PAGES TORN FROM A TRAVEL JOURNAL by Edward Lee

I had the pleasure of reading a few of Edward Lee’s books this past year, but I had not read any of his Lovecraftian books until I read Pages Torn from a Travel Journal. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one, but based on other books I’ve read by Edward Lee, I had a feeling there would be plenty of sex, violence, and quality writing. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s a hot summer day in the mountains of Virginia during the Great Depression. A bus travelling through the area breaks down and all the passengers disembark. Soon they learn they are stranded in this remote backwoods area for the night. Some decide to go stay at an over-priced hotel. Some decide to sleep on the bus. But three—Howard, Nate the mechanic, and the bus driver—have the good fortune to attend the nearby O’Slaughnassey’s Travelling Show. Approaching the carnival with eager expectations, the night quickly descends into madness, mayhem, and the macabre. Howard’s fantastical writings have not prepared him for the weirdness he is about to encounter this night.

The book is written as journal entries from the main character’s point of view. While the main character is only identified as “Howard,” there is no doubt he is none other than H.P. Lovecraft. Written in a style similar to the real-life Lovecraft, this book had me turning the pages late into the night. While Lee’s books are definitely not for everyone, this book is a treat for his fans. The description on the product page is spot-on: “A novella of the most debauched, degenerate evil.” This one is full of sex, violence, and the weird. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Pages Torn from a Travel Journal is a limited edition release of 300 signed and number copies from Bloodletting Press. It’s a must-have for any Edward Lee fan.

Winner of THE GREEN DAWN

I don't have much time today, so I'm just going to cut to the chase. The winner of an e-copy of The Green Dawn by Justice and Wilbanks is...

Darkeva!!!

You have five days to contact me to claim your prize, at which time if it's unclaimed I will draw a new winner. Send me an e-mail to bookhound78 (at) live (dot) com and state which format (Kindle, Nook, etc.) you prefer.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and thanks to David for doing the interview!

An Interview with David T. Wilbanks

I’m proud to have author David T. Wilbanks as guest here at Bookhound’s Den. David is a published genre author who lives in the currently-frozen state of Minnesota. He is the co-author of the Dead Earth series with Mark Justice and is co-editor with Craig Clarke of the recently released e-book Living After Midnight. David also runs a book review blog, Page Horrific, and publishes other people’s work with Acid Grave Press.

I’ve read the first book in the Dead Earth series (my review of The Green Dawn) and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to give away an e-copy to one lucky person who leaves a comment below by noon on Sunday, January 30th.

Here’s my interview with David…

BH: So who exactly is David T. Wilbanks?

DTW: I’m a dude from Minnesota who makes up stories and sends them out into the world, hoping they’ll find a home—in your brain!

BH: What does the T stand for? Triumphant? Tex?

DTW: I’m named after a city in ancient Turkey apparently. Something to do with a wooden horse.

BH: Who are some of the influences on your writing?

DTW: In some way, all these authors influenced me, for better or worse: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Michael Moorcock, Gene Wolfe, Stephen King and Thomas Ligotti. And hell, let’s throw in Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K. Dick while we’re at it.

BH: It seems like music is a big part of your life. You’re about to be exiled to Siberia; what five albums are you taking with you?

DTW:   Devo: Q: Are We Not Men?
            Beatles: Rubber Soul
            Judas Priest: Screaming for Vengeance
            Claudio Arrau: Chopin Nocturnes
            Gunter Wand/NDR-Sinfonieorchester: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

BH: What’s it like living in Minnesota? How the hell do you deal with the cold? Do you hibernate?

DTW: Yeah, it gets cold here in the winter but I’ve gotten to where I don’t notice weather much. Dressing for it is half the battle.

BH: How did the Dead Earth series come into existence? Why more zombies?

DTW: I say, why not more zombies? Lots of people who don’t know better like to draw a line in time and say this zombie thing is over as of now, but I don’t see it happening yet. Besides, Dead Earth is so much more than zombies and will be expanding into new territory as the series grows.

BH: Seems like you’re a pretty busy guy. What projects do you have going on now?

