The Dead Heart by Lucas Milliron

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 135

Read: 10/30/22

Synopsis:

A Tale of Resurrection and Necrophilia.

Wilbert’s a kind recluse, happier in his woodshop than the company of people. After the accidental resurrection, he’s ready to take his secret to the grave.

A champion dead lifter and veterinarian, Arielle’s taste in men is has left a trail of corpses in her wake. While indulging her lust for macabre, she discovers powers that allow her to explore beyond the limitations of life and flesh.

We all have skeletons in our closets, some more alive than others.

Not every secret can be taken to the grave.

Review:

“Just because you do the right thing, doesn't make you a hero anymore than not acting makes you a villain.”

Wilbert has a special gift. A gift he wishes he didn't have. He only wants to live a quiet life and be left alone. He has been hiding his secret for 17 years, but when this gift is discovered and it all comes out, people go crazy and he becomes the center of attention. 

Arielle is a dead lifter and a veterinarian, loves animals way more than people. She also has a deep hidden secret. Arielle is a dominatrix with horrifying, unatural macabre fetishes. 

When Arielle discovers Wilberts secret, she must have him and know how it is that he is capable of giving his gift to others. 

Two lives crossing paths turns into a grisly nightmare!

"Wilbert and Arielle couldn't have been more different, more detached from the world. Yet something terrible and strange tied them together. It was a gift, and a curse, a power neither compre‐ hended nor asked for."

Wow, wow, wow! As dark and disturbing as this is, the characters were excellently written. Wilbert is so likable, while Arielle is so damn vile one can't help but be completely disgusted by her. The whole story comes together so well and the ending is so, so good. Excellent prose that had me going back and re-reading certain parts. There is meaning in here alongside the disturbing that makes this an even more excellent read!

Hot damn, I love this one!

"There is no lover like a dead heart,"... "They don't break the living."

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Milliron/

Godless Purchase Link:

https://godless.com/products/

D&T Godless Link:

https://godless.com/collections/vendors

Review Links:

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

Small Angels by Lauren Owen

 

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Gothic Fiction

Format: Book of the Month/Physical Hardcover

Pages: 400

Read: 10/29/22

Synopsis:

A wedding in a small English village attracts a malicious spirit, forcing deep secrets to surface--a hypnotic tale of sisterhood, first love, and hauntings.

As a teenager, Kate found a safe harbor from her parents' constant fighting in the company of the four Gonne sisters, who lived with their strict grandparents next to Small Angels, a church on the edge of dense green woods. The first outsider to ever get close to the sisters, Kate eventually learned the family's secret: The woods are home to a capricious, menacing ghost whom generations of Gonnes had been charged with stopping from venturing into the village itself. But as the sisters grew older, braver, and more independent, bucking against the family's burden, the bulwark began to crack, culminating in a horrifying act of violence that drove a terrible wedge between the sisters and Kate.

Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church in the village where her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to hear unsettling stories about Small Angels--and worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn't possibly be real.

Now Kate is returning home for the first time in years, for Sam and Chloe's wedding. But the woods are coming alive again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, the most troubled of the sisters and her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward--this is storytelling at its most magical. Enter Small Angels, if you dare.

Review: 

"Every family has its strange, painful place, Chloe had thought, just as every house has one drawer full of chaos, crammed with nails and knotted string, orphaned keys and half-burned candles."

Mockbeggar Woods is timeless, alive and full of deep magic. It holds its stories deep in the heart of its elements. 

The forest holds onto its memories and the families that grew up on the edges are bound to its foreboding requirements, for thou shalt not fail to uphold thier promises. Its love runs so deeply, it does not ever let go. It keeps its stories and it remembers. 

"The trees in the woods remembered; they could whisper to one another of things past and days long gone. They were hungry for human dramas, and they loved to hear stories from the village below."

A story that goes back for hundreds of years. The dark whispering Mockbeggar Woods and the Gonnes family held in its clutches. The love of brothers and shadowy secrets buried within. A haunting past forever held onto by the families and villagers wanting to forget the terrifying past. But it will always be there and will always haunt their memories. Small Angels is always watching and the woods are always listening.

A story of heartache and finding the strength to love while facing your fears.

