Then There’s the OTHER Hallmark: To Hell With Hallmark is a Collection of Terrifying Christmas Horror

 

To Hell With Hallmark

Brad Ricks

Unveiling Nightmares Press, 2024

ISBN-13: 979-8345992654

Ebook, 228 ppg.

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Say “Hallmark” and people think “movies.” Sure, it used to mean greeting cards once upon a time, but these days, people recognize the Hallmark Channel as a channel that provides a large selection of movies.

 

Especially during the Christmas season.

 

And that’s where we horror lovers release a loud, pained groan. “No! Not THOSE movies during Christmas!”

 

Give us Terrifier 3! Give us Silent Night, Deadly Night!

 

Or, if you prefer books, then To Hell With Hallmark by Brad Ricks would fit the bill quite nicely.

 

As a character says in one story, “This place reminds me of the movies.” Okay. Let’s go with that.

 

But after you get a taste of homicidal gingerbread men and a tow truck driver moonlighting as something else, you’ll start to realize that maybe THIS particular “Hallmark” isn’t exactly what you’ll find in those movies.

 

And that’s what makes this short story collection of Christmas horror so awesome. Each tale is even better than the last, providing a neverending supply of thrills and chills.

 

And each story is like the kind of Hallmark movie I am more interested in streaming! I enjoyed all of the horrific antics, surprises, twists and terrifying delights in this book.

 

I also liked how the stories are all connected. By this, I mean that certain things taking place in one story is mentioned in a later story or things that happen in a previous story (or hinted at happening) get a little bit of a follow-up in a later story. While there’s nothing wrong with open endings in short stories, it’s nice to get a clearer idea of what likely happened or actually happened after we leave those characters in that story.

 

And these stories have such very interesting characters! None of them were a disappointment. I also liked Ricks’ take of classic Christmas tales, such as with “A Christmas Carol.”

 

And speaking of the author sharing his own take on a Christmas classic, you won’t want to miss the “gift” readers receive at the very end! I loved it!

 

To Hell With Hallmark is a scary and horrific collection of stories that would bring some awesome entertainment to fans of horror yearning for something more exciting to read during the Christmas holidays. These stories can actually be enjoyed all year, as they provide a stronger dose of terror and carnage than you would ever find in any Hallmark movie.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

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

Of Mountains and Monsters: Nine Levels is a mythological quest of courage and survival

 

Nine Levels

Elana Gomel

Mirror World Publishing, 2024

ISBN-13: 978-1998360024

Ebook, 282 ppg.

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“There was power in knowledge.” This is a thought that strikes the main character of this novel, Cleo, as she is hiding from a group of harpies that would no doubt attack her without mercy.

 

Yes. That’s right. Harpies. The same creatures in Greek mythology. And, in Cleo’s case, her knowledge of Greek mythology becomes handy. As she eventually discovers that she is trapped on what she learns is the very first level of a mountain called Orcus, where myth becomes reality. She eventually finds out that there are nine levels which she must ascend in order to escape from this hell she is in, and her attempts to do so are a matter of life and death.

 

If you know Greek mythology, you know that there are some pretty sketchy and dangerous creatures. Not to mention those who like to knock boots with anything that breathes. So Cleo definitely has quite a few scary adventures to contend with.

 

But it’s not just creatures from Greek mythology which are in this story. Other figures, such as Hekate, are in it too. Which sort of complicates things for Cleo in trying to figure out the puzzle she has to solve in trying to survive each adversary she faces! She can’t rely on what she knows every time; she has to sort of study them and try to pick up on clues to understand who she is dealing with on each level.

 

It seems like each new level she reaches is harder than the last. Still, she presses on. She does try to figure things out along the way, perhaps so she can have some kind of edge against her opponents or the next thing she faces, but she knows that this can slow here down. “She forced herself to fall into the same mindless rhythm that had saved her on the rockface. Don’t think, don’t feel, don’t fear. Touch the wall, pull yourself up, feel the last ledge dissolve under your feet, touch the wall…But while her body, toughened by her stay in Orcus, labored to keep her alive, her mind churned like a pond of muddy water with a stone tossed in.” Even so, Cleo keeps facing one setback after another, one difficulty after another, and one failure after another. She is exhausted, mentally and physically, and constantly fighting to keep going. She is tempted to give up but she won’t because she knows her sister is out there somewhere, and she needed to help her:

 

“My sister is not dead.

