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Farallon Island
Nate Thalmann wants to escape his life as a Prohibition Era bootlegger. He moves with his pregnant wife Alice to the Farallon Island lighthouse, situated on a rocky islet twenty-seven miles off the California coast. Joining three other keepers and their families, he hopes for peace and a deep reconnection with his wife.
But one of the keeper’s children finds a secret cave, and releases a malicious entity imprisoned within. It possesses a former keeper and soon the islanders are being stalked and slaughtered. The demon within the keeper plans to only leave Alice alive, at least until she’s given birth to her child, who will become the demon’s permanent vessel.
With no radio, no resupply, and no weapons, it is up to Nate to keep his wife and unborn child safe. But the body-hopping fiend seems to always be one step, and one corpse, ahead of him. Will anyone survive wrath of the demon of Farallon Island?
But one of the keeper’s children finds a secret cave, and releases a malicious entity imprisoned within. It possesses a former keeper and soon the islanders are being stalked and slaughtered. The demon within the keeper plans to only leave Alice alive, at least until she’s given birth to her child, who will become the demon’s permanent vessel.
With no radio, no resupply, and no weapons, it is up to Nate to keep his wife and unborn child safe. But the body-hopping fiend seems to always be one step, and one corpse, ahead of him. Will anyone survive wrath of the demon of Farallon Island?
- GenresHorror
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2022
6 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Russell James
48 books216 followersRussell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
He has published the novels DARK INSPIRATION, SACRIFICE, BLACK MAGIC and DARK VENGEANCE, the compilations OUT OF TIME and TALES FROM BEYOND, as well as numerous short stories. He founded the Minnows Literary Group.
He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
Drop by the website to kill some time with some short stories.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
He has published the novels DARK INSPIRATION, SACRIFICE, BLACK MAGIC and DARK VENGEANCE, the compilations OUT OF TIME and TALES FROM BEYOND, as well as numerous short stories. He founded the Minnows Literary Group.
He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
Drop by the website to kill some time with some short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 25, 2021
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Anytime we get a new Russell James release is a time to celebrate. Honestly, I wish I had more time available to read all of James’ work, but when his next release from Silver Shamrock was offered for review, I jumped on it.
James is a master at writing action and fast-paced thrills/adventure stories, so I was curious to see what he’d be able to conjure up with a book set in an isolated location. Farallon Island is a real place and with him using it as the backdrop with a Lighthouse as the focal point, I was ready to see just what he delivered.
What I liked: The story follows a husband and wife, who are expecting their first child, as they arrive on Farallon Island. The husband is set to work at the Lighthouse, but things quickly take a turn and carnage ensues.
I’d love to share more, but this story really ramps up to 100mph within the first few chapters and in order to remain spoiler-free, I’ll be vague.
The action in this is fast and furious and reminiscent of a George R.R. Martin novel, no character is safe. In fact, the body count in this, just might be the highest I’ve read in some time, which really is something considering just how isolated and small the setting is.
James appears to have written this with a cheeky grin on his face, as time and time again we get unexpected moments and I picture him turning to his cat, Timothy and saying “Ha! they won’t have expected that!” It’s true, Russell. We didn’t. (And you did!)
The ending of this was great and while I wished we’d have learned a little bit more about a few of the spots on the island, I think it worked really well.
What I didn’t like: While I did love that this story starts off at 99.9mph before accelerating to the full 100mph, I found it made for some disconnection between me and the characters. I wasn’t fully sure of who each one was and as the body count started to rise, some of the oomph factor was lessened because of that.
Why you should buy this: I’m a big fan of James’ work and every time I see him have a new release coming out, I get excited. ‘Farallon Island’ is another fun rip through James’ bread and butter – action/adventure with supernatural flares and this one doesn’t let up. A quick, fast-paced read, I think this one’s perfect for his long time fans and new ones as well.
Anytime we get a new Russell James release is a time to celebrate. Honestly, I wish I had more time available to read all of James’ work, but when his next release from Silver Shamrock was offered for review, I jumped on it.
James is a master at writing action and fast-paced thrills/adventure stories, so I was curious to see what he’d be able to conjure up with a book set in an isolated location. Farallon Island is a real place and with him using it as the backdrop with a Lighthouse as the focal point, I was ready to see just what he delivered.
What I liked: The story follows a husband and wife, who are expecting their first child, as they arrive on Farallon Island. The husband is set to work at the Lighthouse, but things quickly take a turn and carnage ensues.
