Horror Books

Yeah--that's pretty much what this series is about and it is hillarious! I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but everyone in my Paranormal group who ever read these stories has always come back with such great reviews. Michele Bardley takes some of the best of Karen Marie Moning--namely the Fae, the celtic legends, mixes them up with 3000 year old Irish Vampire hunks--and joins them with midwestern woman who have had there hearts broken, their lives turned upside down--and now if all that isn't bad enough--find themselves bitten and reduced, or seduced into being Vampires? Who will take care of their children? Who will protect their children from the Vampires? Oh, wait--Mom is a Vampire!!! Who will protect them from her!!!
LOL! The comedy in this reminds me of some of Sheriilyn Kenyon's snicker a minute dialog--and I really must admit that readying about sexy Irish Vampires who are part Fae, part witch--and 100% sexy isn't a half bad way to pass the time!

My friend Steve Stiles told me about these books, he said you must read them as they are very funny. I enjoyed every word in this book and couldn't wait to get into the next one. If you enjoy books about Vampires then please get this series and prepare to laugh out loud. Get all 3 in the series as you will enjoy everyone of them as much as the last one you read.

The Reader

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

One moment, Jessica Matthews, divorced mother of 2 is dragging the trash cans to the curb and the next she's sucking on the fabulously muscled thigh of a gorgeous 4000 year old vampire. I guess if you're going to wake up as one of the undead, that's not a bad way to go about it.

Jessica is determined to find out what happened to her, and a lot of other citizens of Broken Heart, Oklahoma. That part is easy compared to her other task of protecting her heart and hormones from the hot Irish vampire, with the tasty femoral artery, who saved her life and her kids and then adjusting to her new all blood diet. How does one go about parenting when the sunlight causes 4th degree burns after 3 seconds?

With the first in a fang-tastic series based in Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Michele Bardsley has this reviewer dying for more! Get it? Dying? Yeah, I'll leave the humor to the author. Good idea.

The world created by Michele Bardsley is unique, and that's saying something in the uber popular genre of paranormal romance. Her's is a world of soccer moms with fangs raising their human children in a new dangerous environment, and dosing the story with a healthy serving of sassy witticism is just part of what makes this a winner. Throw in a paranormal consortium, Celtic legends, richly animated characters in a quirky little town and bad guys (errr, vampire Wraiths) to fight, and all that's left is the sexy Irish vampire. I'M THE VAMPIRE THAT'S WHY delivers.

Jessica's character is admirable and very relatable as she struggles between her intense passion for Patrick O'Halloran and her first priority as a committed mother. Patrick has his share of attributes to enjoy by way of sizzling sex appeal that was heightened by his desire to do whatever was best for Jessica and her children no matter what the cost. The author has created a town of colorful characters providing a lot of room for future exploits. Thank goodness, because I am hooked.

The way the author weaves Jessica's ancestry with Patrick's is sensational. The obvious research that went into the Celtic legends adds depth and a unique foundation to the genesis of the vampires in this series.

This author is going on my "must buy" list.

What kind of book do you get when you mix the chick-lit sass of a soccer mom with the urban fantasy cool of a vampire clan? A really clever book, that's what.

Jessica Matthews is like any other homemaking mom when she and ten of her fellow residents of Broken Heart, Oklahoma wake up dead. Or rather-- undead. Whoops. Jess and her friends have been accidentally noshed on by a vampire being treated for an illness spreading amongst vampire kind known as the Taint. Lucky for the PTA they couldn't catch the disease as humans and a group of parakind known as the Consortium has brought them all back to life (or unlife) as vamps. How can the PTA raise kids when they drop dead asleep every morning and don't rise until dark? And what does this mean for their sex lives?

In Jessica's case this means she has to choose between her kids and the hot Irish stud who sired her. Or does it? You're just gonna have to read the book to find out.

Although lacking in the darker undertones of a good urban fantasy, I'm the Vampire, That's Why is a sexy and witty novel filled with all the elements of good fluffy fiction. If you prefer your paranormal romances to be darker, angstier and more serious you might not enjoy this book. But if you like to mix it up now and again with a light-hearted and more comedic story this is a standout for the genre. I didn't fall in love with our hero and heroine so much as the outside players from the German werewolf guardians and the dreamy actor Johnny Angelo (you'll love the James Dean clone) to Jessica's typical kids and her small town friends.

This is a paranormal with real heart and while lighter, fluffier reading than the heavy-weights of the genre this series is going onto my favorites shelf.

Don't let the cute little cover fool you, this book contains some explicit sexual content. While Jessica Mathews is minding her own business and taking out the trash she is blindsided by something big and hairy only to wake up realizing she is sucking blood out of a very gorgeous man. But funny, that isn't her only problem. Add in 11 of her friends also being turned, the woman who stole her husband constantly showing up and just the whole thing of being a Vampire mom. What's a woman to do, well, make a list and get busy kicking some [...]. The graphic descriptions did catch me by surprise, but that was ok when balanced with the very funny writing and the whole list of interesting supporting characters that could easily have their own books.

I'm didn't like the audio levels, I had to turn it up to hear some of what the narrators were saying, but then other times it would be too loud.

