5 Reasons You Should Not Overlook Mike Duke's "Ashley's Tale" Trilogy... Number 4 Is A Game Changer!

5 Reasons You Should Not Overlook Mike Duke's "Ashley's Tale" Trilogy...

5 Mike Duke is brutal and his trilogy continues to get darker as the author tightens the twists. "The Initiation" follows the events of "Ashley's Tale" and "Making Jake" and proves that Duke is a master of escalating action and terror. Yes, this series is meant to be read in order so be sure to start with book one.


4 Mike Duke has set the bar for the ol' cat and mouse, hunter vs. hunted, or any other analogy that a reader may call this sub-genre. This series is a master-class in psychological-suspense with intense character growth under extreme situations to distract from the depravity. Or does it add to the depravity? At times it is hard to tell.

3 The series is addictive and will sink its hooks into readers. "Ashley's Tale" is impossible not to read in one sitting as Duke introduces Ashley's abduction. "Making Jake" effectively travels back and lets the skeleton's out of Ashley's abductor's closet."The Initiation" jumps ahead of "Ashley's Tale" by a couple years and completes the cycle of abuse as Ashley comes to terms with who she was and who she is now.

2 "The Initiation", unlike some trilogies not to be named here, does not sell out the first two parts of the story in order to reveal an ending. Duke remains consistent and thought-provoking throughout and really nails the ending. Readers will want more, yet feel strangely satisfied at the end of this turbulent ride.

1 Mike Duke writes without gimmicks. He tells a fascinating story and this series is proof that he is capable of instilling terror with a simple display of character actions. There is no room for fluff and Duke is not capable of pulling his punches. He likes to make his readers sweat, so be sure to bring a                                         towel.

Start the journey with Ashley's Tale, here.
Continue the story with Making Jake, here.
Finish the ride with The Initiation, here.

-Cory Cline

5 Reasons You Should Not Overlook Jack Bantry's The Lucky Ones Died First...No. 2 will blow your mind!

5 Reasons You Should Not Overlook Jack Bantry's The Lucky Ones Died First...

5 Jack Bantry knows his Splatterpunk so it's no surprise to find that he is as capable of writing it as those he publishes in his well-loved homage to the genre, The Splatterpunk Zine. Bantry does not hide his love for the cheesy sex and gore-soaked horrors of the splatterpunk heyday and readers will feel like they have settled in with an old friend.

4 Bigfoot! Before you try arguing that Bigfoot is boring, I can assure that this beast is not typical of the common Bigfoot "found" in the wild. Bantry's Squatch won't be seen hiding behind trees or strolling across a meadow in search of cover. This Bigfoot has a taste for blood and is not shy so there is plenty of photo ops for the budding cryptozoologist in the seconds before they get torn limb from limb... or worse. There is a reason for the title, after all.

3 Deadite Press. For those who may not be familiar, Deadite Press is the home of some of the best hardcore horror available. Brian Keene, Wrath James White, Robert Devereaux, and Monica J. O'Rourke are just a handful of the great authors found under the Deadite imprint so buy with confidence because Bantry belongs here.

2 Nazi Bigfoot hunter! The only thing keeping the people of Hambleton alive! Some will thank him, some won't. It kind of depends on what the Squatch did to them. 

1 Bantry does not mess around. He jumps into the action and uses short chapters to his advantage to keep the addictive pace. His passion for the genre bleeds through his writing and readers will take note. Be prepared to read this in one sitting.

Buy The Lucky Ones Died First here...

-Cory Cline