Small Angels is steeped in magical realism and hauntings, vivid imagery and foreboding darkness, beautiful prose and deep mystery.

Very darkly atmospheric, I really enjoyed getting lost in this one!

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Owen/e/

Review Links:

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

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

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

Bad Vibrations by Lucy Leitner

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 164

Read: 10/25/22

Synopsis:

What will you sacrifice to attain true health?

Valerie just arrived at Doctor’s hidden utopia for what was supposed to be a weekend of wellness.

A weekend of eating fruits straight from the farm. Of screaming hula hoop yoga and dynamic meditation to expel toxins Valerie knew were holding her back. A retreat where she’d attain the energy needed to return home and set new personal records at the gym. To land her dream job.

And of course, she’d finally have an appointment with Doctor, the naturopathic yogi guru who discovered the healing powers of drinking blood. He’d cured cancer. Leaky gut. Hashimoto’s thyroid and more.

But it turns out the blood-drinking wellness craze that swept the coasts isn’t too popular in rural Pennsylvania.

Get ready for sex, yoga, and blood.

Lots of Blood.

Review:

Let’s talk about “Bad Vibrations”, shall we? 

We all know how influential social media can be. Whether it is a new trend or just the way it can affect us emotionally and mentally. We all know the so-called “influencers” and we choose whom we want to follow. Sometimes it can be a good thing and sometimes not so much. 

In this story “The Doctor” and his followers are the influencers. They have developed a plan for attaining energy, health, and internal growth by living as pure as possible. Vegan diets, organically grown food, sexual energy transfer, yoga, and drinking blood. 

The weekend retreat quickly turns into a bloody war between the health group and the local police that do not want their corruptive ways influencing their town. 

There is a lot of depth in the writing that includes referencing many epidemics and phobias that most are familiar with. The divide that occurs between social, political, and health ideals and disagreements along with shaming. 

I believe a vast majority would really enjoy this, as so much of it is relatable and sheds a light on the idiocracy of society. But you're also going to have a lot of laughs with all the comedic characters and content.

Having read some of Leitner’s stories before, I knew I would not be disappointed!

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Lucy-Leitner/e/

Blood Bound Books:

https://www.bloodgutsandstory.com/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review

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

It Doesn't Give Anything Back by Jacob Steven Mohr

D&T Publishing LLC & Godless Emerge #10

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 30

Read: 10/22/22

Synopsis:

Grief takes many forms. When a gruesome carcass washes up during a broken family's beach vacation, a father and son must confront both heartbreaking loss and unspeakable evil. 

Review: 

“I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED in evil.”

Sloan Rand and his son Will are grieving. Too soon have they lost a wife and mother. But Sloan is not only grieving, he is angry for he believes the world has taken her on purpose. Sloan and Will go on a vacation at their beach house to spend some quality time together and mark the two year date of their loss. They are forced to face their grief, but more is happening and their reality turns into facing something evil. 

“It doesn’t give anything back,” she said. “Never, ever. Hold onto him. It won’t give him back once it gets him, it’ll never give him back…”

Sloan and Will are characters that are so easy to connect with as we have all felt the heaviness of grief. They are doing thier best to navigate life and move forward, but when confronted with an evil, more loss becomes their new reality. The darkness gets inside and consumes them. The descriptive imagery is captivating. You can almost hear the crashing waves and smell the ocean. The sadness and grief portrayed is so dreadfully heavy. The ending is heartbreaking. This is not a happy story, but it is beautifully written and pulls on the threads of your heart and soul.

Godless Purchase Link:

https://godless.com/collections/

Godless Author Page:

https://godless.com/products/

D&T Publishing on Godless:

https://godless.com/collections/vendors

I, The Void by The Professor

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 14

Read: 10/21/22

Synopsis:

A prose poem for the autumn. When much of nature turns.
And darkens.
And reddens.
And dies.
And dies.
And dies.

A year after his first appearance on Godless The Professor comes home for a night of slaughter, bringing with him a formless evil carried by mist, woodsmoke, dreams, memories and movies.

Review:

"I am the emptiness of evil. 

Without form. 

Without substance. 

The void. 

Hanging in the air with the mist and the woodsmoke. 

Rippling with the laughter of children. 

Waiting."

