HuckleBuck411
I'm amazed by this book's high ratings and glowing reviews. I'm a big fan of horror and the weird, but this book was a major letdown. It's as if the author used any random weird idea that came to mind and threw it into the story without going anywhere. I've read other books where the main character and narrator used dry humor to describe strange, harrowing or horrible situations (think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or The Murderbot Diaries), but for this reader, it didn't work, and became dull. It was one of those books where I kept wanting to reach the end so I could move on to something better. It's a disappointment, since I find the concept something that could really work if done correctly. Needless to say, I won't be reading anymore books in this series.
I'm amazed by this book's high ratings and glowing reviews. I'm a big fan of horror and the weird, but this book was a major letdown. It's as if the author used any random weird idea that came to mind and threw it into the story without going anywhere. I've read other books where the main character and narrator used dry humor to describe strange, harrowing or horrible situations (think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or The Murderbot Diaries), but for this reader, it didn't work, and became dull. It was one of those books where I kept wanting to reach the end so I could move on to something better. It's a disappointment, since I find the concept something that could really work if done correctly. Needless to say, I won't be reading anymore books in this series.
For the most part, I liked this book, but there were a few aspects that prevented me from giving it four stars. The story begins in 1994 when the main characters (one girl among several boys) are teenagers. They are a diverse bunch that sit at the fringe of the general teenage school population, except for one. Despite their parental and other problems, they eventually bond with each other and form what they call The Covenant, a sort of loyalty pledge to one another. On a drunk and drugged camping trip in the local woods, the smart, good-looking, jock of the bunch goes poof after daring the group, invoking The Covenant, and climbing a mysterious staircase in the woods. Unable to find their missing member, the group becomes a pariah in the eyes of the town, the townsfolk believing they had most likely murdered their friend. In adulthood, The Covenant breaks up and disperses into their individual lives, haunted by what had occurred in the past. Then one of their group manages to cajole the members to come back to their hometown using a specious argument that he is dying of cancer. Needless to say, another mysterious staircase and a climb into horror await The Covenant.
So, what bothered me about the book? The characters were very hard to like. They all carried around major baggage from poor home lives in their formative years. It became tedious as the characters continuously mulled over the state of their lives and why they were unhappy and unsatisfied. However, what bothered me the most was that the story ended without answering one of the biggest questions of interest to this reader. Also, being an independent conservative, the sprinkling of liberal bias throughout was rankling. In my opinion, in a non-political book, it's always better to remain politically neutral in storytelling; that way, the majority of readers can enjoy the story without being subtly triggered one way or the other.
For the most part, I liked this book, but there were a few aspects that prevented me from giving it four stars. The story begins in 1994 when the main characters (one girl among several boys) are teenagers. They are a diverse bunch that sit at the fringe of the general teenage school population, except for one. Despite their parental and other problems, they eventually bond with each other and form what they call The Covenant, a sort of loyalty pledge to one another. On a drunk and drugged camping trip in the local woods, the smart, good-looking, jock of the bunch goes poof after daring the group, invoking The Covenant, and climbing a mysterious staircase in the woods. Unable to find their missing member, the group becomes a pariah in the eyes of the town, the townsfolk believing they had most likely murdered their friend. In adulthood, The Covenant breaks up and disperses into their individual lives, haunted by what had occurred in the past. Then one of their group manages to cajole the members to come back to their hometown using a specious argument that he is dying of cancer. Needless to say, another mysterious staircase and a climb into horror await The Covenant.
So, what bothered me about the book? The characters were very hard to like. They all carried around major baggage from poor home lives in their formative years. It became tedious as the characters continuously mulled over the state of their lives and why they were unhappy and unsatisfied. However, what bothered me the most was that the story ended without answering one of the biggest questions of interest to this reader. Also, being an independent conservative, the sprinkling of liberal bias throughout was rankling. In my opinion, in a non-political book, it's always better to remain politically neutral in storytelling; that way, the majority of readers can enjoy the story without being subtly triggered one way or the other.
A nice homage to Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. However, I'm not sure why Kingfisher felt it necessary to bring the ‘Sworn Soldier' transgender themes of the binding of breasts and the use of weird pronouns into the 1890s. Maybe checking “woke” boxes is essential to being published nowadays.
A nice homage to Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. However, I'm not sure why Kingfisher felt it necessary to bring the ‘Sworn Soldier' transgender themes of the binding of breasts and the use of weird pronouns into the 1890s. Maybe checking “woke” boxes is essential to being published nowadays.
Excellent science fiction adventure surrounding an archeological expedition to study the mystery of ancient monuments and ruins found at far star systems. The question of what became of the long-gone civilizations that made them is at the heart of the story. However, the archaeologists are also racing against time as a struggling Earth seeks to terraform one of the planets, leading to the destruction of some of the most precious artifacts. The characters are well-written such that the reader is drawn into their experiences and comes to care for what happens to them. This book could easily be made into two films. The story is so large that it would require two films to encompass it.