I’d love to share more, but this story really ramps up to 100mph within the first few chapters and in order to remain spoiler-free, I’ll be vague.
The action in this is fast and furious and reminiscent of a George R.R. Martin novel, no character is safe. In fact, the body count in this, just might be the highest I’ve read in some time, which really is something considering just how isolated and small the setting is.
James appears to have written this with a cheeky grin on his face, as time and time again we get unexpected moments and I picture him turning to his cat, Timothy and saying “Ha! they won’t have expected that!” It’s true, Russell. We didn’t. (And you did!)
The ending of this was great and while I wished we’d have learned a little bit more about a few of the spots on the island, I think it worked really well.
What I didn’t like: While I did love that this story starts off at 99.9mph before accelerating to the full 100mph, I found it made for some disconnection between me and the characters. I wasn’t fully sure of who each one was and as the body count started to rise, some of the oomph factor was lessened because of that.
Why you should buy this: I’m a big fan of James’ work and every time I see him have a new release coming out, I get excited. ‘Farallon Island’ is another fun rip through James’ bread and butter – action/adventure with supernatural flares and this one doesn’t let up. A quick, fast-paced read, I think this one’s perfect for his long time fans and new ones as well.
April 17, 2021
I purchased this book as part of an April book club read, and I am glad I did. The Farallon Islands is a real location off the coast of California. It is a small group of islands that are basically uninhabited other than the lighthouse keepers who lived there in the early part of the 20th century. The story is set in the 1930s and revolves around the people living on the island and the events that surround the discovery of a hidden cave. Describing any more than this would be giving away too much.
Many of my favorite horror stories feature "isolation": a car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, someone is lost in the woods, a ship is lost at sea, and a night alone in a haunted house, to name a few. This one is no different as the islanders are on a remote island, with no form of transportation and limited communication with the mainland. What can six adults and two children do on an island when evil arrives?
I enjoyed the short, intense chapters and fast-paced action. It is hard to put this one down, but as a novella I do recommend reading it in one sitting. The setting is described well, as I could smell the ocean, feel the waves crashing into the rocks and hear the gulls screeching and sea lions barking. I also thought the characters were developed well. As a novella, it is impossible to delve into deep character analysis and to be honest, I believe not knowing everything about a character provides some added mystery to the story.
I decided to give this book 5 stars as I was thoroughly entertained. If you enjoy a good thriller/mystery/horror this book is for you.
Many of my favorite horror stories feature "isolation": a car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, someone is lost in the woods, a ship is lost at sea, and a night alone in a haunted house, to name a few. This one is no different as the islanders are on a remote island, with no form of transportation and limited communication with the mainland. What can six adults and two children do on an island when evil arrives?
I enjoyed the short, intense chapters and fast-paced action. It is hard to put this one down, but as a novella I do recommend reading it in one sitting. The setting is described well, as I could smell the ocean, feel the waves crashing into the rocks and hear the gulls screeching and sea lions barking. I also thought the characters were developed well. As a novella, it is impossible to delve into deep character analysis and to be honest, I believe not knowing everything about a character provides some added mystery to the story.
I decided to give this book 5 stars as I was thoroughly entertained. If you enjoy a good thriller/mystery/horror this book is for you.
March 28, 2021
No phones no lights no motor cars as primitive as can be. Wait that's the wrong island There is no goofy humor here but Farallon does offer an ancient demon imprisoned in a cave, and now that it's been accidentally freed it's wasting no time in executing it's plan to get off the island and back to civilization where it can wreak havoc on the world.
This is high octane horror that moves along at top speed. Even though it is a short, quick read I don't feel like it skimped on character details. It gave me a good grasp of the relationship between Nate and Alice, the state of their marriage and what brought them to pick up their lives and move to this remote island where there would not even be a doctor to deliver their soon to be first born. There are very few characters aside from the family that will be their new next door neighbors, so there was no trouble getting to know them in the brief 158 pages. Even without a long list of characters the author manages to provide maximum carnage.
The scariest part for me was the simple fact of being cut off from outside help. To me, that is more terrifying than demons wanting to possess a baby. There's no phone and the radio works when it wants to. There is nowhere to run nowhere to hide, no way to get off the island or summon help.
This is my first time reading anything by Russell James. I'll be on the look out for more.
I would definitely recommend this one for all horror fans.
I received an advance copy for review.
