Audio Book Review: The Haunted Forest Tour by James A. Moore and Jeff Strand

This wasn't as fun as it looked. Definitely horror trick, not treat.
The Haunted Forest Tour
Written By: James A. Moore, Jeff Strand
Narrated By: Joe Hempel

Date: August 2018
Duration: 8 hours 56 minutes
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Horror
My Rating: 3.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.0; Narration 3.5.

Summary:
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Haunted Forest Tour! Sit back and enjoy a smooth ride in air-conditioned comfort as your heavily armored tram takes you through nature's most astonishing creation. The forest is packed to capacity with dangerous and terrifying creatures of all shapes, sizes, and hunger levels, and you'll get to observe these wonders in complete safety.
Howl with a werewolf! Gaze into the glowing eyes of a giant spider! Look right through a spooky ghost! See horrific monsters you couldn't even imagine, only inches away from you! Things with fangs, things with claws, things with dripping red jaws-you'll see them all!
Not thrilling enough? Well, it's Halloween, and so we're offering a very special tour through the Haunted Forest. The new route goes deeper into the woods than any civilians have ventured before, and you're guaranteed to get a good scare! Rest assured that every possible security precaution has been taken. The Haunted Forest Tour has a 100% safety record, and technical difficulties are unheard of. You will be in no danger whatsoever.
We promise.

Review:
A few years ago a strange deadly forest popped up out of nowhere devastating a small community in New Mexico. After the first days of death and terror the growth had stopped and has seemed to be contained. The owner of the land was able to send teams into the forest to build a state of the art, totally safe tour attraction. Since the initial spread, there have been no deaths, except for couple of accidents.

A select group of tourists, young and old, have gathered for a special Halloween, Haunted Forest Tour. The new Halloween route is special as it goes deeper into the forest and the guests are expecting to see all types of strange monsters. Most are excited about the adventure and everyone expects the ride to be a bit scary but fun and safe. And for half the trip all is good. Then the first tram bus stalls on the track. The monsters creep closer until the tour guide decides it might be a good idea to pass out the handful of weapons they have stowed on board…just in case.

The story begins with trauma and then moves to a theme similar to Jurassic Park. There is little development although the author presents a range of characters with different reasons and enthusiasm levels for the special tour. There is a wide assortment of monsters but after a while as they just kept coming, the descriptions became less interesting to me. I cared about some of the struggling characters but at about three quarters of the story I had just about had enough. I stuck it out, so I did learn the catalyst that brought the monsters out and a means of ending the terror was revealed. Even that was gruesome, but it was a relief that it was over.

I had hoped this would be fun but there were only a few flashes of fun that came through the horror and carnage. Also, I didn’t care for some male sexual fantasizing that got to be icky. This might be a good read for true horror fans but not for those looking for a light, monster story.

Audio Notes: Joe Hempel does a good job with the narration. There was some variety in the voices and I didn’t find confusion among the characters. The audio version helped me get to the end.

Source: 10/2020 Audiobooks.com Mystery Audiobook Club. This qualifies for 2020Audiobook goal.

Audible Book Review: Escape from Bythos by Phil Tucker

This is engaging - I've put the first full book on my Wish List.

Escape from Bythos
By: Phil Tucker
Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine

