Karla's Literary Korner

https://www.bloodgutsandstory.com/

Friday, February 24, 2023

The Wilderness by Nat Whiston

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Psychological Fiction

Format: eBook

Pages: 51

Read: 02/23/23

Synopsis:

Stuck in Temporary accommodation and plagued by horrible nightmares, Olivia must try to force her mind to unlock its secrets. With no memory of the last 2 years coupled with vivid hallucinations, Olivia feels like she is slowly being driven mad. Will learning about her past help her break the cycle and help her confront her trauma? Or is ignorance truly bliss when you are lost in the Wilderness?

Review:

"Please, please don't make me go through this again, I remember now. Please don't make me relive it."

Olivia has no idea why she is living where she is and she continues to have recurring nightmares. She wakes terrified and screaming wondering why this is all happening to her. Her closest friend Brandie is the only person she knows, but Brandie may not be who she seems. As Olivia's memories of her past begin to return she realizes her nightmares are all too real.

This is a story that had me in wonder of what was going on, feeling as lost as the main character. As the cause of the dreams are revealed, it ripped out my heart and tore it to shreds. Just absolutely heartbreaking!

A very emotional read and one so easily to connect to. This could be your best friend, your neighbor, your co-worker, your sister, your daughter, or just about anyone you know.

This is real life horror so wonderfully written it makes the heart bleed, wanting to reach out to give comfort and love!

Dedication from the Author:

"To all the women who are still fighting their demons and to those who managed to escape."

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nat-Whiston/author/

Amazon Author Link:

Review Links:

https://www.youtube.com/@natann1990/videos

Author's Youtube Link:

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

The Copper Man by Debra Castaneda

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Suspense

Format: eBook/ARC

Pages: 245

Read: 02/21/23

Synopsis:

“The horrible figure from the Prestwich Tunnel hovered there. Not a ghost. Something between a badly disfigured man and a monster. There was a limit to what the human mind could comprehend, and the ghastly thing standing before her was beyond that limit.”

In 1985, the Copper Man killed Leah Shaw’s twin brother, Liam, in the mining town of Tribulation Gulch. Three decades later, Leah is an environmental reporter back in her Wyoming hometown, covering the reopening of the copper mine.

But when people literally drop dead around her, Leah can’t believe it’s the work of the Copper Man. After all, he’s dead…right?

Except Leah can’t stop seeing shadows, and creepy copper nuggets are showing up everywhere. Workers say the mine is haunted, and the words “I CURSE THIS PLACE” are appearing all over the mine—the very words the Copper Man scrawled on a bridge before jumping to his death.

Has the Copper Man come back for Leah, aiming to finish what he started 35 years ago? Is Leah’s young daughter in danger? And what other secrets are waiting for her among the dusty hills of Tribulation Gulch?

A gripping tale of revenge with a compelling cast of characters. From the author of The Root Witch and The Devil’s Shallows comes the latest Dark Earth Rising novel.

Review:

"What he did not feel was guilt. What he had done, he would do again."

"I CURSE THIS PLACE"

The year is 1985 when "The Copper Man" experienced a tragic event. His pain and anger caused him to exact revenge on the small mining town of Tribulation Gulch, Wyoming.

35 years later the copper mine is reopening. The redevelopment of the mine has awoken something sinister and the peoples lives are now in danger. It lurks in the shadows, it visits where it wishes, it follows, and until it gets what it wants there is no hiding from it.

There are so many things that occur, building the suspense as the story unfolds. The beginning starts out with an anxiety laden occurence adding excitement to what lies ahead. Families and friends are reuinited with rekindled relationships, new friendships are built, and buried secrets are revealed. The imagery described throughout adds to the feel of claustrophobia including narrow tunnels, deep underground within the copper mines, poisoned waters, and polluted air quality. Horrible accidents happen and disturbing messages show up leading up to the appearance of "The Copper Man". There is an intense feeling, waiting in anticipation of what may occur next and how bad it will be.

This may be scary to some readers and not so much to others. What I enjoyed about it was the whole dynamics. The characters, the setting, and the suspense.

I have read the other two books in the "Dark Earth Rising" novels and I have enjoyed all of them. Castaneda is a great writer and I love these books based on urban legends.