This is high octane horror that moves along at top speed. Even though it is a short, quick read I don't feel like it skimped on character details. It gave me a good grasp of the relationship between Nate and Alice, the state of their marriage and what brought them to pick up their lives and move to this remote island where there would not even be a doctor to deliver their soon to be first born. There are very few characters aside from the family that will be their new next door neighbors, so there was no trouble getting to know them in the brief 158 pages. Even without a long list of characters the author manages to provide maximum carnage.
The scariest part for me was the simple fact of being cut off from outside help. To me, that is more terrifying than demons wanting to possess a baby. There's no phone and the radio works when it wants to. There is nowhere to run nowhere to hide, no way to get off the island or summon help.
This is my first time reading anything by Russell James. I'll be on the look out for more.
I would definitely recommend this one for all horror fans.
I received an advance copy for review.
April 12, 2021
Overview: In an effort to escape his criminal ways as a Prohibition era bootlegger, Nate takes his pregnant wife to Farallon Island to work its lighthouse in seclusion. There’s a small group of employees and their families already there, looking for a replacement. The man leaving seems to have gone mad, and can’t seem to get on the boat fast enough. As he escapes the island, Nate and his wife join it. But there’s an evil sweeping through Farallon, one that has just left its cave.
The Good: The plot isn’t complicated, but thoroughly entertaining. There’s a wealth of promise in these ideas, even if they aren’t wholly unique.
The Bad: There is some mention of rape early on that seems unnecessary and placed for the sake of shock value. There is also some - SPOILER / CONTENT WARNING - child death to be found in the later pages of this story, which is always bothersome for me. As much potential as there is for some gruesome action, the death scenes are actually lacking brutality and suspense.
The Takeaway: Looking back at my review of The Portal - the only other Russell James title I’ve read so far - you can pretty much copy and paste my opinions from there to here. Farallon Island has a lot of promise, but lands in the middle of the road for me. The characters are forgettable and the action falls short. And yet, I didn’t dislike my time reading this novella. There’s definitely potential here and things to enjoy, especially for fans of fast-paced, isolation horror.
~
File Under: Isolation … Island horror … ghosts … demons … possession
Also See: The Portal … Dark Inspiration … Q Island
~
Snow- Capped Press (www.snowcappedpress.com / Website under construction / Magazine expected 2022)
Review by Aiden Merchant (Closed to review requests at time of posting / Refer to social media accounts or website for changes to availability)
Reviewer’s Information: (e) contact@aidenmerchant.com / www.aidenmerchant.com
The Good: The plot isn’t complicated, but thoroughly entertaining. There’s a wealth of promise in these ideas, even if they aren’t wholly unique.
The Bad: There is some mention of rape early on that seems unnecessary and placed for the sake of shock value. There is also some - SPOILER / CONTENT WARNING - child death to be found in the later pages of this story, which is always bothersome for me. As much potential as there is for some gruesome action, the death scenes are actually lacking brutality and suspense.
The Takeaway: Looking back at my review of The Portal - the only other Russell James title I’ve read so far - you can pretty much copy and paste my opinions from there to here. Farallon Island has a lot of promise, but lands in the middle of the road for me. The characters are forgettable and the action falls short. And yet, I didn’t dislike my time reading this novella. There’s definitely potential here and things to enjoy, especially for fans of fast-paced, isolation horror.
~
File Under: Isolation … Island horror … ghosts … demons … possession
Also See: The Portal … Dark Inspiration … Q Island
~
Snow- Capped Press (www.snowcappedpress.com / Website under construction / Magazine expected 2022)
Review by Aiden Merchant (Closed to review requests at time of posting / Refer to social media accounts or website for changes to availability)
Reviewer’s Information: (e) contact@aidenmerchant.com / www.aidenmerchant.com
April 4, 2021
It's 1930 on a remote island off the coast of northern California. Nate feels it will be the perfect place to escape his life of unwilling involvement in the world of a band of murderous gangsters. With a wife, and baby on the way, he is to take up a position as one of four lighthouse keepers. Twelve months is the length of his contract and that seems a lengthy enough time to rid himself once and for all from the desperate plight into which circumstances, and the Great Depression, have forced him.
Meanwhile, on the island, a young boy, son of another of the lighthouse keepers, has discovered a cave that no one knew existed - or at least not for centuries. The problem is that, the cave was blocked up for good reason. Now an evil entity is free and the harsh life of the islanders is about to get a whole lot more deadly.
Russell James unleashes a fast-paced story of tension, suspense and horror. I read this at one thrilling session and loved the plot twists, the feeling of isolation and impending doom. Highly recommended.
