The Dark Path by Luke Romyn

The Dark Path by Luke Romyn
Kindle version

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Author Luke Romyn (January 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0987214934
• ISBN-13: 978-0987214935
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches 

I did not know what to expect when I downloaded this onto my phone. I'd never heard of Luke Romyn before apart from the tweets about his book and other tweets saying how great the book was. So, I had to find out for myself.

The story is about Martin Roberts, a cop whose split second inaction causes the death of his best friend. The Russian mob is involved and for revenge, Martin agrees to go to court and put the mobster away for life. The FBI move them to a safe house. The stress naturally gets to them and after a fight, Martin leaves the house to cool down. When he returns the unthinkable happens. On the verge of death himself, a voice in his head tells him to get up, but Martin just wants to die, so the voice in his head takes his place and blocks out all of Martin's Memories. This new man's name is Vain and he becomes an assassin. And a good assassin at that. But he makes a mistake and gets captured, and his path changes from that moment onwards.

This is a rocking thriller that moves fast and hard, where the main character is put through tests of his characters and will. He is pushed beyond his limits but keeps going.

The only thing I didn't like much was the overuse of adjectives but that is easy to skip over, because the story pulls you along and drags you into the pits of Hell and Madness and Revenge.

4 out of 5




 

The Becoming - a novella Allan Leverone

The Becoming -- a novella Allan Leverone

• File Size: 203 KB
• Print Length: 90 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Rock Bottom Books; 1 edition (April 26, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007Y9IFCK

This tale starts off nearly a hundred years in the past and then shoots to modern times. A hundred years ago a coal miner simply disappeared. The mine was closed up after that upon the government discovering that safety rules did not really exist and several miners have gone missing. For the past 90 years no one has set foot in it...until now. 

Enter Tim McKenna, a 12 year old who wants to explore the forbidden mine. He was bored since moving to this town and with few friends he needed some excitement. At school one of the teachers talks about the mine and that gets his heart pounding. But none of his new friends want to go. They are locals, they had heard the whispers about the mine--whispers about creatures or ghosts. And although no one really believes it, everyone avoids the mine.

Tim is determined. He fakes being sick and kicks off from school. He has his bag packed with essentials he thinks he needs and off he goes.

What fate awaits him? It may not be what you think.

This is an interesting and fast paced book. I actually wanted it to be longer, but I feel the author ended it where it needed to end. The writing is smooth to read and the story never goes off track or dwells too long in the back story. It is a novella, after all. And it is a good real.

4 out of 5 stars from me.
 

The Zombie Generation by Drake Vaughn

The Zombie Generation by Drake Vaughn

• File Size: 561 KB
• Print Length: 239 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1475216378
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Dead Orb Pres; 1 edition (April 7, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007SDHJBA

Warner is alone...kind of. The end of humanity was broadcast live with game shows when the zombies arrived. But these are a different kinds of zombies and they are called buggers. They love brains and alcohol. The last human sees figs, has a girlfriend called Pam and has the best safe house in the history of zombie thrillers.

This is a newish take on the tired zombie genre and the way Warner survives is believable during the coming end. It's a book filled with exciting happenings and things pick up when Warner encounters three survivors.

This book has a problem: long passages that need to be spruced up to add tension in the sections were not much action is happening. I understand the need for back story and why Warner suffers figs (figments of people or things) but did we need the long expositions?

Overall this book is entertaining and well worth a couple of bucks in e-format and your time.

3.5 / 5

Ghosts can Bleed by Tracie McBride

Ghosts can Bleed
Tracie McBride
Dark Continents Publishing
145 pages, Paperback

Ghosts can Bleed is a collection of dark stories and some poetry thrown in the mix. 42 tales. Some make you think, some make you smile (evilly), and there are a few in there that didn't strike my fancy. Overall, this collection hits the awesome mark quite high.

My favorite tale is: Fridge Wars.
Baptism runs a close second.

All the stories are different to what you would expect, not traditional in the slightest as there is a mix of fantasy, horror and weird. More weird than the rest (like Fridge Wars).

Some books you just can't help but like and this is one of them. All the stories resonate with the reader and you are quickly pulled into the world Tracie has created.

Not much can be said without giving anything away but I did like the tid-bits of info at the top of some of the stories, these are always fun to read, especially how a story came about.