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Debra-Castaneda/author/

Amazon Author Link:

Author Website Link:

http://www.debracastaneda.com/

Review Links:

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

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

Friday, February 17, 2023

Doyle and Braham in: The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror Suspense

Format: Paperback

Pages: 206

Read: 02/16/23

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of old-school horror classics like Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Chad Miller's The Prisoner of Fear is an evocative, unpredictable, and disturbing horror mystery with a supernatural twist that will keep you wide awake long after you have closed the book.

It is 1889 in Philadelphia, and detective John Doyle is restless. Along with his miserable partner, Thomas Braham, Doyle pursues mysteries, strange sightings, and other obscurities tossed aside and disregarded by the police. For years, Doyle has taken on these cases in the hopes of discovering something supernatural - something that could upend and dispute his long-standing, debilitating fear that immortal souls do not exist.

Doyle's search for the supernatural remains unsuccessful until he receives a strange letter from an old doctor friend regarding a young woman with a mysterious and rather disturbing illness. When the doctor goes missing in the same town that this young woman resides in, Doyle and Braham decide to take on the case and search for clues regarding their missing friend. In doing so, they discover that there is no longer any suffering young woman, but a dangerous abomination whose origin cannot be explained by science nor modern medicine.

Meanwhile, an unnamed victim has been kidnapped. Trapped in a cell with nothing but a journal to document their experiences, this mysterious Prisoner must undergo terrifying scientific experiments while trying not to lose all hope and sanity.

Inspired by the works of renowned horror and mystery writers like Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle, The Prisoner of Fear brilliantly weaves questions of mortality and the human propensity for evil into a truly intriguing, unique, and frightening narrative.

Review:

The synopsis gives a broad introduction to "The Prisoner of Fear", so with that being said, I am not going to give any details of what lies within.

My thoughts:

The main character's Braham and Doyle are wonderfully developed. Their bantering at times had me chuckling as their personalities are so opposite. Doyle is more adventerous while Braham is cantankerous. They take us on their investigations and it felt as if I was right along side them trying to uncover the mysterious events that are occuring.

I really enjoyed the writing style, diary entries, letters, and reports from all the character's involved. I loved reading the first person POV, it made the story flow smoothly and gives insight to all the character's thoughts and personalities.

The setting is well developed as it made me feel like I stepped back in time. The imagery at times was really dark and unsettling. I could feel the sadness, the anxiety, and the fear. The whole story is filled with suspense and mystery, it kept me on edge and fearing the outcome. The possibilities seemed endless, knowing that anything could happen. There is also an anonymous character that added to the mystery and suspense, the name is never revealed leaving the ending open to continue into the next book. (For me, cliffhangers are exciting, it lets me know that I have more to look forward to.)

Atmospheric, tense, and often times chilling, I really enjoyed the depth in this book and I am looking forward to visiting these characters in the next book!

Goodreads Author Link:

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chad-Miller/author/

Review Links:

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

https://www.chadmiller-author.com/

Author Website Link:

Publisher Link:

https://www.hearourvoicellc.com/

https://www.hearourvoicellc.com/chad-miller

(Thank you Novel Cause for reaching out and offering this book to read, I truly appreciate it and look forward to reading more by Chad Miller.)

Novel Cause, LLC Link:

https://www.novelcause.com/

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Road-EO by Joseph M. Monks

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 24

Read: 02/15/23

Synopsis:

Five college kids rolling through Alabama on their way to a long-anticipated concert. The only obstacle? A long stretch without truck stops and a desperate need for food—and the rest room. Thanks to a sleazy smartphone app, the crew find themselves in a flyspeck town that doesn’t even sell rolling papers. Despite the warning signs, the friends find some grub, a room for rent, and a helluva lot more than they bargained for when people they’ve already encountered begin turning up…in entirely different roles. Killers? Cannibals? Organ traffickers? Whatever the small town’s ugly secret, it’s going to be shared—and in the most heinous way possible. As he’s been doing since the ‘early 90s, Joe Monks brings home the splatterpunk with this 24-page short story.

Review:

An isolated town where strangers are not welcome. Traveling college kids, tired, hungry, and frustrated. Just needing a rest. Relying on a Travel App, not realizing it is not reputable, they end up in a severely dire situation. One that there is seemingly no hope of escaping.

Road-EO has elements of the old 80s slasher horror. Good old slasher horror, such as, The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Blood Diner.

