Douglas WynneReviews

Good book. It was a little hard for me to stay focused, but that could have been a me problem. Really enjoyed it in the end.

The author lost me somewhere around the scientist cultist ritually masturbating while killing a pigeon.

Years ago, I heard a bunch of my students discussing how much fun Minecraft was and decided to give it a shot. I quickly learned that my brain’s pathetic left hemisphere didn’t possess the engineering skills necessary to get much out of it.

If you told me back then that the same game would one day be a major plot element in one of the most thrilling and emotionally impactful novels I’d ever read, I would’ve simply laughed and gone back to getting my ass kicked at Call of Duty.

Now, though, I’m all types of excited for everyone to read this book I’ve been raving about for almost two years that didn’t technically exist.

His Own Devices isn’t just a techno thriller or a clever merging of horror and modern technology. It’s a story whose themes and characters grab you from the first page and absolutely refuse to let go. If you’re not able to read the book in one 24-hour sitting, then you’ll be thinking about it during the day and dreaming about it at night.

Thankfully, the only side effect will be an unshakable desire to explore the book’s characters and their world again…

…and maybe a healthy fear of gazing at your personal devices’ screens for too long.

What a gripping tale, very enjoyable and recommended

I've been on somewhat of a cosmic horror binge these last few weeks and I'm happy to report that Red Equinox stands up there with the best of the genre.

I'm not going to get into the plot too much, as several reviews and the synopsis already do . I'm just going to mention a few of my impressions and feelings and leave it at that.

Mr. Wynne makes the Cthulhu mythos his own with this contribution about first resurrecting the language of the Old Gods, and then the Old Gods themselves. They're not dead, exactly, just in another dimension. For me, the story is always about those humans who live to serve the Old Ones and those dedicated to stopping them. This book was no exception. I especially liked the characters of Becca and Rafael and appreciated the fact that the narrative didn't lead in all the usual directions.

One thing that flew low on my radar, but did register, was the mention of a company called Limbus. Since I read and enjoyed Limbus, Inc. and noting that it was also from Journalstone, I have to believe that this was on purpose and I felt like I was in on an inside joke.

Lastly, this story was set in a Boston of the future. I found myself wondering why the author set it there and I liked the answers I came up with. There might be a little more going on here than just the Old Ones, but what you find will be up to you and what you want to take from it.

In the midst of a couple of weeks where I've read several Lovecraftian titles, Red Equinox by Douglas Wynne stands out as a distinctive voice in the mythos. His style may not be as literary as some, but the gist of the story and the characters are spot on. I hope that he continues to dabble in this genre in the future.

Recommended for fans of cosmic horror!

*I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*

THE SPECTRA FILES books have all been a pleasure to read. Now with SMOKE & DAGGER, we get a peek behind the scenes at the beginning of it all. What fun!

In New York City, feeling far from her seaside home in Massachusetts, Catherine Littlefield haunts the local museums when she's not studying for her college courses. She especially likes to sit and gaze at a certain meteorite. It gives off some kind of...signal, a kind of...hum, which she can actually feel. She notices an elderly gentleman, often on the bench opposite from where she sits, and she wonders if he feels it too. Soon the two meet, one thing leads to another, and then she's working for the man and off to California to investigate! There are reports of black magic, sex magic, spells and singing-all with the intent of bringing through the Old Gods. Who are the people so devoted to doing this? What and who exactly, are the Old Gods? Lastly, will this group be successful? You'll have to read this to find out!

I loved the trilogy of SPECTRA FILES books, and thought the author was finished with those tales, until I saw the beautiful cover of this book on Twitter. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but there are a number of lovely illustrations inside, though many of them are of monsters and the Old Gods themselves. Some are renditions of ancient spells and chants from grimoires devoted to the black arts. These illustrations added another level of "cool" to this tale. (I'd love to see this book come out in a signed/limited edition including the drawings.)

I've come to expect a level of satisfaction from Douglas Wynne when it comes to his SPECTRA FILES books. They combine Lovecraftian type story telling, (dark, ominous and atmospheric), without the flowery language, racism and other distasteful portions of Lovecraft's actual writing. What I really love about Wynne's work though, is his characters. They are always so devoted to protecting the world from the Old Gods all while being unable to claim the credit for doing so. In this book, however, things are a little different. I wasn't sure about Catherine Littlefield's inner motivations, and it was her adventure that kept my eyes glued to the page. I'd love to read more about her in the future, and more about the Order to which she was initiated. In short, I just want more!

