Tag: Horror

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Infinite (Ghostland #3) by Duncan Ralston

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Spoilers*

Ghosts wreak havoc in the streets of Duck Falls, and Lilian Roth has gone underground, hiding in the Laramies’ backyard bunker. With the town under military quarantine, the death toll continues to rise. And Hedgewood’s massive infrasound array stands to wipe out every “ethereal” within its radius, Ben Laramie and his friends at the Temple among them.

Setting the ethereals free from Ghostland was only the beginning for Rex Garrote. He’s returned to the remains of his house to tear open the Dark Rift – a realm of terrifying impossibilities between the living and ethereal planes – and unleash its nightmare creatures upon the world.

The End of Everything is on the horizon, and Lilian and Ben are humanity’s last hopes. Facing their greatest fears and insurmountable odds, they must return to Ghostland through the Dark Rift’s deadly, ever-changing landscape for a final confrontation between good and evil, to stop Rex Garrote once and for all.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I can’t begin to describe the exhilaration I felt when I started this audiobook. It is quite rare for me to finish a series/trilogy these days with books to distract me. So, let’s dive into the long-awaited Ghostland finale, Infinite.

One thing I’d like to mention, I would recommend reading Afterlife and Infinite back to back, or at least not a month apart like I did. This book picks up more or less where we left off, and it can be jarring at first. However, it didn’t take too long to get my sea legs back (or should I say my Ghost legs haha) and we’re off to the final battle between Rex Garrote, Ben and Lillian, and the Hedgewood Foundation.

I also advise note taking, not on the characters per say, but more of the rules of how this supernatural world works. I listened to Infinite on audio, and I suggest not multitasking while listening. This needs 100% of your attention.

Still more perplexing was that this cadaver smelled not of smoke but of the foulest stench of rot and putrescence I have ever borne witness to, as if his remains had been excreted from the very bowels of Hell.

Duncan Ralston, Infinite

But, I feel like I’m critiquing myself more than I am this novel. This novel is fast-paced, and rewards you for reading Afterlife. The dominos continue to fall as all the characters are seemingly and unknowingly playing right into Rex Garrote’s plan.

However, Ben, Lillian, and Ghosts are People Too aren’t going to take this laying down. Seeing everyone fight for what they perceive as right is moving. Seeing the leader of the Ghosts are People Too realize how much she messed up and how she was possibly betrayed was satisfying.

Overall, I enjoyed Infinite. The final battle is epic and the anticipation while getting there is palpable. I am thrilled to finally say I finished a trilogy! This has been an amazing ride, and I can’t wait to dive into Duncan Ralston’s other works *cough* Woom *cough*.

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: London (Surviving the Evacuation #1) by Frank Tayell

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*Minor Spoilers*

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Gore, and Blood.

The outbreak started in New York. Within days the infection had spread to every corner of the world. Nowhere is safe from the undead…

Bill watched from his window as London was evacuated. His leg broken, he is unable to join the exodus. Turning to his friends in the government, he waits and hopes for rescue. As the days turn into weeks, realising inaction will lead only to starvation and death, his thoughts turn to escape.

Forced to leave the safety of his home he ventures out into the undead wasteland that once was England, where he will discover a horrific secret.

This is the first volume of his journal.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I have had my eye on this series for a couple of years now. The fact that you get to see what a zombie apocalypse would look like to someone who wasn’t in the military was interesting. However, you soon realize why most zombie apocalypse survivors are ex-military, or currently enlisted.

He missed most of the beginnings of the end of the world because on the day news got to London about the outbreak, he fell down the stairs and broke his leg. So he was in a coma during all the action and deterioration of London and the United Kingdom as a whole. Nukes got launched, Missiles flew, and yet it seems like all the governments has collapsed.

It’s an oddly disquieting experience being surrounded by coffins inside while the undead are outside.

Frank Tayell; London (Surviving the Evacuation #1)

The only other person Bill, aka our protagonist, has ever known in his life it seems is his best friend Jen. He talks about her a lot. I understand that she is involved in the government and is the one who tried to send him care packages to hold him over until she was able to send someone to help him evacuate, but it seemed like she was the only thing in Bill’s entire universe.

The amount of pure dumb luck this character has, is ridiculous. He is trying to creep around London with a full cast and crutches. By the way, he loses one of them during his adventures along with a bunch of other stuff that the author forgot about. I think it would’ve helped everyone involved if Bill had kept an inventory, and not just how much food and water he has. I don’t know, this just frustrated me.

Overall, this novel was okay. I was disappointed with the ridiculousness this story had. Not the best zombie apocalypse books I’ve ever, read, but it scratched the itch for now. I would recommend this novel for those looking for a more fun zombie story.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews

REVIEW: Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*Spoilers Probably*

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.

It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.

But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.

And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I was hearing mixed reviews about this novella, so when I saw this at my local library I thought I’d give it a chance to see what was in store. So let’s creep into this review for Nothing But Blackened Teeth.

First off, I hate this trope in horror where all the characters are unlikable. Even our main character is unlikable. I wish she was more fleshed out because I wanted to learn more about her. Everyone else seemed like a jerk with no justification for being that way.

This is trying to be visceral by making us question our main character’s perception of reality. I feel like a lot of it is wasted because we don’t know about our main character. She says she was in the mental hospital for exhaustion or something like that, but doesn’t go into more detail.

It wasn’t charitable but apologies didn’t exonerate the sinner, only compelled graciousness from its recipient.

