Tag Archives: Horror

Little Visitor & Other Abductions

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Adam Szym. Oni Press, (168p) ISBN: . Horror, read 16/05/25, eBook ★★★★☆

Little Visitor & Other Abductions

Little Visitor & Other Abductions

The cover of this intrigued me when I saw it on NetGalley, and who doesn’t love a good old alien abduction? (and it’s put out by Oni Press who seem to be on such a great streak over the last couple of years)

Three interconnected stories involving aliens and their interactions with humans, all three are so strong as stand alones but the interactions between them and the end themes make this work wonderfully as a whole.

The black ink dark artwork with no colour is an excellent choice for such stark tales, the shadows are where all of the darkest acts of horror occur and this all plays out a bit like a pulp movie which in a way mirrors the first story, Little Visitor, where a communist film company tries their take on E.T. (the ameerican movie) but as the story unfolds a tragedy occurs and this is the story of that tragedy seen as flash backs, the whole story uses film techniques to great effect, strong and punchy visuals carry this along to it’s conclusion.

The next story, A Cordial Invitation, takes us to a New Year party in the middle of nowhere, with a twist, another that has a very filmic feel, almost Rocky Horror but with the horror amped up quite a bit. A sacrifice, a journey, a cult, what more could you want?

And the final story, Frolicker, is the most disturbing really as the strangers who encourage the violent thoughts into a teens head have been there before but this time they are more insidious, who are they and what is their agenda, Children of the Corn comes to mind here.

A brilliantly realised project, dark and haunting, otherworldly but firmly planted in a filmic tradition of graphic novels though this really seems to loan from film making quite strongly it turns it into a wonderful graphic experience.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Meat Eaters

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Meredith McClaren. Oni Press, (248p) ISBN: 9781637157923. Horror, read 22/04/25, eBook ★★★★★

Meat Eaters

Meat Eaters

This is another graphic novel from Oni Press and I love when they put something out for review as I’m rarely disappointed.

Ashley wakes up dead with no recollection of how it happened, and that’s just the start of her problems.

First thoughts are ‘am I a zombie’ but she still has her brains without an exclusive desire to eat brains.

The art style throughout is really strong and fun, supporting and expanding a really sharp story of those that dwell in the shadows.

There are a couple of bits of dialogue I really hope aren’t changed in the finished book, one is “It’s not that I have anything against people. I can play nice. I’ve worked retail.” We all feel that one.

Vampires, werewolves, and so much more which you just have to discover for yourself, I didn’t get it right…

“Relax. It’s mostly horse. How dangerous can it be?”

We follow Ashley and her clan, yes she becomes the leader of a werewolf clan, as they negotiate the world of darkness and the intrinsic of community college and late teen life.

Absolutely loved this and will be one I buy in hard copy when it comes out in July.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Bite Risk: Cold Blood

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S.J. Wills. Simon & Schuster, (288p) ISBN: 9781398521001. Young Adult, read 17/04/25, Paperback ★★★★☆

Bite Risk: Cold Blood

Bite Risk: Cold Blood

This just sort of snuck up on me and I had to do a lot of chasing as soon as I saw it was coming up soon.

One of my favourite YA series of the last few years, Cold Blood is the finale of the Ripper series. Werewolves, evil mega-corporations, splintered society, and teens trying to figure their way through all of it with a doozy of a metaphor for puberty.

In this episode we see Sel and friends having to deal with a lot of the aftermath of Book 2 and their new abilities all while the Immutable groups grow stronger, throw a new problem in the mix and we get a brilliant adventure taking us deeper into the mythology of where Rippers came from through this is just hinted at by a passing phrase late in the book.

Sel has to come to grips with new powers from the bite of the Revenant and at times worries those around him with how little control he is showing and how much he likes the abilities he’s gained.

All the while the company that took over the research is now looking at a cure, what could go wrong? Well this is the core of what Sel has to deal with all the while dodging everyone who sees him as the greatest threat to the world there is.

Fast-paced and full of tense adventure this was a great finale to the series and the ending leaves the world of Rippers, Frozen Fever, megacorps, and a lot of what was hinted at the end of Book 1 wide open for a return.

