Review: Way Down Below

Way Down Below by Nicole Thorn & Sarah Hall

Published November 2, 2016 by CHBB

Review by Terri

4 Stalking Stars

Synopsis:

Ever since Luc Bishop’s brother died, he and his sisters have been hunting his killer. The last thing Luc expected was to meet Shiloh. 

Shiloh Whittaker has spent her entire life trapped by her family’s religious beliefs. When she meets Luc, her entire world is turned upside down. For the last couple of years, Shiloh and her best friend, Faith, have been pulling away from their structured upbringing. 

Then they meet the Bishops, three of many children Lucifer has sired. Shiloh wants nothing to do with them, but finds herself caught up in their lives when their brother’s killer comes back to play. With the killer circling, and Shiloh torn between two desires, she feels more caged than ever. (Goodreads)

Review: 

This was a fun book to read. For the most part, the characters read like they were supposed to; meaning they acted, talked, and lived like new adults do in real life. They weren't looking for any real deep meaning in life. There was no intense save-the-world-prophecy they needed to fulfill. They were just kids, acting like kids. This book is like any YA/NA book with kids who must stand up to oppressive adults, however, these authors added a fun twist by creating three of the characters to be the children of Satan and two of the characters to be daughters of ultra-conservative religious families. I think the authors did a good job presenting the battle of church vs. evil without banging it over the reader's head.

The fast paced plot drew me in from the beginning and pushed me to see how it ended. I liked the dialog and character development of all the characters, both major and minor. If I had any complaints about the book it would be the final battle ended way too fast.

Review by Terri

Review: Secrets of the Slain

Secrets of the Slain by Lindsey Goddard
Published June 14, 2017 by Burning Willow Press
5 Bloodcurling Screams!

Synopsis:

A collection of poetry and short stories created to tantalize your senses and wreak havoc on your mind, each tale further challenging your perception of what reality is and what it is not. Be prepared to see inside of the soul of Lindsey Goddard and share in her “Secrets of the Slain” (Goodreads)

Review:

So many things to like about this book, it is hard to know where to begin. The author hooks me in from the introduction. Perhaps it's because I can relate when she mentions how busy her life is and she has to fit in writing when she can. I love her attitude. She writes short stories and poems because this is easier to feed her muse. Her short stories are strong and vivid, but her poetry is even more so. The emotions she uses to drive her stories are ones all readers can relate to. Two of the stories, "The Running" and "Old Man Stump" appear in this book for the first time anywhere. "The Running" is my favorite of the short stories. It presents a crazy other worldly situation, but the author presents in a great believable way. I felt what her characters felt when I read this story. If I had to pick another story I liked, it would be "Red Mask". It's an emotional heart-wrenching story with a dash of freaky sprinkled in for good measure.  I think "Freak" has the makings of a good series. I finished this in a little over an hour not just because it was shorter than most of the books I read, but because I HAD to keep reading to see how all the other stories ended.

Review by Terri