Grendel

Author: John Gardner


Premise:
The story of Beauwolf told from the point of view of Grendel

My Take:
The short novel adds a different perspective on the classic tale, basically making Beauwolf appear the be the blood crazed monster in the tale.

Rating: So Good





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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The Light At The End

Author: Craig Spectar, John Skipp


Premise:
A man is changed into a vampire by an ancient evil. He starts to reek terror on New York until a group of people come together in an attempt to stop him.

My Take:
A classic vampire tale does seem a tad out dated with its description setting (New York City during the 80's), but the core story is still riveting and suspenseful.

Rating: So Good





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

The Dark At The End [Repairman Jack #15]

Author: F. Paul Wilson


Premise:
Jack finds out where the adversary will be and makes an attempt to kill him. While much damage is done, Rasalom manages to escape and sets forth his own plan which leads to a him leading an sneak attack on Jack's companions.

My Take:
The final chapter (sort of) in the Repairman Jack ends a little unsatisfying. Jack tries his hardest to prevent Rasalom's plan and stopping the change, but falls short. Now I need to finish the last three volums of The Adversary Cycle to fill in the blanks and see how the battle finally ends.

Rating: So Good

 




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Fatal Error [Repairman Jack #14]

Author: F. Paul Wilson


Premise:
Jack, a fixer of people's problems, finds himself in a battle for Earth's existence between two cosmic forces.

This novel sees The  One's followers (The Kickers, The Septimus Order, and others) plot to take down the internet. They think it will kill the Lady (the one entity which allows The Otherness not to take over Earth). In the meantime, Dawn Pickering has her baby which Rasalom snatches up quickly afterwards. Weezy tries to figure out the pieces while searching through the book. And Jack helps an Arabian American who had his wife and child kidnapped... and of course, none of this is a coincidence.

My Take:
The second to last novel in the series sets up everything for the a much anticipated showdown between Jack and The One, Rasalom. While the story is decent and has a lot of moving parts, it's really just adding to more of the overall story arc. I am hoping for a big payoff in the last novel. 

Rating: So Good






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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The Wind Through the Keyhole [Dark Tower 4.5]

Author: Stephen King


Premise:
Roland and his ka-tet (Susannah, Jake, Eddie, and the billybumbler) seek shelter from a stakblast, a freak ice storm. While shacked up he tells a story of his youth when called upon a small village to investigate a shapeshifter. While there, the young Roland tells the story of "The Wind Through the Keyhole" about a young boy he travels through a dark and magical forest to find the wizard Mearlyn.

My Take:
The Dark Tower is my favorite series of novels, so it was a pleasure to pick a new tale. While most of the story within a story within a story has nothing to do with the ka-tet on their current journey, it does reveal more about a young Roland. And the story which the book is titled is an great little tale. A fan of the series should not hesitate to pick up this book.

Rating: So Good






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Already Dead

AKA: Already Dead: Joe Pitt 1

Author: Charlie Huston


Premise:
Joe Pitt is a vampire and sort of a detective. He gets hired to find a missing daughter of a wealthy couple who own a biotech firm. Then there also a new infection spreading which turns people into "shamblers" or mindless walking zombies. Surely the two things can't be related

My Take:
The novel contains large elements of pulpy detective fiction and horror. Plus it's hard to like the main character as he gets involved in a complex mystery while playing several different sides. The author sets up a believable world where vampires live amoung humans, but under the radar of most, and broken off into several groups with distinct agendas and beliefs. This is definitely a series that I will continue to read and author that I have put on the shelf for far too long

Rating: So Good






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Appalachian Undead

 Editors: Jason Sizemore and Eugene Johnson

Premise:
An anthology collection of zombie tales set in the Appalachian Mountains.

My Take:
All the stories in this collection are well written and fairly original in nature, though a couple do seem out of place. The crop of authors are some of the best in horror literature with the likes of Elisabeth Massie, Jonathan maberry, Tim Waggoner, John Everson, Tim Lebbon, Ronald Kelly, John Skipp, Gary A. Braunbeck, and more. Like in all anthologies, some stories are more enjoyable than others. Lots of tales with descriptive narrative on the mountain terrian and the people who inhabit the area and how they deal with zombies. What the readers find in the pages are simply a solid anthology of unique tales.

 Rating: So Good


** Thanks to Apex Publishing for the material to review.  One can find this and many other books at their website Apex Book Company 





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Ground Zero

* Book 13 in the Repairman Jack series

Author: F. Paul Wilson



Premise:
With the help of a long lost childhood friend, Jack uncovers the real reason purpose to the 9/11 attacks: to release an ancient creature that turn the tides in the favor of The Otherness and cause the Ally to lose interest in Earth.

