Book picks similar to
The Culling by Sian B. Claven


horror
dark-fantasy
arc-from-author
beta-read

The Howling Trilogy


Gary Brandner - 2012
    On the surface Drago appeared to be like most small rural towns.But it was not.The village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths.People just vanished, never to be found.THE HOWLING II:For Karyn it was the howling.The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire.But it hadn’t.Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly…And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…THE HOWLING III:They are man. And they are beast.Once again they stalk the night, eyes aflame, teeth flashing in vengeance.Malcolm is the young one. He must choose between the familiar way of the human and the seductive howling of the wolf. Those who share his blood want to make him one of them.Those who fear him want him dead.Only one woman and one man want to help him.Even though they can't believe their ears. Or their eyes.* * *Includes:Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Terror TownPreview: Matt Hults’ - HuskPreview: James Roy Daley’s - Into HellPreview: Paul Kane’s - Pain Cages

The First Seal


Sean Deville - 2020
    Inquisitor.But the balance has shifted, for unseen and unknown, a dark force has risen upon the Earth.The Seals holding closed the Gates of Hell are weakening. When they finally break, the world will be ripe for the taking.Satan's child, a man of wealth, power and unspeakable destiny is here.When the Antichrist finally reveals himself, 7 billion people won't stand a chance. And as for the survivors…they will wish they were never born.

Broken Memory


J. Sharpe - 2015
    Sharpe.I just woke up in this ghostly town. There are only a few people living here, although “living” might not be the right word. They just told me that I’m dead. That this is the afterlife. I don’t want to believe them. One thing is for sure though. Whatever is going on here, I’m screwed.Waking up in a different body isn’t the strangest thing that happens to Tim. He fights for answers in an unusual little town with only a nine-year-old girl on his side.Together they battle to find the truth. Is this heaven, hell, purgatory, or a mind-control experiment? No matter what, Tim and Ella need to uncover the reality of this nightmare.Broken Memory was nominated for the Harland Awards for best novel of 2015, and received an honorable mention for the extraordinary originality. If you like fast-paced thrillers with influences of horror and science fiction, packed with twists and turns, then you are going to love this novel by bestselling author J. Sharpe.

Bane County: A Short Story


J.R. Rice - 2019
    . . Mystery, Suspense, an edge-of-your-seat Thriller with characters you’ll fall in love with. An old-school, heart-pounding, coming-of-age Horror series with 100s of 5-Star Reviews. A Bane County Short Story. This 8,000-word Novelette entitled “When Bane Flowers Bloom” takes place within the Bane County Universe. The timeline of the story is set during the third book of the series (First Moon), and it answers many questions and reveals new mysteries spanning all the way back to Book 1 (Forgotten Moon). Prepare yourself, for a twisting turning descent into absolute terror.

Jurassic Island


Viktor Zarkov - 2015
    Things go to hell in a hurry once the team reaches the island and the massive megalodon that attacked their boats is only the beginning of their desperate fight for survival. Nothing could have prepared billionaire explorer Joseph Thornton and washed up archaeologist Christopher "Colt" McKinnon for the terrifying prehistoric creatures that wait for them on JURASSIC ISLAND!

They Came with the Storm


Christopher Coleman - 2021
    Then they came. And everything changed.Through an innocent act of mischief, a trio of an ancient witches is unleashed in the small town of Clayton, New Mexico.Years later, a dust storm suddenly appears across a stretch of Interstate 412, creating a massive crash that includes Chris Boylin and his daughter, Jaycee. They are uninjured, but while Chris goes to assist others who were not so lucky, his daughter disappears.In the thick air of the storm, just before the clouds clear, Chris sees a pair of haunting shapes outlined in a glow of light.The search for Jaycee dead ends, but a website article about an abduction in 1939--one eerily similar to Jaycee's--leads Chris to an elderly man named Arthur Richland, whose terrifying childhood story of his sister Ruby just might be the answer to saving a missing girl's life.What came with the storm? And are they responsible for the mysterious disappearances?Do not miss this creepy new tale from the author readers are comparing to Dean Koontz and Stephen King. Grab your copy today and prepare to be swept into a story you won't soon forget.They Came with the Storm is a standalone novel, not part of a series.

