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Storberry
Do You Miss the Days when Vampires Novels were Scary?
Haunted by the demons of his childhood, Evan Moran returns to Storberry, Virginia, to find a greater evil threatens the town. Across town, teenager Jen Barrows is frightened by the strange noises which come from her garage crawlspace after nightfall, despite the assurances of friend Tom Kingsley that there is nothing to fear.
When a strange storm cripples the town's communication systems, something hideous begins stalking the people of Storberry. Tom and Jen align themselves with Evan and a tiny group of survivors who suspect the horrible truth behind the evil loose in the night. Together they must overcome personal tragedy and find a way to survive until sunrise.
In the darkest pit of night, before the faintest strip of blood red is on the eastern horizon, it seems the sun will never again rise in Storberry.
Haunted by the demons of his childhood, Evan Moran returns to Storberry, Virginia, to find a greater evil threatens the town. Across town, teenager Jen Barrows is frightened by the strange noises which come from her garage crawlspace after nightfall, despite the assurances of friend Tom Kingsley that there is nothing to fear.
When a strange storm cripples the town's communication systems, something hideous begins stalking the people of Storberry. Tom and Jen align themselves with Evan and a tiny group of survivors who suspect the horrible truth behind the evil loose in the night. Together they must overcome personal tragedy and find a way to survive until sunrise.
In the darkest pit of night, before the faintest strip of blood red is on the eastern horizon, it seems the sun will never again rise in Storberry.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2014
210 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Dan Padavona
100 books608 followersAuthor of the Wolf Lake and Darkwater Cove series.
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www.danpadavona.com.
I'm a father, husband, dog lover, and an advocate for animals and the homeless.
My kryptonite is ice cream, and my super power is cranking heavy metal.
More than anything, I love a good story. Let me tell you one.
Want a free thriller and mystery book? Please join my VIP thriller readers club at
www.danpadavona.com.
I'm a father, husband, dog lover, and an advocate for animals and the homeless.
My kryptonite is ice cream, and my super power is cranking heavy metal.
More than anything, I love a good story. Let me tell you one.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 13, 2025
This was a very, very long journey. And you can tell how much work that Dan Padavona put into this story. Tons of characters and loads of development, including how they all relate to one another in this town. However, there were so many different subplots and people to keep track of, that I found myself going back and forth to remind myself of certain things. That also took my attention away from the plot itself, which took a long time to get going. The beginning portion is very extensive and very slow. Even after the vampires come in full-force, it’s broken up with a lot of slower instances. Speaking of the creatures, they were kept very basic, which was fine, but also could have used some creative shifts to make things a little more unique. By the time I reached the end, I was extremely fatigued. I’m sure that I won’t be the only one to compare this with a lesser version of Salem’s Lot, which I enjoyed quite a bit. However, there were a fair amount of missteps throughout. On the positive end, the atmosphere that Padavona created was sublime. That was the best part of this experience for me. And the vampires had some really spooky and bloody showings, which is always lovely to see. This book was a tremendous effort by the author and will definitely divide readers towards either extreme of love or hate, depending on a lot of personal preferences.
December 3, 2016
This was a pretty good vampire novel. A storm blows through the town of Storberry and knocks out the towns communications. The storm awakens an ancient evil that sends the town into a frenzy trying to stay alive as the vampires start stalking the residents of the town. Edge of your seat thriller!
It will keep you riveted as you turn the pages. Five star read!
It will keep you riveted as you turn the pages. Five star read!
September 29, 2014
Let’s be honest, some people should write and some shouldn’t. In this day and age with so many people self publishing, the e-book and print-on-demand world is tainted with a noxious pool of poorly written literary diarrhea; the new bandwagons being fifty shades of sex, vampires, and zombies. Some can actually pull these off and create something new using a done-to-death element, while others think it’s the subject and not the talent that will put their book on the best seller list. The self publishing world has taken away the credence of not judging a book by its cover, because, well now you almost can.
