REVIEW: Rich Hawkins - King Carrion - Review #2

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Horror Company

Publication Date: 17^th Sept 2016

Pages: 132

REVIEWED BY ALEX

A copy of King Carrion was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Sinister Horror Company in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Getting back into the spirit of posting multiple reviews for the same books, Confessions gives you the second review of King Carrion by Rich Hawkins.

Tonight’s review is brought to you by Alex Kimmell:

If you’re a fan of horror fiction, chances are pretty good that you’ve read at least a couple of books about vampires and zombies. You’ve seen the movies, television shows and maybe even flipped through the overabundance of comic books out there. You are familiar with the end of the world tropes where all of us humans are scraped from the face of the Earth like so many crumbs from a plate of chocolate chip cookies. As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun, or even the moon.

However, there are a certain, special few who divert from these well-worn, shadowed paths just enough to impress new footprints in the muddy diversion of a fresh trail.

Rich Hawkins is one such tour guide on the terrifying journey through his new book, King Carrion. Relentless in pace, the nightmare begins on page one and refuses to let up until the final sentence. Small town horror yarns with demonic hordes descending over the population have obviously been spun before. But with his unique vision angling a finely focused lens through the devastating and often heart-breaking circumstance, Hawkins commands your attention with never ceasing action.

Personally, I have grown weary with the tsunami of hangers on riding the coattails of The Walking Dead, World War Z and other Hollywood-ized apocalyptic fictions. The majority of genre books lately are regurgitations of the same trope patterns. Reading King Carrion has given me hope that there are still new stories to tell if the authors are brave enough.

Being an avid reader of horror fiction, out of habit I took the book to bed with me for some night reading. Big mistake. Not many things frighten me to the point of losing sleep. King Carrion crawled down the stairs with me in the middle of the night, peered over my shoulder in the bathroom mirror and traced its icy fingers up and down my spine. Every shadow hid dagger teeth, fire red eyes and ancient tattered bandages.

Unlike what I expected, this is an extremely atypical vampire legend. Hawkins’ creatures are not romanticized in any way, shape or form. King Carrion is a uniquely crafted monster who is brutal in physical violence in amounts equal to his emotional depredation. Sifting through the gory blood and viscera, there is a vast amount of heart in this story. Love plays perhaps the largest role in its cast, heartbreak painting agonizing strokes across the canvass of our protagonist’s journey. We eagerly follow him from the beginning, wholly understanding his skilfully implied history. At once distant and intimate, we know the story without needing details fogged over by the past.

Once the real meat of the book is chewed, that emotional context is not simply washed down by the gore and removed from the plate. Every morsel is flavored by it. It is the underlying taste of every swallow. The entire meal is elevated to a new level. The violence is made all the more brutal. The inhumanity more depraved. After all, if there is no emotional investment, why bother to continue reading something so powerfully unnerving?

This is my first reading of a book by Mr. Hawkins and it will most certainly not be the last. Fortunately, he has several others available and I eagerly anticipate what lies between their covers. If anything is similar to King Carrion, I know I’ll have to prepare myself for the brutal rides ahead of me.

If you are looking for something to keep you hiding under the covers with all the lights on, a book with familiar monsters made fresh and new, a story that will make your heart race as well as break, King Carrion is a great read. He may not be a name you have heard mentioned much, but don’t be surprised if Rich Hawkins starts becoming all too familiar very soon.

General rating:

★★★★★

Reviewed by Alex Kimmell

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy King Carrion or any other books from Rich. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

In a town in southern England, people are going missing.

Mason, a homeless ex-con, arrives in the town to beg his wife for a second chance and atone for past mistakes.

A vampire god once worshipped by ancient Britons has awoken from hibernation and plans to turn Great Britain into a vampire isle. But first, people of the town must be converted, and the gospel spread.

Within a week, the town is quarantined by the military, and the nights belong to the undead.

There will be no escape for the survivors.

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS RICH HAWKINS

Fallen Soldier

Scavengers

Rich Hawkins hails from deep in the West Country, where a childhood of science fiction and horror films set him on the path to writing his own stories. He credits his love of horror and all things weird to his first viewing of John Carpenter's THE THING. His debut novel THE LAST PLAGUE was nominated for a British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel in 2015. The sequel, THE LAST OUTPOST, was released in the autumn of 2015.