79 A.D. (Bachiyr Book 3)


David McAfee - 2015
    One now roams the Spanish countryside, feeding on robbers and bandits, while the other hides in a cave on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius, experimenting with his newfound powers. Neither has thought much about the other over the last eighteen years. But Baella, the ancient renegade, has plans for the pair, and her plans don’t involve letting the two live out their lives in relative peace. Through her treachery, they are reunited in Pompeii, but not even Baella can stop the coming cataclysm. Powerful forces are rising in the world of the Bachiyr, and Taras and Theron may find themselves caught up in something much bigger than they can imagine. That is, if either of them survive the mountain’s fiery anger.

Lot 150


Billie Dean Shoemate III - 2012
    Lot 150 was supposed to be a place of relaxation, a place to forget about the strange past they all share, but it quickly turns into a place worse than hell itself. Billie Dean Shoemate III offers his greatest novel to date...with a story he cites as the most terrifying one he has ever written.

Greenwater


K.R. Griffiths - 2018
    Crossing our famous covered bridge into town, you’re sure to be met by warm smiles and a hearty Vermont greeting. While you’re here, why not take a trip out to Rum Cherry Ridge for some world class skiing, tour the site of our historic marble factory, or just kick back and relax with new friends in the town that’s easy to love, and impossible to leave! Oh, and don’t forget to bring a weapon. You’re going to need it. Derrick Aldridge isn’t planning on seeing the sights. He’s only in Greenwater, along with his wife Jasmine and teenage son Lee, to settle an ancient family dispute. He believes he will spend no more than a couple of hours in the tiny, isolated town. But Greenwater is gripped by an almost preternaturally powerful storm, and when the night sky is ripped apart by a sound that definitely isn’t thunder, Derrick begins to suspect that the place isn’t all that it appears to be. He's right. There’s something wrong with the residents of Greenwater. Something dangerous…

Hall of Mirrors: Tales of Horror and the Grotesque. Volume 2


Mike Bennett
    Return to the ruined pier at the farthest, darkest edge of the Internet and accompany Mike Bennett back into the Hall of Mirrors.This time around we have hell and damnation in 'Salvation'; a petty criminal in a tight spot in 'Give Me a Hundred'; something in the woods in 'The Green Man'; a revolting comedy featuring two men and a dog in 'Dessert'; a cockroach problem in 'The Exterminators; humiliation and horror in 'Wet Velvet'; and a ship bound for bloodshed in 'Night Crossing'.So, dust off your ticket stub and roll up once again for Hall of Mirrors Volume 2 – More Tales of Horror and the Grotesque.

Aching God


Mike Shel - 2018
    You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God…” The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside and isolated with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. But just as old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, he receives an urgent summons back to that old life.To save his only daughter, he must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. Along with a group of inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. He has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But how can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?First volume in the planned epic fantasy trilogy Iconoclasts , Aching God is the debut novel by RPG adventure designer Mike Shel.This volume also includes an advanced preview of Iconoclasts - Book II: Sin Eater.

Clive Barker's First Tales


Clive Barker - 2013
     The second tale, "The Candle in the Cloud", is a novella of dark fantasy which follows three children who discover a magical candle that transports them to a world where a plague-cloud is destroying everything in its wake. These two tales, the first ever written by Clive, are offered here for the very first time. Their production has been lovingly supervised by Clive himself to ensure that these are not mere books, but works of art to be cherished. Complete with original illustrations and appendices on select editions, First Tales is sure to delight everyone from longtime fans to new readers. In his own words: "These two stories represent the two essential structures of fantastique literature. ’The Wood on the Hill’ is about an incursion of unearthly elements into an approximation of our world. ’The Candle in the Cloud’ is about a journey taken by people from our world into another reality. Yin and Yang, if you like. Forces pulling in opposing directions but to achieve the same end: Revelation." Clive Barker (2013)

