AVAILABLE NOW
A Dark Heritage:
The Nighthunter
Logan Bartholom, Nighthunter to the Emperor, wakes with Ghost-induced amnesia in a manor in Little Beddin, Ossyan. All he has from his previous life is a magical sword and a talking dog from Hell. To find his true identity and discover what happened to him, he must go on a dangerous journey to a land where magecraft is still legal, in the company of a child with terrifying powers and his own would-be murderer… who is falling in love with him.
On the way to Thosea they discover a cult which sacrifices people’s souls to a Ghost masquerading as a god. Logan finds out he can travel through time and to different worlds. And they encounter many individuals and beings who are attracted by Cailte’s budding magical powers…
A Dark Heritage is a fantasy / horror novel set in a magical world where prehistoric animals coexist with humans and the Dead return as different species of Ghost.
Hansen Adcock is a writer of short SF stories and novels. His most recent book is A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter, available from Golden Storyline Books
Fletch, one of the Nighthunter’s unusual companions (from Book Two) has just gotten himself a Twitter account:
- Review: Fright House by Fred Wiehe
Available from Amazon.com,Amazon.co.uk, and Black Bed Sheet Books
4 out of 5 stars
17-year-old Penny is on the run from something — herself. Suffering from ghoulish nightmares (and perhaps waking nightmares / hallucinations), she agrees to a temporary job managing a Fright House in California during the Halloween season.
Tory Jackson is the director of Paranormal Scene Investigations. He has some things in common with Penny but evil forces are determined to use him to destroy her.
This disturbing, YA horror novel has a punchy, narrative voice and short, thrilling chapters, matching the pace of the story. It begins with a nightmare (the surreality of it draws the reader in but there are just enough realistic details to make it indistinguishable from real life at first, with good use of foreshadowing.)
The author did a lot of research into what equipment and methods are used during modern-day ghost-hunting, and it was fascinating to read about the concept of “Dead Time.” There were good historical details concerning olden-day insane asylums peppered throughout. The humorous banter between the members of Tory’s psychic investigations team was funny and made the characters likeable. I would have liked to hang out more with the Paranormal Scene Investigations team.
The inclusion of different songs referencing Penny’s name, some of which exist in real life (Bing Crosby’s “Pennies from Heaven” for example) added extra conviction to the story.
The descriptions of the little performances put on by horror actors in Fright House’s basement added plenty of grisly detail… but the acting was a little too good. We are invited to ask the question: “Are the actors merely actors? What is real and what is unreal?”
The book also addressed themes of mental illness / differences in perception and of bullying.
It would have been interesting to read more scenes concerning Morgan’s past and what happened with his brother Shaun, rather than it only being mentioned as having happened in the past.
There were some small discrepancies. Towards the start of the book, Morgan’s brother Shaun was said to have Down’s Syndrome. Towards the end of the book, he was said to be autistic. Gabriel was somehow able to sprinkle holy water during the cleansing ceremonies, when earlier he dropped the bottle and spilled it on the floor during a supernatural event.
Some of the words were hyphenated oddly, e.g. “glass-es” or “de-spair.” Dialogue from different characters was sometimes typed on the same line, e.g. at the start of chapter seven, which sometimes made it unclear as to who was saying what. Sometimes, new paragraphs began in the middle of a sentence.
Other than the small contradictions and formatting issues, this is an excellent horror novel with diverse, relatable characters and a gripping storyline.
- Another Review: Les Femmes Grotesques by Victoria Dalpe
3.5 stars out of 5
Available from CLASH books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com
This modern, feminist, short Gothic horror fiction collection will bring you out in goose-bumps.
A CREAK IN THE FLOOR, A SLANT OF LIGHT – There were some quirky details that put me in mind of Holly Black’s work. The tale had a delightfully gory legend about three girls trapped in a lift with something that bites, and a motley bunch of interesting characters sharing (often bizarre) accommodation in an industrial warehouse. In my opinion, the story ended too soon.
THE RIDER – The story began with a few paragraphs talking about a female character, but didn’t mention her name until the fourth paragraph. I liked the idea of the story with its reverse ghosts and the strange support group, but there wasn’t a lot of detail regarding the main character’s backstory.
