Cameron Chaney

Absolute Mayhem!

Revisado: 07-06-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Thank you to Capricorn Literary for sending an audiobook download in exchange for an honest review!

The Devil's End by D.A. Fowler was originally published by Pocket Books in 1992 and has been out of print ever since. Fortunately, Capricorn Literary has come to the rescue yet again! They picked up the rights to all of Fowler's books, so we now have a brand new paperback edition of The Devil's End as well as an audiobook narrated by Michael Reaves, who also narrated The Black Cat by John Russo which I reviewed last year. Michael's voice is gravelly and gruff and perfect for vintage horror.

SYNOPSIS: In Sharon Valley, at teen slumber parties and around campfires, the story is told. Seventy years ago, on Halloween night, Nathaniel and Myrantha Ober made a pact sealed by bloody human sacrifice...a pact with the devil himself.
Nancy Snell is the most popular girl in high school. She is beautiful and wealthy, and she has discovered the key to unlimited power. The occult force that was summoned to this sleepy town decades ago. She has already chosen the perfect victim needed to perform the ritual: the new girl in town, Lana Bremmers.
Once again the town of Sharon Valley will be the doorway to the legions of darkness. And the devil will have his payment in blood, on an even more terrifying Halloween night.

This book was like an amped up version of the popular '90s Point Horror series. It had all the high school drama of those books, but with extra doses venom. It is far more vulgar, mean-spirited, darker, gorier, and more depraved than Point Horror ever got, especially toward the end. As the evil begins to poison the minds of the townspeople, things. get. crazy. The ending literally had my mouth hanging open, and yet I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. It's just delightful in its mayhem. Though, for this reason, I can't recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach or to those who are easily offended. There are also some racial jokes and slurs toward a character with mental disabilities, so be forewarned: this book is a product of its time.

My main gripe with The Devil's End is the long list of characters which began to get tangled in my brain, but of those characters there were a few standouts that I really enjoyed reading about, especially Lana Bremmers. I found her to be a well-written character. I also loved reading about Nancy Snell, as awful as she may be.

Overall, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys vintage horror, and the audiobook gets the Library Macabre seal of approval as well. Thanks, Capricorn Literary!

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A timely read in these challenging times...

Revisado: 07-06-20

A big thank you to Sean Durreger, the narrator of the audiobook edition, for sending me a download in exchange for an honest review!

The Gordon Place by Issac Thorne opens with a disclaimer from the author assuring his readers that this novel is about the horrors of racism. It is not a racist novel. I'll admit, this statement made me nervous from the get-go. If an author feels the need to include a disclaimer exposing the point of their novel outright so that readers won't unfairly judge the book without finishing, it makes me weary of the author's ability to make their point through storytelling alone. Fortunately, The Gordon Place didn't really need this disclaimer to begin with. It should be obvious to anyone with comprehensive reading skills that this is an anti-prejudice book with the racist characters being uneducated with evil intensions and the main characters being a cop raised by an abusive, racist father, a black female reporter who has worked hard to overcome the racism of her small-town, and her gay cameraman who thankfully isn't too much of a stereotype.

The story follows a man named Graham Gordon, who is the constable of Lost Hollow. It has been twenty years since Graham has been to his childhood home where he suffered much abuse by the hand of his father, but he decides to visit that home only to be trapped there by an evil presence. Enter Afia Afton, a reporter for the local news, and her cameraman. They are filming a Halloween segment for the Channel 6 news about the rumored hauntings of Lost Hollow, and their next stop is the Gordon place. What proceeds is a story of possession, grief, and finding justice for those who have been wronged.

The Gordon Place is a timely novel that explores, not so much the current political climate at large, but the current climate of small town living. There is no subtly here and the story can be a bit heavy handed, so please know that going in. This is primarily a story built around its message.

Some strong points: I enjoyed the characters, particularly the tragic Graham Gordon and Afia Afton. They were both fleshed out and easy to empathize with. I also enjoyed reading scenes with Patsy Blankenship, the town administrator. She's this spunky southern bell with a lot of personality and charm, torn right out of the pages of a cozy mystery.

Unfortunately, I did find the story a bit predictable (except for two very clever twists), and it could also be slow and repetitive at times. Therefore, it took me a while to get through the audiobook. This is nothing against the narrator though. Sean Durreger has an infectious energy and an upbeat voice. He also likes to get into character, making the audiobook a fun listen overall. The only nitpick I have is that sometimes his upbeat energy can diffuse the tension in heavier scenes, but seeing that this is one of his early performances, I won't hold it against him. His recent narration of The Brain Eaters was spot-on.

Overall, I'd recommend The Gordon Place to anyone looking for a timely read in these challenging times.

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A pulp classic with a top-notch audio performance!

Revisado: 06-17-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Thank you to Sean Duregger, the narrator of the audiobook, for sending me a download in exchange for an honest review!

It's late at night (or early in the morning depending on how you look at it) and you can't sleep, so you're scrolling through Amazon Video for a scary movie to sink your teeth into. That's when you see it: some '80s horror film you've never heard of. It's 2 AM and the movie is free. Why not? So you press play. Eighty minutes later, the credits are rolling and you’re asking yourself the same question you asked yourself the last time you chose a random '80s horror film on Amazon Video: "What did I just watch?" You're sleep-deprived so you're having trouble remembering. That, and the movie has literally caused your brain to melt and dribble out your ears and into your midnight snack, so that might have something to do with your memory loss as well. There was something about a scientist with a Russian accent. . .and then there was some generic reporter hunting down a big story that will finally launch his career. . . Also, a female scientist who was actually really pretty for being so smart and all, and. . . ah yes! Zombie-like people with melting faces! There was probably more to the movie, but in the morning it'll all seem like some bizarre dream which is probably the desired effect anyhow.