Meanwhile, on the island, a young boy, son of another of the lighthouse keepers, has discovered a cave that no one knew existed - or at least not for centuries. The problem is that, the cave was blocked up for good reason. Now an evil entity is free and the harsh life of the islanders is about to get a whole lot more deadly.
Russell James unleashes a fast-paced story of tension, suspense and horror. I read this at one thrilling session and loved the plot twists, the feeling of isolation and impending doom. Highly recommended.
June 15, 2021
This story was rather interesting for sure, i found it engaging and it drew me in rather easy, and while it was a graphic for sure, it was not over the top graphic with the death and murder scenes, which really was a nice change.
I really enjoy a good mystery, especially when the story is a murder and supernatural type of story. if anything id say that i would have liked to have had a little more to the back story of the environment and of the supernatural being that was roaming the island.
I found that the story was well written, very quick and to the point, which made it a nice and quick read, which for stories that involve the death of children, I am very grateful for. Though if i was being honest, I would have loved to have scene the young ones survive. But with that said I did really like the ending, I like how things played out and there was no mystery left in the end of it all.
For this types of stories i really do prefer a straight and to the point kind of ending, and therefore am
rating this one a 4 out of 5 stars!
I really enjoy a good mystery, especially when the story is a murder and supernatural type of story. if anything id say that i would have liked to have had a little more to the back story of the environment and of the supernatural being that was roaming the island.
I found that the story was well written, very quick and to the point, which made it a nice and quick read, which for stories that involve the death of children, I am very grateful for. Though if i was being honest, I would have loved to have scene the young ones survive. But with that said I did really like the ending, I like how things played out and there was no mystery left in the end of it all.
For this types of stories i really do prefer a straight and to the point kind of ending, and therefore am
rating this one a 4 out of 5 stars!
April 27, 2021
Moving to Farallon Island was supposed to be a fresh start for Nate and his pregnant wife, Alice. Taking the job as one of three light house keepers, Nate was prepared to give this new life his all. But once they arrived on the island, he realizes they made a horrible choice.
A blood thirsty demon has awaken on the island. It possesses a former keeper, and uses his body as a vessel to kill with. The demon will kill anything living that gets in the way of its plan to possess Alice's unborn child. Now Nate not only has to protect the ships at sea, but his family too.
Farallon Island is a super quick horror read. Though there isn't a lot of character development, you quickly become involved in their lives. Everyone loves a second chance story, and I found myself rooting for Nate and Alice's new life. But things go bad fast, changing from hopeful to terrified.
I was happy that the story didn't go completely supernatural with its demon. James gave just enough of the demon's history by letting the reader in the cave. That rooted it to real life, and made it almost believable. Believable horrors are the most scary.
Though the book is actually very light on the gore, it was still scary. I actually feel like I could let my 13 year old read it, and not be too worried that they would be traumatized. lol.
A blood thirsty demon has awaken on the island. It possesses a former keeper, and uses his body as a vessel to kill with. The demon will kill anything living that gets in the way of its plan to possess Alice's unborn child. Now Nate not only has to protect the ships at sea, but his family too.
Farallon Island is a super quick horror read. Though there isn't a lot of character development, you quickly become involved in their lives. Everyone loves a second chance story, and I found myself rooting for Nate and Alice's new life. But things go bad fast, changing from hopeful to terrified.
I was happy that the story didn't go completely supernatural with its demon. James gave just enough of the demon's history by letting the reader in the cave. That rooted it to real life, and made it almost believable. Believable horrors are the most scary.
Though the book is actually very light on the gore, it was still scary. I actually feel like I could let my 13 year old read it, and not be too worried that they would be traumatized. lol.
March 31, 2021
Isolation is at the root of all great horror. It could be literal or metaphorical, but it’s always there in some capacity as a tool in the box of every horror author. In Farallon Island, James whisks the reader away to an island off the coast of San Francisco right off the bat. In the Afterword, the reader finds out Farallon is a real island, bringing an authenticity to James’ descriptions of the scenery and places the story visits.
Farallon Island is one of those stories that fits the novella format so nicely—too many moving parts to be a short story, not to mention how involved the setting is, but the pacing seems unsustainable for a novel-length work. Like I mentioned, we’re on the boat heading toward the island with Nate and his wife, Alice, by chapter two as the story hits the ground running. Using the events surrounding the couple boarding the boat, James tells us pretty much everything we need to know about our main characters.
Once aboard the island, things unfold quickly, and even with a relatively small cast (remember? Isolation?) James isn’t afraid to bring the carnage. Farallon Island tells the age-old tale of an ancient demon being forgotten about for time untold, then being suddenly woken and wreaking havoc on the nearest meat sacks.
