can engage with and feel for – otherwise why would you care if things happen to them? – a good, original story, and by original it might just mean a new spin on an old theme, and a good setting. If you can picture yourself there – and if the writer’s done their job properly you should be able to – then you can lose yourself in the story. That holds true for if it’s set in the past, present, another dimension or another planet. FROM SHADOWS & NIGHTMARES 2 http://nightfallpublications.com/ This latest collection of short stories from Nightfall Publications, edited by Amber L. Campbell, features an impressive array of both emerging and established talent. Most of the twentytwo tales contained herein are short, fast-paced slabs of modern horror that whiz by at a frantic pace. There is no particular theme or genre, which means every story is a leap into the unknown. Highlights include the heart-wrenching “Delirium” by Brit Jennifer Moore, a tale that could only be written by a mother, Barry Rosenberg's “Flush”, which tells of greed in the property game and a balance restored by a toilet with a life of its own, and “Bobby Bumping” by Diane Arrelle, which puts an unfamiliar spin on a familiar tale. A fair percentage (much higher than most anthologies) of the tales in Shadows & Nightmares 2 are penned by members of the fairer sex. I hate to generalize, but generally speaking (hehe!), women tend to write with more care and tenderness than the average bloke, massaging your emotions and tugging at your heartstrings, rather than affronting your senses with vivid bloody descriptions. When applied to the horror genre this brings a whole new, not unwelcome depth to proceedings. I for one will be looking out for more offerings from Nightfall Publications in the future. By C.M. Saunders THE CROWN OF THE CONQUEROR By Gav Thorpe www.angryrobotbooks.com Being familiar with some of Gav Thorpe’s many Warhammer novels, there were high expectations. This is the second book in The Crown of Blood series, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Epic, fast-paced battles and action are matched with political intrigue and lies as Ullsaard finally takes his rightful place as king. But the role he was born for holds more than just power and responsibility, as Ullsaard must make some tough decisions or he will be torn apart. Slightly less action in this second book as Thorpe concentrates more on the political intrigues of being King and the demands that puts on our hero, but still wonderfully fast-paced. This second book in the series continues to provide the kind of action and excitement Thorpe is well known for. Military fantasy does not get much better than this. By Adrian Brady THE HOLOCAUST OPERA By Mark Edward Hall www.markedwardhall.com The Holocaust Opera is the latest stand-alone novella from acclaimed Lost Village author Mark Edward Hall. Mixing a deep appreciation of music and horror to great effect it tells the story of Roxanne Templeton, a singer who, whilst out walking one day, hears the faint, seductive strains of a strange and bewitching kind of music. She follows her ear and discovers the source of the music, a young man called Jeremiah, who tells her the music is designed to capture the misery and torment of the Holocaust. The music has a mysterious power, and has a very profound effect on those that hear it. Could something sinister, left over from the horrors of World War II, exist within the framework of this unique musical composition? And what is the connection between Jeremiah and one of the most despised men of the 20th Century? I would hazard a guess that the inspiration for this tale was the legend surrounding Rezsoe Seress’s infamous Gloomy Sunday, a.k.a The Hungarian Suicide Song which Hall, who is rapidly climbing the ladder to stake a claim as one of the dark fiction elite, has incorporated into a perfectly serviceable supernatural mystery thriller. He has a smooth writing style which tends to be more atmospheric than most writers plying their trade these days, expertly amping up the tension as the book rumbles along to an earth-shattering climax. Once read, The Holocaust Opera is the kind of book that will live long in the memory. By C.M. Saunders