Dragging Wings by Jennifer Caress

Dragging Wings
Jennifer Caress
Publisher: Stone Garden
ISBN: 1-60076-117-8
Release date: TBA


Dragging Wings is book two in the Perverted Realities series, but it stands as a single, separate book.

This book took me by surprise as it is a collection of stories all interlocked by two characters: Sammy and Frankie, who seem to be trying to understand the world they live in and try to make connections with people they come across.

Jennifer Caress has brought together an interesting book with an interesting format. This book is a marketer’s worst night as it contains the genres: science fiction, horror, and dark fantasy. But together, as a whole, this book is simply: good.

The book kicks off with a great story (the best in my opinion) Take me with you, Thomas Manner. This story flows so smoothly it’s over before you know it. I cleaned this story in one sitting. The second story I struggled with, really not my cup of tea. Dandi is struggling with a her past and ends up battling her demons -- actually battling them to get back what she had lost. The third story is Noble the energy sucking vampire...and there are more amazing characters in this book. I’ll leave the rest for you to discover, but look out for Iliad, I liked this one as well.

There is a strange feel to this book as it touches several genres without choosing one and sticking with it.

Dragging Wing encompasses SpecFic full on and takes the reader on a ride into realistic characters and the lives they live.

Bloodline by Michael Green

Bloodline by Michael Green
Copyright 2008
An earlier edition first published 2006 as The Crucial Gene
An Arrow Book
Random house NZ
ISBN: 978 1 86941 980 6


First off, Michael Green can tell a story. The tag line of the book is: What if your family was the last left alive? And this story is about the Chatfields and their family is the last left alive after a ‘super-SARS’ virus ravages the planet. It kills quickly and with the advent of worldwide travel, it has no borders.

The book kicks off right in the middle of the action. Mark Chatfield and his wife are aboard a plane after visiting relatives in England, when the wife gets sick. Other people on the plane are sick as well and as the plane comes to land in Singapore, the passengers are not allowed off. The plane is refuelled and sent to New Zealand.

Mark’s wife gets sicker and sicker. By the time they land, many passengers are ill and on the ground the army is in full swing. No one is allowed to leave and as Mark is the only person not sick, he is constantly tested; blood, temperature, etc.

Everyone around is dying. Mark makes a daring escape and reaches his daughter’s house in Auckland. Jane is alive and well. His son Steven is also there and the two kids. All partners are dead.

They escape the army and road gangs as they looked for somewhere else to live and decided on Gulf Harbour.

And that’s just part one. It’s hard out, full-on, and uses a lot of flashbacks. I’m not a fan of flashbacks but to get a grip on the storyline, they are needed. There are four parts to this book. Part two is a search for a relative living in Wellington. Part three is heading to England on the premise that if they survived the English branch of the family may have survived as well. But the community they find on the other side of the world is a very different one, based on the rule of fear. Not only does it look impossible to take anyone back to New Zealand, but it may also be impossible for them to escape themselves.

It is from part three that the book gathers amazing speed and really kicks into gear. I won’t describe that happen from here, suffice to say: It’s one hell of an idea and executed well.

As I have mentioned, Michael Green can tell one hell of a story and it seems almost plausible as pieces of the jigsaw come together. But I must say I wasn’t impressed with ‘tell’ style employed to ‘tell’ this story. This happened and then this happened and so forth. Quote: He fell back in fear. Would something a little more intimate be better? For example: The knowledge burned into his soul forcing him back a pace as wide eyed, he stared at... In all the writing books and all the courses writers are told not to do this. Show don’t Tell is yelled at every new author the moment they hit the block. Was Michael told? Also there was a few terrible to read pages at the start of part four. These were told in omnipresent view and destroyed the mood of the story. It didn’t last long and I think it was the only way to let the readers know the story had passed through winter.

Once I had become accustomed the Michael’s style, I found the book fast paced, and enthralling and was a little disappointed in the ending. It came too soon!

Bloodline is a book that you are either going to love or hate. I don’t think there is a middle ground. I also think this book will appeal more to men.

Michael Green is noted for his humourous book: Big Aggie sails the Gulf and for a non-fiction book: Successful Speechmaking.



79%

The Kill Crew by Joseph D'Lacey

The Kill Crew
Joseph D’Lacey
Publisher: Stone Garden
Format: Novella 80 pages
Release date is August 10th from www.stonegarden.net
ISBN: 1-60076-141-0


This is Joseph’s first US release and it is a kicker. Usually I am not fond of first person, and present tense makes me feel like an observer, but Joseph has executed this piece of writing artistically and with grace. It didn’t read like most first person accounts and being character driven the story moved at a quick pace.

The kill crew are a group of survivors who search the city at night killing Commuters, a term given to those who didn’t survive but are still alive in a way. They are not zombies, they don’t eat flesh, and they weep as they reach for you.

Sherri is a member of the crew and she loves it, going out almost every night. And the one who narrates this story.

No one knows what happened to the world, there are theories but no one has any concrete evidence or knowledge, most just speculate. The number of survivors has dwindled to roughly two hundred and those numbers are going down but not in a way you’d expect, Joseph touches on subjects I haven’t read in most other books of this nature.