Get yourself a copy and you'll be in for a heck of a ride.
 
4 out of 5 stars.

Finding Poe by Leigh M. Lane

Finding Poe
Leigh M. Lane
Product Details File Size: 287 KB
Print Length: 210 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Cerebral Books (March 18, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B007M7JWTY

I bought a copy of this a few days before being asked to review this by the author. Having read Leigh's other book I was keen to jump into this one. And jump I did.

The overall story is great but we don't meet Poe for quite awhile. Karina's husband Brantley, had become embroiled in a scandal and the only thing he can do is to move them to America and take up position in a light house. Things go weird after that. Brantley starts to go into a bout of madness, searching for a treasure that does not exist. He sends Karina to go shopping on the mainland and his directions get her lost in the forest. Here she learns the light house has a curse, acquires a dog that follows her around, meets some strange people also looking for treasure.

Back home, Brantley seems to have changed and became a nice guy again for all of a few hours, then he decides to kill Karina. After she escapes and finds a letter address to Poe, that's when the trouble starts.

Leigh had written this tale with a Poe(ish) style or flare. There are several references to his stories and poems, tho subtle they may be to the casual reader. The writing pulls you right in and you are held captive by the unfolding tale. I do have one complaint though: I felt there was a lot of unneeded repeated dream sequences and the madhouse experience seemed to drag on. I think Leigh was adding to the Poe experience as I recognized several of the references but I felt those pages were not needed and removing them might have made a tighter story. Despite that, the writing is fluid and enjoyable and well worth your time.

4 of out 5 starts for me.

I am Wolf by Joann H. Buchanan

I am Wolf by Joann H. Buchanan
Publisher: World Castle Publishing (January 21, 2012)
Kindle Version
YA fiction


I really got into this story of a troubled teen sent off to live with his grandfather. He's not sure why he has to live away from his friends and the lovely city but he is forced to go and feels that his parents are getting a divorce, which is why he was sent away. The truth on the other hand is a different story. Jonah is about to change for the first time. His bloodline is that of a wolf. He meets his pack, friends he had in his childhood when he used to live out here in the sticks. They are all wolves.

All is good for awhile until a lone hunter, Ralph, (well and truly mad) kidnaps the little brother of Jonah's girlfriend at the behest of Gracie (an imaginary woman that is his perfect woman). Ralph is one of the best characters in this novel. He really comes alive and jumps off the page. A few flashbacks paint him in a darker light but one cannot help but know this kind of person, if not in real life, but from society in general.

The pack track him down but it is Jonah and Alaynee who face him and it is here that Jonah makes a terrible mistake that results in an unnatural. A violent and dark creature.

I really liked I am Wolf until it bogged down in traditional Indian lore and though I have no problem with that (even liked some of it), it went on way too long to the point I started to think it was filler and nothing more. Why? Because Jonah, who created the unnatural, has a link to him and knows where he is headed and asks his pack if they will follow him. They do, naturally. And that is where I turned off my Kindle.

The first half of this book and Jonah's assimilation to his new world was awesome reading. The horror of the unnatural was also great and Joann H. Buchanan did a great job of world building and character building and I'm sure I turned off the Kindle a tad too early but I had lost the fire, the mystery that fueled the tale for me.

75%

Mile 81 by Stephen King

Mile 81 by Stephen King
Kindle version

Mile 81 is King returning to monsters. It kind of reminds me of The mist, in that this monster could create tentacles. The monster came in the form of a car and it parked at a deserted rest stop.

Sleeping in one of the abandoned buildings at the rest stop is Pete Simmons, a 10 year old who went to this place when his older brother went off with the "big kids". He was meant to stay out of trouble but in the old building he finds half a bottle of whiskey (?) and after three swallows is feeling kind of drunk and decides to take a nap.

During his nap, three people are eaten by the car. He wakes up to see the parents of a six year old and her little brother get munched up and as he is the older of the kids, he feels inclined to step up and defend them.

There is a lot of character description here (as with all of Kings work) but I felt kind of ripped off when I read pages about a character only to see him/her get munched on. But was good to read King back in his old stomping ground of Stand By Me, Christine and From a Buick 8.

This is a good and fast read and enjoy chapter one of King's newest book (at the time) 11/22/63.