DTW: Folks can head on over to their favorite online book store and pick up the first two Dead Earth books: The Green Dawn and The Vengeance Road. There’s also an e-book anthology called Living After Midnight which I co-edited and snuck a story into; I’m a bad boy. Mark Justice and I are working on the third Dead Earth book and I always have new ideas popping into my skull. I’m going to turn those ideas into books.

*********************

Many thanks again to David for taking the time to do this interview! Now, go buy his books and make him a happy guy…

THE SUMMONER by Layton Green

The Summoner by Layton Green is the first book in the Dominic Grey series. Green was a practicing attorney for nearly a decade and has traveled the world over. He also has a lifelong interest in religions and cults and fifteen years of Japanese Jujitsu training. Combine all of these things together and you have the birth of the character Dominic Grey.

Life in modern-day Zimbabwe is more than difficult. Corrupt politicians, poor government, thugs, and superstitious religious beliefs are just some of the problems. When a former U.S. diplomat goes missing, Dominic Grey is given the task to investigate the disappearance. However, the deeper Grey digs the more mystery he finds shrouding the disappearance. As the questions pile up, Grey and his government-assigned chaperone find themselves spiraling down into the world of an obscure religious cult whose roots date back thousands of years. Soon, Grey finds himself in a race against time in a matter of life and death.

This book was a bit different than my usual reading material. It didn’t take long to see that Green is a competent and more-than-capable writer from a technical standpoint. For the first third of the book I didn’t really connect with the characters; however, after that point it seems Green begins to come into his own and he not only nails the technical aspects of writing, he also gets the reader feeling for his characters. Dominic Grey is an interesting protagonist who turns out to be much more complex than he first seems.

The book was nicely formatted with very few minor errors. Green clearly has spent a large amount of time learning the intricacies of the political and religious systems in Zimbabwe. This thriller calls to mind such series as Jason Bourne and Indiana Jones, with supernatural/religious overtones thrown in. I recommend The Summoner to anyone looking for a suspense-filled journey into a unique—and at times, terrifying—culture that’ll keep you guessing. Personally, I look forward to reading about more of Dominic Grey’s adventures.

William Meikle's Blog Crawl: An Interview

I'm honored that Bookhound's Den is a stop on William Meikle's Blog Crawl. Meikle is a prolific author, having ten novels published and over 130 stories published in twelve countries and eight languages. Meikle's writing is fun and imaginative, and while he is coined as a "pulp" writer, don't let that fool you. The man knows how to write and how to tell an intriguing story. I recently read and reviewed his novelette, Abominable, and loved it. I can't wait to tackle more from his immense collection of e-books he's had published. For more information about William Meikle, stop by his site.

Make sure you read to the end of the interview to enter for your chance to win Kindle—yes, I said a Kindle—filled with Meikle's e-books.

Question: Your work is less concerned with street and corporate crime than most other Scottish crime fiction. Have the recent boom years of police procedural, forensic science and Noir novels affected you as a writer of darker stories?

Answer: Only to the extent that everything is grist to the mill. I do read widely, both in the crime and horror genres, but my crime fiction in particular keeps returning to older, pulpier, bases. My series character, Glasgow PI Derek Adams, is a Bogart and Chandler fan, and it is the movies and Americana of the '40s that I find a lot of my inspiration for him, rather than in the modern procedural. Paradoxically, forensics and noir have affected my horror fiction more than my crime fiction, helped along by my background in Biological Science.
 
Question: In your work it is the atmosphere of danger as an impersonal presence that creates suspense. Is that harder to maintain than giving it a human form and having a detective investigate psychological motivation as a means of creating order from chaos?
 
Answer: I believe the opposite is true. A monster is often just that - monstrous, unknown and unknowable. Maintaining a distance from what people understand as real life is the hard bit, but no harder than trying to make readers understand a criminal/murderer whose thought patterns are far away from their own. As I said, a dark unknown is sometimes easier, as everyone has their own fears and phobias that they can project onto an unseen, impersonal presence.
 
Question: Your Watchers trilogy is written in the tradition of the Arthurian legend and your three books about Glasgow PI Derek Adams could be read as a tribute to Raymond Chandler. Ever since the opening scene of The Big Sleep Philip Marlowe and his disciples have been seen as latter day knights in shining armour. Seen in that light, is your genre transition less surprising than it might seem to some readers of traditional crime fiction?