Dan Padavona’s novel, Storberry, isn’t anything new or groundbreaking. It’s a vampire story. It doesn’t do for books what The Blair Witch Project did for indie horror films. It does for books what The Walking Dead did for zombie films. It re-awakens it, pays homage to it, and has fun doing it along the way.
Storberry is Mr. Padavona’s debut novel. Oh, and one more little thing. He is the son of metal royalty and vocal giant, Ronnie James Dio (I’ll give you a minute to re-read that last line). Yes, that Ronnie James Dio. I’ll admit that prior to opening the first page I was curious if Dan was cashing in his “I’m-Dio’s-Son-and-I’m-gonna-be-a-writer” card with no talent to back it up, but I was very pleased to find his book is absolutely bloated with very apt capabilities. I wasn’t done with the first page before I decided I would be enjoying this book of his…and I did.
In the book, the town of Storberry is stricken with a supernatural gust of a storm that exits just as fast as it enters, taking with it the town’s communication technology and much of its power. What’s left behind is an awakened evil and a confused small town completely unprepared for what could ultimately drive them into extinction. There are more than a few uncomfortable scenes that will have you looking a bit harder at those shadows, wondering about your neighbors after dark, and staying out of the basement.
“There was something in the way he stood back, like a wolf in sheepskin who didn’t want the flock to notice the zipper.” Just a taste of why I enjoyed Dan Padavona’s, Storberry. The prose is carefully crafted with time taken on each sentence making sure you, the reader, are there with him. Though Dan is not out to impress, he’s out to tell you a story; one you can really sink your teeth into and he’s very successful at it.
Much like Stephen King’s work, Storberry starts out getting your attention and then shifts gears into chapters of character introduction and development; however, thankfully these chapters were both brief and entertaining. The only reason I wanted to push through the character development quicker was to see if he was as good at scaring me as he was at character creation. And unlike a lot of King’s work, Storberry’s ending is very worthy of reading right up to the last grin-inducing sentence.
While nearing the end of the book, I was saddened that this was the entirety of Dan’s bibliography. That’s it. That’s all we have from Dan Padavona. I want to see more from this storyteller even if it means coaxing him into a co-authoring position with myself, because writing is what he should be doing. However, my sadness was turned to hope when just minutes after I finished Storberry, an announcement was made that he released another e-book containing two short stories that will also be available through Amazon. You’d better believe I’ll be reading them, and I suspect we’ll be seeing plenty more from Mr. Padavona in the near future.
If Salem’s Lot and 30 Days of Night had a baby they would name it Storberry. Padavona’s book helps wash out that horrible, sparkly taste in our mouths left behind by other blood-sucking books and reminds us that vampires are killers, not lovers.
Oh, and for the Dio fans, yes, Dan pays some tribute to his father very subtly within the text, but you’ll have to find those on your own while you read it.
Dan Padavona’s novel, Storberry, isn’t anything new or groundbreaking. It’s a vampire story. It doesn’t do for books what The Blair Witch Project did for indie horror films. It does for books what The Walking Dead did for zombie films. It re-awakens it, pays homage to it, and has fun doing it along the way.
Storberry is Mr. Padavona’s debut novel. Oh, and one more little thing. He is the son of metal royalty and vocal giant, Ronnie James Dio (I’ll give you a minute to re-read that last line). Yes, that Ronnie James Dio. I’ll admit that prior to opening the first page I was curious if Dan was cashing in his “I’m-Dio’s-Son-and-I’m-gonna-be-a-writer” card with no talent to back it up, but I was very pleased to find his book is absolutely bloated with very apt capabilities. I wasn’t done with the first page before I decided I would be enjoying this book of his…and I did.
In the book, the town of Storberry is stricken with a supernatural gust of a storm that exits just as fast as it enters, taking with it the town’s communication technology and much of its power. What’s left behind is an awakened evil and a confused small town completely unprepared for what could ultimately drive them into extinction. There are more than a few uncomfortable scenes that will have you looking a bit harder at those shadows, wondering about your neighbors after dark, and staying out of the basement.
