Cthulhu Passant Edited By Travis Heermann

Genre: Horror
Sub Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: The intricacies of chess meet the matchless Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Stories of doors, of passages, of patterns. Squares and threats, moves and counter-moves. Forbidden knowledge and cosmic horrors. ... Two young lovers and the hand that plays them ... A man trapped with an unwholesome companion uncovers the secret of a cosmic struggle ... A professor and his protégé find themselves pawns on an ancient chessboard ... A young Soviet boy’s chess match holds the fate of his nation in the balance ... A battered woman seeks safety in a shelter, only to find there might be no safety anywhere Let these five guides to the grotesque lead you into the dank depths of their imagination ... where the monsters lurk.

This is an anthology of of a mix of chess and H. P. Lovecraft. They are dark and brilliant. I will not go into detail about the stories as they are short. The book is also great as it benefits women’s shelters and programs for victims of domestic violence. I loved reading this book I’m not sure which story I liked best because I like each for different reasons. Absolutely brilliant!

Publisher: Bear Paw Publishing
ISBN: 9781622254101
Pages: 75
Series:
Volume: 

Things To Do In Denver When You’re Un-Dead by Mark Everett Stone

Genre: Urban Fantasy; Vampires, Ghouls, Zombies, Demons, Mythical Creatures, Magic, Magicians, Ghosts
Sub Genre: Fantasy; Paranormal, Horror
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: For ten years Kal Hakala has been the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation’s top man, the longest surviving agent in its blood-soaked history. The World At Large has no idea that The World Under exists. And its vampires, demons, zombies, and mythic monsters are growing increasingly restless. In all Kal’s time with the Bureau, there has been no case he couldn’t crack, no monster he couldn’t kill. Then a plague of zombies comes to Denver, along with a vicious serial killer dubbed The Organ Donor. A childhood encounter with a legendary monster has left Kal with an endless supply of rage and hatred for all things Supernatural. But now the target is on his forehead, and the Un-Dead don’t die easy. The Bureau has a few aces of its own—a few magicians, a cyber-ghost. Unfortunately Kal is a perennial loner ... And the World Under is wise to His tricks.

This is the first book from the Files of the BSI. It follows Kal while he is on a mission in Denver with flashbacks from when he started with the Bureau and other parts of his past. When I started to read this book it had me from page one. The way that it is written sucks you right in almost as if you are standing there. The story is engaging and though it jumps from present to past it flows so well. That to me is great storytelling. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next in the series, What Happens in Vegas Dies in Vegas.

Publisher: Camel Press
ISBN: 978-1603818599
Pages: 318
Series: From the Files of the BSI
Volume: 1

Out Through The Attic by Quincy J. Allen

Genre: Science Fiction; Steampunk; Fantasy; Horror; Cross-Genre; Short Story
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Thirteen fantastic tales from the cavorting, twisted mind of Quincy J. Allen, Out Through the Attic covers everything from steampunk and fantasy to sci-fi and horror. It’s a cross-genre smorgasbord that’s sure to hit the right spot, with a dose or two of straight-up genre fiction for the meat-and-taters appetite.

This is a collection of short stories that are all different types of genres and is brilliantly written. These thirteen tales are so full of life and have a depth to them that isn't always shown in short story collections like this one. Each tale creates a world that sucks you in, the writing is imaginative and compelling. Since this is a book of short stories I don’t want to go into what each tale is about for fear of giving away to much. I will say that my favorite stories where 17 and Baby WEI. The book kept me on the edge of my seat and once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of Quincy J. Allen’s work.

Publisher: 7DS Books
ISBN: 978-0692204566
Pages: 252
Series:
Volume: 

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Horror; Japanese Demons, Ketsuki, The Waking, Gaijin Girl

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Kara’s afraid to go to sleep – until the nightmares come when she’s awake…Kara Foster is an American outsider at her new private school in Japan, until she’s befriended by Sakura, a fellow outsider struggling to make sense of her sister’s unsolved murder. Then Kara begins to have nightmares, and soon other students in the school turn up dead, viciously attacked by someone… or something. Is Sakura demanding payback from those she thinks are responsible for her sister’s death? Or has her dead sister come back to take revenge for herself? Evocative and deliciously spooky, Dreams of the Dead is the first in a trilogy about ancient myths, long-sleeping demons, and being a stranger in a strange land.

I’ve always been interested in Japanese culture, and in this story you really get a chance to see a lot of that here. I love seeing a new perspective of the schools outside of the Manga and Anime that I read and watch. This story uses the mythos of Japan and creates a very chilling one at that. I couldn’t wait to see how they where going to pull this all together and end the story. Kara relasionship with her friends and even her father seems to change and grow. The myth that is used brings to life the stories that one hears and makes you feel as if you can touch them. I felt as though I was on the edge of my seat reading this. I loved all the intrigue with in the story. And can’t wait to read the next one in this series.

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 159990585X

Pages: 304

Series: Gaijin Girl

Volume: 1

The Mummy by Anne Rice

Genre: Fiction

Sub Genre: Horror; Mummy, Eternal Life, Ramses II, Egypt

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: An archaeologist has just unearthed the find of his career, the tomb of Ramses II. The door to the tomb is lettered with a curse, the mummy of the king who claimed to be immortal lies shriveled inside. The archaeologist dies and the treasures are shipped to his daughter Julie in England, who finds that the mummy comes to life as a perfect man. Julie grows to love him and introduces him to modern life, including the museums that purport to reconstruct his time. He becomes disturbed and disgusted with the modern portrayal of his beloved Cleopatra. Ramses and Julie, her ex-fiance and his father Elliott in tow, travel to Egypt. There, Ramses is further upset by the tourist flavor given to his ancient civilization. In one of the museums, he recognizes an "unknown" mummified woman as his beloved Cleopatra. One night, he returns with the immortality elixir and raises her from the dead. But Cleopatra is not restored to her beautiful body or mind. She is a horrid monster, a walking corpse of rotting flesh and a disoriented mind that kills without mercy. Ramses abandons her, leaving her to Elliott, not realizing that he too is in peril. All in the party partake of the elixir, with Cleopatra and Ramses in the shadows.

                                    

Now I know that when you see Anne Rice you mainly thing of Vampires. But this is not one of those books. This book doesn’t have any of her vampire characters in it. The Mummy is about Julie who meets Ramses. Ramses has been sheltered from the world for hundreds of years. When Julie finds him she reintroduces him to the world. But the more he learns he becomes upset with how history is portraying his people and those he loves. The story is one that flows well into each scene.  You feel for Ramses as he struggles with the world as well as his own demons. Julie helps him as best she can. She is also in awe of him and the history that he has lived through.  This is actually one of my favorite books by Anne Rice. I felt that she took this story to a whole different level. You will love this story and put it on your reading list if you haven’t already read it.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345369947

Pages: 416

Series:

Volume: 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Genre: Fiction

Sub Genre: Horror, Zombies

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton – and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers – and even more violent sparring on the blood-socked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.

What happens when you take Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and add Zombies? You find one of the best books ever. There are no changes in the language from the original story. Most people know the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It is one of those books that even though your required to read it in high school, it’s still a book you would read. When I first picked this up I wasn’t sure how this would work as I love the original story. But once I started the book all doubts where gone. It takes the classic story and puts a great twist on it. It’s one of those books that I could read many times over. What’s great is that there is a prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls. As well as a sequel, Dreadfully Ever After coming out on March 22, 2011.

Publisher: Quirk Books

ISBN: 1594743347

Pages: 320

Series: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Saga

Volume: 1