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Book Review: The Rogue Mountains by Joshua Tarquinio

The Rogue Mountains by Joshua Tarquinio

Joshua Tarquinio, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-0999240212

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Brothers, Pennsylvania is a small town nestled in the shadow of three tree covered peaks known as The Rogue Mountains.  The main industries are farming and hunting.  Brothers is considered to be the edge of the East, at least since the Events of Pittsburgh, 23 years ago, when the monsters moved in.  Hideous creatures dedicated to tearing humans limb from limb, these beasts live for eating, sleeping and making little monsters.  They have taken over The Rogue Mountains and infested them.

Mt. Fayette is home to The Witch: no one has seen her for years, and no one wants to.  Mt. Liston is where the Cave Worm lives: nobody that wants to stay sane or alive goes there.  Ever.  Devil’s Mountain is where the hunters go to work. They come into town for a week or two to get their thrills and trophies. When they visit, the monster population is pruned back, and the town gets to survive a little longer.  Times are changing though–  humans are not the only hunters these days.

The Rogue Mountains was a pretty good read.  I expected lots of monsters, guns, and general mayhem, and it delivered.  The plot was consistent and the pace flowed along with the action well.  I did think that it was a little long and drawn out. It could have used a little less romantic sub-plot and more action.  The descriptions were well done, and kept me tuned into the environment.  There were a lot of characters, but the author did a good job of making most of them distinctive, with different personalities and goals.  There were occasional typos, but not enough to break the flow of the story.  I really liked the unique situation that was set up at the start, and the author did a good job delivering on the promise.  I have not read any of this author’s work previously. Recommended for adult readers.

Contains: Adult Language, Swearing, Adult Situations, Sex, Suicide.

 

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

Posted on April 27, 2018 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Army of Darkness/Xena Warrior Princess: Forever and a Day by Scott Lobdell, art by Elliot Fernandez

Army of Darkness/Xena Warrior Princess: Forever and a Day by Scott Lobdell, art by Elliot Fernandez

Dynamite Entertainment, 2017

ISBN-13: 9781524103514

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, and comiXology ebook

The Army of Darkness/Xena Warrior Princess: Forever and a Day storyline opens with Xena holding her wounded life companion, Gabrielle, after her army has been destroyed by the ultimate evil. The only recourse she has is to use a page from the Necronomicon that Ash gifted to her to use in a time of ultimate need. Ash heeds the call (I mean, he has no choice since the portal sucks him in, right?). Ash has to put aside his need for some sugar from fellow S-Mart employee Amber until he can solve Xena’s problem, especially when he discovers she doesn’t remember him—over and over again. The problem gets compounded every time Xena uses the sheet to call him back. Ash’s time travel disruptions are damaging the time loop and may destroy it altogether. What is causing the timeline to screw up, and can Xena finally get it together enough to trust this traveler from the future?

I’m a sucker for anything with Xena or Ash. Lobdell is able to keep the tone of the both Xena and Army of Darkness well throughout the entire run. Ash is still the womanizing, chainsaw-wielding fella, and Xena retains her edge and sharp wit. I loved seeing them take verbal potshots at each other. Gabrielle was definitely the voice of reason when they needed it. The artwork was fantastic, too. I read another review that said Xena was too cheesecake, but I really don’t see it.

If you enjoyed any of the other Army of Darkness crossovers, you should pick this up. I enjoyed the hell out of it. What more can I say? Hail to the King, Baby… Recommended.

Contains: some blood, and, of course, Deadites

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

Posted on April 26, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines
Crown, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-0553418330
Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, MP3 CD.

Time travel. Horror. Thriller. Utter weirdness. Peter Clines has it all covered in Paradox Bound. Those who have read The Fold, Cline’s science fiction/horror hit from last year, will be familiar with Cline’s way of introducing grand ideas, wild twists, and memorable characters. Those new to this writer, expect the kitchen sink. His prose is both lean and rich as he tells the story of a young boy who meets a beautiful oddball woman driving a 1920 Model A Ford, searching for the “real” American Dream. This novel could have been a cheesy mess in lesser hands, but Clines weaves genres together tightly, into a frighteningly enjoyable, breathless ride.

Eli Teague meets Harry(Harriet) not once, but twice, in the strange town of Sanders, Maine, where time seems to stand still, and every day is the “good old days” . She rolls up in her Model A with some baddies on her tail. Eli jumps in to try to help but somehow winds up tied to her and making a mess for her to clean up. The faceless men, creatures or humans without faces, are tracking all of the “searchers,” for the physical American Dream(if the readers can suspend disbelief for this, the book will fly by, with plenty of grins and white knuckles), seeking to kill all in their way. These characters are reminiscent of the Gentlemen from the “Hush” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (without the floating part). Harry takes Eli on a cross country trek that also skips through time, for as long as America has been in existence. Think The DaVinci Code on crack, watching National Treasure, edited by horror writers. To say more would give away the many twists and turns of this fun romp. Give Clines a try– he is one of the more exciting writers to pop up in recent memory.

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on April 25, 2018 by , Reply
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