Author: authoranthonyavinablog

Anthony Avina, (Born March 1990), is an author, a journalist, and a blogger. Born in Southern California, he has battled through injuries, disabilities, moves back and forth across the country, and more, yet still maintains a creative voice that he hopes to use not only to entertain but to inspire hope in even the darkest situations. He writes short stories and novels in several genres, and is also a seasoned journalist for the online magazine, On Request Magazine, as well as the popular site TheGamer. Having grown up reading the books of Dean Koontz and Stephen King, they inspired him to write new and exciting stories that delved into the minds of richly developed characters. He constantly tries to write stories that have never been told before, and to paint a picture in your mind while you are reading the book, as if you could see every scene of the book as if it were a movie you were watching. His stories will get your imaginations working, and will also show that in spite of the most despairing and horrific situations, hope is never out of reach. He am always writing, and so there will never be a shortage of new stories for your reading pleasure. http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

Avi Lanir – A Short Life Story: The Courage and Capture of an Israeli Fighter Pilot by Yael Yannay Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Yael Yannay shares the story of higher pilot Avi Lanir, who never returned from Syrian capture during the Yom Kippur War in the book “Avi Lanir – A Short Life Story: The Courage and Capture of an Israeli Fighter Pilot.”

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The Synopsis

This is the story of the life and death of Lt. Col. Avi Lanir (1940-1974)—the most senior Israeli pilot to fall into Syrian captivity during the Yom Kippur War, and the only one who did not return alive.

Lanir died after brutal torture, without betraying the critical secret the Israeli Air Force had entrusted to his care. The body was defeated, yet the human spirit soared and triumphed. In these stormy and turbulent times, here is the story of a man whose brief spring touched the seasons of a nascent Israel.

Israeli author and editor Yael Yannay has woven a moving, inspiring biographical tapestry from the memories of family members, soul mates, and comrades-in-arms, and from the reflections of those who led Israel then—in body and in spirit. A profound, complex story: one of beauty and a vibrant life attuned to awareness— full of orders and briefings; question marks and family; love and yearning; wounds and hopes.

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    The Review

    What immediately struck me was how honest and heartfelt the author’s writing was. While a national hero who withstood some of the worst torture a person could endure during war before passing, the author could have easily written a biography that was pure hero worship. Still, instead the author delved into the complex humanity that was Avi Lanir’s life growing up and during his time as a fighter pilot, captured best in the author’s opening chapters that showcased the stress Avi was under during his last meeting with his wife, and his reaction to not seeing his child leading to a disagreement and later reflection on the words not said between them.

    The honesty was balanced well with the detail and immersive writing experience the author brought to this book. The way the author conveyed the historical events that Avi’s father and grandfather experienced and how these impacted Israel as a whole, while also balancing this with Avi’s personal struggles and experiences, was memorable. The sheer volume of courage that Avi displayed during his career and short life, especially in those pivotal moments withstanding torture to keep his country’s military secrets, exuded a bravery that is inspiring and infectious all at once.

    The Verdict

    Honest, compelling, and engaging, author Yael Yannay’s “Avi Lanir – A Short Life Story” is a must-read book. The biography holds nothing back, is well-researched, and brings so much insight to life in Israel and in the Israel Air Force, both historically and through the life of Avi Lanir. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

    Rating: 10/10

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    About the Author

    Yael Yannay, mother of four. Author, editor, lexicographer. Coaxes words into what they long to become: spring or autumn, iron or silk, minor or major.

    https://amzn.to/4q1ggjU

    Forever Changed by Jim Servi Review 

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviews1 Comment

    I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

    A group of people find their lives uprooted by the events of September 11th and the subsequent war in Afghanistan in the novel “Forever Changed” by author Jim Servi.

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    The Synopsis

    Starting out in the everyday country setting of rural Wisconsin, the world is quickly transformed when two soaring towers crumble to the ground and America is transformed from peace to chaos. The events that transpired are known by many around the world and revealed in this adventurous historical fiction. Forever Changed captures the details and portrays the feelings of citizens thrown into the extraordinary positions on September 11th and the war in Afghanistan that followed.

