Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts

Shadow Bound by Erin Kellison

image When a demon breaches the barrier between death and life, the salvation of the world depends on the passions of a beautiful banshee just coming into her power and the man willing to use her to avenge the destruction of his family.

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Editorial Review

From Publishers Weekly
Kellison's debut, a blend of suspense and paranormal romance, follows Adam Thorne as he attempts to unravel the mystery of the wraiths, possessed humans who feed on human souls. Desperate to free his brother from possession, Adam follows a flimsy lead to half-Fae Talia O'Brien, a young woman with a newly minted doctorate, a mysterious past, and magical abilities that stop wraiths in their tracks. As the wraiths pursue Talia, determined to destroy her in retribution for her father daring to love and impregnate a human woman, Adam tries to protect her and understand her powers, and finds himself falling in love. Fast-paced without being frenetic, interesting and entertaining if not particularly challenging, this tale deftly avoids romance clicheÌüs while delivering plenty of action.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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About the Author

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Book

Tittle   Shadow Bound
Author   Erin Kellison
Language   English
Buy the Book   Shadow Fall by Erin Kellison
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Under the Dome: A Novel by Stephen King

Under the Dome: A NovelOn an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

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Editorial Review

From Publishers Weekly
King's return to supernatural horror is uncomfortably bulky, formidably complex and irresistibly compelling. When the smalltown of Chester's Mill, Maine, is surrounded by an invisible force field, the people inside must exert themselves to survive. The situation deteriorates rapidly due to the dome's ecological effects and the machinations of Big Jim Rennie, an obscenely sanctimonious local politician and drug lord who likes the idea of having an isolated populace to dominate. Opposing him are footloose Iraq veteran Dale “Barbie” Barbara, newspaper editor Julia Shumway, a gaggle of teen skateboarders and others who want to solve the riddle of the dome. King handles the huge cast of characters masterfully but ruthlessly, forcing them to live (or not) with the consequences of hasty decisions. Readers will recognize themes and images from King's earlier fiction, and while this novel doesn't have the moral weight of, say, The Stand, nevertheless, it's a nonstop thrill ride as well as a disturbing, moving meditation on our capacity for good and evil. (Nov.)

From The Washington Post
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by by Graham Joyce In 2002 Stephen King announced that he'd given up writing. Yes, and the Queen of England said she'd had it with servants and fancy carriages and was off to do volunteer work in Somalia. . . . You can't write 2,000 words a day for more than three decades and suddenly stop. Because, as King knows perfectly well, you don't give up writing; writing gives up you, but only when it's good and done with you. And writing isn't done with King, not by a long shot. Here we are, several years after this putative abdication, with a novel that comes thumping in at more than 1,000 pages. In an author's note, King says he started "Under the Dome" in 1976 but then "crept away from it with my tail between my legs. . . . I was terrified of screwing it up." Fortunately, he found the confidence to return to this daunting story because the result is one of his most powerful novels ever. On a beautiful, crisp October morning in Chester's Mill, Maine, a plane falls from the sky; a farmer's John Deere blows up, taking the farmer with it; a woman's hand is severed; a truck crashes into nothing. A transparent dome has mysteriously descended over the town's perimeter, sealing it off from the outside world. This science-fiction premise isn't new, but there is more than one way to seal a dome. It's a literary technique we might call the crucible: a simple device to contain the characters and restrict flight from the drama ahead, enabling the author by increments to turn up the heat. "Lord of the Flies" is a classic example, circumscribing events by trapping those boys on an island. The dome itself is not terribly important, and once it is in situ, it allows the author to get on with his real purpose. That purpose reveals King's greatest qualities as a writer. Life under the dome, with finite resources and with the best and worst of human nature emerging, soon deteriorates. Small-town politicians and newspaper publishers adopt conflicting positions. There is a scramble for resources. The air quickly becomes polluted. Citizens start to panic, and corruption, in the form of sleazy, villainous alderman Jim Rennie, drives the town and its police force as martial law takes over. Outside, the government's efforts to puncture the dome are useless. Federal officials think they have a man on the inside, ex-captain now short-order cook Dale Barbara, a disillusioned veteran of the Persian Gulf War. The government wants to concentrate its efforts through Barbara, and we see the town through his eyes, too. Only trouble is, Rennie and his ragtag police force take exception to the idea of Barbara exercising any authority. Rennie also wants to keep hidden his lucrative sideline in the manufacture of crystal meth. Very early the story begins to trigger strange echoes, because we are deep in the world of a cleverly operated allegory. Yet never once do we doubt the veracity of this large cast of characters. The psychological insight into these small-town people is pin-sharp, vivid and utterly convincing. King's greatness lies in his uncanny genius for creating characters and understanding the hive-mind of a community. The dome itself remains pretty much the only supernatural element in the novel (give or take some references to the super-sensitivity of dogs). Unlike "The Stand," another book with a large cast and often considered to be King's best, this is a realist novel. It's also a foot-on-the-gas-narrative told in breathless idiomatic style. King couldn't give two hoots for ornamental language or lyrical phrasing, but you've got to admire him for making this so compelling. Although he's an undisputed master of suspense and terror, what gives King's work heft is his moral clarity. The harrowing climax of "Under the Dome" stems from a humane vision. It's another work in an oeuvre that identifies compassion as the antidote to evil, whether that evil be human or supernatural. And our stock of literature in the great American Gothic tradition is brilliantly replenished because of it. bookworld@washpost.com
Copyright 2009, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