If you have ever found yourself in that situation, congratulations! You are a horror fan that will watch literally anything. I know I have been in that exact situation dozens of times and I have zero regrets about it. I also have zero regrets about listening to the audiobook of The Brain Eaters by Gary Brandner, whose formula is exactly what you would find in one of those Amazon bargain bin B-movies, from the Russian scientists to the melting people.

Like those cheesy 80s horror flicks, there is a lot in The Brain Eaters to keep you entertained; hammy dialogue, over-the-top characters, graphic gore and violence, a highly contagious parasitic virus that turns people into angry monsters with bad acne, and the mass hysteria that stems from said virus. . . which is all too timely. On the other hand, there are a couple other pulpy tropes that plague The Brain Eaters for the worst, such as dry monologues and long explanations of the “science” behind the virus. These scenes do lend some charm to the book, however, as it is hard for a story like this to exist without them.

The only thing more enjoyable than reading The Brain Eaters is listening to the audiobook, narrated by Sean Duregger. Sean is just such a nice guy, and you can hear that in his voice. This can sometimes hurt a horror audiobook, but The Brain Eaters isn’t all that scary or meant to be taken seriously. Therefore, Sean’s gleeful energy only serves to enhance the craziness of the story. He is also a pro at acting out the characters and can do a mean Russian accent. Just such a fun time!

Overall, I recommend The Brain Eaters if you are a fan of vintage horror books or if you read Brandner’s classic The Howling and want to read more of his work. This is a bonkers one, and the audiobook is also top-notch!

A solid 3.5 stars.

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Think THE HOWLING Meets UNDERWORLD...

Revisado: 04-03-20

Thank you to the author for sending the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Feral by Matt Serafini follows two students who are on summer break in Greifsfield, MA when they become entangled in a war between werewolf and vigilante, between werewolf and werewolf. Greifsfield is infested with beasts, and there is nowhere to run...

This is the second book I've read by Matt Serafini, the first being Under the Blade, a slasher story with a unique twist. One thing that both of these books have in common is the small town setting. While Serafini's tiny towns seem cozy and peaceful on the surface, look a little further and you will see they are anything but. Even without the murder, the people are downright depraved. Characters struggle with forbidden desires that should make any reader squirm in their seat, no matter how hardened they may be. Under the Blade was milder in this way, but Feral presents the reader with a heaping serving of discomfort and shock. This all comes down to the animosity inside the characters who have been changed into werewolves. All morals evaporate as the animal takes over, transforming them into murderous, sex-crazed beings. This does lead to scenes of sexual assault, so be forewarned. There are also a lot of graphic sex scenes, some of which are disturbing, others of which are more erotic in nature. If you are turned off by a lot of sexual content, Feral might not be for you. Likewise in the gore department, because Serafini is brilliant when it comes to writing gore.

I, for one, enjoy a bloody story every now and then, and this totally delivered. Matt Serafini’s prose is smooth and descriptive at all times, from the details about Greifsfield to scenes of people being ripped apart. The world building is quite impressive as well. Even though this story takes place in our modern world, it feels very much like a universe of its own. Think The Howling meets Underworld.

Bottom line, I had a blast with this book. I never knew where it was going, twisting in ways that had my jaw on the floor. There is definitely some shocking material here that I did not expect. If you are a sensitive reader, have caution. But if you desire a traditional werewolf tale with a nasty modern punch, check it out.

I'd recommend listening to the audiobook, too! Matt Godfrey is one of my favorite narrators. He has a great voice, so you really can't go wrong with anything he narrates.

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Bonkers...

Revisado: 04-03-20

The audiobook version of Black Cat was sent to me in exchange for an honest review from Capricorn Literary.

Black Cat is the story of the Martin family -- George, Peg, and their daughter Jenny -- who are on vacation when they stumble upon the Panther People, murderous beings that serve the evil soul of a witch doctor that lives on in the body of a panther named Simon... Are you following me? If not, don't worry. You can just go along for the ride like I did.

You may know John Russo as the co-screenwriter of Night of the Living Dead (yes, that one) or the numerous paperback originals he has written throughout his long career. Black Cat was published in 1982 by Pocket Books with a very shiny, metallic looking cover. That edition fetches a hefty sum of dough online, but thankfully Burning Bulb Publishing has reissued the novel in new paperback and digital editions, and Capricorn Literary just released a newly-produced audiobook version, narrated by Mike Reaves.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to audiobooks, but Reaves's deep, gruff voice serves the grittiness of Black Cat's story very well. His use of voice filters and effects were kept to a minimum, complimenting the story rather than distracting from it. Overall, I thought it was a great production and I was never annoyed by the narration.

As for the novel itself... wow. What a crazy story. Going into this, I expected more of a killer cat book. Instead I got a road trip gone awry plot featuring a blood-thirsty cult, brutal (and I mean brutal) massacres, graphic rape scenes, incest (I think?), and a murderous spirit possessing the body of an already murderous panther.

So. This book is obviously insane. "Depraved" is the word I would use to describe it. It is over-the-top and completely bonkers, which gives the book some fun twists and turns. But the rape scenes and the scenes involving slayings of entire families prevent this reading experience from being a totally enjoyable one. It is disturbing and not for the faint of heart. Black Cat also has its fair share of misogyny, but since that is from the perspective of the villains, that may have been the intent. Either way, it isn't pleasant and should be approached with caution.

I would recommend this if you like trashy horror pulp and have a stomach of stone. I'm pretty hardened so I was able to get through it, mostly because I was entranced by the WTF plot. But in the end, Black Cat will only appeal a niche group of people. Don't read it to your kids as a bedtime story.

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