Series: Chronicles of the Black Gate, Book 0.5
Length: 1 hr and 31 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 03-13-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Dark Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
While listed as book 6, Escape from Bythos is actually the prequel novella to the series and can be enjoyed at any point.
How did Asho end up as Lord Kyferin's squire?
Escape from Bythos leads seamlessly into the novel The Path of Flames, detailing how Asho acquired his freedom against all odds and escaped the slave city of Bythos.
All Ennoian knights must sacrifice a single year of their lives to garrison the subterranean city of Bythos. Known as their Black Year, it is a time both loathed and dreaded. Lord Kyferin, the infamous leader of the Black Wolves, is down in the depths with six of his knights. Biding his time. Whoring. Dreaming of bloody invasions he'll launch when he is free to return to Ennoia.
Then a Bythian slave brings word of dangerous prey. A legendary monster. A cavekiller. Kyferin chooses to mount a hunt, taking a fraction of the men needed so as to increase his glory. This cavekiller, however, is different. More lethal. Ferocious. And the Bythian slave that Kyferin brings as a guide is none other than Asho's father....
©2016 Phil Tucker (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Bythos is a slave city, the bottom (subterranean) of the classes in the Ascendant Empire. Zekko is a worker who has lived under the oppressive regime wondering how his gods can allow this system. Zekko’s children, Asho and his younger sister Shaya, will soon be of age to face the Choosing process where they will be evaluated to be sent to a life of servitude in the next level or contemned to remain as a slave in Bythos.

The children seek adventure by going into a forbidden mine, where legends tell of a killing monster, the cavekiller. They are frightened back to their father to let him know that there is a living cavekiller deep in the shaft. This will require action by the Ennoian knights who are serving their year in the loathed city. Zekko seeks out Lord Kyferin who agrees to take a small force to face the cavekiller even though legends indicate that only a large group of fighters should face the monster. Kyferin directs Zekko to be the guide into the depths of the mine.

Zekko has been approached by his work friends who are recruiting to rebel against the higher realms. This has pushed Zekko into a mindset of confusion and he has to contemplate his faith and tradition. He has choices to make as he could lead the knights with protective or deadly motives. When they face the battle, Zekko makes a sacrifice that will change his life and the lives of his family.

I know (knew) nothing about this series but I like fantasies with class battles and dangerous creatures. This is a short novella that explains how Asho ends up where he is for the following books. The characters were well developed, and the world building was displayed through the lifestyles and actions of the characters. I found the story engaging and I would be willing to listen to more in the series.

Audio Notes: Noah Michael Levine does a nice job with the narration. He portrays the characters with appropriate voices and emotion. The audio enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Source: Audible 2019 purchase $1.95. This qualifies for 2019Audiobook Goal.

#NetGalley Book Review: Fury: An Urban Fantasy & Mystery (The Fae Awakening Book 1) by Will O'Shire

This is a decent, quick fantasy.

Fury: An Urban Fantasy & Mystery (The Fae Awakening Book 1)
by Will O'Shire

File Size: 6865 KB
Publication Date: November 28, 2018
ASIN: B07KYXXS8V
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Indebted to the Fae council, Hunter investigates crimes committed by Fae beings against humanity, as required by a treaty between the human and Fae worlds. Hunter is secretly building out a large retirement fund by operating an illicit business on the side.
When Hunter returns from a botched theft overseas, he finds out his business partner, George, has taken on a job from an untrustworthy leprechaun. His team must work together to find a monstrous unicorn, covered in a black moving liquid and surrounded by flames, who has destroyed the site of a new energy project and killed several humans, leaving empty holes in their chests.
Along the way, Hunter will have to take on the protection of two young men, Brad and Andy, who have no idea the Fae world exists. They'll follow Hunter rather than risk being alone, meeting many friends, and many enemies they thought only existed in fairy tales.

Review:
Hunter is a human working in a precarious position as a human investigator of Fae crimes against humanity. He works under the watchful eye of the Fae council but still manages to secretly work side jobs (for example, unauthorized thefts) to build a retirement fund so he can exit the Fae world.

Hunter’s partner takes on an assignment from a leprechaun that no one trusts. He isn’t thrilled but the job pays very well. He and his team are to find a monstrous unicorn who is dripping black goo and flames as it kills several humans. Presumably the leprechaun is more concerned because the unicorn has destroyed a work site at one of his investment projects.

