Fairy Tale by Stephen King

 

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Five "Magical Well" Stars

Magic Moments Galore!

A very small taste of what lies within:

Charlie Reade is just an average young man who has seen some bad in his life with his mom getting killed when he was a kid and his dad drinking his life away, but when Charlie helps an elderly neighbor man is when Charlie's life changes. 

The elderly neighbor, Mr. Bowditch has a wonderful dog named Radar that his is life's companion. Charlie not only becomes close to the dog Radar, but becomes good friends with Mr. Bowditch and helps him do things around his home and yard. 

But it is what lies within a shed in the backyard of Mr. Bowditch that has Charlie intrigued but events have to happen before Charlie can even set foot within the doors of the shed and what he finds eventually is a magical world that is beyond his wildest dreams!

That is about all I can give on a taste without giving away spoilers so if you are wanting to learn more than you will just need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This story just captured my interest right away and slowly drew me in to the magnificent story telling of Stephen King. The master of horror is also the master of fantasy and he is able to weave magical webs around the reader pulling them into his world. 

I loved all the characters, especially Charlie, Mr. Bowditch and the dog, Radar. But there are tons of other characters that are wrapped within this book and they all have their own stories to tell as Charlie journeys into the great unknown magical world of this book. There are also enemies lying in wait as well which were not very nice but you cannot have a world without some kind of villains.  I felt that the book just gave me a relaxing and cozy feeling as I was reading it and I just wanted to stay wrapped within the whispers of King's mind. 

The story is told in two sections as the first part of the book is the growing relationship between Charlie, Mr. Bowditch and Radar, but the last half of the book is the magical portal into the other world which totally brings you into the forefront of what author, Stephen King can do with a fantasy story. He will take you to worlds unknown on his magic carpet ride and leave you there in awe of this story.  

I would love to see this book brought to life on the big screen as I am sure it would capture all the wonders of what this story did to me while reading it. I never wanted it to end and it will definitely be going on my favorites shelf. 

Attached is the author, Stephen King, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3389.Stephen_King

Attached is the author, Stephen King, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King/e/B000AQ0842

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4502807063

Ghost Mine by Hunter Shea

 

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Four "Haunting Horror" Stars

Spooks & Creatures!

A small taste of what lies within:

Nat Blackburn along with his best friend, Teta are sent out on an investigation from president Teddy Roosevelt to find out what happened to some soldiers that were sent to Hecla Wyoming as they were to check into some goings on at a mine out in the town, but they never returned to report their findings.

When Nat and Teta arrive out in Hecla - the town is anything but friendly but when they finally get their gear together to go check out the mine, they find something far beyond their imagination as something big and furry resides within but they learn it is no bear. 

The more they investigate the more they find out that the mine is actually haunted and they will have to dig deep to find out not only why it is haunted but what type of creature has made the mine its lair!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you are intrigued enough to learn more then you will need to read the book! 

Thoughts:

Author, Hunter Shea went far back into the western territory with this story as this setting all happens in the 1800's.  I was drawn right into the story and the pace is fast once the characters, Nat and Teta are introduced.  I am not really into reading western stories, but I normally will make an exception if they are horror westerns. If horror is somehow mixed into the story then I will read the book. 

This story turned out to be a mix of creatures and haunting so it is really the best of both worlds when it comes to Hunter Shea writing the story and I found myself becoming more invested in the time of reading the book as it seemed more things were happening to the characters. Another great book by this author and I will be adding the book to my favorites shelf. 

Attached is the author, Hunter Shea, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5224760.Hunter_Shea

Attached is the author, Hunter Shea, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Shea/e/B007RMLXAA

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4959831990

Something in the Groove by Glenn Rolfe

 

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Four "Horrifying Demon" Stars

Spooky Hell Ride into Terror!

A taste of what lies within:

Lee Buhl is back along with Rhiannon as they take on a cursed vinyl record that could very well have the capability to open up a portal to hell. Though Lee and Rhiannon are still trying to get over their last run in with demons from the Bruton Inn they will need to travel to a place called Our Hearts and Minds which is a sanitarium that is totally overrun with demonic activity but this time the demons are far worse than what they could ever imagine and it will take every skill they possess to rid the demons from this world!

That is about all I can give on a taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This book was one creepy and spooky ride! I fell right into the storyline and the story just grabbed me right away. The book was a steady pace and held my interest throughout the storyline. I love the characters, Lee and Rhiannon - both are strong characters and I would love to see more adventures by them in the future. 

