From Within

by John M. Dow

Something hideous is stalking the streets of Wakely."They stopped, looking around, trying to pinpoint the source of their discomfort. The tension in the air suddenly snapped, released, and with a series of staccato bangs, every door down the length of the street swung open.From out of the houses and shops they came, shuffling, staggering, and swaying. Fly-by-wire humans, jerking along the street like meat marionettes, with mouths agape and eyes empty. In their suits and their dresses, overalls, smocks and pyjamas, the locals of Wakely marched to their own rhythm of decay to greet the visitors to their town."Three strangers find themselves drawn to Wakely, a small village in the Scottish Borders, where a centuries-old conflict between two warring Celtic deities is drawing to its gruesome conclusion. A small boy holds the key to their survival, but first they have to find him. And they're not the only ones looking."One of the many things John Dow does very well indeed is tension and release. The tension will ratchet up and up with fear and horror laid upon trepidation and anxiety, and then he’ll write something that will make you smile. Fear and a little humour make for a terrific combination." The View From My Kindle (4.5/5)

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Paranormal, Adult Fiction

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2011

About the author

John M. Dow was born in a small mining community in central Scotland and, other than a short stay in Australia, has lived there ever since.

His life to date has been split evenly between writing and technology. His technology career pays the bills and the writing keeps him sane.

To date, he has published reviews and articles for computing and video game magazines, as well as short stories.

From Within is his first novel; a dark and frantic homage to the horror fiction of the 1970s and 1980s.

His second novel, Careless Talk, is a dark fantasy documenting a conflict between immortals. The events therein stretch from ancient Babylon to the modern day. Careless Talk is the first volume of a series called The Ciriath Cycle.

His preferred genres are dark fantasy and horror, and promises never to feature sparkly vampires. His short stories have ranged from the blatantly surreal to the comedic, and he feels that humour has a very definite role to play in the modern horror novel.

Reviews

[John Dow]

I'm not going to rate this because, well, I wrote it :)

I'm just getting it added to goodreads.

[Sharron Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fab, couldn't put it down

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story sadly was very reminiscent of other stories I have read, so a lot of the time I was wondering if I had read this book before. I carried on regardless and did eventually see that I hadn't read this book, just others very like it. So, in its own right I feel I can give it 4 stars because it definitely was interesting enough for me to read it to the end, without stopping halfway through.

[l ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compellingly

Good read started on holiday as I couldn't find a book to read but I couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to get back home to continue reading

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Kindle versions needs editing to correct errors. Engaging but ending fell off the cliff.

[MissT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay well where to start? Firstly let me say that the back of the book describes an almost zombie like invasion but in reality the zombie like puppets were only a small portion of the book. The book is really about two ancient deities at conflict using the small town of Wakely and its inhabitants as pawns in the game. The book was a fast paced read and I really enjoyed that it was not bogged down with over exaggerated descriptions and too much emotional baggage of the main characters. This book has a supernatural element to it so those expecting a full on zombie like novel may be a little disappointed. I recommend this book for those looking for a fast paced good solid read with a supernatural feel and a few zombie like characters thrown in for good measure! 4 stars!!

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three people are brought together during a freak fog and land in a small town in Scotland. The town seems nearly deserted and disaster is in the air, eery and ominous. There is death everywhere, gruesome and gory. Monsters and demons run amok, feasting on the remains of the villagers. It seems that two Celtic deities are battling it out, and there is a small boy who holds the key to victory.

Okay, dark nights, fog, demons, dead bodies, no way out...maybe these ideas together aren't original, but the way the author stirred it all together achieved the goal of an entertaining, dark read, full of horror, death, and blood. And, yes, I checked under the bed before turning off the lights that night!

[Mandie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was fine at best; long and drawn out, and poorly edited. At one point the author changed from rating distance in meters, to feet. I was able to finish the book in a day, but thought, many times, about not finishing because it didn't feel worth my time. I knew it would bug me if I never finished though, so I trudged through. The ending was a vast disappointment. The author painstakingly explains every little detail about every stupid thing and then cruises through the last 100 pages leaving gaping holes of story, the mystery of the riddle solved but leaving you unsure how it happened.
I would not recommend this book, and can only be glad it was a freebie and I didn't waste more than a day's time on it.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: FROM WITHIN by John Dow

I quite liked this book, and indeed it was very scary, in that implacable way I so prefer. In the wrong hands, the plot and theme could very easily have gone off the tracks, but gratifyingly it proceeded apace and seamlessly. Author John Dow juggles a number of characters, keeping them involved while the village, its populace, and the immediate surrounds experience literal hell on Earth. Readers who like their horror well-written, with empathetic characters, and a firm touch of violence and gore as orchestrated by a very angry, very powerful, Celtic deity, line up right here for the time of your life!

[P. Christopher Colter · Rating 4 out of 5]

You should definitely check out this book. It is far from your typical brainless zombie novel. Set in an eerie, ancient village in Scotland, it is the story of a woman, two men, a child, some hellhounds, a couple of long-forgotten deities, and a whole raft of zombies. The setting was just as much a character as those I previously mentioned. I picked this book up on a whim, and was so pleasantly surprised by how great it was once I started it. "From Within" is definitely one that you should try out, even if you are not usually a fan of horror.

[Diane Greenwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read, bit of zombie action but mostly about supernatural entities controlling zombies in a small english village. Didn't really care enough about the characters to get into it really, but read to the end so thats a good sign!

[Krista]

Story was kinda good, kept me interested, but the ending was short and unsatisfying....

[Debi Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it was interesting and told it in very good details, I really liked it and going to read another one by this author.

[Alexandra Dubeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very descriptive and good read. Really enjoyed it!

[Jaki Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

so far loving this one, very like Stephen King novels :)

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had me on the edge waiting to find out what will happen next. I did find the ending a bit jumpy though.

[Christine Brooks-Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly engaging for the visual reader.

[Martha]

Also in Nook Archive.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to put down!