Horror | Self-Publishing Review

Alpha (The Hierarchy Book 1) by I. Ogunbase

The world is divided between a decimated human race and roving bands of vampires in Alpha, the first book of the Hierarchy series by author I. Ogunbase.

In this hellscape of a near future, there are different breeds of vampires with different hungers and abilities – the Stalkers, the Mirrors, and the Ferals – immediately adding more complexity and originality to this crowded genre. As the seemingly mindless monsters grow more organized, representing a new challenge for walled-off defenders around the world, a key to humanity’s success is kidnapped, driving a crossbow-toting guard from the once-great city of London […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-29T09:22:57+02:00May 29th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror, Vampires|

Review: Goat Song by Thomas Drago

Author Thomas Drago shines a sickly spotlight on the hellish secrets below Crow Creek, North Carolina in his fast-paced thriller, Goat Song. Blending small-town suspicions, the odd world of local theatre, personal demons, and black magic rituals, this quick read is unpredictable and unnerving as the plot spirals into darkness.

Gabriela Rossi is doing her best to make a home in Crow Creek after moving from Italy, but the residents don’t seem keen on outsiders, and her promotion at The Orpheum Theatre leaves her feeling resented and unwelcome. When someone is murdered at the theatre three days before a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-21T07:00:05+02:00March 18th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror, Paranormal, Thomas Drago|

Review: The Nosferatu Conspiracy: The Sleepwalker by Brian James Gage

Dripping in drama and a grim, sinister pall, The Nosferatu Conspiracy by Brian James Gage is a dark piece of fiction that defies categorization. While there are certain elements of historical fiction, gothic romance, horror, and suspense, the author plays with form and uses language as a paintbrush, poetically scribbling on the dungeon walls of this striking novel.

Much of the action centers on a fictional alternate reality at the end of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia, a mysterious piece of history that has compelled storytellers and historians for generations. A supernatural angle takes the forefront in this novel, in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-07T09:40:11+02:00March 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Brian James Gage, Historical Fantasy, Horror, Vampires|

House of the Shrieking Woman by Steven Ramirez

Author Steven Ramirez weaves a gripping tale of demons and dark forces in House of the Shrieking Woman. The second book in the Sarah Greene Mysteries sees the 33-year-old psychic delving back into the world of the supernatural, determined to use her ghostly gifts for the good of others.

This time around, Sarah must journey into one woman’s shadowy past to help her find peace from demons both inside and out. Pitting her nascent investigative skills against a sinister power that thrives in places of pain and suffering, the main character makes this quick thriller hard to put down. Sarah […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-01-21T07:49:34+02:00January 21st, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror, Paranormal, Steven Ramirez|

Review: The Nawie by Alex J. Knudsen

From the twisted depths of memory comes The Nawie, a haunting psychological thriller by author Alex J. Knudsen that will make you keep the lights on.

When Marcelina Bajorek and her boyfriend take a trip back to Poland to reconnect with her family, she has no idea what horrors from the past she is about to unleash. As Marcelina is soon to learn, secrets aren’t the only monstrous things left behind in her childhood.

The opening of this novel sets a tragic tone, with a mysterious midnight terror in rural Poland envisioned through the five-year-old eyes of Marcelina, on […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-11-21T08:01:06+02:00October 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror, Thriller|

Review: Nevermore Squirrels by Terrance M. Craft

Dark humor with a decidedly animalistic twist makes for a provocative read in Nevermore Squirrels by Terrance M. Craft.

Aval and Evel are vampire squirrels who also happen to be married, with their marriage now dull and insufferable. They’ve degenerated into ordinary commoners, having forsaken their interest in bloodsucking for blood sipping.

Then there’s little Vincety, a small rag doll that can never grow, such that he can ever fulfill his wish to become an ultimate monster of gore. Evel, suffering from maternal qualms and unable to bear children of her own, decides to steal herself a little boy – […]

Marta Cheng2019-08-16T06:58:39+02:00July 3rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror, Vampires|

Review: Dolph the Unicorn Killer and Other Stories by Martin Lastrapes

For anyone tired of vampires that glitter and werewolves who are really just confused about their identity, Dolph the Unicorn Killer and Other Stories by Martin Lastrapes is right up your alley. This award-winning author has stepped away from his hit novels and into the realm of raucous short stories, and this is a collection of high-fantasy weirdos with a healthy dose of drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll tossed in for good measure.

Set in modern-day Las Vegas, this madcap stream of stories has everything that a horror fan would love, but certainly doesn’t miss a beat for fans […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-19T16:41:13+02:00June 18th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, Horror, Martin Lastrapes, Short Stories|

Review: The Departing (The End Time Saga Book 4) by Daniel Greene

Having read this series from the beginning, one can expect something approaching greatness in Daniel Greene’s writing, and he does not disappoint with The Departing, the fourth installment of his End Times Saga. The stakes have been consistently raised throughout the course of this series, and the characters have traveled on impressive and well-planned plot arcs, revealing a talented writer and a body of work clearly conceived with a passion for the genre.

The world is still in chaos as the dead mindlessly push back the ranks of the living, threatening to exterminate humanity as we know it. However, […]