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Book Review: Hall-Lore-Ween: Thrice the Fright by Josh Spero, illustrations by TT Hernandez

cover art for Hall-Lore-Ween: Thrice the Fright by Josh Spero

Hall-Lore-Ween: Thrice the Fright, by Josh Spero, illustrations by TT Hernandez

Castle Bridge Media, October 2026

ISBN: 9798994041062

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org |  Amazon.com

 

 

In what’s become a happy Halloween tradition, author Josh Spero returns with his third collection of spooky tales, poems, and illustrations, just in time for Halloween. It’s good, clean Halloween fun for younger readers.

 

As always, the stories are introduced by Jacko, the creepy looking, pumpkin-headed mascot of the series. There are three stories, ranging in length from 40 to 80 pages. The theme is still spooky good, Halloween fun that tends to have somewhat happy endings. Keep in mind, this is oriented to younger readers, so the cheerful finishes (well, relatively cheerful) are good for the intended audience.

 

The first story, “The Collector”, deals with a spate of missing kids in a small town, and the Halloween angle is, goblins of some sort keep showing up. It’s a fun tale, and thankfully, never veers into the ugly side of abduction, a la The Black Phone. This is written for kids, so there is some magic and monsters involved with the disappearances. This one was a good tale.

 

“What Answers Back” didn’t work as well for me. This is a story of a young schoolgirl being picked to join an actual witches’ coven. I think I may just have seen that plot one too many times, and am worn out on it, but other readers will probably like it. The last story, “Three Lantern Pumpkins Farm”, is the best of the bunch, as it contains a good dose of that Halloween ‘”magic” that the series sprinkles throughout its spook-themed, but also very uplifting, stories. This one has a very thoughtful ending that leaves you feeling happy all over.

 

The author did very well with the “cemetery ghost jamboree” in the previous volume of the series, and he does it again with the “Pumpkin Farm” story. This is a story of two kids who go to a fantastical Halloween-themed farm festival every year with their uncle. The fair keeps getting bigger and better, and the ghostly angle works into the story towards the end. It’s a great ending, and the author does a good job keeping the surprise under wraps until the last few pages. This story alone is enough to justify the price of the book.

 

One happy addition to the series: more illustrations! I know I groused about the fact that the last two books usually only had one illustration per story, this time there are two to three per story. Hooray!

 

Bottom line is, it’s as much fun as the last two books. Please keep the tradition going, I’ve grown to look forward to it each year. Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on October 10, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: Whispers in the Dark: Real-life Ghost Encounters and Indian Folklore by Sourav Rana

cover art for Whispers in the Dark by Sourav Rana

Whispers in the Dark: Real-life Ghost Encounters and Indian Folklore, by Sourav Rana

Independently published, 2026

ISBN: 979-8194194773

Available:Illustrated paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

 

 

People that appear to be alive suddenly disappear; strange screams shatter the quiet; spirits wrestle with and attack their victims; dead men march in lines; and shapeshifters wreak havoc. This might sound like what to expect in the latest horror novel, but they are actually part of Sourav Rana’s creative nonfiction ebook.

 

In this spooky collection, Rana describes actual encounters with ghosts and demons in India. The stories focus on lonely rural locations that become terrifying after dark. The threat of danger or actual danger is real, and although some of the stories describe similar experiences, Rana’s brief descriptions of the victims, their situations in life, and the particulars of their environment provide background that supports the authenticity of each story.

 

In addition to the details the victims are able to provide, Rana includes interesting context. We learn about the characteristics of the rural Indian landscape, the variety of occupations there, and the superstitions and religious beliefs of the villagers. We also gain insights on the culture’s folklore.

 

Each story is very brief, usually not more than a page or two, and gets straight to the surprising events while still building some suspense and providing a compact storyline. The end of this chapbook also lists descriptive, informative definitions of Jin, The Ghost Procession, Human Spirits, Raakshas, and Betaal. According to the people in the book, it is not totally unexpected that these entities could show up in everyday life, but they were still shocking to experience.

