Blood Sacrifices

Blood Sacrifices is my first introduction to Moreland's work and what an introduction it was. Plain and simple, Blood Sacrifices is the best read I've read in years. It's that good. Influences of McCammon and King drip from the pages. Moreland's style is so easy and smooth to get immersed in. The characterization is impeccable. The dialogue is completely believable. The settings are layed out so vividly, you'd swear you were looking over the characters shoulders. Blood Sacrifices is comprised of a short story and three novellas. The short story, The Girl From The Blood Coven is actually a prelude into his novella The Witching House. Here's my synopsis of each one:

The Girl From The Blood Coven -

The Girl from the Blood Coven is a short story prelude to Moreland's excellent The Witching House and, in my opinion, should be read as such. Sure, you can read it on it's own, but then you'd be missing out on a fantastic continuation that The Girl from the Blood Coven started. Why have just the appetizer when you can have the 7 course meal??

In 1972, a girl walks into a East Texas roadhouse bar covered in blood claiming that everyone in the hippy commune she was living in has been slaughtered. What the sheriff and his deputies find at the Blevins House is more horrific than they could ever have imagined.

Taste the hors d'oeurves and don't stop there.

4 Blood-stained Tie Dyes out of 5


The Witching House -

Sarah has been dating Dean for 9 months now and it's been nothing but one adventure after another. Dean and his friends are adrenaline junkies. This is all new to Sarah, but so far she's been able to keep up. Now Dean and is friends are taking her on another action-packed weekend in the middle of nowhere East Texas. She learns that their latest adventure will be exploring the boarded up Blevins House. In 1972, the Blevins House was a hippy commune where a massacre occurred one night, killing almost thirty people under strange circumstances. The murders were never solved and the house has been vacant ever since. Dean has hooked up with a local named Ronnie online who has set the expedition up for them. The Blevins House is rumored to be haunted. But what lurks behind the walls isn't what you would see on Ghost Hunters. Not even close.

Moreland creates a pulse-pounding read without falling into the old trappings of so many other stories that have young people in peril while being in an old house. The characters are three-dimensional and never feel cliched. The Witching House delivers the goods. Highly recommended.


5 Hanging Corpses out of 5


Darkness Rising -

Marty has been abused and ridiculed his whole life. His father murdered his mother when he was young. As a result, Marty was bounced around from foster home to foster home. Abused at each stop, Marty is a wreck emotionally and unable to share his true feelings. His only solace is in the poetry he composes in his journal, a present from his mother long ago. Working as a custodian at the local college, Marty meets Jennifer in one of the dorms that he cleans and offers his assistance when he discovers that she is struggling in Poetry and Literature. A friendship blossoms but Marty is too afraid to share his true feelings for Jennifer. Instead, he writes poems and goes to a desolate shore of one of the nearby lakes where he has pleasant memories of his mother bringing him there when he was a child. This becomes his special place where he can truly express his feelings and read his poems outloud to the empty lake. Then one day, he is attacked by three assailants who have gruesome plans for him. What they don't know is that Marty has something special in store for them too.

Another great tale by Moreland who has quickly become my favorite discovery of 2016. He does a really nice job developing Marty into being a likable character without drifting into making him appear pathetic. The setting is vividly laid out so that you feel like you can see the lake, smell the air, and hear the screams. Highly recommended.

4 1/2 Snuff Films out of 5


The Vagrants -

I have quickly become a believer in Brian Moreland. The Vagrants is the final novella in his excellent collection, Blood Sacrifices. I'll review The Vagrant's here on it's own merit and then in Blood Sacrifices as a whole with the other stories.

Daniel is a recent journalism grad from Dartmouth who wants to make a difference in the world. He assimilates himself among a camp of homeless underneath a bridge in Boston. With aspirations to understand them better and gather source material to write a book, Daniel is with them for six months. When a stranger named Mordecai enters the other side of the camp with tattoos all over his head and body preaching about the end being near, many in the camp are recruited to be his followers by what appears some sort of brainwashing. Mordecai attempts to "recruit" Daniel into his following and Daniel is only able to resist at the last second. He returns to his normal life, writes his book, and puts his past behind him. But his past isn't done with Daniel. They have other plans for him.

Moreland writes a gripping tale that uses unique and seedy locations in Boston along with wonderfully lifelike characters that you care about to pull you in completely. The Vagrants is wildly imaginative with shades of Lovecraft that enhance an already wonderful story. Highly recommended reading.



5 All-Seeing Pineal Glands out of 5


All in all, pound for pound, you won't find a better collection of tales out there. I rank this one right up there in the same hallowed ground as The Night Shift. Run, don't walk, and get Blood Sacrifices now!

Blood Sacrifices by Brian Moreland.
Three Horror Novellas.

