Horror Books

Yeah, it is bad; and dated. As most have explained, the beginning is much better than the ending. The Russian angle is interesting only in that I can't believe we (Americans) we're really that paranoid, but I'll give him that one. What I really didn't like at all was all the over-explaining. It was really annoying being talked down to like that. Its like being told a story about a story when all you wanted was just the story. Ah well it is an early work, only a consummate Koontz fan should suffer it, though. Thank goodness his writing has matured. The good new is there is a new Odd Thomas book out!!

This effort on Koontz's part is just not up to his usual level of entertainment. One of the reasons that he's so good is that you attach to the main characters and progress through the book like a tail hooked on a cat. You feel what the character feels and empathize as if you are the object of the story. This, however, enticed me only as an observer into the life of a character I really didn't care that much about. The book had the possibility of being one of Koontz's better novels but these prospects were never realized. We have a lady hospitalized after a car accident, a fraternity hazing, a sinister corporation, a hospital with secret doors, people who aren't who they say they are - wow - what a set up! Unfortunately, it just didn't come together. Love Dean - I'll patently wait for his next installment of the Frankenstein series. bg

Hopefully you're not reading this fine DK tome on an airplane trip home...you'll want to bail out without a parachute, the spine-tingling twist toward the denouement easily makes this Koontz offering worth the price of admission!

Viva el Koontz!!!!!!!!!!

I had already read this book years ago but just ordered a ton of Dean Koontz's books to be read again. I am very happy that I did. This was an excellent book. Somewhere in the back of mind, I kept thinking that I remembered the ending but I didn't. I am thrilled that I read this book again and I can't wait to pick up another one and read it!

Okay so my title has nothing to do with the book per se. What it has to do with is this. Koontz is like any other author. He reaches a period when his books are somewhat hit and miss. He's turning out so many stories that some of them are good, some...ehhh.... not so good. This one is not a hit in my opinion. There's just too much going on and I felt like it never truly got tied together in a believable knot.
A car wreck, fear at her company's name, a dead former boyfriend and a Soviet conspiracy.... How one train of thought leads to the other is anyone's guess but honestly I felt like this book was just a bit over the top. Typical to Koontz, he writes characters you love, hate, or love to hate or hate to love...but you feel SOMETHING for them. They leap of the page into the realm of believability. That is the reason for my 3 star review. The plot itself suffers from an OVERactive imagination, I'm afraid. Many of Koontz's works are worth reading. If I were going to choose one to skip, this one would be at the top of my skip list.

This is the fifth book in the Watcher Series by Lilith Saintcrow and I think it is one of the best. I love this series and I am so glad she is continuing to write it.

Caroline Robbins is a Mindhealer, she heals normal and witch minds that have been disturbed or destroyed by the Dark. She has had one Watcher killed in front of her and doesn't want to have it happen again. She is adamant that she will not have a Watcher. She and her brother are both in Circle Lightfall, they were orphans when they were discovered by a Watcher. She is much more powerful than her brother. But they are devoted to each other.

Merrick is a Watcher, he keeps his secrets deep and darkly hidden, like most Watchers he knows his life had no value until he became a watcher. Now he is at a point of despair, when Watchers reach that point they usually take one to many chances and wind up dead. He is on patrol when he sees a bunch of dark koroi, they are after a Lightbringer in a small car, he rushes to her aid and finds Caro. He also finds his witch. The one who takes away his pain. Only a few lucky Watchers have found their witch and bonded to her. The only problem is that Caro doesn't want him.

However, there is a new element rising in the world, the Crusade has joined with another group and they are experimenting on people and psychics. Only Caro has a chance to understand and defeat the danger, and Merrick is determined that she will not die.

I love this book and it expands the world and the dangers of the witches who make up Circle Lightfall. Can hardly wait for the next one.

Another home run for a very talented author who ranks right in there with Laurell K Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, and a number of other best selling authors. Once again characters that are believable and likable spun into a tale that is totally engrossing and leaves one flipping the pages until the wee small hours of the morning. Less graphically violent than the Dante Valentine series but every but as addictive!

