Showing posts with label Near Death. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Book of Monster Stories Review Spotlight

Hello readers.

Looking for something dark?

Something twisted?

Something that will have the hair on the back of your neck standing on end?

Something that will have you looking over your shoulder?

Then HellBound Books and Black Tide Book Tours has got a treat for you...Book Of Monsters is sure to leave you delightfully unhinged. Enjoy!

Book of Monster Stories is an anthology of short horror stories that will take a nice little trip through your brain. You'll be taking a second look at that cricket before you think about crushing it. That strange goop you see floating in your pool? Is it really just something strange that fell in? Or is it something more? The darkness between the trees...are they just shadows? Or is there a creature that only you can see?

Remember the rules...if you don't acknowledge it...it's not really there and it can't get you. Or can it?

Book of Monster Stories brings you a collection of horror stories that will grip you and threaten to devour you whole. Each story will bring you a whole new horrific creation from these various authors' twisted minds. Some are truly twisted, while others are more for the mild readers who like sleeping at night. Haha!

But for readers who enjoy things that are...the creepier the better? There are some in here just for you as well. The stories vary which will keep readers on their toes. You just never know what you're going to get as each author brings some new delightfully twisted treat to the table.

Not every story is going to be a creep-tastic gore fest. There will be some that honestly...will just leave you with your jaw on the floor. There will be a few here and there that leave you with more questions at the close of the story. We have to guess that this is by design because it allows readers to come to their own conclusions as to where things go from there concerning the characters.

One story that stuck with us in particular is the story with the "tulpas." This particular story feels complete from beginning to end. It draws you in with an intriguing storyline, and gives you a satisfying storyline that culminates in the most interesting way. But don't think that's the only story that stuck with us.

Nope! There's a few others that stood out. Granted, because of our sheer horror and hurt because of the harming of precious felines. LOL! Sorry, not sorry but we're cat people here. You best believe that one may or may not have us looking at a particular insect in a different way. THAT's for sure! But even we have to admit...that story was dark, twisted, and brought a nice amount of creep factor. LOL!

The stories that give you a glimpse at what happens next at the end were typically the ones we enjoyed the most, but each story was deliciously unique and utterly twisted. Little gems of horror can be found throughout this anthology and we're sure that more than one author will soon have new readers trailing after their dark crumbs of horror begging for more.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank yo to the authors, HellBound Books and Black Tide Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! We look forward to what comes next!

The Horror Zine's Book of Monster Stories

by HellBound Books Publishing

Black Tide Book Tours

March 5-8

With an Introduction by Shirley Jackson Award-winner Gemma Files, this outstanding anthology of all things monstrous includes spine-chilling stories from Bentley Little, Simon Clark, Elizabeth Massie, Tim Waggoner, Sumiko Saulson, plus some of the best emerging horror writers working today.

“This anthology gives us a chilling glimpse at the dark and dangerous things prowling in the minds of some of today’s best horror writers.” – JG Faherty, author of Ragman and Songs in the Key of Death

“Throughout the pages are creepy tales by up-and-comers who you may have read, plus writers brand new to a horror reader’s discerning eye. Embark on a journey to the realm where monsters—familiar or unique—dwell. Highly recommended to horror aficionados obsessed with eldritch fiction—this one’s for you!” – Nancy Kilpatrick, author of Thrones of Blood Series and the Darker Passions series

Universal link for the book on Amazon

About the Author

HellBound books are the veritable tour de force in the independent publishing world — for eight years and counting, they have published novels, novellas, and bestselling anthologies of exemplary horror, bizarro, and all things dark — the type of tales from exciting new authors guaranteed to keep you wide awake in the small hours and checking the inky-black, coagulating shadows beneath your bed just one last time...
They are incredibly proud to be champions of the newest, brightest upcoming authors as well as home to more established writers. Their objective is to bring to you — wonderful readers — the very best in the dark genres. They are proud to say all HellBound books titles are available in traditional-sized paperback and ebook, along with a few very special hard cover books, too.

https://hellboundbookspublishing.com/
https://twitter.com/HellBoundBooks
https://www.instagram.com/hellboundbooks

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Double Grudge Donuts Review Spotlight

The latest book in the deliciously delightful Deputy Donut Mystery series is here! The 8^th book in this long running series by Ginger Bolton is sure to be a crowd pleaser as amateur sleuth and Deputy Donut Cafe owner, Emily Westhill, returns with a wedding on the horizon, and all while a murder is brewing.