THE WITCHING HOUSE
In 1972, twenty-five people were brutally murdered in one of the bloodiest massacres in Texas history. The mystery of who committed the killings remains unsolved. Over forty years later, Sarah Donovan is scared of just about everything, but today she must confront her fears as she joins her boyfriend and another couple on an exploring adventure. The old abandoned Blevins House, the scene of the gruesome massacre, is rumored to be haunted. The two couples are about to discover the mysterious house has been waiting all these years, craving fresh prey… Includes the short story prequel, “The Girl from the Blood Coven.”

THE SEEKERS
While living under a bridge with the homeless for six months, journalist Daniel Finley witnessed something terrifying. Something that nearly cost him his sanity. Now, two years later, he’s published a book that exposes a deadly underground cult and its charismatic leader who preaches a dark prophecy. Down in the abandoned subway tunnels exist unimaginable horrors that hunger for human flesh. And in a church of darkness, the cult’s numbers are growing. Soon Daniel’s worst nightmares are coming true. A fanatical army is rising to shed blood on the streets of Boston.

DARKNESS RISING
Marty Weaver, an emotionally scarred poet, has been bullied his entire life. When he drives out to the lake to tell an old friend that he’s fallen in love with a girl named Jennifer, Marty encounters three sadistic killers who have some twisted games in store for him. But Marty has dark secrets of his own buried deep inside him. And tonight, when all the pain from the past is triggered, when those secrets are revealed, blood will flow and hell will rise.
I really enjoyed these stories. Different. 4*.

I really enjoyed reading this collection of horror novellas, they had what I was hoping for when I requested this book. Each one was just as good but I think my favorite was The Witching House, I enjoyed the concept a lot and was invested in the story. The others were just as good and I'm glad I was able to read this.

Thank you to Net Galley for sending me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

I normally don't read anthologies or short stories but the title is called to me and I enjoy this author's other books. I absolutely loved these three stories! The first one about the witch coven was my favorite because it reminded me of the Manson cult, just with witchcraft and no gross men. This author is great at building up suspense and those cliffhangers at the end of the chapter always get me. He also writes gore super well and detailed, and the gore makes sense and it's not just unnecessarily gory for no reason. I would recommend this book to my horror-loving book friends and I would read more by this author.

I really enjoyed this anthology. Its one of the first in a while where I actually enjoyed all of the stories.

This is a collection of 3 novellas by Brian Moreland (someone whose other works I'll be seeking out as soon as I post this review). First off let me say that I had SO much freaking fun reading this book/books. Each novella had great characterization and very fleshed out stories. Not once did I find myself getting bored and at times I had to forcefully put the book down due to oh you know life and all that jazz. Im going to breifly break down each novella but for those looking for a quick review then I say READ THIS BOOK if you're a lover of horror, suspense, gore, thrilling moments and even a VERY well done romance and some wonderfully well written poetry.

Now I'll briefly go over each novella and what I liked about them with maybe one or two nit picks

"The witching house"

A group of ghost hunters go to a local legend haunted house and get MUCH more than they bargained for. Now this is my kind of "scary house" story. Fast paced, bloody, and I couldn't put it down once I started. Oh and it starts with a freaking BANG and let's off the gas just long enough for you to get your bearings back before revving the engine to the red line again.

"The seekers "

This was my third favorite of the three stories but that isn't a bad thing. I absolutely loved the spotlight that was shown on the lives of the homeless and how us everyday folk tend to think of them as lower than ourselves aand sometimes even less than that. The seekers themselves I wasn't the biggest fan if asni felt more time could have been spent on what they're obsessed with and not the leader Mordecai. But all in all I liked this story and the Irish mafia bits I also really enjoyed.

"Darkness Rising"

My favorite story in this collection. This story had me feeling ALL the feels. Pain. Anger. Happiness. Love. Sadness. I'm not afraid to admit I cried like a baby towards the end. This story has it all. Tension out the wazoo, gore, a romance that was very well done and very sparsely used not forced AT ALL. If you pick this up and only read one story make it this one.

This was a wild read and such a fun time. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for the chance to read this book for an honest review. What are you waiting for go read this book! A solid 4.5 star rounding up to 5 for goodreads

When this gorgeous cover passed through my feed it grabbed hold of me like a magnet. I have previously read one novel and a short story by Brian Moreland and enjoyed them both, so I knew I could settle into Blood Sacrifices for a good gory time. I didn't even stop to read the synopsis, I just looked at the cover and dove right in.
The book opens with a prequel to The Witching House and sets the stage perfectly for the blood-soaked tale to follow. When urban explorers arrive to the old Blevins house they will learn the hard way that just because a building is abandoned does not mean there isn't something that still lives there.
Some of the language was a bit cringe worthy but it still managed to be my favorite.