An evil is lurking in the shadows of the void. It lingers, It hungers, It waits.

The Professor delivers a story that delves us into the darkness. Taking place in the months of Autumn and All Hallows Eve. A formless evil appears, feeding on children, grief laden souls, and delivers death upon whomever he so chooses. He whispers and remains in the darkness. Listen closely for he waits in silence. 

Poetic Prose so beautifully written it takes one's breath away!

Godless Purchase Link:

https://godless.com/collections/

Godless Author Page:

https://godless.com/collections/vendors

The Hex Next Door (The Witches of Moondale Book 1) by Lou Wilham

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: LGBTQ+ Fantasy

Format: eBook

Pages: 289

Read: 10/21/22

Synopsis:

What’s a little necromancy between family?

For the Crow Witch, Icarus "Rus" Ashthorne, Moondale seemed the perfect hiding place. But like they always say, you can't go home again, and Rus finds out quickly that nothing is how she remembered, while at the same time very little has changed. Then she comes face to face with the only woman she's ever loved, Az Elwood, and... well, things get messier than she thought they ever could.

The Elwoods are a staple of Moondale, respected, feared, powerful, and Azure Elwood was always happy with her place amongst them. Happy to play the part of the good little witch, until Rus Ashthorne. Eleven years ago, Rus got on a bus and left Azure behind, but she's back, with two little girls trailing her like ducklings, and enough unspoken things between them to drown the town.

Now witch hunters are knocking at their proverbial door, the council of magic is being a real pain in the ass, and Rus wonders how much magic it’ll take to protect the people she loves from herself and the danger following her.

Review:

"To those of you looking for home. Sometimes it's right where you left it."

Icarus is a witch on the run from a coven that is after her adopted daughter. She returns to the town of Moondale in the hopes to find protection. Icarus is not exactly well accepted because of some of her past decisions, stepping into some witchy practices that are frowned upon. But she will do whatever it takes to protect her family from the dangers that are threatening them. 

There are many characters to fall in love with in this magical world of witches. The adopted daughters of Icarus , Aihuan and Meiling, are adorable and the family bond is so heartwarming. The house they live in has a personality all its own and often times a sassy one, so creative to include a lively house that offers protection and care. 

There is a love story, although it is somewhat of a broken one, or maybe just bent, clearly the love is still there and I hope as the story continues into the next book, the relationship will become stronger and they will admit to how much they are still in love. 

The five covens are strong and they each have their own set of skills to offer which makes the town of Moondale even stronger. 

Fairies, druids, witches, sapphic witches, powerful magic, necromancy, a bewitched house, diverse and flawed characters, a broken love story, and a whole mystery to get lost in. 

Moments to make you smile and moments of that will have you on edge.

I had so much fun reading this and will be keeping watch for the next book in this creative and fantastical world. 

Just wonderful!

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Lou-Wilham/e/

Review Links:

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

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

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

Fleshed Out : A Body Horror Collection by Rob Ulitski

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Body Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 325

Read: 10/17/22

Synopsis:

A hair-obsessed serial killer…

A flesh-eating motorway pileup…

A grotesque holiday illness…

Forget what you think you know about the human body. In Rob Ulitski’s debut short story collection, get ready for a thrilling, gut-churning ride through death, disease and destruction.

Boasting thirteen unique stories and a whole host of brutal bodily afflictions, 'Fleshed Out' explores the fragility of flesh and blood, and the gruesome ways our bodies can twist, contort and transform into our worst nightmares.

Review:

From the synopsis, the description is given as thirteen unique stories all accentuating body horror. I am here to tell everyone that this is so much more. Every story also includes themes of heartache and pain, grief and loss, battling illness, strong characters, and not accepting the too often broken health care system. There is also a recurring connection between each story.  With that being said, the gore is delightful and disgusting. Body parts and blood hit the floor, splatter is everywhere, melting pots of epic proportions ensue, peculiar desires are fulfilled, and abhorrent experiments are filled with destruction and demise! Yet, there are heartfelt moments that will possibly touch your soul. This is top notch! I loved the whole experience! These will surely satisfy horror lovers' delights!

Hair- 

“The metaphorical void inside of her had been a permanent fixture for as long as she could remember, and after years of  experimenting with everything from dust to chalk to pieces of glass, she had found something that made her feel whole.”