A must have for Poe lovers. Excellent audio collection. Rathbone and Price are the perfect match. The audios are based on the quality of their voices and the writings. No sound effects are needed due to the talent of these two individuals.

I was looking forward to listening to this on a recent trip but found the experience less then hoped for.

I feel that the problem is the material. The readers, Basil Rathbone & Vincent Price, have great voices. They are part narrator part voice acting and that can add a great deal. But, it makes it difficult sometimes as the sound levels are variable; sometimes almost a whisper then shouting. That makes listening while driving difficult.

Also the material, Edgar Allan Poe, is rather densely written. The stories are convoluted and the words Poe used are intentionally obscure sometimes - all that makes it harder to follow in audio book form rather then in the actual reading.

Not a bad production and I may listen to it at work, but it was not very good for travel listening.

Edgar Allan Poe on audio is a perfect selection for the haunts of October. Who better to read his work aloud than Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price? In theory this is a wonderful collection. Unfortunately, it requires one to turn their speakers up near full volume in order to hear the replication. There are a couple of tracks when Rathbone exclaims a sentence very loudly, which, compared to the remainder of the stories, is excruciating on the ear drums once the speakers are full blast. I thoroughly enjoyed the collection and do recommend it. But, be forewarned, it is quite soft in volume.

Basil Rathbone was born to play Sherlock Holmes (in the films of the stories written by Conan Doyle, not the other spurious stuff) and to read the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
My vinyl recordings were worn out long years ago. This set is more than I could have hoped for. Now in my 73rd year, these performances carry me back to a time well before my own... magic, indeed.
For his part, Vincent Price delivers characteristically fine performances, but Rathbone's readings have been my delight. Rare excellence is here.

Jack seems to be doing stuff "just because"--lacks some of the sparkle of earlier novels.

I've been a huge fan of this series ever since I discovered it three years ago, and look forward to each installment with eager anticipation. However, this entry in the Repairman Jack series falls far short of most of its predecessors in terms of suspense, humor, and fix-its. It's still a good, compulsive read, but a certain spark is missing. I kept waiting for the book to take off and reach the heights of Harbingers, but those heights never came. The only real Repairman Jack moment comes near the end, and the book features far too much of Jack reacting to situations instead of instigating solutions on his own.

Recommended for hard-core fans of Jack, but I think anyone getting started on this series needs to read a bunch of the earlier ones first.

Those into paranoia and the paranormal, please stand up! Fictiondom's most righteous urban mercenary returns in BLOODLINE, the eleventh full-length novel in F. Paul Wilson's electrifying Repairman Jack series. It's only been mere months since the harrowing events of Harbingers: A Repairman Jack Novel (Repairman Jack), months of comparative calm which Jack has spent tending to Gia and Vicky (who had incurred massive injuries in HARBINGERS). Understandibly, he's taken time off from his fix-it gigs. But now, as the women in his life seem to be on their way to recovery, Jack finds himself with loads of free time. So, two things happen.

First, at his buddy Abe's promptings, Jack allows an old professor - who once did him a solid - to spend some quality time with an arcane tome in his possesion, called the Compendium of Srem. But when Jack returns to claim the book, it's gone missing, with the professor having just suffered a stroke. Jack's digging eventually leads him to an uber-popular self-help motivator. What are the odds this guru is shady?

Secondly, Jack decides to help out a woman who's afraid her 18-year-old daughter is keeping company with the wrong sort of fella. Fella's name is Jerry Bethlehem, and he's twice the teen's age, for one thing. Jack doesn't really think this falls in his area of expertise, but, right now, a small fix seems to be just the thing. In Jack's world, though, the simplest of cases has a tendency to escalate into bigger, messier things. It soon becomes alarmingly clear that this guy, Jerry Bethlehem, is much, much worse than initially feared. As in, "possible murderer and outpatient of an institution for the criminally insane" kind of worse. Not to mention, being a test subject of some top secret genetic tinkering.

Also, for a while now, Jack has been haunted by an old man sporting a cane and a homburg hat, who vanishes whenever Jack goes for the up close and personal. Jack is befuddled, but longtime readers of F. Paul Wilson's works probably can figure out who this cat is.

Some time ago Repairman Jack had been warned that there would be no more coincidences in his life. So it's not too surprising that the two main plot threads inevitably converge into a single, tautly paced story. Even though there's a marked lessening of the supernatural elements, BLOODLINE is still one hell of an ominous urban thriller. No, this won't be the easiest book to follow if you're not familiar with Jack's past exploits. However, if you've been with Jack for a while now, BLOODLINE is a bloody nice and disturbing addition. Given, the Adversary's influence is mostly felt in the background. To whet our appetites even further, Wilson ends the book with Jack unearthing a shocking revelation about himself.

F. Paul Wilson, this time around, has his reluctant anti-hero confronting the evils of DNA tampering and facing off against sickos of the more-or-less non-occult variety. I say "more-or-less" because the bad guys do have a connection with the "Otherness" - but it's diluted. But, damn, I've read of some sick villains before, and let me just say that the bad guys in BLOODLINE rank right up there in terms of utter vileness. The twisted "quest" which Jerry Bethlehem had been set on decades ago by his deranged father, well, it's pretty horrifying.