The final novel in the trilogy, THE LAST SOLDIER, was released in March 2016.

And for more about Rich, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads - Amazon Page

REVIEW: Duncan Ralston - Woom: An extreme horror

Genre: Extreme Horror

Publisher: Matt Shaw Publications

Publication Date: 6^th August 2016

Pages: 90

REVIEWED BY ALEX

This review came about in a slightly different fashion. Woom is a book of extreme horror. Extreme is not a genre that Nev likes to read. Duncan knew this and knew there was no hope of Nev ever reviewing it. But then along came Alex, who read it, and threw his review over to be posted on Confessions. So, lucky for Duncan, here is the fair and honest review of Woom: An Extreme Horror. This book is published by Matt Shaw Publications.

Let me begin this review with a warning. Not a gentle brush off or nudge like you might get from an older cousin about to tell a dirty joke in front of Grandma. This is a sucker punch to the kidneys in a darkened back alley type warning. This is a venomous red flag on fire next to the fuse of an atomic bomb warning. Do not put your playing piece on the board to approach GO if you are the least bit faint of heart or weak stomached. This book is not screwing around. Hence the warning labels written in bold letters right there on the cover. IT’S ON THE COVER!

That being said…

If you have continued reading to this point, you might feel brave enough to enter into the warped and twisted world that is WOOM. Just don’t be the tough guy at a high school party. Don’t puff out your chest, down that plastic cup of beer and shout, “I can take it!” It’s going to be a rougher ride than you might think. This book’s does not only cross boundaries, it annihilates them.

In the hands of nearly any author than Duncan Ralston, the dangerous territory WOOM resides in could easily sour into distasteful garbage. Fortunately, Ralston is gifted with talents that most of his contemporaries do not possess. His descriptive abilities put the reader in horrendous situations that the bravest of us would never dare approach in fiction let alone real life. At the same time, the humanity of his character’s blossoms on the vine creating a near impossible sense of powerful emotions making it real and beautiful alongside their grim situations.

Short but immensely compelling, I read WOOM in two sittings. I might have finished in one save for the fact that my head required a break to breathe for a few hours. The more time I spent in WOOM’soppressive motel room, the closer the walls of the real world seemed to draw in on me. Still, I couldn’t get those characters out of my head. In the most finite exchange of a conversation, or a shared moment of human recognition showing more understanding and compassion in a few words than a full chapter’s worth of text by any other writer could demonstrate.

Stories that fall under the category of “body horror” are not for everyone. There are slasher stories and underground monster tales whose only previous exposure could be found hidden away in the cobwebbed, shadowy back rows of local book stores. With our modern technological advances that have inspired a new wave of independent publishing, these formerly forbidden sub-genres are exploding in popularity on the WWWs. Some people are always looking to explore the fringes, to find the edge and peer over the side and see what the rest of the herd chooses rather than not to admit it exists.

WOOM is a wonderful conundrum. While the stories inside its walls are deeply disturbing, they are also wonderfully human. They resound with a core hurt that we all feel deep inside in some way. The ways we describe that ache, and how we fill it to make us complete again are as varied and as far apart as stars in a desert sky.

Most of what I read is horror, so I am not easily frightened or shocked. After I finish a book I will typically sit for a few minutes to reflect on the story to find if and how it has affected me. It doesn’t often take me longer than a day to dive into a new book. Duncan Ralston has achieved something disturbingly rare with WOOM. Three days after finishing the final word I still couldn’t bring myself to even crack open the cover of something new. Not because I didn’t enjoy WOOM, but due to the power and strength living inside the writing.

If you prefer your fiction to not only provide teasing glimpses over that previously mentioned edge, but desire to be taken well beyond what you are comfortable with, WOOMis a formidable tour guide. Be sure you are very careful on your journey. You will return altered in ways you may not have bargained for.

General rating:

★★★★.5

Reviewed by Alex Kimmell.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy Woom or any other books from Duncan. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

The Lonely Motel holds many dark secrets… and Room 6 just might hold the worst of them all.

Angel knows a lot about pain. His mother died in this room. He's researched its history. He's come back today to end it, no matter the cost, once and for all.

Prostitute Shyla believes the stories Angel tells her can't be true. Secrets so vile, you won't want to let them inside you.