An excellent addition to the Watcher series, Mindhealer deals with young witch Caro who meets her watcher, the British, Merrick, and helps solve the mystery of the normals and paranormals who are being made into an army for the Dark side.

Though the witch and watcher have similar personality traits to previous characters in the series (that is a must when dealing with how Saintcrow's watcher-world works), this book has a well-rounded cast of other paranormal characters. Saintcrow's beautiful language and movie-worthy fight scenes do not disappoint.

Mindhealer takes Saintcrow's Watcher series in a slightly different direction, but don't fear at the core of the book is still the bonding of the Lightbringer Witch and Watcher pair. Unlike the previous Watcher books, in Mindhealer we are at last are brought into the world of the Lightbringers. In the previous books the four witches and their Watchers stood outside of this society, but here we get a glimpse of the community with both Witches and a garrison of Watchers as it is under attack by the Dark. There also is more of a sense of a larger background plot than the previous books with new and more challenging elements of the Dark for the Watchers to combat.

If you've read the previous books you'll remember that the innately compassionate Witches' souls shine so brightly that they attract evil dark monstrous creatures bent on the Witches' destruction or enslavement. Standing at a Witch's side to keep her safe from the 'Dark' is a Watcher with his vow to 'duty, honor and obedience', equipped to fight the Dark because of his own stained soul and the dark symbiant he carries within himself. The powerful symbiant gives the Watcher strength and healing power, but at a price since the darkness of the symbiant means that the Watcher endures great pain in the presence of the Witch's lightness. But even as he suffers to earn his redemption there is hope for a Watcher, there is the promise that one day he will find the 'one Witch just for him', the one that brings him pleasure instead of pain, the one Witch who will bring him peace.

In Mindhealer witch Caro, who is in denial about her vulnerability to the Dark, has refused to have a Watcher of her own. Her first and only Watcher having sacrificed his life to protect her, she can't stay the thought of endangering another protector. Watcher/Tracker Merrick is walking the edge of Watcher despair, and no longer acts as personal guard to individual Witches instead he patrols the city to keep the Dark at bay. But when Caro stumbles into danger on Merrick's watch, Merrick discovers that Caro is `his Witch' and is released from his other duties to stay at her side and protect her. But keeping Caro safe is going to be no easy job. With new more powerful elements of the Dark targeting Caro's rare mindhealing powers there is more danger for Caro and Caro's own determination to keep Merrick from danger, makes it even more difficult to do his job.

Many of the elements that made the previous books enjoyable are here in Mindhealer, the strong minded heroine and the dark powerful self-sacrificing hero who struggles to accept the 'undeserved' salvation to be gained through the bond with his Witch. This is starting to feel pretty familiar, but I am still not tired of it yet. Like the previous books there is a physical connection between the pair, which doesn't necessarily result in a love scene in all of the previous books, here we did get to see the culmination Watcher/Witch bond but Saintcrow's love scenes are very understated. If you are familiar with Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series, the Witches and Watchers inhabit the same world and if you enjoy Saintcrow's writing you will likely enjoy the Watchers -- they are great dark and tortured warriors -- even though the books in Saintcrow's Watcher series are much more single threaded and shorter than her mainstream novels.

Dark Watcher (The Watcher Series, Book 1)
Storm Watcher (The Watcher Series, Book 2)
Fire Watcher (The Watcher Series, Book 3)
Cloud Watcher (The Watcher Series, Book 4)

Another entertaining dark fantasy series by Saintcrow
The Society (The Society Series, Book 1)
Hunter, Healer (The Society Series)

Saintcrow's dark fantasy mercenary Dante Valentine
Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1)
Dead Man Rising (Dante Valentine, Book 2)
The Devil's Right Hand (Dante Valentine, Book 3)
Saint City Sinners (Dante Valentine, Book 4)
To Hell and Back (Dante Valentine, Book 5)

The Circle Lightfall is stunned by the brutal assaults as they are clueless who is behind these horrific attacks that leave the victims body and soul broken. The Watcher/Tracker patrol the perimeter and more expanding their protective role from individual witches to the city, but have failed to prevent the vicious muggings.