    Paul Foster is a small-town boy looking for adventure and love, but only one woman could ever capture his heart even as he is thrust into war. JD, his best friend, is consumed by war before he ever sets foot there and is equally transformed when he returns home. Marie Lafayette is an innocent girl ready to expand her comfort zone, but never thought she would ever love a soldier, or have to watch him leave. Lynn Stone, on the other hand, has always loved men in uniform while she travelled the world in a military family. Never did she think loving a soldier would be so hard. Nasir is a young Afghan man that watches the Taliban take over his homeland and tear his family apart.

    As their simple, happy lives are transformed, their paths intertwine in unforeseen ways, creating circumstances that none of them could have imagined. Forever Changed captures the essence of a globally connected world during the pivotal moments surrounding September 11th, 2001 and gives us a comprehensive look at the war in Afghanistan with a perspective that can only be gained from exploring the Afghan countryside and experiencing combat firsthand.

    Jim Servi lives in Hamburg, Wisconsin with his wife and three boys. He is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jim has written for several magazines and newspapers, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars magazine. This is his first novel.

    AudiobooksNow

    The Review

    This was such a powerful and moving read. The author expertly crafted a narrative that felt both relatable and heartbreaking. The depth of world-building and character development was evident from the beginning, with the author creating diverse, deep, and compelling characters that highlight the struggles and hardships so many faced during this troubling point in modern history. The tension that builds throughout that fateful day on September 11th really stays with readers, especially those who lived through that day, as readers feel the terror and heartbreak of those on the scene of those tragedies and the uncertainty so many felt watching the day unfold on their television screens.

    The powerful themes of this book really resonated with readers as the story progressed. The impact of war and how it changes people is the driving force of the narrative, both for those who serve in the military and the people waiting behind who must watch their loved ones go to war and put their lives on the line. The complexities of war and politics take center stage as well, with multiple perspectives giving readers the mindset of loyal soldiers committed to the American cause, loving spouses who want nothing more than their loved ones safe return, and even the surprising emotional story of Nasir, a young Afghani boy who slowly is indoctrinated into the Taliban after suffering his own losses and has a complex character arc that isn’t a typically villain arc, but instead a tragic figure who loses himself to a cause he is essentially born into by circumstances. 

    The Verdict

    Haunting, thought-provoking, and emotionally driven, author Jim Servi’s “Forever Changed” is a must-read historical fiction-meets-military-action-thriller. The character-driven, thoughtful narrative will keep readers invested, and the memories of this historic event will help readers understand those most impacted by this tragedy and war in ways they may not have known before. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

    Rating: 10/10

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    About the Author

    Jim Servi is a U.S. military officer, journalist, and novelist whose life bridges service and storytelling. Over a 20-year career in the U.S. Army, Jim deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, gaining firsthand experience of the complexities of modern conflict.

    His service also included strategic planning roles, including work with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and in the Pentagon, reflecting his deep commitment to global security.

    After returning from combat, Jim channeled his experiences and his struggles with reintegration into writing. He began contributing to a range of publications, writing about the outdoors, sports, business, travel, and, especially, military life. His work has appeared in numerous outlets, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars magazine.

    Jim’s debut novel, Forever Changed, was published in 2020. Drawing on his own wartime experiences, he weaves a fictional, deeply human story set in the wake of 9/11, following characters from small-town Wisconsin to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. Through the novel, Jim explores themes of loss, identity, trauma, and renewal, and gives his readers an empathetic, layered perspective on life before, during, and after war.

    Beyond his writing, Jim is a devoted family man, living in central Wisconsin with his wife, Angie, and their three sons. His journey reflects a powerful fusion of service and creativity, using his voice not just to tell his own story, but to amplify those of others.

    www.jimservi.com

    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-changed-jim-servi/1137002191?ean=2940164076214

    https://amzn.to/4put4PK

    BLOG TOUR: THE TALKING CURE (A SEAN JOYE INVESTIGATION) BY KATHY L. BROWN

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book Events1 Comment

    Kathy L. Brown has a new queer urban fantasy mystery out (ace, pan/bi, gay): The Talking Cure.

    Sean Joye Investigations, Book 2

    Haunted woman claws her way back to reality by reconnecting with her magical powers in The Talking Cure, a supernatural Yuletide follow-up to The Big Cinch.

