Friday, February 22, 2013

Sword of Sighs






The Sword of Sighs is a young adult novel, which is not something I would normally read, but Greg James, who also writes horror as G.R. Yeates, is one of my favorite authors so I made an exception for this one. I am very glad that I did. The Sword of Sighs is a fantasy novel with well paced action and compelling characters. The story features Sarah, a young girl who is tormented by school bullies until she finds herself transported to another world where the bullies are much more menacing than the ones found at her school. She also learns that there is something different about her, and she is set on a course that will change her life forever. 
     Even though this is a young adult novel, I think adult readers will also enjoy it. One of the things I liked about it was James' use of dream sequences throughout the book. Nightmare sequences are something he uses frequently as a horror writer and the more dreamlike sequences are no less effective here.  It gives the reader a unique way to see into the character's mind.  This was an entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next one. 



I give it five cocktails. 






This book can be purchased by clicking the following links: Amazon USAmazon UKBarnes and NobleKobo








Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Rift (Detectives and Demons)


 

   The Rift, by R.J. Clark, is a horror novel and detective story all rolled into one. Set in post Katrina New Orleans, it is not a version of the city that anyone will easily recognize. This is because in the world that Clark has created, the city has become hell on earth, or at least a section of it has anyway. This version of things makes for what is a very fun, violent, blood drenched story that brings in some classic horror elements such as possession and all manner of evil creatures, and mixes them in with an interesting mystery.
      What I enjoyed most about this novel was how much fun Clark had with it and with the characters. All sorts of terrible things happen to Matt Faustus, the paradimensional investigator and our lead character, but Clark presents it in a way that takes the reader along for the blood soaked ride. This is the first in a series, and I hope there are many more to come after it.



I give it four cocktails.






This book can be purchased by clicking on the following links: Amazon USAmazon UK