Blue Demon

by David Bernstein

When the meek need defending, they call on Blue Demon, a guardian of bloodshed and retribution. Its loyalty is forever, as long as you remain righteous. For those that oppress the demon’s flock, life grows short. It kills in the most brutal fashion, and maims those it most despises. It has no feelings, only loyalty and devotion for the ones it protects. Of course, this is all from the Blue Demon television show and Cal Langston, Blue Demon’s biggest fan, knows such things can’t be real, at least not until the people who messed with him start dying in the most horrific of ways. Frightened and not sure what to believe, he sets out to discover what is truly going on, and if Blue Demon is for real, does he want it watching over him?

Genres: Horror

134 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

BLUE DEMON, by David Bernstein was a story that hit hard, emotionally and "visually". We start off with a happy family, Dan and his son, Cal Langston bonding over the BLUE DEMON cartoon series--one that had only lasted three seasons during Dan's youth--but was eventually released on DVD. The character was a loyal, yet vicious, protector; brutally killing or maiming those that wronged the people in need, who called upon him. In fact, young Cal loved it so much that all he wanted for his birthday was a Blue Demon action figure.

Although only a small amount were ever produced--and now sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars on the internet--Dan happens upon one in an old comic store.

Unfortunately, that is the end of the "happy" part.

This story was emotionally potent--I sympathized so strongly with Cal and the misfortunes that kept piling up around him, that I read this book in a single day. Of course, the Blue Demon comes into play in a large way, but to say anymore would ruin the entire reading experience.

Bernstein has created a real page-turner with this one, filled with great tension, characters you care about, and enough blood and carnage to keep any horror fan satisfied.

Highly recommended!

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brutal novella with trials, tribulations and revenge on center stage.

Was it scary? No. Did I cringe? Yes.

Lots of graphic violence and some graphic sex. The short format didn't give much time for character development.

Well written for the subject matter, but not really my cup of tea.

3.5 stars.

[David Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Oh, boy, it sucks to be Cal Langston!
Blue Demon's opening pages introduce us to Dan Langston, a father desperate to secure a Blue Demon action figure for his young son, Cal. Blue Demon was a much-loved cartoon character from Dan's childhood, and now the TV series has been re-issued on dvd, and this has allowed Dan and Cal to find a shared enjoyment in the exploits of the vengeful demon.

A series of tragic events follow, each one demonstrating just how much it sucks to be Cal Langston, and these events lead to Cal's demon action figure seeking retribution against perpetrators of various crimes and misdemeanors.

There are a couple of Main Character swerves near the start of the book, but beyond this the story flows really well. There isn't a whole lot of character development, although the pages dealing with Jackie, Cal's mother, having to wait around at the hospital while her son undergoes a serious surgery, these were very powerfully written. Probably the strongest part of the story.

There is a fair ol' smattering of glorified violence, although none of it occurs in a particularly disturbing way - perhaps the exception being a rape scene. This was a decent quick read, although I wasn't invested in any of the characters due to their lack of depth. The story had a retro feel, insofar as it reminded me of those old eighties monster movies, and like those films it was a solid slice of hokum that didn't take itself too seriously.

[Frank Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review copy

David Bernstein is rapidly becoming a MUST READ author for me. His stuff tends to be raw, gripping, compelling, and above all imaginative. Sometimes played for fun, but more often for vengeance.

Blue Demon was Dan's favorite cartoon growing up, so much so he purchased the complete 3-season DVD collection as an adult and introduced it to his nine-year-old son, Cal.

Blue Demon was a deity that could be called upon to defend people in need, to right injustices and to make sure the people of the land were watched over and protected.

What if the Blue Demon wasn't just a cartoon show? What if it was based on a real legend? Time to check your disbelief at the door because uncle David is going to take you there.

What starts out as a warm-hearted story about a father and son bonding over a cartoon character quickly turns sad and dark, much like life. Despite it's somewhat simple and seemingly silly premise, Bernstein presents the reader with an expertly-crafted tale that delivers when it counts.

Definitely recommended.

