Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite

Sixth grader Benny Cartwright tries to do the right thing when he suspects there is something wrong with his friend, Toby, but no one is prepared for what the problem really is in Demon King by Erik Henry Vick. Switching back and forth from the original incident in 1979 to the climax in 2007, the problems in Oneka Falls, NY, arise, grow worse and finally come to a breaking point.

Three children had been abducted by an ancient evil that thrived in the town and the culprit was never discovered. Each was seriously damaged emotionally by the incident and relied on various coping mechanisms to deal with their experiences. In the ‘present’, three strangers come together in the town to ultimately root out the evil and put an end to it as well as their own issues with the past. From the confines of a mental institution and the halls of a university, two men arrive in Oneka Falls, along with a mass murderer with ties to the evil forces behind the abductions and deaths. When the pieces fall into place for a showdown, the only question is whether there is any hope for good to prevail against such a strong and insidious presence.

Utter terror and spiraling demonic involvement drive the plot of Demon King by Erik Henry Vick through intense action and psychological turmoil. Extremely well written, with clearly defined characters and steady action with surprising twists and turns, Demon King is a novel that is impossible to put down. Gripping and intense are only two words to describe the effect of the story, but if horror is your pleasure, that is all you need to hear. Erik Henry Vick is certainly an author to fill you with nightmares. Fabulous story. I loved it!

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Mystery, the occult, adventure, and the supernatural are all melded into one fantastic story in The Last Odinian by Alec Arbogast. It’s a novel with a strong appeal to fans of urban fantasy. Guided by a telepathic message from his daughter, Edward Koenig comes to Pinemist Bay to find his family. In a town where nothing is what it seems, he knows his wife and daughter are in danger. Pinemist Bay has a shady past intrinsically linked to a pagan Scandinavian rite that has long been forgotten. Follow this character as he acquaints himself with a dangerous cult and navigates the less trodden paths of this mysterious town, risking the darkness that could swallow him. Can he confront the dark past of this town and still be same again? Will he be able to reconnect with his family and save them, with many evil eyes around him and strange happenings?

There is a lot to enjoy in this novel and what caught my attention is the meticulousness with which Alec Arbogast handles the setting. One gets the feeling that this is a story as much of a place as it is of the protagonist. The descriptions plunge the reader into the details of the woodlands, the strange topography, and the peculiarities of the city. The sense of mystery is so strong that it arouses the reader’s curiosity and builds the tension. I got hints of Norse mythology in the writing and it is skillfully woven into the language. The pacing is measured, neither too fast nor too slow, but it is the author’s ability to sustain the reader’s attention that makes the story stand out. The Last Odinian will grab hold of your attention if you love beautiful and descriptive prose.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Tegen Cave by Inge-Lise Goss is an amazing horror fiction that made me sweat and that is not easy, I can tell you. Sara Jones, the protagonist of the story, knows that her life will not be the same. She ran away from her boyfriend and his crime family and started a new life in a new place. She even has a new boyfriend and her life is finally picking up. Things go downhill quickly when she receives a mysterious package. Inside the package is a spider. Despite being confused, she knows that somehow she and her family are compromised.

Now people around her are dying of mysterious poisonous spider bites. What is even more mysterious is the fact that these spiders and their poison have no effect on her. She is immune to them. And now that she is 25 years old, something about her past and her heritage is coming forward. Can she trust anyone in this world? With everything happening around her, can she keep herself and her family safe?

This novel has romance, action, drama and a lot of thrills for readers who love horror novels. You can actually feel your skin crawl when you read scenes about spiders. I loved Sara; she is relatable and she is strong. She is a level-headed character and very deep. Even with so many things happening in her life all at once, she was resilient and this is the reason why I loved her. This is definitely one of the best novels I have read this year. It was wonderful and truly well written.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Graven Images is a horror novel written by Sherrill Wark. Shaw Falls Police Chief Steve Simpson has a mystery on his hands -- three bodies' worth of mystery. They were all discovered in a fairy tale-like stone cottage hidden on the old Graham property. No one went there anymore, even old Bessie Graham who has the reputation in town for being a black witch. Two of those bodies were long dead: the elderly man's body had been there for decades, while the young girl only a number of years. They might never have been found at all as the cottage was so well hidden except for the adventure and dare of the three young boys who decided to go on a camping trip in the woods. The Collins brothers had slept outside the cottage, while Joey Melzik had brought his sleeping bag inside and camped in the summer kitchen. In the morning, Eddy and Ricky were horrified when they were unable to wake up their friend. Ricky would later tell investigators that Joey had tried to leave the house at one point in the night and complaining that he felt dizzy, but the other boys persuaded him to stay the night. Simpson and his sergeant, Gary Murphy, had never seen anything like that little cottage. The walls inside were filled with elaborate, lifelike, and oddly troubling carvings hewn out of black walnut. The three bodies were perfectly preserved albeit thickly covered with dust. Searching the building, they discovered countless bodies of small animals and insects that were likewise untouched by rot or putrefaction. And only those carvings remained free of the dust that filtered through the air and layered itself inside the cottage. Murphy and Simpson could feel the sheer dread and wrongness emanating from inside that cottage, and a strange sense of lassitude. Relief surged through them as they breathed the outside air again. What had happened to those people and Joey, and would it happen again?

