The Dramos Saga [Book Review]

Do you like vampires? Do you like werewolves? How about zombis? What about Westerns?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then The Dramos Saga is for you!

If you are looking for something different to read this weekend, then I highly suggest The Dramos Saga - a series of stand-alone short stories - each one leading into the other, yet able to be read individually. (Trust me though, you will want to read the saga straight through!) Here is my review:

Genre - Horror/Western
Year Published - 2017
Length - 233 (digital) pages
Written by Franklin E. Wales​

Rating: 5+ Skulls

Plot Summary:

They slaughtered his village in a frenzy of bloodlust and cruelty.

He followed them to America, vowing vengeance.

His name brings fear to the Undead, for they know of his wrath.

His name is Dramos and this is his Saga. 

Seven Adventures, One Saga.

13 STEPS: Thirteen steps up the gallows to the hangman’s noose.

FUNERAL COACH: A coachman chained to the seat of a traveling funeral coach.

PICKIN' TO BEAT THE DEVIL: An Irishman with a banjo has learned the secrets of the undead.

RENEGADE: Two widows slaughtered. The town blames wolves. The facts say otherwise.

VAMPIRE'S GOLD: A locomotive loaded down with gold, hired guns and something very old screams through the night.

THE VAMPIRE KING: A Vampire King must face the most formidable opponent in its centuries of existence.

BLACK WATER: A dead town by day, an undead town by night.

Review:
I have waited 5 long years for this saga to be completed, and the wait has been paid off tenfold! This book is exceptional! One of those books that you don't want to end! (which is a good thing, especially since when you think this one might be ending, it continues.)

The story opens with Dramos at the gallows, preparing to be hung. 13 Steps up to the hangman's noose - one step for each day leading up to this point.

You may guess what lies within the Funeral Coach, but I guarantee this tale will still surprise you!

In Pickin' to Beat the Devil, you will be introduced to one of my favorite characters in the saga - an Irish vampire hunter who has discovered a unique talent.

Renegade introduces another great character - Injun' Joe (and his sister Mary).

Vampire's Gold - the action plays out like a movie in your head! (You may have heard me say this before, but I feel that Robert Rodriguez would be the perfect director to bring this saga to the big screen - it would be amazing! - one of my dreams!)

The Vampire King is pretty much self-explanatory and Black Water is about a mysterious ghost town.

All of these stories are perfectly linked to tell Dramos' story. (each story, individually, receives 5 Skulls) This is a saga that should not be missed!

(note: the covers shown of #1 and #2 are off-colored only because I started this in the evening, when the blue-light filter was off on my phone. I then finished the rest the next day, which is how all of the covers look)

Jason

Hell on Earth Series (Books 1 - 3) Review

What will you do when the world ends?

I am going to be a bit ambitious with this review. Rather than one book review, I am going to give you three. (I thought that I was going to be reviewing a trilogy, however thankfully these 3 books are hopefully only the beginning. 
I present to you the Hell on Earth series (Books 1 - 3)

Genre - Apocalyptic Horror
Year(s) Published - 2015/2016/2017
Length - 346/302/285 (digital) pages
(all 3) Written by Iain Rob Wright​

Rating: (all 3 books receive) 5 Skulls

Plot Summary:
What will you do when the world ends? That's a question that needs answering quickly when the gates to Hell open up all over Earth.

Taking place across the globe is an apocalypse like no other, and humanity will find itself at war against a smart and merciless foe. The world must come together and fight back against the unstoppable Legions of Hell, because no one is coming to help them. The monsters are real and they will not stop. Welcome to Hell.

Follow the struggles to survive with several characters as things go from bad to worse.

Humanity is dwindling.

When the gates open, all Hell will break loose!

Review:
Iain Rob Wright is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. When I finished book one of this series, I immediately had to read book two, and when I finished book two, I immediately jumped into book three. Now, I have to wait like everyone else for book four to be released, which can't come soon enough! Here are my brief thoughts on each book:

The Gates (Book One)
If I had to choose one word to describe Wright's endeavor with this series, that word would be Epic!. This book is completely character-driven. Some chracters you will root for, other characters you will despise. Either way, you are with each of them on their journey of survival.

Legion (Book Two)
This one starts off with longer chapters than the first book (I am a fan of relatively short chapters), though in this case, the longer chapters are okay, as roughly the first 35% of the book is filling in the blanks from the first book (which is awesome) and introducing some new characters. (Speaking of new characters, I just have to say that the Caretaker needs his own story/book!)

Both books 1 & 2 end with "Collateral Damage" which help explain the flip side of certain parts of the story. (which, again, is awesome!)

Book 2 also has two (very captivating) Bonus Short Stories by author Stuart Keane (who I will definitely be checking out!)

Extinction (Book Three)
Just to give you a time-frame - at the beginning of this book, it has been six-weeks since the gates first opened. You would think, by this time, some parts of the story would seem slightly stale. This is not the case, as Wright in no way makes this story repetitive. In fact, he introduces two new characters in this one (Beedle & Molok) who are, once again, deserving of their own tale. (and the identity of Skullface - whoa!!).

Before I sign off, I just have to say that it was hard not talking about any of the characters, as I do not want to give any aspects of the story away. I do want to say, however,  that I love the fact that at the end of book 3, Wright begins to allude to some of his other books (some of which I have not yet read). This opens the door to magnificent potential! There is so much to love about this series! I cannot recommend it enough!

Make The Gates your next read - currently only $0.99 on Kindle!