Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Are you a fan of action-packed fantasy stories based on Chinese lore and mythology? If the answer is yes, grab a copy of M in the Demon Realm: Book 1 by Mark William Hammond. Separated at a tender age from her twin during a vicious demon attack, Emma Ricci, an orphan of Asian origin, was adopted by an Italian American couple who raised her as their own in New York City. Now an aspiring fashion designer, Emma finds herself thrust into an ancient war when she is attacked by demons from hell, resulting in the death of her boyfriend and a stint in the ICU. After two Chinese masters reveal her to be a demon killer, Emma, now known as M, must embrace her destiny to fight the monsters from hell and close its gates before all is lost.

Mark William Hammond blends fantasy horror elements with Asian martial arts-inspired action sequences to create an entertaining odyssey you don't want to end. M in the Demon Realm is an adrenaline-fueled ride full of non-stop action and thrills that you can't put down until you've finished reading. The characters have well-defined traits and distinct personalities. This is primarily a plot-driven story where our heroine reluctantly embraces the responsibility to save the world as everything surrounding her seems to devolve into chaos. M is a likable protagonist who you will find easy to root for. I enjoyed this adventure and recommend it to fans of action-packed fantasy stories.

Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers' Favorite

The House of Tongues is a horror story by James Dashner. David Player and his family of four kids made their annual trip to his parents' house in South Carolina. They were enjoying a meal when they heard the doorbell. The family assumed that an aunt had come to visit yet once they opened the door, they found no relative bearing gifts, only a strange man. The stranger was shaking and was visibly distressed so the family tried to find out if he was okay but his words made no sense - he would go from rational to insane like the flip of a switch. David was starting to get freaked out when the stranger shocked everyone by choking on his tongue. The bizarre events that transpired that fateful night turned David's life upside down and made him remember things better left forgotten. Once again, David must confront an unearthly evil to save the ones he loves.

I knew this book was going to be an amazing work of horror, given how talented an author James Dashner is, but I must say he went above and beyond my expectations for The House of Tongues. The uniqueness of the plot kept me glued to the pages and wanting more after each chapter. The many mysteries also fed my curiosity, and I can't believe the amount of creativity that was on display. Another huge positive for me was the chills this book could give me. The hair-raising, goosebump-inducing scares were pure gold. To instill such fear in a reader with words as the only medium to convey a scene is nothing short of extraordinary. James Dashner was able to really convey urgency and suspense using the pacing to great effect and this allowed him to keep the scenes grounded in reality. I prefer horror books that are rooted in reality to a certain degree as they are a lot more terrifying in my opinion. I'm glad to have read such an incredible book and recommend it to fans of the horror genre.

Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers' Favorite

Devilish Dust is a horror novel by the multi-award-winning author Erik Dean. Dust storms are pretty common in Arizona and the authorities have told the public what to do if caught in such a storm. The general public is advised to turn off all their lights and to lock their doors but those precautions are advised not to protect people from the dust storm but rather to keep what lurks in the dust at bay. Only a handful of people have seen the horrors and most believe the stories to be nothing more than an old wives’ tale. State trooper Richard Hickman had an unforgettable encounter with the devils of the storm six years ago and he lost a dear friend that day. Now, all those years later Richard finds himself bracing for another dust storm. He's still shaken by what he had witnessed all those years ago but he has to help as many people as he can before the situation turns dire. Will Richard survive the coming storm? Or will the darkness consume him?

Devilish Dust is a good read and it kept me riveted thanks to its fast-paced action and horror. The horror elements in this book were able to consistently scare the hell out of me and that’s why I loved reading this book. It’s difficult to find a book that can get the heart pounding as much as this one and I must say, Erik Dean did a fantastic job at giving me hair-raising chills. Something else that I liked about this book was how each character’s story was interconnected with other characters. I always appreciate this style of writing because it gives me a different perspective of a scene or scenario. The ripple effect that a character’s actions have on other characters’ scenes also makes the whole experience more enjoyable for me. Overall, I had fun reading Devilish Dust and have no problem recommending this book to lovers of the horror genre.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Underground Moon is a work of fiction in the urban fantasy and adventure subgenres. It is intended for the young adult reading audience but does come with a content warning for suicide and some moderate explicit language. It was penned by author Melissa K. Magner. Set in Tennessee, we find ourselves with protagonist Rosella Gill, a fifteen-year-old who is new to the area and living with her aunt after a family trauma. Looking after her younger sister Hettie and adjusting to life in a new state is hard enough, but when the girls discover a chilling forest and a dark secret at work, life becomes all the more sinister.

