Simon's Phantom Blog

Revival by Stephen King is a terrifying portrayal of man’s ultimate need to believe in something, anything but nothing. Faith should be a two-way street, but it sure as hell is not. Faith should comfort the wounded heart and soul, but what it does is fester in a dark place where idle hands and minds succumb to despair and madness.

Revival spans 50 amazing years in the lives of Jamie Morton and Reverend Charles Jacobs. Faith brings them together and faith rips them asunder with fire and brimstone. Hallelujah said the Lord God Almighty as he cruelly as if almost sadistically twists these two souls into a melting pot of insanity. What survives is so incredibly nurtured by Stephen King’s God-like penmanship that this reader was reminded of his older work. And for that this reader will be eternally grateful.

Revival is more than a little unnerving. It blends religion with science and the supernatural to create the perfect 100 proof cocktail for all King fans. What actually is electricity? I don’t know. Perhaps only God knows, but Jacobs does his best to harness its power and use it for his own sinister purposes. So if you haven’t read this impressive return to horror at its spinetingling best, I suggest you download a copy right now before the movies claim it.

Revival is a 1 million megawatt jolt of FIVE STAR horror in its purest form. So highly recommended that I can’t recommend it enough. But I’ll give it my best shot.

Corpus Delectable (Marcy Pantano Mysteries) by Mike Billington is an enthralling crime mystery in a bold style that makes this author one to watch out for. The lead character, Marcy, helps her lawyer friend figure out why the prime suspect in a murder case is lying about his whereabouts at the time. Marcy knows Paul is innocent of killing his ex wife and food critic, even though she trolled his restaurant with a bad review. And the deeper Marcy delves, the more complicated the case gets.
This is a brilliant crime thriller full of sharp dialogue and sharped characters. Narrative is to the point and so well written, this reader is hooked from page 1. An absolute must read for all fans of detective thrillers.
FIVE STARS for this detective thriller and very highly recommended.

Penniless Hearts by Eve Gaal is a fantastic romance full of glorious characters, wonderful humour and adventure. The author really knows how to hook her readers with excellent narrative and dialogue.
Penny is in a love rut. John is boring, her life is boring. Boring! Her fantasy is to drop everything and have an adventure in Hawaii. So that's exactly what she does and has a fling with dashing airline pilot. But Dan is married which complicates Penny's precarious life. Also, John's romantic side kicks in and searches for Penny.
There is so much going for this romantic fantasy full of adventure, yearning, stunning locations so lovingly described, and the man left behind. Will he find his true love and win her back from her fantasy world? Read it and sigh.
FIVE STARS for this fantasy romance and highly recommended.

Chaysing Dreams (Chaysing Trilogy #1) by Jalpa Williby is an engrossing teen romance full of mystery, twists and turns, nightmares and danger. The author is highly imaginative and this book deserves every success and awards.
Teenager, Tess is plagued by a chasing dream where a girl flees for her life from an unknown entity. The dream is terrifying for Tess for she cannot fathom its subconscious meaning. Is it a warning of events to happen or perhaps a reminder of her forgotten past?
The wonderfully written first tense story follows Tess from high school into college where she falls in love with Chris, enigmatic mystery man. But the more she falls for him the darker her life becomes. Is her dream trying to tell her something? Is she in danger from Chris? Read this mystery romance to find the answers and hop on board book two.
FIVE STARS for this teen romance and highly recommended.

The Unseen Promise (The Tarkeenia Saga, #1) by Ellen Mae Franklin is a massive fantasy saga set on the world of Tarkeenia. For an author's first book this reader was astounded by the beautiful descriptions, stunning characters and her epic story line which came at me like Dune. What a brilliant start to a most promising career.
Tarkeenia is a place of magic, strange creatures and strife between good and evil. The author paints such a rich technicolour canvas that this reader watched it inside his head like a movie - a very long movie. Don't let the length of this book deter you, it needs to be an epic to draw the reader in on its cavalcade of characters with glorious names speaking dialogue full of wonderful medieval chatter seamlessly blended with modern metaphors. Truly awe-inspiring. Kudos to the author. This reader is now a fan.
FIVE STARS for this epic fantasy and very highly recommended.

