[Book Review] Savage Days- Kyle Van Dongen

Reviewer’s Note: If you’re a regular, you may have noticed me go dark for the past few months. I don’t have much of an excuse, but I was working full time and taking 4 college classes and life sort of got in the way. Now that things have slowed down a bit, I’m hoping to get right back into the swing of things. Thanks for sticking with me.

Kyle Van Dongen’s post-apocalyptic creature feature Savage Days centers on a rural community surviving decades after the world as we know it comes to a nuclear end. When a young girl is abducted by a terrifying monster, the members of the community decide it may be time to pack up and move elsewhere. This proves to be problematic for Benjamin, an aging scavenger and one of the centric characters of the story. See, Benjamin is the only member of the community who braves the inner cities, dodging ‘Mutes while grabbing whatever supplies he can. In return, the community provides him with food. Despite providing the community with this valuable service, Benjamin is certain he won’t survive without the food they give him in return. In a desperate attempt to keep his community together (and his pantry stocked) Benjamin sets out to hunt the monster, making the area safe once again. To help him he enlists Caden, the son of a prepper who was totally ready for the end of the world.

Now that we’ve set the scene, let’s talk about the scene we’ve set. I absolutely love anything apocalyptic, and Savage Days does not disappoint. I strongly consider world building to be the most important aspect of a good apocalypse novel. There is a fine line to walk between painting a good picture and oversharing to the point of removing mystery. Van Dongen walks the line expertly; crafting a bleak, horrific world devoid of hope. He drops you right into the middle of his world with little in the way of introduction. You don’t know what has happened or why the world is the way that it is. By means of believable dialog and character’s thoughts, Van Dongen slowly fills in the blanks and back story. The best part is that it never feels like we are being fed the story. Little details come to light through the natural discourse of the story. 

As far as characters go, Van Dongen has a pretty solid cast. The main trio are Maisie, (the mourning mother of the missing girl), Benjamin the scavenger and Caden the survivalist. At first, Caden has nothing but disdain for the others; seeing Benjamin as a bumbling idiot and Maisie as an unhinged liability. As the tale unwinds, the dynamic is constantly shifting and the characters each go through some significant realizations and changes. These are not cookie-cutter character archetypes; nor are they static in their development. 

No review of a creature feature would be complete without a few words on the creature. This subject is a bit touchy though, because I take a firm stance of zero-tolerance against spoilers in my reviews. With that in mind, I’ll keep it vague. Van Dongen has dreamt up a pretty horrific monster. It is dangerous and scary, but not necessarily too unique or innovative. Overall, it is about what you would expect from a nuclear apocalypse monster, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Savage Days is a fun read, with great world building and enjoyable characters. The story is fast paced and not likely to leave you bored. Though the real action doesn’t kick off until the final quarter of the book or so, I definitely wouldn’t call this a slow burn. While there is a fair amount of blood and violence, if you’re looking for a horrific bloodsoaked gorefest, this might not be extreme enough for your tastes. If you’re a fan of creature features or apocalypse tales, this is one you won’t want to miss. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $3.00 (Kindle) or $10.00 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] Elements of Horror: Earth- Edited by P.J. Blakey-Novis

Elements of Horror: Earth is the first in a four book series of anthologies by Red Cape Publishing. Each of the books has a central theme of one of the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The stories within each anthology all share a common connection to that element, however loose. The stories found in Earth have amazing range. Here we have stories ranging from lightly creepy, to thought inducing, to downright terrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the collection. Out of 11 stories, I really loved 7 of them. The other four were either just not for me, or I simply enjoyed them. There were no stories that I found to be severely lacking. One thing particularly worth noting is how well edited and put together this anthology is. A significant issue that I run across often with smaller anthologies is a lack of editing and proofreading. There are no issues of that nature to be found here, and I appreciate that. 