My Take:
If you dont know from past reviews, this is one of my favorite series of novels. It's been awhile since I read last one and know that the series is complete, I feel like I need to kick it gear to finish. This novel reveals a lot in the entire "Secret History of the World" mythos. Many pieces come together in the novel and of course it's filled with quality Jack.

Rating: So Good





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Death Perception

Author: Lee Allen Howard


Premise:
Kenneth works in a crematory and has the ability to see how people died.

My Take:
It starts out slow and was really hard for me to get into. There's a nice murder mystery here though if one can stick with it. Well written with a good plotting and characters, and a fairly original tale.

Rating: In the middle

 




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Mad Gods

Author: Anthasios


Premise:
Secret organizations have corrupted humanity since the beginning of time in order to steal souls for a master plan. All that stands in their way in a one man and one lost soul. 

My Take:
This is a dense novel which combines all sorts of religous beliefs and historical facts into a fascinating tale that jumps around over time and mold an entirely new take on faith and all religions. It's a daunting and daring task that is well researched and ends up being very interesting. To tell more would spoil the enjoyment. 

Rating:So Good






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

A Song After Dark

Author: Grant Palmquist


Premise:
A loner from a strict, religious household makes friends with a popular rich kid, who has a secret and wants to mentor the new freind in his unusal ways.

My Take:
A well written tale of a spoiled kid with little guidance. He takes the school loser under his wing because he feels they are similar individuals. He exposes the loser to his views of the world and shows him a world of women and drugs.  Slowly he manipulates the loser until he is ready for the final test. Killing another human. The two main character are fleshed out to great details as the point of view changes with each chapter. The ending felt a bit rushed and the outcome was clearly seen early.

Rating: In the middle





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

The Clearing

Author: Thomas Rydder


Premise:
A small town in Pennsylvania is tormented by a pack of larger than normal wolves with a hidden agenda.

My Take:
The author manages to put a new spin on werewolf lore yet keeps the familiarity of the lore intact. The book is full of rich characters, a realistic setting, and a nice plot which keeps the reader guessing at every turn. I ended up very impressed with this novel.

Rating: So Good




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

A Field Guide To Monsters

Author: Darren Zenko


Premise:
Short descriptions of a variety of monsters.

My Take:
The book is a quick read as the author gives basic two page synpopsis on many creatures found in movies, folklore, urban legends, crytpozoology, religion from around the globe. If you are looking for a simply overview, then this is for you.

Rating: In the middle




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Personal Demons

AKA: Book One in the Jake Helman Files

Author: Gregory Lamberson


Premise:
A detective on the hunt for a serial killer, gets into a shoot out with two thugs. He refuses to take a drug test and walks away from the police. The next day he is offered a job as Head of Security for a recluse billionaire operating a genetic research company. Soon he finds the recluse is stealing souls and creating lethal bioweapons. And to make matters worse a powerful demon is trying to get at the recluse.

My Take:
This is an amazing tale. It combines so many horror, pulpy crime fiction, and sci fi elements together in a delicious gory stew. The hero is very flawed but very likeable. He goes through hell and back to get redemption. Every detail in the book in linked to each other which make the pieces fall together personally. Highly recommeded reading and I am definitly moving forward in the series.

Rating: So Good





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Harrowing

Author: Alexandra Sokoloff


Premise:
Five students stay in their college dorm over Thanksgiving Break. In their boredom the group accidentally conjures up a malaevolent spirit.

My Take:
The author does a great job of taking a familiar tale and making it into much more than anticipated ghost story. This makes the final two acts of the novel a very quick read. The characters are flushed out with nice, individual details. All of this made me a satisfied reader at the end.

Rating:  So Good





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Reborn

Author: F. Paul Wilson


Premise:
A man raised by foster parents, finds out he is the heir of a notable scientist... and that he is a clone. And his pregnant wife may be harboring something very evil inside her.

My Take:
If you are a fan of the author's Repairman Jack series, then this book in series called The Adversary Cycle is a  must read. Both are different sides of the bigger opus Wilson calls The Secret History of the World. It took about 2/3 of the book to figure out how it all ties together. This man has an obsession trying to find out his biological parents. He inherits a mansion and lots of money from a Noble Prize winning scientist, then finds out his true identity and that he is actually of clone of the scientist. In the meantime, a secret sect of the church is preparing for the arrival of Satan. They find out the man is a clone and think he's the Anti-Christ, but then realize it's the unborn child. It's not Satan, but a force of Evil which is in constant battle with another opposing force with mankind as the prize to the winner. The book is a great read, as usual, from one of the lesser known horror author.

Rating: So Good




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The 37th Mandala

Author: Maid Laidlaw



Premise:
An author publishes a book of ancient mandalas thinking their are only symbols. However the mandalas are actually supernatural beings which want to take out humans and a couple let them loose on the world.

My Take:
There is a very interesting story here and good characters. But unfortunately it doesn't come together well. By the end of the book I was left wanting to know more.

Rating: In the middle




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.