Buried
by Justin Boote
When Amy is buried alive in her own back garden, she thinks she is going to die. She is beaten unconscious but fortunately, wakes up the next day still able to breathe.
Managing to dig her way out, she vows revenge on those that buried her, for her and her young daughter’s sake.
And what she has planned for them all would make being buried alive seem trivial in comparison…
Trigger Warning
This book contains scenes of an adult nature. Do not read if easily shocked.
Robin's Review: Wow, just wow!! I finished this in one sitting because, well, it is a short story but also because I needed to find out how Amy Hunter got her revenge. Interesting ways. That’s all I am saying. You gotta read it for yourself. It is of the graphic nature, but hey, that is horror for you. An amazing story that is well-written and easy to read with twisty turns. Loads of fun, as always, with this talented author.
Chaos
Book 3: Apocalypse
by Hayley Anderton and Laura Swift
Just as things seem to be calming down, the members of the farm are about to face their biggest challenge yet.
As a horde approaches, the team must fight in order to survive another night. But with their group vastly outnumbered and cracks beginning to show among them, survival seems to be slipping through their fingers.
Robin's Review: This a well-written and easy-to-read cozy zombie apocalypse story about young adults and teenagers surviving in a new and dangerous world. It seems like they're barely hanging on to their survival with their pinky fingers, or maybe that is just me. So now that we have all the players figured out, we jump right into it. I mean, a zombie horde, blood guts, gnashing teeth, and bodies everywhere. I don't want to give anything away, so I will stop there.
This a great zombie book. I love the authors writing style; that is not overly graphic but with enough description to understand what is going on. The characters are young and kinda snarky, which I enjoy. I see bad things coming up for the characters that are in the next book. (No, I haven't read it yet). So, an exciting and entertaining plot throughout the series. I am going to be sorry when this series ends.
Great Quotes:
She would trade what was left of their humanity for her own in a heartbeat.
“Let’s squish them down and make some zombie soup.”
They’re just speed bumps, he told himself. Just speed bumps.
“Looks like you’ve got an uncontrollable pest problem now.”
“Then I guess we do shots of espresso and get on with it.”
“We’re not doing this again,” he hissed. “We don’t need any more newbies trying to get in our good books. Don’t we already have our hands full with Joe?”
“Pain is just weakness leaving the body,”
Apocalypse: A Zombie Thriller
Book 1 of 3: Apocalypse
Fallout: (Apocalypse)
Book 2 of 3: Apocalypse
Chaos: (Apocalypse)
Book 3 of 4: Apocalypse
Sacrifice: (Apocalypse )
Book 4 of 4
This title will be released on June 30, 2022.
#teen #youngadult #comingofage #horror #shortstory #postapocalyptic #sciencefiction #thriller #fantasy #cozyzombieapocalypse
The Illiterate Daughter by Chia Gounza Vang The Illiterate Daughter (The Young Guardian) by Chia Gounza Vang In war torn Laos, thirteen-year-old Nou daydreams of the legendary heroes and mythical beings who live in the folklore stories she loves to hear. Remembering them helps her ignore physical pain as she struggles through the endless chores … Continue reading “Robin’s Review of The Illiterate Daughter”
The Illiterate Daughter
(The Young Guardian)
by Chia Gounza Vang
In war torn Laos, thirteen-year-old Nou daydreams of the legendary heroes and mythical beings who live in the folklore stories she loves to hear.
Remembering them helps her ignore physical pain as she struggles through the endless chores expected of a dutiful daughter. Each night, she examines the two books given to her by her ex-soldier father and prays for an end to the Vietnam War.
Robin's Review: The Illiterate Daughter is a well-written story about Nou and her family's life after escaping Laos and coming to America. This is such a thought-provoking story that needs to be told. What they went through was heartbreaking and took courage. It was a sad part of history and their story was horrific but there was hope and love amongst the family that helped them endure and stay together. They made such difficult decisions that it had me gripping my e-reader anxiously. I experienced so many emotions reading this story that I can’t possibly describe them. Words are not enough because they are just that, words. You have to read this book to truly understand what they went through to get out of their war-torn homeland. Also, what it was like to be a refugee in another country. I don’t know how they survived all their struggles, but they did. This is a fantastic story that I highly recommend.
It was my pleasure to receive a free copy of this book but that does not affect my opinions in this review of this entertaining story.
Collapse: The death of Friendship by Angela D. Shelton Collapse Series The Death of Friendship by Angela D. Shelton Jan Worthington would give anything to be a normal teenager again… …going to school, hanging out with her friends. But it’s all gone.When the variant wipes out millions and devastates global resources, society collapses.In this new … Continue reading “Robin’s Review of Collapse: The Death of Friendship”
Collapse Series
The Death of Friendship
by Angela D. Shelton
Jan Worthington would give anything to be a normal teenager again...
...going to school, hanging out with her friends. But it’s all gone.When the variant wipes out millions and devastates global resources, society collapses.In this new reality, trust will be either her most precious resource or her greatest weakness.
Robin's Review: The Death of Friendship is book one of the Collapse series. It is a well-written and easy-to-read story. I found it entertaining that the main character, Jan, had pet dogs. I always worry when animals are written into books because they usually die but not here. The author has written this story cleanly and with a touch of spirituality about going through a Covid pandemic. It shows the trials and complications of living during this time.
It was my pleasure to receive a free copy of this book, but that does not affect my opinions in this review of this entertaining story.
Book 2, Collapse: The Death of Honor
#dystopian #sciencefiction #horror #middlegrade #youngadult #apocalyptic #action #comingofage #adventure #teen #youngadult
Where The Devil Waits
by Wesley Southard and
Mark Steensland
What would you do for all the money in the world? Or to get with the girl of your dreams?