My Top Three Stories

Feed the Earth… It’s Hungry- R. C. Rumple: Set in a post-apocalyptic nightmare world, we’re dropped in on Jason, the sole night watch of his small group of survivors. As the night goes on, Jason hears strange sounds from just outside the light of the only fire. Clutching his rifle, he flashes between reminiscing about what led him here, and his present suspenseful situation. The expositional world building by Rumple is top notch. He shows us the terrors of the nightmare Jason is living, in small flashes and images. The whole time, he expertly builds the suspense in Jason’s present time. The bulk of the story is expertly crafted suspense, and the ending is a completely brutal blindside. 

The Cursed Stag- Nils Visser: This story is set in Sussex in 250 AD. It tells the story of two young slave girls. One is beautiful, and works as a house slave. The other, despite being her twin sister, is disfigured and relegated to working the fields. When a new slave arrives, things get dark quickly. The Cursed Stag is extremely unique and absolutely enthralling. Visser builds a world that I’ve never seen built in a horror story. The attention to detail and depth of the exposition truly paint a picture of the world these girls live in. The story is chock full of tidbits and knowledge about that time period, without seeming purposefully educational. On top of all of that, Visser is able to craft a tale that turns from hopeful, to bleak, to absolutely atrocious.

Sinkhole- Dale Parnell: In the middle of the night, Kieran wakes up suddenly, unsure why. As he is exploring his house to check for trouble, he notices a large sinkhole has appeared in his backyard. Unable to tell why it showed up, or how deep it is, he finds his attention being lost in the darkness of the hole. As the story progresses, Kieran’s obsession over the hole begins to consume him, to a very dark end. The slowly creeping decay of the mind is one of my favorite forms of horror, and Parnell brings home the whole anthology with this piece. 

The Elements of Horror: Earth anthology was a very pleasurable, somewhat quick read. I flew through the stories, and they held my attention and kept me turning the pages. Well chosen and well edited, this anthology had some absolute gems. Picking a top three was tough work, with so many solid stories. I will certainly be looking forward to the next anthology in the series.       

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $2.99 (Kindle) or $8.62 (Paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] Hot Splices- Mike Watt

Hot Splices tells several interwoven tales of The Film Addicts- lovers, consumers and creators of all things cinema. After graduating from film school, they each went their separate ways, to carve out their place in film history. Years later, they all end up returning one by one to the old student dorms, now owned by one of The Addicts. The main driving plot amongst these stories is the search for the lost Borgia films, created by a psychopath using actual footage of murders he committed. The films, when played together, are said to cause insanity and uncontrollable violence. The Addicts hope to find and screen these lost evil films.

Throughout the entire story are countless film references. It is clear that Watt lives and breathes cinema. Everything The Addicts think, do and say reflects on some aspect of filmmaking. From quotes and references, to the technical aspects and history of film and film equipment, Watt definitely knows his stuff. The book’s blurb declares “If you do not love film… If you do not wish to devour it as it devours you… If all you seek from film is entertainment…This is not the book for you.” I don’t entirely agree with that. I only understood a fraction of the movie references, and almost none of the technical references. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a learning experience and a glimpse into a passion filled world that I probably never would have been able to see without this book. The experience certainly would have been much richer had I already been an insider to this part of the world.

One of the most intriguing parts of this world Watt has created is the mythos of the Dark Gods of Filmmaking. These are all-powerful deities that preside over different aspects of filmmaking. Cinemagog is their Zues, the father of all Film Gods. The lesser Gods range from Dollirostrum (God of the Grips) to Yapim (God of Producers) to Poesner (God of Hair, Make-up and Wardrobe) and many more. The mythos surrounding these Gods is interesting and mysterious. Some of the younger film students only consider them to be a fun story, while some of the older Addicts consider them much, much more. 

While clearly set in a modern and realistic world, there are certain changes that bring a certain fantasy element to the tale. The Addicts all do something called “flixing” in which they take individual frames of film and place them on their tongues. This produces a hallucinogenic-like experience that varies based on what sort of scene they are flixing on. An addict that over-flixes can run the risk of cuts appearing all over their skin like the perforated sprocket holes on the edges of film. As the story goes on, more and more strange events start to take place as the narrative takes a definitely weird turn.

