Alex Kimmell

A Chorus of Wolves

by Alex Kimmell

190 Pages

Published by Booktrope Editions, October 7, 2013

Genre: Horror, Short Stories

Reviewed by Albert Garcia

In an uncertain world, we cling to familiar things to make us feel secure: Baseball, a local watering hole, a friendly town sheriff, man’s best friend, a nicely landscaped backyard, love…

What happens when these safe havens become unsafe? When the familiar turns outlandish and incomprehensible? Come join the choir of surreal dark melodies that lurk in the wilderness of Alex Kimmell’s imagination. Six unforgettable tales plus the mind altering first chapters of the upcoming new novel Down the Sunday Hole where a young boy finds himself shoved beyond the borders of perception.

    

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A Chorus of Wolves by Alex Kimmell is a collection of short tales, vignettes of life not as we know, but how we hope it will not be. These are not sweet bed time stories to sooth the restless night. No in fact they are exactly the opposite. In A Chorus of Wolves, Kimmell has put together short stories and excerpts from novels to come of that world that exists on the periphery of our mind. The world where darkness creeps just a little closer to the light and in response the light retreats. 

There is Pall. Death. Who in his duties and travels finds the one thing worse than himself. Love. Kodi the faithful dog that protects those he loves in the only way he can. Lowell and Danika and the torrid nights they share in hopes of saving a dying species. Love means being strapped to bed but not in ways most of today's novels explore. Will Danika survive until the next full moon begins to wane? 

There are old women in this book. Women who shed the maternal grandmother stereo type. Women to beware. The old drunk woman at the corner of the bar. Don't buy her a drink and don't let her buy you one. Or the old spinster down the street in the small town you grew up in. The old lady who's massive trees always seem to be bending in the wrong direction, as if somehow they were following you. 

The stories in this book are appetizers. Teases of a larger tale to come. And perhaps that is the one lone fault with A Chorus of Wolves. Each story, though it stands on its own, leaves you wanting for more. The rest of the tale. The sense that something must come next. That they are just a glimpse of a much bigger story. 

But that is always the thing with a good short story. It leaves you wanting more. Like a stolen kiss in the back seat of your dad's car. Enjoyable but the mystery of what is yet to come lingers. Each tale in A Chorus of Wolves is not a full meal but instead a well-crafted and paced series of tapas delivered to your table for you to try. So pour a nice glass of wine and enjoy. It may not fill you, but you leave satisfied.

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About the Reviewer:

I am a sometime poet and writer and a gluttonous reader. I love to read and am grudgingly accepting ebooks as part of the medium but with fingernails dragging trenches through the concrete as I am pulled into the 21st century. But I read almost everything. Horror, SciFi, Mystery, Historical novels and occasionally will threaten my man card with a good romance. As long as there is a dead body somewhere in there.

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Chris Philbrook

Dark Recollections: Adrian's Undead Diary Book One

by Chris Philbrook

266 Pages

Self-Published October 31, 2013

Genre: Horror, Zombies, Apocalyptic

Reviewed by Shay Festa a.k.a. The Bookie Monster

Beheading a zombie isn't easy in a world where you're more afraid of the living than the dead. Adrian Ring's simple life is thrown into chaos when the world is ripped apart by a plague of undead and legions of desperate survivors. Retreating to Auburn Lake Preparatory Academy, Adrian attempts to rescue friends and family on the way while dancing around his impending insanity over who and what he left behind, and evading maniac survivors. He saves his cat Otis, but shoots his mom. Pretty successful, all things considered.

Dark Recollections is the first part of Adrian's own story of how he survived after "That Day." Told through his eyes as he talks to his laptop, affectionately named 'Mr. Journal," and through short stories that entwine with his tales that bring forth dark visions of a world being eaten alive by an unimaginable evil. Adrian's Undead Diary is an eight part epic about a solitary, guilt stricken man that didn't think he deserved to live, but realizes very soon that he survived, and suffered for a reason.

    

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Originally released as an online serial, Adrian's Undead Diary is now available as an eight book series. How this one slipped by me is baffling, as it fits perfectly with my preferences and meets all my needs in a piece of work. Chris Philbrook, the very talented author of the series, originally submitted Dark recollections for review. When it came up in my queue, I read it in one sitting. The book was so entertaining, I managed to get through all 266 pages in under three hours; there was no way I was putting it down. As soon as I got back from vacation, and within internet range, I contacted the author to submit more of the series. My whistle was suitably wetted, and I wanted more!

My review appears to have been perfectly timed to release for the holiday sale of Dark recollections. From December 24th - 31st. Regularly priced at $3.99 (and well worth it), Dark recollections will be on sale for $0.99! Snatch up your copy and treat yourself for the holidays.

