Tuesday 5 July 2011

URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: The Concrete Grove - Gary McMahon

Release Date:

SYNOPSIS:

Imagine a place where all your nightmares become real. Think of dark urban streets where crime, debt and violence are not the only things to fear. Picture a housing project that is a gateway to somewhere else, a realm where ghosts and monsters stir hungrily in the shadows. Welcome to the Concrete Grove. It knows where you live... Gary McMahon's chilling horror trilogy shows us a Britain many of us will recognise, while whispering of the terrible and arcane presences clawing against the boundaries of our reality! Book One of the Concrete Grove Trilogy.


REVIEW:

Urban Fantasy is a fast growing genre and whilst most are concentrating on the more common creature feature associated within the genre, Gary takes the reader deep into the subconscious of the 1970’s Tower Block within his twisted mind. It’s cleverly written the characters crisp and believable and when added to decent pace and stark prose, it’s a tale that pulls no punches or makes no bones about what it is, a scary as hell novel.

Add to this an authorly voice reminiscent of Graham Masterton, a damn good scare alongside a bleakness of having faced everything that life can throw at you and losing which gives this title an overall flavour of struggle and determination. Back all this up with a pretty killer arc and it was a title that whilst harsh to read was something pretty unique within the genre which makes this stand out. I’ll definitely be reading more by Gary as I love his writing style for its pure grittiness.

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