Adam MillardCritiques

***Contains Spoilers***

The characters were distinct and the plot was interesting. There was an awful lot of build up for it to be wrapped up nicely in one chapter though. I also think that how the demon/Fred White was defeated was kind of silly. The dude hated kids so much that he invoked an ancient Babylonian child eating demon, but then a picture of his daughter makes him almost immediately just give up? I don't buy it and I think the author wrote himself into a corner and just had to think up something. An ending where the demon wins would have been more satisfactory and believable.

So I should begin by saying I have never read Stephen King's IT. When reading this book I got the sense it was influenced by/borrow from King, but I can't be sure as to the extent this is happening. Perhaps my opinion of this would be different had I read King first. Regardless, here are the current thoughts I have on The October Boys.

The author does a great job of building suspense in the opening act. The atmosphere and dread are heavy, the ice cream truck is menacing, and the disappearance of Ryan is unsettling. I felt my stomach drop when the boys split off and the truck decides to go after the lone straggler. It's a terrifying beginning, and the rest of this book is permeated with this same fear and tension (except for the ending, but we'll get there).

I liked the jumping back and forth between boyhood in 1988 and adulthood in 2016. It's interesting to see how the three remaining friends have grown up and how the past still haunts them. They all felt like fairly fleshed-out characters, and I genuinely empathized with how the Ice Cream Man was continuing to wreak havoc on their lives and relationships. Some of Tom's adjacent issues are ones I've dealt with myself in the past, and the conflict between him and his wife felt very real to me. Also, I have a little girl and so I felt like I could strongly relate to Luke in the second half of the book as he tries to protect his daughter (indeed the scenes involving her - both in nightmares and reaity - were some of the most disturbing to me).

I thought the background for the antagonist was interesting, but, as it goes with these types of stories, I found myself wanting to know more about him, his abilities, and how exactly the lore tied into the plot of the book. Regardless, the Ice Cream Man made for a very creepy and powerful foe. I was glad that Woods was brought back in the 2016 storyline to help the men conquer their childhood trauma.

There weren't many things I didn't like in this book, but I did feel like the female characters weren't as dynamic and detailed as the male characters. My biggest complaint is actually about the ending (don't you hate when that happens?), as to me it came across rushed and confusing. But to say more would be to venture into spoiler territory. Though the book left a sour taste in my mouth, overall it was a lot of fun to read - especially during the Halloween season!

A terrific no holds barred spoof on Christmas and Santa Claus. The one liners just kept coming. I was laughing out loud at some parts. Definitely a fun break from all the sugary sweetness

Decent read

Some of the stories were good but some were not. I enjoyed a few and wished there was more to them and others left me disappointed

Decent read

Some of the stories were good but some were not. I enjoyed a few and wished there was more to them and others left me disappointed

The characters were distinct and the plot was interesting. There was an awful lot of build up for it to be wrapped up nicely in one chapter though. I also think that how the demon/Fred White was defeated was kind of silly. The dude hated kids so much that he invoked an ancient Babylonian child eating demon, but then a picture of his daughter makes him almost immediately just give up? I don't buy it and I think the author wrote himself into a corner and just had to think up something. An ending where the demon wins would have been more satisfactory and believable.

Soul of Dust by Adam Millard reads like a wild west, gunslinging private eye mystery story. In Jack Bridger’s search for a missing girl, he has to avoid his own demons and I mean literally.

Jack Bridger is a mage, one of the best. He is a magical private investigator who takes on “special” cases. He’s arrogant and an asshole, constantly bucking the system. He’s not a good guy, even though he’s doing good things. He’s a whore dog and loves his Ginger Beer. He uses wards and spells to hide his identity. He has been banished to our world, Earth. He’s from Elsewhere and knows he has a Soul of Dust.

But…even a mage’s head can be turned by a hot dame.

I love Jack Bridger. He has a mind of his own. He doesn’t mix well with others, but somehow or other he manages to pick up a “team” that will help him find out who wants him dead.

We will battle all types of shifters, from bears and wolves to lions and monkeys, from gators to gorillas and mice to raccoons. The aswang are the worst of them all. Their food of choice reached into my “gut”, making me feel a level of disgust I don’t think I have felt for a shifter before.

I had a fun romp through Soul of Dust and caught myself laughing softly off and on. Through the fights, blood and gore, the writing had a comical tint to it. I encountered some new shifters and met some fun characters. Some overcame severe hardship to step up and do the right thing.

I have read the story before, ya know what I mean? BUT, I think we always have room for another flawed “hero” doing his best. For some reason I find them easier to root for than the goodie two shoes. I would recommend Soul of Dust for a gun tooting good time.

I received a copy of Soul of Dust by Adam Millard in return for an honest review.

To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com

Adam Millard managed to make this zombie story interesting by having a zombie breakout start in a prison. Without that, it would have been just another zombie story. The prison aspect forces guards and inmates to work together when two hours previously they would have jumped at the chance to beat the others down.

I received a free copy of this audio book from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.½

This anthology contains a wide variety of horrors told in 25 short stories. Some shorts are new to this collection, with additional shorts having been seen previously in different publications. (They were all new to me this time. Bonus.)
Cuddly & creepy stuffed animals, ancient legends re-imagined, and even some disturbing stories of love. In Can You Read That Asteroid from Here? I learned some important tips to follow if I ever get my interstellar drivers license, (‘lefty brakey, righty speedy.’) When I started reading Hair, I thought that Joy Killar had secretly gotten to Adam and had him write about the horrors of finding my stray hairs EVERYWHERE, and about them secretly plotting her imminent demise. But, it was a story about a serial killer who might have appreciated my shedding. Stories like Bug Boy, and 7:17 From Suicide Station didn’t hold back on the ‘bum me out’ vibes, but there were plenty of giggles to even things out. When Gladys confronted her husband about his mistress, her question was ‘What’s She Got That I Haven’t?’, you can imagine the multiple replies that could have fit. But, in the end, there was only one answer.
If you’ve read Adam Millard before, you know to expect some dark humor peppered throughout his work. What surprised, (and delighted), me were the Easter Eggs hidden within. I love when authors slyly reference their other works, or revisit characters from other stories. I’m sure that if I had read more of the Adam’s work prior to reading this – I’d have found more. But, that just makes me look forward to reading this again in the future.

Review copy

Of Devils and Deviants is one of those rare anthologies where every story manages to fully embody the overall theme of the work. The result is an erotic romp through nearly every deviant behavior imaginable.

Sex-bots, cannibalism, necrophilia. No taboo is off-limits, even sex with conjoined twins. While it's true that some stories were superior to others, there really were no bad stories. Oh, wait, of course there were bad stories, what I mean is some were just better than others.

Among my favorites were, "Our Love," by Claude Lalumiere, delightful story of a couple who would keep their love in a box for safe keeping, God forbid they should lose their love. "The Middle Leg," by Ralph Robert Moore, a twisted tale of sexual encounters with a conjoined twin who really doesn't get along with her sister. And then there's "The Mummy's Curves," by Ken MacGregor, a story about an archeologist with a very unusual fetish.

Although, Of Devils and Deviants won't appeal to everyone, if you enjoy erotica ,with a touch of horror, you really ought to give this anthology a try. Some of the stories are dark, some are violent, many are sexual, and all of them are deviant.

A nice bonus to the stories within are the beautiful illustrations Chris Taggart provided for every story in the anthology.

From Crowded Quarantine Publications, Of Devils and Deviants is available now in a variety of formats from the publisher's website and Amazon.com. Plus, if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can read this one for FREE through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.

If you're looking for a hot read crank up the AC and pick up Of Devils and Deviants today.