“There was something in the way he stood back, like a wolf in sheepskin who didn’t want the flock to notice the zipper.” Just a taste of why I enjoyed Dan Padavona’s, Storberry. The prose is carefully crafted with time taken on each sentence making sure you, the reader, are there with him. Though Dan is not out to impress, he’s out to tell you a story; one you can really sink your teeth into and he’s very successful at it.
Much like Stephen King’s work, Storberry starts out getting your attention and then shifts gears into chapters of character introduction and development; however, thankfully these chapters were both brief and entertaining. The only reason I wanted to push through the character development quicker was to see if he was as good at scaring me as he was at character creation. And unlike a lot of King’s work, Storberry’s ending is very worthy of reading right up to the last grin-inducing sentence.
While nearing the end of the book, I was saddened that this was the entirety of Dan’s bibliography. That’s it. That’s all we have from Dan Padavona. I want to see more from this storyteller even if it means coaxing him into a co-authoring position with myself, because writing is what he should be doing. However, my sadness was turned to hope when just minutes after I finished Storberry, an announcement was made that he released another e-book containing two short stories that will also be available through Amazon. You’d better believe I’ll be reading them, and I suspect we’ll be seeing plenty more from Mr. Padavona in the near future.
If Salem’s Lot and 30 Days of Night had a baby they would name it Storberry. Padavona’s book helps wash out that horrible, sparkly taste in our mouths left behind by other blood-sucking books and reminds us that vampires are killers, not lovers.
Oh, and for the Dio fans, yes, Dan pays some tribute to his father very subtly within the text, but you’ll have to find those on your own while you read it.
March 6, 2015
Storberry, "Home of Southern Charm", seems like a wonderful place to live...unfortunately, you may not live for long!
Fans of the horror genre, let me tell you, this one is the real deal. STORBERRY is reminiscent of those good old 80's horror stories...the creeps build slowly and Dan Padavona's rich details really draw the reader in. When the storm finally hits (literally), the town of Storberry truly comes to life, in all its hellish glory.
I had a blast with this well-crafted page turner. STORBERRY has all the elements of an instant classic and I highly recommend it.
Fans of the horror genre, let me tell you, this one is the real deal. STORBERRY is reminiscent of those good old 80's horror stories...the creeps build slowly and Dan Padavona's rich details really draw the reader in. When the storm finally hits (literally), the town of Storberry truly comes to life, in all its hellish glory.
I had a blast with this well-crafted page turner. STORBERRY has all the elements of an instant classic and I highly recommend it.
Read
April 29, 2021DNF at chapter 6.
October 3, 2017
Fun read. Good character development, plenty of tension and suspense, and impressive prose. A great debut novel!
November 3, 2018
Dan Padavona is a relatively new writer, but I was wowed with the high level of his writing. This novel seems as if it was written by a novelist who had been doing this for a few decades. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what makes the writing so good, but much of it was the description, putting phrases together, the right word choice. Perhaps it was a combination of all of these things and more. Regardless, the story flowed great and was a pleasure to read.
As for the story itself, vampires emerge in a Virginia town. Almost overnight, they take over the town of Storberry. A group of survivors emerge, who learn of the secret of the predators in the town. The survivors are a mixed bag, but generally represent the best of what the town has to offer. There are two teens—both intelligent and resilient in the face of serious adversity. Evan, who returns to the town after having moved on and has a history with the vampire presence in the town. Renee the librarian, a vet, a police officer, and the owner of a café. They learn what works against the vampire, but all the same, the odds of their survival once they get cut off from the outside world are pretty slim. All they have is each other and their resourcefulness to make it out alive and protect the rest of the town from the vampire invasion.