    Committed to an insane asylum, Violet Humphrey is isolated on the Illinois prairie with only her own thoughts and a persistent new voice in her head for company. When she is accused of murder, Violet suspects her road to both freedom and recovery lies through confronting her painful past and solving the crime. Magically summoned, Sean Joye skids through an ice storm to help Violet, but can they catch the killer and defy an eldritch horror before Violet loses her tenuous grasp on reality?

    “The Talking Cure is a marvelous story—an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery infused with a strong sense of the Weird… and a hearty dose of magic on the side. It’s ideal for all fans of the sinister, the surprising, and the strange.” —Cherie Priest, award-winning author of Boneshaker

    Warnings: suicidal ideations, references past harm to child.

    About the Series

    The Sean Joye Investigations series embeds readers in a magic-laced 1920s era St. Louis. The world has barely survived a brutal global war, disease pandemic, and rampant ethnic violence. The cosmic balance is off kilter, and corrupt energies seep through widening cracks in reality. That foul rot has touched Sean Joye in myriad ways. A disillusioned veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, he traveled to America to escape supernatural attention, forget his assassin past, and forge a clean new life. Can Sean now master the magical abilities he has rejected for so long in time to protect the innocent and save his own skin?

    Universal Buy Link

    Excerpt

    The Talking Cure meme

    Cold air invaded the room, and the flames crackled in greeting. Out in the foyer, I could hear Carrie as she passed off the arriving board members’ coats and bags to an orderly dragooned into footman duty—“Good evening, Doctor. Ah, Doctor, you remember Doctor? And here’s Doctor, right on time.”

    I scooted as far away from Dr. Elsass as I could, making for the Christmas tree in front of the parlor windows. Its sharp green scent tried its best to counter the guests’ stench. As much as I avoided the director, I could still hear him chirping in the background. “We’ll talk about that, of course.” His voice dropped to a whisper, but the words flew across the room to me like bright budgies. “Do you think that wise, Emerson? She is in a most fragile state.”

    I found Nurse Martin leading my other roommate, Berta, and two additional patients in tree decoration. “Ah, Violet, thanks for joining us.” She held out a sturdy cedar ornament. “Care to help?”

    I took it and clung to its warm scent for protection, but despite knowing better—the men would just upset me—I couldn’t help watching their dispute. Dr. Elsass was a chess master, and we were all merely pieces in play. Even this Emerson fellow.

    “Don’t you believe in your Talking Cure? She seems much better to me.” Emerson glanced down at his wife and grinned, showing lots of teeth.

    The rumor among the maids and kitchen staff was that Blanche was besotted with our therapist, Dr. Ibrahim Cole. Although she was here for “female hysteria”— whatever that was—I had never met a less hysterical female.

    Blanche diligently ignored her husband and Dr. Elsass, engrossed as she was in the sketchbook that was never far from her side.

    “Aren’t you, darling?” Emerson said, paying no attention to her activity. “Wouldn’t you like a break from chewing off Cole’s ear? You can talk to me if you feel down in the mouth.”

    Blanche looked up. “I would like to see my dog.”

    Ah, I thought. She was paying attention. I bet she notices more than she lets on.

    “See? She’s fine.” Emerson exclaimed to Dr. Elsass, as if he’d cured her female hysteria himself.

    “Perhaps a weekend pass,” the director mused, pretending to consider the matter. “We’ll discuss it at the staff meeting. Mrs. Emerson has made remarkable progress, it is true.” He glanced around the room, caught my eye, and beamed. Damn. “And speaking of remarkable progress, you know Mrs. Humphrey, I’m sure.”

    Emerson strode across the room and held out his hand. “Percy Emerson. We’ve met, but you may not remember. I knew your father from the Piasa Club.”

    I made myself take his hand, briefly, despite his rotten odor. And the maggots I could see writhing about on his palm. Not real, I told myself. Not real. “Please call me Violet.”

    “And you should call me Percy. I’m…Sorry for your loss.”

    I nodded and made for the tea cart, aiming for a napkin to wipe his stench off my skin. My losses were many. To which did he refer?