Adrian Ring, dorm supervisor for a private school, finds himself jarred awake by the sound of gunshots. A woman lay in the road, her head a mass of pulp from the impact of a bullet. It is only then that he realized what he had shrugged off as a hoax was indeed the zombie apocalypse. Adrian wooed me with his self deprecating humor as he wrote entries into "Mr. Journal". I found myself laughing as he went old-school and pulled out "nincompoop", and took out his frustration on his journal, frequently telling it to F-off.

Armed with a box of food, a couple new weapons from the local gun shop, and his fat cat Otis, Adrian hunkers down and barricades himself behind the walls of the school as things go from bad to worse in his community.

Dark Recollections does not divulge the cause of the zombie outbreak, only that if you die, you turn. Philbrook's zombies are of the slow, shambling, Romero variety. As a lover of the gore, I appreciated his use of description and could easily envision the undead as they came to life on the pages (pun intended).

One of the things I found most successful about the book was Philbrook's ability to take a normally narrow writing perspective and still give readers a feel for what was happening beyond just a single person. I didn't feel as if I were reading a narrow scope of the events as told by Adrian.

So, what's the verdict? Great story line with laugh out loud humor and bloody deaths, three dimensional character development, and an exciting, fast-paced piece of work that gives even the most notable zompoc authors a run for their money.

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About the Reviewer:
Shay Festa A.K.A. The Bookie Monster reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis (but not limited to) zombie fiction. With a background in Psych Nursing, Shay brings her unique perspective to the online reading community. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. And keep an eye out for the future release of her debut novel, Time of death.

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Saul Tanpepper

Gameland: Deep into the Game

by Saul Tanpepper

139 Pages

Published by Brimstone Press April 29, 2013
Genre: Horror, Zombies, Apocalyptic, YA
ASIN: B007Z4UP4A

ISBN: 978-1479177554

Currently FREE on Amazon

Everyone loves Survivalist, a live-action, virtual reality show based on Arc Entertainment's The Game, where cybernetically controlled zombies do battle in a video arcade in the middle of a Long Island wasteland. It's to die for.

If you're rich enough, you can buy your way in. If you're desperate enough, you can volunteer to become one of the Undead Players. Jessie Daniels and her gang of computer hackers plan to break their way in. Welcome to GAMELAND. Access Restricted.

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The apocalypse is old news. Zombies roam the restricted areas and Gameland, a Long Island arena owned by Arc Entertainment is the sport of choice for the wealthy. Zombies are used not only to compete in the games, but janitorial tasks. A group of teens decide to break into Gameland. Things go bad, so very bad.

Gameland is told first person by Jessie, a teenage girl. She and her moody boyfriend, along with her best friend Ash, and Micah and Reggie aren't looking forward to their senior year of high school. Their last hoorah is to sneak into the infected zone to have some fun before the monotony of school begins.

Tanpepper's got something here. I like the unique plot he's created; reminds me of Mad Max's Thunderdome. The story is told in episodes, a total of eight. I've read only the first episode but I'm definitely looking forward to reading further. The book kept me intrigued all the way through, but at the halfway point it got even better and turned into something I just couldn't put down. It was an exhilarating and nail-biting adventure. I considered giving this a four star rating, but as the story progressed, it earned my five stars. The setting was new and futuristic, the concept was imaginative, and the characters were well fleshed out.

The prologue sucked me right in. Tanpepper jumps forward to reveal a hint of the ending and there was no way I could stop reading without finding out the journey that got our little group to that point.  Being that the book is episodic, I wasn't rewarded with the full scope of the story. The episode ended in such a way that I can't let it end there...so I downloaded the second episode...ALSO FREE on Amazon! Get your copy of Episode 2, Failsafe here.

Deep into the Game is well written. I had no issues with a male author narrating from a teen girls perspective, not an easy task I'm sure. The read is fast-paced and full of action. These are the most ambitious group of teens I've ever come across! As a die hard fan of zombie fiction, it was invigorating to find something so unique inside my genre. Here's to hoping I find a new review request for the entire season! (hint hint, lol)

About the Author:

Saul spent his formative years in a leaky century-old house overlooking the Erie Canal in Upstate New York. His bedroom was a refurbished attic, which he shared with all manner of creatures, not all, he is convinced, flesh and blood.

After bouncing around the US and Europe for several years, he settled down to pursue a career in the sciences, opting to study the mysteries of human molecular genetics. But even positions as an experimental biologist, teacher, manager and biotech entrepreneur couldn't keep him from his true passion as a storyteller.