There were a couple of slow spots in the novel, and some sections that could have been trimmed, but otherwise this was a very enjoyable novel. Even before the vampire invasion starts, I was thoroughly engrossed by the characters’ backstories and the general characterization, which I found to be one of the real strong suits of this novel. The action and the logic the characters used was well thought out. This was a well-written novel that I would highly recommend.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
As for the story itself, vampires emerge in a Virginia town. Almost overnight, they take over the town of Storberry. A group of survivors emerge, who learn of the secret of the predators in the town. The survivors are a mixed bag, but generally represent the best of what the town has to offer. There are two teens—both intelligent and resilient in the face of serious adversity. Evan, who returns to the town after having moved on and has a history with the vampire presence in the town. Renee the librarian, a vet, a police officer, and the owner of a café. They learn what works against the vampire, but all the same, the odds of their survival once they get cut off from the outside world are pretty slim. All they have is each other and their resourcefulness to make it out alive and protect the rest of the town from the vampire invasion.
There were a couple of slow spots in the novel, and some sections that could have been trimmed, but otherwise this was a very enjoyable novel. Even before the vampire invasion starts, I was thoroughly engrossed by the characters’ backstories and the general characterization, which I found to be one of the real strong suits of this novel. The action and the logic the characters used was well thought out. This was a well-written novel that I would highly recommend.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
September 16, 2018
If you are like me, you miss good, old-fashioned vampires. The evil kind. The kind you fight with crosses and stakes. If this describes you, then you are in for a treat. Storberry delivers a classic vampire story in the tradition of Salem’s Lot, Vampire$ and The Night Stalker.
This book gets a lot of comparisons to Salem’s Lot, mostly because it focuses on a small town overrun by vampires. While these books are kindred spirits, this is definitely its own thing and a much quicker read. And Dan Padavona is not afraid to kill a character… or turn them, which definitely adds to the impact of the book. I read this over a long weekend, and it was exactly the vampire fix I was looking for. A fun, well-paced page-turner with plenty of action and blood. I give this book two fangs up and I look forward to reading more from Padavona.
This book gets a lot of comparisons to Salem’s Lot, mostly because it focuses on a small town overrun by vampires. While these books are kindred spirits, this is definitely its own thing and a much quicker read. And Dan Padavona is not afraid to kill a character… or turn them, which definitely adds to the impact of the book. I read this over a long weekend, and it was exactly the vampire fix I was looking for. A fun, well-paced page-turner with plenty of action and blood. I give this book two fangs up and I look forward to reading more from Padavona.
September 9, 2014
Dan Padavona has written novel that brings me back to the books I used to read. Books where evil things lurked in the dark woods, and in damp basements. Evil that you could smell before you could see. Evil that would not come out during the day, but haunted your seemingly endless nights. There's nothing pretty here. Padavona's vampires are not the King and Queen of the prom, they reek of death and are interested in ripping the flesh off your bones. More dangerous that zombies, they're smart enough to set traps, strong enough to send you flying against a wall, and fast enough to run you down. Still, there's hope for the heroes as the vampires can be "killed", with cunning. Therein lies the fun in the novel, rooting for the heroes and trying to think what you would do to survive the next night. Be prepared, because Padavona's deaths are sudden and violent. No one is immune.
This book gave me chills to read, and invaded my dreams at night, something that hasn't happened to me in many years. If you live out in the country, in an old farmhouse, well, good luck. Lock your doors, and leave the lights on when you sleep. Yes, this is THAT kind of book.
This book gave me chills to read, and invaded my dreams at night, something that hasn't happened to me in many years. If you live out in the country, in an old farmhouse, well, good luck. Lock your doors, and leave the lights on when you sleep. Yes, this is THAT kind of book.
November 17, 2024
Mesmerizing
The story line began slowly tempting an early ending to the book but I forced myself to persevere. I enjoyed reading maybe a quarter of the entire book.
The story line began slowly tempting an early ending to the book but I forced myself to persevere. I enjoyed reading maybe a quarter of the entire book.
February 20, 2015
So, here's my absolutely honest review:
Positives:
- I enjoyed the description of Storberry and its members. How no one was perfect, how everyone had secrets they tried to hide. Your typical town, really, though no one cares to admit it.
- I liked the idea of a haunted forest as well as of something evil living close to you all your life.
- The prospect of romance but never its concretization was something that appealed to me very much and really set the difference from other books of this or other genres.