True to form the Deputy Donut Mystery series graces Double Grudge Donuts with a delightful cover that showcases the storefront of Deputy Donuts and their patio area. Dep sits adorably at one of the patio tables with a paw outstretched towards a plate of double fudge donuts. Makes you wish you could be there to share in one, too. Right? The cover definitely sets a scene that is sure to draw in fans of the series and new readers alike. Eye-catching, delicious elements, and an adorable kitty that surely will pique the interest of adoring cat lovers.

Double Grudge Donuts picks up with the Fallingbrook’s Art Festival week. What should be a joyous time for the town isn’t exactly going too well for one particular performer. A cornet performer seems to be struggling with their performance. Is this a case of stage-fright? Loss of concentration?

Well, when a bagpiper decides to let out a series of “squawks” and “wheezes” from their own instrument, it is definitely with the intent of lending a “helping hand” or any sense of “encouragement.” What those dreadful sounds end up doing is turning heads, drawing the ire of many and setting the stage….for murder.

Kirk, the bagpiper, is would appear is out to make more enemies than friends with his behavior. He’s a recent transplant to Fallingbrooks and works as a janitor at the local school. You’re quickly going to get the sense that he’s one of the least liked individuals in town. Kirk’s attitude and irritating behavior quickly create a list of people who like to see him silenced. But when he turns up dead, does that mean that someone he annoyed with his raucous late night playing and rudeness did him in?

With Emily and Dep discovering the body, and all signs pointing to a clear case of murder, the question arises...who did the deed? Was it someone he upset with his rudeness? Was the murder weapon a Deputy Donut mug that was stolen?

Settle in, because Double Grudge Donuts is going to immerse you in a delightful cozy mystery that details Emily’s drive to solve this mystery and not end up the murderer’s next victim in the process. This won’t be easy as the air of suspicion has been cast upon Emily and her family. Who would dare to suspect Emily and her parents? Well, you can bet that it’s not the local police force. That’s for sure!

Emily is definitely going to have her hands full in Double Grudge Donuts! She’s got the business to run, customers to keep happy, events to participate in, and a wedding to plan! Throw in a murder, and boy does she have an overflowing plate! Can she do it all and stay one step ahead of a dangerous murderer? You bet!

Of course, things get complicated when the list of suspects just keeps growing and growing. Why did Kirk have to go and make so many people mad?! Let’s be real though...if someone was walking around at night playing their bagpipes and disturbing people’s sleep...you’d be mad, too. LOL! Add in him interrupting performances with his rude playing...you’re going to be hard pressed to feel much sympathy for him.

Emily stays true to form to the Deputy Donut series with her desire to figure out the truth. She’s shown a lot of development through the series with her learning to share any information she gathers with her soon to be husband, Brent. Of course, she’s constantly going to be warned along the way by many a character to “let the police handle things.” Not an easy thing to do when it appears that someone is trying to frame you for murder.

Double Grudge Donuts is packed with delicious donutty treats that will leave you drooling and wishing you could have one...or two...or more! LOL! Engaging characters that will keep you engaged in the story as it all unfolds. The back and forth between Emily and a variety of characters keeps you wondering...”Who is the killer and what would their motive be?”

Author Bolton drops little hints along the way throughout the book like crumbs from a donut. Can you piece together who would have motive, means and opportunity to end Kirk’s haunting tunes? For this reader, author Bolton managed to keep that particular mystery buried deep until the final lead-up to the fateful reveal. A unique turn of events will show you that this particular case goes well beyond Fallingbrook, and ties to something else from the past.

While this book is the lead-up to Emily’s wedding, we don’t get a lot of the wedding planning itself. Author Bolton throws in a few mentions here and there, along with some fun playful banter. However, if you’re hoping for more...you may be a touch disappointed. Double GrudgeDonuts focuses more on the mystery and the solving of it. You get swirls around the town, but the story stays focused on the characters, the festival, and uncovering hidden secrets and potential motives.

Double Grudge Donuts is an average paced cozy mystery novel. The characters come off as realistic and overall engaging. Dep gets to play a pretty important part of the story, but you’ll have to pay attention to what that element particularly is. Of course, you’re going to tempted with some tantalizingly delicious donuts, and as with every book in this series, you’ll find a couple delicious recipes in the back.

The book gives readers Emily’s big day, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens next with Emily and Dep as they continue their path in this next chapter of their lives.

Pros:

Engaging storyline
Twists and intrigue
Well developed characters
Tons of mystery

Cons:

Little focus on the wedding planning, since this is the book with a wedding in it.