But the Lonely Motel doesn't forget. It doesn't forgive. And it always claims its victim.

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS DUNCAN RALSTON

Gristle and Bone: 7 Tales of Delectable Terror

Salvage

Every Part of the Animal

Duncan Ralston was born in Toronto, and spent his teens in a small town. As a "grown-up," Duncan lives with his girlfriend and their dog in Toronto, where he writes about the things that frighten and disturb him. In addition to his twisted short stories found in GRISTLE & BONE, THE ANIMAL, and the charity anthology THE BLACK ROOM MANUSCRIPTS, his debut novel SALVAGE is available now.

"Mr. Ralston writes horror fiction that is unflinching and pulls no punches." - Kit Power.

"Duncan Ralston is writing honest stories about real people, pitched headlong into extraordinary situations. And that is what makes them so horrifying." - Ken Preston, Dirge Magazine

And for more about Duncan, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page

REVIEW: Alex Kimmell - the Idea of North

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Shadow Work Publishing

Publication Date: 22^nd Sept 2015

Pages: 197

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of the Idea of North was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Alex Kimmell, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Shadow Work Publishing.

*****DISCLAIMER*****

This was sent to Confessions and reviewed before Alex joined the team.

Bit of a story behind this one. If things had gone to plan, I would have had a review of this done last year when it just came out, but things happen sometimes and it takes a little longer to do. It had been on my radar for a while because it had been recommended to me by a few people. I have never read Alex Kimmell before and with the stature of the people recommending this book, I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into it.

So what did I think? Was it worth the amount of time it took for me to get to it?

Dalton plays the piano. A lot. He plays every day. Him on one piano while his two sisters, and mother, play on theirs as well. Music is very important in their family. Dalton has no idea why though.

Whenever the music plays, great storms ravage the country. Storm chasers capture an image of a man standing in the middle of one of these great storms. Who is he and what has he to do with Dalton?

He has no idea. Everyone else seems to know though.

Straight to it. Dalton is the main man character wise in this one. Or is he? He is a quiet, unassuming sort who loves to play the piano but probably doesn’t have enough faith in himself. His sisters, Eliza and Mary, seem to be more accomplished. His mother certainly is. Aderato is a mysterious man/being/demon/god that seems to control the weather when the music is played. Why does he do this? What is his goal? You have to read to find that bit out.

Even is a mysterious girl in her own rite that Dalton falls for, and this causes problems for everyone. She is a very troubled soul that I suspect needs more comfort than the chaos she gets with Dalton.

There are a host of others that pop in and out of this story. The gang of storm chasers that are stereotypical in the fact that they are always looking for the big one. They are a mismatch of so many different psyches that it is a wonder they can work together.

The plot? Well now. This is the type of story that I think the definition of the word plot, has very cleverly been left open to the individual interpretation of the reader. To tell you my interpretation would mean I would need to tell you the story and I am not prepared to do that. So, without trying to give anything away about what actually happens, let me tell you about the writing.

This, my friends, is a story that will whisk you off your feet Wizard of Oz style.

The story revolves (excuse the pun) around storms and the wind. You will feel like the room you are sitting in is constantly spinning, keeping you feeling dizzy and sometimes confused, but forever entertained, like you are on a huge roller coaster. This story is so atmospheric that, for the most of it, I sat with permanent goose bumps. You know when you get that shiver up your back and you say that someone just walked over your grave? I think my gravestone must have been placed outside the busiest place in the world because that is all I felt. The entire time I was reading this.

Don’t ask me why. I have no idea. It just gave me a feeling that the main bad person in the story was standing behind me watching me as I read. It really freaked me out. I like to read for a while at night, in the dark, when I climb into bed. Couldn’t do it with this one. I was too scared.

In amongst all of this wonder I do have a negative. There are a few stories going on in the book that all interweave and come together at a few various points. Some of them I found a bit confusing. I would have liked them all to have been tied together a bit better. It seemed as if they were all going to come together at the end but still felt a bit disjointed.

In saying that, what a wonderful story this is. This is the sort of book you need to read while totally letting your mind wander and roam about the different ethereal levels that are described during the creepy times. Alex Kimmell hit the nail on the head with these scenes and really transported me to a place where I could almost feel the wind and the rain on my face when I was reading.

