S. J. Budd

I love books of this type. So often I find authors whose work I want to investigate further. This book was no exception. The only author I whose work I had read previously was Theresa Bruan.

I was thrilled with the stories I found in Monsters Exist. There is a good mix of stories in this book. We start with rats which nearly killed me. I have been disturbed by rats ever since I watched the movies Willard and Ben. Anyone remember those movies? My skin was crawling and i knew not even a nightlight was going to keep the fear away. The stories go on to include various thriller chillers. You are certain to find at least one story to keep you checking the floor under the bed before you get out of it. I usually pick a story or two that I found to be particularly frightening. With this book, I am truly unable to do this. I look back on them, decide on one only to remember the goosebumps another gave me and I change my mind. i enjoyed every story I read. I recommend this book to horror and campfire story fans.

Thank you to BookTasters for bringing this book to my attention. The editor provided an ecopy for review purposes. The final copy may be slightly different. All opinions are honest ones.
… (meer)

When you were a kid did you think monsters existed? Well they do exist and they’re everywhere, there are too many stories about monsters to think otherwise. The preface for Deadman’s Tome: Monsters Exist edited by Mr. Deadman and Theresa Braun tells us that . There are 14 tales here about monsters that some believe really exist. I loved all the stories in this collection and couldn’t decide what to focus on since they all fit so well together so I decided to give info on each one:

Master Vermin by Wallace Boothill: The city of Baltimore has some dark places and there is a rat king that rules the night. I loved the idea of the characters trying to stop a low-income apartment from being destroyed and then finding a more sinister force at work.

Legend Trippers by Theresa Braun: An urban legend about a goatman and a man trying to escape the past. Great build up til the end and I liked the reality tv show crew looking for answers.

The Murder Of Crows by S.J Budd: Great little story about the goddess of death. Great twist in this story, loved the idea of what makes a serial killer.

Wicked Congregation by Gary Buller: Great storytelling here on the legend of faeries and what it takes to keep them from killing us all.

Playing Dead by S.E. Casey: This one is about a giant monkey and a strange little carnival. Loved how we find out what is really going on and how the main character feels about it.

Lake Monster by Mr. Deadman: This one combines a couple of legends, every forest has a legend, if the creature in the woods doesn’t get you the lake monster will.

Never Sleep Again by Calvin Demmer: Possibly my favorite in this book, half detective story and half horror story focusing on the monster under the bed. Loved how the monster looked and how he got around from bed to bed, love to see this one expanded to a longer piece.

The Voice From The Bottom Of The Well by Phillip W. Kleaver: Great story about a little girl with insomnia and what she is willing to do to keep the monster at the bottom of a well quiet. Sacrifices must be made and its a surprise who she chooses.

Eclipse at Wolfcreek by Sylvia Mann: This one looks at two kinds of monsters, one is the mothman and the other is something much scarier. I love the beginning of this story and seeing how the main character comes out of it stronger than before but still damaged.

No. 7 by William Marchese: Government experiments and conspiracies play a role in this one along with one terrifying monster. A creepy story with a good mystery.

Criatura by John Palisano: This one is about a bigfoot type creature living in the desert. Love the description of the monster in this one and what the monster seems to want.

Bitten by Christopher Powers: Great storytelling about a giant Spider and what it does to catch its prey. I liked the idea of two men sitting and one telling the story and the other not believing it, this one had a campfire tale vibe to it.

Kelpies by Leo X. Robertson: Good story about what happens if you are not loyal, the kelpies have a nice under the sea set up.

Bloodstream Revolution by M.R. Tapia: It’s a mystery who the monster is in this one, is it the warlords fighting over land or the chupacabras? It’s hard to disagree with the main character’s decision at the end.

Every story in Deadman’s Tome: Monsters Exist are fast paced and never leave you with that “When will this end feeling.” It’s a quick read with each tale grabbing you by the jugular and not letting go til the blood soaked end. This book is a horror fan’s dream which will give you nightmares for weeks.… (meer)

A fun anthology of monster mayhems. Mythological and cryptozoological critters variously terrorise and rudely interrupt. A coalition of creatures featured in chaos, they strike sometimes with shadowy stalk, other times with blatant ferocity. I liked the trigger of the shorthand familiar settings for the genre, the stories mainlining without pause, arriving impregnated with the magic snicker of horror history gloriously hand-me-downed. All the better for having that used musk attached.

There are a few standouts, as is inevitable, but the collection is overall strong and I found something to like in all the stories. There’s a great deal of love for the classic moves of the genre, and this is enjoyable drive-in spook stuff. The monsters within are a compelling menagerie, caged by the restraints of the book but left to run rampant from page to page.… (meer)