Christopher ColemanCritiques

Creepy and Engrossing

Captivated me from the beginning. I was able to envision these creatures, and it was one that could give some upsetting thoughts and dreams. Especially on a nasty, stormy night. Great, descriptive writing. Will read more of Mr. Coleman's works.

Interesting but fairly unbelievable plot. Lacks a bit of character development but not bad for a short story.

Much improved over They Came With the Snow. The end was a little unpredictable but the suspense throughout was fun, good buildup to the end. Much better character development than They Came With the Snow. I don't see myself reading the third installment.

Started off good, but the middle dragged, and when the ending came, it was confusing and not completely satisfying. Overall I liked it, but not sure I would recommend it.

The first book is a short read. It held my attention. It was scary. The second book was much longer and terrifying for me. There is a lot to think about in this story. I am interested to see where the author takes it.

If you enjoy fast-moving books that compel you to turn the next page until the sun rises, "The Ghosts of Winter" fits the bill. Told in first person, the main character, a father races against time, distance, the elements, and The Corrupted, to save his family (and the family cat!) I did feel a little overwhelmed at times, imagining the scenarios described, but I could easily see it in my mind, like a movie. I love books like that. Some moments felt a little familiar, both from television and the real world, and one could argue some parallels to the Pandemic. The story did end a little too easily, but after this harrowing read, I welcomed it.

This was not my favorite of the series. I think that if it had just started off on or around the time that is left off from the last book it would have been much better, but right away on the first page its tells the big secret. That Hansel killed his mom Anika. Which is the best part of the book and in my opinion a huge spoiler. As for the current events in the book. It felt more like it had nothing to do with the rest of the series, and in the end I was very dissapointed in this book. I am hoping that the next book Anika Rising will be much better.

The second book in this series is just as good if not better than the first. The only downfall in it really is the fact that it was a bit predictable. I felt I knew exactly what was going to happen before it did. However, that didn't stop it from being a real nail biter. Having already come to know the characters, I was truely scared and worried for them. Yes I cried. I laughed. I was at times on the edge of my seat. I found it hard to put down and wonderful to pick back up.

I recommend this book for an adult audience despite the teenage main character. There is a lot of violence. I know that every parent has there own opinion of what is appropriate for the children and teens, but in my opinion it is not really suitable for anyone under 17.

This book is mostly about Anika and Petr and very little to do with Gretel and Hansel. Still it wasn't a bad story. It didn't hold the same intrigue for me the first two had, or even the 3rd. But I like the series as a whole and couldn't let it go unfinished. Now there is a 4th one out and I am curious to know what that one is about. I'm hoping there will be more Gretel and Hansel but also Petr, who is my favorite character.

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
In the fifth book of the Gretel series. Hansel and Gretel return to the new world with mission to find all the books of Orphism. When the return to the childhood home, there is an intruder already there. Petr mom who was presumed dead is back and claiming to want to reunite with her son. Gretel is not so sure however. Meanwhile Anika is drawn to a small town of Rania where she learns enough to know that here children are in danger and must go back to the New World herself, making a new friend, reunited with an old one, and making new enemies as well.
This series started out really strong. I really loved the first book. From there its just been kind of iffy. I can't give higher then 3 stars for this book. It was mostly a repeat of everything so far with a change in the story that literally came out of nowhere and I'm not sure belongs in this book. The book did leave off with a cliffhanger that makes me think there will be a sixth book, and honestly the only reason for me to read it at this point is because I'm already so invested, time wise, in this series.
How I choose my rating:
1* Did not finish, or hated it but forced myself to finish.
2** Didn't really like it. Didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other then for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread again ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this again, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this books content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!

Nope. Got to about 18% and gave up. Honestly, I should have given up a while ago. I loved the first two books but the series just went downhill from there. I'm done with it. It really does suck that the series got to this point as it started out so amazing. But I suppose it does happen.

Another great read. It was crazy, unpredictable, and a bit scary. (Expecially if your reading it at night alone lol) When I saw it was a Hansel and Gretel retelling, I was a bit weary of reading it at first but turns out my worries were for no good reason. I already have the second book of this series ready to read and I can't wait.

What I loved about this book. It was everything I previously mentioned, but also had not one, but two strong female heroines. The strength shown by both of these women is amazing. Its a gripping story that is definitely directed toward adults. It wasn't particularly an easy read, but it was an amazing one.

There wasn't really anything I didn't like about the book. There was a point of time were I ranted and raved at my husband about an aspect of the plot that made my head reel, but thats just the another sign of a great book. There was a typo I had noticed near the end of the book where it said that "Anika said" and it was suppose to be Gretel but that is very minor.

Five weeks after a strange explosion started an intense never-ending blizzard in May, professor Dominic Daniels and his former student Naia are hunkered down in the student union building of a small local community college. Food, shelter, warm clothing....safety from Them. Outside the snow keeps falling. After weeks of hiding out from strange white crab-like monsters lurking out in the snow, supplies are dwindling. Dominic and Naia need to try and make a run for the near-by mall. Can they make it past the monsters? Are there more survivors out there?

They Came With the Snow is a quick, creepy read. I enjoyed the story. There isn't anything new here really.....government/military/scientist conspiracy goes horribly wrong, causing an apocalyptic event. Survivors run from monsters. Horror ensues. It makes for an enjoyable, entertaining read. I was a bit confused as to the exact nature of the blast/bomb/whatever caused the sudden blizzard and demise of most people in this small college town....but this is Sci-FICTION, not science fact....so I can suspend reality a bit and just enjoy the monsters. The author has written a second story in this series that is longer and more detailed -- The Melting. So I'm hoping for some event clarification in the next book.