It is a horror story with a difference. What I would probably call the thinking man’s horror story. It’s more literary than most horror stories I have read. You know what though? I loved that. It was like I was reading a grown-up’s horror book and wasn’t supposed to understand the lovely words and the way they were put together. I did though and I thought they were wonderfully put together.

After reading this I have decided to hunt out more books from Alex Kimmell. Imagine my delight when I discovered I already have The Key To Everything on my Kindle! I think this one might get bumped up the queue.

To summarise: one of the creepiest and most atmospheric horror stories I have read in a while. Hard to put this one in a sub-genre but this is the one for you if like the visual aspect of reading a book. This one will literally pick you up and carry you away.

General rating:

★★★★ nearly perfect.

Horror rating:

★★★★★ creepy as hell.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy the Idea of North or any other books from Alex. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

When piano prodigy, Dalton Beaufort, plays his music people die.

Devastation is all that remains as storms of unprecedented size rage across the country side.

An elite group of Storm Trackers catch on camera a strange shape at the base of the largest tornado ever recorded.

Uncanny haunted melodies play upon the gales as whirlwinds churn and blow the world away.

Dalton must do everything in his power to discover what links him to the mysterious tempests, and avoid traveling along the path of a grim family tradition.

After all, death and music run in the family.

similar to most humans, alex kimmell is made from a high percentage of dihydrogen monoxide.he inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide.

to provide energy for survival, he consumes necessary resources.

with his spouse, he has two male offspring.

they reside together in the smallest american state.

his family’s two short legged canines keep the squirrels at bay.

he has nightmares…

And for more about Alex, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

REVIEW: Mercedes M. Yardley - Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing

Publication Date: 4^th March 2016

Pages: 280

REVIEWED BY ALEX

A copy of Pretty Little Dead Things was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Crystal Lake Publishing, in return for an honest review. This is said review.

In writing book reviews, I have made a solemn vow to never give any spoilers. No plot reveals or important, hidden character traits that drive the story. I rarely check out book reviews myself for the simple reason that I want to read the story myself and be surprised. I will, however, tell you my thoughts on the book and how it made me feel. I will discuss the writing style and do my best to persuade you to read it if I feel it’s worthy of such praise. If not, I won’t harp on the negative aspects to try and belittle the author as is done in social media too often these days...

The particular book I am discussing here, this singular experience of comforting horror unfolded with each word in an agonizing beauty of anticipation. From the first sentence of Pretty Little Dead Girls, Mercedes M Yardley announced the story would be painful. In a handful of perfectly chosen words, she announced plainly how scorchingly sad the pages ahead were going to be. In order to prepare myself, I read and re-read the first line over and again for two days before continuing on into the rest of the book. What I wasn’t, what I couldn’t be prepared for, was how densely gorgeous her writing was.

Yardley tells you what to expect. She paints with a vibrant brush coating the words with lush colorful language. Her consistency throughout the entire book is breath-taking. It is remarkable to create such a unique stylistic tactic in and of itself, but that Yardley never once veers away from her technique brought me to tears on many occasions. I sat on the couch, my cheeks red and puffy, wiping the wetness on my forearms sleeved or not.

“Dad,” my son said. “Why are you crying?”

“It’s this book.” I held up the tablet and showed him the screen.

“Don’t read it anymore.” He snatched it from my hand. “I don’t want you to be sad.”

“It’s okay.” I laughed. “I’m not sad. The story is so beautiful.”

Too young to understand, he begrudgingly handed me back the Kindle Fire. This time he sat next to me while I read to make sure I was okay. What can I say? He’s a good egg, this kid.

From the first sentence of Pretty Little Dead Girls, you know something bad is going to happen. This is not a spoiler. It’s in the book itself. You know it will. It is mentioned quite often in fact. And yes, bad things do indeed happen. Some intensely terrible events that you’ll need to brace yourself for.

Make no mistake, this is a dark and deadly world between the covers. Inside, the darkness blossoms a romance that I wager is more beautiful than any Harlequin Trade Paperback you’ll find. With incredible skill, Yardley keeps the nuance in her turns of phrase without becoming heavy handed. A lesser writer could easily fall into such traps losing the dreamlike hypnotism.