You do not need to have read the trilogy in order to appreciate SMOKE & DAGGER, though I recommend you do anyway, because...FUN. This volume can stand alone, tickling your sense of adventure and your curiosity. Combining those things with a brave, admirable heroine, and some Old Gods action, I just cannot see how you wouldn't have a good time!

Highly recommended!

Available everywhere August 20th; you can pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Dagger-SPECTRA-Files-Prequel-ebook/dp/B07TT8KW82/re... and dagger wynne&qid=1564494270&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=chashorcor-20&linkId=c74be043067a5e17c2bee9893481eb96&language=en_US

*Thanks to Douglas Wynne for the beautiful paperback ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

**Also, thank you, sir, for the wonderful inscription that made me both blush and smile.**

Cthulhu Blues is the third and final book of the SPECTRA FILES trilogy. I'm sad to see the series end!

In this volume, Becca Phillips is in the hospital trying to find a way to get some sleep. While being monitored overnight, Becca begins to sing, while asleep, and weird things begin to happen-not the least of which is the mirror in her room coming alive with... something. Something from the other side?

Jason Brooks, Becca's friend and colleague is still around, and working for SPECTRA, albeit under a new director, when he hears about Becca. He also discovers that a few children have been singing while asleep as well, and now those children are disappearing, one by one. He invites Becca to stay at his house, (turns out he's having trouble sleeping too), and together they begin work on the mystery of the song. They work together, that is, until Becca filches an important artifact from the SPECTRA stores, and joins the missing children to sing WITH them. What will come through, if the chorus is allowed to continue until completion? What will happen to the earth and all of mankind as a result? You will have to read this to find out!

It would be hard to pick up this volume without knowing what happened in the first two, but it's not impossible. (However, I recommend reading the first two because they're creative and a lot of fun!) I have developed quite a liking for both Becca and Jason over the last 2 years as their stories have unfolded. Neither of them are perfect people; they are dealing with PTSD, sleep disturbances and all kinds of other problems that make them come across as more real to me. Even Becca's dog, Django, has a place in my heart. SPECTRA itself is an interesting entity, being the group that helps keep cosmic horrors out of our realm.

Speaking of which, there is no shortage of imaginative cosmic horror here. There are all kinds of Lovecraftian creatures and there never seems to be a shortage of people willing to give up everything, even their lives, to help them take over.

The last entry in this trilogy delivers on the great storytelling that took place in the first two. I have no problem recommending it, or all of the books, really. They're innovative, full of engaging characters, and fascinating monsters. They're everything a horror lover could ask for!


You can get your copy here: Cthulhu Blues

*I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

Since the Starry Wisdom Church tried to unleash the Old Gods in the city of Boston 2 years ago, things have been quiet for Becca. Unfortunately, a portal through which the Old Ones could come through is currently being tinkered with, and Becca, as well as a team from SPECTRA, (a mysterious government agency), are being called in to prevent said portal from being opened. This doorway is centered inside Wade House, wherein Becca's father has disappeared. Outside Wade House, black snow is falling.

(This book takes place in the same world as [b:Red Equinox|23603906|Red Equinox|Douglas Wynne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416779230s/23603906.jpg|43205599] did. One does not have to have read RE to understand Black January, but it certainly would enhance the reader's understanding of the story.)

Wade House is an extraordinary property. Reminding me of House of Leaves and Hill House both, the angles are all off. A room that looks one way when you pass through it, may look entirely different when you pass through it on the way back. In fact, it may no longer even lead you back from whence you came at all. If Becca's father is lost there, how will they ever find him and more importantly, how can they seal these doorways so that nothing is ever allowed to enter our world? You'll have to read this book to find out!

The house and the Old Ones were my favorite parts of this book. I love stories about mysterious houses with dark pasts, mirrors that are gateways, and pianos that, when a certain tune is played, have lids that open onto hell itself. What horror fan wouldn't like that? As some of these portals and doorways do briefly open, the reader gets a glimpse not only of Lovecraft's Old Ones, but Wynne's Old Ones- in all of their "drive you to the brink of madness itself" glory. Wynne makes these Gods his own-they are memorable, evil and timeless.

