Cologne Colossus! Eau D'Lycanthrope Conquers World Market! "Well, after the war I discovered that I could bottle my animal magnetism and sell it to alCologne Colossus! Eau D'Lycanthrope Conquers World Market! "Well, after the war I discovered that I could bottle my animal magnetism and sell it to all the poor bastards that didn't have the edge with ultra-beautiful women that I have. Now any ordinary fellow can become a hit with the ladies, just by bringing out a little bit of the savage beast that lurks within. I've made so much money that I'm considering buying my own island ... apparently Australia is very nice at this time of year." - Michael - The Exceedingly Magnetic Gentleman's Journal
Wow, I have to admire McCammon's story vision. Reading one of his books (this is my 2nd) is like scaling Mount Everest. I just about feel I need several base camps and a team of Sherpas to help me along the way.
While I can't fault the story telling, I found it kinda ... strangely ... distractable. Like I'd be reading and then mid-scene I'd want to do something else, anything else... really almost inexplicable.
Well, almost, a bit like the Jack Reacher book I read, there's a fair bit of over-telling, or over-describing going on... something like that.
Hence 4 stars for lack of story immersion.
That said, I already own more books by this author and I'll read some more, I'm sure of it.
Recommended, 4 'Howling at the Moon,' stars...more
Fake News Shocker! Ancient Scribe Revised Historical Account! "Well, I was shocked beyond belief to discover that Bram Stoker got the real Dracula mixFake News Shocker! Ancient Scribe Revised Historical Account! "Well, I was shocked beyond belief to discover that Bram Stoker got the real Dracula mixed up with an entirely different vampire! I, of course, would never descend to making such a complete and utter dick of myself!" - Sven - The Paranormal Investigator's Gazette
A very readable and entertaining story where a whole host (or dare I say island) of bad guys come to a very satisfyingly bad end.
Survey Scandal! Bureau Official Fails to File a Report! "Give me a freakin' break! I'm finding it a tad difficult to hold a pen at the moment!" - HammSurvey Scandal! Bureau Official Fails to File a Report! "Give me a freakin' break! I'm finding it a tad difficult to hold a pen at the moment!" - Hammel E. Varka - The Bureau Bugler
In a post-pandemic-nuclear holocaust world, the Bureau runs the show, and mid-level official, Varka, is running a survey of an abandoned island, but is it truly abandoned?
I'm not a fan of 'lack of agency,' in characters (or in life) and watching Varka and his team mates mostly stumble from one 'death-by-a-thousand-cuts' disaster to the next as Varka's mission fell into disarray was kinda painful.
I'm also a fan of pace, and while the events of the story happen in less than a handful of days, they somehow dragged out in the telling to make the first 90% of this story a showcase in 'the-slow-burn,' technique where I was left wondering and waiting for the payoff.
And the payoff does arrive in the final chapter - but was it fully satisfying? Maybe? I'm not sure, and that makes me question giving this book 4 stars.
That said ... and yet ... and yet ... the story has a strange mesmerising quality to it ... like an overdose of Orlot...
The way I feel about this book reminds me of how I feel about Carmilla by Fanu, a book that on the surface doesn't thrill me or hit my typical points of interest, and yet it has an uncanny (a very apt word for this book) appeal beyond rational explanation.
Clever writing in a unique voice, I may well read more by this author.
Recommended, 4 'Beware the Offspring of Men,' stars...more
Student Shocker! King Vampire Drops Out of School! "Well, it was obvious wasn't it. Like any teenager I'd already learned everything I needed too. TheStudent Shocker! King Vampire Drops Out of School! "Well, it was obvious wasn't it. Like any teenager I'd already learned everything I needed too. There was nothing left to learn from some old asshat, so, 'to Hell with the Headmaster,' I said. Hey? Wait a sec! What's that rumbling sound?" - Prince Conrad Vulkan - The Vampire King Chronicles
An entertaining story which reminded me of the plethora of 1970's disaster movies where a host of characters are developed then pitted against a colossal titanic monumental disaster where only a few survive.
Why not 5 stars? I felt the author painted themselves into a corner with the ending, and had to turn to (1) sudden bad guy attack of the stupids, (2) a massive hubristic bad-guy gloat speech, and (3) the big daddy of a Deus Ex Machina to resolve the story...
It wasn't a good look and cost a star with this reader.
That said, it would make a good tele-series - too long to be condensed into a movie format, and with a little judicious and carefully applied foreshadowing - the ending could be a lot better.
Bad Guy Shocker! Vacuous Villains Blow Story! "Well, Rodney and I did our best. We can't help it if we're just a pair of control-freaks who like dominBad Guy Shocker! Vacuous Villains Blow Story! "Well, Rodney and I did our best. We can't help it if we're just a pair of control-freaks who like dominating humans and call it experimentation to give it a veneer of respectability." - Emily - The Cardboard Cut-Out Villain Gazette
I've said it in other forums, and I'll say it here. The villains have to have charisma to make me care what happens to them. This on its own is what drove the DNF decision.
But adding copious salt to the wound...
