When Ghosts from the Past Tackle Demons of the Present: Fear Not the Dead is a chilling, spooky ghost story of revenge for both the living and the dead

 

Fear Not the Dead

Brad Ricks

Unveiling Nightmares Ltd, 2024

Ebook, 427 ppg.

ISBN-13: 979-8325595080

Buy link

 

 

Kathryn and Ann are two women who share a traumatic past event from when they were children: Witnessing murders at a Bed & Breakfast called Cardinal Crest Estate. In Ann’s case, her mother was among the people killed. Somehow, she managed to block it out, but as an adult, she is constantly experiencing panic attacks and nightmares related to the past trauma. Unable to heal unless she makes peace with her past along with remembering what happened so that she can come to terms with it, she has been seeing a therapist. Kathryn knows the same therapist, and this therapist soon posits an idea to the two of them: Spend the weekend at Cardinal Crest to help them face what happened in the past. It’s an extreme form of exposure therapy, and the two women struggle with the decision on whether or not they should go. The thing about Cardinal Crest? It’s haunted, and not just by the ghosts of the murder victims!

 

I really enjoyed reading this book. I especially liked how it was written. We get to experience the POV of both Ann and Kathryn, thereby finding out what they know about their pasts, their suspicions about their so-called “therapist” and what they experience at Cardinal Crest. We also get to see what kind of strange phenomena their kids experience while the families are there, and how it affects the women’s progress in trying to come to terms with their past.

 

The hauntings in this story are not overdone and the ghosts which appear are very real. That’s another thing I liked about this book. The hauntings and paranormal activity in the story are all real, making the story all the more scarier. I also appreciated getting some of the characters’ backstory in this novel, so I could understand and witness for myself this terrible trauma that they were both a part of.

 

Two main ghosts pop up in the story a lot – the one of a little girl who drowned at a nearby pond and another of a caretaker who also died on the property. The thing about the little girl ghost is somehow, she doesn’t seem to realize she is dead or a ghost. She is forever remaining a little girl, enjoying little girl things like twirling around in her pretty dress, playing with other kids and swimming in the same pond that she drowned in. (Yeah, I know. I found that odd too! But, hey, at least her ghost does not associate the pond with the trauma of her death.)

 

This story is a study in trauma, and not just a spooky ghost story. As I read it, I kept thinking about how one of the two traumatized individuals managed to move past what she experienced at the B&B, while the other still experiences panic and anxiety from memories she can’t understand or grasp. She blocked out the worst part, and those memories are gone from her for good. But she believes she can try to get those memories back somehow, and feels like she needs to in order to heal.

 

I think our brains block things out for a reason. My oldest blocked out the memory of our lives together when I was divorced from his dad (it was too traumatic for him). Would I want him to get those memories back? No. I do not want him to remember those times that we struggled. They were very traumatic. Part of the reason why I changed things for us. But, I mean, there are reasons why we block things out. Is it better to pull them up again? To remember them? Does it really help us to heal? Or do we experience that trauma all over again, like it’s brand new?

 

That’s just one of the things I was thinking about as I read this novel. I also noticed that there was an event that triggered Ann’s spiral into madness. Her husband, Jim, is loyal, loving and understanding, but baffled about why this is happening. I’m glad he at least stays with her and helps her through this nightmare, whatever it is. She knows it’s connected to her stay at Cardinal Crest. I guess in a way, going back would make sense, if she is trying to understand what exactly happened that traumatized her so much. (Trauma is a funny thing. Not “ha-ha” funny, but weird funny. Trauma can last for a long time without us realizing that we still have it.)  

 

There is another thing about this story that I noticed, something that rings true of all haunted house cases: Anytime there is trauma, anger, negativity, weaknesses and nefarious murder plots brewing in a location that is haunted, it can sort of “trigger” the haunting. It can also make the paranormal activity worse! This is because ghosts feed on things like anger and fear. These emotions sort of empower them and make their presence all the more realistic. With everything that happens while the families are there, it’s no surprise that the ghosts haunting this place are riled up and become more active.

 

Reading both the backstory and the present-day story really helped me to enjoy the full scope of the whole story. Brad Ricks writes the backstory really well, where it doesn’t interfere with the reading experience. These chapters are just as detailed and well-written as the others. (If you’re curious, Brad wrote a guest post for the SPARREW Newsletter on tips for writing backstory here.) Also, the author makes it easy for us to tell if it’s a past story or a present story because in the past, Ann was Annabelle and Kathryn was Kat. So when those latter names are used, we know it’s past events. This especially helped with the chapters where one woman was in the room while the other was being hypnotized. Likewise, the imposter therapist is revealed by name when we read the chapters in which she goes back to being who she really is. And when I found out who she really is, it was a huge surprise!