Black January was a blast from start to finish. It's imaginative, creative, fast paced and overall just plain FUN! I highly recommend it for fans of Lovecraft and the Great Old Ones. I also think that fans of House of Leaves would get a kick out of this highly entertaining novel.

Available now, here: Black January: A Spectra Files Novel

*An eARC was provided to me by the author, in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

This book has a lot going for it. Ancient evil, witches, Pan, and good old Rock N Roll. How could you go wrong?

As a huge fan of rock music and the blues, I'm on board with the whole Robert Johnson "sold his soul" train. This book was an original twist on that story, with the modern day accoutrements of an evil record producer and an ogre of a music label.

For a while in the middle portion, the pacing slowed down a lot, (technical stuff in the recording studio), but then the story began to get more complicated and from there this tale came alive. That's also when that originality kicked in and delivered some spice and surprise.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it for horror fans that don't mind a slow burning story, without much gore, and for fans of old school stories like The Great God Pan. If that person is you, I wager you will enjoy this novel.

I was provided a free copy of this book to honestly review for: http://ravenousreads.blogspot.com/

I wanted to like this more than I did. I picked it up because of the Cthulhu mythos. And the first half of the book I enjoyed very much. The lead up to summoning Cthulhu was very interesting. I especially liked the descriptions of how they were able to combine technology to summon the god.

The second half was not quite as interesting to me. Beings from the other side are coming into our dimension. How will they be stopped? Aside from some cool descriptions, this part was just ordinary.

I did find the very last chapter to be quite chilling and thought provoking. Would love to see it followed up on.

Review copy

Cthulhu Blues is a fitting conclusion to the SPECTRA Files series which began in 2015 with Red Equinox and continued last year with Black January. I'm going to miss Becca Philips and Jason Brooks as they battle the cosmic horrors found in the Lovecraftian mythos. I'll even miss Becca's dog Django.

The latest story begins with Becca having checked herself into the Psych Center at UMASS, Tewksbury, to be monitored while she slept. Her symptoms, singing in her sleep and a recurring nightmare at 3:33 every morning. In addition, mirrors are showing a link to another world.

"A cyclone of eels revolved in the water below the mirror's surface, coalescing in a pattern resembling a woman turning in a pirouette, trailing scarves of black flesh. A chill coursed through Becca's skin just as warmth ran down the inside of her leg and urine puddled at her feet."

There are a number of children around the country who also have been singing in their sleep and they've been collected by a mysterious minstrel to form "A choir of the Voice, an instrument played by the ocean...'They're going to raise Cthulhu.'"

Can Becca save the children and stop this catastrophe from occurring or will she join the choir?

Filled with twists and the Lovecraftian vibe these SPECTRA Files stories are known for.

Cthulhu Blues works well as a standalone novel, but I certainly recommend reading all three books in the series.

Cthulhu Blues is available in both paperback and e-book formats from JournalStone.

From the author's bio. Douglas Wynne wrote his first dark fantasy novel at the age of fifteen but has never found the courage to take it down from the attic and read it. After a long detour through music school, rock bands, and recording studios, he came full circle back to fiction writing and is recently the author of five novels: The Devil of Echo Lake, Steel Breeze, and the SPECTRA Files trilogy (Red Equinox, Black January, and Cthulhu Blues). He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and son and a houseful of animals.

Review copy

Black January is the sequel to Douglas Wynne's Red Equinox which made my top ten list of favorite reads from all of 2015. The new work works well as a standalone novel, but if you haven't read the first book in the series, you are really missing out.

Both books deal with much of the mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft, a world which continues to inspire writers for nearly a century. While I personally find the works of Lovecraft to be a difficult read, I love his ideas and there are some modern day authors continuing the tradition with great success. Brett J. Talley's That Which Should Not Be and He Who Walks in Shadow, come to mind. And certainly, Douglas Wynne falls squarely into that same category.

Central to the story in Black January is the Wade House, built by renowned candle maker and rumored witch Caleb Wade in 1782.

