Dog Days by Nikolas P. Robinson

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Godless Exclusive

Read: 05/31/22

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Based on a true story from the life of the author's uncle, Dog Days is a tale of revenge and the horror man is capable of.
Returning home to find his house ablaze and his dogs trapped inside, Lee Melvin learns that it all has something to do with a good deed he'd done one night. Like a redneck John Wick, Lee will stop at nothing to punish the person responsible for the deaths of his two Dobermann pinschers and the harm he's caused others.

Review:

This is a revenge tale and the lengths a person will take to protect people and exact revenge upon the ones that hurt them. What a stellar man to step up and defend people who are being abused. That is a showing of what humanity should be about. Love one another. Show you care. The loss of his home and his beloved pets was so sad and knowing that this is based on a true story made this so deeply heartbreaking. The author's notes gives a lot of insight and adds a whole enrichment to the story creating an even bigger appreciation for the author and his willingness to share it with us. In this short story we feel the love and empathy but we also feel the loss and pain.

Goodreads Author Page: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.com/Nikolas-Robinson/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

Industrial Divinity by Regina Watts

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: Paperback

Pages: 324

Read: 05/29/22

Amazon Synopsis: 

Don't miss the exquisite illustrations by cover artist Nuno Moreira that enrich this paperback edition of the transgressive novel from DOTTIE FOR YOU author Regina Watts!

Once upon a time lived a woman who was immortal but not invulnerable. This is the story of everything that happened after she discovered that fact. This is the story of a virus. It is the story of a country that is afraid of change. This is the story of a woman who becomes a sadomasochistic performance artist called "The Degenetrix" during a time when the human race is more isolated than ever before.

This is the story of the Degenetrix and the career she built by mutilating herself on the Internet for the pleasure of strangers, of stalkers, and of a mysterious benefactor who showers her with wealth but refuses to reveal his identity. This is the story of love during pandemic, of alienation in an alienated world. This is the story of pain and of lust and of the immortality of the human mind.

But don't worry. This is a happy story, and you are permitted to feel happy while you read it. Empathy is the greatest of all human virtues and the human race has been put on this planet called "Earth" so as to learn it.

Such is the will of the spider-mother.

Review:

"She had once read, however, that the human brain responded to fantasies about a thing as if it were truly experiencing that thing—that books, for instance, impacted the human mind as if the reader lived the protagonist’s life."

Transgressive fiction delves us deep into the tropes of one woman's immortality. Set during a pandemic related to the times, her reclusive lifestyle and her discovery of her human condition sets her on a path of creating human body art and sharing it with the world. Her ability to self harm herself unto the brink of death and yet defy it in all its forms has the world fascinated. Her fan base grows as they watch her through her video postings, her popularity grows exponentially and she grows more and more dangerous in her acts. The more dangerous she becomes, the more popular her Only Fans website grows and she is given monetary donations. As the world watches her, she watches the world. Humanity is not always pleasant, greed, unwanted sexual advances, comments that reach to destroy her and yet she comes to know an everlasting love.

My thoughts: There is so much to this story that creates a deep thinking. A woman's painful life, searching for a way to connect with her inner self and find some hope in a world filled with ugliness. She is tired of the world and its expectations put upon woman and humanity itself. Through her journey she is able to find a connection to life and death and traverse through a spirituality that brings her a peacefulness that she has been searching for. Now let's talk about her finding her one true love, the one who desires her, accepts her, and loves her deeply and unequivocally. Is there anything more beautiful? I think not!!

There is much brutality as this is a splatterpunk love story at its deepest core, to love oneself and find true love in all its glory. The beauty of it far outweighs the gore. There is so much passion within, it feels as if you have become a part of it. The feelings, the beauty, the passion, the love, and a unique experience of LIFE!

Enthralling and riveting writing that makes one really think and inclusion of learning new is an experience that cannot be easily forgotten! 

