First up was this review of Flesh Harvest: ‘Scary from the start, but couldn’t put it down! Overflowing with gore, but there’s some dry humour in there too! Definitely gonna read Jacob’s ‘Sunshine’ next.’
Then a nice review of Sunshine: ‘I read this in a day and a half, but I am just now getting to do some reviews today.
I would like to say that I did like Jacob’s story; there was a tightness and economy to the flow and the pacing was perfect. I am a fan of both apocalyptic horror and gore, so these two elements helped to endear me to the plot.
The story begins at a resort where a man and his wife are determined to iron out some marital indiscretions perpetrated by the husband; seems he was getting freaky with the secretary on the sly and got busted. That always happens!
Right away, the attack begins. Suddenly, the other vacationers have gone berserk, and the couple, along with another guy that they befriended during their stay, are fighting for their lives against a seemingly insurmountable onslaught of brutality. There is little time for character development, as these poor souls are constantly presented with new hoards of mindless killing machines to contend with, but Jacob does inject some humanity into the situation when opportunities present themselves. They also encounter a bevy of other “survivors” along the way, most of whom don’t stick around very long for varying reasons.
I was unfamiliar with some of the British terminology, which sort of hindered the flow for me a little, and I believe that this could have been edited down just a bit, as some of the fight scenes began to feel just a tad bit repetitive. I didn’t find many likeable characters, but for some reason, that actually seemed to work to the stories benefit for me.
Overall, I liked this novella for what it was. I think Jacob Rayne most certainly has talent and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
If you are looking for a pleasant stroll in the sunshine, I recommend running for your life. If you are in the mood for a gore-fest … get cracking! This book is for you.’
Finally, this little beauty came in for Sunshine too: ‘This is the story of Paul and Janet. They are on holiday in the United States to try and patch up their marriage following Paul’s affair with his secretary. One day while sitting round the pool, some of the holiday makers turn into murderous psychopaths and go on a rampage attacking anyone and everyone in their path. What has caused this dramatic change and can Paul, and Janet make it out alive?
I enjoyed this, it was a nice easy read with a great flow to it. The tension was kept up throughout the length of the book, and culminated in the sudden and unexpected ending. The characters were solid and believable, and their fear was tangible. This was a great horror novella from a bright new talent on the horror scene.’
Awesome stuff!
rayneofterror1.com 