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Book

Tittle:  : Under the Dome: A Novel
Author: : Stephen King
Language : English
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The Legend of Sleep Hollow by Washington Irving

The Legend Of Sleepy HollowThe Legend of Sleep Hollow is a story written by Washington Irving, originally published in 1820. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York, in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer. As Crane leaves a party, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, who is supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during "some nameless battle" of the American Revolutionary War, and who "rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head."

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Editorial Review

From Publishers Weekly
The San Souci brothers (The Legend of Scarface have retold the story of Ichabod Crane's last days alive, admiring the lovely Katrina and attending, at her father's home, a party where he hears of the Headless Horseman. Like A Christmas Carol, this story has been routinely reworked in strange and terrible ways. Here the artist has provided full-color paintings that show an awkward, frightfully thin Ichabod and the sweetly petite Katrina, set in 18th century surroundings. The pursuit at the end is shown in sweeping, eerie scenes. For those who find Washington Irving's original version hard going, this one is a fine alternative, especially for reading aloud. -- Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6?Unlike the more concise adaptations by Robert Van Nutt (Rabbit Ears, 1991) and Robert San Souci (Doubleday, 1986), this version of the classic tale, retold by Grandma Moses's great-grandson, remains true to the original in its lengthy and flowery narration. An unnamed storyteller enthusiastically relays the legend of the Headless Horseman and his effect on the schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, in "...a mysterious, dreamy little settlement called Sleepy Hollow." While there are occasional awkward passages, the text is lively and compelling, with a 19th-century flavor. The primitive paintings enhance the Hudson Valley setting; unfortunately, their quality is uneven. Moses is most successful with the double-page landscapes and village scenes (similar to his great-grandmother's style), which will intrigue readers with their detailed activity. A few of the smaller vignettes capture humorous situations and the personalities of individual characters, but many, especially the night scenes, are indistinct and muddy. Moses includes black characters in the illustrations, though he has removed Irving's stereotyped descriptive passages. The lively text begs to be read aloud, but the detailed paintings lend themselves to one-on-one viewing. Try San Souci's or Van Nutt's version if you are sharing the illustrations with a group.?Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ -- Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Many folk-art paintings illustrate this simplified retelling of Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Varied in size from small vignettes to double-page spreads, the colorful paintings are reminiscent of the works of Moses' great-grandmother, better known as Grandma Moses. A large-format picture book that will fill a need in some libraries. Carolyn Phelan

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About the Author

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Book

Tittle:  : The Legend of Sleep Hollow
Author: : Washington Irving
Language : English
Buy the Book : The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
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: from Mannybook
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Bram Stoker's Dracula

Dracula written by legendary author Bram Stoker is widely considered to be one of the top 100 greatest books of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, Dracula is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Bram Stoker is highly recommended. Bram Stoker's Dracula should be a part of everyone's personal library.

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Editorial Review

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About the Author
Bram Stoker, "Irish-born writer, theater critic, and manager for the famed late-C19 actor Henry Irving, Stoker is of course best known as the author of Dracula, the definitive vampire story. Stoker wrote a number of other novels and short stories, several of which (The Jewel of Seven Stars and Lair of the White Worm, to mention just a couple of the novels) also have major supernaturalist elements." (Quote from litgothic.com)

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures.The tale plays with logic in ways that have given the story lasting popularity with adults as well as children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the "literary nonsense" genre, and its narrative course and structure have been enormously influential, especially in the fantasy genre. 

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Editorial Review

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About the Author
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
; 27 January 1832 - 14 January 1898), better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and a photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the Snark" and "Jabberwocky", all examples of the genre of literary nonsense. He is noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy, and there are societies dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of his works and the investigation of his life in many parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and New Zealand.

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