Hachette/Orbit, the publisher of OUR WAR coming out August 20, has made the first four chapters (well, most of Chapter 4) available for a free read at their website.
Click here to read this tasty preview. Hope you love it!
WE SOLD OUR SOULS by Grady Hendrix
Grady Hendrix’s WE SOLD OUR SOULS is a solid supernatural horror story that also has something to say about the spirit of music. I liked this one a lot.
I first read this author when I came across HORRORSTOR, a story about a haunted IKEA-type department store. I had some trouble with it, but WE SOLD OUR SOULS looked tempting enough to try, and I’m glad I did. The story follows Kris Pulaski, a washed-up, retired guitarist for the ’90s metal band Dürt Würk. The band imploded under mysterious circumstances years earlier, which she blames herself for, while the frontman, Terry Hunt, has gone on to rocket to stardom with a solo career as the “Blind King.” When Hunt announces a farewell tour, Kris seeks out her former bandmates, which sets her on a path back to Hunt, the night the band crashed, and her love of music.
The result is a solid horror story about a deal made with a Lovecraftian race and Kris’s struggle to make things right, culminating in a massive Burning Man-style Satanic concert where she must make her final stand. The straightforward story element is solid, supported by great characters you can love or hate. The story came alive for me thanks to plenty of meat and loving attention to detail about the metal scene and the life of a struggling rock band, an aspect of the novel that gives it a special personality and depth. I liked the theme related to the social forces that seek to rob us of our spirit and how music can help us reclaim it.
I had a few small criticisms, which is I wasn’t sure how the climax (while satisfying) resolved much, and there are media snippets between the chapters that interrupt more than supplement the story. But these were minor complaints for me. Overall, WE SOLD OUR SOULS is a solid, fun supernatural horror story about the power of music.
BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE (2014)
BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE is a strange movie. Despite being heavily flawed, it didn’t suck. I loved what the filmmakers were trying to do if not what they actually accomplished.
The movie starts off as a sort of homage to John Carpenter’s THE THING. In the remote northern Canadian wilderness, a group of archaeologists welcome a newcomer to the camp and show him an ancient structure, its roof jutting above the snow, Mesoamerican in architecture and dated to the last Ice Age, around 14,000 BC. Soon, the camp ends up cut off from the outside, the native workers aiding in the excavation flee, and the archaeologists end up succumbing to a strange disease or madness, seemingly instigated by a godlike being.
The resulting effort is fairly uneven. The THING vibe is great, as is the Canadian wilderness and the intrigue and mystery surrounding the structure, which unfortunately turns out to be a MacGuffin. The acting and dialogue are similarly uneven, switching between realistic and stilted, natural and forced. The actors had a strange habit of leaving doors open in a freezing environment described as lethal. All of that would have been okay if the story had stuck to a single threat and stayed focused on it, and if the structure had been explored further.
So BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE for me was flawed, but something about it was compelling and strangely likeable.
This Is Your Brain on Words
My talk at the When Words Collide conference this year takes a deep dive into scientific discoveries of what happens in the brain during reading and writing.
Click here to download it as a PDF.
CEMETERY DANCE Reviews OUR WAR
CEMETERY DANCE recently reviewed OUR WAR, writing, “This may be one of the most important books you’ll read this year. I say that without an ounce of hyperbole. Given the current climate of our country and its cultural, political, and social polarization, Craig DiLouie has written a heart-breaking, terrifying novel which—I desperately hope—will only be a warning, and not someday viewed as prophetic.”
Thank you for your kind review, CEMETERY DANCE! Check out the complete review here.
Other reviews of OUR WAR:
“This gritty, horrifying tale of hate … sprinkled with moments of love, will leave readers with haunting memories.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Presenting a dark alternate reality that touches the seams of current events and a possible future, DiLouie offers an uncompromising view of … patriotism in conflict.” – Library Journal
“Once again, DiLouie has managed to distill one of humanity’s greatest conflicts into a masterpiece of literature.” – The Fantasy Inn
“Harrowing dystopia.” – Kirkus Reviews, listing Our War as one of the best speculative fiction reads of August 2019
“An instant classic that will join the ranks of dystopian futures that at times feel all too real.” – New York Times Bestselling Author Nicholas Sansbury Smith
“An unflinching look at what happens when politics fail and war truly comes home, powered by the narrative shock of truth-telling.” – Christopher Brown, Campbell and World Fantasy Award-nominated author of Tropic of Kansas
“A terrifyingly believable tale that recreates the landscape of a war-torn Somalia in the city streets of America. DiLouie captures the individual tragedy of people fighting a war that destroys the very things they are trying to save.” — David Walton, author of Three Laws Lethal
“Part epic war story, part cautionary tale, Our War is brutal, unflinching, and mesmerizing. DiLouie once again delivers an emotional body-slam of a book, one that’ll leave you shaken to your core.” — Peter Clines, author of Dead Moon
“Our War further solidifies that Craig DiLouie is not only one of the best fantasists working today, he’s one of the best writers out there, period. This novel is harrowing and heartfelt, upsetting and, most of all, utterly compelling … far and away my favorite novel of 2019.” – Bracken MacLeod, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Stranded
“A gut-clenching tale of brutality, loyalties, and the destruction of the values they are fighting to save… Mr. DiLouie has created an eye-opening tale with some wicked sharp edges.” – Tome Tender
“This novel was phenomenal… The character building and world building were amazing… a great read! I would definitely recommend it!” – The Book Dragon
“A roller coaster ride of emotions … Our War reminds readers what we as human beings take for granted every day and that we need to appreciate everything we have because, within a moment, it can all be taken away.” – Rollout Reviews
BLEACH (2018)
BLEACH (2018) is a Japanese fantasy adventure film based on the manga series of the same title. It’s utterly ridiculous but strangely fun and compelling, checking all the right storytelling boxes.
High schooler Ichigo has the ability to see ghosts, which draws the attention of Rukia, a katana-wielding soul reaper, whose job is to both guide the dead to heaven while fighting souls that remain as “Hollows” to devour other souls. While fighting a Hollow together, she is forced to transfer her powers to him, which results in the ire of other soul reapers. Ichigo must fight and destroy the most powerful Hollow of all to avenge his mother and give Rukia her powers back, while surviving the angry soul reapers.
As I said, the movie is ridiculous and makes little sense, particularly the soul reapers, who want to kill Rukia and Ichigo and then don’t and then do until I couldn’t remember what they wanted. But the Hollows are cool, the storytelling is classic over-the-top manga, there’s plenty of crazy action, the protagonists are likeable, and in the end, it was a fun if somewhat forgettable ride. Catch it on Netflix.
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