Almost as a post-script, Watt includes a few “Deleted Scenes” after the conclusion of the main story. These read as totally separate, standalone plotlines, but within the same universe and setting as the main story. These Deleted Scenes are really where the most horror is to be found. What Happened To The Guy Before Me? tells of a filmmaker who takes a job working nights in a dim and desolate film processing plant, where he encounters something dark and strange. The Marie Browning Code is the story of a film student who tries to take his flixing to a new level and actually enter the story. The Worthless Life And Pointless Death Of Angela St. Satan follows a film critic who is looking into the disappearance of a less-than-B-list actress. These three short horrors alone would be worth the price of admission.

From a purely horror aspect, Hot Splices is rather light reading. With the exception of the horrific Deleted Scenes, the horror elements are very faint and only touched on in the main plotline. This might be considered weird fiction, but with a dark vibe. It really defies classification. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Watt crafts a dark, intricate world that truly draws you in. The premise and the details are genuinely unique. The characters are real and dynamic. I’m no film buff by any means, but I am extremely glad that I read this book. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $4.99 (Kindle) or $14.99 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] The Yuletide Butcher- Mike Duke

Mike Duke brings the holiday cheer with his Christmas novella The Yuletide Butcher. Every year for the last twenty years, there has been a single murder victim found the morning after Christmas Day. The methods of murder vary each time, but the killer always leaves his calling card: holly leaves. Detective Rick Allen has spent the better part of his career trying to crack the case and catch the killer each year before he strikes. Will this year be the year he finally gets his man?

The Yuletide Butcher is short, brutal, and to the point. As usual, Duke creates rather believable characters. The length of the story, however, prevents any real character development or growth. That doesn’t pose too much of an issue here. This is a quick, fun read that really keeps you turning the pages. There isn’t all that much violence or gore to be found, with most of the story being the cat-and-mouse game of the investigation. The parts that do describe the Butcher’s work are absolutely savage. While not too over-the-top, Duke crafts some beautifully brutal violence that truly earns the Butcher his name. 

With a fairly straightforward plot and no huge surprises, The Yuletide Butcher is an entertaining read. You won’t necessarily find yourself scratching your head, playing whodunnit with Detective Allen, but the journey is still a fun one. While I think that the premise could have worked well in a more fleshed out medium, this novella does the job well. The Yuletide Butcher is a satisfying ride, with a decent serving of Duke’s classic no-holds-barred brutality.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $0.99 (Kindle) or $5.00 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited. Mike can also be contacted directly for a signed copy (available at the time of this review)

[Book Review] The Thirteenth Day of Christmas: and Other Tales of Yuletide Horror- David Allen Voyles

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas: and Other Tales of Yuletide Horror is David Allen Voyles’ first self published book. This collection of Christmas themed horror contains an incredibly wide range of stories. Within these pages, you’ll find strange and funny tales, oddly uplifting tales and, of course, downright terrifying tales. It does seem as if these stories were written over a fairly long period of time, in which Voyles grew a lot as a writer. Some of the stories had a bit of an unpolished feel, but others felt more fleshed out. Despite that shift throughout, I had a great time reading these stories. Of the 13 stories included, I absolutely loved 8 of them. I enjoyed 4 of the stories, and only didn’t quite like one. 

My Top Three

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas– This novella is the anchor of this collection, consisting of about a third of the book. It tells the story of the small North Carolina town of Deer Park. On Christmas day, the entire town is suddenly and mysteriously isolated from the outside world. Things go from bad to worse as the days go on. Voyles pulls no punches here, and this is easily the darkest and scariest of the stories included. To be honest, this was one of the more suspenseful and scary stories I’ve ever read. It takes a lot to get my heart pumping, but Voyles got me there and kept me there for the majority of this one. 

Up on the Rooftop– We listen along as young Bobby and Cindi’s loving grandfather tucks them into bed and tells them a Christmas story, as is his tradition. The children are clearly happy, and love this part of their Christmas Eve ritual. Tonight, though, is a little different. I can’t say much else without spoiling this relatively short story. I’ll just leave it by saying that this was easily my second favorite story here. 

