Twenty authors, twenty gods, twenty stories that will chill, thrill and kill you. The Gods of the Pantheon present their first anthology of Halloween stories, the time for Samhain draws near…

Olympus Confidential: the Deep Wild by CJ Landry
Hera has been kidnapped! For four terrified teenage Gods and Goddesses, it is a race against the clock to find their mother. But to get her back, they must face and conquer their greatest enemy – themselves. Can they accomplish their feats and find Hera in time, or will the Queen of the Gods be lost forever?

Reliving the Nightmare by Moxie Malone
Moxie, the forgotten goddess, defies her mothers to pursue her heart’s desire. Her single-minded stubbornness leads innocent lovers into danger when nightgoyles break free from Tartarus at the apex of Samhain. These vicious creatures, with an appetite for human flesh, are on the hunt and they are hungry.

Sacrifice to the Dark Elves by Jeanette Rose
Eros, God of Love and Sex, along with Dionysus, God of Wine, throw an epic rave in Olympus National Park for Halloween. A party to end all. Yet, nothing is as it seems. Samhain is a night steeped in mystery, the veil between worlds at its thinnest, and someone is reaching out.

Thanatos and the House at the End of the World by Marc Tizura
Thanatos, God of Death, has left the Pantheon. Broken after the second world war, he has taken to exploring alternate worlds. He comes across one of a barren landscape and a lone structure. The dead cry out to him from the depths of the decrepit Victorian house, their souls held hostage by a demon child.

A Soul for a Soul by Rashmi P. Menon
A dark shadow has descended on Artemis’ beloved Olympus National Park. When the sinister shadow starts reaping the souls of the mortals visiting the Park, Artemis sets out on a quest with her hunting partner, Orion, and the God of Death, Thanatos. Racing against time, Artemis must unravel the mystery of the dark shadow and retrieve the lost souls before it consumes them forever.

Darkness Falls by Jennifer Morton
Something from another dimension is using Samhain to try to slip through the veil. Can Medusa stop the rising darkness before it consumes her and swallows the light forever?

The Weaver by Alice Callisto
Clio, the Muse of History, working on an archaeological dig in Egypt, is alerted to the sudden and unexplained disappearances of some mortal employees, along with strange echoing voices with no apparent source. Clio investigates, determined to stop these occurrences, but finds herself face-to-face with a monster.

A Piece of Cake by Amber Albright
Atë, Goddess of Mischief and Ruin, doesn’t believe in warning signs. So, the sign on the ancient ruin declaring “Dangers Contained Within” doesn’t concern her. She’s on a mission to cheer up her sister by baking her a cake. What she doesn’t expect? A demon appearing determined to drag her off to hell.

Mermaid’s Tale By Nikki Crump-Hansted
Nike is having one of those days. “Working here is easy,” he said. “We’ve never had any problems.” Well, Uncle Poseidon lied. Tending his newly remodeled bar and grill at The Mermaid’s Tale was supposed to be a breeze – until it’s not. Follow Nike in her what else could possibly go wrong adventure.

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads: Immortal Fears Anthology

Review

*I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 4 stars

Immortal Fears comprises twenty short scary stories featuring the Greek Gods and Goddesses in the modern day. Each faces battles against monsters, demons, and perhaps the most terrifying of all themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology collection. Each tale was terrifying and unique with its own twists and turns which made for compelling reading. I love stories showcasing the Greek Gods and Goddesses and Immortal Fears did not disappoint. It also high-lighted some of the lesser known gods which I really liked. The stories were fast paced and drew me from the beginning and I kept turning the page to see what happened next. I recommend Immortal Fears to horror and mythology fans.

Will and Ram have survived everything JM Coil could throw at them – and everything they could do to themselves.

But now, Serial Investigations London face their first Christmas apart in years. Will’s in rehab and Ram is stuck at home, wishing his favourite person in the world was by his side – and wondering how he can keep a roof over their heads with no money coming in.

Join the boys for a Christmas interlude in this novella, set between the events of Blood Sport and Blood Diamond. With no crimes or cases, get to know them – and their feelings for each other – a bit better before jumping back into the action.

Haven’t read Blood Sport yet? This book contains spoiler for books 1 – 5 in the Serial Investigations series. Make sure you catch up before you dive in!

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads: Blood on Poinsettia (Serial Investigations) by Rhiannon D’Averc

Review

*I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 5 stars

After the events of Blood Sport, Will and Ram are now faced with being apart at Christmas. With both of them having acknowledged their feelings for the other, it is especially hard and despite the separation they try to find a way to let the other know that they are still thinking of them.

Blood on Poinsettia is a very sweet and touching novella set in the Serial Investigations universe. It focuses mainly on the fallout from Blood Sport. Whilst it does not include an investigation, it builds on the character development of Will and Ram as well as the relationship between them. The result is a very heart-warming and moving read. I just love these guys so much. They both have their own inner demons and struggles that they are doing their best to overcome, not just for themselves now but each other too.

I loved how the other was constantly in their thoughts and the ending was poignant and with hope for the future between them. If you enjoyed the Serial Investigations books then you will love this addition to the series!

Drought, desperation, deliverance.