Goodreads Author Page: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.com/Regina-Watts/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Psychological Fiction

Format: Paperback

Pages: 288

Read: 05/22/22

Amazon Synopsis: 

An American classic and the inspiration for the motion picture starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

It’s here, in the first volume of Patricia Highsmith’s five-book Ripley series, that we are introduced to the suave Tom Ripley, a young striver seeking to leave behind his past as an orphan bullied for being a “sissy.” Newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan, Ripley meets a wealthy industrialist who hires him to bring his playboy son, Dickie Greenleaf, back from gallivanting in Italy. Soon Ripley’s fascination with Dickie’s debonair lifestyle turns obsessive as he finds himself enraged by Dickie’s ambivalent affections for Marge, a charming American dilettante, and Ripley begins a deadly game. “Sinister and strangely alluring” (Mark Harris, Entertainment Weekly) The Talented Mr. Ripley serves as an unforgettable introduction to this smooth confidence man, whose talent for self-invention is as unnerving―and unnervingly revealing of the American psyche―as ever.

Review:

"Anticipation! It occurred to him that his anticipation was more pleasant to him than the experience." Tom Ripley is an anti-hero , an immoral sociopath, narcissistic, selfish, and has absolutely no empathy. He is certainly talented and quite intelligent, albeit a very flawed character. He is loathsome and yet so intriguing. Somehow there is a feeling of sympathy towards Tom, maybe because he struggles with his desires towards the same sex, which was completely unacceptable, and his desires cause him to want so badly to become someone else entirely. Also, the way he was treated by his aunt during his childhood had him always questioning his feelings and self-worth. I've seen the movie many times so I knew mostly of what was going to unfold, but to have it so detailed made his character even more dark and disturbing! So worth the time spent reading!! "His stories were good because he imagined them intensely, so intensely that he came to believe them." Goodreads Author Page:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-Highsmith/e/ Review Links:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/ https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/ https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

Crone: A Witch's Tale by Jae Mazer

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 308

Read: 05/15/22

Amazon Synopsis: 

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."  -- William Shakespeare

 Drowning in a sea of despair and fear, young Abbey struggles through her childhood alone and afraid. She lives on an isolated acreage with a cold and abusive family, spending her time afraid and miserable in her solitude.

 But is she truly alone?

 Abbey’s brother has convinced her that there is a witch living in their basement. Everyone knows it’s just a wicked story told for the sake of torment, but Abbey can’t help wondering if there really is something horrible and terrifying lurking beneath the stairs, watching, waiting…

 CRONE is a tale of a witch that hides in the dark corners of the mind and deep in the shadows of life. It is a tumultuous journey filled with pain and joy, blood and smiles, suffering and relief, monsters and magic. Come along with Abbey as she escapes her childhood and is thrust into adulthood, followed by the ghosts of her past, and a fairytale that couldn’t possibly be real.

 Could it?

Review:

"The words didn't hurt. They never did anymore. The same scar slashed over and over again hurts less every time."

Young Abbey's life is heartbreaking. Her family treats her as if she is less than human and she suffers much abuse by the ones she should be able to trust and should love her unconditionally. She finds an unexpected love from a realm of darkness and light. What she fears the most becomes her hope and her solitude.

Long into adulthood, she continues to encounter many difficulties. When she goes in search of a place of peace, what she finds is not what she expected and her life once again begins to unravel.

This was a recommended read by an online friend. I am so thankful, as I really enjoyed this. This was also my first experience reading a book by Jae Mazer. I am definitely intrigued to read more.

There is so much dreamlike unreality, really makes one question what is the reality, but the wonderful prose brings the magic to life. There were lots of dark elements but also a tale of finding love and protection where least expected. It was not at all what I was expecting which made it all much more captivating. What started out in darkness, ends in a beautiful story of love and redemption.

An atmospheric tale of dread, darkness and light, and in the end, love wins!!

