Little Red: The Third Story in the Happily Ever After Series by K.G. Sander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a remake of a classic.

Pros:

1. The book cover is fantastic.
2. The storyline is original and spectacular.
3. My reading engagement was high throughout this book.
4. I enjoyed the poems.
5. K.G. Sander is an excellent writer.
6. It’s short.
7. I would re-read this.

Cons:

1. I noticed a few typos.

I enjoyed this short story and recommend it to horror and dark fantasy fans.

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The Town That Cried Werewolf: Second Edition by Danny Dantas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Excellent storyline.

Pros:
1. The second edition’s book cover is fantastic. The black, hairy werewolf in the center, roaring against the red backdrop, is attention-grabbing, and I’ve wanted to read this book for a while because of it.
2. The story revolves around a town, creating a range of suspects. The storyline is outstanding.
3. I enjoyed how Danny Dantas kept me guessing who the killer was until the end. This added to the suspense and gave me time to figure out whodunit. After figuring out who the killer was before they were revealed, I felt I had accomplished something spectacular.
4. I enjoyed this novella’s blend of horror, mystery, thrill, and suspense.
5. The epilogue was a pleasant touch.
6. The alternating POVs increased my reading engagement.
7. I would re-read this story.

Cons:
1. The Town That Cried Werewolf would benefit from improved character development.
2. I noticed two errors while reading this novella (one of them was capitalization).
3. Profanity and blaspheming.

I recommend The Town That Cried Werewolf to mystery and horror lovers. Danny Dantas’s debut is marvelous, and I would read more of his stories.



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The Rabbit Man: A Collection of Short Terrors & Flash Fiction by T.R. Slauf

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Terrifying.

The Rabbit Man is a haunting collection that contains stories about serial killers, witch-hunting, paranormal horror, and more.

Pros:
1. A variety of frightening tales.
2. All the stories within this collection are good.
3. Excellent, creepy book cover. I recommend inspecting it.
4. The illustrations are a splendid touch.
5. The stories are short.
6. Easter egg mini-game.
7. There is a connection between these horror chronicles.
8. T.R. Slauf is an expert of the macabre.

Cons:
1. Blaspheming and profanity.
2. This compilation would benefit from keener editing.

The flaws listed above prevented me from giving this collection a five-star rating.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Lucky Numbers: A Small Town Horror Story by Elliott Dahle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Better than expected.

Sam and Nadine are a married couple that have had their difficulties. Things have been sour between them for several years, leading Nadine to believe it’s time for them to separate. But a lucky occurrence comes their way, which changes everything.

Pros:
1. Despite being a short story, I felt satisfied with the book’s length (it’s a novelette).
2. Excellent premise.
3. Fantastic ending twist.
4. Good book cover.
5. Elliott Dahle gives backstories for the characters.
6. The writing and editing is good.

Cons:
1. Blaspheming and profanity.
2. The ending is predictable (if you’re paying attention).
3. It’s a standalone, despite the book’s length.


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The Abduction of Stefan Bossi: A Short Story by Nathan Harker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark.

The Abduction of Stefan Bossi is a short story focused on an astronaut named Peggy in space. Along the way, she runs into some devilish creatures-ones that she doesn’t believe in.

Pros:
1. Solid writing.
2. Nathan Harker gives Peggy a backstory.
3. A pleasant break between reading a novel.

Cons:
1. Blaspheming and profanity.
2. The word length.
3. Not scary, but strange.

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Misfit’s Magic: Shades of Winter by Fred Gracely

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imaginative.

Goff continues his adventures with his two sidekicks, Halstrom and Lydia. On top of keeping his grades high at school, he fights against an evil scheme to resurrect this world’s version of the Dark Lord. Goff’s magical realm portrays a darker version compared to Harry Potter.

Pros:
1. The book cover is fantastic.
2. The illustrations are a splendid addition to this book.
3. Creative story.
4. Vivid descriptions.
5. Fred Gracely is a talented writer.
6. High-quality novel.
7. Great for YA enthusiasts.

Cons:
1. I had to force myself to continue reading to finish it.
2. Unrealistic ending.
3. No desire to re-read it in the future.
4. Bones and Maxim.
5. The editing could be better.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Hey guys,

I am revealing the book cover for my newest book, Twilight Perils: A Collection of Eight Secret Stories. I am happy about publishing this horror mystery collection. It took a lot of work to make it happen, and to get everything ready to meet certain deadlines. Only the e-book version is available, but if you wait a bit for the paperback version, it will include illustrations in it. Only the paperback version of this book will include illustrations. If you choose to purchase my book, please think about rating and reviewing it. If you leave a review off of the digital orders page, your review will show up as verified on Amazon. This is huge, as other readers around the world will see your review! Please also consider leaving a review on Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your blog.

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Digger by Arjay Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Godlike.

This book showcases the power of a standalone novel and why it is important not to underestimate them. The narrative is crisp, sucking you in straight from the first chapter. It was captivating how the author omitted the typical prologue in fiction, and started straight from chapter one. The author richly portrays the characters. I felt like I was walking through a horror mausoleum as the writer shares his knowledge of frightening creatures, and his preference in creepy flicks. It was fascinating how Arjay Lewis gave the protagonist a handicap, but still made it work in the prose. This eerie chronicle will transport you into a world full of devilish, supernatural beings and will unravel the enigma behind the title. What I found alluring was the author’s deft blending of mystery with mayhem. The wordsmith’s well-formatted fabrication aided my reading experience. The yarn flowed well and continued to do so as the plot unwinded. I imagine the creator of this work made a detailed outline for this text, and I can envision him smiling as he developed this book. Arjay Lewis is a gifted writer, and he knows how to keep readers engaged. I thought it was cool how he separated the book into different parts, and I’m not referring to chapters. I like that Arjay Lewis offers readers freebies in this book.