Answer: It's all about the struggle of the dark against the light. The time and place, and the way it plays out is in some ways secondary to that. And when you're dealing with archetypes, there's only so many to go around, and it's not surprising that the same concepts of death and betrayal, love and loss, turn up wherever, and whenever, the story is placed.

Plus, there are antecedents - occult detectives who may seem to use the trappings of crime solvers, but get involved in the supernatural. William Hjortsberg's Falling Angel (the book that led to the movie Angel Heart) is a fine example, an expert blending of gumshoe and deviltry that is one of my favorite books. Likewise, in the movies, we have cops facing a demon in Denzel Washington's Fallen that plays like a police procedural taken to a very dark place.

And even further back, in the "gentleman detective" era, we have seekers of truth in occult cases in John Silence and Carnacki. Even Holmes himself came close to supernatural conclusions at times.

I've recently explored this for myself, in the Midnight Eye Files stories, in a series of Carnacki stories, and I even got a chance to have Holmes fight a Necromancer in Edinburgh in an anthology appearance in Gaslight Grotesque. It seems there is quite a market for this kind of merging of crime and supernatural, and I intend to write a lot more of it.


Question: Though the theme of darkness comes in strange and shifting shapes, the notion of a complex personality with one or more dark sides is comfortably at home in Scottish Gothic literature. Are you inspired by the works of James Hogg and Robert Louis Stevenson?
 
Answer: Stevenson in particular is a big influence. He is a master of plotting, and of putting innocents into situations far out of their usual comfort zones while still maintaining a grounding in their previous, calmer, reality. His way with a loveable rogue in Treasure Island and Kidnapped in particular is also a big influence. Other Scottish writers who have influenced me include John Buchan, Iain Banks and, more in my youth than now, Alistair MacLean and Nigel Tranter. From them I learned how to use the scope of both the Scottish landscape and its history while still keeping the characters alive.

Question: You have had over 130 stories published in eight languages and your fiction seems to sell abroad as well as at home. As for the success of your fellow Scottish crime writers, the reasons for their internationally acclaimed work might be a contemporary setting and local flavour. Where does your work find its widest audience?
 
Answer: I'd love to be better known in Scotland, but the sad truth is that the big markets are in the States, and that's where I find most of my readers. My readership is generally in the fantasy and horror fields, not really known as a big draw in Scotland. That said, I've sold several short crime stories to The Weekly News which is still widely read. My Grannies would have been proud of me.

Question: A writer with a shared interest in fantasy and horror fiction is Stephen King. After many experiments in various genres he seems to have most fun where his imagination finds the least number of formal restrictions. Is that the genre's appeal for you, too?
 
Answer: It's pulp fiction that interests me, and I find that it crosses many genres almost seamlessly. I rarely think about "genre" anyway. I write what I want to write and leave marketing labels to the publishers. That said, there -is- indeed a freedom in writing about the supernatural where, instead of having a man come in with a gun to get the scene moving, you can have any manner of things going on as long as you can explain them away to the reader's satisfaction. The verisimilitude matters though -- the reader has to -believe-, and that can be difficult to pull off.

************************
 
To enter for a chance to win a Kindle filled with William Meikle's e-books, simply leave a comment below. At the end of February Mr. Meikle will have a drawing from all eligible entries from his Blog Crawl (of which this post is one stop along the way). For more details, see Mr. Meikle's blog.

Winner of AS I EMBRACE MY JAGGED EDGES

First off, I want to thank Lee for being a great sport and writing a guest post for my blog. I really appreciate it! He's a great guy; make sure you check out his work! And second, thank you to everyone that stopped by and read/commented on Lee's post. I hope you'll come back later and find something useful around here.

Now, according to my count there were 12 comments eligible for a copy of Lee's e-book. I went to Random.org to generate a number for the winner. And that winner is...

Bec!!!

Contact me with your e-mail address you would like me to send the book to. If I don't hear anything within five days, I'll draw another name.

Make sure you stop by and check out tomorrow's guest...you'll be in for a treat!

ABOMINABLE by William Meikle

This past weekend I was looking for something quick and fun to read. Something of my choosing that I wanted to simply enjoy and not have to worry about writing a review for (and yes, this is a review, but one of my choice, not because I was asked to read the book) or proofing for errors. So as I was browsing Amazon to find something to fit the bill I came across William Meikle’s novelette, Abominable. After reading the description and glancing at the reviews, I quickly started to read it. And boy, am I glad I decided on this one!