The book, The Haunted Halls is the introduction to both characters and I was happy with this sequel. The book is steeped in demonic activity and the story just flies faster the closer I got to the end of the book. Another book added to my favorites shelf. 

Attached is the author, Glenn Rolfe, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6939496.Glenn_Rolfe

Attached is the author, Glenn Rolfe, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Rolfe/e/B00AXYEBTY

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4976819902

Darkfall: Deathborn by Lee Mountford

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Five "Evil Creature" Stars

Tension and Suspense!

A small taste of what lies within:

Jack Bennett is traveling with his young son, Samuel but something happens that turns Jack's world upside down when they both witness something happening not too far away from their campsite. They see a few men standing around as if they are waiting for something and then they hear a roar that sends shivers down their spines. What Jack sees next will change his life forever as some kind of creature comes rumbling toward the campsite with the men in pursuit! 

That is about all I can give on a taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more you will need to read this book!

Thoughts:

Something a little different from author, Lee Mountford as he stepped into the "creature" realm with this book. Normally he stays kind of close to books that are geared more toward hauntings but this book goes deep into "creature carnage" and there was more of an upheaval of downright breathless terror with this story! Lots of emotion is wrapped within this book as well as you feel for Jack and what he is about to find out where his next path leads. 

The story is fast paced as just a little ways into the book the creature appears and from that moment on throughout the rest of the story lots of things happen which kept me glued to my kindle. Author, Lee Mountford stays true to form with the writing style as this book kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Emotions are heavy for the character Jack, but as time goes on he learns to live with the past as he embarks on a quest for the future. Another great series which kicks off with this book and looking forward to the second book which will be out soon (this month actually) to see where this author will take this series.

Attached is the author, Lee Mountford, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16816627.Lee_Mountford

Attached is the author, Lee Mountford, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Mountford/e/B0716HDW6C

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4985558313

The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz

 

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Five "Spooky Shivering" Stars

Spooked Out of My Skin!!

A taste of what lies within:

There is an island called The Sorrows that is located not too far from the coastline of California which has a castle that has been abandoned for a very long time. There were murders that happened in the castle back in the 1920's along with something happening to a research team in the 1970's and the castle was shut down to avoid anything bad happening to anyone else.

When two film composers Eddie and Ben are offered a chance to stay in the castle for a month from the owner, they jump at the chance to go as they are wanting to film a horror movie and what better place to get inspiration than to stay in a supposedly haunted castle.

Eddie and Ben decide to take along two female companions, Eva and Claire, so that they can all take advantage of the opportunity to be in the castle. The only way to get to the island is by helicopter so there is a little trepidation among Eva and Claire as they worry if something should happen then a rescue is impossible as there is no phone and internet communications available on the island.

The castle has new visitors and it has been a very long time since fresh meat walked through its doors. Something has been dormant for a long time, but it has now woken up when it realizes that tenants have arrived!

What is laying in wait at The Sorrows? What have Eddie and Ben walked into? Does anyone survive The Sorrows? That is about all I can give on a taste without giving away spoilers, so if you want to know more than you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

Very atmospheric haunting book and some chapters have a journal that was written describing the history of the island from the past which gives more insight of how the castle came to be haunted.

Mysterious, suspenseful, fast paced with blood and gore!

Second time reading this book and better the second time around which is driving up my star rating to five as I could not put the book down! Gore suit time and insomnia fuel of this book just kept me glued to my kindle! 

Note: There is a sequel to this book called the Castle of Sorrows which I am planning on reading before the end of this year. :)

Attached is the author, Jonathan Janz, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4389526.Jonathan_Janz

Attached is the author, Jonathan Janz, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Janz/e/B008IIP7J0

Attached is my Goodreads review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2789493620

The Haunted Halls by Glenn Rolfe

 

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Four "Chiller Thriller Haunting" Stars

Spooky Ride!

A small taste of what lies within:

The Bruton Inn hides a demonic entity called the "Ice Queen" and anyone who stays there feels her wrath. The demonic entity only has her sights set on the men as she wants to take them out of this world and she will do it anyway she can even it means leaving blood and gore trails!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then you will need to read this book!

Thoughts:

This was one twisted ride through the "haunted" mind of author, Glenn Rolfe. Twists and turns abound along with murders, gore flying, and plenty of blood. This book was a non-stop blood fest! It was a good thing I had my gore suit handy as it was needed for this bloody romp!