    Percy drifted back to Dr. Elsass and winked. “Nice try. As I was saying, Blanche is much more…tractable…than before.” He patted his wife on the head. “But your cure takes an awful lot of time and buckets of cash—who’s to say she wouldn’t have snapped out of it on her own?”

    For her part, Blanche seemed oblivious to the conversation that was transpiring, intent as she was on sketching the Christmas tree. Percy at last noticed the sketchbook on his wife’s lap. “That’s nice, honey. Gonna puts some colors on there? Lots of green and red?”

    She looked up at him, her face blank. Eventually, she said, “Do you think I should? I was interested in the pattern, you see, the way the light—”

    “Oh, yes, definitely. Christmas trees are green. With red balls. That might be good enough for a holiday card, if you color it up right.” To Dr. Elsass, he said, “Nice little scam you got going here, doc.” His voice boomed over the chittering noise of the room. “Well played.”

    The guests ceased their conversations and turned to the two men. Dr. Elsass and Percy stared at each other for a long minute. At last, the director laughed out loud. “Ah, Mr. Emerson. Always a kidder, as the young people say.”

    The room grew darker as the afternoon faded, with just the glow of the hearth and the lights on the Christmas tree. When a fresh contingent of board members lumbered into the parlor, the parrot squawked, and the elderly tree trimmers equally took fright. Dr. Elsass approached the new arrivals, arms outstretched. “Come in, gentlemen. Have a hot drink. There will be ‘something stronger,’ and a fine meal presently.”

    Suddenly, a passing shadow blocked the glow from the fireplace, a darkness that smelled of decaying fish, sulfur, and algae bloom. Then Berta, who’d been so calm, sank to her knees, her eyes darting about, and croaked in a wavering voice, “Dagon lives. Mighty Dagon. Dagon. Dagon. Dagon.”

    The bird joined in as a chorus, “Dagon, Dagon, Dagon.”

    Having no idea to whom or what they referenced, I was struck for a moment with total conviction that Berta, and perhaps the parrot, knew some secret of infinite portent. I utterly believed them, the words a carillon to my ears. I took a deep breath. This wouldn’t do at all. I’m sure it was just what Carrie had been worried about, one of us crazy people acting crazy at the normal-people party.

    Author Bio

    Kathy L. Brown writes speculative fiction with a historical twist. Her hometown— St. Louis, Missouri, USA—and its history inspires much of her fiction.

    The haunted 1920s world of the Sean Joye Investigations book series was conceived in a creative writing workshop in 2004. The idea wouldn’t go away, and Kathy published two Sean Joye novellas while working on her first novel, The Big Cinch, released by the Montag Press Collective in December 2021. The Big Cinch won the 2022 Imadjinn award for best urban fantasy novel.

    After spending the pandemic editing and publishing a secondary-world young adult fantasy, Wolfhearted, Kathy wrote the next Sean Joye investigation, The Talking Cure. It will be published in November 2025. A Sean Joye short story, “The Pixie Job,” appears in the 2024 Marathonarium Anthology: Volume II.

    Currently she is preparing a high fantasy novella in the Wolfhearted world for publication in 2026. Learn more at kathylbrown.com.

    Author Website: https://www.kathylbrown.com

    Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=590229717

    Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/kbkathylbrown

    Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathylbrownwrites/

    Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18298845.Kathy_L_Brown

    Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/kathy-l-brown/

    Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/kathylbrown

    Other Worlds Ink logo

    Dark Fantasy/Horror Holiday New Adult Story Prelude on WATTPAD!

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Personal Blog PostsLeave a comment

    Hello there,

    I won’t lie to you guys, its been a long weekend. I am exhausted, and so tonight’s post is not a new review or interview, but instead a blast from the past from me personally. I wanted to share the link to a Wattpad story I wrote years ago. It’s been a few years since I was on the website, so I was not aware it had all been in a draft, but this story’s prelude was just published and i wanted to share it. It’s a novel about a New Adult reimagining of the legend of Santa and Krampus, in an epic fantasy setting with romance and bits of fantasy horror. I hope you guys will check it out and enjoy it, and if you want more of this story let me know, and perhaps I’ll re-release it here on my site or in another format. Thank you.

    https://www.wattpad.com/989391088-frost-a-guardian-of-the-ancients-novel-prelude?utm_source=web&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share_reading

    A Brief Break…

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Personal Blog PostsLeave a comment

    I hope everyone is having a good weekend. It has been a day for me, and so I am taking the night off from regularly scheduled content. I will be back tomorrow, but if you have the time, tell me what you guys are reading this weekend? I’m reading Stephen King’s You Like It Darker. I will be back soon, and hope you guys have a great night!

