Woven in Blood:Sleeper Cells by Ian Woodhead

This is the story of Damien and Cade. Best of friends and both destined to be fodder for long asleep vampires. When Damien's mother embarks on an affair, she has no idea of the long buried secrets she is in danger of unearthing, and Damien and Cades lives take a very different turn to that which was ordained for them. When the vampires awake, the two clans find a very different world from that which they left behind, and a war breaks out. Now nothing will be the same again, for the humans, vampires or anybody.

I must admit, it took me a long time to get into this, and I almost gave up, not because of the writing because that was great. I struggled because it was vampires, and I just don't like vampires. I am really glad I persevered though, because the story took off and I couldn't read it fast enough. The characters were solid and the pace of the book rocketed along. Be warned though, this is the first in a series. Whilst it can be read on it's own, it is intended to be part of a series. That being said, if you like your vampire full of action and blood, with a sprinkling of sexiness, then this is totally for you.

The Infestation by Matt Shaw

This is the story of Ethan. On his way to work one day he gets caught up in a traffic jam which he soon finds out is a road block. No one has any answers except that there is rioting in the city, and it is not safe to go there. Fearing for his wife and children, he abandons his car and makes a run for it. On the way he is nearly crushed by a downed airplane, and he runs into a military convoy bound for a safe camp. Unwilling to go with them, they knock him out and take him anyway. At the camp, he meets Fiona, a teacher at his daughters school. Between them they decide to escape and make for Ethan's house to find out what is going on. When they get to his house however, their troubles really begin, and the truth is far more horrific than they could have imagined.....

Despite having a terrible fear of spiders I went into this with both eyes open. The story itself is an expansion of a short story Matt wrote for his Literature-Ly You service. Despite being billed as a spider infestation book, there isn't really much full on spider action (to my relief), Matt decided more to play on the psychological side of things, with the break down of society and the chaos that then ensues. Yes, there are one or two parts that creeped me out but by and large there weren't many 'bad' bits. The story itself was well paced, belting along. The characters were solid, and I wanted to invest my time in them. The ending was typical for a Matt Shaw book, and I was not disappointed. If you are a fan, you will know what I mean, if not, well you will just have to wait and see!!

The Hole by William Meikle

This is the story of a small town that suddenly develops sinkholes. A vibration runs through town and the residents develop crippling headaches and nosebleeds and then the holes appear. A small band of people decide to leave town, but they are stopped on the way out by the military. Something is underground, and it is anxious to surface. If it does, the lives of everyone will be in danger. Will anyone survive to tell the tale?

This was truly brilliant. I absolutely loved it. For me it drew similarities to Under the Dome or The Tommyknockers. The pace was relentless, and there were some real 'hide behind your eyes' creepy moments. Some of the characters had flaws in their personality, but they overcame them for the greater good - and that somehow made them more likeable. The ending was explosive, and I almost had a tear in my eye. Willie clearly had a blast writing this, as it comes through in the story loud and clear. I hope there will be more like this, as it was amazing!

Sow by Tim Curran

This is the story of Richard. his wife is pregnant with their first child and life couldn't be any better. Suddenly Richard notices subtle changes in his wife, she is reading books on witches, and her appearance even seems to be changing, turning her into an old hag. Surely he must be imagining it? Now Richard and Holly's lives are about to change forever as she prepares to give birth to something horrific, that will unleash hell on earth...

I loved this, and had enormous fun reading it. From the first page I was hooked and drawn into Richard's paranoia. Tightly wound and carefully played out, this was an example of a great psychological horror novella. There was a little gore, the author more interested on focussing on Richard's quiet descent into madness as his wife changed before his eyes. This kept me on the edge of my seat until the end, and I recommend it for people who like their horror psychological.

Worm by Tim Curran

Pine Street has a problem. After what felt like battering the street, black ooze is now running in the streets. Inside houses toilets are exploding, and drains are gushing forth with the same ooze. Soon the householders will realise though, that the ooze is the least of their problems....


This was terrific fun. Just the right amount of tension and schlocky horror made for a brilliantly written novella. I could imagine this as an old school 80's badly acted horror film - it was that good. The switching of characters between chapters was an interesting idea, as it gave me a chance to 'check in' on them and see what was happening next with each person. The pace was good, I read this mostly in one sitting. If you like overexaggerated fun B-movie style horror, then this will appeal on all levels.

Conjure House by Gary Fry

This is the story of Anthony. When he was younger his brother Simon was kidnapped in a mysterious house called the Conjurer's House. Legend has it that the former owner, Peter Sumas, known as the Conjurer, kidnapped children over a hundred years previously to do horrific experiments on them in an attempt to bend time and space. Many years later and Anthony's parents are murdered and strange things are going on in the village of Deepvale. Now Anthony's son has been kidnapped and it is up to Anthony and his three school friends to face the evil they couldn't confront all those years ago when Simon was kidnapped.

This was one of those 'look over your shoulder' old school type horror stories. Things are seen out of the corner of your eyes, and this is the theme throughout the bulk of the story. Little things are given away but not too much all in one go. The paced flowed well and I was glued to the page eager to find out what was happening. The characters were strong and I felt for Anthony, losing so many members of his family. (How much bad luck can be heaped on one poor chap?) I have always loved haunted house stories and this one was no exception, with the added interest of the idea of the 'God's-eye view' which I knew nothing about before I picked up the book. All in all a good story from a new author to me, and I will be happy to read more from him.

Shiftling by Steven Savile

This is the story of four friends. The carnival is coming to town and they decide to do odd jobs around the village to raise money for tickets. All goes well until they get to 'Old Man Harrisons' house. Suddenly life will never be the same again. Secrets will be hidden and traumas laid bare. Many years later those secrets will be revealed and the truths may be more than anyone can handle.

This read as a rites of passage/coming of age book very much in the vein of IT or Stand by Me. I enjoyed those and I enjoyed this just as much. The twin storylines were a brilliant idea and the convergence at the end made everything make sense. The setting of 1985 was a good one for me as I was a teenager then so I could identify with much of the history of that time. I loved the choices of music at the carnival, some of my favourite bands were played! This is another 5 star release from DarkFuse, may they keep on coming!