Heart of Secrets (The Tarkeenia Saga, #2)by Ellen Mae Franklin is a much shorter book than #1 but still maintains its awesome epic qualities and improves on the first outing in this entertaining fantasy saga. This book is magnificent, lovingly written, richly descriptive, full of fun dialogue that took this reader's breath away.
The characters return to continue their struggle against evil magic and monsters lurking in every shadow. And some of these monsters are very scary that sent shivers down this reader's spine.
And this reader was there with every character, right in the heart of the action, feeling everything the character felt. That takes talented writing and I have no doubt this author will go far. This fantasy series deserves all the great attention it deserves and should be snapped up by Hollywood.
FIVE STARS for this epic fantasy and very highly recommended.

The Dead Game by Susanne Leist is a top-notch haunted house horror thriller. The author excels at spooky descriptions, terrifying scenarios like opening a door and stepping into a black abyss or forever trapped in a dark maze with endless rooms stretching into infinity. Her characters are perfect and the reader can easily connect with them.
Linda moves to the perfect seaside town to open up a book store. But soon strange things happen that peaks her interest in the old house on the hill. She and her friends receive an invitation to a party at the house. This screams DON'T GO - but her inquisitive nature wins over.
Here the author ramps up the action full of terrifying games that defy the imagination as the house wants to play. This reader had nightmares after this book and even so, needs to know what the house owner has to offer with further games of the dead.
This is a truly scary read for Halloween and is suitable for 13+ and adults.
FIVE STARS for this haunted house horror and highly recommended.

The Most Uncommon Cold I: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse by Jeffrey Littorno is a fantastic zombie thriller and is a must read for all zombie fans. The pacing is excellent and full of twists and turns to keep the reader turning that next page. The characters are believable and so is the premise behind the contagion.
Kevin Turner is a reporter for a small paper in California. An incident at the airport sends him on a quest for the truth behind the epidemic cold virus infecting the population. This in turn spurs Kevin on to save his wife. Page by page, chapter by chapter the author pieces together the grim reality of the zombie plague through the eyes of Kevin.
There is plenty of action, gory scenes, mop-up squads and those insidious monsters who enjoy using the situation to enforce their own set of rules to keep Kevin on his toes. And will Kevin be able t save his wife or himself for that matter? Read this awesome zombie thriller to find out.
FIVE STARS for this zombie actioner and highly recommended.

Dead Is All You Get by Steven Ramirez is a shoot first then shoot again horror thriller of the highest order. A brilliant mix of clipped, tough narrative so in vogue in Hollywood circa 1940s film noir with gung-ho action sequences that makes The Walking Dead tame by comparison. And the dialog is so spot on. Everything about this zombie novel screams READ ME!!! And I can guarantee not one reader will be disappointed.
This is book 2 and kicks off exactly where book 1 left off - our anti-hero Dave Pulaski, former drunk and philanderer, is now more like a hero having kicked the booze, made up with his wife Holly and has a surrogate daughter Griffin. But first things first get to safety. Leave the town behind with its Red Militia and Draggers - that's zombies by the way, and head for the hills of North California.
The group of survivors are rescued by Black Dragon a paramilitary unit mopping up and trying to figure what the hell is going on.
Dave needs to know WHY? After blood screening the Black Dragon and Dave's crew team up and go in search of the truth.
But the truth is bigger than anything they can handle, it's bigger than the President of The United States. It's freakin' BIG! Problem for Dave is this truth will get him killed and all he loves. Can he put it behind him and take care of his family? Read and bleed.
FIVE STARS for this awesome zombie horror thriller and oh so very highly recommended.

