LONELY IS THE NIGHT by David Brian earned 4.5 gothic, stake-worthy stars from me!
My tease…
Peter, a 120-year-old vampire, never hunts with a companion.LONELY IS THE NIGHT by David Brian earned 4.5 gothic, stake-worthy stars from me!
My tease…
Peter, a 120-year-old vampire, never hunts with a companion. Unless, of course, someone counts his other.
If gothic-fashioned Peter is the hunter—the human-looking side of him who scouts for prey, then his other is the beastly predator—the 7-foot Voldemort-looking side who attacks for blood. But whether Peter is considered alone and as one….or as a hybrid of two forms, his reality is without ambiguity: Peter is lonely.
Truth be told, humans are of little interest to Peter, outside of providing sustenance. They whimper; they beg. At least, this had always been the case until he decides to return to his old stomping grounds in Northampton, England. There, he meets Melissa who captivates him physically and emotionally.
Which side of Peter will dominate his interactions with Melissa? Will he spare her, feed on her, kill her, or turn her?
Thoughts…
WRITING:
The writing was my favorite part of this short read. The author created outstanding atmospheric tension in his descriptions, like in this paragraph:
"As I turned right into College Street I shivered just slightly, neither because of the coolness of the snow underfoot or the biting chill of the north wind that was now beginning to blow. Rather, it was a shiver in anticipation of what was to come. My jackboots scrunched as they trampled down into the soft virgin snow; the sound making me smile as I appreciated the beauty and solitude offered by a perfect winter’s night.”
Awesome writing!
I also appreciated how the author revealed that Peter was a vampire, though the book cover made it obvious, so no spoiler here. Still, I thought it was very skillful:
"Maybe it would turn out to be a mistake returning here; perhaps I should have just moved on and hunted elsewhere?”
While the writing was quite memorable, I did have two minor hiccups that took a bit away from a perfect 5 star rating.
I was slightly distracted in the beginning of this short read with the toggle between past and presence tenses, but it either worked itself out or I stopped attending to it :) Both good results!
Sex scenes can be challenging to write, in my opinion, and this author boldly bedded the action without holding back! LOL! There were a couple of descriptive phrases that didn’t work for me as a woman, but that’s just me!
HUMOR:
There was subtle humor which I enjoy, like the name of the bar that Peter goes to called Stake House. The floor is covered with “smatterings of sawdust.”
Most people might think of a “steak house” for a bar, but in a book featuring a vampire, Stake House is quite clever and the sawdust drove-in the point quite sharply, bringing a smile to my face ;)
OVERALL:
This short read was very enjoyable and I appreciated the excellent writing so much! I rarely read eBooks and I’m thrilled I made an exception for this quick read! I highly recommend LONELY IS THE NIGHT....more
I’ve had the privilege of reading the ARC for VAMPIRE NIGHT, which has earned 5-deliciously tasty stars! (The book’s release on Amazon is anticipated I’ve had the privilege of reading the ARC for VAMPIRE NIGHT, which has earned 5-deliciously tasty stars! (The book’s release on Amazon is anticipated in April 2020.)
If you enjoyed the camaraderie of the Night’s Watch on the Game of Thrones; the horror of GOT’s White Walkers and their Night King; and the clever humor of A Knight’s Tale (the 2001 movie with Heath Ledger), you’ll love VAMPIRE NIGHT by David N. Humphrey.
MY TEASE…
The planet of Umbria has two sides—one basked in perpetual sunlight and the other blanketed in eternal darkness. Both sides had coexisted peacefully until the necromancer Kalibar, driven by revenge, started killing the living to raise the dead in order to build an army of zombies and vampires.
The only barrier that’s been separating the light side of Umbria from the dark is The Wall.
But not for long…
Earth could steer clear of Umbria’s troubles, if only there wasn’t a travel portal connecting the two planets. What’s to stop Kalibar and his army from making the leap?