Cover Score: 9.6/10

4.5 out of 5 stars

Monday, February 5, 2024

Of Elves and Embers Review Spotlight

Of Elves and Embers, a Forgotten Kingdom standalone novel, is packed with tension, drama, building romance, and found family. This engaging novel is sure to have you coming back for the rest of the books in this collection with a prophecy that sweeps wider than we know. For now, Of Elves and Embers…

Of Elves and Embers by Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle is a beautifully written novel about a young woman given another chance at life. Another chance to fulfill a promise made, a promise that she very well has yet to remember. Ember’s life has been rather mundane, but she’s never felt like she really belonged. When she wins a contest, she feels an overwhelming compulsion to take the trip offered. It’s not something that she would normally do, but she does it anyway. Especially when another close to her wins a similar contest and insists that they go.

Where is this going to lead? Well, it’s going to lead to unexpected events, for Ember, and a second chance at a love that she was made the choice to walk away from...for their sake. While she may have no memories as of yet, they’ll be coming back to her. Too bad her memories can’t prepare her for the danger that awaits her return to a realm that she currently doesn’t remember.

Of Elves and Embers, especially for fans of Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle, is a fantasy romance novel that you’re not going to want to miss out on. Readers who enjoy sassy characters will absolutely love Ember. We’re not 100% fans of sassy characters, especially when they are just being obstinately stubborn to be exactly that, but Ember is still interesting.

The authors engage readers with the handsome king, the ferocious Cerberus, a variety of other mythical creatures, and how Ember handles her new environment. It’s quite the adjustment for her as she goes from living a less-than-enjoyable” life on Earth to now living in a completely different realm. On Earth, she didn’t have much to hold her there, but here in Aelvaria, history sleeps in her distant memories.

A former life. The secrets are locked away in those memories. Reliving them with Ember is both informative and quite delicious. You get insights into Ember’s former life as Phaedra’s life before her “untimely” passing. The revelations authors hint at, and even tease at things that have yet to be revealed.

With each turn of the page, the story comes together more and more. Readers will be drawn in little by little and pulled into Ember’s and Hadeon’s orbit. You’ll gradually understand why exactly it is that he’s so thorny, and to an extent, why he holds Ember at arm’s length. There is hurt on both sides, and it all is revealed when it is meant to be.

The authors promise romance and even so more open-door sex scenes. Readers who are looking for those steamy scenes, calm down. There will be none found here. The scenes are glossed over, allowing readers to use their imaginations when it comes to the exact details. This will be disappointing for readers who love those detailed steamy scenes. However, these authors have chosen to give readers this in lieu of their usual fade-to-black or fade-to-gray style.

Seeing as this book is a standalone novel, there will be a HEA. Or will there be!?! LOL! We’re just teasing. Of course there will be, so that’s definitely something to look forward to. Expect quite a bit of drama and maybe even a heart-stopping moment or two before you get there though. So, just brace yourself. LOL!

The authors give readers not only a dynamic cast of characters, but you get some hints of more along the way as well. Hints of what exactly? Why...is that another romance we sense that may or may not have been brooding along the edges? Whatever is going on between a certain soldier and another character is definitely something worth investigating!

Ember is an interesting character, regardless of the fact that she’s probably not our exact favorite. She brings such dynamic energy to the story. Maybe a little less “sass” would have benefited her, especially in situations where it was just absolutely unnecessary. Hadeon has his similar moments, but his attitude, for us, comes more from a space of pain than true “arrogance” like Ember is painted in believing of him.

Readers who enjoy these two authors and their works will absolutely want to grab up this book. However, you won’t want to stop there. After reading this book the desire to read the other books “connected” in this collection of novels will be on you strong. So, make sure that you grab them all up when you can!

4.5 out of 5 stars

A huge thank you to authors, Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle, for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next!

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Savage Wild Hearts Review Spotlight

Savage Wild Hearts is the first book in Sean Fletcher’s Savage Wild series. A twisted fantasy novel packed with drama, and intensity that will keep you page-turning, and an ending that will leave you eager for the next book in the series.

Savage Wild Hearts starts things off with an eye-catching cover with a thicket of vines and thorns complete with a crown in the middle. What does it all mean? Well, this simple image is a teaser for what is to come buried deep in this story. Get comfortable, because this is a story that is going to keep you engaged in the characters to the very end.