- The actions were believable, particularly that contradiction people felt when someone they had the utmost respect for was telling them a tale that could not possibly be true. What do you do? Write them off as insane? Believe them?
Negatives:
- I found the book too descriptive at times. Some words and even full descriptions were repetitive which made me labor through the book - I can tell the author is very fond of certain words like redolent and pawl and others I cannot recall at the moment; the descriptions of the greenery and the feeling people got when a vampire was nearby were too repetitive as well, in my opinion.
- I found some inconsistencies, particularly in the way the vampires were described. Bottom line is I couldn't decide how smart they were.
- There are some aspects I would have liked to see more developed. Like what caused the wind storm in the first place, I think there should have been a trigger for it. I would have liked to know more about what the characters did during the day, since they seemed to sleep so few hours then. The nights’ description stretched on for much longer (understandably so), but the days were just vague. And I would also like to see an explanation to why
- There was just not enough horror for my taste. There was the prospect of horror, but seldom did I see it fulfilled, and the repetitions didn't help with that, so I didn’t much get that bone chilling feeling I so enjoy in a horror book. There was violence and some gore but that feeling of closure you get after a really good build up was just lacking for me.
Conclusion
Let’s face it, it’s hard to write a vampire book. It’s all been said and done. Storberry is still a good vampire book, one you want to get into progressively, get to know the characters and their surroundings. And then as the action progresses put yourself in their shoes as they are faced with difficult and terrifying situations.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, their flaws and qualities, their humanity. I would say the book is more directed at an American audience but it was still enjoyable for me and I was definitely glad that the vampires weren’t sparkly. Make no mistake, these are evil creatures. But I do believe there was potential for more story in it. I would have liked to see the things I mentioned above and others better explained/developed, as well as the vampires themselves (what they feel, think, their powers, knowledge of the darkness they are in, the vampire lord himself, how he came to be and exactly what agenda he had etc). Maybe I just couldn’t get to it enough but these vampires just felt short for me, as if the only thing they were about was ripping flesh and sucking blood. I would like to have seen another dimension to them, one that would really set the book apart in this genre. But I am definitely interested in reading more by the author.
Disclaimer: I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Positives:
- I enjoyed the description of Storberry and its members. How no one was perfect, how everyone had secrets they tried to hide. Your typical town, really, though no one cares to admit it.
- I liked the idea of a haunted forest as well as of something evil living close to you all your life.
- The prospect of romance but never its concretization was something that appealed to me very much and really set the difference from other books of this or other genres.
- The actions were believable, particularly that contradiction people felt when someone they had the utmost respect for was telling them a tale that could not possibly be true. What do you do? Write them off as insane? Believe them?
Negatives:
- I found the book too descriptive at times. Some words and even full descriptions were repetitive which made me labor through the book - I can tell the author is very fond of certain words like redolent and pawl and others I cannot recall at the moment; the descriptions of the greenery and the feeling people got when a vampire was nearby were too repetitive as well, in my opinion.
- I found some inconsistencies, particularly in the way the vampires were described. Bottom line is I couldn't decide how smart they were.
- There are some aspects I would have liked to see more developed. Like what caused the wind storm in the first place, I think there should have been a trigger for it. I would have liked to know more about what the characters did during the day, since they seemed to sleep so few hours then. The nights’ description stretched on for much longer (understandably so), but the days were just vague. And I would also like to see an explanation to why
- There was just not enough horror for my taste. There was the prospect of horror, but seldom did I see it fulfilled, and the repetitions didn't help with that, so I didn’t much get that bone chilling feeling I so enjoy in a horror book. There was violence and some gore but that feeling of closure you get after a really good build up was just lacking for me.
