Home » Posts tagged "book review" (Page 59)

Book Review: Return to Q Island by Russell James

Return to Q Island by Russell James

MLG Publishing, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1546357209

Available:  Paperback, Kindle edition

 

Return to Q Island is the sequel to Q Island (see my previous review for Monster Librarian at http://www.monsterlibrarian.com/TheCirculationDesk/book-review-q-island-by-russell-james/).  The paleovirus, spread by bite and spores that erupt from the bodies of the stricken, has overtaken the government-quarantined Long Island, long since nicknamed Q Island. Residents are turning into killers. The quarantine has separated family and friends.

Patrick is in Connecticut, bereft of his mother and pregnant sister. When he loses contact with them and sees the money he leaves in an account for them is untouched, he is compelled to break into the island millions want to leave. His only option to break in is to join up with an illegal safari hunting the infected, as a guide. Patrick discovers his role is closer to that of a slave than a guide, and the infected are even more dangerous than he once thought.

While Patrick is beginning his venture, his sister Kim gives birth to a surprisingly healthy Charlotte on the island. Kim discovers she must protect herself and her daughter from attacks not only by the infected, but by family and the community as well. As Kim fights for their survival, she finds out that Charlotte is very special, to human and paleo alike.

The sequel makes a sharp separation from the first novel, in that we see a completely changed world, and a departure from the characters in Q Island. It was interesting to see James’ vision of the quarantined island, and how the disease has affected humanity, for good or ill. It’s even more terrifying than the first book. There were a few times I actually had to put the book down for a second before continuing, simply because it was so intense. There are also significant character arcs that happen for Patrick and Kim, as well as for a few of the ancillary characters that help to define our main characters. Recommended for adult readers.

Contains: abuse, body horror, gore, graphic violence, rape

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on May 25, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre (Dream Weaver #1) edited by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson

Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre (Dream Weaver #1) edited by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson

Crystal Lake Publishing. 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1640074682

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

With a few exceptions, books on writing usually bring on the snoozes, but Where Nightmares Come From is constructed in a manner that sidesteps the pitfalls of a typical writing book. It delivers both to amateur writers and seasoned authors, as well as giving readers an insight into how their favorite books came to be.

Twenty-eight chapters lurk between the covers, each by a different author (or several). Even if the reader doesn’t connect with one article or interview, there’s plenty more to capture his or her interest. The price of the book is covered in the first chapter, by Joe R. Lansdale, who talks about how the storyteller rules the roost, not the story. The conversational tone in which he spills his secrets brings to mind sitting across a table in a honky tonk, tossing back a few, and discussing the weather or sports, instead of the keys to a masterful story. “The Process of a Tale” is pure gold by Ramsey Campbell, a guru of the short story. Instead of telling how to write something in the abstract form, he shows the reader by taking them on a ride through drafts of an actual published story, dissecting each passage before improving it, piece by piece, tinkering with the language and design. It’s doubtful a struggling writer will close the book without feeling a kinship with the king of British horror. Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and Midnight, Texas takes readers on her own journey of storytelling, and how she concocts her novels. Like Lansdale, Harris knows how to explain her magic in a way that simply makes sense. Stephen King and Richard Chizmar share their experience collaborating on their recent bestselling book Gwendy’s Button Box. Elizabeth Massie, Ray Garton, and John Connolly also make great contributions, along with a slew of lesser-known authors readers should be aware of.  While I’ve mentioned just a few chapters in detail, every single entry has something crucial to offer the writer (or reader). This is a tool writers will be using for years. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms
Posted on May 21, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: Down There & Others by Keith Minnion

Down There & Others by Keith Minnion
White Noise Press, August, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1549570919
Available: Paperback, Kindle edition
 

Sometimes, people are blessed with excelling in multiple creative fields, such as Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Clive Barker, and the author of this collection, Keith Minnion. Those familiar with the iconic magazine Cemetery Dance will recognize his name, as the most innovative illustrator in each issue. Those who picked up the Stephen King/Richard Chizmar bestseller of last year, Gwendy’s Button Box, might notice the illustrations in that book look familiar, as well.

In this book, though, Minnion’s writing is the star attraction, and although each is accompanied by a very cool illustration, it’s the story that matters here. The stories are just as intense and well-written as in the author’s first collection, It’s For You. His writing style lends itself to fast reads, but upon rereading, his work reveals deeper, darker secrets. He will never be accused of overwriting, yet each story feels rich and imagined.

Down There & Others begins with an introduction by Tony Tremblay and contains 16 stories, as well as the beginnings of a new novel. While some stories have been previously published, many here are available for the first time.  They run the gamut from frightening to suspenseful to just outright weird (I’m looking at you,”The Blue Cat!”), Not a word is wasted. Other outstanding tales that will creep down your spine long after you finish them include “Old Bones; “The Wampyr”; the title story, published originally in Cemetery Dance magazine; and the best, hands down, “Little Sister.” The standout, though, is the inclusion of the first act of Minnion’s forthcoming novel, Dog Star. The reaction to that story will be intense, and might even blow away his first novel, the stellar The Boneyard. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on May 18, 2018 by , Reply
First « 5758596061 » Last