Photographer, Becca Phillips, is called upon once more by SPECTRA, a clandestine government agency charged with protecting citizens from things we're better off not knowing about. She's important to the team because she has EDEP (Extra Dimensional Entity Perception). She can see the things others can't.

The author does a fine job of catching the reader up on the first story through a combination of conversation and exposition, without coming across as preachy.

Douglas Wynne has actually manged to combine the best elements of a haunted house story with a heavy dose of Lovecraftian horror and the result is a remarkable piece of fiction.

If you read Black January keep an eye out for the Stu Redman reference. That made me smile.

Even though this story manages to tie up all of the loose ends, there is a scene which nicely sets the stage for another book in the series and I already want to read that one, as well.

Strongly recommended.

Black January is published by JournalStone and is available in paperback and e-book formats.

From the author's bio - Douglas Wynne is the author of the novels The Devil of Echo Lake, Steel Breeze, and Red Equinox. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and son and a houseful of animals just a stone's throw from H.P. Lovecraft's fictional town of Arkham.

Red Equinox is the rare modern update on the classic which actually works. Douglas Wynne draws heavy source material from Lovecraft and other classics, adds a dash of contemporary thriller/occult masters, and twists all into a compelling story. The book largely follows Becca as she uncovers the truths behind her late grandmother’s field of study in occultism. Life for her and the citizens of Boston changes dramatically when their reality and perception widen violently.

The writing is tight though there can be some heavy-handed use of adjectives. Wynne’s writing does have a visceral feel to it, especially when the plot calls for the introduction of mystical or surreal elements. This is a major strength and lends itself well to capturing the reader’s attention, especially in the later part of the book. Characters are thoughtfully developed and given enough personality to make the narrative breath. The book has a slow development in the first half as Wynne introduces threads of plot which he begins to tie together about a third of the way through. The book was a pleasant surprise and compelling even for a reader not normally prone to this genre.

For those of us who love, love, love that awesome stretch between Boston and Beverly, this novel was a little like returning home after a long time away in an unfriendly place... only to find the land you love occupied by the most horrific beings imaginable. Wynne does a competent job of mixing one part travelogue, two parts adventure story, and two parts genuine H.P. (Lovecraft, that is) in a fun, well-told story that kept me turning pages until the very end.

This Lovecraftian story involves the rising of ancient gods, a combination of unsettling and bloody moments and lots of tentacles. There were almost too many characters at first, with a lot of jumping around between them, but on the whole the story was interesting and fun with a little gore, but not too much to overwhelm those who might be sensitive to that.

A pretty decent paranormal horror with ancient artifacts, cults, and paranormal investigators. Hopefully, this is the first in a series.

I got this book through the early reviewers... and I have to confess, it took me some time before I got around to reading it. I kept picking it up, reading a few pages, and then moving on to something else. I just wasn't in the mood for it. But now that it's summertime, while I would in no way categorize this as a normal poolside book, that's exactly where I read it.
It's an odd homage to Lovecraft, and a lot of fun to get into Becca was an interesting character

I received this book as part of Early Reviewers. This book was different from what I was expecting. The characters were interesting. Becca, which is the main character, is a non-typical hero. The mythology in this book is unfamiliar. I have never heard anything like what this book is based on. It is a good adventure and fast paced. I like how the narrative flowed throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good adventure that is completely new.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever read something quite like this. I enjoyed it, but it was distinctly different, both in the mythology that was used, as well as the voice. Becca was an interesting character, flawed but relatable. Her growth was definitely done well. That being said, I never felt a deep connection with her, though perhaps that's just me. The story itself was creepy and fascinating, and the way the pieces wound together kept me reading. I did find myself wishing I knew a little more about Becca's family and background, as they were all kinds of different, though Wynne was quite good at giving enough details to allow the reader to figure out what was necessary for the story. Overall, it was an interesting read and well written. I'd pick up one of Wynne's other books for sure.

This book was not quite what I was expecting. Becca is an urban explorer and photographer. When her Grandmother dies and leaves her with scarab necklace strange things start happening. While exploring she runs across some strange individuals who believe in an ancient prophecy. The story seemed a bit too rushed but it was interesting and different.