Sherri has a boyfriend, Ike, she doesn’t really like him. He was the in-between guy, the guy she was with until someone else came along. Only no one is coming anymore. Never. Sherri also has a young charge Trixie who is damaged and Sherri is trying to help fix.

In this new world, nothing works: computers, electricity, cars, watches, anything with a battery died. Then, one day out in the city (daylight is safe) looking for games for Trixie, Ike sees a Hi-Ace and for the hell of it, he climbs in...and it starts up.

This evolution of the story comes across so smoothly it seems almost natural. Joseph is an excellent story creator. I wanted to say ‘story teller’ but nothing is told in this book, everything is created around the characters, thoughts, emotions and needs.

Joseph’s style will sit well with everyone and the 80 pages will just fly by.

93%

Blood on Celluloid by B. L. Morgan

 

ISBN: 9781600760693 ISBN-10: 1600760694 

  Number Of Pages: 196 

  Publisher: 10320775 

  Format: Paperback

  Language: English 

  Dimensions (cm): 8.0 x 5.0 x 0.45 

 I am a fan of the John Dark books. John is a hard-ass PI. He lives and investigates rough on the mean streets of East St. Louis. In the first book, 'Blood and Rain', John took on the supernatural and kicked ass. In the second book. 'Blood for the Masses' he kicks Roman ass (in ancient Rome). 

In this book, John takes on the child sex trade. When we open the book and find John in a morgue to identify a body. That of his lover Sherry St. Claire. The woman who saved him--from himself. Sherry was tortured and killed. Guess who has revenge on his mind. Yep, John Dark. In the course of his investigation blood is spilt and people are shot. 

This makes John happy and his best friend Johnny ecstatic. A video tape is found at a paedophiles residence. It is a video of Sherry's last moments. And it fires John up; leading his investigation into the murky waters of child sex slavery. 

 Dark heads to Thailand to a fictional town, where 'The flesh Pit' is. It is a place where rich foreigners get to...well, let's not go there. We know what goes on. This is the shortest John Dark book to date and it seems to touch on a very personal level with the author. This book from a reader's point of view (well mine) is disjointed and jumpy. 

The story is plot driven with a lot less characterization than usual. In places it is jerky and not like the other John Dark books that seem to flow from sentence to paragraph. I didn't feel the usual connection that I have with the other books. Something was missing, but I can't put my finger on it. 

 So much more could have gone into this book. The author chose a subject that is not mentioned recently and I give him major kudos for bring this back to the foreground. Reminding us that this shit goes on still, today. The media does not mention this and for that we forget. I thank Bob for bringing this issue back to our attention. It took balls. It is a very touchy subject to write about and one must be very careful of how such work is presented. 

I did not fully enjoy this book. Perhaps the subject matter was a little too much for this reviewer. 

However, in saying that -- The last half of the book is explosive and in your face. It shows what action and power this author has at his disposal. And I recommend you check out the John Dark books and the other books, this awesome author is having published later this year.

 

67%

My Bloody Valentine 3D

WOW! Fucking WOW! 

This movie (a remake of a decent slasher film) starts off hard and fast and it doesn't let up. You know most movies start off hard and fast and then slows down as the characters are developed so you feel for them and want to root for them. 

My Bloody Valentine is not like that at all. The characters are developed as the movie progresses. However in saying that, 'Tom's' character needed a bit more development, apart from that everything else flowed smoothly. 

It was a basic script, basic story line, nothing too complex here but there are enough twists and enough gore spread out in perfect placement (time) that gel together to create an enjoyable movie....in 3D. 

The 3D in this film was so well done. It looked really good through out the movie. I think the lack of CGI helped make the 3D more real. Twice I dodged a flying pickaxe. I recall seeing Journey to the centre of the Earth 3D. The effects were good and clean but there was so much CGI that it still looked neat, but ultimately fake. 

Seeing this movie in standard format, just won't have the same impact. 

Please enjoy it in 3D, it's given horror the kick in the pants it needs.

90%

Berserk by Tim Lebbon

This is the first Tim Lebbon book I have read and I liked it. The storytelling flow is smooth and easy to follow. I found I had read 50+ pages in one sitting and the story was still building up. 

 The book is about a 50ish year old guy whose son died 10 years ago in an army accident. He's never really believed it, thinking there was some kid of cover-up. He was right. 

 One night at the local pub he overhears to men talking about Porton Down. That's where Steven was stationed. "They kept monsters." one of the men says in hushed tones. And before he knows it, Tom is on a journey of discovery and change; and digging up a mass grave, digging deeper and deeper looking for the body of his son. A mummified corpse of a little girl touches his leg... 

An ex army office who knows what happened in Porton Down is on Tom's trail and he has one idea in mind -- kill Tom and keep the girl buried. I felt the ending was dragged out and quite long winded. I mean, the lead up to the ending. In saying that, it wasn't boring reading and the extent of Cole's sickness is well detailed and his reasons would seem logical to man such as him. Cole is the ex-army guy who buried Natasha alive, just so she could suffer. Also Tom's reason for picking up a mummified girl seems a little too easy. 

 his book scores a 3 out of 5 for me. 

