Darkside by Tom Becker

I really liked this book. Jonathan Starling is one of those kids who no one seems to notice. He floats by in school, if he decides to go, and his home life isn’t much different. His mother has never been around, and his father won’t talk about why. He mostly works in his study all day and rarely speaks with Jonathan. The rest of the time Jonathan’s father falls into a near catatonic stupor, the victim of some strange disorder. And then one day someone does take notice of Jonathan, a woman with fluorescent pink hair and an intoxicating perfume, a perfume that makes him feel at ease and willing to do anything or go anywhere she wants. The problem is she wants to kidnap him to the Darkside.

Darkside is a hidden realm within London. Way back when, all the evil hooligans, axe murderers, kidnappers, and monsters that Queen Victoria could find were rounded up and imprisoned within its borders. Queen Victoria even gave control over Darkside to Jack the Ripper and his future descendants. I think you can tell it’s a pretty blood curdling place. But what does the woman with the strange hair and magical perfume want with Jonathan? He needs to find out real quick because it isn’t just his life that hangs in the balance, but his father’s too.

This book is a great introduction to the horror genre. It has gore, and enough bumps and intensity to last you awhile. I’d recommend it for anyone 12 and up, especially those who love horror, or are looking for something with a bit more bite.

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In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee Martinez

Meet Never Dead Ned. His name isn’t entirely correct though, because he does die frequently. He just doesn’t stay dead because a witch clothed all in red keeps resurrecting him. He has a pretty comfortable accounting job for a crack mercenary unit, that is until he gets transferred. Now he is Commander of Ogre Company, the rowdiest bunch of soldiers, and the place where only the worst of the worst end up. Besides the red witch he also has a demon prince and a duck-billed wizard chasing after him. Why him? What makes Ned so special? He hasn’t a clue, but he does know he will probably die a lot finding out.

This is a very humorous fantasy tale. It has ogres, sirens, orcs, Amazons, and Ned dying over and over again. What more do you need? Recommended for anyone into Terry Pratchett or Christopher Moore, and for ages 14 and up.

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Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Living Dead Girl is the story of Alice, a young girl who was kidnapped at a young age. Now 15, Alice still lives with her abductor, secluded from the world, and forced to appease his carnal desires. Over the years she has grown up while dying inside herself, yet with growing older her appeal to her captor fades.  He tells her stories of the last girl he had, and how he killed her when she was 15, and then killed her parents as a belated punishment for growing up. Now her torturer wants Alice to help him find her replacement. Her withered emotions resurface as she finds herself elated that her nightmare is coming to an end, worried that the parents she can hardly remember might be killed, and malice towards her replacement. Does Alice, (which isn’t even her real name), have enough humanity left to save the little girl her abductor has his eye on? Or has she been hurt too much and too often so that now she just wants to cause a little pain of her own before she is killed?

As you can probably tell by now this isn’t a book for everyone. At times I felt like I was being bludgeoned while reading it.  I do think it is a good book though. It makes you think about what makes us really human, and how people can survive horrific experiences. It is appropriate for an older audience, ages 16 and up. It does have explicit scenes of abuse. I’d recommend it for anyone who has a strong stomach and is committed to thinking the story over after you’re finished, because the story will stick with you no matter what.

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The Man With The Golden Torc by Simon R. Green

Add a dash of James Bond, a pinch of Clive Barker, and a heaping tablespoon of explosions, shootouts, and fisticuffs. Then bring to a boil and voila! You now have Simon R. Green’s heterogeneous mixture of these various genre elements, and you know what? It tastes good.

The Drood families are the secret protectors of the world. They protect the world from everything: aliens, monsters, extradimensional entities, demons, and even megalomaniacal villains who want to conquer the world. All Droods are given a golden torc (a necklace around the throat, sort of like a choker) which gives them the ability to cover their bodies with invulnerable golden armor, as well as superhuman strength. Edwin Drood, our hero, has been a faithful, yet distant, member of the family and has a reputation for punching first and not asking questions later. When he is declared rogue and his family turns on him, his world comes crashing down around him. He is now on the run from them and all the bad guys their money can hire. His only allies are former enemies, a witch, and an immortal Jack the Ripper. He will need to hit, break, smash, and crush everything in his way in order to clear his name. Along the way he starts to question his life, why he does what he does, and who are the real bad guys in the world. It looks like he will have to start using his noggin if he wants to survive.