As always, Jack remains a fascinating and extremely appealing character. A nondescript-looking guy with an outlaw's worldview but with good guy ethics, Jack prefers to stay under the radar even as he uses his self-taught skills to engage in "fix-it" jobs and, on occasion, battle overwhelmingly sinister occult forces. One of the biggest draws about Jack is that he seems to be such a regular dude, someone whom you could hang out with in a bar. He's also a fanboy at heart, collecting pulp fiction memorabilia in his cramped apartment (he's a member of the Shadow and Doc Savage fan clubs). And I dig that he loves movies so much and that, every now and again, he conducts his own private Repairman Jack Film Festivals. I've been a big fan of Repairman Jack ever since his whirlwind debut in The Tomb (Adversary Cycle/Repairman Jack), way back in 1984, and I've since then read every Repairman Jack story (even the short stories). Let me say that while BLOODLINE is edgy and gripping and fast-paced, I don't consider it as among the best Repairman Jack novels (and, nothing, but nothing, in my opinion, tops THE TOMB). The supernatural elements are such part and parcel of the Repairman Jack mythos that their near absence here can't help but impact the enjoyment of the reading of the book. Mind you, BLOODLINE is still very much a worthwhile read. And, as always, it's huge vicarious fun watching Jack serve out his just desserts to the wicked and deserving.

I wish, though, that Gia and Vicky had been more in the picture.

One thing I am a little iffy about is the introduction of P. Frank Winslow, an author who's been having dreams of Jack's adventures and who's even written two novels about them. If F. Paul Wilson meant this as some kind of a self-referential wink, I have to say that, for me, it came off as more jarring than humorous. But maybe he's going somewhere good with this.

With each progressive Repairman Jack entry, F. Paul Wilson is getting closer and closer to Jack's big throwdown with the cosmic Adversary. In an interview with the Library Journal (November, 2007), Wilson mentions that he plans on there being roughly 16 or so novels in the Repairman Jack series, with the final Jack novel probably dovetailing right into the apocalyptic events in Night World.

For readers new to F. Paul Wilson but curious about Jack, check out the other ten books in the Repairman Jack series (and the short stories), as well as the Adversary cycle (which culminates in NIGHT WORLD, in which Jack plays a prominent role). Me, I can't wait for Jack: Secret Histories to come out. This is the first book from Wilson's projected YA series centering on a much younger Jack and his early adventures.

Repairman Jack - righteous at any age.

I love all his "Repairman Jack" books. This is his 10th and I could not wait until it became available in paperback.

I love this series. I've just recently discovered it and I can't seem to get enough. But, this one wasn't as gripping as the preceeding. I think it was the part in the very beginning where Jack walks by a book store...I won't give anything away, but that piece of author indulgence and tongue-in-cheek self adulation totally took me out of the story and put me back in the real world. If I wanted to be reminded that I was reading a novel, I'd read a book review.

This was a great book, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know more about Matt and felt bad for him and his grim situation. I hope that the Gatekeepers would be made into a movie, it would be filled with suspense and intrigue, like the book series. I havent gotten the other books in the series yet, but am excited to read them. Matt Freeman is a great charactor, Horowitz wrote a fab book. I would recommend this book to not only the junior high set, but older kids and adults, its hard to stop reading it once you get started.

Author: Anthony horowitz Ravens Gate *****
It all starts on a rainy night while Matt is waiting for the older boy, tonight they would rob the wharehouse. He didn't feel good about this but he needed the money. After they where in the wharehouse, he heard a scream, then sirens. Next thing he knew he was being asked if he wanted jail or to live with a old women named Jayne Devirell. He should've chosen jail. This a great fantasy book that you can't put down.
Review by: Adam watts

During a summer visit to my home town,my nephew Chris, introduced me to the Gate Keepers series. I was hooked.What a refreshing and thrilling writer Anthony Horowitz is! I am now starting in on the Alex Rider series. You can't go wrong with this author for young teens!

Matt isn't really a bad kid, he's just looking for someplace to belong and maybe a reason. He is however different from your average kids, and someone out there seems to know that. When he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Matt's entire life is ripped apart and he is sent on a journey that is more than a little strange, and altogether terrifying.

Worse yet, when he finds himself packed off to Lesser Malling, things get even weirder. Knowing he needs to escape the nightmare he is living, Matt is faced with mortality and his true self. But everyone who tries to help Matt ends up dead or missing. Is the place he's supposed to call home filled with witches or is there a greater evil at hand?

Anthony Horowitz writes a remarkably dark tale. As an adult, I wondered if it might be too graphic for the kids, but I could not put it down. I can see where readers of the dark and gritty would high five Mr. Horowitz's talent for the creepy. A very good read and I am looking forward to Evil Star.

This was an awesome book written by Anthony Horowitz. One of the most addicting books I have ever read. One of those books you can't even think of abandoning. The best part is that it's written perfectly a little descriptive yet right to the point at the same time.