That’s why a group of religious leaders, each serving different belief systems, have joined together to travel to Umbria, determined to defeat the all-powerful Kalibar. The warriors are Roqual the Sentinel Monk, Phoebe the Druid, Eleanor the Paladin, and Wilton the Cleric. Joining them—unwillingly—is Shade, a vampire.
Mercenary Valguard wants nothing to do with the conflict or the mission. Then again, the gifted fighter—in possession of a powerful sorcerer’s teleport ring that he knows little about—doesn’t always get what he wants. This time is no exception.
To complicate their mission to Umbria, the dark side of the planet is laden with more monsters than just the undead. Add to that, some members of the team carry sinister secrets with them.
Will the team survive their own demons? Will Kalibar even be found before it’s too late? Will Umbria and Earth be saved or overtaken by evil?
BLOODY GOOD:
Plot:
A unique cast of characters must travel to a wild and scary frontier to defeat an ominous threat in order to save Earth. Talk about a huge hook for me! I was all-in and stayed engaged in the quest the entire time :)
Cast of Characters:
I love the mix of characters! Each has a different religious belief and personality, as well as wields a different weapon. But all have come together for a common mission. (At least, at the onset!) Valguard, Phoebe, and Shade are my favorites, though each character plays an important role and brings a unique talent/gift to the table.
Humor:
Amid the tension and excitement, I found myself chuckling at the subtly infused humor. Like when Eleanor the Paladin thinks: “That was the great thing about raising the dead, you never had to dig a bloody grave.”
Wisdom:
Every now and then the author interjects some wisdom (though not heavy handed) about the need for religious tolerance and the realization that power can corrupt. As an example of the latter, Valguard says, “People in charge forget they are to look after their people and not just look after themselves.” I enjoyed reading the tasty tidbits of wisdom!
Writing:
Visually, I could picture the story vividly playing in my mind.
Here’s a sample: “The cracked and broken stone floor was uneven with fissures allowing smoky red light to shine up into the room from the tumbling lava underneath.”
I can see VAMPIRE NIGHT as an action-packed movie! I’d buy the first ticket :)
Horror:
“As body parts built up on the floor, guards stepped on the wretched corpses, cracking ribs and bones, bursting dirty lung sacs with the footwork of the sword melee.”
Or how about…“…moldy heads cracking open on the stones like decayed goose eggs, covering their boots with putrid brain mush.”
That’s visual!!!
Bottomline: VAMPIRE NIGHT has something for almost every kind of reader: horror, action adventure, fantasy, science fiction, and dark fantasy! I highly recommend this 5-star read! Look for it on Amazon next month (April 2020)!...more
This action/adventure dystopian earned 3.5 stars from me!
My “tease” for HIS NAME WAS ZACH…
Two years ago, an infection swept across civilization, turniThis action/adventure dystopian earned 3.5 stars from me!
My “tease” for HIS NAME WAS ZACH…
Two years ago, an infection swept across civilization, turning humans into flesh-eating zombies.
Good thing Sergeant Zach Davidson has had plenty of experience desperately fighting to survive. After all, the decorated Marine was once the squad leader of his platoon in Afghanistan. So when he encountered an orphaned teenager at the onset of The Crisis, Abby naturally became his adopted “squad.” And he vowed to protect her as if she were his own daughter.
Zach and Abby are living in an abandoned cottage in the woods, attempting to create a new normal. But when armed bandits approach their refuge, they escape and are on the run again. Wanting to head toward the Mississippi River in search of a community of friendly survivors, they cross paths with humans that are everything but. Not only that, Zach battles flashbacks from the war.
Will the pair survive and find what they’re looking for, if a safe haven even exists? Or will the living turn out to be as savage as the undead?
Thoughts…
This story included several positive hooks and only a few light sinkers.
POSITIVE HOOKS
• I love the plot of an ex-Marine learning to be a father and traversing dangerous territory in an attempt to find a new, safe frontier for him and his “daughter.” It is an instant hook!