There were quite a few characters though to keep track of but there was plenty of action when the story introduced the Ice Queen. From that point on in the story the book literally goes into overdrive and the pace becomes faster!

This was my second reread of the story and I found to like it more the second time around as I was entranced more with the story. There is a sequel to this book as well called "Something in the Groove" and I started reading it today. Another great story by this author! 

Attached is the author, Glenn Rolfe, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6939496.Glenn_Rolfe

Attached is the author, Glenn  Rolfe, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Rolfe/e/B00AXYEBTY

Attached is my Goodreads review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2793292208

Strangers by Michaelbrent Collings

 

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Four "Psycho Scary" Stars

Nail-Biting Tension!

A taste of what lies within:

What would you do if you woke up in your home to find out that you are literally trapped inside with no way to get out? 

That is what happens to this family of four in this story as a psycho breaks into their home silently without them knowing it - then while they are sleeping he drugs them so they do not wake up for awhile as he goes through their house doing stuff to windows and doors so they cannot get out. 

When they wake up and find out they are sealed within their own home their panic goes into overdrive as they do everything in their power to try and get out their home while in the background somewhere the psycho plays with them like a cat and mouse game driving them all to the brink of insanity! 

Thoughts:

First time reading this author though I have a few of his books simmering on my kindle and I was pleasantly surprised by the immediate hook of the story as I was dragged into a nightmare of intense psychological horror which kept my insomnia fueled a few nights!

However, having enjoyed the story as much as I did I felt that near a 400 page book (kindle pages were 374) was a little long and drawn out with almost a play by play of the characters as they tried to get out of their home. The whole setting of the story is inside the house as the family goes into survival mode on how to escape the clutches of this psycho guy. This is the reason for a four star read instead of a five star read. 

I loved the tension and crazy intense story with the family just about to have panic attacks as they try to figure out what they can do to get out of their predicament but for a long book like that I just felt it could have been shorter story. 

I have a few more books on my kindle by this author so I will be stepping into more of his work to see what else he has out there in the horror realm and also this is a series so I will be checking out the second book soon as there was sort of a cliff hanger at the end of this book.  

Attached is the author, Michaelbrent Collings, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3153841.Michaelbrent_Collings

Attached is the author, Michaelbrent Collings, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Michaelbrent-Collings/e/B003VSI88O

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4954375344

Where the Dead Walk by John Bowen

 

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Four "Mysterious Haunting" Stars

Spooky Séances! 

A taste of what lies within:

The paranormal tv show "Where the Dead Walk" hosted by Kate Bennett have been offered a chance to go explore a mansion owned by Sebastian Dahl who believes the mansion is haunted. Normally the tv crew are not on the up and up with the show as they sometimes pretend that the places are haunted to keep viewers watching the show, but this time when they explore the mansion they soon find out that what it holds inside is real. 

One of their main crew, Charles who is a medium realizes that there truly is something evil inside the mansion and when they decide to perform a séance they soon learn that the evil somehow wants Kate but to what purpose no one knows, but it will take all of their skills and investigating to dig deep into the mystery of the mansion or else Kate will end up in the clutches of whatever lies within the mansion.

That is about all I can on a taste without giving away spoilers. If you want to know more than you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This was my first time reading this author and I was drawn right away into the mystery of the story. Though the more I became involved in the story the more I learned that the book was mostly just a haunting mystery. Almost the whole book was the tv crew looking for answers of why the mansion was haunted.  

The story literally slowed down for me from the 30% mark to 70% mark with just the characters running around trying to find answers to their questions. I really was planning on giving this book three stars as it just seemed to drag along at a snails pace, but the last 30% of the book is where all the "mansion mystery" went into a full scale onslaught of  everything coming together and what was truly going on within the story which drove my rating up to one more star as I literally could not put the book down with all that was happening within the story. 

So for the most part this book was kind of a slow burn - the mystery and suspense kept my attention through most of the book but there were times that I wanted to just read something else as it was dragging with tons of dialogue that I felt wasn't needed for the story. There was too much talking and not enough haunting action but all in all it is a good haunted mystery story. 

I just realized that there is a second book that features the paranormal tv crew so I am curious how that book will be compared to this one. I will try it out at some point to see if maybe it will be scarier than this book as this story is not scary at all. There are no nightmares laying beyond the doors of this story! 

Attached is the author, John Bowen, profile page from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8344638.John_Bowen

Attached is the author, John Bowen, profile page from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/John-Bowen/e/B00K3NTOTW

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2007719739