First Impressions and Book Trailer: The Strain, by Del Toro and Hogan

In a world where romantic and suave vampires are the norm, it is quite refreshing (from a horror blogger's point of view anyway) to come across a book that features terrifying and ruthless undead.  Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan promise to deliver that with their novel The Strain.  

A mix between CSI and Dracula, The Strain is shaping up to be a great read.  It has mystery, a compelling protagonist, and a slew of horrible blood thirsty monsters marauding New York City.  Expect a review soon, and until then, watch these great videos, including two book trailers!

A word of caution:  Some of the movies have a bit of strong language.

First Impressions: The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

I have been reading The Way of Kings for a few days now.  Although my review is still - regrettably - a ways off, I hope this post gives you some perspective on what you may be getting into when you crack open the pages of this literary beast.

(the U.K. cover of the book)

As loyal readers may know, I am now in veterinary school and pretty much all of my time is being taken up by studying and sleeping.  This serves all the more to emphasize that fact that I have been unable to put down this book.  Something about Sanderson's writing style is so infectious that you always need to find out what is going to happen next. I am about a quarter of the way through the novel, and so far there have been bloody battles, dangerous hunts, catastrophic storms, and witty banter.  The story begins with two main characters:  Shallan, a young girl trying to decide between her calling of a naturalist and the devious plans of her family, and Kaladin, a young surgeon - turned soldier - turned slave, trying to fight his way back to the man he once was.  These characters (along with many others) are set against a backdrop of a landscape that has evolved to survive during horribly devastating storms.

I don't want to give too much away, and there will be more details (never spoilers) in my coming review, but know this:  I was instantly hooked into this book, and if you get any enjoyment out of reading a large novel filled with great characters and a detailed world, I think you may as well.

First Impressions: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer

I have been reading Seth Grahame-Smith's latest mash up, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. So far, it has been a pretty entertaining read. The novel is written in the form of a biography, in which the author uses (and includes direct quotes from) Lincoln's secret journal, which is supposedly about his second life of killing vampires.

The scenes are action packed - sometimes bloody and violent, but always engaging. I'm not sure how historically accurate the "real" parts of the biography are, but Vampire Hunter is definitely a page turner.

The only gripe I have so far is that some aspects of the novel don't seem to mesh with the whole mechanic that Smith uses. For example, Smith writes this novel using the diary of Abraham Lincoln. But how, then, does he know what Abraham Lincoln's grandfather was thinking and feeling? Although these embellishments add to the story, they sometimes dectract from the immersion.

Stay tuned for more on this unique novel!

First Impressions - Fevre Dream, by George R. R. Martin

I am currently reading Fevre Dream, by George R. R. Martin. It is set in 1857, in the states along the Mississippi river in America. The plot (so far) follows the ambitious Captain Marsh as he tries to gain a foothold in the burgeoning steamboat industry. To this end, he strikes a deal with a charming - albeit mysterious and vaguely threatening - gentleman by the name of Mr. Joshua York. York agrees to build the grandest steamboat for Marsh. Marsh only needs to allow York free passage for him and his colleagues, and to never inquire about their business.

Other chapters focus on a run-down plantation which is inhabited by odd characters who keep to the shadows... murder innocent passersby... and drink their blood...


So far, Fevre Dream is shaping up to be a riveting read. Captain Marsh and Joshua York make an excellent "odd couple" which is made all the more interesting by the increasing tension, as Marsh learns more and more about his shady benefactor. The writing style is colorful, appropriate to the time period, and very smooth. Stay tuned for my full review!

Book Trailer - Under The Dome, by Stephen King

Hi folks! If you were intrigued by my First Impressions post on Stephen King's Under The Dome, I think you will enjoy this quick (but exciting) book trailer:

First Impressions - Under The Dome, by Stephen King

I am currently on page 215 of Stephen King's newest novel, Under The Dome. A sparse 20% through. Here are my First Impressions.

With Under The Dome, King returns to small town Maine to tell the tale of a town that becomes inexplicably trapped under an impenetrable force field. This premise immediately caught my attention, and King wastes no time in getting to what the back of the book promises. The Dome appears within the first 20 pages of the book, and we are treated to all of the chaos that ensues. What chaos? I'll give you a hint: The invisible dome drops onto two main roads during rush hour.

Throughout the beginning of the book, King jumps from shocking (and sometimes gory) action scenes to in depth narrations that detail the lives of some of the most important citizens of the town. After a while, the shock of the Dome declines, allowing the reader more time to view the public and private lives of the residents of Chester's Mill, Maine.

A lot is happening in Under The Dome, and King handles it all with the mastery he is known for.

And if you are curious about Under The Dome, stay tuned throughout the weekend. There will be much more to see!

First Impressions - Neverwhere

Good evening everyone! I wanted to take this opportunity to try out a new post idea I had: First Impressions. I thought I would take my current read, and after reading about 20% of the book, post about my feelings on it so far. I figured it would give the curious reader some quick information about the story, and what to expect. But don't worry, my full review will always be posted when I am done with the book! Also, please note that I reserve the right to discuss some minor plot points. I don't necessarily consider these spoilers because they come so early in the book, but if you'd rather not know anything at all, avert your eyes! Also, feel free to leave comments telling me if you did/did not like this post idea!

Here are my first impressions of Neverwhere, written by Neil Gaiman.

At first, I wasn't sure about this book. The first few pages read like a generic drama, and although I could sense Gaiman's hand in the works, it felt too dissimilar from his other stories. However, as the pages started turning, I quickly began to realize that there is much more going on in Neverwhere than originally meets the eye.

A girl gets attacked by two devious men, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, and narrowly escapes to be rescued by the protagonist Richard Mayhew. This sets a chain of events in motion that sees Richard falling through the proverbial rabbit hole and literally scaling buildings above the streets of London. At the end of my First Impressions read, Richard has gone back to the life he knew only to realize that no one notices him anymore - and those that do, do not recognize who he is.

Neverwhere is quickly grabbing my attention, and I find that I can not put it down (although I should, as I have a full time job and school on my plate!). Something tells me the rest of the story will fly by as I continue to follow Richard deep into the shadowed regions of London's underground.