Voices in the Night (The Haunting of Blackburn Manor, #2)


Blake Croft - 2020
    The series is designed to be read in order, and you should read part 1 first (Strange Sanctuary). The complete series box set is also available —Blackburn Manor hides a terrifying and unnatural secret. Evil just got a new address…After months on the run from an abusive relationship, Linda Green is ready to slow down and start her life over again. Exhausted from ever-present fear and stress, she yearns for the peace that a fresh start can bring. A fresh start she hopes to find at Blackburn Manor.The lush green trees and serene nature surrounding the manor feel so calming to her frazzled soul that Linda is ready to take advantage of everything this peaceful oasis has to offer. No internet, no distractions. It’s perfect.Until she sees the faces in the window.Not one to believe much in the supernatural, Linda shrugs it off as just a feeling. But the longer she’s at the manor, the more the feeling of uneasiness grows. From the creepy old neighbor who watches her every move to the moving shadows and unexplained phone calls in the middle of the night, something is just not right.She can trust no one. Not even herself.As Linda begins to uncover the history of the place, she is sure that something strange is going on at Blackburn Manor. Something sinister that hides in the shadows, deep within walls cloaked with secrets.Something that will stop at nothing to keep those secrets hidden.The Haunting of Blackburn Manor is a chilling supernatural tale of what happens when a woman’s search for sanctuary turns into a desperate and terrifying attempt to save her own life. Evil truly has a new address...- Part One: Strange Sanctuary (released on March 4th);- Part Two: Voices in the Night (released on March 11th);- Part Three: Secrets in the Dark (released on March 18th);- Part Four: Legend and Lore (released on March 25th);- Part Five: A Call from the Beyond (released on April 1st);- Part Six: Ashes to Ashes (released on April 8th).Don’t miss the second installment of the Haunting of Blackburn Manor, a six-part series of suspense, supernatural horror and mystery.New to the series? Start with Strange Sanctuary, part One of The Haunting of Blackburn Manor.

Sinister Scribblings - Volume 1: A Short Story Collection


Matt Hickman - 2017
    Featuring a foreword from Kyle M. Scott, Sinister Scribblings brings together a unique blend of stories, some of which have been previously published, others that are original pieces and only available within this collection. In this collection we meet a whole host of broken, deranged characters in a sequence of horrific circumstances, including a mother who is determined to seek vengeance upon the school thugs that are bullying her only daughter; a woman who’s lifestyle has spiralled out of control after finding her boyfriend in a more than compromising position; a man who once spent his life in the public eye, has fallen from the heights of stardom and is slowly rebuilding himself; a teenage boy, a daydreamer who enjoys chocolate eggs for breakfast, who finds himself unravelling a unique Easter gift; a cave dwelling creature who has a taste for young flesh; a mischievous young boy who finds himself upon the naughty list at Christmas; a man, who after recently losing his job, makes a compelling agreement with a strange figure in a bar; two twin sisters who battle it out in brutal style after a major misunderstanding; a group of friends on their friends stag night, who get more than they bargained for upon entering an abandoned hospital for a prank; a man who awakens in a terrifying situation, in a strange location following a party with his friends; a woman abandoned in her friend’s cabin at a picturesque lake during a thunder storm; a man who crashes his car whilst driving home and spotting the figure of woman in amongst the trees beside the road; a serial killer enduring complications whilst receiving the lethal injection. Featuring bonus stories from Stuart Keane, Andrew Lennon, Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason, C.M. Saunders, Daryl Duncan, Mark Nye and Dale Robertson. Sit back, relax and immerse yourself in these Sinister Scribblings.

Rawr


Eddie Generous - 2019
     Hunters come in droves but the beast proves itself too big and too cunning, using its fearsome teeth and claws to destroy the intruders. Many die and blood is spilled by the gallon, but has the beast met its match when a park ranger, an average joe, and a trail expert come together to predict where the beast will attack next?