As for the hero, Holly's constant and strident attention to every authoritative neo-fascist monopoly capitalist establishment belief in 2021 about the 'correct,' and profitable response to the covid panic is like having someone tie me down in a chair and shout their rancid politics at me while hitting me across the face with a stinking fish dripping with pus.
I thought I was signing up to read a thrilling horror story, not to get preached at...
I've loved other King reads, Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Dead Zone, The Stand, Needful Things, Misery, It, but I petered out with Rose Madder back in '95 ... perhaps I should've stayed out.
This book is sad, an indictment of a genius imagination that has lost its mojo. Worse, it feels indulgent, and weirdly, comically, ironic given the villains are obsessed with domination and control and view humans as fit to be experimented upon.... all in a time of Covid...
EDIT: 01May2024: For those unable to comprehend the irony above. We were all experimented upon by the pushers of the mRNA vaccines ... the villains (Rodney & Emily) are aligned with our corporate masters in viewing us as fit only for experiments. Stephen King's alignment with the corporate establishment pandemic response aligns with his villains... and I suspect he has no idea that is the case.
Not Recommended. DNF'ed at 16%. Just Terrible.
P.S. A final word from a villain that mattered.
"Nothing irks me more than fad-diet zealots!" - Hannibal Lecter - The International Journal of Cuisine and Culture
EDIT: 17Feb2024: Regarding the phenomenon of 'Review Jumpers,' those benighted souls filled with self-righteous entitlement licensing their attacks upon non-conformative thought and expression.
The phenomenon of low-information neo-fascist monopoly capitalist establishment supporters displaying their inability to self-reflect upon their slavish adherance to authoritative market narratives such as 'The official Pandemic Response, was just the Best,' by jumping onto other people's reviews to tell them 'how awful and wrong they are,' intrigues me.
There's also this weird belief that disagreement with the 'wonderful rightness,' of the official pandemic response as articulated by our corporate state establishment makes someone an automatic tub-thumping Donald Trump supporter??? It's like ... Robert F Kennedy Jr is a figment of people's imagination. Really? Really? Can anyone believe the world is literally that black and white?
It's almost as if they have no awareness that the official pandemic response prioritised market/social control and corporate profits, over the welfare of the people, in absolute accordance with our western civilization's overarching framework of neo-fascist monopoly capitalism.
And yes, I believe Western Civilization has succumbed to a bad bout of neo-fascist monopoly capitalism. We really should be using anti-trust laws a lot more rigourously, and avoiding public-private partnerships like the plague... but that is another topic.
I suspect these 'Review Jumpers,' lack the moral, intellectual and spiritual maturity to manifest their own moral and intellectual authority in any way against public authority.
Stockholm syndrome writ large.
It's a sad fact that some people can't tolerate thinking for themselves and will simply align with whatever power and authority manifests the greatest 'center of gravity,' within their environment. As a direct consequence of their own moral and intellectual enslavement, they cannot tolerate the presence of other people's moral and intellectual freedom. It's the contrast that gets to them. Like a vampire confronted by a mirror - they have to smash what reveals their empty souls and petty tyranny.
The willing mind-slave is a spectacle to behold, and a cautionary tale for the rest of us. But, for my assertion of moral and intellectual authority over my own life, there go I.
Just remember ... we're all hairless monkeys and no one gets to tell you who you are ... least of all people terrified of taking responsibility for their own lives.
EDIT: 12Mar2024: For those who believe that Trump was against the official 'as led by Anthony Fauci,' Covid pandemic response, here is Trump bragging about the rapid deployment of the Covid vaccines after the 2024 SOTU speech. REF: https://archive.md/pL7ih
Trump did not oppose lockdowns, suppression of human rights, suppression of off-patent treatments, or the rush to market of the covid vaccines, he was complicit with the Fauci-led approach and continues to brag about it to this day.
If you want to understand what actually happened during the Covid Pandemic read these books.
Bad Guy Imbroglio! Terminator or just Terminated! "Well, there I was, filled with demonic glory, ready to spawn all over the world, but ... (lifts andBad Guy Imbroglio! Terminator or just Terminated! "Well, there I was, filled with demonic glory, ready to spawn all over the world, but ... (lifts and shakes fists) ... the good guy had a magic trinket! Those things should be outlawed!" - Zagan - The Omicron Obituary
Started slowly ... nah, just kidding ... an excellent story here. And yes, the characters are a bit thin, but just good rollicking fun, easy to read, and I'll read on to see the main characters flesh out a little with more time to play with.
Recommended, 5 'Battle Worn,' stars.
Read this with the fine folk over at Nightmares and Dreamscapes in Aug/Sept 2023....more
Society Scandal! Esteemed Doctor's Shameful Secret Revealed! "Well, I just wanted to hide Mr. Hyde away. Hide Hyde! Hide Hyde! Hide Hyde! It was all ISociety Scandal! Esteemed Doctor's Shameful Secret Revealed! "Well, I just wanted to hide Mr. Hyde away. Hide Hyde! Hide Hyde! Hide Hyde! It was all I could think about in the end!" Dr Jekyll - The Split-Personality Purveyor.