Hunter is called in by the police investigator to view the scene of one of the killings where he finds a charred building and a woman killed with a hole in her chest. While watching the video of the attack Hunter notices a specific detail that may help his search for the creature. He also becomes aware of two witnesses, humans Brad and Andy, who do not know about the Fae world. Hunter must protect them as he moves forward with his investigation.

Hunter pulls together his team members to help work on the cases. There is a woman who is a brownie who can be helpful at home until her anger rises. Then there is the bartender who I think is an ogre and a wonderfully beastly creature, Kawa, who reminds the boys of Chewbacca of Star Wars --- or maybe a Yeti? And let’s not forget the help from Henry, the gargoyle.

While Hunter and the team work to track and capture the dangerous unicorn, Hunter is trying to avoid an angry goblin who wants the ‘treasure’ he engaged Hunter to steal. Meanwhile authorities are seeking to question Kawa about some other crimes.

This is a quick, short fantasy that pulled me in. I enjoyed the crazy set of characters and the world building. The specific plot is engaging too – who doesn’t like unicorns? This story reaches an appropriate end although there is a good bit of character history and side issues that remain unanswered for further stories. I recommend this to readers who enjoy Fae related fantasy.

Source: 2018 NetGalley. This qualified for 2018 NetGalley Challenge.

Book Review: Shadow Reaper (Shadowlands Series) by Amos Cassidy

This story has strong world building (but strong language too).

Shadow Reaper (Shadowlands Series)
by Amos Cassidy

File Size: 3735 KB
Print Length: 306 pages
Publisher: Kindle Press (September 13, 2016)
ASIN: B01IWKRJFS
Genre: Dark Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Only the bravest go over the Horizon...
Twenty years ago the barriers between worlds came down and our reality was swallowed up by the Shadowlands. Now we scavenge to survive, until one day there’s nothing left to reap. Starvation is around the corner, but I’m not the roll over and wait-to-die kinda girl. Nope, I’m going further than anyone has ever been and returned to tell the tale. I’m going into the Beyond, and I’m not coming back without a solution.
Dark urban fantasy with a post-apocalyptic twist.

Review:
Ash and her big brother, Clay, (older by a year) watched their parents starve while they refused to allow the teens to become Reapers. Now the two live in the underground Shelter because Ash signed on as a Reaper who goes out to the Shadowlands to scavenge for food, medicines or anything else that might help the survivors who live in Shelter. Scavenging is becoming scarce and the resources are being used up – even if the leadership is hiding that secret. Ash is prepared to go beyond the Horizon into the Beyond to find a solution to save her brother and her new ‘family’.

Ash gets another strong Reaper, Bernadette, to help her on her suicide quest. They do find food but they also find major trouble. As the Shadows begin to swallow them something strange occurs. They survive to struggle to a haven in the Shadowlands. The place is a refuge for all sorts of creatures, including humans although the humans are little more than slaves in this bizarre facility. There are god-like leaders -- aka controllers-- who recognize that there is something special and unique about Ash. They are willing to protect her while they figure out who or what she is but meanwhile her friend has been sold to the Traders.

Ash isn’t about to help anyone until she gets help rescuing her friend. There is another being who can help her, but he is part beast who may, or may not, be able to control himself. Despite the extreme danger he will face, Daemon agrees to take Ash to another realm where Bernadette has been taken. Daemon is soon captured and Ash must find a way to rescue him next.

I did have trouble with the beginning which is liberally peppered with the “f” word. I almost stopped at about 15% in but I am glad that I pushed through because I did enjoy the story once I managed to ignore the language. There are also liberal sexual orientations shared in the story. They are nicely and respectfully handled so I wasn’t bothered by them but their presence should be noted for those who don’t want to read about homosexual and bisexual characters.

I enjoyed the fast-pace of this story with its diverse and interesting characters. I liked all of the diverse creatures and strong characters. The world building is very good and the danger and action kept me engaged, skimming past the bad language, as I wanted to know what would happen next.

This is another title I received for free through a multi-author promotion.