Author Sean Fletcher has created a beautiful and dangerous new world where the old world is no more. An upheaval has rocked the world. Beings called “wildlings” have come along with the Wilds. The Wilds are a dangerous place filled with dangerous creatures that will tear you apart. The Wilds is no place for humans, and as you read this book you’ll come to understand all to well how true this is. However, one particular human seems to have found a place there.

Val was actually found not too far from the Wilds. She was warned even as a child to stay out, but the Wilds call to her. Plus, they are a source of her only financial stability...as meager as it is. She has a reason to put her life on the line. Someone she cares about is sick...and dying. But everything is about to change...when she crosses paths with a particular wildling.

It’s a gradual build-up, but this book is quick on its feet. Before you know it Val is being whisked away deeper into a situation that she had no intent of involving herself in. But she doesn’t really have a choice. It’s hard to have a choice when a threat hangs over your head. But she’s also desperate, and desperate people will do just about anything. Her new “associate” Rune can attest to that.

Rune has an agenda, and he sees something in Val that will help him accomplish what it is that he seeks. Rune is out for revenge, but he wants more than just that. His past haunts him, and he sees power in her that will help him get a step closer to seeing his enemies dead at his feet.

Savage Wild Hearts is a gripping story that will keep you coming back for more. Val is an interesting character with a past wrapped in shadows and mist. There is something different about her and it doesn’t take long for this fact to come to the forefront. Author Sean Fletcher is quick to tease readers with this tidbit of information early in the story. Yet, it’s really when Val is heading home that he makes sure to put a spotlight on her “abnormality.” Questions are going to begin to pepper your mind, but you’re going to be okay with waiting for the answers to come.

Val is a young woman who is more than a little jaded. As you read this book and get to know more about her, you’ll better understand exactly why. Of course, when she’s called upon to trust a wildling, it’s easy to understand why she’s less than eager to do so. Granted, it’s hard to trust someone when they “strong-arm” you into an agreement with threats. But the threats are tinged with promises, too. Heart gems. If she can get enough, she’ll be set. Money won’t be an issue and she can help the one she loves.

Of course, there is also Rune, the wildling. He has a goal...to be king. Sounds pretty ambitious, right? Well, it is. Dangerous, too. He’s an interesting character with a lofty goal, and a tough road ahead of him if he’s going to acquire his dream. You’re going to see that he’s more than willing to do whatever it takes to get there. He sounds tough as nails, but the author makes a point of showing that Rune is vulnerable as well. It’s a nice touch honestly.

This book brings readers a storyline that keeps you wondering “What is going to happen next?” Questions are going to dog you as the story goes deeper. Packed with twists and turns, nothing ever truly goes the way that you think it will go. The author does a fantastic job keeping readers on their toes as to what is going to happen next. Just when you think that things are going to go their way...BAM! Plot twist!

It’s honestly one of our favorite things about this book. You’re going to want things to go their way and for them to catch a break, but the twists are the best part. Do things pan out for them here and there? Yes, but it’s never in the way that you expect! Which makes it awesome!

Are you a reader who hates cliffhangers though? Well...this book may drive you the tiniest bit crazy then. LOL! The final chapters are absolutely CRAZY! No, seriously. Expect buggy eyes, jaw on the floor, and a tight grip on your device as you devour the final pages. The author throws a lot at you that you will. Not. See. Coming! One thing is for sure...you’re going to be eager for book two.

Love a good fantasy novel with a touch of dystopian elements? Then this is the book to grab and devour.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Sean Fletcher, for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next!

Want to grab a copy for yourself? Click and go for it! Amazon US GoodReads

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Old Sins Review Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for Old Sins by Lynne Handy! Read on for more details and exclusive excerpt!

Prepare to be taken across the seas to the picturesque Ireland in Old Sins as Lynne Handy unfolds a mystery that will take you into the past to reveal it's dark origins.

Maria Pell is currently residing in an Irish village working on creating new poetry and studying prehistoric people. For the most part, all seems well in this quiet little village...as long as you're willing to ignore the bizarre neighbor next door. He owns the cottage she's staying in, so that's a bit hard to do. But we must always do our best, yes?

Things take a dark twist though when a young girl goes missing and is found murdered. Who could have done this heinous crime? Why was the young girl targetted? These questions and more will pummel the people of this small village, but more is to come unfortunately. This once quiet village is going to be rocked again and again as someone is intent on hurting the people who live there. If Maria isn't careful she just might end up being one of the many victims.

Old Sins is a mystery novel that will grab you from the beginning and keep you coming back to find out what happens next. The start of this book is shocking and revealing at the same time. Then you're pushed to go deeper with Maria. What Maria experienced as a child has molded her into the individual that she is in the story.