Santa and the Haunted House– While making his Christmas Eve rounds, Santa Claus visits a house which he quickly realises is haunted. Just how would a powerful Santa deal with a situation like that? Voyles answers that question expertly. This is one of the stories that shows Voyles’ impressive range. He isn’t just out to get schock-scares, or to gore you out. This is one of those stories that I had to share with my wife as soon as I finished it. To be fair, if you’re looking for terrifying and suspenseful, this story might not be up your alley. If you’ve got an open mind about looking at traditional horror stories in a new way, you’ll find great joy here. 

Honorable Mentions

The Toymaker– A small, European village has a real life Saint Nick who visits yearly with toys for all the children. All the good children, that is!

Christmas Eve in the Graveyard– An old widower sees something strange in the graveyard near his house one Christmas Eve, and sets him down a path of discoveries and closure.

The Christmas Present– When a naughty, ungrateful child goes snooping for the presents his parents have hidden, he finds something dark and sinister.

A Promise Kept– Two old sisters anxiously await their brother’s arrival one Christmas Eve. He always makes the drive in, ever year. But will he risk it in the terrible storm this time?

O’ Christmas Tree– When they find a cheap artificial tree at a yardsale, a young couple may have brought more into their house than they bargained for.

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Voyles presents us with a solid collection of Christmas horror with a refreshing range. From new takes on old classics, to innovative and unique ways to scare us, this collection has it all. The namesake novella is the real prize here, and it alone could justify the purchase of this wonderful collection. If you’re looking for some great and spooky Christmas reading, you genuinely should check out The Thirteenth Day of Christmas: and Other Tales of Yuletide Horror. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $2.99 (Kindle) or $12.99 (paperback).

[Book Review] An Invitation to Darkness- Hailey Piper

Hailey Piper’s An Invitation to Darkness is part of the A Short, Sharp Shock! series by Demain Publishing. Set in the late 1800s, Piper tells the story of Captain Jamie Thames, a woman who has made a successful living as a captain at sea, all while disguised as a man. Ready to retire with her riches, she begins searching for a place to settle down. In this search she comes across Leavenworth Manor, a somewhat rundown estate in a quiet ocean side village. Inquiring about purchasing the estate, Jamie meets and immediately falls in love with the lady of the Manor, Elizabeth Leavenworth. Elizabeth lives with just her bedridden father, who agrees to let Jamie stay at the manor for a short while. During her stay, Jamie starts to realize that Elizabeth and the Manor have a dark secret. She investigates the dark happenings at the Manor, hoping to protect her newfound lover and make a future together.

Despite the overarching love story, this isn’t quite a romance. The romance is what enables and drives the plot, but the plot itself is plenty dark and scary. Piper crafts an extremely unique antagonist, unlike anything I’ve read before. The twist of what the antagonistic force actually is comes as a successful surprise. There are even some clues that lead you away from the truth. It is refreshing to see such an interesting and unique dark force. 

The prose and writing style Piper employs is rather beautiful. The story is told through first person, past tense narration. The word choice and tone definitely invoke the character and the time during which the story takes place. It can be a bit flowery at times, but it fits in with the overall mood of the story.

An Invitation to Darkness is a dark and creepy tale full of ominous overtones and mystery. It’s a quick read, and one that hooks you right away and keeps you invested till the end. While it was a bit more romance driven than most of my typical reads, that did nothing to detract from the interesting antagonist and dark story. An Invitation to Darkness is a perfect tale to take in on a dark, stormy night.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $0.99 (Kindle). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] The Damned Place- Chris Miller

Chris Miller’s epic coming-of-age horror novel The Damned Place centers on a group of young kids in small town Texas. Just trying to enjoy their summer vacation, the kids are pursued by a gang of psychopathic older kids out for blood. While fleeing the bullies, the young kids stumble upon an ancient, world-destroying evil in a strange, abandoned house in the woods. As the kids learn more about the evil place and the darkness that occurred there, they realize that they may be all that stands between their world and violent destruction. 

