Indie Book Reviews

The following reviews are of books that I have recently had the pleasure of reading. Most of them were published independently or by independently operated publishing companies. The opinions within are mine alone. I do not write scathing reviews of books that dislike or find to be about as much fun to read as a front kick to the family jewels. Only books that I thoroughly will be posted here. Give them a shot. You won't be disappointed.

dEaDINBURGH (Din Eidyn Corpus Book 1)

Mark Wilson

 

 US link:  http://www.amazon.com/dEaDINBURGH-Din-Eidyn-Corpus-Book-ebook/dp/B00IOD634C/

UK link:   http://www.amazon.co.uk/dEaDINBURGH-Din-Eidyn-Corpus-Book-ebook/dp/B00IOD634C/

dEaDINBURGH was a truly infectious tale (pun intended). Although zombie novels or YA are not my usual choice for reading material, I took the plunge based on my appreciation for Mark Wilson's other works. His other material spans the gambit from superhero high action to a heart wrenching tale about his own personal struggles. I was not disappointed.
He spins a tale based on the premise of Edinburgh's dark history involving the plague centuries ago. He turns this fascinating part of the city's past into a rich back story for an amazing dystopian environment full of the undead, or the "ringed" if you will, and the uninfected survivors who struggle to keep them at bay. The heroes are believable and incredibly colorful while the villains are terrifyingly wicked. Without slipping in any spoilers I will tell you that the climax will leave you begging for the next installment. My only question is, when does this make the leap onto the big screen? The backwoods arena of Hunger Games doesn't have shit on the dark landscape of dEaDINBURGH.
I hope that this turns into a long-running series of books that will keep me awake long into the hours of the night. Highly recommended.

Strangers Are Just Friends You Haven't Killed Yet  

Ryan Bracha

 

 US Link: http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Just-Friends-Havent-Killed-ebook/dp/B0094WISEU/

UK Link:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strangers-Just-Friends-Havent-Killed-ebook/dp/B0094WISEU/

Where do I begin? Reading this book was like watching a flake of snow, slowly rolling down a hillside. Before you realize what is happening it bets bigger and bigger until it slams you in the chest. You are carried along by the weight and brilliance of it, gladly allowing it to carry you off into oblivion.This book was a drug that I could not quit once I got that first taste.
If Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis had a baby, the product of that undoubtedly sordid and violent coupling would be Ryan Bracha. I mean this in the most positive and complimentary way. This guy is good, damn good. My favorite author that I have encountered this year. Probably in the top ten of my all time faves as well.
The ever changing style of narratives and the in your face realism that Strangers possesses are refreshing. The plot revolves around an intense version of hide-and-seek which I found utterly brilliant. I was constantly left wondering how willing each player actually was, how far they would actually go and who would be left breathing. The local jargon and knee-jerk method in which the book was crafted just adds to the charm.
I highly suggest getting a copy of this book for yourself. Check out all of his books for that matter.



Twelve Mad Men
Various Artists




US Link: http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Mad-Men-Ryan-Bracha-ebook/dp/B00LV0VLQA/
UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twelve-Mad-Men-Ryan-Bracha-ebook/dp/B00LV0VLQA/

Okay so I might be a bit biased here since I do have a dog in this fight. At the risk of tooting my own horn I have to say that this project went way above and beyond my expectations. Asking twelve authors hailing from various parts of the globe to each submit a story with a common theme is quite a tall order. Expecting the results of the final project to turn out clean and flowing is a hell of a lot to expect. Ryan Bracha, the mastermind behind the project, does just that.
The premise is pretty straightforward. The new guard at St. David's Asylum for the criminally insane spends his first night getting to know the twelve "residents". The twelve mad men are fictional representations of the authors, each telling a story about how how they got there. The interesting part is that none of the authors even remotely come close to wandering the same path into insanity. Every story is unique and utterly brilliant. Bracha then weaves them all together with a narration that can be described as nothing but genius.
All profits for the book are slated for charity which makes being involved with the project all the more rewarding. Seriously, if you haven't read this one do so at once.



The Fix
Keith Nixon


US link: http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Keith-Nixon-ebook/dp/B00ENHZ7JA/

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-Keith-Nixon-ebook/dp/B00ENHZ7JA/

The Fix is a refreshingly original novel that kept me up at night flipping through the pages. The main character, Josh Dedman, quickly became one of my all time favorite characters to follow since Palahniuk introduced us to the narrator of Fight Club. His cynical outlook on his environment was captivating. Being a country boy, I was delighted with the descriptive prose that Nixon used to describe the city of both Margate and London. He has a keen knack for details that bring his story to a level that is bigger than life. I especially fell in love with the Russian Konstantine. This interesting character could fill the pages of a novel all on his own.
I would definitely recommend this work to anyone regardless of your genre preferences.

Gumbo Ya Ya: Stories
Les Edgerton
 

US link: http://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Ya-Ya-Stories-Edgerton-ebook/dp/B0073Z0Z78/
UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gumbo-Ya-Ya-Stories-Edgerton-ebook/dp/B0073Z0Z78/

 

 

This is my first go-round with Les Edgerton. It certainly won't be my last. His stories are like nothing I have seen before. They have a way of making you not only feeling empathy for very bad people but also rooting for them by the end. I love noir and this guy rewrites the entire blueprint for the genre. The characters are written into the scenes so well that I have a sneaking suspicion that at least a small portion of Edgerton is salted into every one of them. Great showing.

 This Is How You Disappear

Allen Miles

US link: http://www.amazon.com/This-How-Disappear-Allen-Miles-ebook/dp/B00O293F84

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-How-Disappear-Allen-Miles-ebook/dp/B00O293F84

   

 Allen Miles has a way of pulling you into the murky depths of his protagonist's bent psyche and spitting you out the other side, forever altered in your way of seeing the world around you. I both loathe him and thank him for that. The stories within are dark and full of self-loathing individuals who tend to be their own worst enemies. During the span of the few days it took me to read this work I found myself judging my peers with the same uneasy suspicions that Miles pumps into his unforgettable characters. I had not a drop to drink during my read, yet I always closed the book feeling either slightly buzzed or hungover. That my friends is when you know you have stumbled upon a truly talented author of the highest of calibers.
My favorite story was The First Aider, but that may just reflect on my own vindictive character. Each work is worth the price of admission.

Near2TheKnuckle presents Gloves Off: The First Anthology

Darren Sant & Craig Douglas

US link: http://www.amazon.com/Near2TheKnuckle-presents-Gloves-Off-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00QPBGPB6/

UK link:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Near2TheKnuckle-presents-Gloves-Off-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00QPBGPB6/

 

This is an in your face helping of gritty stories from some of the finest talent the indie scene has to offer. Considering that I prefer my fiction to lean more toward the dark and twisted variety, I appreciate the raw quality of the writing offered in these dirty little gems. These authors pull no punches when it came to drawing me into the seedy underbelly of the criminal world. Each and every one of them served to knit the entire anthology into an all around great read. Well done.
I would highly suggest checking out any or all other works by these masters of the craft. A few I have read before. Some I have been turned onto because of this collection. None have disappointed. Also, check out the Near to the Knuckle website for other great stories by these authors as well as many other truly entertaining ones.




 The Search For Ethan
Robert Cowan
US link: http://www.amazon.com/Search-Ethan-Robert-Cowan-ebook/dp/B00LR5H0SM/
UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Ethan-Robert-Cowan-ebook/dp/B00LR5H0SM/


 

 This is hands down one of the best books I have read this year. Robert Cowan has a unique style that piqued my curiosity from the first paragraph and held me firmly in his literary grips until the very last page. The scenes are brutally realistic and the characters somewhat dysfunctional at times. This is what makes them so likeable and easy to relate to. From the polar opposite best friends Tommy and Stevie to the fun-loving Margo with her penchant for booze and a heart of gold. It's a coming of age story of sorts that spans the realm between friendship, tragedy, betrayal and redemption. Not often comes along a book that sticks with me for days after I put it down. Cowan managed to do just that in his superbly crafted debut novel. I expect many more great things coming by way of this author. I for one will certainly be the first in line to snatch them up.

dEaDINBURGH: Alliances

Mark Wilson

US link: http://www.amazon.com/dEaDINBURGH-Alliances-Eidyn-Corpus-Book-ebook/dp/B00RC4WX3O/

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dEaDINBURGH-Alliances-Eidyn-Corpus-Book-ebook/dp/B00RC4WX3O/

 

 
I must start out by saying that I don't normally go out of my way to read zombie themed books. Nothing against them, it's just not my preferred genre to read. That being said, I gave the first book in this series a shot because I have read other works by Mark Wilson and really loved them. He's a great writer who produces some very quality stuff. If you haven't read any of his other books, by all means, do so at once. dEaDINBURGH Vantage took me by surprise and I found myself completely enthralled with the story and the characters. In a nutshell... I was hooked.
Alliances wasted no time pulling me right back into the "dead city" and into the hearts of the characters I had grown quite fond of. I loved how Wilson uses this book as a platform to develop some of the cast from book #1 into key players. He also adds new characters that bring the back story as well as the ending together, full circle. If I thought the first book was great, I soon found that this one is completely beyond amazing.
I cannot wait to see where this storyline takes me on the next installment. Highly recommended. 

 

The Switched

Ryan Bracha

US link: http://www.amazon.com/Switched-Ryan-Bracha-ebook/dp/B00VNWFHK2

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Switched-Ryan-Bracha-ebook/dp/B00VNWFHK2

 

 
 It takes a certain sort of twisted genius to conceive a story like The Switched. Without a doubt Ryan Bracha is definitely the man for that task. This book is undoubtedly his most brilliant creation to date. As a fan of his previous works, I am stoked to see Bracha continuing to hone his craft by leaps and bounds. Employing his usual arsenal of morally flawed characters in inherently awkward situations, Bracha manages to up the game once again by navigating his talent into uncharted territory.
For example, there is the budding romance between two men... er, rather a man and a woman trapped in a man's body. There is humility in the face of adversity and angst under the omnipresent glare of the public spotlight. Redemption goes hand in hand with primal fear. In each player lurks a quality of blackness that resides only in the hearts of the desperate or those condemned. Bracha braves this logistical nightmare of managing this handful of otherwise unconnected souls and orchestrates them beautifully into a flowing, unforgettable masterpiece.

 

 Tussinland

Mike Munson

US link: http://www.amazon.com/Tussinland-Mike-Monson-ebook/dp/B00O9E6192

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tussinland-Mike-Monson-ebook/dp/B00O9E6192

 

 

 For me Tussinland was a refreshing break from the run of the mill crime themed fiction as of late. It is dark, witty and full of interesting plot twists. Monson does a phenomenal job of presenting a large array of a highly dysfunctional family members and giving each of them a proper place in the story. No characters is written in for the sake of filler material. Each plays his or her respective role to the letter. It is a complex story line that will keep you guessing until the last word. Highly recommended.

 HAS#TAG

Eryk Pruitt

US link: http://www.amazon.com/HASHTAG-Eryk-Pruitt-ebook/dp/B00VP34V7Y

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/HASHTAG-Eryk-Pruitt-ebook/dp/B00VP34V7Y

 

 After reading Dirtbags earlier this year I was left with one question. Who is this Eryk Pruitt and when will his next book come out. Okay, so that's actually two questions, but bear with me. To answer the first, he is an author on the cusp of greatness with the world of noir by the short hairs. Best part of that is he just keeps getting better. Nothing against the first book, but I can really see his style and craft coming into its own with Hashtag.
I love the way he takes a handful of seemingly unconnected characters, throws them into incredible situations and by the end of it all thrusts them headlong into each others hot mess. His grasp for dialogue is spot on and his keen eye for the darker side of human nature ain't too shabby to boot. A must read.

 

 On The Seventh Day

Mark Wilson

US link: http://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Day-God-Hates-You-ebook/dp/B015HV35LM

UK link:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seventh-Day-God-Hates-You-ebook/dp/B015HV35LM

   

 
Are you uncomfortable with the idea that God more than likely hates you and everything you stand for? Then this book probably isn't for you. Mark Wilson isn't the first writer to put that notion to paper, but he's the first to spell it out in a way that will leave you rethinking every theological crumb ever stuffed down your throat as a child. Kudos to him for having the balls to think outside the box and producing one gem of a tale.
I have read most of Wilson's previous work and always take comfort in the fact that each new project he takes on will represent the continuous evolution of his craft. I also love the way he never settles for the safety and comfort of any one particular genre. Seventh Day is definitely no exception. No Safe Sally business going on here. You never know what you are going to get, but rest assured it will be great. True to form, Wilson leaves me with nothing bad to say about his latest contribution to the literary world.
I can already see the throngs of the religious right losing their f@*#king minds when they catch wind of this book. Let me be the first to predict that there will be more members of the Westboro Baptist Church on hand at Wilson's funeral than there were at Ronnie James Dio's. Sadly, most of them probably won't have even read more than the first chapter.
I won't ruin anybody's good time with spoilers or a complete synopsis of the plot. Let's just say that God is kind of a dick and really disgusted with the direction that the entire human race has steered itself. He gives his only begotten boy and his buddy Mo a mere week to set them straight. If they fail, he plans to pull the pin and clean the slate. An entire cast of biblical favorites as well as a handful of noteworthy humans fill the pages with some very entertaining dialogue and action. If you want to know the rest of the story, get your own copy and find out for yourself.