new horror releases

Ancient Shadows (Book Review)

March 14, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Joanne Pence, award-winning, USA Today best-selling author, will have her latest book Ancient Shadows released on March 18, 2015. Her reputation aside, Pence has a very disciplined manner of writing, which is quite rare. Her tone is clear and concise while she creatively blends in descriptions that are very important for the imagination of the reader.

For those familiar with Pence’s previous novel, Ancient Echoes, will note that Ancient Shadows has the same protagonist, however it is a standalone novel in its own right.

One by one, a horror film director, a judge, and a newspaper publisher meet brutal deaths. A link exists between them, and the deaths have only begun…

The story follows a middle-aged, ex-archeologist called Michael Rempart and his rather secluded life in Florence. After a dying priest pays him a visit and gives him what Michael later finds to be a philosopher’s stone, his peaceful existence gets severely disrupted. While he attempts to come to terms with his fate, several other strange things start to occur. The stone, which holds tremendous power, is the only way to end the strange onslaughts.

Following the instructions from the priest, Michael makes his way to The Old Silk Road where the stone has to be replaced in order stop the work of ancient demons. Given his connection with a long line of alchemists, Michael is caught unprepared to face a danger he never anticipated. Ultimately he has to fight a history that doesn’t just involve his own demons, but also those sent from pure evil.

Ancient Shadows is a very creative mixture between suspense, horror and a little drama. The research, logic and authority the book was written with never leaves the reader in any doubt. For those who aren’t history fanatics it‘s going to be challenging to make a distinction between fact and fiction. From the first page through to the last, Pence shows a confidence in her ability and her story.

Readers who like more suspense and action rather than blood and gore will love Ancient Shadows. Pence has a very clean style and in some cases it might be too clean for hardcore horror fans. Everything is prim and proper regarding vocabulary and precision. Even though her “surprise plot” deliveries are perfectly done, the overall feel leans more towards Danielle Steele as opposed to Stephen King.

Some readers might find the tone a little cold and disconnected, but this is just a matter of personal taste and doesn’t really speak to the writer. This is usually a natural result when such technical gift is involved. From a personal point of view, it’s nice that Pence didn’t hesitate to get into the story too quickly. Despite the fact that the book is somewhat mid-paced the story unfolds rather quickly. There is no point where the author seemed rushed due to the need to finish the book, and once again it shows the great control she has.

Anybody who can appreciate a more traditional approach to writing rather than an artistic style should find Ancient Shadows very entertaining. It’s pure quality from start to finish. The hero might be a little too clean-cut and the story lightly touches Hollywood melodrama, but that is what makes the book so inviting for an array of readers. On the horror scale it falls a little short, but it’s definitely worth reading.

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

Joanne Pence is an award-winning and USA Today best-selling author of mysteries, historical fiction, romance, fantasy, and most recently, horror. Born and raised in San Francisco, she has been a journalist, analyst for the Federal government, taught school in Japan, and now makes her home in the foothills north of Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two dogs, four cats, and a peacock who showed up one day and refuses to leave. www.joannepence.com

Also by Joanne Pence:
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Ascendance (Book Review)

February 24, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

C. Jones makes her debut with the short story entitled “Ascendance”, and what a debut it is. It’s graphical and dark nature is enough to make veterans like Stephen King take another look at true horror. Within the pages of this book is a story that is very difficult to read. Not because it doesn’t make sense or the writing is awful, but because it’s just so horrific. Reading the book in one setting will take nerves of steel.

Landon is a ten year old boy that grew up in very difficult circumstances. Being the object of torture for his parents all his life, his situation finally reaches a very painful climax. After being beaten to death and buried in the backyard he lands in purgatory where a keeper called Ramiel comforts him. Landon is also told that in order to go to heaven he has to get rid of all the vengeance and hatred in his heart. Unfortunately the devil isn’t going to make things easy for Landon, seeing as Landon’s soul holds the key to something much bigger.

Meanwhile, his mother Lisa is planning her big escape from her abusive husband Garret. His obsession with Lisa has led to ten years of hell. Where Lisa once cared about her child, she has lost all emotional attachment. However, everything starts to escalate as Garret comes home to find Lisa cheating on him. This of course is the trigger to several bad things.