Conclusion
Let’s face it, it’s hard to write a vampire book. It’s all been said and done. Storberry is still a good vampire book, one you want to get into progressively, get to know the characters and their surroundings. And then as the action progresses put yourself in their shoes as they are faced with difficult and terrifying situations.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, their flaws and qualities, their humanity. I would say the book is more directed at an American audience but it was still enjoyable for me and I was definitely glad that the vampires weren’t sparkly. Make no mistake, these are evil creatures. But I do believe there was potential for more story in it. I would have liked to see the things I mentioned above and others better explained/developed, as well as the vampires themselves (what they feel, think, their powers, knowledge of the darkness they are in, the vampire lord himself, how he came to be and exactly what agenda he had etc). Maybe I just couldn’t get to it enough but these vampires just felt short for me, as if the only thing they were about was ripping flesh and sucking blood. I would like to have seen another dimension to them, one that would really set the book apart in this genre. But I am definitely interested in reading more by the author.
Disclaimer: I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 28, 2025
Griezelig goed geschreven boek over het stadje Storberry dat geteisterd wordt door een vampierenplaag!
May 16, 2016
Here's the thing - this writer has potential, no doubt about it. It was well paced for a horror book and the gore descriptions were done well and some building of suspense was done in a riveting manner, but I'm quite convinced the ratings on this book are from friends and family of the author. The book is mediocre at best. There is nothing new, no elements of plot that haven't been done 100 times by some of the best of the best. To compare this book to Stephen King is a slap in the face. Some of the similes and metaphors are forced or don't bring the feeling intended. I can't remember them all but I remember one something like the floorboards creaked like a witch's cackle. A witch's cackle is pretty loud, ala Wizard of Oz. That's not what a floorboard does. Perhaps the biggest offense is that the book is unoriginal. It lacks difference. Pizazz. A reason for me to say something stood off as uniquely scary. BUT I see potential here!! I see these errors as something a great editor would help with and hope an agent might come along to take this to a publishing house where a sharp editor can pull that out of the author and help with the language and make suggestions on storyline. I hope this author keeps writing and taps into something more unique in the future.
September 16, 2014
Impressive. Indie Horror can be hit and miss, but Storberry is a big hit. The author is in the upper echelon of indie horror writers when it comes to prose, description, and characterization. Somewhat of a lost art even among traditional publishing, simile is used to great effect here.
Most importantly Storberry is quite scary at times...just as a horror novel should be. There were points in the book where I had genuine chills. I prefer not to give specific examples lest I spoil a scene inadvertently for future readers.
This novel reminded me a bit of the old horror movies made in the 1970s where you never felt safe, because the directors were far less predictable and could take a story/character in a dangerous direction. That is how I felt reading Storberry.
If you are into those awful vampire love stories masquerading as horror, then this novel is NOT for you. If you want real scares, monsters, and a dash of gore, then give this novel a go.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Most importantly Storberry is quite scary at times...just as a horror novel should be. There were points in the book where I had genuine chills. I prefer not to give specific examples lest I spoil a scene inadvertently for future readers.
This novel reminded me a bit of the old horror movies made in the 1970s where you never felt safe, because the directors were far less predictable and could take a story/character in a dangerous direction. That is how I felt reading Storberry.
If you are into those awful vampire love stories masquerading as horror, then this novel is NOT for you. If you want real scares, monsters, and a dash of gore, then give this novel a go.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
September 1, 2014
A classic horror novel.
This book starts out with slow anticipation, the feeling that at any moment the monster under your bed will make itself known. It's nice that for once you don't long for the romantic bite of the vampire, but instead you are looking for a safe place to hide.
The characters are well written, and you can not help but hold your breath as you hope for their best. The story is well paced, and easy to follow. A classic horror story that doesn't feel stale or over done. I am honestly looking forward to read more from this author.
This book starts out with slow anticipation, the feeling that at any moment the monster under your bed will make itself known. It's nice that for once you don't long for the romantic bite of the vampire, but instead you are looking for a safe place to hide.
The characters are well written, and you can not help but hold your breath as you hope for their best. The story is well paced, and easy to follow. A classic horror story that doesn't feel stale or over done. I am honestly looking forward to read more from this author.
December 3, 2015
This is the way Vampires should be written! No sappy teenage angst here. Loved it, it sits proudly on my shelf by Steven Kings Salems Lot. I'm sure I will read both over and over again.