Excellent science fiction adventure surrounding an archeological expedition to study the mystery of ancient monuments and ruins found at far star systems. The question of what became of the long-gone civilizations that made them is at the heart of the story. However, the archaeologists are also racing against time as a struggling Earth seeks to terraform one of the planets, leading to the destruction of some of the most precious artifacts. The characters are well-written such that the reader is drawn into their experiences and comes to care for what happens to them. This book could easily be made into two films. The story is so large that it would require two films to encompass it.
I punished myself by reading to the end this ‘woke' progressive leftist tripe claiming to be a horror, alien invasion story. I'm sure all the green or blue-haired mentally ill crazies out there will just feel so self-satisfied devouring this queer, chick-lit offering within the horror/science fiction genre. I wouldn't have even bothered downloading the e-book except for the fact Goodreads marked the LGBT, queer tags on the end hidden behind the ‘more' tag list. I found out after well into the book and going back and clicking on more for the tag list; these tags should have been right at the front of the list.
I stayed for the invasion part of the book, but dear reader you must wade through almost half the book with the main character navel gazing about being a poor misunderstood alien invader in human form and going on about her wonderful and totally misunderstood trans “boyfriend” before there is much of anything dealing with the actual invasion (aren't those masectomy scars just so sexy?) And, once reaching that point, there still isn't much to the invasion and the conquering of Earth. Hey, but it's okay because the bloodthirsty (literally) aliens will just ingest those horrible humans and turn them into wonderful plant beings that will go on to travel the stars doing the same thing to any other planet with sentient lifeforms. Isn't that just so much better, because humans and all those other lifeforms just didn't know how to take care of their own planet? Thank goodness there still exists the classics in science fiction and horror to fall back on.
I punished myself by reading to the end this ‘woke' progressive leftist tripe claiming to be a horror, alien invasion story. I'm sure all the green or blue-haired mentally ill crazies out there will just feel so self-satisfied devouring this queer, chick-lit offering within the horror/science fiction genre. I wouldn't have even bothered downloading the e-book except for the fact Goodreads marked the LGBT, queer tags on the end hidden behind the ‘more' tag list. I found out after well into the book and going back and clicking on more for the tag list; these tags should have been right at the front of the list.
I stayed for the invasion part of the book, but dear reader you must wade through almost half the book with the main character navel gazing about being a poor misunderstood alien invader in human form and going on about her wonderful and totally misunderstood trans “boyfriend” before there is much of anything dealing with the actual invasion (aren't those masectomy scars just so sexy?) And, once reaching that point, there still isn't much to the invasion and the conquering of Earth. Hey, but it's okay because the bloodthirsty (literally) aliens will just ingest those horrible humans and turn them into wonderful plant beings that will go on to travel the stars doing the same thing to any other planet with sentient lifeforms. Isn't that just so much better, because humans and all those other lifeforms just didn't know how to take care of their own planet? Thank goodness there still exists the classics in science fiction and horror to fall back on.
This is one of the better reads I've come across in the mystery/horror genre. The format of a investigative journalist podcaster who returns to the subject of the strange death of a teenage boy (ruled misadventure) twenty years before near an outbound camp for children and teenagers was unique and refreshing. As the podcaster interviews locals and the members of the group (now adults) who were closest to the victim, hidden facts and deep incites into the group's dynamic begin to be peeled away like layers of an onion. And, always in the background there is the suspicion that the boy's death could be linked to the local mythos of a creature said to prowl the region. The story is well-written and includes a nice twist at the end.
This is one of the better reads I've come across in the mystery/horror genre. The format of a investigative journalist podcaster who returns to the subject of the strange death of a teenage boy (ruled misadventure) twenty years before near an outbound camp for children and teenagers was unique and refreshing. As the podcaster interviews locals and the members of the group (now adults) who were closest to the victim, hidden facts and deep incites into the group's dynamic begin to be peeled away like layers of an onion. And, always in the background there is the suspicion that the boy's death could be linked to the local mythos of a creature said to prowl the region. The story is well-written and includes a nice twist at the end.
I give another five star rating to this intricately crafted story; another deeply psychological foray into the dark side by intrepid investigative journalist podcaster, pseudonym Scott King. A horrible crime was committed by twenty-one year old Arla Mcleod; one night bludgeoning to death with a hammer her mother, father and younger sister. The justice system finding she was psychologically unfit to be sent to prison, has placed her into a psychiatric facility for the rest of her life. It is almost unprecedented that Scott King, to start this episode of his podcast, is allowed to interview her. So begins the unravelling of what may have led to her murderous act, possibly stemming from her troubled teenage years and her interaction with creepy games found on online media sites, the strange music material from a fringe rock artist she obsessed over, the strained relationship with her immediate family, and interactions with the few teenage peers she came in contact with. And, there is always the possibility of the supernatural playing a part through encounters with the notorious and creepy Black Eyed Children. As in the first book in the series, the story is well-written and pulls the reader forward into the darker story behind the dark story with a great twist at the end.