The first thing that should be noted about the book is that readers shouldn’t expect too many moments of happiness and if those moments occur they are short lived. It was written from a very dark place and it’s not surprising to read about how Jones had to take constant breaks in order to finish it (About Author). With the great levels the horror genre has reached thus far, Jones has managed to come up with a level of her own.

From the start the reader is thrown into a nightmare where there doesn’t seem to be an end to the violence and grotesqueness. For readers that are sensitive this book will be a challenge to finish, due to the graphic build-up. Jones doesn’t spare any mercy for her characters as she takes them through a life-changing journey without them having to leave the house.

As for the narrative voice and the overall tone of the writing, the author does a brilliant job. Although her characters might not be colorful, their representation of what is wrong with this world shines through in more ways than one. She digs into a very dangerous state of mind where there is creative torture tactics that really manage to unnerve the reader.

Horror fans that love deep, dark and very disturbing stories probably won’t be able to stop reading. Instead of just focusing on the typical violence and horror, the story speaks to the value we place on revenge. More specifically, how revenge can bite you in the backside if you are a religious person. Apart from some scenarios that don’t always make sense it’s a very intense short novel that shows great potential from a debut writer.

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

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Dead Rage (Book Review)

February 5, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Dead Rage: A Zombie Apocalypse is the third book from Nicholas Ryan and it sees him building on the zombie stories he has written so far. Ryan has been compared to writers such as Max Brooks and many of his readers appreciate his descriptive style. His choice of genre is definitely daring, given it has been used by so many authors over the last couple of years. But after the first two books it seems like Ryan has become somewhat of a zombie guru and he doesn’t have a problem keeping readers entertained.

It all starts with a fishing boat called Mandrake, making its way back to the small town of Grey Stone. On the boat is a group of fishermen under the command of Steve Bannon and their return is fueled by his suspicions that something is not right back at home. After losing complete communication with Grey Stone harbor he doesn’t want to take any chances. Not all the crew members agree with his decision, but follow his orders nonetheless.

As Grey Stone comes into view Bannon realizes his suspicions were correct and after taking a closer look with his binoculars he sees the town burning. However, his true fear is whether he is going to find his wife alive. What Bannon doesn’t suspect is that he and the rest of his crew will be stepping into a war zone filled with flesh eating zombies. Apart from just finding his wife, Bannon has to stay alive and endure unforeseen betrayal. As fate would have it Bannon ends up in a military camp where he receives help on his search, but is there something he doesn’t know about his new found helpers?

After the first page it’s obvious why other readers are raving about Ryan’s descriptive style. He likes to go into detail about small things, which helps to give him a tone of authority about what he is writing. It’s more like reading a witness account instead of just a fictional book. It also helps the reader to create a very vivid picture, but it can get a bit much at some points. I couldn’t help feeling that it really slowed down the pace of the book unnecessarily at times. However, some readers might really enjoy this aspect.

In terms of the plot there are several incidents that will leave the reader shocked. Even though a lot of gore and terror come from the undead roaming the streets, the real suspense can be found within the living characters. The characters might not always be relatable, but their development is very realistic. Ryan knew the purpose of each character and he placed them strategically.

For a genre that has been reinvented so many times Ryan still manages to bring something fresh to the table. He has really mastered the approach he uses to bring the undead to life and one can only guess where he will be going from here. His research regarding military operations and the life of a fisherman really added some depth, but some readers might find the originality of the book lacking. For horror and zombies fans this is definitely a must read. For readers looking for something completely different and out of this world then this might not be the book for you.

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

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The Ripper (Book Review)

January 9, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

L.A. Maldonado is the voice behind the new short horror novel entitled “The Ripper”. It is a fast-paced story filled with interesting characters and an enemy that cannot be destroyed by conventional means. Based on the historic events surrounding the murders of Jack the Ripper, Maldonado uses a mixture of fiction and fact to grab the attention of the reader. Even though his story is fictional, the actions of Jack the Ripper are part of a reality that still baffles the world.

The areas of London that saw the murders of Jack the Ripper occur have become great tourist attractions and the locals have no problem implementing these into their businesses, especially pubs and restaurants. But all of a sudden a murder occurs, more specifically, the type of murder Jack the Ripper would’ve done. Chelsea, a well-known writer and “Ripperologist” knew this would happen and even though she is in America at the time of the killing, she tries to stop it.

