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Case Files from the Nightfall Detective Agency: Fury of the Vampire
David Alyn Gordon’s Fury of the Vampire is a sweeping supernatural thriller that jumps across centuries, from ancient Jerusalem to 1920s Arizona, weaving together myth, history, and horror. The story follows vampires, werewolves, jinn, and humans caught in webs of betrayal, love, and ambition. At its heart is the eternal struggle between Lilith, Abram, and a cast of characters tied to mystical objects like the Ring of Solomon. Intertwined with this are political conspiracies, mob dealings, and the simmering tension of racial injustice in early 20th-century America. It’s a bold mix of folklore, pulp action, and noir detective work.
I enjoyed how daringly the author blends myth with history. Seeing Lilith spar with Abram in one chapter and then finding myself in the smoke-filled dance halls of Prohibition-era Tucson in the next kept me hooked. The pacing is brisk, and the action scenes pop with energy. I found myself leaning in whenever vampires clashed with werewolves or when political schemers whispered in dark corners. The dialogue can be blunt, sometimes even melodramatic, but it fits the pulpy, high-stakes feel of the book. It reminded me of flipping through an old serialized adventure, where the thrill matters more than polish.
Some passages carry raw emotional weight, like Malia grieving for her cousin, while other scenes are exaggerated. That didn’t ruin the ride for me, though. If anything, it made the book feel unpredictable. I enjoyed how unapologetically it leaned into its own wildness. It’s not a quiet or subtle novel; it’s brash, bloody, and loud. And I have to admit, I had fun with that. Sometimes I rolled my eyes, other times I grinned, and a few moments genuinely made me pause and think, especially the parts dealing with cultural memory and injustice.
I’d say Fury of the Vampire is best for readers who love fast-moving supernatural adventures, who don’t mind a little chaos in their fiction, and who want something that feels both familiar and refreshingly strange. If you’re into folklore reimagined as a gritty pulp detective saga, this is your book. It’s messy, it’s fierce, and it absolutely has bite.
Pages: 164 | ASIN : B0FLTB1L71
Augie Doyle and the Dead Boy
In Augie Doyle and the Dead Boy by Dylan Blackwood, readers are thrust into a perplexing and eerie scenario. The story begins with Augie Doyle and his classmates witnessing the unexpected return of Oliver Hackl, who was declared dead just five days earlier. This baffling incident sets the stage for a riveting narrative that intertwines the paranormal with the mysteries of everyday life.
Augie, a character with a keen interest in the paranormal, is convinced that supernatural forces are at play. His determination to unravel the truth behind Oliver’s reappearance propels the plot forward as he and his friends delve deeper into a web of mysteries and unexplained events. The novel excels in maintaining suspense, constantly posing questions about the reality of Oliver’s death and the possibility of otherworldly influences.
The character development in this young adult novel is a standout feature. Augie and his friends – Ben, Ethan, Caleb, and Fiona – are portrayed with depth and authenticity, each contributing uniquely to their collective quest. Their interactions and the dynamics of their friendship add a layer of realism to the story, making the characters relatable to readers of all ages.
Blackwood’s narrative style is engaging, successfully drawing readers into the heart of the mystery. The book’s pacing is well-managed, keeping readers invested and eager to uncover the truth alongside the protagonists. Incorporating elements such as the mysterious Creeper character, who is rumored to be a voodoo priest, adds an intriguing and chilling aspect to the story.
While labeled as a young adult novel, Augie Doyle and the Dead Boy holds a broad appeal, captivating adult readers with its blend of mystery, suspense, and supernatural elements. The novel sets a high standard for the subsequent books in this series, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.
Dylan Blackwood’s novel is a commendable addition to the young adult genre, offering a story that is as much about the bonds of friendship and the resilience of youth as it is about solving a supernatural mystery. This book promises to engage, thrill, and leave readers pondering the thin line between reality and the paranormal.