This book is about a teenager by the name of Matt. Matt's parents died when Matt was only six. The day they died Matt realized something, he was different not only did he know his parents were going to die the way they did he dreamed it the exact way it happened every detail was precise. And from that day forth he has felt terrible for not telling his parents about the dream. Now in his teen years Matt's a real trouble maker, but one day he takes it to the next level a real theft at a warehouse. He gets caught his punishment is the LEAF project he is sent to Lesser Malling with Ms.Deverill Matt knows something weird is happening in Lesser Malling and he also knows he is a big part of it.


This book is easy to read but gruesomely describes murder scenes. So with that I would recommend this book to anyone above the seventh grade.

F. Paul Wilson's THE KEEP is one of the best atmospheric horror novels ever published. Cleverly plotted, ably written and featuring characters of remarkable depth and complexity, it does a great deal to single-handedly destroy the sterotype that "scary" books can't rise to the level of art.

THE KEEP begins in early-mid WW2, with a small unit of German soldiers occupying a deserted castle in the Translyvanian Alps. When one of the soldiers foolishly disturbs a secret chamber in the cellar, however, he discovers that the castle isn't deserted after all. Something was sleeping inside...and it woke up hungry. A week later, Wehrmacht HQ receives a chilling telegram from the German commandant: "Request immediate relocation. Something is murdering my men."

THE KEEP is actually many carefully interwoven stories. Captain Klaus Woermann is a tough, principled officer of the Prussian school, appalled by the effortless ease with which an unseen, possibly supernatural killer is butchering his elite soldiers. SS-Major Erich Kaempfer, dispatched with a "special action commando"to crush what he initially is sure is a guerilla insurrection, is a pitiless killer who views his assignment as a way to wangle a concentration camp command and settle an old score with Woermann. Magda Cuzar is a lovely Romanian Jewess forced to accompany her wheelchair-bound father, a folklore expert, Theodor to the keep, in the hopes that his expert knowledge of its history may prove the weapon the Germans need to save themselves. And mysterious traveller Glenn may or may not be the missing piece of the puzzle everyone needs to survive the night.

Wilson's novel distinguishes itself from the pack by virtue of its very strong and well-drawn characters and by the individual trials each much endure in the bloodthirsty corridors of the keep. He plays heavily on classic themes of Gothic horror but adds some surprising and unexpected twists which prevent the story from falling into predictable conventions. Just as importantly, it establishes from the very first chapter a feeling of dread which intensifies to an almost unbearable degree as the story goes on. The gore-spattered climax comes almost as a relief.

Many reviewers mention THE KEEP as being part of Wilson's "Adversary Cycle", but it should be clearly understood this book was written as a stand-alone work and doesn't obligate the reader to buy anything else. Nor is there any need. THE KEEP does for itself, and it does just fine.

Pleasant dreams.

I lost alot of sleep staying up to the wee hours reading this wonderful story.F Paul wilson is a great story teller.His other books in the series night world,the tomb and the touch are must reads as well

A few key elements to an entertaining story are here. An old dark
fortress, a bunch of ratzi soldiers, and some vampire type monsters. Not
a lot more you could ask for in a horror tale of this type.

What would you expect when you fortress is a castle in the
Transylvanian mountains? Unsurprisingly, the commander starts to see
his troop numbers decrease.

All I can say is this is one of my all time favorite reads. This story will grab you from the very beginning and never let you go. After I finished reading the Keep I found myself wanting more. I hope F. Paul Wilson's other writings are as good as The Keep, if so I'll be a very happy lady.

In 1941 a small contingent of Nazi soldiers occupies an abandoned keep in the mountains of Romania. The origins and purpose of the keep are shrouded in mystery, but the Germans care little about such things. The first night of their occupation, one of their number pulls one of the stone blocks that forms a cellar wall. In search of buried treasure, he instead finds a quick and grisly death. By breaking into a secret chamber, he has released something that had been trapped for 500 years. The remaining soldiers quickly come to believe that it is a vampire, but is it really? The quest for answers leads them to recruit an old professor, Theodore Cuza and his daughter Magda, who happen to be Jews.

The Keep is the first in F. Paul Wilson's Adversary Cycle series of six novels. After this series was written, Wilson went on to start the Repairman Jack series that is up to eleven books with more to come. Since this is where the whole epic starts, it's virtually a must read for fans of either series. The story is part horror, part character study. Captain Woermann is semi-sympathetic German officer because he is not a Nazi and is sickened by the actions of the SS and others. Yet, he is not exactly pure of heart so most readers will probably have a love/hate relationship with him at best. Magda and her father are the story's innocents as they get dragged into a lethal situation. They are threatened with death if they don't help the Nazis, and death later even if they do.

The Keep clocks in at just over 400 pages and that helps keep it from dragging too badly. It's not the tightest plot you'll ever see, but it mostly pushes forward and holds a reader's interest. The climactic battle at the end is worth the journey and should satisfy most. I would recommend this book to any Wilson fans and as a starting point to anyone interested in trying his work. The other obvious choice for beginners is The Tomb (Adversary Cycle/Repairman Jack), which is the second of the Adversary Cycle series and introduces Repairman Jack.

Do you like a book tha pulls you in in the first 10 pages? this will be one of them. greatghost story and mystery.