When Chelsea was a student at college she was the victim of a horrific attack, which she barely survived and it left her face scarred forever. Her father is Matthew Reid, a private detective in London and a descendent of the detective who initially investigated the original Ripper murders. As the copycat murders occur they are both drawn into the dangerous situation. Thanks to her visions, Chelsea cannot avoid her involvement. As for Matthew, he is approached by a local newspaper in search of a sensational story while providing substantial compensation.

Unfortunately they aren’t dealing with just another copycat killer. Instead they face an entity that is much more powerful and a lot more deadly. As their conclusions reach the reality of the situation their fear to survive becomes greater than their passion to simply catch a serial killer.

Maldonado doesn’t waste any time getting into the story. Within the first chapter readers are introduced to a gruesome murder in true Ripper style. However, he is careful not to divulge too much information. At one point you think you are in the mind of the killer, but instead you find yourself more puzzled. Like mentioned before, the story is fast-paced in the sense that Maldonado places great emphasis on the characters instead of the surroundings. He provides just enough detail for the reader to know where the story is taking place and the rest is left for the characters.

Several stories from different characters were used to add some variety and they all have some kind of connection with the Ripper, whether it’s reading the books from childhood or it’s part of their occupation. The complex relationship between Chelsea and Matthew is also brought under the microscope, especially their difficulty with coming to terms regarding her attack. The attacker was never brought to justice and Matthew’s determination to catch him places a distance between him and his daughter.

Overall Maldonado shows great control over the way the story plays out and he does a great job when it comes to the emotions of the killer. Even though the motive is hard to grasp, the satisfaction and experience is very graphic. There are more than enough bone chilling descriptions to make you lose your appetite, in other words, Maldonado justifies the place “The Ripper” takes in the horror genre. It’s very entertaining and for Jack the Ripper fans this is a definite must read.

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

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Dark Shadow of Babylon (Book Review)

January 6, 2015 By Horror Palace Leave a Comment

Dark Shadow of Babylon is a paranormal/horror book written by Julian Speed. The cover is a clear indication that readers will encounter a series of gruesome events, but there is also a great adventure awaiting. The first chapters look at the origin of the evil that creeps into modern times and Speed adds a nice touch regarding his characters, despite the big time difference. Mystery and suspense only play a moderate part as Speed doesn’t really focus on keeping the reader in the dark, but prefers to create a clear picture in order to promote a sense of enjoyment.

The Roman invasion of Britannia in 61 AD marks the starting point of the story. Two notable characters, namely Frederick and Antonio are introduced along with their fearless commander Proverus. The latter is the source of pain for several Celtic tribes and his last onslaught against the druids seals his fate. A strange entity called Thaddeus comes to warn the druids of their impending death and offers his help in exchange for using their power source. The leader of the druids, Andringael, rejects the offer but allows another druid and a desperate queen with nothing to lose to show him the way. These three end up trapped after destroying the Roman army.

In modern times we see Frederick again, but not as a Roman soldier. Instead he is a college student that unknowingly opens the tomb of Thaddeus along with his professor. This leads to several freakish deaths at the excavation site. The deaths follow Frederic as he returns to the States. Ultimately he is confronted by a gypsy called Eva and he is forced to involve his sister Mira along with his childhood friend Antonio. But this time there is a secret society with a mysterious mission involved in addition to the vindictive spirit causing all the havoc.

Revenge is the order of the day for the dark entities while personal gain fuels the secret society. With the combination of enemies and danger Frederic and his companions face there is an added sense of excitement. There is also no lack of graphical detail regarding the death of the characters. Speed does a great job at elevating the emotions of those who are staring death in the face. He doesn’t need to stretch out the experience for it to be more gruesome. The selected words he uses to describe fatal scenarios are very effective in leaving the reader somewhat unnerved.

Another compliment has to be extended to Speed for his choice of time periods. Whereas most horror writers prefer to stay within this century simply because it’s much easier, Speed was a little more daring. Travelling back so far opens a door for critique even if the book is fictional. He was careful of the speech used by the characters and he described the setting with authority and confidence.

The characters are colorful and exciting, the perfect combination for a good story. Frederic and his sometimes indifferent, playful traits help to bring some lightheartedness to an otherwise dark situation. The overall pace of the book is somewhat slow, but this is neither a good nor a bad thing as it will mostly depend on the preference of the reader. Speed took his time to produce an authentic style which many readers will appreciate.

Reviewed by Damnetha Jules

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

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