Goodreads Author Page: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Page: 

https://www.amazon.com/Jae-Mazer/e/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

Karaoke Night by John Watson

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 192

Read: 05/07/22

Amazon Synopsis: 

Missing in rural Georgia for three days, travel blogger Brian Keane is found with no memory of his lost time. What he does have, though, is a digital recorder containing interviews with eleven people whom he does not remember talking to.
Each person tells the story behind their reason for singing their chosen song at Karaoke Night, with each tale a little more twisted than the one before. What becomes clear through these interviews is that the people of Redfield, Georgia are connected in ways they could never have imagined.
Brian Keane may have zero recollection of those lost three days, but through his transcripts, he stumbles upon the true story of one creepy little Georgia town and the Karaoke Night where the songs always remain the same.

Review:  "Ten songs, Ten tales, One Creepy town." "A little over a year ago, I went missing for 72 hours." Brian travels to write about lesser known dive bars. His recent destination, the town of Redfield, Georgia. Karaoke Night here is not typical, as the singers sing the very same song over and over. As Brian interviews each one, they tell their story behind the chosen song. Each one has a connection to the previous and it all comes together as they each tell of the darkness that lies within their souls. The "Unknown" is ever watching and they must bring their stories to completion for it to be completely understood. The journey through song must be followed. It is dark, sinister, frighteningly creepy and it descends into a macabre atmosphere. I enjoyed reading this. Presented as interviews was unique and the personalities of each character came to life. As someone who loves, appreciates music and feels that music is a universal language, I loved how each chapter was a song title. It really sets the mood and easily creates a connection. Albeit, John turns these titles into a deep and dark tale of the horrific. It was all wrapped up tightly into an excellent ending. This one is a gem! Goodreads Author Page:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/ Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/John-Watson/e/ Review Links: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3 https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/ https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

Cruel by Eli Wilde

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 268

Read: 05/03/22

Amazon Synopsis:

Cruel is a dark, coming of age psychological drama.

When he was a child, Evan thought angels were looking out for him. Things changed when he went to school and found monsters were the ones looking out for him. Seeing bullies brutalise their way through his formative years changed Evan. Eventually, his mental health made him realise he did not have to care what people thought about him. Being on the edge of society meant nothing could harm him. As school ended, Evan’s coming to age speeded up. He grew stronger both physically and mentally, and the bullies in his workplace were no match for the monster walking in Evan’s shoes. Later, when he found Morris and his wife Denise, they taught him another lesson. A lesson where one man’s wife could become a close friend’s lover, but only if she followed her husband’s instructions.

Review:

"Thou shalt not feel lonely should have been a commandment. Or thou shalt not allow those around you to feel lonely would have been better. How could I have felt lonely when I was surrounded by so many people every day?"

This is the story of Evan Jameson. He is giving us a look into his memories of his childhood. His life was never an easy one. Every day was a battle against the injustices of the world. Bullying was an often prominent occurrence and becomes his greatest torment. It follows him into adulthood and has him questioning his own inner self control. During each moment that he shares, he is giving a little bit more of himself to us. An understanding of who he was and who he has become.

This is a story of a broken life and the cruelty that created it. Through the eyes of the man and the child he once was. The things that Evan experienced as a child builds an empathy and an understanding while also feeling abhorrence towards some of his acts, but we must have both to feel the whole experience of living with a life of cruelty and how it comes to affect a human soul.

A broken boy to a broken man.

It is raw, it is brutal, but it is also beautiful if it is experienced with an open mind and heart. It is not possible to ignore that there is much cruelty in this world and it has an everlasting affect.

Devastatingly exposing real life horror in all its heartbreaking nature.

Not an easy read, but most definitely powerful!

I received a review copy from Book Sirens. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Warning: The contents of this book are not meant to offend, but it contains scenes of a sexual nature and animal cruelty not suitable for all readers.

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Eli-Wilde/e/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/