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BloodWorm Book Reviews-
Collection, Torture Porn & Occult, Mythos, Mystery
Everything's Annoying
Blurb:
From J.C. Michael, author of Pandemonium, comes Everything’s Annoying, a collection of dark fiction and horror. Covering a variety of themes, Everything’s Annoying provides an array of unsettling tales that will stay with you long after reading.
My Thoughts:
5 Bloody Worms
Absolute brilliant collection by J. C Michael
I've read J.C's work Pandemonium and a few other short stories before and have never been disappointed. He really brings his A game with this collection as each story brings twists and raises questions within the reader. J.C Michael is a seriously underrated writer with tight prose and horrific introspection. He knows the monsters we are.
Below is a quick breakdown of my thoughts of each story.
Everything's Annoying kicks off the collection with a character who I related a little bit too much. Is it wrong that I sympathised so strongly with him?
Ascalan.
Excellent look into the human psyche and the puppet masters. Really clever story.
Daddy.
Eloquently written, but just f@cking grim. Quite possibly my favourite.
When Death Walks The Field Of Battle.
Confronts the dehumanising of soldiers. As a vet, I rate this one. Raw and powerful.
Choices.
The easy choice, is usually the hardest consequence. What can you live with?
The Fisherman
Short, sharp and brutal look at grooming our youngsters and possibly why we make it so easy.
Away Wi 'Em
Seriously listen to the village crazies. It will always be an interesting story, or a dangerous truth.
Nineham's Arrogance
Time travelling Western. Im not a fan of time travel stories but this one was a pleasant surprise. If not for Nineham for me at least.
The Nasty Troll
A fantastically twisted stories as the virtual and real worlds collide. Probably my favourite by a shade.
Scarab
Big business. Will your desires make you or break you. If you don't want to know the truth your Boss sure does.
Available on Amazon and Kindle.
Billy Silver
Blurb;
Billy Silver, a low-life, self-downtrodden junkie, needs some cash to get his next fix. After getting kicked out of his own band, Shit Fist, losing his girlfriend, and left with no other options, he decides to sell his flesh to the ink of a needle at a newly opened tattoo shop. The mysterious artist, Talia, tattoos a cryptic design he’s never seen. Shortly after getting inked, compulsions burn underneath his skin. His need to satisfy a newly arisen addiction to self-mutilation begins a descent into darker places than his miserable life never dared go
My Thoughts;
5 Bloody Worms
I hated Billy Silver, he is just a gross piece of drug addled shit. I absolutely loved his come-uppance as gross, brutal, messed up as he is.
Volpe fills the pages with filth in the most delectable way possible. Well written with great if not loathsome characters. An absolute pleasure to read.
Can't wait to discover more about the mysterious Talia.
If you loved Nang Tani, you will love Billy Silver. If you loved Billy Silver you will probably enjoy Nang Tani.
The Sins of the Past
Blurb;
Once an ancient race of supreme beings ruled over the earth. Banished by the light centuries ago, one has returned. With the help of its disciples, it desires to plunge the world into a new age of darkness and horror.
Ephraim Godwin is searching for the truth about his family's disappearance. After conventional ways failed, he turned to the world of spiritualism, only to discover it filled with charlatans and tricksters. As a known skeptic, Ephraim fights to shine a light on those who prey upon others as he searches for the truth.
As Ephraim attends another séance, he discovers not everyone is a fraud and is drawn deeper into the world of the supernatural. With the help of noted spiritualist Zona Whitlock and famed explorer Doctor Livingstone, he hopes to stop this evil from consuming the world.
My Thoughts;
5 Blood Worms
Butler transports you back into Victorian England as a man desperate for answers reaches out for answers beyond our world. Tired of outing the spiritualist fraudsters and quickly losing belief, Godwin’s life changes when he meets the Whitlocks. An evening séance sends them on a blood soaked race against time as something ancient and evil escapes.
Written true to style, Butler has created both loveable/hateable characters in an authentic Victorian setting. He fuses the worlds of mystery, occultism and horror with style. Having read his previous work The Shadow Within and Pope Lick Massacre, I was a little dubious about how he would settle into this sub-genre. Don’t worry, he nailed it.
If you enjoy a good Occult mystery splashed in blood, Holmes with a Cthulhu mythos, you will absolutely love this one.
Disclaimer:
Now before I get started on publicly promoting my book reviews I want to start off with a few points.
1) I will never ever take money to review a book.
2) These are my thoughts and opinions on books I have read for my own pleasure. If you disagree, excellent, that is why there is such an amazing selection of books in the world, something for everyone.
3) Why do most of my reviews have 4-5 Bloodworms?
Well I won't review books I don't finish (DNF) for a start. I am definitely not going to waste time on promoting them. I am quite particular about the books I do select and whilst I am a horror writer, I do read across the genres, neatly sidestepping romance.
4) You will find I am more critical of traditional published books. These people get paid a motza to create a perfect product and have a whole team. Yes I believe Indie authors and presses need to be held to the same account but I am a little more generous. Overall though, if the story doesn't cut it, it doesn't cut it.
5) Finally I am not a professional, qualified nor do I read deep in literary processes. I enjoy different books for many different reasons. Some are just popcorn fun, some are deeper.
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