Blue Demon is published by Sinister Grin Press and is currently available in paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

From the author's bio - David Bernstein is originally from a small town in upstate New York, but now resides in NYC and misses being surrounded by chainsaw-wielding maniacs and wild backwoods people who like to eat human flesh. He's grown used to the city, though hiding bodies is much harder there.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blue Demon is a cartoon character that Dan used to watch when he was a child. The cartoon only lasted three years, but when he stumbled upon the series many years later, he immediately wanted to share it with his son, Cal. Cal loved it and this became something that father and son could bond over. The Blue Demon exacted revenge on the enemies of those it protected, at least that's how story goes. The rumor has it that the Blue Demon legend was around long before the cartoon came out. So, when Dan happens to find a limited edition Blue Demon action figure from back in the day, little did he know how true the legend was.

Bernstein's story reads like an episode of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories from back in the Eighties, except this one has teeth...and claws. He does a nice job keeping the story moving without becoming too hokey. The plight of Cal growing up is one that'll tug on your heart strings and that breathes life into a story that you can figure out fairly easy what the outcome will be. With Bernstein's wonderful characterization, you won't care because the fun was in the journey and not the destination.

4 Amputations out of 5

This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.


You can also follow my reviews at the following links:

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...

[Andrew✌️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review. ***

The story begins with Dan, father of Cal, determined to make a gift to his son for his academic progress. Together they used to watch a TV series that Dan loved as a child, Blue Demon and therefore he chooses to buy him the action figure.

I find that the story doesn’t causing fear for the atmosphere created, the characters or the supernatural. It’s definitely a raw and brutal story, well written, with violent episodes and splatter scenes. Blue Demon is a demon, a supernatural creature in the form of an action figure that comes to life and punishes the wicked in the most brutal way. But I think that the feeling of stomach blockage, as I read and chill up the spine, has nothing to do with him, but with the facts described The assault on the mother of Cal, in the final part it is appalling and extremely brutal.

The facts that happen to Cal and his Mother, what happens to them during the story, are often news stories we see every day, but described in a very vivid way. It's a crude and violent history, though perhaps leaves you with an unfinished feeling in the final Probably I would expect to know more about the origin of Blue Demon, maybe conjured by Dan?

However, a good read, the first book I read by this author and certainly not the last.

[Karl]

This hardcover book is number 14 of 52 copies printed signed by David Bernstein.

[Rachel Bea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a fun premise of a demonic action figure coming to life to avenge those who have been wronged. However, I decided to give the overall story 2 stars because of its execution. The first half of the book seemed clunky to me. During the first half of the book, there is a lot of back-and-forth with the plot to catch the reader up with everything that's happened. I feel like the backstory with the father and the Blue Demon action figure could have happened more quickly. Because the book is a fairly short and fast read, I would have liked to get to the "meat" of the story much sooner.

I thought the vengeance scenes with all their gore were done very well. They made me cringe while reading them but they also held my interest. Another highlight scene was when Jackie was in the waiting room while her son had surgery; the author did a great job at capturing her anxiety and OCD.

In my opinion, the author did his best work with the book starting from about the halfway point through the end. The ending is fairly dark but it fit the story. To tell you the truth, I was surprised when the book ended when it did. I would have liked to read more about Cal and the Blue Demon. Ultimately I wish for a more fleshed out story, but I still enjoyed reading it.

Despite my 2 star review I would love to read more from the author and I hope this doesn't discourage horror fans from checking out the book. Also: 5 stars for the cover art - seriously awesome! The artist, Matt Davis, did a great job capturing the Blue Demon nostalgia factor and is definitely what drew me to this book.

[Kelly B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an "okay" read for me.

The premise is very interesting: an action figure comes to life, and wreaks revenge on anyone who hurts the main character, Cal, if Cal asks it to. This results in several bloody scenes. I felt for Cal, who has more than his fair share of tough times.

I personally didn't find the book scary. There is a bit of gore, but nothing extreme. For some reason, I just didn't ever connect with this book. It's short, and to me read more like a short story than a novel.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

This book was an extremely quick, but entertaining read. The author did not break any new ground in the horror genre, but I had some fun with the story.

Suggestions for the author: I would have liked to see a relationship develop between the demon and its ward. The evolution of Cal's use of the demon could have taken some more sinister turns, but the author dropped the story a little too soon to draw out any surprises from Cal. For a short story, the premise and execution of this book were fine, but I saw plenty of room for the construction of a creative yet frightening world that could have been really cool.

