Drowning – DaneCobain.com

Title: Salvage

Author: Duncan Ralston

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 348

Rating: 4/5

Duncan Ralston – Salvage

This is a book by an indie author friend of mine, although I guess he’s more of an acquaintance. I came across Ralston back in the day when we were both published by BookTrope, and even though we’ve since gone our separate ways, I still grab his books when I can because he’s a pretty decent horror writer. On a par with a lot of the professionals if you ask me, and that holds true from the quality of the writing to the editing, layout and cover design. When you buy this book, you’re getting the finished article from someone who’s done this before a bunch of times.

In this book, we’re basically dealing with a ghost story that’s set partially underwater. A dude has to look into the mysterious drowning death of his sister and figure out what she was looking for in a town that was buried by water after the construction of a hydroelectric dam. That’s really all I can tell you without spoilers, but what I will say is that if you’re looking for a decent indie horror then this is a good place to start. It’s spooky, the ghosts are downright sinister, and the little lick of religion gives it a sort of Biblical horror feel too, although I was getting kind of tired of that by the end of it. I don’t like religion.

Overall, Salvage isn’t the best book I’ve read this year but then I read a lot. It’s not the best ghost story either because it’s behind Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, but only by half a rating point. For an indie book, it’s easily in the upper echelons and it can hold its own against a lot of the stuff coming out from major publishers. I enjoyed it for what it was and actually liked it more than I thought I was going to when I went into it. Good job, Duncan. Now which of your books shall I read next?

Duncan Ralston

Click here to buy Salvage.

Paul Durham – The Luck Uglies | Review

Title: The Luck Uglies

Author: Paul Durham

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 430

Rating: 8/10

Paul Durham – The Luck Uglies

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

I’ve got to be honest, this is an excellent young adult novel with a strong mix of genres and a focus on fantasy, exactly the sort of book that I wish had been around when I was a kid. Durham’s fictional world is rich in detail, supported by a map at the front of the book, and so immersive that, at times, you feel as though you’re living in the village of Drowning with Rye, Lottie, Abby and Harmless, the leading characters who feel as real as your relatives.

The plot isn’t necessarily complicated, but it’s a bit difficult to go in to with a limited word count – loosely speaking, though, it follows the teenage Rye as she tries to save her village from being attacked by the monstrous Bog Noblins, uncovering the mysteries of the Luck Uglies along the way. The Luck Uglies are a band of ruthless mercenaries who drove the Noblins out of the village ten years earlier, only to have the deal that they made with the town’s ruler revoked. They’re not exactly the type of folk you want to mess with, but as the front cover of the book declares, “sometimes only the bad guys can save you.”

And let’s face it, the characters are bad-ass – Harmless in particular is awesome, although I won’t risk revealing too much about him in case it spoils the story-line. Let’s just say that he carries two swords strapped to his back that he can wield in both hands – that kind of tells you how harmless he really is, right? Rye also makes the perfect protagonist, and her friends are an interesting and eclectic bunch who are easily memorable thanks to their distinct personalities.

The only thing to let the book down is its occasional predictability – some of the plot-lines are easy to anticipate, but perhaps I only feel like that because I read so many books. It’s certainly less likely that a teenager would pick up on them, but it’s still not impossible to guess what’s about to happen. That said, I was happy with how everything turned out, and so even though I saw it coming, I wanted it to happen – it left me with a feeling of accomplishment, almost as though I’d helped to create the story to begin with. I suppose we all do, inside our imagination.