A lot of the journey involves a tale much like a supernatural slasher, but it gets interesting and surprising once we start learning the rules of possession. The reader finds themselves studying the actions and the words of each character and the tone develops into a Thing-like ‘nobody trusts anybody and we’re all very tired’ mentality.
If you’re looking for a story of demonic possession that starts sprinting on page one and doesn’t let up on the tempo until the finish line, this might be it.
Farallon Island is one of those stories that fits the novella format so nicely—too many moving parts to be a short story, not to mention how involved the setting is, but the pacing seems unsustainable for a novel-length work. Like I mentioned, we’re on the boat heading toward the island with Nate and his wife, Alice, by chapter two as the story hits the ground running. Using the events surrounding the couple boarding the boat, James tells us pretty much everything we need to know about our main characters.
Once aboard the island, things unfold quickly, and even with a relatively small cast (remember? Isolation?) James isn’t afraid to bring the carnage. Farallon Island tells the age-old tale of an ancient demon being forgotten about for time untold, then being suddenly woken and wreaking havoc on the nearest meat sacks.
A lot of the journey involves a tale much like a supernatural slasher, but it gets interesting and surprising once we start learning the rules of possession. The reader finds themselves studying the actions and the words of each character and the tone develops into a Thing-like ‘nobody trusts anybody and we’re all very tired’ mentality.
If you’re looking for a story of demonic possession that starts sprinting on page one and doesn’t let up on the tempo until the finish line, this might be it.
February 10, 2022
Awesome! Review not pending! Read this immediately! Amazing gothic style ghost/monster story! Shh.. don’t bother me, go read this right now!
March 31, 2021
Farallon Island by Russell James, is a recent release from Silver Shamrock Publishing, that would best be described as a historical horror, mixed with some possession and action. I have always found lighthouses to be relatively creepy, thanks to The Ring, and the overall sense of isolation that goes with operating one.
The novella begins with a boy named Emilio Flores exploring a cave on Farallon Island. Emilio senses an evil presence and runs away, but not before awakening something evil that has been stirring for a long time, calling out to be born again. Nate and his pregnant wife Alice arrive on the island (which is actually a real place). Already living on the island is The Flores family, a former ship captain, another worker named Randy, and a Japanese man named George. When Nate and Alice arrive on the island, it doesn't take long for things to go awry.
I have never read a horror novel that takes place on a lighthouse island before, so I was excited for this one. James drops us right into the story, where the action picks up right away. I really liked that about this story line. There wasn't very much room for a lot of backstory about the characters, which I didn't mind as this was pretty fast paced. I loved the setting of a stormy sea as well. I kept picturing myself there with the characters, surrounded by nothing but a dark and balmy ocean, truly horrifying stuff. When you throw in a character who is on a murderous rampage, and a cave radiating evil whisperings, one wonders what you could really do in that situation. This story takes place in the 1930's, which factors into the plot line as well. James put a lot of work into making this tale historically accurate. No phones, so survival will not be easy.
I rate this book 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 for Goodreads. If I could ask for more with this book, it would be for more story surrounding the cave. Maybe a scene that showed what it was originally used for. The reader can guess using context clues and a scene in the end of the book, but I would've liked to have seen James go a little further in this area. Overall it didn't ruin the story for me in any way. This was a heart wrenching tale, no one was safe. I look forward to reading more by Russell James!
I would recommend this book to fans of The Fisherman, The Lighthouse, The Perfect Storm, and Shutter Island!
I was provided a copy by Silver Shamrock for an honest review! Thank you!
You can find more of my reviewing here at ScareTissue:
https://www.scaretissue.com/author/th...
You can also find me on Twitter here:
https://twitter.com/itsweevildead
The novella begins with a boy named Emilio Flores exploring a cave on Farallon Island. Emilio senses an evil presence and runs away, but not before awakening something evil that has been stirring for a long time, calling out to be born again. Nate and his pregnant wife Alice arrive on the island (which is actually a real place). Already living on the island is The Flores family, a former ship captain, another worker named Randy, and a Japanese man named George. When Nate and Alice arrive on the island, it doesn't take long for things to go awry.