The Circle Lightfall chooses Mindhealer Caro Robbins to investigate though they are concerned as she refuses to have a Watcher at her side; she has suffered survivor guilt ever since a Watcher sacrificed himself to save her life. When the Dark minion attacks her, Merrick the patrol Watcher rescues Caro. He realizes she is his Witch, which means he is to personally protect his beloved, but the Mindhealer rejects his protection. Frustrated as Caro enters dangerous scenarios, Merrick proves as obstinate as she is; going where she goes even though she objects. Love is a dangerous thing when two stubborn people insist on keeping the other safe while facing deadly encounters.

The latest Dark and Light war is a fascinating tale with the added twist of a Watcher who finally finds his redemption only to have his one decline. The story line is action-packed from the onset and never slows down, a trademark of Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine tales as well as this terrific saga. The lead couple is a wonderful pairing as each needs to keep the other safe for differing motives; her because of watching a Watcher die for her and him because it is part of his "DNA". Fans will enjoy MINDHEALER, a delightful "Watcher" romantic fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

In reading the synopsis by Publisher's Weekly, I was reminded by the limitations of "established media." The reviewer of this publication described the climax as anti-climatic.

How do I say this without giving anything away... For me, "13 Bullets" was a pretty good book BUT the ending was classic, and for me, it is what made the book stand out.

I think the reviewer was expecting the predictable "blandly satisfying" ending that is typical to these types of stories. I can't describe more without giving anything away.

I will say that I thought the ending was one of the most clever, ironically humorous, and memorable endings I've ever read. I've enjoyed all of Wellington's books (I had originally read them online but later bought each publication out of thanks and homage.) For me, "13 Bullets" would have been one of his least memorable books except for the ending (I'm biased towards post-apocalyptic fiction.)

It was a perfect ending... along the lines of the originally published ending to Stephen King's "The Stand". In that book, as originally published, the ending was a classic which I loved. In "The Stand", the story was epic in scope and any ending would have been a quickly drawn let down (as with so many other epic books that have built up the story so much.) Yadda, yadda... most of those books have the good guys win in a conventional and spectacular way where the bad guys get what's coming to them. But in the original publication of "The Stand", King ended that novel by nuking the city because a lunatic accidentally drops a nuclear bomb down a set of stairs. How classic! To me, it seemed that King had built the story line and expectation so much that no ending would have been suitable. So, he just had it end in a stupid meaningless act... which, BTW, doesn't life usually play out that way? Of course, later on in a subsequent publication which included the insertion of the originally deleted 400 pages and original ending, the conclusion came with the hand of God dropping the bomb on the bad guys. The ultimate example of the good guys winning... but far less interesting and clever and what Publisher's Weekly would want to expect.

Such is the case with "13 Bullets"... God, I'm just itching to tell the punch line! Suffice it to say that the ending is consistent with the story but it is so unexpected and so humorous and satisfying on so many levels. And unlike, "The Stand," where I describe the ending as a stupid act, the end of this book is smart and totally consistent with the slayer's character. Publisher's Weekly lacks the sophistication to appreciate it.

For the ending alone, 13 Bullets deserves 5 stars. Otherwise, I would have given it a 3 and a half stars. I read it last year as well as more than 50 other books since then. The ending makes this books stand out the most.

If you want a bland and predictable book, then craft your booklist from Publisher's Weekly or Time Magazine. I, however, prefer a little imagination and originality.

And this book has the most original ending for any vampire book or movie I know of.

I stumbled upon this book while looking for a good book featuring werewolves or some sort of supernatural entities - I was looking for something FUN to read.
The whole vampire genre has been well explored and as with any supernatural story, more often than not, usually falls flat. Even though I had a lot for hope for this book I half expected it to have an undercurrent of cheesiness. FORTUNATELY, I was pleasantly surprised to find a well written book filled with graphic imagery and smart plot twists. Characters were fleshed out and it read like a good novel, NOT like a graphic novel/comic book without the illustrations. I would highly recommend this book for scary moonlit reading or even on a sunny beach.