I give another five star rating to this intricately crafted story; another deeply psychological foray into the dark side by intrepid investigative journalist podcaster, pseudonym Scott King. A horrible crime was committed by twenty-one year old Arla Mcleod; one night bludgeoning to death with a hammer her mother, father and younger sister. The justice system finding she was psychologically unfit to be sent to prison, has placed her into a psychiatric facility for the rest of her life. It is almost unprecedented that Scott King, to start this episode of his podcast, is allowed to interview her. So begins the unravelling of what may have led to her murderous act, possibly stemming from her troubled teenage years and her interaction with creepy games found on online media sites, the strange music material from a fringe rock artist she obsessed over, the strained relationship with her immediate family, and interactions with the few teenage peers she came in contact with. And, there is always the possibility of the supernatural playing a part through encounters with the notorious and creepy Black Eyed Children. As in the first book in the series, the story is well-written and pulls the reader forward into the darker story behind the dark story with a great twist at the end.
Changeling
Wesolowski has once again written a dark psychological thriller wrapped in a creepy supernatural shell. Online investigative journalist and podcaster, Scott King, recovering from his foray into his last last ‘Six Stories' investigation turns his attention to a story about a seven-year-old boy who vanished from his father's car one evening just outside a dense forest with a creepy reputation for supernatural activity. The story behind the story will be unraveled as King interviews people that were connected to the boy and his family. As always, a major twist awaits the reader at the end of King's investigation.
Wesolowski has once again written a dark psychological thriller wrapped in a creepy supernatural shell. Online investigative journalist and podcaster, Scott King, recovering from his foray into his last last ‘Six Stories' investigation turns his attention to a story about a seven-year-old boy who vanished from his father's car one evening just outside a dense forest with a creepy reputation for supernatural activity. The story behind the story will be unraveled as King interviews people that were connected to the boy and his family. As always, a major twist awaits the reader at the end of King's investigation.
Once again investigative journalist podcaster Scott King delves into and slowly peels back the truth surrounding another dark mystery with supernatural overtones. This time the story involves a deceased legendary music pop-star and his controversial lifestyle that involved surrounding himself with underaged teenage girls. King will interview six people who will provide incites into the man from his early childhood years, through his rise to stardom and finally to the time of his fiery death in the destruction of the palatial estate he had built deep in a dense forest; a forest said to be haunted by a supernatural dark, antlered, skeletal creature known as a Frithghast. To see the Frithghast is said to be an omen of bad things to come. As always, more is revealed and yet more questions arise with each interview until all the dark secrets are uncovered and the story of real human monsters is brought into the light.
Once again investigative journalist podcaster Scott King delves into and slowly peels back the truth surrounding another dark mystery with supernatural overtones. This time the story involves a deceased legendary music pop-star and his controversial lifestyle that involved surrounding himself with underaged teenage girls. King will interview six people who will provide incites into the man from his early childhood years, through his rise to stardom and finally to the time of his fiery death in the destruction of the palatial estate he had built deep in a dense forest; a forest said to be haunted by a supernatural dark, antlered, skeletal creature known as a Frithghast. To see the Frithghast is said to be an omen of bad things to come. As always, more is revealed and yet more questions arise with each interview until all the dark secrets are uncovered and the story of real human monsters is brought into the light.
In these weird short stories Samuels leads you to the edge of insanity and then at the end pushes you over into the abyss without a lifeline.
In these weird short stories Samuels leads you to the edge of insanity and then at the end pushes you over into the abyss without a lifeline.
Heart pounding horror action from beginning to end. A zombie-like tale without the zombies. After a spectacular auroral event across the lower forty-eight of the United States in the wee hours of the morning, those who witnessed the event soon turn into homicidal maniacs destroying all those who did not view the nighttime display. The tale is told from the perspective of one family as the father, mother, teenage daughter and small son attempt to travel from their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico to rumored safety across the Canadian border in the North. Their journey will become a waking nightmare as they attempt to flee from the murderous hordes.
Heart pounding horror action from beginning to end. A zombie-like tale without the zombies. After a spectacular auroral event across the lower forty-eight of the United States in the wee hours of the morning, those who witnessed the event soon turn into homicidal maniacs destroying all those who did not view the nighttime display. The tale is told from the perspective of one family as the father, mother, teenage daughter and small son attempt to travel from their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico to rumored safety across the Canadian border in the North. Their journey will become a waking nightmare as they attempt to flee from the murderous hordes.