I'm discovering a lot of new authors with my new Kindle. I've had it only 2 weeks and already read like 10 new books. This book was great. It drew me into the story right away, I couldn't put it down.

I was on the fence between giving this 3 stars or 4 and went for the 4. This was a great read, I like stories with geneaological backgrounds. It reminded me a bit of Monsters of Templeton....what disappointed me in the end was (at least for me), the author failed to tie it all together. I would have enjoyed one of the characters doing a quick explainer of how everything tied together in the end. Part of it may have been that I was reading the Kindle edition, and therefore have a hard time searching back to look up references to history / kinship,I had the same problem reading Monsters of Templeton. I'm still a little fuzzy on how the family relationships in this novel shook out. Even a little family tree at the end of the book would have helped me. Overall, though, this book grabbed me and kept me intrigued to the last pages.

When I first started reading this book, I had mixed feelings. I wasn't sure where this story was going or if I even wanted to finish it. But I am really glad that it became so, that I didn't want to put it down. This is one southern gothic-horror/mystery that I will always remember, that is for sure.

The story starts out by introducing Eden Moore, a little girl who sees ghosts. Eden is haunted by the images in her mind and as a small child she doesn't understand exactly what they mean. She starts to draw what she sees, which is turned over the the school officials. During a meeting with this official...a simple hand gesture is the start of a whirlwind of events for Eden. The sudden hand motions trigger something in her mind, an image from her dreams, and she acts out violently toward him. That is where the story starts to become more clear for me. She sees these ghosts and hears them speak as well. She is unable to get answers from her Aunt as to who these ghosts are...three women. The plot thickens. It becomes so fast paced and the images become more pronounced. A cousin, who has tried to repeatedly murder Eden, becomes somewhat of a physco character. Appearing and reappearing. You don't know when he will appear again or what else he will try to do to Eden. It fills the reader with guessing. Just when you think you know where it is heading, it takes a whole different turn. Eden is a strong willed, determined young woman who doesn't quit turning up stones of her family history, of a mother she never knew, a past that she has been warned will only cause her more heartache. A past that could very well be the end to Eden. And her family...but Eden doesn't know that this could be the end for her or her family. Not until the very...end! She discovers so much more than she ever thought possible. Her childhood dreams become reality. The three ghosts become reality...the reality of who they really are. The "magic" of the past almost destroys the entire family of Eden and their history came close to be rewritten into one horrible, unthinkable furture....but Eden doesn't give up and the ending will surprise you as it did me....

I thought with each page I could figure out Edens past and the secrets, but each time I was wrong. But as the end of the story approached, I got the feeling that there should have been just a tad more to it. I, like other readers, feel that the end of the book was rushed. The novel is very descriptive. The horror of it all was great...but I just felt that the end didn't quite do justice to the novel like it deserved. However,it is incredible the way Cherie Priest is able to write with such imagery.

"Four and Twenty Blackbirds" is more creepy than horrifying, but it's a constant creeping dread, even when you figure out much of what's going on before the protagonist does. An odd decision by one of the characters later on in the book saps some of the tension out as it doesn't seem to be justified by anything other than narrative necessity, but the climax is still gripping.

Cherie Priest's horror novel follows the seemingly haunted Eden, as she grows up in an adopted family, in atmosphere suffused with family secrets. Secrets tied to why a man attempted to kill her when she was still a child, and who exactly the ghosts haunting her - or protecting her - are. Priest keeps up the tension surrounding the central mystery, but the physical threat to Eden is never entirely convincing until it gets ratcheted up at the end; and the incompetence of the police is odd. It's still a good horror novel, with blood and family center stage.

I love Neil Gaiman and I love Dave Mckean, back from the first edition of Coraline. I bought the book for myself and I'm not ashamed. I love children's literature and I love Neil Gaiman's writing & Mckean's artwork. There is such a Tim Burton-ish, Roald Dahl-esque quality which occurs when these two team up; it's a haunting beauty. I think the story is fabulous, not too scary for young kids, & the art is breathtaking. Beautiful elaborate drawings.
A+

I loved this book. The illustrations are fantastic. It's funny, but I recently learn the Chinese have an expression, "lang lai le." This is said when there is an unpleasant noise, such as bad singing. It means "the wolves will come out." I would recommend this book for middle school age kids as it is rather scary. I also loved Gaiman's novel, Coraline. I would recommend also the Visions in Poetry version of The Raven illustrated by Ryan Price. Prices illustrations are very similar to McKean's. In fact I feel like it is Price's illustrations that prop up the poem.

The review will be as short as the book:
I'm a Gaiman's fan, hence I really wanted to have this book in my collection. I'm glad I got it.
The story is short and simple, but creepy an good.
The illustrations by Mckean are superb. I really enjoyed them.

I give it a *** for the story, and a **** for the drawings. I was going to give a *** overall, but decided a **** since it is a children book (BUT Coraline is also a children story, and I'll give it a ***** without blinking).

As always Neil Gaiman is a genius and David McKeans illustrations are beautiful, and I would highly recommend this book to adults who still love childrens books, and to slightly older kids, it a tiny bit scary, but that's what makes it so great!