I was quick to write a not-so-nice review of the Monster Island trilogy. I found them well written but was not too fond of the way they bended the genre entirely. However 13 Bullets is a vampire masterpiece. These are not your romantic Anne Rice vampires. These are monsters. horrific ones. David Wellington hit a homerun with this novel and I can't wait to read the sequel. Was I wrong about Monster Island??

A huge fan of his zombie trilogy, but specifically Monster Island, I was long overdue getting to his bloodsucker novel 13 Bullets. David Wellington does not disappoint. His vampires are vicious and ugly, and his heroic duo are both vunerable yet up to the gruesome tasks set before them. The action is electric and the horror elements are strong. Another entertaining effort to add to his exciting resume.

My outlook for its sequel, 99 Coffins, is equally high.

It's an enjoyable book, but unfortunately by the end I was just eager to see it over. The heroine seems to spend all her time escaping from traps, and while not carrying any extra ammo for your gun adds to the suspense (and makes a good book title) it got old after a while.

All in all a good book, though. The vampires and the gritty feel remind me of John Steakley's excellent Vampire$ novel.

I particularly like "Bethany's Wood" by Paul Finch, "Stilled Life" by Pat Cadigan, and "An Apiary of White Bees" by Lee Thomas. Oh, that stories like these have made it into YBFH 2008. I read the Datlow-chosen stories in YBFH 2007 right after reading Inferno and was disappointed; the story by Oates, in particular, seemed misplaced: I'm a fan of the bizarre, and this one seemed pointlessly grotesque instead. But Inferno is everything I look for in modern horror! I think it's Ellen's best book so far.

Inferno is the kind of anthology a reader waits and hopes for. It's filled with disturbing tales from some of the best horror/dark fantasy authors, and these tales leave chilling, lasting impressions. The deepest impression on me came from P.D. Cacek's "The Keeper." Simple, heartbreaking, and powerful. Ellen Datlow has compiled another incredible collection here. She's the best editor in the field. Highly recommended!

In Stephen King's Danse Macabre, King compared Ramsey Campbell's prose to a low level acid trip. I was thinking of that description many times throughout this anthology, were most of the stories take place in this world but something's not right. NOt just the horror portion of the stories but everything about these characters and their world is off-kilter in some way or fashion.

Take for example "Riding Bitch" by K.W. Jeter where the protagonist is a loser biker who takes corpses to the funeral home to pick up extra money. By this time we've all seen the tropes from the tough biker to the seedy bar, but add in a dead girlfriend who won't quite stay dead or is dead but he hears it - you can never tell - and it's a story that won't let you go.

Similarly "Monsters of Heaven" being reminiscent of Marquez's "Man with Wings" (sic?) doesn't just let the characters get by with ignoring the angels. Even as they are embroiled in a lost child tragedy, they still have time to do some truly horrific things to each other and finally an innocent.

Not all of the stories work, but the stories that don't work for me are the ones that appear to be trying too hard like Laird Barron's "THe Forest" or Lee Thomas's "An Apiary of WHite Bees." They are strange but I never get the sense of being taken along for a ride. More like I'm being told about someone's acid trip laden vacation.

Ultimately these stories are disturbing because human beings are disturbing. Vampires, werewolves and ghosts have nothing on Basra militias or Serbian death squads. These stories reflect the evil that humans do to each other on a constant basis and they are much more powerful for that.