THE GROVE – An interesting vignette on the nature of sickness, death, and the afterlife. Its tone made it almost like an old Japanese folktale. I particularly liked the poetry of the part where the mother told the daughter what would happen when she went to “sleep” in the ground and what she’d dream of.
FOLDED INTO SHADOWS – This is one of my favourites. Agnes decided to renovate an old Victorian house where her brother vanished when she was a child, a house that was a “scourge and siren” to the neighbourhood children, infamous for making most of its visitors disappear. I liked this one for its juxtaposition of the past and present, and of the mundane / kitsch with the cosmically horrible and inexplicable, the atmosphere, and mounting eeriness. The story preserved its weirdness and mystery even to the end and was all the better for doing so.
UNRAVELLING – This one was told in the first person by an ironic and world-weary character forced to reincarnate again and again. It had a YA thriller vibe. Another one of my favourites.
THE GUEST – I liked this one for the well-written Gothic tropes and the relatable main character, as well as the unique, sci-fi angle it had. Something odd about moss…
THE GIRL IN THE STAIRWELL – A strange little story about a compulsive liar and a woman falling down some stairs to her death. This was another one I particularly liked.
RIG RASH – Another favourite. This Western-themed, cosmic horror tale about the town of Sanctuary gave me goosebumps in all the right places. There were rumours of a huge, strange creature and a deadly infection. It gave off H. P. Lovecraft vibes.
DARK INHERITANCE – You’ve heard about buildings and places being haunted, but this story is about a haunted person. I liked this one as it introduced me to the concept of The Mara (or Mare, that rides on people’s chests as they sleep and gives them nightmares) and took that concept to a new and grisly level. I won’t look at the Sleep Paralysis phenomenon the same way ever again.
THE DROWNED SIREN – This was an interesting tale which fused a drowned ghost with the myth of the rusalka. The story would have been better if there was an explanation as to why the ghost chose the main character as her next victim.
THE HORROR ON SYCAMORE LANE – This story was unusual in the sense that although it was about a certain family, it was told through the third-person experiences of the small-town locals living around the family. This narrative method added an air of mystery that I liked.
THE RANCH – A longer, Western-set and horror-sci-fi tale concerning a traveller in the desert and a cattle rancher running unsettling experiments.
THE WIFE – A charming and bloodthirsty tale about a woman who wasn’t a woman but wasn’t exactly a Selki either…
MATER ANNELIDA – This was a bizarre and primal vignette of an unnamed witch (I assume) undertaking a private ritual and the birth of something that could change the world… literally.
THE WOMAN OF THE WOODS – A lonely witch who could bring the dead back to life approached a romantic relationship with a stranger… in a preying-mantis fashion.
THE DARE – An excellent vampire horror story that brought together contemporary teenagers and a monster that used to be a bon vivant from the 1920s. There was a different explanation for the nature of vampirism within the tale — read it to find out!
THOSE BENEATH, DEVOUR – This tale began right in the middle of the action, shortly after someone had been consumed by something scorching through a university library basement floor.
THE NO PLACES – This began with the atmosphere and whimsy of a Neil Gaiman road-trip story, then turned sinister. A sacrifice had to be made, and a woman learned she was more than herself.
The writing in this short fiction collection had a lot of run-on sentences and could do with another round of proofreading.
Other than that, the narrative voice of these stories had a tone of private collusion with the reader, which I liked very much, and Victoria Dalpe’s descriptions engaged all of the reader’s senses. She used realistic dialogue and unusual ideas and details throughout.
- Dracula’s Guests (curated by Dr. Chris McAuley)
Available from HellBound Books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com
4 out of 5 stars
This collection of vampire horror tales in celebration of Dracula’s 125th birthday will sate your bloodthirst. These are the stories that stood out for me:
Dracula in Recovery – Michael Zemecki: I loved this darkly humorous story featuring all the characters from the original Dracula in contemporary, corporate job roles. Vlad Dracula gets into trouble with HR and has to attend sensitivity training, then rehab his blood addiction. At the end, there is a definite “twist in the tail.” Pun intended.