I wish there were more illustrations planted in this outstandingly composed novel to immerse readers more into this provocative anecdote. I wish the story was a little shorter, as I felt myself become a little restless while digging into this novel. The editing wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to not impede my reading experience. Arjay Lewis should revamp the book cover because it could be better. Still, I would disagree with any other reviewer who rates this book less than four stars.

If you’re reading this review and wondering if you should read this horror chronicle, yes, you should. The first sentence of this novel hits hard, and chapter one does not disappoint. While this tale concludes well, I like how the author made it so that he can choose to turn it into a series if he wanted to. The Wizard of Odd has showed why every author should include a few standalone yarns in their arsenal. If you haven’t figured it out already, what I’m saying is I’m a fan of this tale, and I would be interested in reading other works by this talented novelist.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Raven Hill by Jools G. King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great.

I liked that the author chose to make this a novella, rather than a full-length novel. It was an easy read, apart from what I feel was a little too much blaspheming, and I like the way it ended. The descriptions that the author used in the story were great, and the character development was good. I hope the writer focuses on this series next year, rather than doing other works. I was happy to see Nate’s progression throughout the story, and I hope he gets a harem going. I also would like to note that I like the book cover, and it makes sense after reading this yarn.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Click here to get the e-book! Click here to get the paperback!

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A Beast Within by Aidan Lucid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fun.

I enjoyed reading this novella. The prologue was fantastic, and the author switching POVs was brilliant. I liked the addition of scene breaks, and the descriptions were vivid. I fancied the twists and turns that this book utilized. I admire the decision to not stretch out this book longer that it had to be.

I highly recommend this book other book lovers, and I look forward to reading more from this writer.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Melon Head Mayhem by Alex Ebenstein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eerie and suspenseful.

The book cover is fantastic, and I thought it was creative that the author used VHS tapes as a tool to get the yarn going. The writing, editing, and formatting of this novella is top-notch; you can tell that the author put in a lot of effort to create this book. I liked the dark twist near the end; it increased the tension in the narrative. I do not want to say more than that to prevent spoiling it for other readers. That alone in itself warrants a read from any novella/short story enthusiasts thinking of sinking their teeth into this.

I hated Carson. He was a bit sheepish and unintelligent at times. I wish his Winnie the Pooh joke was omitted from this story.

Sofia is the true star of this chronicle. The level of profanity that erupted from her lips was realistic, especially when having to deal with Carson (who at times proved to be a burden, rather than being helpful). She was a delight to follow, and Carson is lucky to have her on his side.

The amount of blaspheming in this book hampered my reading experience (I am not talking about swearing, although blaspheming can be counted as such). It was irritating to see the Lord’s name used as a cuss word. I can see this part of this story not appealing to Christian bibliophiles. This ties into using the name “Isaac” as a supporting character, and the reference of non-heathens going to church on Sunday. At first glance, you may think that I am nit-picking, but if you read this story yourself, you’ll know what I mean (especially if you’re a bible-believing Christian).

This book would have benefited from illustrations, which would have heightened the scare. I wish the author would have included this in, which would have been a delight to see, given that the book cover is spectacular. I hope that the author goes back and gives his readers this.

To be clear, I did not give this book a five-star rating due to the amount of blaspheming in this novella, a lack of illustrations (which is a secret weapon in immersing readers into the story, mainly with a book like this), Carson’s off-putting behavior, the terrible Winnie the Pooh joke (which the author ironically states is a bad jest in the book), and the POV only being through Carson’s eyes. I wish the writer would have switched POV’s at some point in this book, so we could have seen it through Sofia’s eyes, which would have made this dark chronicle more irresistible.

The author is gifted in giving vivid details, realistic dialogue, and building the suspense. You can feel the anticipation intensify as the characters make a mistake or explore. I could sense the adventure aspect of this story, chiefly near the conclusion of this great novella. I liked how the story closed, and I am glad that the author shared his insights at the end of the anecdote with his book lovers.

Despite its flaws, I recommend this horror novella, and I can see it winning literary awards.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Boarded Windows, Dead Leaves by Michael Jess Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A good selection of grisly stories to read before you go to bed.

I like how there is a connected theme throughout this book. I’ve always been a fan of short chronicles, and this group’s brevity is welcome.

My favorites in this collection are Warm and Tender, The Delivery, Accident at the Laboratory, and Vic.

There are some great twists given in these stories, my favorite being The Delivery. After reading it, I found myself thinking about this ghastly tale while devouring my delicious meal. At first, the description of the villain wasn’t frightening to me, but after thinking about it, it dawned on me how creepy it is!

Accident at the Laboratory had me thinking about The Flying Spaghetti Monster, and I enjoyed the different style of this work compared to the others. I relished the transformation given in Vic, and karma is something to watch out for in Warm and Tender.

Only four stars because the selection as a whole has to be fantastic to get a five-star rating. Nonetheless, this is a great fiction assembly; if you don’t mind getting goosebumps, I recommend feasting on this ensemble of grim stories.

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