Maria is really an interesting character. She's complex without being overly so. She's flawed and acknowledges this frequently throughout this book. She tries not to let hypocracy blind her, but there are moments when it does blind her a little.

The twisted nature of the mystery in this book will have you page-turning as more girls go missing. With the appearance of Maria's "estranged beau" new information gets brought to light. While there might be tension and drama between them, he definitely brings a fresh set of eyes to the situation at hand.

As this puzzle of a story begins to come together, pay close attention. The author is dropping clues here and there to lead you to who the culprit is. On one hand, I found it hard to believe, but on the other hand...my jaw was just on the floor. The title ties into the story beautifully.

This book absolutely engaged me from beginning to end. The author wrote an exceptional story with engaging characters. I look forward to more of this author's work in the future. I'm choosing to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author, Lynne Handy, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Keep reading for an excerpt from this novel and be sure to check out my fellow bloggers as they share their thoughts on this novel.

Old Sins (A Maria Pell Mystery)

Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022

Genre: Thriller

Battered by her archeologist lover’s betrayal, poet Maria Pell flees to an Irish village to study prehistoric people and write her next volume of poetry, but her sanctuary is invaded first by her moody cousin and then by her Togolese lover who unexpectedly show up on her doorstep. When the discovery of a girl’s body on a rocky shore reawakens Maria’s devastating childhood memory of finding a dead baby floating in a stream, her days become haunted by this child’s death. As teenage girls disappear, villagers are terrified that sex-traffickers are targeting their community. With crimes to be solved, both past and present, Maria risks her life to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Excerpt

In the summer of 1988 when I was ten, I found a baby girl caught in the cattails of a stream running through my parents’ property. At first, I thought she was another baby Moses waiting to be discovered in the bulrushes. It was when I knelt to free her from the fronds that I saw her ashen face, her vacant eyes, and knew she was dead.

I see it all in slow motion now: I, in a yellow sundress, scrambling to my feet, knowing something was horribly wrong that a baby had been thrown in the creek. I ran toward my house crying, “There’s a dead baby in the creek!”

My academician father was sitting in the porch swing, reading a newspaper. He threw it down and came running. The kitchen door banged behind my mother. “John? What is it?”

I ran to her and pressed my face against her chest.“It’s a dead baby,” I sobbed.“She’s wearing a pink dress.”

“A pink dress?”

My mother folded her arms around me and stared after my father, who admonished her to stay where she was. I’m sure my mother looked at the baby afterward, but not on the day that I found her.

No one ever claimed her. No one ever admitted throwing her in the creek. The town called her Baby Doe. The coroner said she’d been alive when she went in the water. She had been a throwaway child. Until finding her, I had not known that children could be so unloved they would be discarded. I was so distressed that my parents sent me to a psychiatrist who told my mother that I had merged my psyche with that of the unwanted infant and feared no one would ever want me.

How many times during my childhood had my mother asked if I knew how much she and my father loved me? Taken literally, it was a difficult question to answer, so I had kept silent. How do you measure love? Fear of abandonment helped form the woman I became, and in some ways, I remained stuck emotionally in my tenth year.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

The eldest child in a farm family, I grew up in western Indiana where the tall corn drove me inward to create fantasy worlds. Books were my salvation. I was drawn to poetry in the beginning. Wordsworth and other poets taught me that metaphor, sound, and cadence made a good poem. From authors like Dickens, I learned that rhythmic sentences advanced plot. Hemingway taught me about verbs. Upon graduating from library school, I worked as a librarian in Illinois, Texas, and Michigan. In retirement, I co-founded Open Sky Poets, a collaboration of poets in the western suburbs of Chicago, and published poems and short stories in literary journals. I self-published three novels—two are mysteries. Current projects involve a mystery series with author Jake Westin, who, like Christie’s Miss Marple, somehow lands in the middle of murder investigations. I live in a brick house with roses in front and two rescue dogs who bark at passersby.