Christine by Stephen King kicks the YA genre in the teeth and screams bloody murder with complete abandon. Again Mr King delves into the teen world but mixes it up with violence, bad language, revenge, bullying and murder.
I was bullied I school, so I know where this book leads the reader - straight to hell and back in a red Plymouth Fury called Christine. Se needs love and attention like no other car. She knows her new teenage owner will give his all for her and she in return sorts out the bullying problem. Cue in he best friend and his girlfriend who snoop under he bonnet to discover a car from hell itself that possesses its owners.
There are plenty of gory shocks, nosy cop, revenge of the bullies and redemption, but at what cost. Read and find out and you will never look at a Plymouth Fury the same way again.
5 Stars and highly recommended.

Needful Things by Stephen King was my inspiration to become an author. Thank you forever Mr King for setting me on the path of writing enlightenment.
This novel is the ultimate in cruel jokes and just like in Salem's Lot, a new store opens its doors. Needful Things is not like any other store though, once you step inside, its insidious owner will tease you with that one thing you have always coveted, just out of reach, until he asks a favour in return.
And so cruel practical jokes spread through the town like wildfire causing chaos, mayhem and murder. Mr King squeezes every last drop of tension and fear from each character with such control, this reader was left in a cold sweat.
My favourite character is the Sheriff, so totally out of his comfort zone, and yet sees the truth in Needful Things as deep down his needs are taken care of by the woman he loves and not even the store owner can influence him. Good versus Evil has never been written with such panache.
5 Stars for this Urban Fantasy an very highly recommended.

WOW All this in one book. Thank you Stephen King. Carrie kicked off YA in a massive way by using adult themes with teen characters. Brave and original full of mind-numbing imagery and what religious fervour can do to a family.
Pet Semetary is a true horror classic opening a grieving wound and gouging out handfuls of gore. Creepy, so Halloween and there's a cat too.
Nightshift is chock full of awesome shorties, macabre, amusing, scary, perfect for this Halloween season.

M-O-O-N spells Magnificent Outstanding Overall Nukemfantastic. The Stand is testament to man's stupidity playing God where the Devil lurks in the shadows. An awesome post-apocalyptic masterpiece full of characters so lovingly written, they stay with you forever or until that nuke gets to go off.
5 Stars for this dystopian masterpiece.

This terrifying horror story has it all - pet cemetery, grieving parents, dead baby, Indian burial ground, superstitious neighbour, all blended into a cocktail of terror when the parents will do anything to get their baby back. Not recommended. A must for all Stephen King fans and those looking for a more horrific sample of his writing. Awesome movie adaptation too.
5 Stars and oh so highly recommended.

What can I say that might be different from all the other reviews? It filled me with dread and took me back to my childhood when I used to see things that weren't there, or so my parents told me. Classic King that bites the reader in the rear end and never lets go. Although the story tilts towards child abuse, King deftly steers the story into the realm of paranormal fantasy with his usual panache. If you like to be scared then read this with a torch under the covers where you're so much safer - NOT!
Awesome 5 Stars for this great King classic.

All three books are wonderfully funny and would suit all age groups. The author has the knack for a brilliant opening chapter that throws the reader right into the deep end of the action. This reader could not put the books down. I loved every wonderfully amusing page full of girlish anecdotes, snarky remarks and pure adventure of the hair-raising, blow-drying, room-service kind.
Wendy Darlin is fantastic character who is introduced in book 1 with her snarky attitude to combat the hilarious situations she finds herself in. In book 2 she meets and falls for the enigmatic Doc Roger Jolley while tackling London lowlifes and even a couple of equally snarky geese. In book 3 Wendy attracts all manner of strange characters and weird goings on of the Indiana Jones kind. Cue a plethora of in jokes, name dropping and such teasing I couldn't stop chuckling.
These books are a must for all readers who like their tongues firmly in their cheeks, like snippy humor at its best and most of all love to have a laugh.
FIVE STARS for this Adventuresome Box Set for all the family and very highly recommended.