Each time I stepped away from the book and returned to normal life, I’d find myself eagerly wishing to drop what I was doing and escape back into the story and its magnificent wordplay. If you can’t tell, I love to read. I always have several books going at once. But there are times, however rare, when my eyes refuse to focus on any book save one. Pretty Little Dead Girls was most definitely one of those times.

I had heard the name Mercedes M Yardley before. I regret not having picked up one of her books before. I am thrilled by the possibilities of what wonders are in store for me in her previous work. And I am more than envious of you with the opportunity to read Pretty Little Dead Things for the first time. Be warned, bad things will happen. Beautiful bad things.

Alex's rating:

★★★★★

Reviewed by Alex Kimmell.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy Pretty Little Dead Girls or any other books from Mercedes. This not only supports us but also lets us know how many people actually like to buy books after reading our reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

BRYONY ADAMS IS DESTINED TO BE MURDERED, but fortunately Fate has terrible marksmanship. In order to survive, she must run as far and as fast as she can. After arriving in Seattle, Bryony befriends a tortured musician, a market fish-thrower, and a starry-eyed hero who is secretly a serial killer bent on fulfilling Bryony’s dark destiny.

Mercedes M. Yardley’s Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy is a dark, lovely fairy tale with lyrical language and a high body count. It features a cover by Hugo Award Winner GALEN DARA.

Hi. I’m Mercedes. I have two broken laptops, three kids, a husband and no time to write, although I try my very best. I like to write stories. I like to write poems. I like to write essays and sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they aren’t.

I know how to throw a tomahawk and I wear red corduroys because they make me happy. That’s also why I write: I like being happy.

And for about Mercedes, visit her site or find her on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

ANNOUNCEMENT: WELCOME OUR NEW REVIEWERS!!

So, whenever I set Confessions up, in February 2015, I did it for something to do. I was told I was quite good at this reviewing lark and I should do it, so I did. It started off as somewhere to put my reviews and keep them tidy. It led from one thing to another, and here we are today.

Sixteen months on and I have several features running alongside the reviews. 330 posts published. 63,500 hits. 22 interviews. I could go on and on with the stats.

Again I can’t thank you all enough for keeping coming back and keeping me going. To all the authors and publishers and presses that give up their time and energy and books, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without your generosity I would have no content.

I have been a big bit behind lately hence why the website isn’t up and running yet. This will be rectified soon. I have two weeks off work in July and everything else is being put on the back burner until the site is up and running.

So this brings me to a point I never thought Confessions would reach. Even though I have been closed for submissions for about a year, you pesky authors keep bothering me and I just can’t say no to you. The backlog has reached a point I just cannot manage on my own, so, it gives me great pleasure to say the next bit:

Please welcome the two newest members of the Confessions of a Reviewer team!

Chad Clark and Alex Kimmell!

Now I asked these two fellas for a picture of themselves and a bio. I knew I would get a picture of sorts and I also knew what sort of bio I would get. You author types love to write novella’s and novels and reviews and guest posts but when it comes to writing something about yourselves, you are pathetic! They are the shortest bio’s I have ever seen.

Anyway, please greet them with open arms and give them mighty support as they help out with the reviews and bring their own unique styles to the site. I have been impressed with what I have seen from these two guys to date and I know they are going to give you well constructed, honest and spoiler free reviews so you will have even MORE to look forward from with Confessions. Links to their websites are on here as well so go have a look around!

Alex Kimmell

similar to most humans, alex kimmell is made from a high percentage of dihydrogen monoxide. he inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide. to provide energy for survival, he consumes necessary resources. with his wife and two male offspring, he resides in the smallest american state. their two short legged canines keep the squirrels at bay.

he has nightmares...

visit him at alexkimmell.com

Chad Clark

Chad is a lifelong sufferer of a serious reading habit. His creative sensibilities grew forth from the likes of Tolkien, King, Anne Rice and John Bellairs, just to name a few. He is a published author of both horror and science fiction.

You can find out more at www.cclarkfiction.net

I will highlight who has reviewed each book as it goes live now just so you know who says what about what. If you are an author or press or publisher, please feel free to ask for one of us specifically if you wish. We will probably all have our own favourite sub-genres to read, and review as well.

Again thank you all so much for your continued support. Watch out for the announcement on the full website opening towards the end of July.

Thanks for coming to Confessions. Tell your friends about us!

Nev.