This well-known classic holds up well, despite reading it with foreknowledge of the essence of this famous story.
In the end, of course, Dr. Jekyll is the mask, and Mr. Hyde the reality. As it often is in life, especially for esteemed public figures with social standing - the public face masks the private reality.
Of note, this edition holds an abundance of material about this book, its central ideas, and the author.
Fear County Conundrum! Witch Child Goes AWOL! "Well, all I wanted to do was raise a family in peace. I just don't get why everyone got so upset. I onlFear County Conundrum! Witch Child Goes AWOL! "Well, all I wanted to do was raise a family in peace. I just don't get why everyone got so upset. I only took hardly a handful of young uns and a few stragglers from the herd. I was just making Mangrum county a better place. Jeez - talk about harsh!" - Snake-Critter - The Fear County Chronicle.
Interesting how the story has a show-bag of monsters. In lesser hands it could've been a disaster with a loss of focus, but Ron pulls it off well. Kinda reminds me of the early years of the 'Supernatural,' tv show but with more run & evade tactics.... I'm also getting a Stephen King 'Maine,' vibe with Tennessee flavour.
In many ways this is a coming of age story for Jeb, a 10 year old who finds himself having to rise to the occasion against terrible foes. An entertaining tale throughout.
Recommended. 5 'Boy With the Right Stuff,' stars...more
Master Vampire Mayhem! Cooped Up Vamp Drains Mid-West Town! "Well, my brother walled me up deep in a cellar! After 75 years of captivity I'd developedMaster Vampire Mayhem! Cooped Up Vamp Drains Mid-West Town! "Well, my brother walled me up deep in a cellar! After 75 years of captivity I'd developed a raging thirst! What's a self-respecting Master Vampire gonna do?!" - Danner - The Fanged Gazette
Sometimes we have the great pleasure to find a book that hits the sweet spot of what we love to read. Nightblood's combination of action and horror was right on the money. Imagine Rambo vs Dracula set in a small town and you'll have the picture.
I was stunned by the sequence of escalations in the back half of the book. It was just one thing after another as running battles and last stands exploded onto the page like a home-made Molotov cocktail laced with silver cutlery.
Just as I thought, 'What else could possibly happen?' something would to dial the threat up to 11.
I also loved how the main protagonist had a host of helpers whose own heroism stood equal to the tasks before them. It wasn't a one man show, and a much stronger story for it.
Brilliant. Read it. Enjoy it.
Strongly Recommended, 5 'Heroes all round,' stars....more
Convent Capers! To Run Nun or not to Run Nun? "Well, I was just an ordinary guy until I met the sisters of the Crimoria Convent, and then drank their Convent Capers! To Run Nun or not to Run Nun? "Well, I was just an ordinary guy until I met the sisters of the Crimoria Convent, and then drank their wine. Well, it opened my eyes and there's no going back from what I've seen!" - Mr. Ainsworth - The Viticulturist's Vernacular.
I love a completely believable story that transports me ... and this delivered.
The thing about this story is that it's not particularly visual. I found the sisters kinda blending into each other, and my visuals for our protagonist, Mr. Ainsworth were equally nondescript. The visuals are low key, up until the climax of the story where they come on full bore and light up the page.
What this book relies on are the senses of touch and taste, especially touch - this is a very tactile story. You'll feel this story more than you see it - which is quite extraordinary in my experience.
Corporate Capers! CEO Botches Bioweapon! "Well, what can I say. I had Sarah Vinson exactly where I wanted her and was all set to unleash her uncanny pCorporate Capers! CEO Botches Bioweapon! "Well, what can I say. I had Sarah Vinson exactly where I wanted her and was all set to unleash her uncanny powers upon the world. All under my control of course, but ... but ... my minions let me down! The useless twits!" - Stant - The CEO's Chanticleer
Totally awesome story by Jeffrey Caston. It begins with a slow burn, then shifts into overdrive for the last two thirds of the book.
I got totally invested in the MC, Sarah Vinson and her terrible predicament. I'm in awe of the writing skills on display there.
Do yourself a favor and read this book!
Strongly Recommended 5 'Don't Mess With the Teenager,' stars.
Read this with the fine folk over at Nightmares and Dreamscapes in June-July 2023....more
Contest Imbroglio! Gameshow or Shitshow! "Well, of course, I've attended my fair share of frat parties and their inevitable initiation ceremonies. ThaContest Imbroglio! Gameshow or Shitshow! "Well, of course, I've attended my fair share of frat parties and their inevitable initiation ceremonies. That's where the idea came from. We just perked it up a little. (Cups extra-perky double-D breasts) Just like these magnificent plastic puppies." - Tina - The Game Show Gazette
If the gameshow in Stephen King's The Running Man had been reimagined by Hannibal Lecter, Jason Voorhees, and John Kramer (Jigsaw)... we might have something like this...
Reading it was like watching a train wreck unfold in slow motion before my eyes. There was no way I could look away.
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