I purchased this for my grandchildren 6, 8, and 10 for Christmas. When the 8 y.o opened it, his mother asked to see it and said it was too scary for any of them. I had not read it, but that evening proceeded to read the book. For my grandchildren, it is not age appropriate.

Great artwork and stories, a collection of works on par with Dark Horse's excellent quality. The main story is a fantastic read, and the short stories offer a lot of variety ("the Web" is downright creepy).

Plus, this bad boy is over 400 pages (all of these omnibuses are). No advertisements, just pure story. Well worth every penny.

I would give more stars on this review, cause the contents of AVP are very good. Excellent artwork decent story arcs, but poor packaging is what ruined my experience. When I received the order, the book looked as though it had been dropped, the edges were bent badly and a little torn, even though I had paid for a new book, this is what I got. I dealt with customer service and received a meager ten dollar discount for an over fifty dollar order, I am less than pleased.

This book has everything that i wanted to find without having to buy twenty different comics. I recommend this to anyone that wants the story from the beginning with out having to search to hard.

This book brings back some serious nostalgia, as I had an issue of the first comic in this book. After reading the entire collection front to back I have to say that the first one and the last are pretty good, with Eternal being my second favorite. But if you are a fan of the two franchises this is worth a pickup.

With Marvel and DC Comics having enjoyed so much success with their Essentials/Showcase Presents Omnibus reprints, Dark Horse Comics has jumped on the bandwagon with their own massive tomes of reprint material. One of the things that really made Dark Horse a success when they started out over twenty years ago was the licensing of popular characters from film into comics format such as Aliens, Predator, and Star Wars. They continue to enjoy enormous success with these licensed properties today.

Aliens Vs. Predator Vol. 1 is one of the first of these omnibus editions presenting 456 pages of story and art. Now the Dark Horse Omnibus books are a bit smaller than their Marvel and DC counterparts, and they are also a bit more expensive. But, the Dark Horse books are the only one of the three being presented in color. The biggest complaints the people seem to have about the Essentials/Showcase Presents books is that they are in black and white. The material in this book was originally presented in the previous graphic novels: Aliens Vs. Predator; Aliens Vs. Predator: War; Aliens Vs. Predator: Eternal, as well as stories from Dark Horse Presents.

What we will learn is that the Predator race, known going forward as the Hunters, have been hunting the Xenophobes for a long, long time. In fact, the presence of the bugs on so many worlds, and in so many different climates, is basically the fault of the Hunters who have basically colonized worlds throughout the galaxy with the Alien's eggs for the sole purpose of hunting them when they've matured. Now that's quite a sport!

The best story in the book is Aliens Vs. Predator: War and the events take place directly following the Aliens Vs. Predator lead story. Machiko Noguchi is a human female who helped a hunter kill an alien and was accepted into Hunter society. Well, accepted is the wrong term...more like she's tolerated, but she is trained in Hunter lore and combat skills by the clan chief, Topknot, and even accompanies them on their hunts for the bugs, including the capturing of an Alien Queen. The Hunter's regular plans entail capturing queens and keeping her prisoner as they harvest her eggs and place them on various worlds. When the Hunters bring the eggs to a human outpost, Noguchi has to decide if her loyalty is to her new society or to her species.

Aliens Vs. Predator: Eternal is another excellent storyline, taking place on modern day Earth. A wealthy man has exploited the finding of a Hunter spacecraft, even unlocking the secrets of their cloaking ability. After many years his scientists have finally managed to open the ships cargo bay...that is filled with egg-like objects...

It's interested to note the difference in art styles in the book, or perhaps more accurately, the difference in printing. The earliest story dates to 1989 - 1990 and was still done in traditional panel style comic art. Moving up to the more recent stories where the art is printed right to the edge of the page and is without borders. It's really quite a difference when you have the two to compare side-by-side.

For 460 pages of full color material, these omnibus editions are a great value and present some of Dark Horse's finest work.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

An interesting blend of ingredients: a dash of history, a pinch of the occult, and a healthy cuff of murder. This novel is an ambitious literary soufle. Most authors would flatten it into fare thinner than an IHOP pancake.

Connolly however manages to raise our expectation.

Suspend your disbelief. Savor this mystery with the lights turned low and silence your surroundings.

I love Connolly's books. First, they are always filled with great mysteries and suspense. Second, there is always a small dose of the paranormal mixed into it. And finally, his writing is so poetic and so beautiful that it makes the reading experience all that more entertaining. Bad Men does not disappoint. Although it is a rare book that doesn't feature detective Charlie Parker, it is still an intricate novel filled with great characters and incredible twists and turns.

The small island of Sanctuary, Maine, has a dark past. Its history is full of murders, traitors and deceptions. The island has been dormant for some time now, the inhabitants having been left alone to live their every day life without fear or pain. But when a group of Bad Men arrive on the island, things change quite dramatically.

Joe Dupree, the island's Sheriff, is somewhat of a legend for Sanctuary. Called the giant because of his towering height, he is in love with
Marianne, a young mother who has just moved to the island. Little does he know that Marianne holds some secrets she isn't ready to share, secrets that will undoubtedly threaten the very existence of the island. Secrets that will awaken the dark side of the island.