Pages: 138 | ASIN : B0C9YTR56J
Address The Big Questions
Animals follows a family who’s lives are altered after Ellie goes missing and is raised by animals and trained for a dangerous purpose. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I started with the idea of telling a story that would allow readers and myself to spend time thinking about how we, as humans, should live in and share the world with its other inhabitants. I was thinking about the ways we attempt to distance ourselves from the rest of nature and the consequences of that. I was concerned with the stories we tell ourselves about our place in the world. I had some fairly fixed ideas about those things. As always happens when you start writing the characters had ideas of their own and the story took me in directions I had not planned and I think the book is all the more engaging and interesting for that. Along with all that I wanted to make the book exciting, a page-turner, something that would find a home in readers mental stores of favourite stories.
Ellie is an interesting character that is well developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted the book to in some sense address the big questions of ‘who are we?’ and ‘how should we live?’. It seemed to me that this could be examined well by writing about a young person growing up and developing their answers to those questions as we read. Obviously, Ellie does all that in very unusual circumstances. I will admit that many of the qualities emphasised by her animal mentors (such as resilience, mental and physical capability etc) are ones I personally value but Ellie questions everything she learns eventually and I don’t believe the book offers simple answers.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Humans as a story-telling animal and how those stories influence the view we have of ourselves and the world. Cruelty, its origins and how it can be combated. The nature of family and loyalty. Also, as readers will discover, Ellie spends a great deal of time with a group of refugees on her journey across Europe. The plight of displaced people and issues connected with migration was very much on my mind as I wrote the book.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The sequel to Animals is already available. It’s called ‘The Pack’ and continues the story of Ellie, all her allies and her enemies. There will be a third book in the series ‘A cave in a forest’. I am working on it now.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
In that instant her life and the lives of her parents and brother are altered forever…
“Animals” is an exciting adventure story; full of danger, mystery and action, peopled with characters you will care about.
It is also an examination of the elements that make us human and how we deal with the fact that we are also animals.
Vampires: Don’t You Just Hate Them?
If you’re looking for excitement laced with lots of violence and sex then you need to look no further than Danny Estes’ Vampires: Don’t You Just Hate Them? We begin our story with our protagonist, Jonathan, who finds himself speaking with some form of a psychologist. At first, the reader is unawares in regards to what the story is going to be about. Jonathan speaks about how he always thought vampires were myth. It’s not until a bit later on that Jonathan reveals through the effort of flashbacks that he is a half-werewolf and he has been living with his mate, and full werewolf, Jasmine. What begins as a story of coming to grips with the laws and rules of Pack behavior that Jonathan is not used to, devolves in an exciting way into a gun fight between werewolf and vampire. However, not everything is as it seems.
Estes does a fantastic job with this story. He’s very descriptive and by telling the story from Jonathan’s point of view we can feel as though we are Jonathan as he struggles to accept the fact that his mate has brought him to live with a Pack, something he is not accustomed to, where females are dominant and his opinion is not required. Jonathan is faced with the difficult task of merging into a culture he has never heard good things about. His father is a full werewolf who ran away from pack life with his half-werewolf mother in tow. Jonathan is aggressive, stubborn and has deep rooted feelings about justice: traits that are not welcome in his new world.
It appears that werewolves are very physical, sexual beings, which is an interesting take on the race. Estes doesn’t go too over the top with his descriptions about the sexual events that take place in his novel. He describes things with enough emphasis that crude words are not necessary and it is clear what he is getting at. By having the story from Jonathan’s point of view we’re also awarded his assistance with explaining things that might not be understood at first glance. Whenever there is a chance the reader is confused, Jonathan is confused as well and asks for explanation or provides it. It’s almost like breaking the fourth wall without really speaking with the reader. A very clever tactic.
Estes does what he does best: tell an engaging story with all the trappings of entertainment. Vampires: Don’t You Just Hate Them? performs better than a movie with rigorous action scenes, lust and explosions in all the right places. There is a story to be told here, as well, which doesn’t get overshadowed by all the action. Jonathan is not all he seems to be, and he doesn’t even know it. While it may be clichéd to say that there is more to him than meets the eye, that is the reality. Estes milks that for all it’s worth and ends his tale with flair and excitement. Those who are looking for an exciting read with good character development and a plot that doesn’t get ignored, will definitely find everything they’re looking for in this book.
Pages: 276 | ASIN: B009PO52PK
LITERARY TITAN 