This is an advanced read, and suitable for everyone 16 and up. There is a large amount of violence, lots of gore, but that is to be expected with a horror/action hybrid. There is also some minor sexual content as well that may make it inappropriate for younger readers. Another drawback is that the book takes a bit to pick up, but only because it is the first in a series and needs to lay out the foundation for its supernatural world. This book would mostly appeal anyone who is really into supernatural/gothic horror or who really needs a good action fix.

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Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green

I am a sucker for horror novels. A young patron recently recommended the Nightside series to me. I am glad I took his advice. John Taylor is a would-be private detective who specializes in finding things. He hasn’t had a job in forever and needs money. So when a woman comes in asking for his help finding her daughter he can’t say no. The trouble begins when the woman claims that her daughter ran away to a mysterious place called the Nightside. John Taylor is familiar with the Nightside as he was born and raised there. And he doesn’t really care to go back.

The Nightside is a hidden realm at the heart of London. It has been there since the beginning of time and will continue on after London is gone. It is a place where monsters walk, and the bizarre and the insane are everyday occurrences. Horses talk in the Nightside, and faceless men with syringes for fingers roam the streets and will try to kill you. There are harpies, time travelers, and a diner perpetually stuck in the 60s. It’s a place of odds and ends, both horrifying and sublime.

Something from the Nightside is the first book in the series and at times it suffers from that introductory-ness that the first books have at times.  But the uniqueness of the Nightside really captivates and I am excited to read the next one. I would recommend this book for anyone in 9th grade and up. Horror lovers will definitely like it. Those interested in the Dresden Files will find a good read alike in the Nightside series.

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Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire by Derek Landy

If one more person’s head gets squashed like a grape this book would be even that much better. I really cannot explain how much I enjoyed this Playing With Fire. I like this one a lot better than the first one. It has more of everything, more action, more villains, more magic, more gore, and more humor. In this case more is definitely the merrier.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie find themselves facing off against Baron Vengeous, an acolyte of the Faceless Ones, and is all set to let loose the Grotesquery on the world. The Grotesquery is a Frankenstein’s monster-like creation, except it is made up of many different magical creatures, all of which are extremely lethal. And if the Grotesquery is resurrected then it will call out to the Faceless Ones who will then return and destroy the world.

Like I mentioned before the adrenaline is jacked up a few notches for this sequel. Fans of magic and horror will love this book. It is a pretty intense book, with a high body count and a good amount of gore. I really can’t wait for the third book. This is now my favorite series by far. This book is appropriate for anyone in sixth grade and up, if they don’t mind the blood and guts.

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Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith

Who hasn’t dreamt of being a superhero? I have, and to be honest I still do. Yes, I am 29 and I daydream about being a superhero. But it’s all good because it only takes up like 75% of my day. I think I sleep and eat that other 25%… and work… and family… and read… and video games. How do I fit 150% of stuff in a 100% day?

Jeff Smith, the creator of Bone, has produced a wonderful new spin on the Captain Marvel mythos. Billy Batson is a young homeless boy who is called upon by the ancient wizard Shazam to be a force of good in the world. By saying a magic word, (Shazam!), he turns into the mighty superhero Captain Marvel. Although he has similar powers to Superman, I believe he is far superior because he has the heart and the outlook of a child. These new powers of Billy’s are put to the test when he comes up against the villains of Mr. Mind (an intelligent worm) and Dr. Sivana (a super genius that happens to be the Director of Homeland Security). He does have help along the way. He guide for this journey is the talking tiger Talky Tawny and his little sister who shares his powers Mary Marvel. He can also rely on the ghost of the wizard Shazam who resides in the Rock of Eternity (which is located before space and time!).

I really enjoyed this for a variety of reasons. First off Jeff Smith’s art is astounding. A color comic has never looked this good. I was entranced by how he drew the ideas from the book from many different religious traditions, while making everything entirely accessible to readers of any age. Another aspect of the book is how great the characters are. They all have internal struggles, that are externally expressed with great dramatic effect. Billy as Captain Marvel is at once a kid and an adult and must balance the two. Mary Marvel is a six year old girl with powers to match her brother, but she never loses her sense of fun. This book has great depth but yet is still relevant for the young or young at heart. Smith also adds in references to the our own world, our fear of terrorism and how our government has reacted. Although this could have been very preachy it really adds a new flavor to the story, and I think it works well as a representation of how a child would respond to the world we live in.

All in all, this is a fun read. If you like Bone, if you like superheroes, you’ll love this. Highly recommended for all ages.

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