It can be challenging to hit the mark between suspenseful and shocking for the YA market, but author Melissa K. Magner has crafted a superb balance in this novel that will satisfy both teen and adult readers at once. I loved how the heavier subject matter was dealt with delicately but clearly, and an ethereal dark fantasy atmosphere placed around it softens the blow of some of the more terrifying aspects nicely. The work was also beautifully penned and emotionally resonant in terms of its characters and craftsmanship, with realistic dialogue and unique voices for the central players that made them so relatable. Rosella embodies a realistically mature coming of age under extraordinary dark circumstances and readers are sure to feel deeply for her and her sister as the story unfolds. Overall, The Underground Moon is a triumph in dark, thrilling fantasy, and a must-read whether you’re a YA reader or not.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Shifter is a work of fiction in the horror, thriller, and paranormal fiction subgenres, and it serves as the second installment in the Healer Chronicles series. The novel is intended for the mature young adult readership owing to some moderate explicit language and violent horror situations and was written by Michael J Bowler. The story of wheelchair-bound healer Alex continues as he tries to bond with his twin brother Andy, even under the most trying circumstances when the lads are captured by the U.S. military. As their unique supernatural talents grow into something with devastating capabilities, they also find a dark conspiracy lurking in a Nevada Air Force base that could change the world as they know it.

One of the key factors for any young adult book is holding onto readers and keeping them racing through your tale, chapter after chapter, and Michael J Bowler certainly knows how to keep readers on the hook. The pacing of this novel is cleverly arranged so that there’s always a surprise around the corner and a mystery you’ll keep wondering about if you put the book down. Beyond this, the horror elements are well balanced for the target age range and suitably scary, with several tense moments that make you root for the characters to survive. I also really enjoyed the diverse representation of differently-abled characters who approach problems in unique but relatable ways. Shifter is a fresh take on YA horror that will surprise and delight anyone who reads it.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers by Christy J. Breedlove is the second book in the series. Jory Pike knows a thing or two about dreams after she and her friends ended up trapped in a world of nightmares within her dreamcatcher. Ever since they made it back in one piece, Jory and her friends have created The Badlands Paranormal Society with the hope that their new skills will prove profitable and help people who want their homes cleansed. Jory learned the hard way what dreamcatchers are capable of and how dangerous the world within can be, but when she needs to return to the world again, she'll need her worst nightmare to do so and maybe a little help from friends who travel into the world with her. It's all part of the plan until things spiral out of control. To get out, Jory and her friends must navigate between those trapped and the monsters that call that world home.

An exciting follow-up to Christy J. Breedlove's Web World, Screamcatcher takes Jory and her friends back into the nightmare world within the dreamcatcher. Breedlove has created a truly unique world within the dreamcatcher which is reminiscent of Alice going through the looking glass into the mad world of Wonderland. The Web World stems from Native American mythology which is a breath of fresh air and delivers a unique concept of literally stepping into a dreamcatcher. Screamcatcher adds to the greater mythology of the story and of the Web World by delving more into the souls trapped there by their own nightmares and shows details of the world that are beautiful and dangerous. The friends have complex connections between them which add an extra layer to the story with tension and romance through the attraction between Choice and Jory, and the friction between Darcy and Neenah. Their return to the Web World puts them back against the monsters and spirits which push them to new limits and force them to face their own strengths if they're to return home. Breedlove flawlessly weaves humor throughout the action and danger of the Web World via the dialogue and connections between the characters. Screamcatcher is a fun read as Christy J. Breedlove blends together a nice mix of action, humor, mythology, and nightmares.

Reviewed by Stefan Vucak for Readers' Favorite

She wakes up at night on a small lawn, not knowing who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Hungry, craving meat, she wanders the streets, enjoying the smells of cooking food. In an alley, she spots a young man and hunger overcomes her. He yells at her, calling her Alex, saying he is Max, and why doesn’t she recognize him? Before he can run, she jumps on him and sinks her teeth into his throat. He hits her and when she wakes, she finds herself in a hospital, tied up. Max talks to her, but she cannot answer, unable to speak coherently. All she wants to do is bite him. When the police come, Max tells them she is Alex Jordan, sixteen. Her parents arrive and take her home. The next morning, she wakes up starving. Was she a vampire? But she did not burst into flame when the sun touched her. At her parents’ rental house, she is attacked by some shaggy-haired creature, and Alex thought she recognized him...