Although the first half of the novel is a bit too slow moving, the author taking his time to tell the tale of the island and of the Bad Men in question, its second half is well worth the wait. As the story progresses, you never know where it will take you. No one in this story is safe. No one in this story is fully good or fully bad. These are flawed humans with secrets, secrets that might very spell their doom.

This is one of my favourite Connellys. I couldn't put it down. When the novel ends, I actually wanted more out of the story. It's still amazing to me that Connolly, and Irishman living in Europe, can capture the essence of small-town coastal Maine.

I can't wait for Connolly to write another stand alone novel. I love his Charlie Parker mysteries, but Bad Men prove that he has much more to offer.

This is a top notch book if you like thrillers. The bad guys were pure evil and richly developed characters. This was my first Connolly book and it lead me to read the entire Charlie Parker series which were also very enjoyable.

Bad Men by John Connolly is a dark, disturbing book about the worst kind of evil: the sort men are capable of doing to other men. Some authors write about evil in order to demonstrate the ultimate power of good; others, like Stephen King, use evil as a tool in telling a story about the supernatural. Mr. Connolly, by contrast, appears to enjoy writing about evil simply for the sake of writing about evil.

There are four main characters in this book: three of them are people; one of them is an island. All of them are tortured, complex souls. Moloch is the tortured bad man, a convicted spouse abuser who escapes prison and goes on a murder spree. Bent on enacting revenge on his betraying wife, he is unable to understand why he is plagued by visions from the ancient past. Marianne is Moloch's tortured wife. She turned her husband over to the law years ago and lives in fear of his eventual release from prison. She lives under a new identity with her son on Dutch Island, Maine, as far away from Moloch as she can get. Joe DuPree is Dutch Island's tortured policeman. He is a giant of a man and has lived with resultant ridicule his entire life. He comes from a long line of Dutch Island DuPrees, and he is is love with Marianne, though he is unaware of her secret past. The fourth character is Dutch Island itself. The little island lies so far out in the Atlantic that it is virtually cut off from the mainland except for a twice-a-day ferry that doesn't run in foul weather--which in the winter turns out to be more days than not. The island used to be called Sanctuary, back in the dark past of which Moloch dreams without knowing why. And it has a past of its own, and it is tortured too, in its own way.

Strange spirits move deep within the woods of Dutch Island. Things happen here that no one can quite explain. Old paths through the forest become overgrown and nearly impossible to find overnight. The ancient watchtower on the coast sometimes seems to be inhabited, though not by anyone who can ever be seen. Something terrible happened here centuries ago, and the island has not forgotten. And now, with Moloch and his band of evil men making their way across the country toward Dutch Island and Marianne, the ancient spirits of the island are beginning to wake up.

It is not clear from reading the book what Connolly intended his readers to get out of it. There is no discernable moral, none of the characters undergoes an epiphany, and by the end of the book, the reader feels so oppressed by Moloch's criminal insanity that without any positive message to offset the horrible crimes described in such great detail, one wonders exactly what the author was trying to get across. Nevertheless, Connolly writes about the criminal mind brilliantly, though whether or not that is a commendable attribute may be open to debate. We get an all-too-clear picture of what's happening in Moloch's mind as he bounces back and forth between his dreams of ancient evil and his participation in present crimes.

Connolly portrays his villains (Moloch is not the only evil man in the story; he is the leader of a whole group of murderous thugs) in an almost sympathetic way. At no point in the book does the reader begin to root for the evildoers, or even identify with them, but the author does give them individual personalities and motivations for their actions. As the book's title might suggest, the bulk of the narrative and most of the action follows Moloch's gang as they make their way toward Dutch Island. The author covers the other characters thoroughly and doesn't leave any loose ends, but his heart never quite seems to be in the writing when he's not examining the criminals and their crimes. The romance between the hulking Joe DuPree and Marianne, for example, is sweet but almost entirely without substance. Their developing relationship is never quite convincing, and their single sexual encounter is, while happily not described in great detail, also devoid of feeling and seems utterly shallow. Compare this with the emotion and depth with which Connolly describes one character's murder of an innocent man because he was talking too loud on a cell phone, and it's not difficult to see why the law-abiding characters tend to come off as dry and almost boring.

The central idea behind the story--a place that seeks revenge for horrors perpetrated there--is not an original one, but it works for Connolly every bit as well as it has worked for others in the past. Connolly employs a haunted island instead of a haunted house or a graveyard, and the touch of originality gives the story just enough of a chill factor to keep readers guessing. The ghosts manage to be creepy without being ridiculous, and the islanders' encounters with them are part scary and part curious, leading to a real anticipation of what will happen when the spirits of the dead get their hands on the present-day murderers when they finally get to the island.

The story climaxes when Moloch and his band of merry murderers get to Dutch Island and seek out Marianne so that Moloch can pay her back for her treachery. As expected, the island comes alive with a horrible response to the evil that has reached its shores. Unfortunately, the book's finale is rather unsatisfying, and the end comes abruptly. Nothing is left unsettled, but the reader puts the book down feeling a little bit bewildered by how suddenly the story has come to an end.