This is the entire starred Publishers Weekly review:

Inferno Edited by Ellen Datlow. Tor, $25.95 (384p) ISBN 978-0-7653-1558-8
Datlow (The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror) makes a solid claim to being the premiere horror editor of her generation with this state-of-the-art anthology of 20 new stories by some of horror fiction's best and brightest. Several outstanding selections feature imperiled children and explore the horrific potential of childhood fears, among them Glen Hirshberg's "The Janus Tree," which gives a creepy supernatural spin to a poignant memoir of adolescent angst and alienation, and Stephen Gallagher's "Misadventure," in which a young man's near-death experience as a child endows him as an adult with consoling insight into the afterlife. The compilation's variety of approaches and moods is exemplary, ranging from the natural supernaturalism of Laird Barron's cosmic horror tale "The Forest," to the unsettling psychological horror of Lucius Shepard's "The Ease with Which We Freed the Beast"; the metaphysical terrors of Conrad Williams's "Perhaps the Last"; and the slapstick grotesquerie of K.W. Jeter's black comedy "Riding Bitch." If this book can be taken as a gauge of the vitality of imagination in contemporary horror fiction, then the genre is very healthy indeed.
(Dec.)
And chosen by PW as one of the best sf/f titles of the year.

I recently finished reading INFERNO, edited by Ellen Datlow, and must remark that this 2007 original horror anthology is one of the best to come down the pike in a long time. Comprising an assortment of dark themes, INFERNO offers readers an outstanding variety of twenty tales ranging from psychological and ghostly to monstrous and downright weird, if whimsical, the latter in reference to Jeffrey Ford's "The Bedroom Light," a conundrum of creepy and whimsical that left me chuckling while goose flesh crept up and down my arms. Clever.

The following is a list of my favorite stories, in order of the toc:

"The Forest" by Laird Barron: old acquaintances are revisited while the Old Ones feed.
"The Monsters of Heaven" by Nathan Ballingrud: a disturbing tale of loss, grief, and sacrifice. (This one was hard for me to shake off, haunted me for days.)
""Lives" by John Grant: the-cat-with-nine-lives meets a nasty demise, with uncomfortable implications.
"Ghorla" by Mark Samuels: repulsive retribution for the careless.
"An Apiary of White Bees" by Lee Thomas: oh, just let me say that the visceral-rating is high in this tale of bizarre horror.
"Stilled Life" by Pat Cadigan: a disturbing riff on the Pygmalion theme in reverse.

Finishing out this excellent anthology are "Riding Bitch" by K. W. Jeter--a tale of ghostly disaffection in Las Vegas; "Misadventure" by Stephen Gallagher--an engrossing tale of "haunts"; "Inelastic Collisions" by Elizabeth Bear--beware of the singles-bar in this one; "The Uninvited" by Christopher Fowler--a tale of unsavory reminiscence that made my spine creep with recollection; "13 O'Clock" by Mike O'Driscoll--a tragic and inescapable haunting; "Face" by Joyce Carol Oates--an ambiguous curse with psychological underpinnings; "The Keeper" by P. D. Cacek--a disturbing reminder that we must never forget; "Bethany's Wood" by Paul Finch--a tale about the very last person on earth who should go mad; "The Ease with Which We Freed the Beast" by Lucius Shepard--fantastic and gruesome delusions therein, this tale is a "must read" for the horror story die-hard; "Hushabye" by Simon Bestwick--on the track of someone or something feeding on innocence; "Perhaps the Last" by Conrad Williams--while a killer stalks the city, a mall guard obsesses about an unavailable woman; "The Janus Tree" by Glen Hirshberg--a disturbing coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of a decaying Montana mining town; "The Bedroom Light" by Jeffrey Ford--ghosts and a strange birthing that for some reason had me thinking of the cult film classic "Eraserhead" (I shiver); and last but not least, "The Suits at Auderlene" by Terry Dowling--a tale about arcane armor and generational revenge.

Ellen Datlow dedicated this book to the late and great Charles L. Grant.

Need I say more?

Highly recommended reading!


JLR

This has been a good series up til now. Now it is a great one and the turning point is this book. Arcudi's contributions to the writing are special. The characters are now truly characters with concerns, lives, etc. The action is still top otch ad Guy Davis' art continues to be excellent. His work shuffles along just telling the story and then some creature or other appears across a two-page spread and the reaction is, "Wow!" When I get the newest book in this series, I find myself going back to book one and starting over each time enjoying the whole saga.

