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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Coal House in Books

Nov 11, 2019

Coal House

W.S. Barton | 2015 | Horror

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Set just after the Second World War this follows the story of Finn Harper who decides to turn to property development with his wife. When they are on holiday in Wales they see a house for auction which seems to be a bargain. When the locals won't bid on it they decide to buy the remote and long-deserted house.

So begins Coal House, a suspenseful ghost story that slowly builds to a shattering ending with a chilling twist. Any ghost story turns on the ability of the author to conjure up locations and events that seem both ordinary and strange at the same time and Barton does this with ease, able to raise goosebumps with a few simple words.

The story is clever and interesting with several layers and with characters to match. Finn is initially a skeptic but as strange events happen in and around the house he must consider if they are real or just his imagination.

This is not a long book but does pack a lot into its pages. An excellent read

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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Iron Angel (Deepgate Codex #2) in Books

Nov 15, 2019

Iron Angel (Deepgate Codex #2)

Alan Campbell | 2009 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy

6.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The first novel in the Deepgate Codex trilogy, Scar Night, explored the immediate surroundings of the suspended city of Deepgate. This second entry follows the fallout from the battle of Deepgate as the balance between the powers of the world realign themselves.

As with Scar Night, Campbell's imagination creates some stunning characters and imagery; the Soft Men, John Anchor, a nightmarish journey through hell. The descriptions are extremely evocative, the whole having a sort of Gothic Steampunk feel to it.

This is, however, weaker than Scar Night, partly because there is just so much Campbell is keen to show us that the detail gets lost, and at times the story grinds to a halt for some lingering descriptions of something that although interesting has no real bearing on the story and just means momentum is lost. The result is unfortunately a bit of a mess.

Not a bad book by any means, but a case of an author's enthusiasm for their own creations reducing the focus on developing an interesting and coherent story