Abominable recounts the doomed ascent of Mount Everest by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Set in the 1920s, one man’s desire to be the first to ascend Mount Everest drives him to push himself and his team to the brink. However, as they near their destination, they begin to discover signs that indicate they are not alone in this remote, desolate region of the world. Fear overcomes the camp, and soon they will encounter something that is simply…abominable.

I’m not going to lie: I flat out had fun reading this story. Meikle’s writing is smooth and the story flows nicely throughout. I was sucked in from the first couple of pages and couldn’t stop reading. While Meikle is known as a writer of “pulp,” don’t be fooled. He is a very talented wordsmith and a most-capable storyteller. The formatting was nice in this e-book, with no real issues that I came across. My biggest complaint is the story is too short! It’s the type of story you don’t want to see end and Meikle’s writing keeps the reader wanting more.

At the end of the year last year I said Meikle is the author I most look forward to reading more of in this new year. This book simply solidifies my desire.

Guest Blogger: Author Lee Thompson

It is with tremendous pleasure I present to you the first-ever guest blogger here at Bookhound's Den: author Lee Thompson. Lee started selling his work last year and recently his novelette, As I Embrace My Jagged Edges, was published as an e-book and should be available as a deluxe hardcover in February. I recently reviewed this startlingly powerful work and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a well-told story. Make sure you watch out for Lee's work in the future because I expect a lot of good things from him.

And now, here's Lee:

Big thanks to Neal for allowing me to spray dribble on his blog. I’ll try to avoid being tedious.
I’m happier than I can express that readers are enjoying the hell out of AS I EMBRACE MY JAGGED EDGES. (http://sideshowpressonline.com/?page_id=4&category=7&product_id=26)

That story has been through a number of frustrating drafts. When I’d first written it, the timing wasn’t right. I wasn’t right, or ready. I’m a firm believer that authors can try to tell stories too soon and the consequences are cruel. It’s hard not to rush, hell, with anything. We want people to read our latest work Right Now.

Finding others who love a well-crafted tale always thrills me—whether they’re in it solely for entertainment/as an escape from the sad monotony of everyday life, or if they want fiction to enlighten them and make them think, or both. When something moves us and our brains taste some small amount of magic, we end up wanting to share it with others in hope that they’ll experience that feeling as well. It’s a wonderful thing to see—one of my favorite parts of human nature and an example of really connecting with others.

I think I write weird. I’m definitely NOT big on being linear, or easy to understand. But looking at the WHY, I see it. I’ve been walking into writing from a different direction; a realization I’ve had recently and one I’ve come to appreciate.

Life Experience bleeds into The Work. A hell of a lot of it. Over the past year, as I’ve started finding my voice, I see how many things that are separate from writing, which came long before it for me, influence how I approach stories.

I’ve played guitar for a number of years (classical, blues, rock, rockabilly, folk, progressive) and when I sit down to create a story my brain automatically jumps to rhythm, harmony, phrasing, hooks, structure, and progressions. It’s been a revelation. And with martial arts (Jeet Kune Do) I embrace Bruce Lee’s philosophy to take from everything: the boxing arts, the kicking arts, the grappling arts, to be better-rounded and one step ahead of the opponent; to use rudiments until they’re second nature, to parry and attack simultaneously, to condition, feint, stop-hit, misdirect, use combinations, and sidestep.

This is how I write. I take from what I know, what I’ve been passionate about, and find ways to use the ideas in composing something new. On the surface I really have no idea what I’m doing when I approach a story. A lot of it is pure subconscious and training in music and martial arts that has wired my brain a certain way. What a revelation.

I imagine a lot of ‘creative types’ will read this. Find out what influences you, and your creations—what came long before the latest project. Hell, before the first project.

Even if you’re not creative, you can look back over your life, and learn what you’re good at.

Once you’re aware of them, use those strengths.


Blog: http://alongthispathsodarkly.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lee-Thompsons-Scary-and-Slightly-Sad-Stories/113352152049331

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LeeThompson

**************
 
Please leave a comment by 12:00 p.m. January 20th to be entered for a chance to win an e-book copy of Lee's As I Embrace My Jagged Edges. I'll draw one lucky winner from those who leave a comment. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.