A woman’s obsession with hair leads her on a murdering spree. Her unusual appetite helps her choose her victims. She has a passionate goal to fulfill and there is nothing that will stop her from achieving it. 

Carnage- 

“He had no idea where he was or where he was going, but he did know one thing… He didn’t want to be here anymore , and he was going to go out in a whirlwind of violence and carnage.”

One man’s mission to exact revenge on his cheating wife turns into a slimy and gooey melting pot of epic proportions.

Crystalline-

“Helena couldn’t go on living as she was.”

Helena is exhausted from everyday tasks of taking care of her bed ridden brother. When an unexpected event occurs, her life is now endangered. Yet, there is hope for the future care of her brother. 

Heal-

“Since her diagnosis, doctor after doctor had given her a death sentence, with varying timescales: two years, one year, four months, a week.”

Leah and her friends go on a search to find a healing plant to cure her rare illness. Things do not go as planned and Leah becomes something more than she ever expected. 

Doug-

“I should have known you would do this again,” Dan spat, dragging his hands through his hair frustratedly.” 

Dan is somewhat unhappily married. He has tried really hard to put his real feelings aside, but when he discovers secrets that his wife has been keeping, he can no longer deny it. It is his time to live the life he was meant to, even though the circumstances are completely bizarre.

Circles-

“The infinite space was the brightest white you could imagine. No walls. Nothing in the distance. No-one at all inhabiting the area.”

A horrifying discovery of a recurring death loop. An experiment so disturbing and brutal, one can only wish for death. Utterly chilling!

Vending Machine-

“Marty Michaels was barely forty years old, but he was terminally ill.”

Doing everything he possibly could to avoid the health care system, Marty relied on his homeopathic remedies to ease the pain caused by his illness. Sometimeshe wanted a little bit more to feel a little satisfaction, so when Marty comes upon a mysterious vending machine, he takes a leap of faith and tries the bars available. He discovers that they ease his pain and causes a euphoria leading him back for more and more which leads him to certain destruction. 

Dropoff-

“It felt as if I had the sunset all to myself.”

Lifelong Corp experimenting on a human subject pumping him full of prototype drugs that prolong life. Even after the most brutal death, the subject still lives. 

Fused-

“Campbell didn’t remember what home felt like anymore.”

Trying to navigate life after a break up by his parents, Campbell falls into some very dark occurrences. He can’t understand what has happened, what is real and what is a fabrication of his mind. 

Neoton-

“Elijah was building the world as he wanted to see it. A world without pain, disease, breakups or depression.”

Elijah has built a virtual reality but something has gone terribly wrong and now there is no escaping it. 

Roe-

“Maggie was so incredibly close to the life she yearned for.”

Living in the quiet peace of nature, this is the life Maggie has always yearned for. But nature is not always so friendly.

Smothered-

“Is this what life was meant to be?”

Developing healthy relationships can be difficult, even when it is family. A son caring for an ill mother by a disgusting foreign object, turns into a nightmare.

Replacement-

“In the bathroom, she pulled up her white vest, revealing a scarred midsection and a medium-sized bandage packing a wound in the centre of her chest.”

Relying on a life saving product from a corporation turns into a fight to survive. Lies and deceit, no value for life, and a product gone amok. Splatter galore!

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Rob-Ulitski/e/

Review Links:

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

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

Author Website:

https://www.robwriteshorror.com/

Diabolique by John Paul Fitch

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 291

Read: 10/10/22

Synopsis:

Diabolique is a mashup up of horror fiction, bending the boundaries of indie horror with disturbing, grotesque features that leaves you only wanting more when it's over. Take a devouring transformation, masked power, deranged surgeons, punk noir killers, supernatural and a touch of BDSM, toss it into your rib cage beside your heart and squeeze tightly. You'll begin to perceive, partake and savor the stories within and gasp after each page. The debut collection from Scottish writer John Paul Fitch is a horrifying mix of cosmic measures, body horror and transgression fiction.

Review:

Every story is unique, creatively written and blends many genre's throughout. The themes are dark, macabre, and satisfyingly eerie. With all anthologies there are stories that resonate more than others. We all take away what we enjoy the most. Each of these are entertaining and are sure to satisfy any horror lovers dark desires when getting lost in dark fiction.