    Vampire Verses by LindaAnn LoSchiavo Review

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

    I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

    Author and poet LindaAnn LoSchiavo shares the power and seductive nature of the supernatural in the book “Vampire Verses.”

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    The Synopsis

    “Vampire Verses” explores the seductive mystique of the shadow sphere and savors the forbidden allure of encounters with the supernatural — illustrated by spooky full-page artwork.

    For lovers of Gothic poetry and vampire lore, this collection captures what makes these immortals irresistible: their paradoxical existence where death becomes a gateway to living more intensely.

    AudiobooksNow

    The Review

    The gothic horror atmosphere in these poems, and the blend of humor, heart, and dread, were so perfect for this collection. The haunting imagery found in these poems perfectly captures the bloody and visceral nature of vampirism and the supernatural draw that so many people have towards the genre and this particular supernatural creature.

    The heart of these poems is so much more than the vampire angle, however. It is a beautiful fusion of history, mythology, and pop culture, delivered with a poetic touch. The poem “When We Rented ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’” gave readers a first-person perspective on how vampires would respond to a slasher flick of that caliber, and the section highlighting the impact Bram Stoker had on the genre was also thrilling. The shifting points of view in each poem and the way the poems delve into power dynamics in relationships, people’s fascination with death and danger, and what happens when a person’s needs overpower them, become powerful themes that bring these poems to life eloquently.

    The Verdict

    Memorable, thought-provoking, and enthralling, author LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s “Vampire Verses” is a must-read gothic horror collection of poems. The humorous illustrations, tidbits of knowledge, and quotes on history and mythology throughout the collection helped elevate the pop culture references and balance the tones in this very atmospheric collection. Readers will return to it time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

    Rating: 10/10

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    About the Author

    A native New Yorker, LoSchiavo has received nominations for the Pushcart Prize, Rhysling Award, Best of the Net, the IPPY Award, CLMP’s Firecracker Award, Balcones Poetry Prize, and Dwarf Stars. She is a member of Science Fiction Poetry Assoc., The British Fantasy Society, and The Dramatists Guild.

    Her poetry chapbooks include “Conflicted Excitement” [Red Wolf Editions, 2018], “Concupiscent Consumption” [Red Ferret Press, 2020], “Women Who Were Warned” [Cerasus Poetry, May 2022], and “Messengers of the Macabre” co-authored with David Davies [Audience Askew, October 2022].

    Her full-length collections include Elgin Award winner “A Route Obscure and Lonely” [Wapshott Press, Dec. 2019] and “Apprenticed to the Night” [UniVerse Press, 2023].

    Three of her short stories appear in “A Feast of Narrative,” Vol. 1 [Idea Press, 2020], edited by Tiziano Dossena.

    Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/V0vyi_v8hfU

    https://www.prolificpulse.com/lindaannloschiavo

    Editorial Review: “Cancer Courts My Mother” by LindaAnn LoSchiavo

    ————————-

    GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18972725.LindaAnn_LoSchiavo

    Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/LindaAnn-LoSchiavo/author/B084WSGD5K

    * * “Apprenticed to the Night” [U.K.: UniVerse Press, 2023]

    * * Publisher’s site: https://universepress.net/product/apprenticed-to-the-night/

    * * Interview: https://spkofmarvels.wordpress.com/2023/02/09/lindaann-loschiavo/

    * * Interview: https://medium.com/interstellar-flight-press/caught-between-two-worlds-family-far-away-places-and-formal-poetry-270426062797

    * * Book Trailer: “Women Who Were Warned”

    * * Book Review: “Women Who Were Warned”

    Critic Yasmine Dashti

    https://www.fahmidan.net/book-reviews

    * * Interview & excerpts:

    Women Who Were Warned – Book Excerpt

    * * “Messengers of the Macabre” ― website: https://messengersofthemacabre.com/

    * * Book Review: “Messengers of the Macabre”

    Critic Joshua Gage

    Review: Messengers of the Macabre by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies

    Critic Jodie Crump

    Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies

    * * Book Trailer: “Messengers of the Macabre”

    * * LindaAnn Literary: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHm1NZIlTZybLTFA44wwdfg

    * * Twitter: @Mae_Westside

    https://amzn.to/48UetHn

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    A Study on Falling by Gaelan Donovan Wort Review

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

    I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

    A traumatized author reluctantly travels to a special clinic to seek help, only to be confronted by an emerging story and dark secrets in author Gaelan Donovan Wort’s “A Study on Falling.”

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    The Synopsis

    Have you ever been lost in a maze?

    Have you ever kept walking, sure that the exit was near, only to realise that you’ve been going around in circles?

    Ever been trapped?

    I have.

    Once, I was someone. A bestselling author whose prose charmed the world. I was in love, I was married, and my muse was my partner through it all. Then came the accident. I lost a part of myself – became a man unravelling, a husband undone. A novelist without words.

    See, the mind can be a maze. Mine became a labyrinth.

    I was banished to a hospital for the gifted, where my paranoia wasn’t cured; it only grew, fed by the doctors and my fellow inmates surrounding me.

    My name is Henry Levi. I’m a writer. This isn’t a memoir, it’s a record of my time spent in the depths of the labyrinth, fumbling in the dark for the golden thread that would lead me to salvation.

    A story, a warning, a legend … call it what you like.

    I call it my Study on Falling.

    kickstarter

    The Review

    This was such a compelling and unique psychological thriller. It reminded me a lot of Alan Wake without the overt supernatural themes. Instead, it was a masterclass in the psychology of a writer, an artist, a creative who has been through trauma and cannot return to the space that their creativity once sprang from. The fact that the author brought to life a unique story surrounding an author of the recently reviewed The Shambling Lords, itself a fictional story written by a fictional author, and how that dark fantasy played out in the confines of this story was so unique and imaginative that readers were instantly enthralled.

    The powerful imagery in the author’s writing style and the way the fictional story Henry Levi wrote bled into his waking life were so chilling and haunting, especially in his confrontation with Viviane later in the story. The honest emotional struggle Henry goes through in this narrative is so reflective of the impact trauma can have on a person, and how easily or narrowly the path towards pessimism and anger can be to traverse, but the fight to find new inspiration and hope again is achievable, but sometimes only by acknowledging the pain of loss and finding a new beginning. 

    The Verdict

    Artful, thrilling, and entertaining, author Gaelan Donovan Wort’s “A Study on Falling” is a must-read psychological thriller. The twists and turns in the narrative, the deeply personal relationships and interactions Henry has with others in the clinic, and the realism with which the author tackles these themes will keep readers invested all the way to the book’s impactful final chapter. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

    Rating: 10/10

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    About the Author

    Gaelan Donovan Wort penned his first novel, The Nature of Predation, at the age of seventeen, driven by a restless passion for storytelling that has since deepened into a lifelong craft. Since that early beginning, he has followed the shadows that gather between myth and memory, reverie and ruin – threads that continue to weave throughout his stories. His fiction drifts between genres – gothic horror, mythic tragedy, psychological thriller, speculative drama, and satirical science fiction – but is always drawn to the liminal, the haunted, and the human. Whether eerie or elegiac, his stories linger where the rational frays – and the unknowable begins.

    https://www.endangeredpoetproductions.com/

    https://amzn.to/44PgNNk

    The Shambling Lords by Henry Levi Review

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

    I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

    A king becomes desperate to save a kingdom caught in a blood plague that has warped everyone and everything in author Henry Levi’s “The Shambling Lords.”

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    The Synopsis

    Transience has come to the undying lands of Amelbaran.

    A plague of blood cripples the once-immutable kingdom of Kelcarosa, replacing beauty with decay.