Sherrill Wark's horror novel, Graven Images, blends a paranormal police procedural with one of the most shudder-inducing elder gods stories I've run across. Anyone who has ever thrilled to H.P. Lovecraft's tales of the unearthly elder gods, and the legacy of Cthulhu mythos stories spawned by his creations, will instantly feel that rush of excitement as they begin reading this book. There’s even the epic forbidden tome, the Necronomicon, which resides in the library of parapsychologist Rachel Graye, who together with John, her protege, Miranda Jamieson, the niece of Bessie Graham, and fundamentalist minister, Andrew Coleman, are assisting the police in discovering what is killing people in Shaw Falls and how they can avert an impending catastrophe of earth-shattering significance.

Wark's team of characters is superbly put together. Watching them work as a team and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses is a joy. While I'm sometimes wary of starting a new horror book and discovering the same old zombies hiding within its pages, I was awed by the original, exciting and very spooky story lurking behind the title Graven Images. Fans of psychological thrillers, dark fantasy, police procedurals and the literary tradition of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos will no doubt find something in this work that makes them smile and keep on reading. I stayed up all night, unwilling to put the book down until I reached the conclusion -- and it was well worth the lost hours of sleep. I'd love to see the characters I've come to know and admire in future books -- they're just too well developed not to merit at least another outing, another weird and eldritch mystery to unravel. Graven Images is a classy and original horror novel that delivers high intensity shudders, unearthly horrors and non-stop action. It's most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite

Raven’s Peak by Lincoln Cole starts off with a bang and rarely lightens up its drama. The explosive prologue delivers a decidedly necessary orientating mix of intrigue, violence, and “demoness” to introduce the reader properly to the definitively alternate world that he is entering, as well as to encounter two most pivotal characters, one of whom – the self-flagellating Reverend - yet remains only as a motivating background to the remainder of the story. The young woman, Abigail, whom he delivers from possession, remains central. This meaty introduction is followed by another in Chapter One; still intriguing, but much less gritty … for now. Haatim, a bright but emotionally battered young man, is hired by a stranger to investigate a stalker. Sounds conventional enough, except the demons and Abigail are much closer than you think.

Lincoln Cole does a masterful job in Raven’s Peak of developing his demonic version of the world. His more dire explanations for the evil embedded there are consistent and convincing, and one feels comfortable – if that can even be an appropriate feeling here – with suspending disbelief in order to engage more fully. But the author does more than just create a personal demonic version of events; he creates characters whom we care about and root for – one, a bit more heroic than the other. Mr. Cole also has a talent for realistic dialogue and the mundane moments of normal human interactions, some much needed sardonic humor, and many well-thought-out plot developments to keep the reader active in his reading. This book is obviously the first in a proposed series, and Cole has done a proper job of preparing a most intriguing framework for future visits to this literally insane world.

Reviewed by Chris Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Wow! What a read. I just finished the new book by author Miranda Nading. Caliban is a story that will grab readers by the throat from the very start and will keep them obsessively turning the pages all the way through until the very end! Follow the story of Dr. Bobby Reed, a geneticist who has given up his career in order to settle down and raise his family. He believes that he has gotten rid of all traces of his former research, but when he is contacted by a former rival in work, he realizes that he might not have done as good a job as he thought. He needs to work feverishly to try to stop the threat of a virus that only he might prevent. And when an entire town is put under a quarantine, and their sheriff, Mark BaldEagle, starts to uncover the truth of the "flu" that they are encountering, it seems very possible that none of their lives will ever be the same.

I so enjoyed Caliban. Author Miranda Nading has done a fantastic job in creating a gripping story line with characters that readers will connect with, relate to and truly come to care about, thinking of them long after the last pages are read. If that isn't a hallmark of a great author, I'm not sure what is. Any reader who enjoys science fiction, or who is looking for a great work of fiction in general, should absolutely read this book. I highly recommend Caliban and I look forward to reading more from the very promising author, Miranda Nading, as soon as I can!

Reviewed by Lex Allen for Readers' Favorite

In Stage 3 by Ken Stark, a zombie virus has hit the world with a bang and main character, Mason, a misanthrope who survives the initial pandemic by locking himself in his apartment following a horrific airplane incident, finds himself surrounded. Emerging from his hideaway, unaware of the disease that has turned ninety percent of the population into zombies, Mason immediately encounters a few of the infected. He quickly adapts, destroys them, and begins his search for other survivors. He encounters Mack, a young, blind girl mature for her age, who proves the theory that people who suffer a malady of a single sense have heightened abilities in another of the five senses—or six, in this case. Mack is searching for her Aunt Sarah and Mason agrees to help her. But, the odds are long as the aunt, if she survived, is in a far corner of the city and in between are oceans of the walking dead.

