Malicious Magic: Say Uncle is a story of that one relative with dangerous powers and frightening secrets

 

Say Uncle

Ryan C. Bradley

Ghoulish Books, 2025

ISBN: 978-1-963801-10-1

Ebook, 198 ppg.

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Most 15-year-olds get excited when it’s finally summer vacation, but for Braden, his summer vacay is ruined after he learns he must give up his room for his uncle Pauly, who is staying with the family after some marital problems develop between him and his wife. Then Braden discovers a mysterious book in his room that can only belong to his uncle, a book with scary drawings in it. As he struggles to keep everything on the downlow and act cool about losing his room while also dealing with bullying from his older brother Sam, Braden nearly loses control as things go from bad to worse real fast. It doesn’t help that his parents always defer to Sam every time the brothers have a fight or that his uncle’s strange behavior could mean serious trouble for him. The summer he had hoped would be the typical teen summer vacation swiftly turns into a nightmare after someone is killed, the police start asking questions and Braden is trying to keep his friendship with a girl he has a crush on.

 

Say Uncle by Ryan C. Bradley was an amazing read! Filled with some family trauma in addition to truly terrifying events that are hard to believe, this is definitely a must-have novel for every horror fan to read.

 

This may be a story containing a lot of family trauma, but it’s certainly the kind of stuff I was able to relate to. Parents holding up a favored sibling no matter how they act, parents who were previously neglectful reacting with shock when being called out and asking the kid why they never said anything, and the bullying sibling being so much of a threat that the main character feels like they’re walking on eggshells around them. Oh, yeah. Definitely relatable stuff!

 

But that’s the good thing about this story. The family dynamics are real. This is stuff that a lot of readers can relate to because it’s stuff they have also lived through.

 

Braden is not only accustomed to how he’s treated in the family, he also is so damn complacent about it. I really wondered just how much that kid was willing to take before exploding at everyone. And when he does “explode” by telling his mom that he’s upset because she just willingly kicked Braden out of his room for her brother and how Sam had just beat the ever-loving crap out of him should not be explained away as “your brother’s under a lot of stress.” What, so it’s okay for him to be so violent to his younger sibling? I mean, she doesn’t even hear him. She doesn’t even care. So uncool.

 

Still, at some point, Braden and Sam do find a way to work together after getting into trouble with the police. It wasn’t enough to make me hopeful that Sam might finally come around and start treating his brother better, but that part of the story was still nice to see.

 

But all this family BS is NOT the horror of the story. The REAL horror of this story is the deadly magic that is used.

 

Yes, magic. The thing that lots of people don’t believe in and think is just a bunch of fantasy. But some people DO know how to use magic, especially in a deadly way. And those people are in this story.

 

This is not a fantasy story. It’s a horror story. This is a story where magic is used in a malicious and evil way. And it’s written into the story so well that I didn’t think for one minute it was all just fantasy. As it is, there are some VERY secretive books out in the world with powerful stuff in them that goes back to ancient times where magic was safely used without persecution. One of those books is what gives the uncle in this story the power to use magic, and he has some terrible ways of using it. Braden tries to stop him, but his uncle seems to keep being two steps ahead of him, and he keeps getting himself into danger.

 

Say Uncle was a book that was hard to put down! The horror and chaos in this story kept me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath as I kept reading each terrifying chapter. Yes, the story had a slow start, but once it picks up, it grabs the reader and doesn’t let go until the very end.

 

A frightening and gripping story!

 

 

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

A Tale of Love, Adventure and Discovery: Hidden Magic has Many Hidden Surprises. Magic and Thrills for Readers of Fantasy Novels

 

Hidden Magic, The Eldritch of Hallows, Book One

by Elana McDougall

Independently Published, 2020

ISBN-13: 979-8645296032

761 ppg.

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I don’t normally read erotic fantasy, and normally, when I come across the first such scene in a book, I stop reading. One exception I made was when a friend gave a book to me; I skipped over the naughty scenes.

 

Another exception is when the story, not the graphic sex, is what pulls me into a book. That’s exactly what happened when I started reading Hidden Magic by Elana McDougall. I was hooked on the first page. When the naughty scenes came up, I skipped over them, and kept reading!

 

What was it exactly that had me hooked on this story? Oh, so many things!

 

Book One in The Eldritch of Hallows series, Hidden Magic is a fantasy story teeming with suspense, excitement, laughter, magic, love and friendship. The main character, Sasha Petrova, was on the run. Who was she running from? Why was she trying to stay hidden? She was running from some guy named Edward — but why? I later found out and this was a huge part of the story. In fact, it brings an issue into focus and I appreciated how the author used this as an important aspect of the story.

 

The character Edward is the villain in the story, and he is written so well. When he was talking about how he wanted to “discipline” Sasha, I laughed and wondered if this was the first time he had a red-headed fiancée.

 

It should be noted that the town Sasha ends up in, Hallows, is not your ordinary out-of-the-way village. It’s actually populated by supernatural beings: Mages, trolls, and shapeshifters. In fact, it’s more of a sanctuary for the outcasts who have magical abilities. This is one of the things I loved about the story! A whole town where it’s normal to use magic and to have special powers. If only our real world society was this way!

 

Another thing I liked about this story is that the characters are portrayed so realistically. The characters really come to life in this story. I liked the character, Sebastian, and I was thrilled to learn that we get to learn more about Sebastian in Book Two! (And of course, I quickly grabbed a copy of it!)

 

What I liked best of all is how some people in Hallows -- Aunt Amelia, Gwen and even Jake -- accepted Sasha into Hallows like she was one of their own. I adored Aunt Amelia, who is a blind fae, and her support animal, Honey. The scene where Honey is super-concerned about Aunt Amelia after she experiences a fall was just so heartwarming. But, yes, Sasha is definitely accepted by MOST of the people in Hallows, and this helps her to establish a bond with them. Even during a time she is afraid and thinks about running again, her heart breaks over the idea of leaving her new friends behind. They are friends who are like family to her, and for Sasha, who was orphaned at a young age and raised in foster homes, this family bond is at one point important to her but at another point, questionable, having gone from one foster home to another. This, too, is a major issue in the story, and the family bond thing becomes a major part of what happens at the end of the story.

 

The climax of the story was amazing and it was written so very well! I was on the edge of my seat and even though I kept being interrupted while I read it, I kept going back to finish reading it. Wow! What a scene!!

 

The ending of the story was great, too. It brought happy tears to my eyes.

 

The whole story just came full circle. There were no unanswered questions and everything was covered in great detail. It was a very satisfying read — even without the sex.

 

Hidden Magic would appeal to fans of magical realism. It’s also a novel I would recommend to anyone who likes to read stories of mages and shapeshifters. It was an amazing story that I really enjoyed reading.

 

Five stars