Yaneera is the youngest Empress in the history of Andara. With her land in turmoil, she must use her wit and cunning just to stay alive. Severe drought has brought with it famine, starvation and death. As her people waver on the verge of open rebellion, Yaneera must deliver them or perish at their hand.

Andara’s struggles have not gone unnoticed. Neighbouring kingdoms stand ready to deliver the killing blow.

As chaos erupts across the land a stranger appears in the Empress’ court. Preaching the presence of a new God, Mythos, the newcomer promises deliverance for Yaneera and her people.

Mythos power is not without price, and Yaneera soon finds herself facing a crisis of conscience. . .

Will she sell her soul to save her people?

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads: When the Gods War 

Review

*I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 4 stars

Yaneera, the young Empress of Andara, faces a dilemma. With drought, starvation and death ravaging her Kingdom, she must choose between aligning herself with a stranger who brings promise of salvation or risk a rebellion of her own citizens. With neighbouring Kingdoms’ seeking to turn Andara’s crisis into their opportunity, no matter what Yaneera does war will be an inevitable outcome.

When The Gods War surprised me when I first started reading it. I expected it to pick up with the characters from book one but instead I was drawn into the struggles of Andara and its empress. The author’s world is incredibly in-depth and developed. A lot of time is taken to set each scene and explain the Kingdoms that have been created. I really felt for Yaneera and the crisis that she was facing. Her choices were impossible and all she really wanted was to do the best for her people.

As much as I enjoyed reading the second book from different perspectives, I was also happy to see more from Tristan, Syrion and Elaina. The latter two characters have their own storylines which unfold alongside the main theme of the novel. Both characters continue to develop and I look forward to reading more about them in future instalments of the series.

If you enjoy a rich, well-crafted fantasy novel with an interesting and complex array of characters then I recommend When the Gods War!

Former NYPD detective Liliana Slavik is still recovering from a nervous breakdown, after a shooting that killed her fiancé and ended her career. Seeking refuge in her peaceful hometown, she soon discovers hundreds of people have disappeared in the Pine Barrens nearby. She becomes determined to fight through her panic attacks, team up with the man who betrayed her, and solve the sinister secret.

Liliana uncovers information about the famed Jersey Devil as well as Native American lore which tells of monsters which haunt the vast New Jersey forests. But, the anxious investigator knows there’s only one way to reveal the truth. She must enter the woods herself…

Can Liliana face and defeat the terror before she becomes the next missing person?

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads: The Vanishing

Review

*I received a copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 5 stars

When former NYPD detective Liliana Slavik returns to her hometown after losing her fiancé in the shootout that ended her career, she finds herself becoming involved in investigating a series of strange disappearances in the town. Teaming up with her ex-boyfriend who is now on the local force, Lil soon starts to suspect that there may be a more supernatural explanation for the missing people. That it could be the work of the Jersey Devil.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Vanishing. I’m not familiar with the Jersey Devil story and I went online to find out more before starting to read The Vanishing. I loved how the author weaved the tale into the novel, but with their own spin on it as well.

It has all the ingredients needed to make a truly terrifying tale; a mysterious creature, local legends, missing people, a brave lead with her own inner-demons to overcome and an epic final showdown. This was all put together flawlessly to create one of the best horror stories I have read in recent years. I knew it was going to be good – no great – from the opening scene. A classic horrifying opener in which a man is carried off by the Jersey Devil. It had me gripped from the start and I had to read more.

This is an excellent horror story based on local legends and I highly recommend you putting this on your Halloween TBR list!

When a bloody corpse is discovered in a North London park, Detective Inspector Daniel Graves is the man tasked with finding the killer. With no clues and no suspects it seems like a dead end. Then another body turns up and this time it looks like it could be his fault. Has his investigation caused the murderer to strike again? Is he dealing with a serial killer?
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As case one gets ever more complicated, a report comes in of another suspicious death but this is nothing like any other Graves has dealt with. All involved are convinced that something supernatural is to blame. A demon. Daniel is no believer but could he be wrong?
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With two cases on his shoulders and the truth behind each beyond his grasp, Graves must race against time before both killers, human or otherwise, strike again.

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads: The Demons Beneath (D.I. Graves #1) by W.D. Jackson-Smart

Review

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 4 stars

D.I Daniel Graves is in the middle of investigating a series of murders that may or may not be the work of serial killer when he is called in on a very different kind of case. An exorcism of a demon that has gone wrong and claimed the life of a husband and father. Quickly Graves finds himself drawn into the supernatural world as he tries to keep a cool head and discover the truth. After all, demons aren’t real. Are they?

I really enjoyed reading the first novel in the D.I Graves series. Both investigations were very different from each other, running concurrently and contrasting nicely. There were plenty of twists to both cases and I couldn’t see the endings coming for either of them. I did prefer the supernatural investigation and I liked how Graves kept a level head throughout his investigations. His approach was calm and logical despite the evidence that he was presented with. As his investigations continued you also got some insight into his background, why he became a policeman and some information his personal life. He is a likeable main character with some insecurities and flaws which make him all the more interesting and I look forward to learning more about him throughout the series.

The novel itself was well-paced. Everything flowed well and there wasn’t any moment of lag. There was a good balance between routine investigation and action. This is a solid first instalment and I look forward to reading further books in the series.