Faces “The legend says this mask was used to summon a death god to earth. The wearer is possessed by the god, given powers, practically invulnerable.” A man’s journey to find the most notorious mask in existence. His desire runs deep and he sacrifices more than he ever dreamed.  Spiny Creatures, deception, and seclusive darkness surround the elements. 

NIP, TUCK, ZIP, PLUCK  “Perfect skin, perfect cheekbones, perfect lips. Features like these are usually unattainable to the normal person. Normal people are born with flaws—birthmarks, roman noses, crooked teeth, deformities, disfigurements. Normal people are ugly. The world is full of them. Vermin. Mutations of the ethereal beings we are assumed to be. God created man in his own image. There definitely were a few mistakes made along the way.” Love the skin you’re in or you may not survive the Nip, Tuck. This is one that is reminiscent of the serial crime stories that have been in the news. Twisted and nihilistic.

PRINCIPLE  “Mr. Puck had a voice like a rattlesnake’s hiss.” No one ever wants to be called to the principal's office, especially when there is something unnatural about the new one. Death waits behind the veil. Creepy and fear filled.

FRANK SWETTENHAM IS NOT HUMAN  “Look for the signs. The cold atmosphere that pervades the air around him, the warping of space-time, the non-Euclidian geometry of his surroundings. He is known as Nyarlathotep.” A combination of politics, aliens, and cosmic horror. Elements of cultish practices.

THE OUTSIDER “You can tell that at one time this place was classy but has been allowed to run to rot.” This one is a great crime story. Themes of friendship and LGBTQ. Loss of life and grief. 

 COMPLEX “We make dreams come true here.” Erotic encounter and cheaters caught.

 ESCA  ILLICIUM  “Such a fine night for remembering and for tales, would you not agree? Clear winter nights are often best for stories, and such a story I have for you and your publication.”  An ancient creature from time long ago searching to prolong his life. 

FERAL “The buck lay open to the flies and vermin, its ruby innards spilled out onto the soft grass of the hill.” A mystery of what is brutally killing the animals on a reserve. A tracker sets out to discover the cause and comes upon a band of tribal women. Hidden agendas and very dark cultish themes.

 THE PANDEMONIUM CARNIVAL “This is a special place, son. Full of magic and wonder.” A father and son bond gathered through time. A life promised to a carnival Jester so one's lineage may continue. A legacy.  A macabre carnival of atrocities. This was actually quite a touching story. 

 

LURE  “A grizzled old cop whose main fights were with booze and cholesterol and a wife who hated him. He was a terrible cop.” Crooked cops, slums of a city, and a huge twist in the plot that will surprise and take you on a dark journey of carnality and the supernatural.

SUNFLOWERS  “A world of rotting flesh, crumbling and rancid, and above that profane land was a great void—endlessly black.” Something is coming from the depths of the earth, something ancient. The King of the mountain is waiting. 

THE BLACK PARADE “Cold grey sky, cold grey gun in cold grey fingers. Its weight feels good in my hand as I stand amidst the gravestones and wait for the sigh of the wind to herald the coming of the Black Parade.” A deep grief of loss of life. Diving into a desolation of drugs to ease the pain. “Torn and tattered; bodily, spiritually, and mentally, and unable to find solace at the bottom of a bottle, I turned to the needle to chide away the pain.”

 THE ALBUM  “The stairs were soundless under her feet. With the photo album clutched to her bosom, she retreated to her bed once again and began to run her eyes over the stages of her little boy’s life.” A son gone but not forgotten. An eerie photo album brings one woman’s pictures to life. 

ANGELUS  “This is a godless world, filled with non-believers.” Dark religious horror. An angelic rapture. They are searching for something hidden, causing chaos in their wake. 

THE HOUSE OF TEARS “Thomas screamed until his lungs were empty. And it was then that he understood why this place was called The House of Tears.” Erotic Horror, BDSM, desires fulfilled and a longing for forgiveness.  Dark and disturbing. This one is a definite favorite!!

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Link to Hybrid Sequence Media:

https://hybridsequencemedia.com/product/

Review Links:

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

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