Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror Book Reviews
“Dirt Upon My Skin is an absolutely incredible accomplishment, being one of the best collections of British horror that I have ever read in my career as a reviewer of horror fiction; and marks Steve Toase as an up-and-coming master of British Horror. I will follow his career and future works with great interest, and hope that his collaboration with Black Shuck Books will not be his last.”
“Aided by a superbly-designed piece of monochrome cover art that perfectly illustrates the impossible task of diving into Cage’s chaotic mindset, and a skillful level of editing that is rarely seen in independently-published titles, I can confidently state that His Soul’s Still Dancing is by far the best Weird Fiction anthology that I’ve read and reviewed in my entire time surveying the genre, and a superb debut by Ex-Parrot Press.”
“Taken altogether, They Never Find The Bodies In Whispering Pines is a slow-burning, transgressive and ultimately deeply disconcerting horror novel that succeeds in keeping the reader off-balance and uncertain until its final pages. There’s blood and guts and dead bodies galore in some sections, but they’re interlaced with much more intimate and personal horrors that are just as memorable and terrifying – and it highlights just how talented Thompson is as a writer that he manages to develop both and bring them together into one novel. It’s a superb piece of horror fiction, and I look forward to seeing what Thompson and Nictitating Books come up with in the future.”
“Fox Hunt: A Creature Feature Horror is a multi-layered novel that has a huge amount to offer the prospective reader. It’s a superb piece of well-written, perfectly paced Creature Feature horror that continues the tradition of Herbert, Smith, Meikle and Baxter and which serves up as much blood, gore and torn-out throats that fans of the subgenre could ever hope for. Yet at the same time, the novel also operates on a far deeper and much more radical level. Fox Hunt is as much about the horrors of the breakdown of social capital and the crimes of rampant, uncontrolled capitalism that has devastated Britain in the 21st Century as it is about murderous foxes; and Murphy delivers a keen-eyed critique of the unsettling state of Britain as it stumbles its way through the second decade of this new century.”
“The Retreat #1: Pandemic is by far the best piece of apocalyptic horror fiction that I have read in a number of years, and a superb military horror novel that deserves to be discussed in the same breath as Weston Ochse’s Burning Sky.”
“In Shadow of the Serpent John Houlihan has delivered another Lovecraftian masterpiece, a perfect blending of Bernard Cornwell and H.P. Lovecraft that combines the thrill of Napoleonic warfare with the multi-dimensional, unknowable horrors to be found lurking just outside of humanity’s perception.”
“Secrets and Sacrifices is not only one of the best Call of Cthulhu novels I’ve read in a very long time, I would go so far as to say it’s a masterful piece of Lovecraftian horror that demonstrates the direction that the genre should be heading. Cath Lauria has composed a story that not only makes full use of the Call of Cthulhu setting, but also stands out as a romance-horror novel that can easily be read without having to have a detailed knowledge of Lovecraft or Cthulhu
The Crypt of Blood: A Halloween TV Special Jonathan Raab Muzzleland Press While there are many leading lights in the … More
“If Sole Survivor demonstrated Zachary Ashford’s obvious skill as a horror writer in an ever-crowded genre, then The Encampment by the Gorge & Blood Memory firmly cements that reputation and provides clear evidence that Ashford is a rising star in the genre…”
“The publication of The Mysteries of Zillah Harvey: Volume One is nothing less than a triumph for author Paul Leone, and provides ample proof that a fresh, innovative and skillful new voice has emerged within the Occult Detective genre. Leone has blended together memorable characters, engaging plots and a quietly chilling and oppressive atmosphere in order to create a deeply compelling and highly enjoyable collection of short stories, one which I have no hesitation in recommending to any fan of the Occult Detective genre, or gothic horror in general…”
“The Mysteries of Zillah Harvey: Volume One is scheduled to be released on the 1st September 2020, and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on a copy and start reading through it. I’ll have an interview with Paul Leone up on the blog in the next couple of weeks, where the author will be able to tell us more about what inspired him to write these stories, as well as his background and influences as a writer; and of course, I’ll be hosting my own review of the collection just before it’s released.”
“With Curse of Honor David Annandale once again demonstrates why he is one of the premier authors in the fantasy (and science fiction) genre, able to utilise his absolute mastery of atmosphere, sublime prose and skilful characterisation to turn his hand to any setting that he is tasked with writing. Curse of Honor is a deeply compelling and sophisticated novel, with Annandale using the Five Rings setting to weave a thoroughly enjoyable story about arrogance, ambition and rigid caste systems that are deftly merged with the grim realities of the demon-infested Shadowlands and its many occult dangers.”
“Days Pass Like A Shadow is a deeply impressive accomplishment, bringing together a series of short stories and vignettes that comprehensively demonstrate Paula Readman’s undoubted skill as a writer of intense, engaging and often darkly gothic horror and mystery stories.”
“Ultimately, Wrath of N’Kai is yet more evidence, were it needed, that Reynolds is the reigning master of the occult detective genre. There is no-one who does it better, and Wrath of N’Kai should take pride of place in anyone’s occult horror collection.”
“Fast-paced, gore-soaked and the epitome of the industrial horror subgenre, Sepulturum is another fantastic novel from the pen of Nick Kyme. It grabs you by the throat and pulls you into the terrifying, atrocity-laden world of Blackgeist and its many hidden horrors, and doesn’t let go until the last page has been turned.”
The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviewer 