The Picture House By Janet McDermott-Brown (2013)

“Life On Mars Meets Alice In Wonderland”

 Cover Art By Vanessa Morris

The Picture House is a children’s fantasy story about a young imaginative boy trapped in a coma and the struggle of his three friends to save him from both his condition and the embodiment of his nightmares. Over the course of the story the three brave friends explore the fantastical regions of a child’s imagination, meeting lost souls, angry gardeners, enslaved trees and a wily black cat.

Although it is a story aimed at children The Picture House certainly does not talk down to its readers. The vocabulary, although not too baffling, is beautifully descriptive and vivid. Younger readers may struggle with some of the text but only in a way that encourages further learning. The themes in the book do not pull punches either. There is a very real sense of loss for many characters in the story which is dealt with in a sincere and compassionate way. These themes are not morose or morbid but rather encourage hope and understanding.

The characters are sympathetic and fun to read about. They are not action heroes but rather ordinary people who go through their ordeal because they care about their friend. You could maybe question how the children adapt so readily to such a bedazzling environment. But hey, kids are tough and it would hardly be an exciting story if they spent half the book going to pieces.

I would recommend a story like this to an imaginative child, boy or girl, who may enjoy watching Tim Burton Films, Doctor Who or Harry Potter. It is not wholly educational but is fun to read and steers away from patronising young people. I may not normally be a fan of this sort of book (and I’m probably old enough to know better) but I enjoyed it for it’s ability to amuse and entertain my imagination.

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Bad Pollyanna - Monstrous Child

"Succulent, sexy as f@ck rock with an industrial edge"

 

Those familiar with the gothic music scene (and its extended family tree) will no doubt have heard Bad Pollyanna’s stylish brand of alternative rock already. They made a good name for themselves as a support act but they are now moving forward quite capably under their own steam. With well received appearances at Whitby Goth Weekend and Dark Waters Festival under their belt Bad Pollyanna are ready to move on to the next level.

The much anticipated Monstrous Child is a concept album about a young woman kidnapped and being used by a mad scientist in an experiment reminiscent of “The Bride of Frankenstein.” Fans of Bad Pollyanna’s stage shows will be delighted to hear their favourite songs in one full length album.

The clean quality of the recording and the pristine instrumentals against a powerful voice put their songs on par with anything released in the major rock charts. Throughout the album the lyrics are sincere and articulate. This is especially highlighted in “Letting You Go” which boasts deep emotion and loss portrayed through powerful vocals that would make a frozen-era Madonna proud.

Whether you’re into rock, gothic music, metal or just great female-driven songs I would recommend Monstrous Child. Bad Pollyanna will cater to a wide variety of tastes and are setting the standard for the future of alternative music.

Check out their site & order the album:
http://www.badpollyanna.com

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https://twitter.com/Badpollyanna
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Magic Of Thieves by C. Greenwood (2012)

“Fantasy Without The Usual Suspects”

 Magic Of Thieves is the first in the Legends Of Dimmingwood series. It chronicles in first person the life of Ilan, a young girl whose village was destroyed by royal soldiers. Fleeing after seeing both her parents murdered for witchcraft she finds herself taken in by bandits and starting a new life under the vast shadow of Dimmingwood.  Unlike most fantasy settings, Dimmingwood has none of the usual elves, goblins, or dragons which is frankly a refreshing change.  Despite the elven-looking cover art, Ilan herself is in fact human, although obviously from some kind of shrouded ancestry.

It is only a short read and is probably best suited to teenagers and young adults rather than children. The use of language is fairly stocky and robust like the setting itself but that is not a poor reflection on the author. We are introduced to a gritty unforgiving world so Magic Of Thieves needs little in the way poetic flourish.  The writing is direct but not at all clumsy.

As an overall story Magic Of Thieves can seem a little unstructured. There are no overwhelming morals or plot twists in this first installment, it merely sets the scene. Ilan is rather flawed as a main protaginist. She is selfish and immature in many ways but I have the feeling she will settle and find her place in the world later in the series.   It’s a case of bearing with her for now because at some point she’ll come through for you.