I’d love to see some more of the world explored as there was so much more hinted at if you caught the references.

I received this from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

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The Hotel

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Daisy Johnson, Vintage Books, (160p) ISBN: 9781787335264. Horror, read 23/03/25, Hardback ★★★★☆

The Hotel

The Hotel

Once more Daisy returns to the Fens, a land of ghosts and big skies, decay and life. Another great collection of short tales all themed around a single point of malevolence.

I’d been looking forward to this for a while but needed an uninterrupted day to relax into the read as Fen and Sisters were dark, intricate, and weaving threads of story from all over the book into each other and you are never sure what’s going to end up where.

The Hotel is a dark spot on the landscape that draws people to it and has been from even before it was a hotel, there is a hunger to the spot that needs something, though we are never really sure what that something is.

Families and bloodlines are intricately linked to the spot and there are foldings of time and space that see these all come together in another wonderfully constructed mythology with woman at the core of it, echoes of misogyny, echoes of maternity, but always echoes that draw the protagonists toward an almost certain doom.

Once more Daisy Johnson weaves tales throughout each other taking you further down a dark path where everything is uncertain, almost lyrical, always hypnotic, I couldn’t put this down until I had finished it and immediately wanted to start it again to explore the dark depths within the corridors of The Hotel.

I’m now going to have to download the radio version on Radio 4 to listen to on my commute.

Another stunning work to go along with her other mythologies, really recommend this one to all who like a dark tale.

I received this from Vintage Books in exchange for an honest review.

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The Godfathers of Horror Films

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Jennifer Selway, Pen and Sword Books, (224p) ISBN: 9781399055130. Biography, read 18/03/25, Ebook ★★★★☆

The Godfathers of Horror Films

The Godfathers of Horror Films

I don’t normally read biographies but this triple biography, weaving the lives of three stalwarts of horror through the social and historical time they were in seemed intriguing.

Also all three of these actors were integral to my youth, Saturday nights on the black and white tv at my Nans, watching reruns, the Dr Who films, and so many of their other works were just there for me through the early 70s.

My big takeaway from this book and I was so pleased about this is that they were all nice people, liked by the people they worked with and were kind to others.

The format looks at various aspects of their lives; early years, striking out from home, wartime lives, early careers, late careers, and others and talks about how the world around them shaped how they interacted with it and highlights how each of them dealt with each part.

I know enough about each actor to know that there was nothing new revealed in this tri-ography but the way that the three lives were woven through the years added a bit of insight into how each of them approached the acting life.

This really worked for me as a format and I’ve bookmarked the end so I can watch all the recommended films 🙂

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Wood

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Jennifer Killick, HarperCollins, (256p) ISBN: 9780008720506. read 16/03/25, Ebook ★★★★★

Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Wood

Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Wood

I asked for this as soon as I saw it as I love Jennifer Killick’s Dread Wood and Crater Lake, just the right amount of creep for everyone.

This didn’t disappoint at all, another very creepy, very funny, and well-paced horror for everyone.

Set in the town of Hazard, which a town full of its namesake seemingly, strange happenings, missing people, spooky creatures, a massive sinkhole which devoured the centre of the town, and of course a witch in the woods.

Travis and Zayd get stuck with Seline and Danielle on a school project, Travis and Danielle used to be best friends but Seline is seen as the school power mean girl who makes fun of others and takes control.

The project is to study one of the many unusual phenomena that the town is prone to and Seline chooses Bloody-Eyed Mary, The Witch in the Wood that snatches your eyes if you ever see her.

Seline decides they actually have to visit the witch woods…

This is where it all starts to go oh so wrong, lots of twists and turns, surprises, chases, friendships tested and renewed/born, this turns into a really well-paced thrilling adventure really quickly.

I absolutely love Zayd and was glad there was so much more to him than comic relief.

After the ending to this I’m really looking forward to finding out what happens next in the series as the revelation and how it was revealed was wonderful, with lots of little clues dropped so you could go along with the reveal.

Once more Jennifer mixes creepy with humour so well, really looking forward to the rest of the series, which reminds me I need to finish the Dread Wood series.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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