Category: Uncategorized

Bel Nemeton – Jon Black – Review

“Black deftly blends historical fact and mythological debate with close-quarters combat and a spirit of adventure that seems so sorely missing from many titles in the genre these days. It often felt like what the The Da Vinci Code should have been, if Dan Brown had been able to do more research and ground himself in reality, rather than entering into conspiracy theories and other strange concepts. I thoroughly enjoyed Bel Nemeton, and cannot recommend it highly enough: for the last two days, it’s helped to keep my spirits up during an incredibly difficult time in my life, and what more could I possibly ask for from a book?”

If Only Tonight We Could Sleep – Matthew R. Davis – Review

“If Only Tonight We Could Sleep is a carefully executed, high-concept journey through a variety of different subgenres in the horror genre. It’s a deeply impressive accomplishment, and one that clearly demonstrates Davis’ natural skill as a horror writer, a skill enhanced in the anthology by the brilliant photography that accompany the title. I can strongly recommend this to anyone interested in engaging, thoughtful and sophisticated horror.”

Inferno! Volume 1 – Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells (Ed.) – Review

“Editor Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells has done a superb job in gathering together a disparate yet highly skilled set of writers for Inferno! Volume 1, ensuring that the collection is packed full of stories that both inherently understand the various Warhammer settings they take place in, but also engage with the source material in ways that the short stories contained within the previous Inferno! magazines would never have done. Each story is a masterpiece, carefully written and considered, and the entire anthology is a genuine triumph that deserves – indeed, requires – to be on the bookshelf of any discerning fan of Black Library fiction, or anyone interested in learning more about the background and lore of Games Workshop’s many universes.”

KeyForge – Tales from the Crucible – Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells (Ed.) – Review

“…I absolutely loved every minute of reading this anthology. There’s a real sense of fun and enjoyment that runs through each of its stories, all which mix action with heart and an often sly sense of humour, as well as a surprising amount of depth; and it rapidly becomes obvious that each author was carefully chosen by editor Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells because of how well they engaged with the setting, in addition to their high quality of writing skills. If KeyForge as a game is even a tenth as fun, enjoyable and heartening as this anthology, then it will have found a dedicated fan in me and, I’m certain, many other readers…”

Lords of the Storm (Black Library Novella Series 2: Book 5) – Edoardo Albert – Review

“Lords of the Storm is a surprisingly complex, multi-layered and thoughtful take on a number of elements lurking underneath the grimdark exterior of the Warhammer 40,000 setting, skilfully integrated with a fast-paced, well-organised and original plot that includes enough gunfights and hand-to-hand combat to satisfy the expectations of any Black Library reader. I would readily rank this alongside other Black Library newcomers like Thomas Parrott and Nate Crowley, and I believe that, like them, Albert has a unique and engaging take on the Warhammer 40,000 setting that I am eager to see more from.”

The Roaming – W.J. Hegarty – Review

“Tense, chilling and masterfully written with a thoughtful and engaging plot, The Roaming is another first-rate example of the type of novel that the zombie apocalypse genre so desperately needs to reinvigorate its rotting flesh and sluggish pace. Mr Hegarty has definitively made his mark with his debut novel, and I will be following his writing career with great interest to see what he does next; I suspect that editors and publishers in the genre would be doing themselves and their readers a great service by doing the same.”

Transfer – Terry M. West – Review

“Transfer is an absolutely brilliant example of Weird Horror, and I’d easily rank it up alongside genre classics like Jonathan Raab’s Camp Ghoul Mountain Part VI or Farmington Correctional by Sean M. Thompson. It’s a novella that’s weird to the core – intense, unsettling, bizarre and with an overarching theme that left me deeply unsettled by the time that I had finished it. West is a hugely talented author in possession of a twisted and inventively weird imagination, and I look forward to diving into some of his other titles; if they show even a fraction of the originality and quality of Transfer then I know that I’ll be guaranteed a good read.”

Bloods, Brains & Bullets: A Zombie Apocalypse Anthology – Chris McInally & Dane Hatchell (Eds.) – Review

“Blood, Brains & Bullets is the sort of anthology that is so desperately needed to ensure that the zombie apocalypse genre doesn’t disappear under a deluge of bland and generic titles that fail to engage with the core concepts of the genre. Each of the stories in the collection delivers enough high-quality, blood-soaked action to sate even the most jaded and blood-thirsty zombie fan; but they also provide readers with a series of unique, engaging and original takes on the undead and the social ramifications of corpses coming back to life.”

Go When The Light Turns Red – Kevin Elliott – Quick Review

“Go When The Light Turns Red is an enjoyable and deeply entertaining debut from author Kevin Elliott. The four stories in the collection demonstrate a consistently high quality of writing, blended together with a real flair for
imaginative science-fiction and fantasy story-telling.”

Moonlight, Gunshot, Mallet, Flame (Short Sharp Shocks! Book 49) – Alicia Hilton – Mini-Review

“With Moonlight, Gunshot, Mallet, Flame, Alicia Hilton has succeeded in creating two memorable, gritty and quietly unsettling horror stories that both involve dangerous and formidable women involved with the occult and the supernatural. Each of them, especially the titular story, have a dark, brooding atmosphere that perfectly encapsulates that noir feeling that countless authors attempt to portray in genre fiction and yet so many fail to comprehend. They’re both deftly written, as well as featuring two well-developed and fleshed-out female protagonists that avoid the usual noir stereotypes, and Hilton also manages to pull off some twists that I definitely didn’t see coming.”

Casefiles of the Royal Occultist: Volume 1: Monmouth’s Giants – Josh Reynolds – Review

“Casefiles of The Royal Occultist Volume 1: Monmouth’s Giants really is a triumph for both Josh Reynolds and 18thWall Productions. The stories themselves are amongst the best that have been written for the Royal Occultist series, and perfectly demonstrate the multifaceted manner in which Reynolds has developed the Royal Occultist universe as a distinct and memorable setting over a number of years. It’s a vibrant, detailed and original world that’s chock full of esoteric and occult groups and activities, creating a secret supernatural world that operates alongside the events lodged in history books, accompanied by a diverse cast of engaging, fleshed-out characters who are obviously far more than the tropey, two-dimensional types that so often inhabit the occult detective genre.”

Hand to Mouth (Short Sharp Shocks! Book 48) – Deborah Sheldon – Mini-Review

“Hand to Mouth is a brilliantly written and skilfully-plotted horror story that reveals more and more of itself the longer that you read. What seem to be the passionately-written pleas of a man wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit slowly becomes a multi-layered horror story focusing on the often devastating results of the anxieties that are inflicted on a family living in modern times.”