All in all, a well-written, enjoyable quick read. I'm always up for a good apocalyptic monster story! The monsters were weird and creepy. The premise is believable enough to keep me reading. And the characters are engaging. Dominic is a bit of an ass....but we all make bad decisions sometimes, right? At least he is honest about it. He knows he's an ass.... Makes for an awesome conflicted character.

I have The Melting waiting in my Kindle. More cold! More monsters! I'm ready! Bring it on!

Christopher Coleman has written several other horror novels including The Sighting and the Gretel series.

An unusual variation on a zombie-type apocalypse. An easy read. A rare "short story" with a proper ending instead of a cliff-hanger.

Some parts were ok others not so great - a lot of do I need to know all of this

Zombiestuff and then some

It's a lot mote of the same end-of-the-world zombie stuff, but entertaining enough, with characters likeable enough to keep my interest.

EDIT SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 - Coleman’s writing quality has decreased terribly. I’ve read 1 1/2 more books in the Gretel series - still a good story but writing stinks. Will not read ANYTHING more by him.

Christopher Coleman is the best self-published author I have found
March 5, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Christopher Coleman is the best self-published author I have found. His writing is well done and satisfying on all levels. I like how he doesn't rely on gore to provide a sense of fear. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in well-written horror. This is definitely no fairy tale!

Coleman is still the best self-published author I have read
March 5, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Coleman is still the best self-published author I have read. Marlene's Revenge delivers on everything I want from a book - interesting chatacters, drama, fear, and good solid writing that makes me not want to put the book down. Very well done and highly recommended. The only criticism I can come up with is it would be nice to have more description of what the characters look like, especially the witch.

starsGood story, writing is good
August 13, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Although the writing is good, it really needs editing, but do not let that stop you from reading this book! The story unfolds nicely, going from the past to the present and back again until both are complete. This is a satisfying continuation of the Hansel and Gretel retelling, without the gingerbread house still. I gave it two stars because of the small errors that even honest friends who read a lot should be able to point out.
Coleman is still one of the few self-published authors I’ve found who are worth reading over and over again. Read his books, everyone!
One more thing - I like how he lets you know gore is involved without going into detail. That takes skill. Well done.

August 15, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Coleman’s first three Gretel books are filled with a great story that forces you to keep reading and not put the books down, but they all show strong signs of needing professional editing, not proofreading. Still, the books are entertaining and very much worth reading. I have given them good reviews. Not so here. This fourth book in the Gretel series is an insult to his readers. Instead of improving, Coleman’s writing has deteriorated unbelievably. The story is still interesting but Anika Rising is FILLED with stupid errors that even a quick read-through by the author would’ve uncovered: misspellings, incorrect words, calling the SAME CHARACTER BY DIFFERENT NAMES, contradictory descriptions and statements, incomplete sentences. Awkward word choices in all of these books make me wonder if English is the author’s native language. I am not joking here. NO EFFORT WAS MADE BY THE AUTHOR at quality control. Instead, it seems as if Coleman just wanted to whip out a book as fast as he could to continue the story, completely ignoring any sort of reasonable writing standards. Christopher, you have insulted all of your readers by assuming we don’t deserve good writing and that we will accept anything from you, no matter how many times your errors throw us out of the story, just so we can find out what happens. You should be ashamed of yourself professionally.
I will not finish this book, and I will not read anything more in this series or your other books. I was looking forward to finishing up all of your Gretel books and starting your other series, but enough of lazy mistakes and shoddy craftsmanship. Even if your later books are of better quality, the insult that you offered up in Anika Rising is too big to overlook. No more.
I do not recommend this book to anyone.

Chilling and interesting, this short story will surprise you with its well-written characters (something not as common in short stories, I'm afraid) and its ending.
I'd love to see an extension of this premise.

Original, entertaining and scary, this is a good book, except that the end feels rushed. I also would have enjoyed a little bit more info on the creature. I know that in horror, the unknown is scarier than what we can see, but it's a little frustrating.

Nevertheless, it scared me, the plot is intriguing, and it trapped me from the very beginning, therefore the four stars.

They Came With the Snow is a short but creepy story. I was concerned it might be a cliffhanger since it was a "part" of a story but thankfully I was wrong. It had a great ending. A unique and creepy short story just right for bedtime reading.

So many fairy tales and childhood fantasies have been revamped these past years. Some have been tremendously successful in their retelling, leaving you in awe as the loose ends of short stories came to full fruition. As if filled with facts that made the fantasies true, they've been recreated with great skill. Others have come with pieces that assisted in the original story but fell through, cataclysmically through the interest floor, crashing and burning. Gretel, by Christopher Coleman didn't fall, but it didn't fill me with he excitement I'd expected. Let me show you why...

The story has great promise, since the Hansel and Gretel story doesn't have a lot to go by, but Gretel isn't quite the same story. It begins with an immortal finally reaching cessation. Unsure if they'd be able to find the one ingredient necessary in prolonging their life, till someone calls out. That's what begins the tale. But it's Gretel, the daughter of the woman and man who Do Not send their children out into the forest to save on food, sets out to find her missing mother.

I loved the idea of this story, because I've wanted to know more about Hansel & Gretel all my life! But this story took way too long to get things going. Normally I finish ebooks faster than paperbacks and hardbacks, but this one took me an extended timeframe. I kept falling asleep. It was way too detailed and will with unnecessary bits!

For the full review: http://www.areneehunt.com/the-reviews/gretel-by-christopher-coleman
Gretel, Book One
​Christopher Coleman
Independent Publishing, Amazon Services
October 31, 2015