Thanks to Mr. Bernstein for the free ebook. I have reviewed the story as honestly as I could in order to complete my side of the bargain.

[Angela Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for review purposes as part of the Blue Demon Publicity Tour hosted by the always awesome Erin Al-Mehairi. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this novella. I did not receive any form of compensation for my review. Follow along the publicity tour with these hashtags: #BlueDemon, #SinisterGrinPress

Blue Demon is an emotional horror story that I didn't want to put down. Cal Langston has a happy family, until a series of horrific tragedies destroys it. He finds a hero in the form of Blue Demon, an action figure based on his favorite cartoon. The characters are easy to relate to and care about. The tragedies that befall the Langston family are the stuff of nightmares and had me wiping my eyes more than once, and cackling gleefully as Blue Demon got revenge on those that hurt them. This may be one of my favorite stories by David Bernstein. A fast paced and totally engrossing 5 star read.

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

Review: BLUE DEMON by David Bernstein

Who doesn't want justice served? Who doesn't think bullies, rapists, and murderers should be stopped, unable to commit further offenses?

BLUE DEMON is a story of justice taken to an extreme; of justice mutating into vengeance, of "an eye for an eye" doubled, even tripled. It's also the story of family strength, of loyalty, compassion, and love. The many tragedies that befall Dan, Jackie, and their son Cal are inexcusable and could have been avoidable (not by them, but by the perpetrators). But in the background there is one who patiently waits, and when called upon, avenges.

BLUE DEMON is a story with a heartwarming family suffering terrifically, and the imaginatively creative methods in which justice is delivered--permanently.

[Robin Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This my first time ever reading anything by author David Bernstein and it won’t be my last. This is a short novella which is a mix of supernatural/horror. It reminded me of an episode from the “Tales from the Darkside or “Twilight Zone” because I have heard this tale before. Even ourselves has small children calling upon a toy figure or doll to protect us in horrible times. That is what this story is about, except it’s an evil looking, action figure, called the Blue Demon.

Danny Myers and 9-year-old son Cal bond over their love for this cartoon show called the “Blue Demon”. The Blue Demon is an evil deity that fought for protection and against injustices. The show only lasted for 3 years but, the father found a DVD box set for his son. It rapidly became his son’s favorite show. All Cal asks for is a Blue Demon action figure, which only so many were produced and going for thousands of dollars on eBay. Then one day the father steps into a comic book store and what does his eyes see.

What really came across to me more was the way author, David Bernstein was quickly able to make the reader feel that close bond between a father and his son. That even through tragedy you still felt it there. This family will be hit with a lot of disastrous and horrific times that pulls at your heart strings. You will be shocked. Making you even want to see justice in the end. Each time called upon for protection there were extreme consequences.

reviewed by robinleesdarkside.com

[Josen · Rating 3 out of 5]

At less than 150 pages this is probably one of the shortest books I've ever read. In a nutshell, it's about an action figure, the Blue Demon, that comes to life and kills. I have never liked dolls and this just confirms it. Lol! I thought the story was good and definitely graphic. Even though it was short it was good enough to keep me interested. My only critique at this point is that I probably would've like it to be much longer. I feel like it was a good start to something that could've been bigger. Either way I was not disappointed.

[Alon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sent to review.

This book was decent, and not much more then that for me.
The story was not only pretty predictable, but not too original too. It reminded me of an episode of the teen series "Haunted Hour".

It was written kinda weird, with neglects in the writing in some sentences, and that's without noticing how the grammar was lacking a lot, wasn't clear, and had a few mistakes i noticed that bugged me.

But there were good sides.
The story was a bit scary (not as scary as i like my stories, but still), which is probably what most of the people that will read this book want, the nice cheap and quick thrill of the mild horror in a 130 (75 in the eBook version) pages novel. The story can be seemed as a cute horror movie to give a teenager that isn't too capable of strong horror.

To sum up, "Blue Demon" seemed to me like a cheap thrill, short, not very good, just OK, that i would recommend for a flight or something short, so you can read it all in once.