July 17, 2016
Skipped pages, it took too long before something happened.
July 10, 2017
A dull carbon copy of 'Salem's Lot
November 10, 2021
This one was very well written and entertaining.
August 22, 2017
I have been totally burned out by vampire novels. Glowing teenage vampires are the worst thing ever in this genre. So it has been a good couple of years since I have picked up any kind of vampire novel. I saw this book on a sale email from Amazon or one of the other sale emails I get weekly for books and authors. The book is a couple years old. The cover art is what grabbed my attention first. I read the synopsis and some reviews and I was hooked. I thought why not. Take a chance, get this book. You will not be disappointed.
This is a badass vampire story. This book is scary as hell. Don't read it at night. There was a couple passages that totally freaked me out. It is very creepy, the setting is perfect and the author has made a great set of characters. It takes place in small town USA. A great community to start a family, raise your kids, have a nice family farm or small business. But like all small towns there are ghost stories about one specific area of town. In this small town it is "the haunted forest". Stories about "the haunted forest" at the edge of town have always been around. No one really knows what hides in the forest but everyone talks about and feels that there is something evil about this forest. The storyline is fast paced with awesome twists and turns. I truly enjoyed this book. It has put faith back in the idea that there is still good vampire fiction out there.
This is a badass vampire story. This book is scary as hell. Don't read it at night. There was a couple passages that totally freaked me out. It is very creepy, the setting is perfect and the author has made a great set of characters. It takes place in small town USA. A great community to start a family, raise your kids, have a nice family farm or small business. But like all small towns there are ghost stories about one specific area of town. In this small town it is "the haunted forest". Stories about "the haunted forest" at the edge of town have always been around. No one really knows what hides in the forest but everyone talks about and feels that there is something evil about this forest. The storyline is fast paced with awesome twists and turns. I truly enjoyed this book. It has put faith back in the idea that there is still good vampire fiction out there.
October 11, 2019
After finishing Storberry by Dan Padavona. I can safely say this is in my top ten vampire novels. Think Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Strain by Del Toro and Chick Hogan, with Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot thrown in, that’s what you get with Storberry by Panadova. This is the third book I have read by him and he hasn’t disappointed me yet.
The first 100 pages or so in the novel have a brief frightening scare but is more merely focused on getting to know our town of Storberry’s characters, which in this case, the town is located in North Carolina, my home state. But once after you pass that 100 page mark, it’s a non stop page turner that you cannot get enough of, that swallows you whole in it’s immersive world of fiction.
This book has fright, gore, and a great since of dread. With a happy, but not so happy ending at the end, which I’m not going into specifics on that, that is something you will just have to read for yourselves.
The first 100 pages or so in the novel have a brief frightening scare but is more merely focused on getting to know our town of Storberry’s characters, which in this case, the town is located in North Carolina, my home state. But once after you pass that 100 page mark, it’s a non stop page turner that you cannot get enough of, that swallows you whole in it’s immersive world of fiction.
This book has fright, gore, and a great since of dread. With a happy, but not so happy ending at the end, which I’m not going into specifics on that, that is something you will just have to read for yourselves.
November 13, 2019
I first read Storberry back in 2016 and have recently revisited it.
Storberry by Dan Padavona is a good old-fashioned vampire story with good old-fashioned vampires and scares. It does have a bit more graphic violence than many old-fashioned stories, but it is not gory on an extreme horror level.
This is a fun and engaging read with a good buildup, great characters, and a lot of suspense. It has great plot and character development as well as some well-done plot twists to keep you on your toes. I like the story, plain and simple. It is scary and suspenseful and well written. It is enjoyable to read, which is why I read it again and will read it again in the future. I currently have it on Kindle, but it will graduate to paperback and join the ranks of the shelf-worthy in the Templum Library.
Storberry by Dan Padavona is a good old-fashioned vampire story with good old-fashioned vampires and scares. It does have a bit more graphic violence than many old-fashioned stories, but it is not gory on an extreme horror level.