    The advent of this calamity, like nothing the immortal kingdom has ever known before, distorts even the incontrovertible Nobles of the Scarlet Court, stealing away the righteous instincts of these great custodians, warping their sensibilities and making shambling monsters, debauched and dangerous, of those who had once been hailed as heroes.

    Only the New King seems to remember the grandeur that once was theirs, and in reverence to all that was, he seeks to undo all that is.

    This is the King’s requiem; the legend of the end of that which had been undying, the corruption of that which had been consecrated, the fall of that which had stood most high.

    AudiobooksNow

    The Review

    This gritty, dark-toned fantasy novel was the perfect blend of horror and dark fantasy, bringing a rich new world and kingdom to life in vivid detail. The visceral imagery and haunting atmosphere that the author exudes in the story, as this plague decimates the land and begins to creep into the once majestic city, is thoughtfully written into the narrative, effortlessly conjuring up a feeling of unease and despair that the characters are hit with, as well as a physical sensation of grime and grit in this chilling world.

    Yet it was the fast pacing and impactful themes the story seemed to embody that made this narrative feel so engrossing. The King, an antihero in this story, is steadfast in his view of his people’s failure and the kingdom he once loved so deeply, and, through hardship and struggle, fights to make his mission succeed, no matter the cost. The story reflects the loss of what was once good in a person’s life, and sometimes the inevitable realization that it cannot be recovered. Instead, all we can do is move on from that loss and start anew, a fitting theme the King embodies as he sees the plague of mortality plaguing his immortal kingdom and the need to start over. 

    The Verdict

    Viscerally written, compelling, and thoroughly enthralling, author Henry Levi’s “The Shambling Lords” is a must-read dark fantasy and horror novella. The haunting, atmospheric tale of betrayal, loss, and rebirth takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, and the depth of the world-building the author uses to convey this theme is remarkable. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

    Rating: 10/10

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    About the Author

    Best known within the pages of other tales, acclaimed writer Henry Levi first made his name with the razor-edged prose of a bestselling crime thriller trilogy, though he has since outgrown the confines of any single genre.

    In A Study on Falling, Levi emerged as the sharp-tongued voice behind the Alistair Black series, a sudden success that vaulted the then-unknown author into global stardom — only to be followed by a spectacular unraveling, marked by public feuds, private bitterness, and a much-publicized retreat from the literary stage.

    Now, after a tumultuous hiatus steeped in further scandal, Levi returns: unapologetically eclectic and unfashionably sincere, having finally beaten back the jaded nihilism and acrimonious apathy that had once defined him.

    Returned to writing on his own terms, Levi’s recent works are darker, stranger, and far more personal. The extent of his acclaim depends, as always, on who you ask. Whatever else may be said, he is writing again.

    https://amzn.to/4aAKpBM

    Flowers for Juno “My Bloody Kisses” Single Review

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn music review, Music ReviewsLeave a comment

    When someone is looking to really delve into music, they aren’t always looking for something that is lyrically emotional and powerful, but rather for something that is rhythmic and captures an atmosphere, as if setting the scene of a film that builds and builds until its big climax. That sense of atmosphere is what drives the latest single from industrial goth band Flowers for Juno, titled “My Bloody Kisses.”

    Formed in 2023 by Benjó James, Flowers for Juno has released a single that speaks volumes while focusing less on lyrics and more on tone. The atmospheric nature that envelopes the reader when “My Bloody Kisses” first begins allows the reader to feel the drum beats in their chest, slowly vibing with the guitar synths and vocals that are audible yet purposely blurred to enable the listener to feel both surrounded and immersed in the scene this song is bringing to life. 

    I loved the gradual way the song elevates and changes the tone of the synths and vocals to match the changing landscape of the music itself, forgoing the traditional structure and path that a song would follow, and instead building an intensity and emotional push that feels almost cinematic in quality, as if bleeding out of an indie film scene. Moody, haunting, and an indie vibe that refuses to quit, “My Bloody Kisses” is a compelling single that naturally blends the goth rock band’s sound with industrial and lo-fi tones, and naturally builds to a thrilling crescendo across the song’s 3-minute run-time. If you haven’t yet, be sure to stream the single today! 

    Find Them Here: Spotify | Instagram |Facebook