This was an oddly enjoyable read. It's a modern-day action fantasy road trip adventure. A newly widowed middle-aged man who has angrily quit his job at an accounting firm attempts to come to the rescue of a beautiful young woman being mugged by three men on the street. He soon learns that the woman can take care of herself and that she has led a cloistered life training and is on a quest to save a small town in Arizona from a marauding cyclops. One problem is that they are in Florida, and she plans on walking the entire distance to Arizona. Not believing her story makes any rational sense, the man, with nothing to lose, eventually decides to help her by driving her to the destination. Along the way the duo will take side trips to pick up acolytes that the woman is drawn to for them to join them on the quest. Needless to say, nothing goes smoothly, and much violence and death ensues, as forces attempt to impede them from reaching their goal. But what faces them at the end of their journey will test the small group to the limit of their abilities. Though violent, the story is told with wit and humor.
This was an oddly enjoyable read. It's a modern-day action fantasy road trip adventure. A newly widowed middle-aged man who has angrily quit his job at an accounting firm attempts to come to the rescue of a beautiful young woman being mugged by three men on the street. He soon learns that the woman can take care of herself and that she has led a cloistered life training and is on a quest to save a small town in Arizona from a marauding cyclops. One problem is that they are in Florida, and she plans on walking the entire distance to Arizona. Not believing her story makes any rational sense, the man, with nothing to lose, eventually decides to help her by driving her to the destination. Along the way the duo will take side trips to pick up acolytes that the woman is drawn to for them to join them on the quest. Needless to say, nothing goes smoothly, and much violence and death ensues, as forces attempt to impede them from reaching their goal. But what faces them at the end of their journey will test the small group to the limit of their abilities. Though violent, the story is told with wit and humor.
A great period piece mystery wrapped in gothic supernatural ghostly horror. This tale will have you shivering in more ways than one.
A great period piece mystery wrapped in gothic supernatural ghostly horror. This tale will have you shivering in more ways than one.
Very tense gothic horror story that switches back and forth between timelines and the viewpoints of two young pregnant unwed women, Mabel and Pearl, sent to the creepy, accursed Lichen Hall in the Scottish Borders, centered near the Ghost Woods, to have their babies and give them away to couples seeking to pay for obtaining children outside of the main channels of adoption. The proprietor of Lichen Hall, Mrs. Whitlock, is a cold manipulative taskmaster, who coerces some of the women, who have no lives outside of Lichen Hall, to remain as captives and servants. Her weak and ailing husband has a macabre collection of the flora and fauna that surrounds the Hall, concentrating mainly on the abundant species of fungi that are found everywhere around the location. The Whitlock's grandson is an uneducated, slothful character who ambles in and out of the Hall and around the grounds occasionally causing problems. And there appears to be a dangerous someone or something that lurks in the fungi-filled Ghost Woods that threatens women who dare to enter the woods at night.
The timeline of the two main characters centers around the end of the 1950s thru the mid 1960s, a time when unwed pregnant women were shunned by society at large. It is around this theme that stems some criticism I have of the story. The author makes sure that all adult males in the story are shown in a poor light and the injection of lesbianism in several instances pushes the typical LGBQT victimhood memes. I am not sure why these meta terms were not included in the Goodreads listing for the book. Except for the traumas of unwed pregnant women during the time period, the queer additions add nothing to the overall story and could have been left out. Otherwise, the story is well-written and very creepy.
Very tense gothic horror story that switches back and forth between timelines and the viewpoints of two young pregnant unwed women, Mabel and Pearl, sent to the creepy, accursed Lichen Hall in the Scottish Borders, centered near the Ghost Woods, to have their babies and give them away to couples seeking to pay for obtaining children outside of the main channels of adoption. The proprietor of Lichen Hall, Mrs. Whitlock, is a cold manipulative taskmaster, who coerces some of the women, who have no lives outside of Lichen Hall, to remain as captives and servants. Her weak and ailing husband has a macabre collection of the flora and fauna that surrounds the Hall, concentrating mainly on the abundant species of fungi that are found everywhere around the location. The Whitlock's grandson is an uneducated, slothful character who ambles in and out of the Hall and around the grounds occasionally causing problems. And there appears to be a dangerous someone or something that lurks in the fungi-filled Ghost Woods that threatens women who dare to enter the woods at night.
The timeline of the two main characters centers around the end of the 1950s thru the mid 1960s, a time when unwed pregnant women were shunned by society at large. It is around this theme that stems some criticism I have of the story. The author makes sure that all adult males in the story are shown in a poor light and the injection of lesbianism in several instances pushes the typical LGBQT victimhood memes. I am not sure why these meta terms were not included in the Goodreads listing for the book. Except for the traumas of unwed pregnant women during the time period, the queer additions add nothing to the overall story and could have been left out. Otherwise, the story is well-written and very creepy.