The Seekers is about Daniel, an undercover journalist who lives with the homeless while gathering material for a book, and the aftermath when he has written it. To be honest this one was just not for me. I was into it at first but I lost interest in the parts about the mafia.

Darkness Rising is an ugly and ultra violent story of abuse, torture, and revenge. Poor Marty just wants a friend or someone to love, any bit of kindness would be welcome. Instead, his one chance at love is ruined by three maniacs who kill for fun and profit, and they will be very sorry that they ever crossed his path. Marty is a character that I felt a lot of sympathy for even when he went from sweet to psycho. You'll need a strong stomach for this one.

Great horror book with short stories! Loved reading this one! Highly recommend! Very fun read! My teenage granddaughter loved the stories as well!

The Witching House:

Novella that follows a group of urban explorers who decide to enter an evil house. Highly enjoyed this take on the haunted house trope. Very well rounded, filled with as much gore, lore and ‘Eeks!’ as you could possibly want. The prologue describing the origins of the evil are my favorite. Pulled me right in and kept me hooked!

The Seekers:

A charismatic cult leader rounding up followers from the transient population with one goal, the Apocalypse. This story took me a bit of time to get into but it really paid off in the end! Plus, I’m glad it did considering it has one of my favorite horror tropes towards the ending. The forbidden nom noms!

Darkness Rising:
TW: S/A, snuff, gore and more
An absolute stunner of a story about the hunters becoming the hunted! Out of the three novellas, this is the story I want a longer version of. Give me moooore! Incredibly violent and has quite a few references to s/a so be aware of that but it’s a great read!

Really glad I picked up this book. Usually I find novellas hit or miss but I was impressed with how well Moreland fleshed out his stories in such a short time. I look forward to reading more of his work! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of the book.

I had read some of these stories before. Moreland is a very talented horror writer. I look forward to new books by him as well. It's hard to pick a favorite because they are all extremely well written creepy stories.

4 stars

This is my first book by Moreland and it was fantastic. The stories were perfectly creepy and engrossing. The writing had a smooth and easy flow to it. You could feel the influences without them being (for lack of a better phrase on my part…sorry) complete rip offs.
I’ll definitely be looking up more of his work.

These were 3 brilliant horror short stories, and I enjoyed every one. I especially loved the prequel we got to the first story and I can say it grabbed my attention and got me excited about reading the following stories. I haven’t ever read anything by the author before but it won’t be my last book! He has a way with words that really drags you into the story and refuses to let go. The atmosphere was created brilliantly and built an eerie and tense mood, perfect for the horror genre.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

Wow. First time reading Brian Moreland, and these three novellas were a great introduction. All three were great, but The Witching House was probably my favorite. All three had enjoyable characters, and a great story/pacing. Had to read each one in one sitting. Just picked up one of his novels, The Devil's Woods, and can't wait to see if the novels are as good as the novellas. #BloodSacrifices #NetGalley

“Some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night”
William Blake

What an excellent collection!! There is a Prequel story to The Witching House which is a novella, and then two other unrelated novellas complete the book.

The Witching House and The Seekers were terrifying!

I would read a whole series about The Seekers’ underground works. It was stark and chilling.

The prequel, The Girl From the Blood Coven, was ominous and graphic, a perfect setup for The Witching House. If you’re an urban explorer The Witching House may change your hobbies!

The last story, Darkness Rising, was more of a dark fantasy romance I thought, and was written very differently compared to the other entries in this collection. I liked it, but didn’t feel scared or thrilled. It has a great ending though.

This is one book you will want to add to your reading list!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & BooksGoSocial for a copy!

The book contains three horror novellas. The Witching House, The Seekers, and Darkness Rising, The Witching House is about a group of people that explore a murder house where twenty-five people have perished. What the couples do not know yet is that the house holds sinister secrets, and they have to fight to survive. An intriguing horror and thriller story. The story and plot kept a steady speed. The characters were well written.
The Seekers is about an underground cult that preys on the homeless people. Giving false hope to people that need help the most. Daniel is a journalist who has discovered this cult and the disturbing events that occurred while living among them. There are twists and turns that enhanced the story in a short time period. The characters excellent and interesting.
In Darkness Rising, Marty is a great character, and you never know what to expect what will happen. He starts off as a small person but becomes a different person at the end. This story was my favorite, you don't really know what lies within a person and what people are capable of. Magnificent storytelling and the characters were written with such great care. A must read for horror fans.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and BookGoSocial for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was crazy, but good. I was to afraid to read on after each page. That Ronnie is off the wall. This was a scary good treat to read. The writer did an excellent job of keeping riveted to each story. The book has a lot of intense tension to it. Until next time my fellow readers… read on! I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't what I usually read but I found it to be an interesting book of 3 short horror novellas.
If you are into horror I think you might like it.

I do recommend it.