• Zach’s flashbacks of combat are vivid and intense, reminding us that even when our service men and women return home, physical and emotional scars can still haunt them. (My opinion: support for our vets needs to continue beyond the battlefield!) The author is a former Marine and his expertise and authenticity stand out in his writing. Also, I want to thank the author for his service!
• I really appreciated how the story began. It was instantly about survival instead of backstory regarding the original outbreak. Well done :)
• The author utilized some unique writing-style choices. Although they do not reflect my style preferences, I do appreciate the risks he took!
LIGHT SINKERS
• I’m not a fan of the third-person omniscient point of view—the God-like narrator who knows all and sees all. I prefer third-person close or first-person, so this “light sinker” is really just a style preference. Not to mention, this POV is rarely used today, so its application was bold. For me, though, this POV lends itself to telling versus showing.
• The story swings to and from extremes, like from the innocent sweetness of a bird’s thoughts—"Why, it was humans! Two of them! The bird did not see many humans these days, so to see two of them together was a rare treat.”—to the mouth-opening shock of attempted rape and cannibalism—“After I take what I want from your daughter, we’re going to bring her into the garage and cut her up into tiny pieces while she’s still alive. Then, I’m gonna eat her!” I was like….Whaaat? The author’s storytelling definitely had me swinging from emotional extremes!
• Breaking from an omniscient POV to the author’s actual voice didn’t work for me in this book, though it is a unique technique. For example, the author wrote before the last 20% of the book: “My dear reader, I wish that I could follow that paragraph with ‘The End’ and be done with it. Nothing would please me more than to leave you here and pretend that nothing further of note happened in the lives of our protagonists.”
Overall, if you are looking for an action/adventure dystopian with military intrigue, written in a unique style, this is the perfect book. Prepare to be shocked around every corner and in every chapter!...more
THE HOWLING by Gary Brandner earned 3.5 hair-raising stars from me!
Karyn Beatty is about to celebrate her first-year wedding anniversary with husband THE HOWLING by Gary Brandner earned 3.5 hair-raising stars from me!
Karyn Beatty is about to celebrate her first-year wedding anniversary with husband Roy. They are living in Los Angeles within a safe and quiet condominium community. Both she and Roy have jobs they love, a dog they cherish. And to make their anniversary extra-special, she plans to tell him she is pregnant. Yes, Karyn’s adult life is developing perfectly.
Until…
She is raped that very day by the condominium’s maintenance man and her future and dreams go from bright to bleak.
To help Karyn, her therapist recommends leaving the city and finding solitude and rest in the country. Roy finds a home to rent, two miles from the dying town of Drago—nestled in the valley of the Tehachapi Mountains. The area is so isolated that the only phone is in town and coming from the city, Karyn doesn’t drive.
Karyn’s nightmare is about to mushroom (as if it isn't already terrible enough). Because every night, she hears howling. And the howls keep getting closer. Roy doesn’t share in her worries. And the few people living in Drago aren’t talking.
Vulnerable and more alone than ever, will Karyn figure out what strange creature is howling in the woods? Will she survive her mysterious getaway as it closes in around her?
Happy Howlings:
• The story has some very nice atmospheric moments. For example: “Branches seemed to whip out and clutch at her. Behind her, moving silently through the trees, something followed.” Add the mountains, cold air, moonlight, and occasional mist, and the tension nicely ramps up!
• The final battle is awesome, nail-biting, and fast-paced. Loved it :)
Grumpy Growlings:
• You know how some books are timeless classics? Okay, THE HOWLING is not one of them! It was published in 1977 and reflects the norms of the time, which isn’t the author’s fault. However, THANK GOODNESS times have changed!!! Because in THE HOWLING, what do you do after a woman gets raped? Isolate her and give her pills to ease the pain. Ugh! In addition, from a literary aspect, I did not appreciate reading the details of the rape. Even though authors are urged to “show, don’t tell,” I don’t think that holds true with rape, UNLESS the rapist is integral to the story, which here, he is not (he is never mentioned again).