 

My favorite part of the whole story is when Ann wakes up one night to discover that a ghost is in the room she shared with her husband. This scene is written so well. The tension and fear are so thick and hang heavily. "As if in answer to her thoughts, the figure moved its head. Each movement accompanied by that horrible clicking noise. The head slowly turned to look at her. She had thought it had eyes, but as the face turned to her, she realized she was wrong. Empty eye sockets glared at her. They stared at her as if a dark nothingness stared into her soul, burning a hole directly through her." (Page 230) Instead of the rational part of Ann’s brain making her say, “Ghosts aren’t real, bruh. So GTFO!” She instead accepts that there is a sinister presence in her room with them. She does, of course, worry about her husband’s safety until she realizes that this malevolent spirit is fixated on her.

 

At one point in the story, when the four kids that belong to the two set of adults are together, trying to find their parents, the teenaged Lauren says, "I'm going to say the dumbest thing possible in a haunted house with a revenge-oriented therapist around. We need to split up." I could just hear Scooby Doo exclaim, "Ruh-roh!" Some bad things happen after they split up but that’s when the story takes a very surprising turn.

 

And as for this novel’s title? Why should we NOT fear the dead? I mean, there’s plenty to fear from the ghosts in this story. But as I got closer to the end of the story and more pieces of the puzzle fell into place, I then understood why that title was chosen for this particular story. And it made absolute sense!

 

Fear Not the Dead is a creepy, terrifying ghost story of how the past can catch up to you no matter what you do to get rid of it or even try to forget it. This story is also a good reminder of how our lost loved ones are not really gone. Our lost loved ones are always watching over us and they can help us and also stop us from making a terrible mistake. This novel was such a good story to read. There were definitely times I felt scared or anxious while reading it! It's a story full of deadly schemes, trauma, anxiety, terror and lots of ghosts! It's a scary story, but it also has bits of humor sprinkled throughout. It is definitely a story that left me hanging on every page, wanting to read more. I was especially hooked on the last part of the story, filled with so many surprises and plot twists. I kept reading chapter after chapter, wanting to know what happened next. The ending is brilliant and perfect for a ghost story.

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Living and Surviving on the Water: The Triangle + The Deep is an eco-dystopian horror novel of Terror from the Unknown

 

 

The Triangle+The Deep (The Rise Trilogy)

Robert P. Ottone

Undertaker Books, 2024

ISBN-13: 979-8990617728

Ebook, 525 ppg.

Buy link

 

 

I’m a big fan of Robert P. Ottone, and I try to read ALL of his books. So when I heard that he had won a Stoker award for his YA novel, The Triangle, I was intrigued. This was one book of his which I hadn’t yet read, so imagine my delight that, after the book was republished as a combo with another of Robert’s books, it was offered to me for review.

 

Azlynn is a 15-year-old teenager who lives with her dad in his shop, where they survive among other floating vessels. Set several years into the future, the ice of the Earth melted so much that sea levels rose so high that it covered up all the land. Now everybody lives and works on the water.

 

I really got into this story, mainly because I soon realized the Triangle spoken of in this story could only be one thing; The Bermuda Triangle. As a teen, I was fascinated by the Bermuda Triangle. I read everything I could get my hands on about it. How was it possible people ACTUALLY disappeared in this invisible THING in the ocean and were never heard from again? Of course, a lot of people had ideas about it.

 

And I love this particular new twist on an old idea. Azzy’s dad agrees to go into the Triangle to find something and, of course, Azzy stows away on the ship with her best friend Ellis. Azzy is determined to go along just so she can ensure her father will be safe, as well as to stay with him because there was no way she was going to stick around in the store and worry about him.

 

And as I read more about this story about a very mysterious thing that STILL exists in the ocean, the more mysterious this story got. Strange creatures, strange voices and strange happenings all take place in the Triangle. It made the story curiouser and curiouser. That was part of the reason why I kept reading. I wanted to know what these creatures were and how they were able to penetrate Azlynn’s mind.

 

The other thing that kept me reading this story was Azzy’s dad saying he was hoping to find “her” in the Triangle. Azzy has no idea who this “her” is but she does eventually find out. And what a surprise it is!

 

So, I know this story is YA and would probably appeal to teen readers, but it also appealed to this adult reader. I mean, it’s the Bermuda Triangle! Come on! Yes, this story is fictional, but it does weave a mysterious and very interesting theory about the Bermuda Triangle. It’s an action-packed story with amazing characters that was hard for me to put down!

 

Plus, it shines light on what life would be like if the oceans did indeed flood over all the land on the Earth and we all had to live on water. I couldn’t help but think about Water World as I read this story. Oh, and also Hellraiser, thanks to the character, Shotaro, saying, “We have such sights to show you.”