In The Dead Life, Matthew Sprosty presents an emotion-driven story that could have been taken straight out of the X-Files. It is a mystery that will have readers turning the pages, eager to find what happens next as Alex struggles to remember her past, wondering about her future, and what she has become. Her only attachment to reality is Max, but he harbors a dark secret, and she is not sure he actually cares for her. Her parents fight among themselves, and Alex feels all alone in the world. In The Dead Life, Sprosty spins a subtle web around Alex with a beautifully crafted narrative that will allow readers to live in her head, enchanted and mesmerized by the unfolding events. A surprising debut novel that will leave readers deeply satisfied.

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

Our favorite fake-British accented Chicagoan is back in a gripping new adventure in JB Michaels' The Horde. Bud, Maeve, and Ivy may have bitten off more than they can chew. They thought things were improving after their showdown with the Vestal Virgin, that things would get better. They could not have been more wrong. They had been warned of the growing darkness, the possibility that someone was spearheading this movement. But they had never realized the extent of the issue, that everything they had been doing was simply treating the symptoms. Now it is time to face the disease head-on, the organization responsible for unleashing the evil they had spent their lives battling. But things are never easy, those responsible are protected. To get to the source, you sometimes have to cull the horde, or at least outrun them long enough to survive.

JB Michaels' The Horde is book 6 in the Chronicles of the Order Series. I have had the pleasure of reading some of the other books in this series and I can honestly say the books keep getting better, not only through the plot and character evolution but as the author hones their own skill. I loved Bud's character from the moment he first appeared on the page; he is amusing, brilliant, and intelligent as well as being perfectly balanced and complemented by those he keeps company with. The characters are bursting with personality and flair. Careful scene-setting and plot advancement lead to a heightened sense of tension throughout the story's unfolding while action, humor, drama, and danger drive the fast-paced plot forward, hooking the reader right from the start as wave after wave of danger is placed in our characters' paths. Can they survive the horde, or is the world they know destined to fall to evil?

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

Surviving in a zombie apocalypse, three teenage vampires face a new threat in the exciting young adult urban fantasy Feasters: An Apocalyptic Tale by Solomon Petchers. Vampires Kieran, Emily, and Andrew witness the carnage of their families, friends, and neighbors. An unknown viral mutation infected the residents of their town, transforming them into Feasters: flesh-eating monsters. Rarely crossing paths with non-infected humans, the three struggle to survive in this Feaster-invaded world. When Kieran spies a light flashing in a window in a house across town, he, Emily, and Andrew go to investigate the source. There they find a large group of Feasters descending on the residence. After dispatching the monsters, they discover the man they rescued is a doctor famous for his medical research. Feeling something is off, Kieran, Emily, and Andrew depart as soon as darkness returns. The following night, Andrew disappears, and the evidence points to the doctor as his abductor. What is the doctor cooking up in his lab? And why does he need a vampire to do it?

Exciting and action-packed, Feasters: An Apocalyptic Tale by Solomon Petchers is the perfect horror story for YA readers. The plight of the courageous adolescent characters captures the imagination from the very start. The engaging plot and suspenseful storyline contain life-threatening scenes filled with zombies and immoral villains that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The backdrop of an urban neighborhood is the ideal setting to increase the horror, intensity, and realism of the protagonists' dire circumstances. Dramatic and engaging, it is a thrilling tale that is certain to delight everyone from young adults upward, especially those who enjoy apocalyptic urban fantasies.

Reviewed by Edilyn Trinidad for Readers' Favorite

Susan McCauley’s The Devil’s Tree is a terrifying tale that follows Kaitlyn and Dylan. Despite her misgivings and general disbelief in the supernatural, Kaitlyn was convinced to go on an adventure with her boyfriend Hunter and friends Dylan and Keisha. Unfortunately for the group, there are things better left unknown and this cost them the lives of two of their friends. But even death is not the end as both Dylan and Kaitlyn were haunted by their friends' spirits begging for help. This story is not just a cautionary tale about respecting unseen forces but also tackles the grim reality a lot of youngsters have to face daily. It is also about facing one’s fears. The Devil’s Tree is a gripping page-turner that will surely capture the reader’s imagination!

I loved The Devil’s Tree by Susan McCauley! It’s not just a horror story but also about some social issues that still exist even to this day. Kaitlyn's and Dylan’s characters are not the typical shallow teenagers in horror flicks but have depth and complexities. I’m sure a lot of people will be able to relate to their struggles. This story is ripe with history and terrifying encounters with the supernatural. In this modern world, it is easy to ignore older people’s stories as superstition, but The Devil’s Tree will make you wonder where we go when we die. Just don’t make the mistake I made of reading this at night! It’s a page-turner that I finished in one sitting but it resulted in a sleepless night. Horror fans will definitely love this one!