This is a fun and engaging read with a good buildup, great characters, and a lot of suspense. It has great plot and character development as well as some well-done plot twists to keep you on your toes. I like the story, plain and simple. It is scary and suspenseful and well written. It is enjoyable to read, which is why I read it again and will read it again in the future. I currently have it on Kindle, but it will graduate to paperback and join the ranks of the shelf-worthy in the Templum Library.
February 17, 2020
This is probably a 3.5\5* for me. It was a roller coaster... I really liked it, it wore on me, it was exciting, it drug on. I loved the scenes leading up to the end of the book, but the ending seemed off to me for some reason. I have read some really bad vampire books. This is not a bad vampire book. It was good and reminded me of book I used to read before everyone wrote about vampires and zombies. That said, there were some inconsistencies and I had a hard time moving away from them.
March 6, 2021
Very good.
I keep finding myself drawn to Padavona's books despite the fact that I am not a fan of vampires. I love his writing technique. He gets you into a scene then jumps to a different scene just as the scene reaches a climax. You are compelled to ride the wave until he brings you back to find out what happen at that climax. I can't put the book down. And he's not afraid to kill a star character, leaving a minor character to be the star of a potential sequel.
I keep finding myself drawn to Padavona's books despite the fact that I am not a fan of vampires. I love his writing technique. He gets you into a scene then jumps to a different scene just as the scene reaches a climax. You are compelled to ride the wave until he brings you back to find out what happen at that climax. I can't put the book down. And he's not afraid to kill a star character, leaving a minor character to be the star of a potential sequel.
January 19, 2023
Top Notch Vampire Horror
I had low expectations because so many horror books I’ve read lately delve into the fantasy/sci-fi genre which I dislike. Give me a regular folksy vampire tale along the lines of Kings “Salems Lot”. Mr. Padavona did just that. A creepy but somehow believable tale.
I had low expectations because so many horror books I’ve read lately delve into the fantasy/sci-fi genre which I dislike. Give me a regular folksy vampire tale along the lines of Kings “Salems Lot”. Mr. Padavona did just that. A creepy but somehow believable tale.
June 12, 2023
This book is great
A haunted forest and legendary rumors come alive as a vampire stalks Storberry! Over the course of 3 days, a vampire comes out and ravages the town. A few residents resist and fight back to save all from becoming turned. This book is well written, and i wish it was a series so i could continue.
A haunted forest and legendary rumors come alive as a vampire stalks Storberry! Over the course of 3 days, a vampire comes out and ravages the town. A few residents resist and fight back to save all from becoming turned. This book is well written, and i wish it was a series so i could continue.
October 19, 2024
Brilliant Vampire Thriller
If you enjoy tales of fanged, undead creatures floating through a small town causing death & destruction, this is the book for you. Dan Padavona spins the perfect story to give you sleepless nights & fearful dreams for many nights ahead. I am a long term fan after only one book.
If you enjoy tales of fanged, undead creatures floating through a small town causing death & destruction, this is the book for you. Dan Padavona spins the perfect story to give you sleepless nights & fearful dreams for many nights ahead. I am a long term fan after only one book.
July 11, 2021
What vampires are supposed to be like
This book great for fans of Stephen kings salems lot .scary vampires great story read in one sitting hard to put down read and enjoy the thrill
This book great for fans of Stephen kings salems lot .scary vampires great story read in one sitting hard to put down read and enjoy the thrill
September 9, 2021
This is a FUN book to read. Padavona has weaved a vampire tale that puts memories of that glittery teeny bopper vampire crap to rest forever. The story gripped me from the first sentence to the last; I could not wait to read further each night.
October 12, 2022
Sorry
This book might have been a great read but I had very, very hard time with it. It certainly was not a book for night time reading. I certainly wouldn't recommend this book for a non believer (like me).
This book might have been a great read but I had very, very hard time with it. It certainly was not a book for night time reading. I certainly wouldn't recommend this book for a non believer (like me).
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