 

It seems possible that a full-length book could be developed from this version by adding stories, expanding the types of encounters, and perhaps by grouping them and adding more specific information about Indian mythology and Hinduism, with more detailed explanations. It would also be fascinating to find out how prevalent these stories are, if they tend to be connected only to specific parts of India, and if there has been any scientific evidence collected on these occurrences.

 

One thing is for certain, lives are changed when these ordinary people come face to face with what most people have only read about in mythology. They quickly decide not to be out and about after dark following these incidents, they learn that there are sacred boundaries that protect human beings from actual contact with the undead, and their mysterious adventures give credence to ancient beliefs about the thin line between the human and the supernatural.

 

 

Reviewed by Nova Hadley

Posted on October 10, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: From Black Fires Rise: The Vicissitudes, Book 1, by Joseph Sale

cover art for From Black Fires Rise by Joseph Sale

From Black Fires Rise: The Vicissitudes, Book 1, by Joseph Sale

Self-published, October 2026

ISBN: 9798175031677

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

If you thought author Joseph Sale was going to sit back and rest on his laurels after completing his acclaimed Carcosa series, think again. From Black Fires Rise is the start of a new fantasy series, The Vicissitudes, and it’s a real humdinger. The book has all of the excellence that marked the Carcosa books, but takes a different approach to fantasy fiction.

 

In the world of Erethia, Telos is a master thief, sentenced to the harshest prison in the land. After making his escape, (with a bit of help from the gods) he’s focused on fleeing, with the man known as the Warden in hot pursuit. A thief with questionable morals, he finds himself caught up in a larger plot involving the gods: their assistance with his escape comes at a price. The book follows the journey of Telos and the companions he meets along the way as they journey across the land, trying to evade the Warden and at the same time, figure out what exactly the gods expect of them.

 

That’s the bare bones of the story: there’s a good deal more to it, but I don’t want to give away any of the surprises. This is more of a straightforward fantasy series than Carcosa, but, as always with Joseph Sale, he’s taken the genre and created his own additions, making it a world unique to his writing. Instead of using standard races like elves and dwarves, he’s added in theronts, a unique race of human/animal crossbreeds. There is magic of a sort, but it derives from Daimonsblood, a unique fossilized fluid found in the ground. (think dinosaurs and oil, and you’ll get the idea) Sure, there are dragons, and… spaceships? Yes, you read that right, although they are called “sky-chariots” here. This is what makes the land of Erethia one of a kind, the plugging in of new ideas to a familiar genre.

 

Of course, none of that matters without excellent writing, and with this author, that’s par for the course. The book is a fast read, with the pacing being good enough to keep you up at night, just because you “gotta know what happens next”! The supporting characters are good enough to stand on their own merits. The tavern owner Ylia and her gigantic cougar-pet Urrgal are excellent, and the Warden is a fearsome antagonist who keeps the suspense level high, with his single-minded pursuit of Telos. In a way, this book is kind of a “chase” book. While Telos and Ylia are trying to figure out how they fit into things, there is always the specter of the Warden behind them, and he keeps the tension tight throughout the book. It’s worth noting that this is a fantasy book, as opposed to the dark fantasy of the Carcosa series, so this book is a bit light-hearted and has a little more bounce than that series. That shows up in the humorous moments that occasionally pop up. The scene where Ylia gets utterly bombed in a bar was hilarious, and Telos just has a funny way of rubbing the Warden’s face in it whenever he can. Most prisoners would be happy to just escape, but Telos can’t do it without provoking the Warden, and further enraging him. There are even a few scenes that startled me enough to make me jump in my seat a bit (one involving a giant spider), and that is NOT an easy thing for a book to do.

 

Bottom line is, this book is a surefire winner. Fantasy fans, you do not want to miss this one: there isn’t a chance of disappointment. Highly recommended!

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on October 6, 2026 by , Reply
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