Time for some mini-reviews! What are mini-reviews, you ask? As the title suggests, these are short reviews, consisting of one paragraph tops, about a book. It’s a way to catch up on the books I’ve read a while ago, but never got around to reviewing.

Masters of Blood and Bone

Title: Masters of Blood and Bone

Author: Craig Saunders

Genre: Dark Fiction, Dark Fantasy

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Holland’s a man who’s good with death. Good at death.

When his daughter goes missing, he finds himself pitted in a deadly game against the Gods themselves. Powerful enemies surround him—a changeling, a mage, and a god who wants to destroy the world.

With silver bullets in his gun and death on his mind, Holland aims to set things right…or die trying.

For the captors of Holland’s daughter, death is not only on it’s way, it’s in their very possession as Holland’s daughter isn’t just a girl…in fact, she’s barely mortal at all…

She’s Ankou, Death’s daughter, and she’s not an easy mark.

The battleground has been set, the world’s at stake, and all Hell is about the break loose.

Masters of Blood and Bone is an epic clash between good and evil, life versus death, Gods against mortals, a timeless story of power and corruption and one man’s pursuit to protect what he loves at any cost.

A delightful book about a man’s quest to get his daughter back, who isn’t quite human either and holds a few dark secrets of her own, whereas her father, Holland, is willing to move heaven and earth to get her back, no matter how powerful his enemies are. Beautiful writing, sharp dialogue from the characters and a delightful, twisted plot. Dark fantasy the way it should be.

The Dunfield Terror

Title: The Dunfield Terror

Author: William Meikle

Genre: Horror, Lovecraftian Horror

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

It starts with a strange glowing fog that arrives at the height of a snowstorm.

A terror from the past has returned, bringing with it death and destruction that threatens to overrun the town. The old stories tell of a post-war experiment gone wrong, one that opened the way for the fog—or whatever was behind it—to begin its reign of terror.

A small team of workmen are the last hope to keep their town alive through the long, storm-filled night. But the many horrors that await them are beyond anyone’s worst nightmares.

Reminiscent of Stephen King’s “The Mist”, we’ve got fog causing havoc here, and in a Lovecraftian fashion. A small group of workmen who are out to clear the roads from snow, are the only hope to keep the town alive in its darkest night yet. The atmosphere, dark and foreboding, is the best part of the book.

After Midnight

Title: After Midnight

Author: Allan Leverone

Genre: Horror, Dark Fiction

Rating: 3 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Six months ago, Caitlyn Connelly’s search for her family brought her face to face with Milo Cain, the monster known as “Mr. Midnight,” a depraved killer wandering the streets of Boston.

Her brother.

Though disfigured in a brutal attack, Cait managed to defend herself and in so doing put Milo in a prison hospital bed, where he now lies comatose and paralyzed, alone and forgotten.

But not helpless.

Unbeknownst to doctors, prison officials or anyone else, Milo Cain is actually awake and aware, and the brain injury suffered at the hands of his twin sister has altered him. He is now more deadly and his hunting grounds have expanded.

Now, armed with shocking abilities and the perfect alibi, Mr. Midnight is back, and determined to even the score with the one person he hates more than anyone else in the world.

His sister.

Caitlyn thought the worst was over. It has only just begun.

The sequel to Mr. Midnight, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately the sequel comes nowhere near the first in terms of quality or originality. It’s not a bad read, but I’d expected more. Some of the magic of the first book, which was gritty, dark and unsettling, was missing, and I couldn’t connect to any of the main characters. The first half felt repetitious too.

Thanks to DarkFuse Publishing for providing review copies of all three of these.