Duncan McGeary

Review copy

I first encountered the writing of Duncan McGeary about a year ago when his book Tuskers was released. Before that time, I had never heard of javelinas or skunk pigs, but a quick check of Wikipedia revealed they are real and can be found in Arizona where Tuskers is set.

Through an evolutionary quirk a small Arizona community is terrorized by these pig-like creatures who are exhibiting cunning behavior and in some ways are out-smarting their human prey.

Tuskers and Tuskers II:Day of the Long Pig are both great fun and well worth checking out and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the third book in that series.

Duncan's newest book is something totally different, The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Murders: Blood of the Succubus is a very sexual, highly adult romp through the ages with three succubae known as the Three Daughters of Lilith, Agrat Bat, Naamah, and Eisheth. Each with their own charms, making them all but irresistible to men leaving them drained of their life force, often to the point of death.

The author has done a commendable job of taking the basic mythology of the succubus and creating a complex backstory of goddesses, once worshiped, then enslaved for for their blood, finally escaping and taking their revenge on mankind. Mixed in with all of this is the story of the The Guardians, a lineage of men who go to extraordinary lengths to make themselves immune to the powers of the succubae. As a man, these are truly some of the most disturbing passages I've ever read,

While I enjoyed The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Murders: Blood of the Succubus it's certainly not for everyone. If it was a movie, it would certainly be rated R, or depending how it was cut, NC-17 or even X.

Although this is a stand-alone novel with a solid conclusion, McGeary has deftly opened the door for a possible sequel should he decide to go there. I, for one, would love to go along for the ride.

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Murders: Blood of the Succubus has it's heroes, villains, and those who walk the line between the two. The book is available as an e-book through Amazon.com. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Recommended for mature adults.… (meer)

Review Copy

I sometimes think I should feel a bit guilty when I get excited about a book like Tuskers II. After all, it's just a tall tale of a group of survivors fighting off intelligent pigs or javelinas to be more precise, but truth be told, it's fun to check ones brain at the door once in a while.

I love it when a book starts with action right from the start. Within pages of the beginning of Tuskers II we find this gem..."He toppled over and fell into two parts. The lower part of his body went backward, the top part went forward, and the insides splashed wetly between them." No lie, chapter one will knock your socks off.

Despite the quick start, the story seemed to drag for a bit, but later broke some new ground as the porkers showed more intelligence than they had before, even displaying a hunger for learning. It was also interesting to see divisions developing in the ranks of the animals.

All told, Tuskers II: Day of the Long Pig was another fun look at evolution run amok. Available now from Angelic Knight Press, the horror imprint at Ragnarok Publications.

By the way, there is a huge twist at the end, which will play into subsequent books in the series.

Recommended.… (meer)

Review copy

Until I got to read Tuskers by Duncan McGeary, I had never heard of javelinas or skunk pigs, but a quick check of Wikipedia reveals they are real and can be found in Arizona where this novel is set.

Through an evolutionary quirk a small Arizona community is terrorized by these pig-like creatures who are exhibiting cunning behavior and in some ways are out-smarting their human prey.

The author didn't waste a lot of time with setting up this story. In no time at all, people are dying and it doesn't look good for the humans.

This sequence leads to one of my favorite lines from the book. The action involves a former sheriff named Barbara who's pretty good with a firearm.

"She went to the front of the house, drawing her Glock. She threw open the door. Half a dozen javelinas were rooting around in the bare dirt and rocks. She started blasting, catching three of the pigs by surprise and killing them. Two of the others were winged as they ran, and the third got away completely. As she ejected the spent clip and loaded another one with practiced ease, the unharmed javelina turned and gave her a look that almost stopped her from finishing the motion.

It was a warning look. You've messed with the wrong pig, the look said."

The writing was crisp and fast-paced, the plot just took a little suspension of disbelief, and the result was a very good first effort from the new Angelic Knight horror imprint from the folks at Ragnarok Publications.

Tuskers is a complete work in it's own right, but the stage has also been set for sequels of which two are already planned.

The release date is set for January 12th and Tuskers will be available in Paperback and ebook formats.

Highly recommended.… (meer)