 

Indeed. The sights are shocking, but so are the creatures known as “The Deep.”

 

This is my favorite quote from The Triangle, on page 258:

"If you get outta this world without scars, then you never lived in the first place."

 

Now to the sequel of The Triangle that is included in this volume: The Deep.

 

The Deep takes place one year after The Triangle ends. Azzy is different. Ellis is different. And Coral Cove is different too. VERY different. What’s not different is that Azzy and Ellis are still friends, but there is a wedge between them because of how things ended between them in the last book. Azzy has moved on from all of it but Ellis has not. Ellis strikes me as the emotional type, even though the stuff he went through during that year hardens him and he puts on this tough exterior around everyone.

 

Pain really does change people.

 

And speaking of pain, Azzy is still dealing with her grief from those she lost in the first book. She deals with it in her own way, which is a little unusual and may not actually be what she thinks it is, but at least it helps her to get through another day. I am glad that those who died in the first book are not forgotten about, especially the first person that was lost.

 

This sequel reveals to the reader a VERY unusual and unpredictable partnership between Azzy and characters from the first book. I like that this happened, though, because it gives Azzy a chance to see “a common enemy” up close and realize that a lot of things that people believed about them are just rumors. Also, another unusual alliance takes place in this story, and I admired how Azzy remains tough and firm in dealing with them. She struggles to figure out a solution that is the best for everyone, even though the odds are piled up against her. Though she is young, Azzy deals with some heavy issues in this story and she is forced to grow up really fast as she must carry the burden of such a big responsibility. Yes, it is hard for her, but she handles it. Azzy is smart, tough and determined. She is so strong and she is definitely a good role model for some of the younger characters in the story.

 

In the first book, it was The Deep who were scary characters. While they are still scary in the sequel, it is the sea spiders that are absolutely terrifying.

 

The thing that happens towards the end of this story had me reading with wide eyes! I was like, “WHOA!” I DID NOT see that coming! I was just stunned. It is such a huge thing.

 

AND THE ENDING!! AAH! NO! IT CAN’T END LIKE THAT! Geez, Louise! What a cliffhanger! Give me more of the story! I want more! (sobbing incoherently)

 

Okay, I got myself back together again. I had SO MANY FEELS for this book! The character Azlynn is amazing and so is the character Moira. And, yes, I even liked Eux!

 

And readers are treated to a sample of the third book at the end. Yay!

 

What an amazing sequel The Deep turned out to be! I LOVE both of the books! I cannot wait to read the third book in this trilogy. I am waiting to read it with baited breath!

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Surviving the Horror: Fever Dreams sends a powerful message of trying to exist in a world filled with hatred and cruelty

 

Fever Dreams

Dev Solovey

Unveiling Nightmares Press, 2024

ISBN-13: 979-8334417175

Ebook, 111 ppg.

Buy link

 

It’s rare I come across a book that is so damn hard for me to put down, and that’s the kind of thing that Fever Dreams did for me. This book was so damn good. Fever Dreams by Dev Solovey was an addictive read for me. It was just so captivating and surreal. Reading the book was like having a fever dream! A lot of it doesn’t make sense, but a lot of it does. And that’s the beauty about this book. For those of us who understand, there’s a lot that we totally get. And maybe that was why I kept reading it.

 

But that’s not to say that this is one of those “WTF did I just read?” books. It’s not. It’s important to remember what happens in the first chapter. Then things will start to click as one keeps reading.

 

The thing I loved most about this book is that every chapter is unpredictable. At first, when I was reading it, my complaint was that it was just a bunch of stuff happening, with no story. (There’s a story here, though! I promise!) But that’s the thing I really liked about it, how a bunch of stuff kept happening. I mean, at least there was no stagnation. As the Sparrow tells Thaddeus on page 77, “Neither of us can predict what happens next.” Actually, nobody can. Each new chapter is a surprise.

 

But this is more than just a story about what happens following one sister’s attempt to sacrifice another. This is a story highlighting attacks on trans people. I know that Thaddeus would hate me for saying this, but it did bring to light about how the media will swoop in, grab the trans victim, then say that the whole thing was a hate crime because the victim is trans. And the discussion at the end of the story is something to think about too. About how trans kids see so many bad things happening to trans people, murder among them, and fear growing up in a world where they could be the next victim. It’s definitely something to think about and I’m glad this is one of the messages of this novel.

 

Fever Dreams by Dev Solovey was a wild ride to read. It is filled with symbolism and metaphor. There’s a lot of trauma which the character had to endure, and I loved how he changes the narrative by fighting back. This novel is ultimately a story of survival and fighting to maintain one’s identity in a world that continues to persecute it. It’s a short novel that packs a big punch, leaving the reader with some serious and important things to ponder at the end.

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.