Miller’s story is clearly influenced by Stephen King’s IT and the Stranger Things franchise. This is especially apparent in the first quarter or so of the novel. A group of young boys and a girl, being hounded by brutal bullies seems very familiar. That same group stumbling upon and fighting against an ancient, evil terror only brings the likeness home. Miller really hits his stride and brings out his own voice in the second part of the novel, which I’ll refer to as the historical interlude.

This historical interlude is where Miller’s writing really starts to shine, where I started getting invested in the story. The interlude tells the tale of what occurred in that house in the woods nearly a hundred years ago, and serves to shed some light on the evil that resides there. The interlude is told in the form of journal entries written by Johnathan Michael Brogan, a member of the family who built the house in the early 1900s. The entries do an excellent job of depicting Johnathan’s slow descent into madness as his family’s situation grows darker and darker. Miller skillfully applies the use of first person narrative passages interspersed among the journal entries. While it seems like an odd stylistic choice at first, it serves to better illustrate certain moments that wouldn’t have been well captured by a journal entry. The historical interlude section was so captivating, it could have easily been a stand-alone novella. 

One of the more interesting things to note about Miller’s writing style is his ability to write believably through the eyes of a child. In the first few chapters of the novel, I noticed a very childlike prose and word choice. The writing seemed rather immature. It was almost a turnoff, until I realized how rare and skillful it was. Most books with small, preteen kids as the protagonists are written sort of unbelievably. The kids think, talk, and act like adults. They are shown to be incredibly mature, brave, smart and responsible. They are the stars of the story, right? Miller’s writing is much more believable. His kids are immature, scared, and flawed. They think and act like actual kids. Of course, this leads to some immature word choices and narration. Overall, however, it’s much more believable and likable. 

The one thing that detracts from the story for me is the human antagonists. Of the three bullies, two of them, Jake and Bart, are literally psychopathic. Jake takes things to an entirely different level. The things he does and the things he thinks about are extreme, to say the least. His home life is especially hard to believe. While none of it is poorly written, I feel as if Jake could have been toned down by a notch or two and still served his purpose in the story, but more believably. 

While the human antagonists are perhaps a bit off, the inhuman antagonists, and the lore behind them, is fascinating. Miller does an excellent job of balancing the seen with the unseen; the explained with the imagined. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical interlude segment, where Miller really fleshes out the mythos and history of these monsters. 

Despite its somewhat familiar beginnings, The Damned Place quickly becomes its own. Miller’s ability to write believable young protagonists is unmatched. His successful portrayal of these kids and their relationships serves to fully invest the reader in their struggles. Miller does an excellent job of getting inside the head of whoever he is writing about and explaining their thoughts and emotions. You genuinely feel for these kids, and root for them. The action is quick and the monsters are dark and bloody. Miller does not shy away from brutality in support of the story, but is not overly graphic. The Damned Place is a well written, epic horror novel with great characters, terrifying monsters, and true emotional depth.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $6.98 (Kindle) or $19.59 (paperback).

[Book Review] Under Rotting Sky- Matthew V. Brockmeyer

Reviewer’s Note: This is unrelated to the review itself, but for this book I tried something a little different. I read the book aloud with my wife, taking turns reading different stories. It was a great way to spend time together, and to involve her in my interests. I highly recommend you try it. 

Winner of the Home Grown Horror Awards 2019 2nd Place!

Under Rotting Sky: Stories is Matthew V. Brockmeyer’s debut collection of short, dark fiction. With an emphasis on dark. These stories are shockingly disturbing and brutal. I legitimately cannot recommend this book without giving that warning upfront. That being said, I absolutely loved this collection, and highly recommend it. Brockmeyer has no qualms whatsoever about crossing every line imaginable, and he does so with brutal bluntness. These stories make you feel. They hurt the soul and make you question the decency of the human race. If you aren’t afraid to be taken to some dark, bleak and terrifying places, this is the collection for you. 