I’d recommend this story and this series to anyone over 13 if you like fantasy but are perhaps sick of orcs, elves & dwarves.

Get it Free at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AEJG2KY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox (2013)

“Funny, cheeky, sexy and ridiculous…”

I stumbled across this book during a browse through the free section but in truth I would not have minded paying for it.  Unlike most freebies, this is not a novella but a full size novel with enough room for character development, plot twists and lots of humour.

Lizzie Brown is an ordinary modern woman, fresh into her thirties, teaching at a primary school.  Her well-to-do life is turned into a bizarre adventure when her long lost grandmother pulls up on a motorcycle and tells her she is destined to save the world from a powerful demon.  Guided by her grandmother’s coven of biker witches, protected by a shape-shifting griffin and supported by her talking Jack Russel, Lizzie must learn to use her formidable powers to overcome the forces of darkness.

Although the romantic side of the story may be directed more at a female audience there are enough action scenes, plot turns and funny jokes to entertain any reader.  I’d recommend this if you enjoyed shows like Buffy or Charmed but even if you didn’t there is enough to keep most horror-fantasy fans going.

While the word use is very colloquial and sometimes just a little clumsy it is fairly deliberate and generally suits the story.  Some parts of the character dialogue and development seemed a bit rushed too but not to a point that ruins the whole book.  On the whole it seems that Fox was writing the kind of story she’d like to read rather than fill a genre market-gap or follow a formula.

The Accidental Demon Slayer certainly does not hold back too much on gore, language or indeed sex. For this reason, despite its somewhat jovial look at the supernatural I would say that only adult readers should buy this book.

Get it free at Amazon

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http://www.angiefox.com/

The Wolfgangs - Cannibal Family

"Shout With The Devil"

I can't get enough of The Wolfgangs. This female fronted Psychobilly band from France have a classic rock & roll sound with smooth but powerful vocals. They sound great. They look great. Their presence is great.

Cannibal Family is so far the only official video the band have produced and is taken off their album "Shout With The Devil" which is also worth a write-up on here sometime.

I rate the band as being ideal for fans of of Imelda May or even Demented-Are-Go but you may have you own ideas. Either way, watch the video and see what you think!

Follow The Band:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wolfgangs/191487380890799

Buy the album at Amazon

Bad Pollyanna - Hollow

"An experiment reminiscent of The Bride of Frankenstein."

The much anticipated Monstrous Child is a concept album about a young woman kidnapped and being used by a mad scientist in an experiment reminiscent of “The Bride of Frankenstein.”

 If you have not heard the band yet you are missing out so here is their official music video for Hollow which captures the whole essence of Monstrous Child in one short film.

Check out their site and order the album:
http://www.badpollyanna.com

Follow the band:
https://twitter.com/Badpollyanna
https://www.facebook.com/badpollyanna

Dead Thing by Andrew Hawnt (2011)

“Painting The Town Red!”

 Cover art by Richard Woollatt

The story centers around the actions of an otherworldly entity, a demon which survives and grows by inhabiting human hosts. Our major protagonist is Kevin, a young man whose days are numbered by Cystic Fibrosis. After a short encounter with the fiend he finds himself assisting a team of paranormal investigators in a desperate race to save his estranged lover Julie from becoming the creature’s final host.

While the supernatural action is incredibly graphic and extreme the brief episodes of normality are amazingly true to life. Andrew Hawnt clearly has a good grasp of his characters in their everyday lives with their pet hates, daily routines and waking thoughts. These scenes of the mundane serve to make the scenes of the macabre surprisingly believable. The main characters are realistic, intelligent and sympathetic people whose world is torn apart by a foe that you genuinely want them to defeat. In true Tech-Noir fashion much of the action takes place in the seedy world of clubland, where violence and panic are easier to camouflage into a backdrop of leisurely excess.

All in all Dead Thing is a fairly short read but it’s impact is hard. At Kindle price it is certainly worth buying just to try something a little different. I look forward to reading (and hopefully reviewing) the sequel.

Buy it at Amazon

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http://andrewhawnt.blogspot.co.uk/