What if you could make other people do anything you told them? What if all this and more could be yours just for winning a race…against the devil? A long-abandoned church on top of a mountain in the Pennsylvania backwoods is where the devil waits for anyone brave enough to challenge him. The course runs from the gate, through the cemetery, to the church doors. If you win, the prize is yours.
Robin's Review:
Where The Devil Waits is a short story and a quick read. It was exciting and suspenseful, so much so that it made me keep turning the pages to see how it ended. A deliciously creepy tale that entertained me immensely. Recommend.
Breach
by Candace Nola
Laraya Jamison is a young woman on a camping trip with close friends before the start of college classes.
When they are savagely attacked by a creature that defies description, she flees into the woods, unknowingly crossing through a breach between realities.
She must figure out where she is and how she got there in order to get home, but her survival depends on fighting monsters and demons that seem to have been ripped directly from her nightmares. Lost in a dark world full of creatures, hostile plant life and a banshee intent on hunting her, she must learn to confront her fears and figure out how to survive on her own.
Robin's Review: Laraya, the main character, finds herself in an alien world where she must survive in this foreign environment, with monsters craving her death at every turn.
The world-building was richly descriptive and oh so imaginative. I don’t know where Candace Nola gets these ideas, but she can paint the picture so that you feel you are right there with Laraya trying to survive. The plot has some twisty turns that had me shaking my head in amazement. Breach is such a well-written freaking thrill ride that had me wanting more. Luckily there is the 2nd book in this series. I loved this story and highly recommend it to everyone, no matter your taste in genres.
The Ever-Descending Staircase
by James G. Carlson
In an old warehouse in Pennsylvania, a dark and terrible secret is shown to a researcher of spiritual phenomena.
Monsters roam the wilds of America, all spawned by a strange being whose cycle of breeding, feasting, and nesting is interrupted by a small-town police officer, a cyber investigator, and a revenge-seeking father. A teenage boy without family or a home encounters tragedy and horror in the snowy woods, where the threshold between human reality and the impossible is guarded by an unlikely creature. At a seedy dive bar, while teetering on the edge of sanity, an afflicted alcoholic meets a stranger who changes his life forever. A pregnant veterinarian at a Wyoming zoo has an unexpected meeting with an infernal presence. A man trapped in a bizarre and lonely afterlife regrets his suicide. A grieving widower learns that even a selfless wish from the heart can end in a horrible fate when asked of cosmic entities beyond human reason and understanding.
Robin's Review: The Ever-Descending Staircase is a creepy collection of short stories that will keep you up at night…just thinking. These are well-written and easy to read. They are pretty imaginative and enjoyable. I won’t give anything away, but I, too, live in Pennsylvania. Definitely recommend this book.
Awakened
Spark of the Prophet
Book 1 of 1:
by E. J. Rekab
Demons wreaking havoc on Earth. A secret council run by mysterious angels. A warrior whose dreams could save the world.
While grieving the loss of her father, 19-year-old Alice Griffin wakes up with perfect vision. Odd since she'd worn glasses every day since she was a child. Soon after, she's attacked by a malevolent force and learns not only do demons exist, but that she's been chosen to fight them.
Robin's Review: I loved and enjoyed this story, and I hope there will be more to come—hint hint, wink wink.
Alice, Cole, Jessie, Alondra, Jake, and Misty are at a secret academy training to kill monsters such as demons, vampires, and shifters, to name a few. This is a coming-of-age story with action, adventure, and romance. The main character, Alice, is a complex and capable young woman who develops into a butt-kicking warrior with special powers.
There is a trigger warning for self harm. E. J. Rekab writes it authentically and with respect.
I look forward to anything this author writes and I highly recommend her and her stories.
Bakers Dozen
by Candace Nola
Uncomfortably Dark Presents...The Baker’s Dozen!Delicious Dark Delights for your horror consumption!
Come indulge in the dark and disturbing with 13 tantalizing tales of terror written by an incredible lineup of independent horror authors. With stories ranging from delightful to disturbing, you are sure to find something to please your sweet spot.Authors include Jeff Strand, Christine Morgan, Ruthann Jagge, Patrick C. Harrison, III, Aron Beauregard, Lee Franklin, Chris Miller, Carver Pike, Kenzie Jennings, Daniel Volpe, Rowland Bercy, Jr., Candace Nola and M. Ennenbach. Includes a special foreword by Jeff Strand.Bon Appétit!
Robin's Review: What an exciting blend of short stories written by several different authors. This anthology has a little bit of everything and everyone. Baker's Dozen would be a great Halloween gift for the horror lover. Well written and easy to read, but hard to put down. I highly recommend this book and the stories in it. I will look up all these authors' other works to see what else is out there.
The Black Rogue:
A Brooke de Láuront Novel
Book 1 of 1:
by Ashley Brion
Tryniti Brooke de Lauront was formidable, beautiful, and a member of the French royal family.
She hid a dark secret that only her family knew: she was the fearsome pirate The Black Rogue who sailed the seven seas as the most dangerous swashbuckler of her era. When she gets a letter from her uncle, King Louis XVI, that she needs to return home immediately to marry and take over the French throne, her entire world is thrown into chaos.
Robin's Review: The Black Rogue sets sail on a tale of love, betrayal, and sparks are flying more than just cannonfire.
I bought this book at an author meet and greet called Committed at the Hill View Manor. And boy am I glad I did.
I enjoy a strong female character, and Tryniti Brooke is very much one. The Black Rogue is a quick and easy-to-read romance story. It is set around the French Revolution in the 1800s. Tryniti is a princess and has been spoken for in marriage to Sean Reilly, but neither is ready to wed. This story had some twisty turns that kept me reading it all night until I finished it. I even gave it to my Mother, who also enjoyed it.