As a longtime Mike Mignola fan (I've been collecting the single issue Hellboy since the beginning, as well as Mignola's other works), I'm slowing coming to the belief that BPRD is currently the better than the current Hellboy title. I was very disappointed that Mignola wasn't illustrating BPRD when it first got going. But I've been seduced by Guy Davis' artwork. The more I look at Davis' compositions the more I like it. The stories here in BPRD seem to be consistently a bit stronger than the current Hellboy story lines. The collaborative effort in this title seems to be it's strength. This is a fine collection that recounts the teams effort to save a team mate from death. Excellent all around. Strongly recommended.

Mike Mignola writes very differently from the vast majority of comic artists today. His stuff reminds me a lot of H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Alan Poe. Very rich, detailed stories - -plus the artwork is like looking at a woodcut print.

This continues the years-long story arc of the post-Hellboy BPRD.
If you haven't been reading the previous graphic novels, this
will be almost unintelligible to you. But if you have. . .

we learn more, much more, about Captain Daimio (puzzling, if
intriguing), get some distressing backstory of Dr. Kraus,
get a painfully small reminisce of Abe and HB on assignment
in the Canadian woods, and a touching vignette of Liz's
past.

The main story, so to speak, is Dr. Corrigan in the French Alps,
trying to obtain one of those impossibly rare and eldritch tomes
without which this genre of fiction would seem incomplete. I won't
get into spoilers here, but the moment at which she triumphs over
an adversary is easily the most satisfactory single panel I've
seen in a Hellboy story in quite some time.

And if you want to know what finally happens to Roger - this is
the one to read.

For those who love the zombie genre, this is worth a read. This is the first in a series of four or five books. I've read three of them as well as other zombie related books by this writer.

Note, this book on it's own merits probably deserves a 3 ranking. I'm giving it a 4 because all his other books are so much better. Yet, this book is an entertaining story but a little green. However, it seems to be the first book this writer has written and I encourage you to read his other books too.

There are some grammatical errors and some awkward phrases but this book still stands up. It's a fun read and the subsequent books in this series get better and better. I can't wait for the next installment to come out. I've read all the books in this series in the last few months and I really enjoy the characters.

Also, maybe not in this first book, but in the other ones in this series... and other books by this author... there's a lot of thought that goes into them. As Romero gives depth to zombie movies, this writer has all those elements in his books.

While this book itself is an introduction to the rest of the series and seems to be the first book this writer has written... it's a fun read. But check out his other books. It's cool how each of his separate zombie books have a slight variation on the zombie rules (not too much though). As this particular series plays out, it's get's closer to the Romero universe.

Anyway's, if you kind of like this book, you will definitely like his other books so much more.

I'm pretty enthusiastic about his writer because I love the zombie genre. I've read all the zombie books (i.e Z A Reight, Max Brooks, David Moody, Wellington, Keene, etc.) and have been scouring for more. This author is apparently self published and he had released several just a few years ago but I never discovered them until a few months ago. He had all these books but no reviews. I had taken a chance on one and after reading one, I immediately bought the rest.

I've read a lot of self published books... some good and too many absolutely horrible. This writer who seemed to come out of no where was a surprise and a goldmine of some great zombie tales. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

****** UPDATE 7/25/08

I've become a fan of this author after discovering his numerous self published books. They have all been picked up by Permuted Press which is THE best and largest post apocalyptic/zombie publishing house. This author is good and I had wondered why they hadn't already picked him up. Now they have and describe his as a prolific writer. The author had noted that DeadWater will be released as a greatly expanded story. All of these books I have reviewed are good enough for me to pick up the re-releases just to see what's been added to each. I have a feeling the books out now will be collector's items. Thanks to this author for the hours of good reading.

****** END UPDATE

This is the second book I have read by Giangregorio. I have some problem getting past all the grammatical errors and use of certain annoying phrases but still I find I can lose myself in his books and enjoy the way his storytelling flows. I plan to purchase and read all of his zombie books I just hope the other books were better edited.