It came to her with absolute conviction. And together with it, the

determination to stay alive. She owed it to Cora. Twins always stayed together, in life as in death. Even the Dioscuri, with one brother immortal and the other mortal, refused to be parted. If Cora was alive, she would try her damndest to stay alive too.”

 

One lingering thought I had as I read this book was this: How did this even happen? How was Cleo suddenly on Orcus, a mythological mountain where a warped sense of mythology reigned, and how was her sister lost? This is all explained, at some point. Not right away, but as I read, pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Her memory lapses are also explained, and I was surprised to learn the cause of it. I also appreciated how the author touched on the fact that Cleo has a twin sister, and tapped into aspects of things that can only happen between twins – even one being mistaken for the other. (There’s actually a lot involved on the subject with twins and the author touched on some of these aspects beautifully. It’s not overdone and has just the right balance.)

 

This was an extremely interesting story! The author knows her Greek mythology very well. Each level that Cleo ascends to is ever more interesting than the last, and the big reveal in the climax was very surprising. I definitely did not see it coming, and the image of Cleo standing with Medusa and Lamia was jarring. Almost surreal. Humans in Greek mythology are often looked down upon, seen as sex objects or as pawns for the gods and goddesses in their many battles. So to see this in the story was really unusual, if not a reminder of just how different all of the mythologies are in this fictional albeit mythological universe this author has created for her story. It is so well done and leaves a lasting appreciation for the Greek mythology which we all know and love.

 

Masterfully told and captivatingly pieced together, Nine Levels by Elana Gomel is a novel of adventure, myth, legend and courage. A story that twists together fantasy, mythology, folklore and contemporary fiction, this novel is an unforgettable quest holding reader interest and entertaining the imagination. Every level of this story reaches ever higher than the last one, enriching the enjoyment of the story right along with it.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

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

Of Silk and Bondage: Blood & Lust is a Sensual Fantasy of Blood and Bone

 

 

Blood & Lust: Silken Chains and Splintered Bones

Annabelle Craven

Dark Desires Press, 2024

Ebook, 84 ppg.

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After the silk is tied to Alina's wrist, it tightens, sending a sensual tingle to her chest. The host of the sex club, the Priestess, comments, "It will unlock everything you’ve been too afraid to feel." Up until that moment, Alina was timid and hesitant as she tentatively explored the sex club which her lover, Dorian, brought her to. Even after the ribbon's power courses through her very being, Alina still hesitates to act on her impulses and seek the pleasure which she truly desires. Her lover, meanwhile, is enraptured by the ribbon’s power, submitting to its seductive allure and ignoring Alina’s cries for them to leave.

 

Alina seems to be the kind of person who is guarded. As though she’s afraid to give in to her desires. I wondered if this is why Dorian wanted them to visit this club. He seems to have no problems giving in to his desires and his insistence to Alina to “let go” makes me also wonder if underneath his layers is a sense of frustration in their sex life.

 

Reading this story, one would assume that the ribbon offered at the beginning is just that: A simple ribbon. Some kind of marker to identify someone as belonging to another. But it would seem that what the person wearing a ribbon belongs to is not so much a person, but something more sinister and terrifying.

 

This novella is a lot like the club that Alina walks into: It offers pleasure and comfort, but ultimately delivers terror and alarm. It is written so well, with the seductive moments holding me captive while the horrifying scenes made me squirm. The author holds nothing back, unraveling the mysteries of the ribbon with an electric and terrifying intensity. Blood & Lust is a titillating story that held me in its grip, leaving me to struggle to stay on the very edge of my seat as I was suffocated by this tapestry of horror. It is an engaging mix of erotica and horror that I will not soon forget.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

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