One thing about this collection that I found interesting is the publication history included at the end of the book. A large number of the stories were originally published on various online horror forums over the last 5 years. I think it’s fascinating and inspiring that Brockmeyer seems to have gotten his start writing stories in horror forums, and now has such a well received collection, as well as his novel, Kind Nepenthe. In fact, my top three stories originated on those forums. 

Of the 20 stories included, I absolutely loved 13 of them, quite liked 5 of them, and there were only 2 that didn’t really do it for me.

My Top Three Stories

Under Rotting Sky- The namesake of the collection, Under Rotting Sky tells the tragic story of a punk-rocker named Garbage. He falls madly in love, and of course, that is his downfall. This story paints a vivid picture of the 80s punk-rock subculture. The ending is haunting and terrifying and tragic.

The Number of Darkness- This story is told through the journal entries of Charles Cooperton, a member of an entrepreneurial family in California in the late 1800s. After the Cooperton family moves across the continent to California to etch out a living in farming and milling, a series of misfortunes dwindle their funds and the members of their clan. When Charles’ two young daughters fall ill, he exhausts all other options before eventually calling for a priest. The stylistic voice Brockmeyer uses for Charles’ journal entries really adds a different layer and perspective to this classic tale of demonic possession. 

The Abalone Thief/ Call- I’m including these stories together, despite appearing as two seperate tales. The Abalone Thief is a cosmic horror story that takes place in the small fishing town of Shelter Cove, California. Here, our main character Theodore is conducting research for his PhD in marine biology. His specialty is the red abalone, a type of sea mollusk. During his research, he notes a sudden mass disappearance of the red abalone. Determined to discover who poached the large quantity of abalone, Ted stumbles upon the dark, cosmic secrets of the town. Call takes up where The Abalone Thief left off, describing the aftermath of the horrific events from the perspective of a new character, Jimmy. I’m a big fan of cosmic horror, and the mythos and creatures that Brockmeyer has come up with for these stories really did it for me.

A Note On The Stories That Weren’t For Me

There were only two stories in the collection that just didn’t do it for me. Those stories were Carried Statues and Mall Santa. I think it’s worth mentioning that both stories were well written and interesting. Carried Statues just didn’t really resonate with me. Perhaps if I had a bit of a different life perspective, it may have worked better. The issue that I took with Mall Santa was actually the ending. I felt it simply wasn’t dark enough. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the stories in the collection. Perhaps that juxtaposition is why it didn’t quite do the job for me.

Conclusion

Matthew V. Brockmeyer has put together an astoundingly diverse collection of horror here. I thoroughly enjoyed glimpsing into such dark and depraved worlds. If you have a weak stomach or are easily offended by extremely difficult topics, you should absolutely not pick up this book. There were several stories that were hard to read at times, especially reading aloud as I did. If you think you might enjoy sinking to the depths of filth and depravity, Matthew V. Brockmeyer is a fine tour guide. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $5.99 (Kindle) or $14.87 (paperback). Also Available free with Kindle Unlimited

[Book Review] The Tunnel- Gayne C. Young

Gayne C. Young’s novel The Tunnel brings us into the underground world of the Acuña Cartel– literally. The cartel is digging a tunnel under the US-Mexico border, hoping to create an easy and undetectable path to smuggle everything from drugs to people across the border. When the tunnel workers are attacked, leaving only one survivor, the cartel understandably has some questions. Sent in to find the answers are our team of action-movie-caricature heros. The Tunnel is a fast paced, action horror novel that packs a serious punch on both of those fronts.

When I first looked into this book, I was concerned that it would be more action than horror. The spec ops looking soldier gracing the cover makes it seem like it might be a military fiction piece, or something similar. Not so much my forte. However, any doubts that I held were wiped away fairly early on in the book. Young deals out bloodshed, violence and death wholesale, introducing you to characters and then mercilessly slaughtering them all. His savagery and lightning-paced narrative leave you wondering who will make it out alive, if anyone at all.

In addition to the brilliantly done bloodbaths that frequent the story, Young treats us to a healthy share of suspense and scene building as well. Things don’t go from bad to worse until about the halfway point of the novel. The first half is a series of well crafted and suspenseful scenes, interspersed with the occasional bucket of blood for good measure. 