I picked this book up, read for an hour, and tried, in vain, to stop reading, and get some rest. Needless to say, it didn't work, and for the next hour and a half I read, until I had finished the book.

For anyone who was disappointed by Sons of Destiny (from the Cirque Du Freak series) and The Demon Theif (I know I was), this should be a relief. Not only does Shan write an a more compelling story than the last one, but he finally seems to have lightened up a bit. I know that seriousness was necessary for the end of the Cirque Du Freak series, and for the last book, narrated by another character (I won't say who, just for anyone who hasn't read it yet), but it was still nice to see Grubbs back, as sarcastic and witty as ever.

Pretty much, when something goes terribly wrong on the set of Grubb's favorite horror movie director's newest set, he, Dervish, and Bill-E are forced to confront Lord Loss once again. It sounds cliched, and like it shouldn't be good at all. Trust me on this one; it is.

While only the last chapter or so (seemingly) has anything to do with the rest of the series, this was still a good read. Definitely lighter than the last few by Shan (they have the potential to get dark, if not for the almost unfailing sarcasm of his main-characters) and also better woven, with (a few) twists and turns in the plot, this is definitely a good read.

This book is great my grandson and I both read these books and my grandson read it in one day great reading hols the attention of 11year old loved it Jan

If you read the other two books of the Demonata, this one isn't good. You learn nothing, it's just a intermezzo i think. You are back whit Grubbs as your narrator, and if you couldn't adapt to Kernel, the one in the second book, this is a releafe! I allmost feared, i'ld have to cope whit another narrator, but i'm glad where back at Grubbs.

The story is built up quite nice, but like the other two books, VERY slow. You have 150 pages about a film set, Grubbs' fears, etc. etc... But once the action starts, you can't stop reading. But you have to because the book ends when there was a lot of open space to kill some main caracters, which i want dead! Not to be cruel, but Mr. Shan has missed a lot of oppurtunities in this book.

It's an interesting book in the series. A little strange and violent, but I couldn't put it down.

Grubbs Grady's favorite horror movie director comes to town to invite him and his uncle Deverish to be on set of her new horror movie. It ends up that they are all tricked onto the set and cannot get out. Lord Loss, a rival demon, slaughters everyone. But following a big fight Grubbs and his uncle escape with lucky survivors.

Yellow Moon is the second in a trilogy inspired by New Orleans's infamous Voodoo Priestess, Marie Laveau; a woman still revered (and feared in some circles) centuries after her death. The first novel, Voodoo Season, is a suspenseful tale centering on a young woman's apprehensive discovery of her kinship to Marie and the unwanted "gifts"; she inherits from her grandmother; powers such as the ability to heal nearly everyone, an uncanny sense of foresight, and the ability to see spirits. These powers seem to have grown stronger upon her relocation to New Orleans for a medical internship.

Years pass and Yellow Moon picks up where VooDoo Season ends. The newly licensed Dr. Marie Laveau (appropriately named following the tradition of her foremothers), has seemingly accepted her fate, embraced New Orleans as home, and with the help of believers is aptly honing her otherwordly crafts. She happily practices both traditional medicine at the legendary Charity Hospital and the more controversial voodoo religion during off-hours. Her blissful life is interrupted when a string of blood-drained corpses start littering the city: the first being a hardened dock worker, then a boozing jazz musician, the third a prostitute - they are reminiscent of the underprivileged and downtrodden that seem to flock to Marie both in life and death. It is not long before the ghosts of the murdered appeal to her for justice. Her reluctance is culled by the handsome lead detective assigned to the case. Vampiric markings on the corpses baffle police but supernatural indicators and warnings from beyond eventually propel Marie into action. As the case progresses and the body count increases, the reader is taken on a tour of New Orleans revealing interesting tidbits of its rich history steeped in the unique blending of culture, music, religion laced with equal doses of exorbitance, decadence and debauchery. They finally discover that something ancient and evil is gaining strength in their midst and it is out for vengeance against Marie. Marie is soon in a fight for her life; she realizes she must conjure the gods and push her powers beyond her limits to save herself and her loved ones - both old and new.

