⭐️⭐️ Incidents Around the House was my first Josh Malerman book. I’ve heard good things about his writing, so I went in with fairly high expectations, thinking this would be a great introduction. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work for me, and I came away feeling pretty underwhelmed. The premise itself has a lot of potential—a … Continue reading A Disappointing First Encounter with Malerman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t Let the Forest In is one of those books that sneaks up on you. At first, it feels like a quiet story about grief, family, and the lingering ache of loss, but before long, it grows into something much darker, stranger, and more unsettling. C.G. Drews has a real talent for weaving emotion … Continue reading Haunting, Lyrical, But Just a Little Uneven
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book floored me. I went in expecting a fun slice of horror and came out the other side completely obsessed. The Haar has everything I want in a read: eerie atmosphere, creeping dread, sudden bursts of nastiness, and at the same time, a real emotional core that caught me off guard. Sodergren has … Continue reading Creepy, Atmospheric, and Surprisingly Emotional
⭐️⭐️ I’ve always enjoyed Grady Hendrix’s books — they’re usually sharp, witty, and imaginative with just the right balance between horror and humour. How to Sell a Haunted House was one of my most anticipated reads, but sadly it fell flat for me. This one felt oddly lazy, as if it were rushed out without … Continue reading Repetitive, Overblown, and Nowhere Near Hendrix’s Best
⭐⭐ I went into Overgrowth by Mira Grant with high hopes. The premise was strong, and the opening chapter had a tight atmosphere and a hint of something bigger beneath the surface. I was genuinely intrigued for a while—it felt like it might evolve into something creepy and original. But sadly, it didn’t. What started … Continue reading A Promising Seed Choked by Its Own Vines
⭐️ I really wanted to love this book. The concept of soldiers dropped into a jungle swarming with dinosaurs? That’s the kind of wild, pulpy setup I’m absolutely here for. On paper, Primitive War sounds like it should be a blast—tense, brutal, chaotic, full of suspense and prehistoric carnage. And to be fair, the idea … Continue reading Great Concept, But Poor Execution Dragged It Down
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So, The Troop by Nick Cutter. Where do I even start? I’ve had this book on my TBR shelf for a while, knowing vaguely that it was about a group of scouts stuck on an island with something... unnatural. However, I definitely underestimated just how visceral and intense this story would be. Let me … Continue reading A Gory, Gripping, Stomach-Churning Ride That’s Not For the Faint-Hearted
⭐⭐⭐ Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning is a fun, blood-splattered romp through familiar slasher territory, and for fans of the genre, there’s definitely something to enjoy here. It’s a modern take on the summer camp killer setup, complete with eerie woods, a group of people with dark secrets, and a masked murderer picking them … Continue reading All Slash, Not Much Substance
Released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows in May 2024, with PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions following in October, Crow Country is a love letter to survival horror’s golden era. Developed by SFB Games, it captures the eerie essence of classic horror titles while smoothing over the rough edges that often come with the … Continue reading Crow Country – A Spooky Little Gem That Deserves Your Attention (Review)
After what felt like a lifetime of essays, lectures, and caffeine-fuelled writing sessions, I finally submitted my final university assignment. To celebrate the occasion (and to claw back a bit of joy after all that academic slog), I bought myself a Steam Deck. I mentioned this in a previous blog post, but honestly, it’s worth … Continue reading Review: The Cabin Factory – Haunted Houses on a Conveyor Belt of Doom
Gareth Ellis - Author 