Bad Men is enjoyable in some respects, but it's enjoyable in the same way that some people enjoy watching a scary movie: it's so terrible that it somehow rings true. The writing is good enough to keep readers going through the horrific descriptions of awful crimes, though it's not quite good enough to justify not having any central message or theme other than the evil that truly insane men can sometimes commit. Christians will find little to latch onto in the story. While it is certainly true that evil of the kind John Connolly writes about exists in the world, it's best to discuss it while keeping in mind that God has already conquered all evil. Evil men still do horrible things, but God has already secured the ultimate victory. In Bad Men, triumph over evil comes from the vengeful spirits of the ancient dead. In real life, triumph over evil comes from the blood of Jesus Christ. John Connolly is very good at what he does, but this novel would have been far better if he had focused less on the things bad men are capable of and more on the goodness that the rest of us cling to every day.

...didn't dissapoint me.I "discovered" Connolly,searching some used books at the library.I've now read all of the Charlie Parker books. Being he's Irish,Connolly shows his knowledge/history(study) of Maine and the local towns,I find real interesting. Bad Men,part mystery/supenmatural....are some bad people.He goes back to the old myths,to today real smooth. I really enjoyed Connolly describing how Marianne,ran away from her scary/abusive/controlling husband(Moloch).Sherrif Joe Dupree,a giant of a man,living in a "normal" world,was easy to feel for him.Molochs "companions",(which you wouldn't want to look at wrong) were some real mean individuals. This was a good quick read from a gifted thriller writer....I can't wait for the next Parker book!!!

We had the opportunity to preview the first two episodes of the unedited/uncut version of the animated TV series "Gantz".

The anime is based on the manga by Oku Hiroya and directed by Itano Ichiro ("Mega Zone 23", "Macross Plus").

The storyline begins with Kurono Kei. Kei, is a student who has an obsession with pornography, arrogant and has a low opinion of people around him.

Upon waiting for a subway train, he sees an old childhood friend, Kato Masaru.

Masaru is the total opposite of Kei in which he respects Kei because of his braveness but he's simple, kind and willing to help people.

When a homeless person falls down on the subway tracks, Masaru is their to help him. But to save him, he needsd help, thus he asks the help of Kei.
Both managed to save the homeless individual but in the process are ran over by the subway and decapitated.

While dead in reality, in another reality, both end up in an apartment room with other people and a dog (who have also died).

The apartment happens to be a self-contained small universe where chosen individuals are transporated to immediately after death.

No one can escape and no one understands why they are there until the black sphere in the middle of the room known as GANTZ gives them a mission. To kill a strange onion-headed boy.

Since, I haven't watched the original TV episodes that, what I can tell you is that this anime is definitely not for children.

It features graphic scenes, violence, nudity and adult situations that I'm curious what was exactly shown on television.

The animation is top notch work from GONZO and so far, the characters in the anime seem to be quite interesting.

Among the chosen individuals is the lone female of the group, Kishimoto Kei, a girl who attempted suicide but survived but for some reason the GANTZ created an exact digital copy of her and upon arrival to the apartment is nude and Kei is holding on to her.

While most of the chosen ones seem to be decent individuals, among them are two yakuza gangsters. One who tries to rape female Kei but fortunately Masaru is their to prevent it.

Thus Kei becomes smitten with Masaru, while Kei (male) takes a liking to her.

Also among the individuals is Nishi Joichiro, a mysterious person who has been in the GANTZ for one year and is fascinated by it.

For comedy relief is the dog, Butter who seems to have a taste for female Kei.

Although this anime may be a bit dark and graphic for some anime viewers, I actually found it quite intriguing because the storyline is very original and exciting.

An anime's dedication to its source material is both its curse and its blessing. The first volume of Gantz takes us about midway into the Onion Alien arc, ending while the players are still in combat. Assuming you've seen the anime by now, the manga thus has few of the jarring surprises experienced in the anime. The only "extras" the manga has over the anime are the chapter opening illustrations, with their dose of cheesecake *and* irony, the "making of" pages, and a short bio of the author's previous works. That being said, the anime only covers part of the manga, namely, the Onion Alien, the Bird Alien, and the Buddhist Temple Alien story arcs. The last hunt is not from the manga, something of a relief to many viewers of the anime. It should take us, say, seven volumes before coming to new material not in the anime, but the wait should well be worth it!

First of all, let me say...HUGE Gantz fan. I loved the anime...I thought it was amazing...and then when I heard from tons of people that the manga was even more amazing I had to check it out. At the time there was no retail copies in the store. So I read through some chapters online. Of course not all of the translators online are going to be professional. But sadly enough...I was completely turned off by this retail copies translations. It seems to be too exact I guess or something...and it kind of seems like they toned it down a bit. I can't say for sure if its more accurate than the translations I enjoy from the anime and online...considering I'm not fluent in Japanese...but I can tell you that you may wan't to be forewarned before you purchase. Although I was not totally turned on by the translations, I will continue to purchase the manga for the fact that the art and story are still intact for the most part. At least they finally put it on the shelves!