Yellow Moon is seemingly written as a mystery/suspense that focuses on Dr. Marie Laveau's quest to find a vampiric murderer. However, the author also includes Marie's inner-struggles with her destiny, previous relationship baggage which affects her love life, and vacillating confidence in her powers as a Voodienne priestess. It is here that the novel slows to allow for character development or perhaps character empathy/sympathy; all of which I found a bit repetitive (from VooDoo Season) and distracting from the search for the killer. There were a few tangental episodes that caused me to wonder where the author was going with the subplots. When the climatic ending finally plays out, I instantly thought, "That's it? This could have happened 50-60 pages ago;" so I was a bit disappointed with the pacing and conclusion. However being a fan of literary and historical fiction, I absolutely loved the reflections on old New Orleans and the infusion of African folklore - these elements kept me turning pages and it is in these aspects where the author's research shows and talent shines.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
June 9, 2008

This was a can't put down book.

The heroine, Marie Laveu, a descendent of a famous Voodoo queen, does battle with a spirit vampire -- a Wazimamoto. Following a trail of killings she must come to grips with the spirit's past and her own. Set in steamy New Orleans, this sultry novel combines sex, ritual, and mystery in a potent stew.

With fresh characters, this compelling read puts a new spin on the vampire story - different than those of Anne Rice -- but with similar passion.

Worth the price of hardcover.

It's kind of a toss up.
This book or Salem's Lot, which is better?
"Pet" is simply, brilliant, disturbing, and unforgettable.
Another masterpiece that was made into a disaster of a movie.
Like Salem's Lot, ignore the movie(s) and go with the books.
"Pet" is a page turner, I think I ripped through it in a few days.
The characters, the story, the ATMOSPHERE are just remarkable.
King at his most masterful.
Another must read must buy.
My only complaint is the new cover art. HORRID!!!
I bought the paperback way back in the day that had the creepy cat with the green eyes and the red cemetary back ground.
Oh well, that MINOR complaint shouldn't scare you away from reading one of King's best works.
Easily in the top ten best books I've ever read.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Creepy but really compelling, Stephen King once again offers a page turning story that is more about the characters then the scares. When the scares do come, they seem more shocking because of the character development. Fun and interesting read.

Pet sematary is one of my fave stephen king novels. Its a smoothe and easy read that keeps you on the edge of your seat i would recommend this book to anyone and its a must read for any true stephen king fan.

I am sure this isn't news to anyone but this is a good book. Stephen King has had so many books made into movies & I thought this movie was a little better than most. The book of course is better than the movie. Don't read this if you are out alone in the forest in a log cabin.

I liked this book overall, but if you are looking for something to utterly terrify you, you may not enjoy this as much. The last hundred pages or so was probably the scariest, and even that was a little tame compared to other works King' put out there.

Nevertheless, this story still works. In the foreward of the book, Stephen King says this is the scariest book he ever wrote. And it is, only for different reason. Many look at this as being a piece of horror fiction, and even though it certainly fits that mold in many respects, I don't know if it was King's intention to make it bone-chilling. This book works on an emotional level, focusing heavily on the subject of death. It really makes you think about that inevitable event, and you feel true sympathy for the characters when those who are close to them perish. Ellie's little speal about not wanting God to take her cat was brutal, almost to the point of being heartbreaking.

You also find yourself wondering what you would do in a similar situation. If a family member died prematurely, would you take any measure necesary to ressurect them, even if they come back wrong?

The biggest downside to the book was that it took so long to get to the really good stuff. For the first 2-3 hundred pages, the only thing that had been given new life was the family cat. That's not to say the early parts of the novel did not have merit; I thoroughly enjoyed the massive character developement that was employed through the early stages of the story.

In the end, you realize, as the book proclaims, "Sometimes Dead is Better."