3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A tornado of twisted; an avalanche of evil, April 2, 2009
This review is from: The Dead Parade (Paperback)
The natural and the supernatural; the normal and the deviant all converge and collide when James McGee becomes the unwitting and unfortunate eye of a tornado on the day that hellish and horrible, horrible things start to happen.
When he can't prevent his best friend's suicide, something wicked comes after James. Something demon-like that drove his friend insane, and that will stop at nothing, and destroy anyone, to reunite with James after he manages to elude it. James' increasingly crazed attempts to escape, and the demon's unrelenting pursuit drive the story towards a savage ending that brutalizes everyone, including the reader.
More than just savagery and gore and a rather impressive body count, The Dead Parade has a well-crafted story with parallel threads that knit together, a mood that will stay with you for days after you finish it, and fleshed-out characters--both appealing and repellent--who don't seem disposable. We get to know every person who crosses paths with James and the demon, and even get to like some of them, so it's even more disturbing when they are disposed of.
And then there's what we all came for--the violence. The truly horrific violence. People die in creatively detailed, graphically described ways. Lots of them. Lots of people; lots of ways. There are some very funny moments, and those moments make the violence that follows so much more horrific. The violence, the amount of it, and the particularly inventive goriness of it feels like an avalanche--you can't stop it, you can just hope that you'll get out without too much damage. But you know you will be damaged.
I started reading The Dead Parade one evening, and finished it the next morning at 5 a.m. because there was no place where it slowed down enough to stop reading. With engaging characters, an intriguing exploration of evil, and an insane pace, James Roy Daley ties you to the tracks and drives the train right over you, in the best way possible. James Roy Daley is a sick freak, a twisted talent who must not be stopped...can't wait for the next book!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book takes no prisoners!, February 20, 2009
This review is from: The Dead Parade (Paperback)
The Dead ParadeNo prisoners! Not one character in this book comes through unscathed or unchanged in some way or another. Not a single one! From the nosy neighbors to the gung ho cops to the villains ... everyone in this book sees or experiences horror in some unimaginable form or another. I made the mistake of starting this book pretty close to the time I normally go to bed. I made it through most of the book before I slept because I couldn't put it down. It sucks you right in and it moves at a breakneck pace. James Roy Daley is relentless and, I believe, a sadist. I think that Satan himself whispered this book into James' ear and he typed it out to send us scurrying for the imagined safety of our beds!
This book gave me nightmares! I finished it the next morning over breakfast. Needless to say, I may not be revisiting that brand of cereal for a while. If you love fast paced stories, truly evil villains and flawed antiheroes this is the book for you. This one goes beyond terrifying. Way beyond.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Debut Novels I have read..., October 8, 2008
This review is from: The Dead Parade (Paperback)
I have been reading horror novels for going on 5 years. Being somewhat new to the genre, I always attempt a debut novel with an open mind being somewhat skeptical based on striking out so many times in the past. When I first cracked the spine of The Dead Parade by James Roy Daley, I had no idea what was in store for me.
James writes with the quickness and fast paced style of some of my personal favorite authors in this genre (Richard Laymon and Edward Lee). The intensity starts off on page one and James does not allow you to catch your breath until the final word. The Dead Parade is a fast paced interpretation of true Evils (yes, plural) and how they could show themselves in this World. James builds a main character who commits such inhumane acts, yet still evokes sympathy from the reader. Causing a conundrum over who the reader should be cheering for... with an ending that does not disappoint.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of horror or someone who might want to dabble in it. The development of the supporting characters is clever with unpredictable twists that will keep you guessing what is next.
The Dead Parade is one of my personal favorite debut novels in this genre that I have read.
Start it on a day or night in which you have nothing planned.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No