Lynne Handy | Twitter | Instagram

Facebook | BookBub | Goodreads

Book Tour Schedule

September 26^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

@books_inthecity (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books_inthecity/

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

@genoviareadingco (Review) https://www.instagram.com/genoviareadingco/

@readitandsteep_ (Review) https://www.instagram.com/readitandsteep_/

September 27^th

@jacleomik33 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jacleomik33/

@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/

Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com

@better_0ff_read (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/better_0ff_read/

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

September 28^th

@mels_booksandhooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mels_booksandhooks/

@evelovesbooks_travel_art (Review) https://www.instagram.com/evelovesbooks_travel_art/

Stine Writing (Review) https://christinebialczak.com/

Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

@fle_d (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/fle_d

September 29^th

@bookish_elise (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookish_elise/

@mysticforestcrafts (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mysticforestcrafts/

Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

Sadie’s Spotlight (Spotlight) http://sadiesspotlight.com/

Read & Rated (Spotlight) https://readandrated.com/

September 30^th

@amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/

@amysbooknook8 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amysbooknook8/

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

Book Reviews by Taylor (Review) https://www.bookreviewsbytaylor.com/

@bookscoffeehappiness (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/bookscoffeehappiness/

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

Friday, July 8, 2022

The Survivors Review Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for new novella, The Survivors by T.C. Weber! Read on if you dare!

The Survivors by T.C. Weber is a post apocalyptic horror novella that depicts a variety of characters struggle for survival in a world ravaged by climate change. A young mother simply wants to live in peace with her two young children. She’s experienced plenty of dangers already, but it seems that life has more in store for her.

The Survivors is the first book that I have read by T.C. Weber. The blurb of this book really piqued my interest. The author depicts a world torn apart by climate change, and showcases the characters struggling to survive the oppressive heat during the daylight hours. The story focuses on Lucy and her hoping for a better tomorrow. The humans of “yester-year” are gone and depicted as the “Vanished Ones.” It really begs the question – what happened to them?

This book definitely checks the boxes when it comes to the “horror” angle. There were literally a couple of moments where my jaw literally dropped. I like the twists and the surprises. I would have liked Lucy to be a stronger character, but she eventually does develop some backbone.

My biggest complaint concerning this story is the big question that still lingers – what happened to the world and the humans who inhabited it? Now, I’m sure you’re wondering – doesn’t the author give SOME backstory? The simple answer? Yes. But I think that this story needed something more. This book is a novella, so of course, it will be shorter than a novel. However, I think that there could have been more. Without a more solid foundation, this book falls a bit flat for me.

I’m choosing to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. This book has some good elements and engaging moments, but it just needed something more to really take it to the top. This book mixed horror, climate change, and some religious aspects to create a truly unique story. For those who enjoy horror this novella is one to check out.

Thank you to the author, T.C. Weber, and R&R Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Survivors

Publication Date: May 5th, 2022

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Horror/ Novella

Publisher: Solstice Publishing

In a calamitous future, runaway climate change has made the planet nearly uninhabitable. Civilization has collapsed, and every day is a struggle. Lucy, a young mother of two, dreams of a better life by bringing back vanished knowledge. But the rest of her group is focused only on day-to-day survival—at any price. When a deadly hurricane destroys their home, Lucy’s group is forced on the road, where they must cope with hunger, searing temperatures, and vicious rivals. And their nightmare is just beginning…

TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains scenes with horror, violence, and gore, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt

A churning wall of water speeds toward us, many times higher than any waves I’ve seen before. Knees shaking, I grip my daughter and infant and back away.

Angelica grips her talisman and challenges the approaching waves. “Por favor, deténganse, Espíritus! Los adoraremos mejor!”

The tower shudders and shakes. Spray slaps up the windows, like the water’s trying to pull us down.

The window in front of Angelica cracks, jagged lines marching across its surface. It shatters inward. Shards of glass fly into the room, along with howling wind and spray strong enough to knock everyone off their feet—even Thal. Lengths of grass tear away from my woven vest and skirt.

Angelica screams, a high-pitched shriek that sounds like an animal being ripped apart.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Ted Weber has pursued writing since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with physics and ecology. His first published novel was a near-future cyberpunk thriller titled Sleep State Interrupt (See Sharp Press). The first book of a trilogy, it was a finalist for the 2017 Compton Crook award for best first speculative fiction novel. The sequels, The Wrath of Leviathan and Zero-Day Rising, are also out. These were followed by Born in Salt, a character-oriented alternate history novel that pits an Illinois farm boy against a ruthless fascist government. His latest work, The Survivors (Solstice Publishing), is a post-apocalyptic horror novella in which a young mother is forced on the road and struggles to survive a living nightmare.

Mr. Weber is a member of Poets & Writers and the Maryland Writers Association, and has run numerous writing workshops. By day, Mr. Weber works as an ecologist, and has had a number of scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents.

For book samples, short stories, and more, visit https://www.tcweber.com/