He now writes speculative fiction full time from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although his house is now attic-less and waterproof, he continues to be haunted by a variety of creatures, including a wife, kids, four dogs, three cats, six chickens, a wayward rooster, and one very grumpy possum. They are all flesh and blood. 

Except, maybe, for the possum, which he's convinced is the reincarnated spirit of Jack Torrance.

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About the Reviewer:

Shay Festa a.k.a The Bookie Monster reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis (but not limited to) zombie fiction. She is currently working hard on completing her debut zombie fiction novel, Time of Death.

Mark Tufo

Zombie Fallout 7: For the Fallen

by Mark Tufo

372 Pages

Published by CreateSpace, October 7, 2013

Genre: Horror, Zombies, Apocalyptic, Humor
ASIN: B00FP87V6I
ISBN: 1492953261 

Review by Shay Festa, A.K.A. The Bookie Monster

Mike is back. The battle with Eliza is past. Now Mike must strike out once again in a desperate race against time as his son and best friend are succumbing to the zombie virus within them. What he does not know is that an old foe has risen up and a more insidious threat has emerged to not just the Talbots but all of humanity.

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When I grow up, I want to be Mark Tufo! This author is fantastic. He manages to once again spin a tale of terror while still managing to make me laugh out loud. His newest piece of work has earned the coveted Five-Star Fire Rating from the Bookie Monster.

Zombie Fallout 7 is the latest in Tufo's line of great titles. Without Eliza to keep the zombies at bay, it's an all out dog fight for the survival of Mike Talbot and company. The race against time is on for BT and Justin, still infected and in danger of turning. Once again they battle zombie and man alike. Not to mention the ever present Henry the dog stinky pooting, which is almost worse than zombies. (Having two dogs, I can tell you...there is nothing worse than puppy poots)

The zombies are getting smarter. They show signs of thinking and planning. They've even begun assessing situations and running away when risk outweighs reward. But the real stand out for this reader is the banter between Mike and BT. Tufo continues telling the story from the perspective of Mike's journal entries. And Mike continues to be a highly sarcastic and sometimes self deprecating narrator.

Mike: "I don't know what you're talking about. Blame the black man carrying it." 
BT: "Oh, it's always the black mans fault, right Talbot?" 
Mike: "Look at the evidence."

The only problem with a Tufo book is that it ends! This reader is impatiently already waiting for book 8. If the humor doesn't get you, then the unique story line and well thought out characters will. Much like me, I suspect you won't be able to put it down. This latest installment is every bit exciting and captivating as the first book. A feat hard to achieve as most series fall victim to waning and regurgitated story lines. Each book in the Zombie Fallout series has been original and there has been no decline in momentum.

'The nose of the truck dipped down as I drove off the road and into a culvert. My heart skipped a beat or seventeen as I dug the front end into the upslope. The wheels spun for a moment. I think it was zombies who actually saved us. A few slammed into the rear end and lent just enough force to allow my rear wheels to catch and make the truck start up the other side. I rolled down my window. "Thanks for the push," I yelled as I waved. It's quite possible I wasn't completely under control of my own emotions. Lack of blood flow to the brain most likely being the cause. See earlier part about heart skipping beats. "You are fucking nuts," BT yelled, looking around I think for another seat belt to strap over himself.'

I listened to the audio version, narrated by Sean Runnette, and was pleased at the dry humor his voice injected into the story. The only thing I would have liked to see differently is the voice chosen for Tommy. It was just a touch too juvenile for me.

Zombie Fallout is one of the best zombie series on the market. It doesn't hurt that Tufo is a fellow Bostonian, either. If you haven't read them yet...well, shame on you! Get to reading! You won't be disappointed.

About the Author:
Mark Tufo was born in Boston Massachusetts. He attended UMASS Amherst where he obtained a BA and later joined the US Marine Corp. He was stationed in Parris Island SC, Twenty Nine Palms CA and Kaneohe Bay Hawaii. After his tour he went into the Human Resources field with a worldwide financial institution and has gone back to college at CTU to complete his masters.

He has wrote the first installment of the Indian Hill trilogy in college, it sat in his garage until July 2009 when he published it on Kindle. He has since written the Zombie Fallout series and is working on a new zombie book. He lives in Maine with his wife, three kids and two English bulldogs.


For news on his next two installments of the Indian Hill trilogy and upcoming installments of the Zombie Fallout series, visit him on the web at www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufo, www.marktufo.com, or zombiefallout.blogspot.com. And follow him on Twitter @ZombieFallout.

Purchase Links:
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Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Audible.com

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About the Reviewer:

Shay Festa a.k.a The Bookie Monster reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis (but not limited to) zombie fiction. She is currently working hard on completing her debut zombie fiction novel, Time of Death.