Freakin Fridays!
Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.
Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!
Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!
Let’s have some fun!
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I’ve been remiss lately and missed several of my Freakin Fridays posts.
I’m making up for that with two horror reviews.
Edward Lorn’s Cruelty is a serial novel written in ten episodes, releasing a new one each month.
One thing I always look for in a book is the cover art. It has to ‘speak to me.’
Edward Lorn has some spectacular covers.
The covers for Cruelty were created by Elderlemon Designs.
They do fantastic work.
Here’s their website addy: http://www.elderlemondesign.com/
Now, on to Cruelty.
I hope you’re ready for this!
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Cruelty: Episode 1
My Review
William wishes she’d point the gun another way. The strung out hooker wouldn’t get any money out of him if he was dead. The way she keeps screaming at him, it’s a wonder he can’t hear her, even though he’s deaf.
Too bad his car broke down. Now here they are. Walking down the road in the dead of night. Even if someone did come along, it’s doubtful they’d stop and offer them a ride. Especially with her waving that gun around.
Jennifer finally realizes she’s been screaming at a deaf guy and she bends over laughing. Then, she’s not. She’s gone.
Now, imagine yourself driving down the road. You’re distracted, it’s dark outside, and you glance away from the road for just a second.
Wham, you’ve hit something. Do you get out and walk over to see what it is? No way. It’s dark out there. But what if it’s a person. They could be still alive, even though it’s not likely. You plowed into it without touching your brakes.So, you open the door and go see. Oh jesus, it’s a woman, or what’s left of one.
Here’s where the story goes to the dark side. If you haven’t read any of Edward Lorn’s stories, I’ll warn you, they are gritty and in your face. Every character flaw is brought forth, bared to you in dramatic fashion. You don’t have to like them, but you will suffer with them.
The author is really good at getting you focused, really into a scene, and then. like a punch to the gut, he stops you in your tracks.
There it is. The what the…? moment when you wonder what you’ve got yourself into. Keep on reading. The real horror is waiting just around the corner.
A word about Cruelty. Yes it’s a 10 part serial novel, with a new episode releasing each month. Think about it like this. Do you have a series you love? Do you wait anxiously for the next book even though it could be months or even over a year before it’s released? With Cruelty, you know you’ll be getting a new episode in a month. Not such a long wait. Sure the ending leaves you hanging by your finger tips, but it’s well worth it. A few broken nails and bloody fingers is nothing.
5 Stars
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Cruelty: Episode Two
My Review
So here is Episode Two.
I thought I was prepared, but right from the get go. the author made me cringe. His description of Turtle, the druggie in withdrawal, made my face screw up in disgust. You know it’s good writing when you react physically to a scene.
But let’s push on.
William is still alive and kicking. I’d say that’s a miracle since the 600 lb doll thing likes to play with people. Like when a kid pulls the legs off a daddy-long-legs spider, it bends and twists and rends the bodies. It likes it best when they’re still alive. When it can hear them scream.
As he did in the first episode, Edward Lorn wields a bloody pen. By the time I got to the end, I was thinking, no more. Once the doll thing arrives on the scene again, the rest of the story is a runaway train. And the ending is so sudden I almost got whiplash.
For me, it’s a good thing I have a couple of weeks until the next episode releases. Just how much can I take. This brief pause will give me time to recuperate. Then I’ll be saying, “Feed me Seymour.”
5 Stars
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And now for a brief word from the author.
Ten Acts of Cruelty
I started writing Cruelty with one thing in mind. I wanted to unsettle people. Not so much scare, but unnerve. Dolls disturb the hell out of me, so I added one into the mix. Then I made it 600 pounds, sentient, unstoppable, and sadistic. That’s a good Cruelty.
The novel has been split up into ten parts. Nine parts ranging between thirteen- to seventeen-thousand words, with a novella-length finale, which will come in around 40,000 words. Right now, the only way to get the book is to wait for each monthly installment. As of this time, I don’t plan on releasing an omnibus in electronic form, only in print. But that won’t be out until next Halloween, two months after the series concludes.
Cruelty is meant for fans of slasher films and television programs with continuing storylines (e.g. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and so on). This isn’t a sitcom. If you miss one episode you will find yourself in confusing territory.
You can buy your copy of Cruelty: Episode One and Two on Amazon.com, as well as Amazon’s international sites. If you own an ereader with a Kobo reading app, you can download the first episode for free at Kobo.com.
Thanks for having me, and I hope you enjoy Cruelty.
E.
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About Edward Lorn and where to stalk him.
Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.
For more about Edward Lorn and his books:
Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon
Edward’s page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/edward-lorn/
Edward’s blog: http://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/
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More books I’ve read by Edward Lorn
Go HERE for my review.
And more books.
Go HERE for my reviews.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.
Hope to see ya again next week for more Freakin Fridays!