In All Seriousness

The post below was a bit of fun for me and hopefully gave one or two of you a small laugh. Or maybe it's just me that has an unhealthy fascination with woodchucks.

Anyway, I want to give you quick look ahead of what I've got coming up next week since it'll be quiet around here this weekend due to me travelling. I'll have two book reviews that I'll be posting, The Summoner by Layton Green (not yet finished) and Abominable by William Meikle (just finished it and loved it). I'll also have two guest blog posts next week from authors and along with each of the guest posts I'll be giving away an e-copy of one of the author's books. So make sure you tune in next week for your chance to win a free e-book!

Interview with Woody

I’m pleased to offer you the first-ever interview for Bookhound’s Den—okay, maybe pleased is a bit of an overstatement. Oh, who am I kidding? The interview is crap. I’ve never conducted an interview and I don’t seem to possess the natural ability that Misty Baker does. And I’ll be honest: my interviewee was not the best choice. But I really dug the commercial he was in and thought he’d be interesting to talk with. Turns out he’s pretty much a prick. Hindsight’s 20-20, I guess. I wouldn’t post it, but I don’t have anything else to post and I don’t want to leave you hanging over the weekend since I’ll be out of town.

Without further ado, I give you my interview with Woody the woodchuck:

Me: It’s nice to have this opportunity to talk with you. I love your work!

Woody: Yeah, that’s nice. Can we hurry up and get this over? I’ve got some important things to do.

Me: Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry. So, tell me a little about yourself.

Woody: I’m a woodchuck. What the hell am I supposed to tell you? I play in the water and I chuck wood.

Me: Is it true that your species is also referred to as "groundhog" and "whistle pig"?

Woody: Is it true that you're a jackass?

Me: Ah, okay. So…um…you started doing commercials. Do you have any plans to pursue an acting career?

Woody: Acting? Who was acting? That crazy old guy’s wife caught me and my brother chucking his wood with one of those new video-recording gadget thingies. I still haven’t seen a cent from those commercials. I’m thinking about suing that insurance company. But it’s hard to find representation when you walk on four legs and are covered in fur.

Me: So you really go around chucking people’s wood?

Woody: Duh! Of course I do. It’s pretty fun. Everyone needs a hobby. Besides, it pisses the old guy off. We get a kick out of that.

Me: I see. Well, this interview hasn’t gone exactly the way I expected.

Woody: What tipped you off, Einstein?

Me: Okay… Well, do you have anything to do with Woodchuck Cider?

Woody: Are you serious? What’s with you, man? Don’t you do any research?

Me: Sorry, man. Er, I mean woodchuck. I mean…

Woody: Yeah, I get your drift. You’re just like all the other humans. You think we’re at the bottom of the food chain and we’re dumb little critters that are a nuisance. Well, you know what? We are a nuisance! But it’s not because we’re dumb; it’s because we want to make your life a living hell! You better keep an eye on your woodpile this winter; you might just wake up one morning to find it all in the nearest pond. I’m through with this so-called “interview”!

At this point in the interview, Woody the woodchuck hopped off the wood stool he was sitting on and chucked it across the room at me. I’m doing okay now; I only needed 14 stiches. Who knew woodchucks were such ornery creatures?

A Quick Update

I don’t have a book review ready and it may be a few days before I finish the next book I’m reading for review. But I want to give you a quick update on a couple things going on.

First, today marks the official launch day for Debbi Mack’s new book, Least Wanted. This is the follow-up to her breakout first novel, Identity Crisis. If you enjoy hardboiled crime novels, make sure you check this one out because the heroine in this series will have you coming back for more. And with both of these books priced at $0.99 for a limited time, they’re a steal! For more info on each of these books, check out my review of Least Wanted and my review of Identity Crisis.

Second, Scott Nicholson’s new novella, Crime Beat, is now live at Amazon and is also available for the Nook and at Smashwords. I had the pleasure of proofing this one and it’s a blast to read. Witty and entertaining throughout, it had me staying up late into the night to finish it. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this treat.