I have never read a horror novel that takes place on a lighthouse island before, so I was excited for this one. James drops us right into the story, where the action picks up right away. I really liked that about this story line. There wasn't very much room for a lot of backstory about the characters, which I didn't mind as this was pretty fast paced. I loved the setting of a stormy sea as well. I kept picturing myself there with the characters, surrounded by nothing but a dark and balmy ocean, truly horrifying stuff. When you throw in a character who is on a murderous rampage, and a cave radiating evil whisperings, one wonders what you could really do in that situation. This story takes place in the 1930's, which factors into the plot line as well. James put a lot of work into making this tale historically accurate. No phones, so survival will not be easy.
I rate this book 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 for Goodreads. If I could ask for more with this book, it would be for more story surrounding the cave. Maybe a scene that showed what it was originally used for. The reader can guess using context clues and a scene in the end of the book, but I would've liked to have seen James go a little further in this area. Overall it didn't ruin the story for me in any way. This was a heart wrenching tale, no one was safe. I look forward to reading more by Russell James!
I would recommend this book to fans of The Fisherman, The Lighthouse, The Perfect Storm, and Shutter Island!
I was provided a copy by Silver Shamrock for an honest review! Thank you!
You can find more of my reviewing here at ScareTissue:
https://www.scaretissue.com/author/th...
You can also find me on Twitter here:
https://twitter.com/itsweevildead
April 6, 2021
Just Like Gilligan's Isle...
No spoilers. 3 stars. This is the tale of eight people on Farallon Island; Four men hired to keep the lighthouse and their families...
... no movie stars or millionaires but... there was a Gilligan-type of boy...
The story begins when 7 year old Emilio finds a cave uncovered after a particularly violent storm hit the island...
... while exploring the 5 acre island made up mostly of sheer cliffs and boulders, Emilio saw that the storm had rolled a boulder away from the other large rocks and...
... revealed a dark, dank cave which exuded a sense of foreboding...
As the boy stood looking into the cave the ground shook and a growling came from deep inside its interior...
... he timidly walked up to the cave's entrance then entered. What he saw and heard next made him bolt and run all the way home...
This story takes place in the 1930s and just like Gilligan's Island, the people are stranded like castaways with something evil seeking to kill them one by one (that last part's not like Gilligan's Island).
This story was okay but it needed some suspense to hook the reader in. Also, it would have helped to have a little more character development as well as more description of the island and life on a lighthouse island.
No spoilers. 3 stars. This is the tale of eight people on Farallon Island; Four men hired to keep the lighthouse and their families...
... no movie stars or millionaires but... there was a Gilligan-type of boy...
The story begins when 7 year old Emilio finds a cave uncovered after a particularly violent storm hit the island...
... while exploring the 5 acre island made up mostly of sheer cliffs and boulders, Emilio saw that the storm had rolled a boulder away from the other large rocks and...
... revealed a dark, dank cave which exuded a sense of foreboding...
As the boy stood looking into the cave the ground shook and a growling came from deep inside its interior...
... he timidly walked up to the cave's entrance then entered. What he saw and heard next made him bolt and run all the way home...
This story takes place in the 1930s and just like Gilligan's Island, the people are stranded like castaways with something evil seeking to kill them one by one (that last part's not like Gilligan's Island).
This story was okay but it needed some suspense to hook the reader in. Also, it would have helped to have a little more character development as well as more description of the island and life on a lighthouse island.
November 10, 2021
James' Farallon Island is perhaps the nastiest book he's written. But that's meant in a positive light for horror fans! Bad things befall decent characters in gruesome ways. The plot--beautifully set up on a creepy, desolate island--builds to a smashing, crashing intense crescendo. While not my favorite of James' books (and I've read a lot of this prolific author), it does contain some of his finest writing. A really cool "supernatural-slasher" that will keep you up at night reading, then keep you up with nightmares.
September 17, 2022
I found out this was a real place about half way through the book so, being the curious cat I am, I looked up old photos.
Looking at those photos and continuing the book somehow made it even more creepy than it already was.
I don't want to spoil anything, but it's a solid spooky story!
Looking at those photos and continuing the book somehow made it even more creepy than it already was.
I don't want to spoil anything, but it's a solid spooky story!
Read
March 24, 2021Rating/review to come...
May 22, 2025
Actually read Lucifer’s Armor
I love how Russell James always merges real life past into his books. You can tell how much research goes into his books. You feel as if you are actually at war and gasp along with the characters. I did hate losing a few friends along the way, but just like real life, casualties happen. Looking forward to reading another story soon.
I love how Russell James always merges real life past into his books. You can tell how much research goes into his books. You feel as if you are actually at war and gasp along with the characters. I did hate losing a few friends along the way, but just like real life, casualties happen. Looking forward to reading another story soon.
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