This was not what I expected, so different from most urban fantasy and almost a dystopian or horror told through the lense of fantasy, lots of thrilling action and twists. Great read! 4 stars

Red Equinox is an action novel rooted in Lovecraftian chiliasm. It has substance, pacing, structure, and character complexity comparable to one of Charles Stross' Laundry novels, but it is both less funny and less scary. Much of the latter has to do with the way that author Douglas Wynne exploits the canon of Yog-Sothothery. The story is essentially a 90-years-later sequel to "The Haunter of the Dark," and while it is set primarily in Boston, it very faithfully and uncritically incorporates the "Lovecraft country" geography of Arkham and the Miskatonic valley, along with various major "gods" such as Shub-Niggurath and, most prominently, Nyarlathotep.

The trouble with this approach, for a story set in the near-future 21st century, was summed up for me by one of the characters, who says, "You'll have as much chance of evoking Cthulhu as the Flying Spaghetti Monster" (226). As if that weren't true in general. Orthodox Lovecraftiana is just too familiar a fiction to provide the frisson of the unknown or the psychedelia of the surreal. And it's a shame, too, because this book has many other things going for it.

There is some good writing here, that doesn't deserve to be locked behind the bars of pastiche. I read the book at an increasing pace as my interest in the plot grew. Wynne's handling of occultism is notably closer-to-life than one ordinarily encounters in literature of this sort. The principal characters are interesting enough, and their world, centered on a Boston which has had sections abandoned to permanent flooding after a 2017 hurricane, would be quite believable if it weren't for the "Merry Cthulhumas" wrapping paper.

Just as HPL set "The Haunter of the Dark" in his beloved Providence, Wynne shows the sort of intimacy with Boston that suggests he has lived there. He is still somewhere in Massachusetts, says his author bio. The book has a substantial denouement with two stacked endings. (I preferred the first to the second.) Overall, I found it a quick read and an enjoyable one.

The old gods are returning to Boston. A young photographer, Becca, inherits a pendant from her grandmother, the origins of which are unclear. She does, however, have a particular ability to photograph that which cannot be ordinarily seen. Specializing in urban decay, she discovers this talent while visiting the ruins of abandon Arkham Asylum.

What follows is a Lovecraftian tale invoking horrific creatures engaged in terrible acts of violence. The Black Pharaoh is prophesized to return on what is known as the Red Equinox -- when the barrier between the demonic and common realms is at its weakest, allowing the old gods to be summoned to wreak havoc and destruction. Certain old artifacts make this happen -- and can fight it as well.

Involved in the tale is a clandestine government agency (SPECTRA) and a nod to one of Journalstone's other enduring legacies, the shifty employment agency Limbus. This book reads like a series of b-movie clichés; fortunately, I like b-movies so I enjoyed this book. YMMV.

Received this ebook via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers group.

Not fabulous. The main character is a photographer fascinated with taking pictures of decaying urban structures. One of her favorites is an old mental hospital, but as the book progresses her photos begin to reveal strange things and she has odd encounters with a dog and several men. Ancient prophecies, music and numbers all play a role. It's an interesting premise, and if the characters were more likeable or the plot a little less jumbled, it would be easier to stick with. I wish I could say I loved it, but actually I've managed to fight my way through half of it, and I'm not sure I'll finish.

Urban Explorer Becca Phillips is a photographer battling severe seasonal depression. Some days she does not feel like getting out of bed. She was raised in the shadow of Miskatonic University, steeped in the mysteries of her late grandmother’s work in occult studies. But what she thought was myth becomes all too real when cultists unleash terror on the city of Boston. After the death of her grandmother, her life gets very complicated. l. To get answers, she goes to the insane asylum where her grandfather died. She meets the leader of the cultists. She sends some very strange pictures of the asylum to a friend, the government intercepts them. Now she’s caught between a shadowy government agency called SPECTRA and the followers of an apocalyptic faith bent on awakening an ancient evil.

This novel had creepy Lovecraft horror and the reality of family secrets. I felt for Becca and what she went though during her depression. The difficulty she had in facing her family secrets broke my heart. This book was full of dark suspense. I now wonder what lurks in the corners of old abandoned buildings. I have nightmares about the "spaces" in the walls.