melanie Tem, who was scheduled to contribute a story to the anthology. Sadly, she passed away following a long battle with cancer before doing so. To honor her memory, a percentage of books sales will be donated to Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance.

To drive early sales of “Nightmares Unhinged,” Hex is offering enhanced e-files along with the paperback edition to those pre-ordering directly through the Hex website, which can be found online at: Hex Publishers

The e-book files will include ePub, mobi and PDF files, so customers can access it on any number of devices.

Slow Burn Infected (Book Review)

July 10, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

“Slow Burn: Infected book 2,” written by Bobby Adair, is the sequel to the author’s first book in the Slow Burn horror series called “Slow Burn Zero Day.” Continuing the story of Zed, Murphy and Jerome, “Slow Burn Infected 2” brings the reader to a place where the three main characters are infected and living in a community full of others more severely infected than they. This book is extremely well written; typos are virtually non-existent and Adair does an excellent job of telling the story. However, for a horror book, the actual terrifying and gruesome content seems relatively limited throughout the book and in particular at the beginning.

“Slow Burn Infected 2” continues the story of Zed, Murphy and Jerome, all of which are now infected but not to the same extent as those around them who have turned into wild cannibals. They set out on a mission to find Murphy’s family, taking them through numerous dangerous adventures along the way including terrifying encounters with both infected and uninfected people. One challenge with the plotline in this book is that it does not offer much insight into what happened to the characters in the previous book, leaving new readers of the series a little confused if they have chosen not to read the books in their proper order.

Throughout the novel, Adair does an exceptional job of writing the book and conveying the story in a way that is fitting to the plotline. There are very few typos and the ones that are present are extremely minor, making them barely noticeable if the reader is not watching vigilantly for them. Furthermore, the author uses suitable tone and descriptions in each scene of the story, making his writing style pair effortlessly with the pace of the book and the feelings of the characters.

One thing that I think could be improved upon in this book is the pace and the quantity of horror type content. There are many parts throughout the book that feel slow or lacking excitement and action. While not every part of a novel needs to have a reader’s mind racing, there were many areas of the book, such as in the beginning, where it felt as though a certain scene or part was dragging on with little contribution to the story. Also, there were quite a few large sections of the book that seemed to lack any significant horror content; gruesome images were few and frightful scenes scarce. Lastly, as was aforementioned, the plot lacked any detailed reference to the first book in the series, leaving readers who do not choose to read in order or read the full series a little bit lost in terms of where the characters have been and why they are in the situation they are currently in.

Overall, “Slow Burn Infected 2,” written by Bobby Adair, is a good sequel to “Slow Burn Zero Day” if you have read it. The novel is well-written and has a fairly interesting plotline. However, I would not recommend this book for those who have not read the first book in the series. This book’s story is not set up to prepare readers with enough information about what has happened to the characters in the past, making it hard for a new reader to care about or fully understand the plot’s depth. Lastly, this book does not have the sheer quantity of horrific content that I have come to expect from a horror novel. While the scarcity of terrifying happenings does not bother me, it does make this book deviate in some parts from what a strong horror novel typically looks like.

Reviewed by Jezelle McLeod
Jezelle is a staff writer and horror book critic.
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Also by Bobby Adiar:

Paranoia: More Dark Tales from the Mind of G.R. Wilson (Horror Book Review)

July 8, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

When an author makes a dedication to Anton LaVey, among other famous figures, it definitely sparks curiosity. The book is a collection of short stories entitled Paranoia: More Dark Tales from the Mind of G.R. Wilson and his inspirational sources can definitely be seen within the pages. With a rather distinct style and a peculiar choice of words Wilson takes the reader on a diverse journey filled with werewolves, ghosts, the occult and even vindictive furniture.

The introductory tale called The Full Moon’s Hunt sets the pace for the stories that follow. It’s a personal account of an isolated occult author and an invitation he receives to meet with a potential publisher. However, the meeting is shrouded in mystery from the start and the author ends up becoming a human target. But Wilson takes a sudden shift with the second story, The White Lady, which comes as a nice surprise. It’s much shorter and only tells the tale of a lady, her dogs and the castle she shared with her daughter, whom she kept isolated.

As the stories continue they become more eccentric and creative, for example An Old Bed. The title practically exposes the murderous culprit before the story starts, but the reader is still not expecting it to unfold the way it does. Compared to the first story there is a great contrast in tone and style. One might say that it’s an overall evolution from simplicity and familiarity to daring and surreal.

After reading the dedication list, which includes names such as H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, it’s very interesting to note the subtle influences. In certain stories I expected to find more profound distinctions, but this never happened. When I reached Wing and Chelicerae the story played heavily into an atmosphere and plot that resonates the work of Lovecraft due to the scientific aspect, but the other authors were all still present so-to-speak. It’s almost as if Wilson channels his different inspirations with every paragraph.

There is no question that Wilson has a very creative mind and the dark parts only make it more interesting. He experiments with several different approaches, which is a quality many readers will appreciate. In other words, some of the stories are more driven by psychological fear while others have their fair share of horrific details. The best part is that there is never really a dull moment, because you don’t really know what to expect in the upcoming tale.

If this collection had to be summed up in one word it would be “versatile”. In terms of literary excellence, there are some bits and pieces that could be enhanced. But then again, Wilson is obviously still in an experimental phase and when he finds his true style he’ll most likely produce material worthy of “best-seller” status. At this point it’s Wilson’s imagination that is going to help him build a steady following of readers.

Thanks to the diverse nature of the stories most horror fans are going to enjoy the book. They might not enjoy every story, but they won’t be disappointed either.

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

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Also by G.R. Wilson:

Right Behind You Horror Book Review

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