I’m not sure if I’ll have a new review up before the weekend; if not, it’ll be sometime next week before one will be up. There’s a nasty rumor going around that it’s my birthday next Monday and my wife has something planned for the weekend that she won’t tell me about. All I know is that we’ll be travelling, so that means I won’t have much time for writing reviews. In the meantime, take care and snag a copy of these great books while they’re cheap!

AS I EMBRACE MY JAGGED EDGES by Lee Thompson

Lee Thompson* first sold his stories this past year and his work has appeared in a number of places. His novelette, As I Embrace My Jagged Edges from Sideshow Press, is the first of his work that I’ve read. I went into this one not knowing what to expect but came away with my mouth hanging open.

Boaz’s family has a legacy to uphold. They are the latest in a long line of those entrusted to protect a sacred relic: a bronze shard from the fabled Temple of Solomon. Constantly moving around, they never settle in one place for long and are always in danger from those who want to get their hands on the powerful relic. One day Boaz’s uncle, Jack, is found dead with his throat sliced open. Not only have they been discovered, but the one person who understands and accepts Boaz is dead. Now Boaz must face not only his inner turmoil alone, but he also must make a stand against the dark forces seeking the shard.

I was amazed to find that I could be so affected by such a small work of fiction. Thompson’s writing can only be described as beautiful, passionate, and emotional. Though he just recently began selling his work, his writing displays a maturity of a much more seasoned author. He crafted a truly engaging story that left this reader wanting more. Keep an eye on Lee Thompson; he has a bright future and will be an author to be reckoned with.

Reminiscent of Tom Piccirilli’s style, if you enjoy a raw, put-it-all-out-there type of storytelling, As I Embrace My Jagged Edges is for you. Also available from Thompson is Before Leonora Wakes.

*Thompson is a co-reviewer for The Bag and The Crow with me.

Book Reviews Are Now Indexed

Just want to bring it to your attention that there's now a tab at the top of the page titled "Book Reviews." This is an alphabetical (by the author's last name) index of all my book reviews for this blog. Hopefully this will make older reviews easier to find. As I add reviews, I'll update the index.

Let me know if you find any links that don't work properly.

"Die Already" by Kipp Poe Speicher

“Die Already” is a short story by Kipp Poe Speicher. It’s about a man with the unique ability to keep things alive—whether he wants to or not. He discovers his remarkable talent as a boy and lives the rest of his life in fear and solitude because he’s afraid of what may happen when he gets too close to other people. However, one day he finds the love of his life and allows himself to open up some—which turns into the biggest mistake of his life.

“Die Already” is a very interesting and creative story. There are a few typos and errors throughout, but nothing that majorly distracts the reader. My biggest complaint about the story is that it’s too short. I was just getting into it and it was over! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and hope to read more from Speicher in the future.

The Kindle edition includes a bonus partial short story by Tom Raimbault and an interview with Mr. Raimbault. Priced at $0.99, I recommend “Die Already” for an interesting, quick read.

TERRORLORD by Guido Henkel

Terrorlord by Guido Henkel is the first book I’ve read in the Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter series. This is actually the ninth book in the series, but they are written as such that you can pretty much read them as standalone books.

What happens when all Hell breaks loose? Ghost hunter Jason Dark and his friends are about to find out as the Terrorlord attempts to open the Seven Gates of Hell in Victorian England. With the help of his human pawn, the Terrorlord begins to unleash the minions of Hell and initiates his quest to take over the world. Jason Dark starts to put the pieces together, but it may be too late. Not only is he fighting the Terrorlord, but his past and its impact on his future looms over him. Jason can’t do this alone; he needs his friends more than ever, but are they ready for the impending showdown with the Terrorlord?

This novella piqued my interest from the opening pages. The mood of imminent danger is appropriately set and the story wastes no time jumping into the action. Fast-paced and fun, this work of pulp horror is pretty much all that any fan can ask for. I enjoyed the historical setting of the novella, and the scene at Butcher’s Row is gory and fun. This latest installment is more about Jason’s friends, Siu Lin and Herbert, than it is about Jason. My only complaint is that there are some typos throughout the Kindle edition and, at times, they can be distracting (a couple of times the names of minor characters are not consistent).

I’d recommend Terrorlord to anyone who’s interested in pulp horror and wants a quick, fun read.