A Final Supper – Trev Hill: This one has plenty of adrenaline-pumped action and fight scenes. The vampires in this story don’t suck blood, but they feed in a much worse way while their victims are still alive. There is a perfect twist in the ending.
An Interview in the Garden of Earthly Delights – Albert N. Katz : An interview with a wealthy and dangerous man by a person who used to torment him at school. His old tormentor receives a perverse punishment in this tale, which carries notes of “The Cask of Amontillado” and “Jekyll and Hyde” with a Great Gatsby atmosphere.
A Visit From Lady Lydia – Ken Goldman: This dark, tongue-in-cheek story is about a film class tutor being goaded into messaging a female “vampire” online by his students. However, it turns out that the real deal may be hiding in plain sight…
All the Way – Eamonn Murphy: Teenagers planning a Halloween party in a derelict mansion accidentally rouse a sleeping vampire. I liked this story for the humorous narrative voice, which put me in mind of something by Michael Lawrence or Dean Koontz.
Almost-Dry January – Judith Newlin: A dark and handsome stranger in a pub on a wintry night offers two women a certain drug to make their drinks taste better. It produces vivid hallucinations, and the main character begins to suffer lapses in memory… I liked the cold subtlety and seeming gentleness of the vampire in this story.
Be Like You – Jack Nash: A despairing, typecast film-vampire is visited and then stalked by a strange and malodorous fan.
Beer in a Bar – Jerry Purdon: I liked this one for its surreal, dream-like mood, and how the subtle arrival of the vampires is heralded by a heavy, thick fog, which is echoed in a bathroom mirror sometime later at an important point of the tale.
Black Harvest Moon – Terry Stock: A dystopian story in which vampires rule over a pack of dwindling humans. There is a lot of tension, drama, and action in this as well as emotion that will tear your heartstrings like a vampire can tear off a man’s head.
Clear as Dae – Sam Fletcher: This story is told from the POV of a misfit juvenile vampire in a gang of “teenage” vampires (though they range from 49 to 178 in ages) as they hunt for an ancient and bizarre non-binary vampire named Miksa. I liked this story for the interesting and varied characters and the writing-style, along with the cool, psychic vampire powers.
Curse of Avalon – Anthony Regolino: I love Arthurian tales, so was excited to read this vampire retelling of King Arthur’s journey to the Lady of the Lake to gain a sword.
Feeder – Rose Strickman: Set in a 19th century London brothel, a prostitute and her hungry ghost sister try to feed on a client, when things go horribly wrong…
Identity Theft – Elaine Pascale: Another tale of what the world would be like if human society fell under the tyranny of vampires. I enjoyed this one for the worldbuilding and the clever way the characters gathered materials to use against their captors, as well as the different, strict rules the vampires had about feeding.
Lilitu – Helen Mihajlovic: A freelance architect finds a new place to stay in a mysterious, Gothic-looking building. I enjoyed the descriptions of the building, its levels and interior, and liked the Biblical backstory of the vampire who owns it.
No Man’s Land – Stephen Patrick: During the war in 1916, a group of British soldiers in French trenches share stories of what scares them, and it is revealed that something in no man’s land stalks in the night, feasting…
Wolfsbane – Greg Patrick: The writing in this story has an excellent poetry to it, like a painting in red, silver, black, and white. Fantastic use of imagery, and it reads like a gothic, courtly romance.
The Precarious Politics of Modern Vampirism – Stephen Loiaconi: A vampire gets into politics and aligns with the President of the USA, who is disturbingly reminiscent of Donald Trump. I liked the use of press interview transcripts in the story to reveal more about the character, his ambitions, and his flaws. (N.B. Bobby Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers is such a cool band name).
Steel and Fangs – Josh Darling: A woman who is assaulted and blinded becomes the top student of Krav Maga at a school for the sight-impaired and faces hordes of vampire familiars. There is a twist in the end and her attacker gets his comeuppance. Trigger warning: contains rape, abduction, and torture.
You can also reach Hansen at hansentorauthor@gmail.com
Nightwalks 