• Roy Beatty is the WORST HUSBAND/PARTNER EVER. There, I said it and feel better :) The poor guy isn’t getting satisfied because his raped wife, who had a miscarriage from the violence, isn’t putting out. And when she does (for his sake), she clearly isn’t into it. So of course, he has to do something about that. This is how he rationalizes his cheating: "Even so, if sex were better for him and Karyn, it would never have happened." Today, that’s called blaming the victim. He also adds: "Feeling guilty would do no one any good. He had never claimed to be a saint." Well, alrighty then.
• ANIMAL LOVERS BEWARE: In their isolated mountain home, the Beatty’s let their dog Lady outside at night. And then they forget she’s outside and they go to bed. REALLY? They didn’t notice Lady was missing until she wasn’t begging for breakfast. Sorry, that was never a norm in the 1970s. That’s just negligence. Jeez. And we, the readers, can easily guess how that worked out in a book full of ravenous werewolves.
I am trying to be understanding that the author was writing in a different time. A lot has changed in 40 years. And I get that some characters in stories simply aren’t likable at any level. Guess I wanted to latch onto at least one character and that really didn’t happen, though the book did have some Happy Howling moments, especially during the final scene!...more
I’m always thirsty for a book with a classic feel that captures the tension and atmosphere of DRACULA.
Co-authored by Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker, DI’m always thirsty for a book with a classic feel that captures the tension and atmosphere of DRACULA.
Co-authored by Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker, DRACUL deliciously quenched my palate! One of its authors is even Bram Stoker’s great grandnephew. How cool is that?
The story serves as a prequel to DRACULA and bloody hell, it delivers! This book earned five oozing, crimson stars from me.
MY TEASE...
Young Bram shouldn’t be alive. He’s a sickly child who can barely leave his bed in the attic, overlooking a foggy harbor. That is, until their family’s nanny (Nanna Ellen) takes Bram under her wing and miraculously nurses him back to health.
Nanna Ellen is elusive and mysterious. Bram and his sister Matilda are obsessed with learning her secrets.
While sneaking into their nanny’s bedroom and digging around, the siblings find a full-length wooden box tucked under her bed, filled with dirt and maggots. Also intriguing, the sheets on the mattress look like they’ve never been slept in.
One chilly, moonlit night, the pair notices Nanna Ellen is making her way to the ruins of Artane Castle. And they follow her.
As Bram and Matilda close-in on who or what their caregiver is, Nanna Ellen disappears. But she’s not gone altogether. Bram itches when she’s near, especially the puncture wounds on his wrist.
And so begins the adventure of finding Nanna Ellen and learning how she connects to a nearby horrific-murder of a family: The O’Cuiv’s.
THOUGHTS...
Similar to DRACULA, DRACUL toggles between journal entries, letters, and the present. I love when authors use different communication tools to move a story forward.
The writing carries the same level of tension that made me love Bram Stoker’s classic. From character Bram's perspective…
“I fell still and peered up at the forbidding castle. The weathered stones dripped with ivy and moss. As I focused my eyes, I spotted tiny ants crawling over the surface, skittering this way and that, unnaturally active considering the frosty air, with a purpose known only to them. There were spiders, too, hundreds of them, spinning their wicked webs amongst the leaves of ivy in hopes of snaring flies.”
QUICKFIRE RATINGS from 1 (ugh) to 5 (woo-hoo)…
Plot (the story): 5 Main character’s likability: 5 Development of supporting character(s): 5 Settings/Atmosphere: 5 Pacing (how fast did I turn the pages): 5 Believability (in the context of the story): 5 Satisfying ending: 5 Tension of the story: 5 Stirs the heart (romantic elements): N/A Cover: 5
OVERALL:
This book satisfied my craving for a classic-styled read :) I highly recommend DRACUL and have added it to my favorites!!!...more
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