Remarkably the author most generously offered me this book for an honest review, and did so very nicely, and i sincerely appreciate him for that.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Blue Demon" offers an interesting premise with its attempt to fuse horror with a cartoon character/action figure, granting it a rather fresh scenario in a genre that seems to be stuck in the limbo endless repetition and subpar pastiches.

Given this, I was excited and quickly went to read once I received my copy. Unfortunately however the story has some major flaws that prevent it from being anything more than a quick mediocre read:

1. There is a LOT of telling instead of showing which is a) rather dry and b) always keeps the reader distanced to the story's protagonists, leaving us feeling indifferent about what is happening to all of them.

2. The characters lack depth as traits are underdeveloped, leaving us without consistent reasons that would justify the character's actions and thereby making the story believable. This is of course also a result of 1.

3. Build-up is rather shaky and the author is unable to establish a decent suspense-curve and everythings finally falls flat where a climax should be (the rather dull ending).

To make a long story short: Bernstein has some interesting ideas but needs to get his basics down if he wants to prove relevant in the flood of horror releases being churned out months after months. Nonetheless I will keep an eye on the man and his future endeavours.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, which is both a blessing and a curse. Also, there are lots of unanswered questions which I would have loved to see elaborated upon. For what it is, it serves its purpose and I was entertained. David Bernstein is good at skimming boring parts and creating vivid descriptions of both horror and violence. Visceral. I am thankful for the opportunity to read and review his work.

[Ken Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first I've read anything by the author. I was given this book as part of the Horror Aficionado promotional group read. Overall I enjoyed the book. Some of the writing seemed off to me, maybe just not a style I'm used to. I liked the setup of the book and the last half. I felt some of it was a bit slow and repetitive, mostly the mom waiting in the hospital. I would recommend the book though, it's a quick read. A novella is perfect for this. You get enough character development and plenty of mayhem.

[Mixofsunandcloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ebook free for a promotional Group Read

It's a short, fast read. I read it in two sittings. Probably would have been one if I hadn't had to stop and go to work.

The basic premise is a character from an old cartoon show which will come out and avenge the wrongs done those it protects. I haven't decided which of the cartoon characters I watched I would like to do that. Think early '90s. There was some weird stuff. I'm currently leaning towards 'Freakazoid!'.

As I said, it's a short book, so it doesn't get bogged down with Hows, Whys or much moralizing. It just tells a good story. It's fun.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit short. Would have loved for it to be longer. I feel like something was missing. That perhaps there should have been consequences for using Blue Demon. Equivalent exchange or somethijg like it. It a wrapped up a bit too neat and tidy for me as well.

[Horror Underground · Rating 1 out of 5]

As much as it pains me to say this, Blue Demon is not a good book. It isn't even remotely enjoyable. Having been a fan of Bernstein's work for several years now, I can unequivocally say his writing is better than this and I would ask that any person interested in his work start elsewhere.

Blue Demon is a tale that has been told a million times over, as seen in Amicus films and countless other books, movies, and television. When presented with such a heavily used subject, I expected something unique or rewarding, but that moment of redemption never presents. Instead, we are given a watered-down take on a dull trope with laughable outcomes.

For a story that is set in the absurd, this novella never quite embraces it and leaves the reading desiring something better for its characters. The villains are dull and the story just never clicks into motion. Proceed with caution.

[Andrew Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very gripping and twisted tale. It felt like a mixture of Stephen King and Irvine Welsh. Perhaps a little on the short side, I think this could have been developed into a longer book, by filling out the characters a bit more, notably the villains. Overall though a good modern horror story.

[Douglas Castagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just left with one question. Where can I get Blue Demon on DVD? Loved the premise and actually wish this was a real show. Loved the action and the graphic scenes in this short and nasty novella from Bernstein who never disappoints.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody fun story!

[Lynda Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would call this novel a 21st Century version of The Monkey's Paw, though in this case a modern talisman, rather than bestowing wishes that are really the worst of curses, this instead exacts Revenge - Revenge moreover, exponentially savage in relation to what is actually done by the perpetrator.

Grim reading at times, though the family whose lives are affected by the blue demon certainly experiences more than its fair share of tragedy. Perhaps the moral of the team is that revenge may not make those who fantasise for it as glad as
might be expected.