Frankly I was expecting more and this books idea had so much scope for more.

Triage by Laymon, Lee and Ketchum

Triage by Richard Laymon, Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum 

Publisher: Leisure Books 

January 2008 

ISBN-10: 1587670429 ISBN-13: 978-1587670428 

Copyright © 2001 by Matt Johnson 

Triage © 2001 by Richard Laymon 

In the Year of Our Lord 2202 © 2001 by Edward Lee 

Sheep Meadow Story © 2001 by Dallas Mayr (AKA Jack Ketchum, AKA Jerzy Livingston)

Review © 2008 by Lee Pletzers 

 This book is 3 novellas based on one idea. 

The idea: a mystery person comes into a place, hell bent on killing someone who has no idea why they’re being targeted or who the killer is. Richard Laymon’s story: Triage starts us off and it is a rip-roar of a story. It starts off with a bang and never lets go. It is a super fast read and has some surprises in it. This is Laymon going hell for leather and ripping your eyeballs out. It is 90+ pages and I finished it in one sitting. 

 Laymon’s story keeps the premise of the killer chasing Sharon, an office worker. She gets a phone call. The caller says: “I’m going to get you.” “I’m going to get you now, Sharon.” He hangs up the phone. 

Next second a man walks in carrying a pump action shotgun, he asks for Sharon. 

The receptionist points her out. He says, “Thank you.” And he blows her brains out. All this on page 3. 

I would love to tell you about this fantastic story but letting even a little bit out will dull the read. I can say that you will be smiling at the end of it. 

This story is a kicker as well worth the price of the book alone. The twist is a kicker as well, although a little blunt. Other reviewers claim this is Laymon’s weakest story to date. They are wrong. 

 I wish I could say the same for Edward Lee’s story: In the year of our Lord 2202. It starts off the same, a girl getting a call from someone wanting to kill her and that person enters the area a moment later. 

Apart from that, the rest of the novella is an SF story in the vein of a mystery. This Sharon is a nun, or somehow in the nunnery and she is a virgin. A big point is made about this. Lee also goes on and on and on filling pages with unneeded padding. 

I still have no idea why the guy in the beginning tried to kill Sharon. The rest of the story is quite neat if you like mysteries. The story is about a spaceship on a secret mission. Apparently no one knows about this mission thinking it is just a standard run. (The future Lee painted is awesome. Damn awesome. Buy the book just for this vision of the future.) 

The guy who tried to kill Sharon is killed and soon revealed to be from a secret sect called ‘Red Sect’; a group that tortures and kills without reason. Sharon becomes fascinated with learning more about this group and their god, and she tries to learn all she can, but the information is blocked or deleted. The only source of info she has is in the soldier who killed the guy. But why would a ‘Red Sect’ member be on board? Because it is not the usual run-of-the-mill trip. This is revealed when the ship stops and all but a few keys personnel are ordered off. 

What’s the secret mission? Why, Man has finally found the location of Heaven. And it’s time they paid a visit. 

 Saying more would almost destroy the wonderful ending. The third novella in this is book is: Sheep meadow story by Jack Ketchum (writing as Jerzy Livingston). It starts off the same, only the main character’s name is Carla, not Sharon. And I may be wrong, but I think Jack just added this scene to conform to the book’s main theme, ‘cause the story goes way out of whack with the rest of the book. 

Jack though, is a pretty good writer and I polished off his story in a couple of hours. It is only 43 pages long. This story is about a guy who works for an agency as a reader and he gets 10% of the price writers pay to have their work evaluated. He is not happy. Lost his wife, lives off booze and cigarettes, has no direction in life, early fifties and dreams of being a writer. (Loved the Maxwell Perkins mention. Nice one.) 

 Stroup is going through the motions of life. He has a favourite bar, a couple of girlfriends (one who dumps him for another guy), a friend he doesn’t like who tells constant jokes and a bar tender he’d like to shag but that ain’t ever going to happen. Then his ex calls and demands he pay her the money he owes. He tells her to fuck off and she sends him a summons to appear in court. On top of that he loses his job. He’s not fired – he’s ‘Downsized’. Still, it’s not all bad. He does have a .38 revolver with a full chamber…and he knows where his ex-wife is enjoying the sunny day… 

 All in all, this tiny anthology of 310 pages is a fast read. I feel only Laymon stayed true to the theme and in doing so, he created one of his best stories I’ve read since Island. I wish Edward Lee’s story was horror more than mystery as he is pretty good with the blood and guts genre. And Jack Ketchum…I’ve said all I can say. I like his writing in this story, and it’s the first bit of his writing that I’ve read. 

Three different novellas, all based on one premise. Sounds like a themed book to me, but it isn’t and that is mentioned on the back cover and in the introduction by Matt Johnson. For some reason I thought they were all themed, but apart from a killer and a girl, they have little to no resemblance to each other. Still, this is a good book to pass four afternoons enjoying.

85%