Overall, The Tunnel is a well put together, fast paced action horror novel. The pacing, characters, and dialog almost make it feel more like an action movie. The characters can be a bit silly, and the dialog is mostly light and witty. There isn’t too much character development, or the crafting of deep, personal relationships here. Just good, lighthearted characters getting ripped into shreds by cave dwelling monsters. I was pleasantly surprised with just how horrific this book truly is, and am looking forward to reading more from Gayne C. Young. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $2.99 (Kindle) or $9.99 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.

[Book Review] The Festering Ones- S. H. Cooper

In S. H. Cooper’s debut novella, The Festering Ones, we learn the tragic tale of Faith York. After years of begging, a young Faith is finally allowed to accompany her father on his annual hunting trip. What begins as a wonderful bonding experience quickly turns sour when her father is attacked by an impossible looking creature. He is never seen again. Years later, Faith returns to her home town in the wake of her mother’s death and stumbles upon a collection of research that her mother had been conducting into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Faith’s father. She becomes determined to finish what her mother started and learn the complete truth behind the monsters that took her dad. Her search takes her down a rabbit hole of family secrets and cults; kidnappings and murders, all in the name of the terrible eldritch god Gorrorum.

My absolute favorite thing about Cooper’s world is the Gorrorum mythos. Cooper has crafted a well thought out and structured series of realms, creatures, and even competing gods. The Gathered, the cult who worship Gorrorum, are creative, dark and terrifying. I love the way Cooper implements dream-visions of the Ibsilyth realm. Dreaming of the cosmic dimensions that the big bad monsters come from is a staple in the cosmic horror genre, but I’ve never seen it quite done like this. It’s Cooper’s ingenuity and originality that made this such a fun read. However, don’t be misled by my calling this a fun read. It is horror, through and through. The characters endure some seriously dark happenings. The Gathered does not shy away from brutality and bloodshed in the worship of their rotting god. The violence in this novella is not particularly graphicly or gorily described, but the viciousness is there. The scenes where we learn more about The Gathered and Gorrorum are like a twisted history lesson, and when the action gets going, it is absolutely gripping.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of Cooper’s writing is in that of the main character, Faith. Faith is a relatively normal girl at the beginning, despite her very troubled childhood. She isn’t shown to be amazingly strong or capable. She isn’t a hero type; she’s a classic everyman (everywoman?). That, in and of itself, isn’t unique or noteworthy. In most fiction where the hero is an everyman, they quickly step up and become a hero when destiny calls. Faith is a little different, and that’s where she shines. Faith never becomes the Perfect Hero. Throughout the entire story, she is terrified and confused. She practically spends the whole novella on the verge of a breakdown. She still does what she needs to do, and that indicates incredible strength and fortitude. But her real, human weakness and fear never go away. It’s so much more believable that this regular person, when thrust into incredible circumstances, still behaves like a regular person. 

With such realistically crafted characters and inspired cosmic mythos, Cooper will certainly draw you in and make you hungry for more. My biggest complaint here is with the ending. It seemed to come rather abruptly, and left me wishing for the story to continue. When I looked down and saw that I had reached 96% completion, I wasn’t sure how there could be a satisfying conclusion in such a short space. As it turned out, there wasn’t enough room to fit a complete and satisfying ending, and we are left wanting. That wanting could possibly have been satiated if this had been expanded to a full length novel. Hopefully, we are granted a continuation of the story by means of a sequel. To clear, the ending isn’t poorly crafted. There is no unsatisfying Deus Ex Machina, or blatant plot holes hastily covered. The ending, as it is, simply pumps you up for what is to come next, and then refuses to provide it. Of course, perhaps that is Cooper’s intention. If so, it definitely served to leave me hooked and awaiting the next course. If there is a next course, I’ll be first in line. 

You can purchase a copy on Amazon for $2.99 (Kindle) or $5.99 (paperback). Also available free with Kindle Unlimited.