Cassandra Khaw, Nothing But Blackened Teeth

When the horror kicks in, I felt like it wasn’t all earned. Sure, we get the typical urban legend, a bride who got left at the alter and was so heartbroken she asked her wedding party to bury her alive in the palace she was going to live with her future husband. However, the book admits that they aren’t even sure if that’s the urban legend to go with the palace they were spending the night. Ergo, it makes me think that by them being drunk they willed this legend into being.

Like I stated earlier I’d like to know more about our main character’s relationship to her friends. Why is she so loyal to these people who seem to treat her poorly after her hospital stay? No one’s motives and reasonings are fleshed out other than “I need to save them because they’re my friends”. Unless she is that type of person who attracts poltergeist activity, then I’d ditch them as soon as they showed their true colors.

Overall, to keep from beating a dead horse. I wasn’t impressed with Nothing But Blackened Teeth. The characters are jerks, no one really gets their comeuppance. I just felt like this was a waste of time. Maybe if negative or mixed reviews make you more determined to read a book then I’d check it out from the library.

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels

REDO REVIEW: Fly by Night by Tara O’Connor

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

Trigger Warnings: Verbal Abuse, Grief, and brief mentions of fire and murder

Something supernatural is lurking in the woods. While out searching for her missing sister and desperately trying to find any possible clues to her whereabouts, Dee discovers something . . . isn’t quite right . . . in the woods. Dee soon finds herself in the middle of a battle to save the pinelands, and she is finding more suspects, and more questions, than answers.

As time goes on, there is only one thing she knows for certain, there are monsters among us. But they aren’t who you should be afraid of . . .

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I have been trying to diversify my reading this year, and when I saw this at my local library I thought I’d take the opportunity to check it out. The vibrant cover, and the mystery aspect makes this seem like the perfect review for me. So let’s sniff out Fly by Night.

First of this novel’s favorite color is purple. Even though a majority of this graphic novel is seen in shades of lavender and lilac, there’s a creepiness to it that helps the on going mystery of it all. Color theory for the win!

I like that we have a unique situation regarding Dee’s parents. That they were not only divorced but it was an interracial marriage. It’s hinted at through dialogue and insomnia spells that Dee’s father was abusive towards their mother. The father believes that if he kept both sisters together that Beth wouldn’t be missing.

Dee’s mom is visibly declining in health, she has heavy bags under her eyes and she looks like she hasn’t eaten or slept since Beth’s disappearance. Having her ex-husband there going on tirades when he’s not at work clearly is not making things easier. However she is relieved to have Dee there to help find out what happened to Beth.

As Dee is trying to sniff out clues, there’s an ongoing war against an oil company wanting to destroy the Pine-lands by building a pipeline. Beth was a major defender for the forest along with their science teacher and other students at the school. So how anyone has time to finish homework is beyond me. (haha)

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel, there’s a lot of heart and care put in towards the characters. Even the Jersey Devil get’s an appearance and has a role to play in Dee’s story. I would recommend this novel for anyone looking for a heartwarming mystery. Even fans of the Jersey Devil or Cryptozoology would enjoy this tale of how we need to protect the places that mean the most to us.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Doctor Who: Scratchman (Adventures of the 4th Doctor #20) by Tom Baker and James Goss

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

In his first-ever Doctor Who novel, Tom Baker’s incredible imagination is given free rein. A story so epic it was originally intended for the big screen, Scratchman is a gripping, white-knuckle thriller almost forty years in the making.

The Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane Smith arrive at a remote Scottish island, when their holiday is cut short by the appearance of strange creatures – hideous scarecrows, who are preying on the local population. The islanders are living in fear, and the Doctor vows to save them all. But it doesn’t go to plan – the time travellers have fallen into a trap, and Scratchman is coming for them.

With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the Doctor must battle an ancient force from another dimension, one who claims to be the Devil. Scratchman wants to know what the Doctor is most afraid of. And the Doctor’s worst nightmares are coming out to play…

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who for several years. For anyone who knows me personally, I collect the Doctor Who spin-off books. I have even reviewed several of them on this blog. Even though Doctor Who isn’t as popular as it was when the reboot started, my passion for this British icon still burns strongly.

This Doctor Who Adventure features the fourth incarnation of the Doctor who is traveling with his companions Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan. Sarah Jane is a journalist for the local paper and Harry is a surgeon-general for the secret military group U.N.I.T.

When the Doctor and crew stumbled upon some scarecrows that are infecting the local villagers with a mysterious substance that’s turning everyone into scarecrows. I thought I’d heard some version of this idea before. Interesting how the human psyche fears things that somewhat resemble ourselves.

One of the more memorable moments in this novel features Sarah Jane running back to the TARDIS to fetch a contraption for the Doctor so he can build a mechanism that’ll help defeat the scarecrows. Well, a scarecrow got in by mistake and starts chasing Sarah Jane in the many hallways and corridors of the TARDIS. Well one of the rooms had a device that shows the occupant’s life. From the day they were born up until the day they die.

Well, the scarecrow is about to corner Sarah Jane in this room and infect her with this scarecrow dust and it sees it’s life play out before it. We see the humanity in the voiceless and nameless scarecrow and it gives Sarah Jane enough time to escape the TARDIS which is coming down with this mysterious infection. I love how Doctor Who shows the humanity in the monsters/aliens when they have those characteristics.

Overall, I loved Scratchman, the atmosphere is creepy and suspenseful. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, but either way, check this story out.