There are numerous comparisons between Stage 3 and other zombie apocalypse tales, but it’s the dissimilarities of other zombie tales that put Ken Stark at the top of the zombie author charts. Stark’s monsters are different, a fact evident through explanation of the title approximately one-third into the story. Mason and Mack construct a believable pair of survivors whose interactions and depth of character display the human psyche at its best. Mason’s development, thanks to Mack’s maturity and insight, is a beautifully sculpted and integral part of the story that alone would be worth the read. There’s lots of gore, fighting, and a variety of bad guys (other than the zombies) that keep the action going, the plot thickening, and the pages turning. For me, the constant battles that comprised seventy to eighty percent of each chapter were a bit much, but for zombie fans that’s probably just the right amount. Stark is a master wordsmith. His insight into character development, realistic dialogue, and the right amount and timing of twists that keep the reader reading are second to none. I highly recommend Stage 3 to zombie and horror fans, but also those who enjoy a human story embedded in an action-packed apocalyptic tale.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Abra-Cadaver by Matt Drabble is about Tommy Ross who has a penchant for adventure and magic. Something goes wrong with one of the tricks on The Captivating Cosmo X which his parents had hired for his 12th birthday. What follows is a series of scary adventures, thrills, murders, etc. which sets the tone for the onset of something eerie.

Writing too much about the book would be giving away the plot and losing the suspense. The story is dark with many twists and turns which keep you glued to the mystery. The author has managed to create an enigmatic ambiance which runs silently throughout. The language used and the murders that happen reiterate the gory feeling.

It's not always easy to write horror books without the cliches creeping in. And most of the time in a horror story, the ending and the happenings are always predictable after a couple of chapters. But here the author manages to keep the suspense until the very end. The character of the local magician Albert Trotter is another eerie one which adds to the suspense and changes the tone of the story.

Abra-Cadaver throws a new light on magicians. It is frightening to think that magicians can actually misuse their magical skills and terrify people. You start looking at them with a different eye, doubting their magical powers.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Wicked Prayers by S.D. Moore is a horror story with a little extra added. Elizabeth Holly has been abducted by Old Man Wilson. She is pregnant and it is down to her family to save her and her child. Julia, her daughter, thinks there is more to the abduction than first thought when she lays eyes on her new brother’s “evil” face. Evil grows and builds up an army of creatures to command and it is down to the folk of Autumnstown to band together and fight against Evil, fight against all manner of weird and terrifying creatures. Can they succeed or will Autumnstown fall and become part of the legend of Evil?

Wicked Prayers by S.D. Moore is an outstanding story. It is packed full of suspense and horror, with some truly frightening moments in it. It really is very vivid in its descriptions, allowing any reader to see the story as they read it – try not to read it last thing at night! I read the entire book from cover to cover in one sitting; it wasn’t possible to put it down without wondering what was going to happen next and picking it up again, “just to read a couple more pages!” The story starts quickly, and is action all the way. The character development is in depth and the story itself is a real mixture of horror, suspense, and even comedy, making it a great read, and a great introduction to those readers new to the horror genre. Non-stop action, a great story.

Reviewed by Cee-Jay Aurinko for Readers' Favorite

Russ Melrose’s protagonist in his debut novel Jacob’s Odyssey (Dead Dayz Volume 1) is Jacob Henricksen, a fifth grade school teacher with nothing about him that would tell anybody else that he’s an “action hero.” Plagued by the memory in which he had to kill his own brother, Jake makes his way through other people’s backyards to a cabin somewhere in the Wasatch Mountains. While occupying one of many abandoned homes, Jake receives a phone call from a woman who asks for food for her and her daughter. What Jake finds at the woman’s location is another person – a cheerful yoga teacher. When they ask Jake for a favor, Jake doesn’t hesitate to comply. Maybe by helping them, he can make up for what he did to his brother.

According to colorful internet patois, the virus, never named in the book, has already turned most of the human population into "infected," "grays," "zombies," "zeds," or "runners." What sets this post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world apart from most fictitious creations is that in this one, the internet is still up and running. I like how Jake, being a fifth grade school teacher and all, got a chance to use that to his advantage in the novel. For an antagonist, Jake has to contend with an alpha that he refers to as the "Swimmer." The Swimmer quickly becomes Jake's bane, showing up around every corner, smart and calculating. He is a chilling addition to the storyline and a welcome counter plot. Blood-and-guts moments are never very far off, making one fear for the lives of the protagonist and the people he must protect.