Splatterpunk indeed! Blood, guts, and gore galore! The bodies hit the floor in the most visceral way!

Bonus: Illustrations

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores

Amazon Author Link:

Godless Author Link:

https://godless.com/collections/

Godless Purchase Link:

https://godless.com/products/

https://godless.com/

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret: A Fairy Tale for Elders by Keith Anthony Baird

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Format: Paperback/eBook

Pages: 124

Read: 02/05/23

Synopsis:

Betrayal brings grave ending to a noble bloodline. Forced to flee, its sole surviving heir is spared this fate by the timely intervention of a haunter of the wilds. In his charge, the maiden embraces the lore of the dark arts and rises to become the watch-keep of the woods. As decades pass, with her legend growing, the ‘witch of root and earth’ weaves subtle deceits in a tangled web of vengeance.

But will there be a fairy tale ending, or will poisoned legacies and pacts with dark forces see ambition unravel in her relentless pursuit of power?

Bloody, and brilliantly realised, Baird’s dark fantasy nightmare spins a lavish tale of dread, desire, and fantastical fury.

Review:

"A woman’s hurt is a visceral thing. The want for revenge is quite another. Together, they can evoke the rise of a primitive passion. But in dark craft combined, with the guidance of one who walks between worlds, these things can be made manifest and become a vessel of retribution to howl from the beyond."

A mothers want for revenge sets in motion more than just her own desire. A vengefulness held on to for generations has now been set into motion. Life for all is hanging on a balance of lies and deception, dark desires, and ultimate death. The crone of the woods is spinning her web of vengeance and her web of dreadful, wicked creations.

"And so it came to pass, in the most empty hour of the night, that new life was born from the entrails of death, and its cries were another weeping of the forest."

"Once, long ago, her heart had been poisoned by such blind desire, and those opposing her had come to know the little of their worth in the grimdark strands of the spinneret."

This was my first experience reading the works of KAB, and it was quite the experience. I found myself completely lost in the storytelling and feeling so many emotions. The darkness was foreboding, the sinful birthing was frightening. I shuddered at the death and bloodshed. This grimdark fairytale is disturbing and bleak in all its unfolding. There is no happiness nor is there a happy ending.

The prose is rich and almost lyrical, at times I found myself walking around my home, reading aloud, and pondering. Often re-reading lines that struck with such beauty and were simply breathtaking. Vivid imagery that sparks the imagination.

Enchanting and sorrowful, darkly woven threads of great storytelling!

Original, haunting, and tragic!

My love of dark fairytales has been rekindled!

Goodreads Author Link:

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

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Keith-Anthony-Baird/author/

Review Links:

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

https://brigidsgatepress.com/

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Fang Fiction: Vampire Horror Stories by L.M. Kaplin

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror Short Stories

Format: eBook

Pages: 173

Read: 02/04/23

Synopsis:

Vampires. Always hungry. Always searching for blood.
This collection of short stories will take you on an emotional rollercoaster through time with ten dark tales of fangs and flesh. You’ll meet the original vampire circa 1000 BC, feel the painful transition from human to undead, walk in the shoes of a vampire hunter and even listen in on a conspiracy theory podcast. Finally, you'll get a glimpse of a horrifying future with humans on the verge of extinction.

Each of these stories looks at the world’s most popular supernatural creature through a different lens exploring terror, love, pain, life, and death.

Review:

"Listen up, and gather round

While you're here, don't make a sound

I have a lesson, that I must share."

Starting from the time before Christ, in Jerusalem, the year is 969 BC and ending in the future in an Underground City, the year is 2115, we are taken on a journey from the beginnning of the birth of vampires through their many seasons of life and times. The vampires of old and the emergence of how they have adapted and changed over time for their ultimate survival.

Stories from ancient times to modern day to the future. Each one connecting that gives us a cohesive experience from beginning to end. Each one unique as the vampires evolve into more than just creatures of the night.

The world building is creative and easy to delve into the imaginative mind. There are many well developed characters alongside all the hungry, blood thristy, vamps. Many of the stories evoke emotions that creates an empathy for the suffering and pain of the vampires and humans, alike.

I enjoyed all the stories as each one connected, and the creativity as they opened into the future. This is a tribute to the vampire mythos!

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/LM-Kaplin/

Amazon Author Link:

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review