‘Blue Demon’ is another winner for writer David Bernstein and definitely my favourite novella from him that I have read thus far. The story starts off with young Cal, a boy who loses his father in a car accident. His old man is trying to secure him a pricey action figure (the Blue Demon) but becomes involved in an accident with a character that plays a large part in the rest of the story. The bad news for young Cal doesn’t stop there! He then finds that he has a malignant tumour in his foot (which is then removed…eventually!). Cal is a huge fan of the cartoon series ‘Blue Demon’, a series that holds a kind of cult status amongst young children where the demon assists those that have been wronged, a huge blue beast. Cal has THE worst luck and nothing seems to go right for him. From the tumour, to the bullying that occurs regularly, things continue to spiral out of control. In comes the Blue Demon to answer Cal’s cry for help.
‘Blue Demon’ is a perfectly paced novella. It has a real 80s movie feel to it and the cover art perfectly captures this. You have the plucky young boy in Cal, always seemingly on the wrong end of things, through no fault of his own, his struggling mother and the feel-good vibe of the superhero like creature itself. I loved everything about it. It’s a very straightforward read that has been written purely to entertain and entertain it does, in spades. You will quickly become invested in Cal as a character, feeling his pain and revelling in the joy the Blue Demon brings when it pulverizes those that have done wrong to him and his family. The scenes with the Blue Demon are particularly savage as heads are crushed and removed with minimum of fuss. Cal quickly puts two and two together realizing that his Blue Demon figure is actually an object of great power. He uses the demon as a sort of vigilante superhero that had this reader with a huge smile plastered all over his face.
Bernstein knows how to entertain, he makes you care about his characters a great deal before he unleashes the carnage it is great stuff! His love of movies from this era shines through in a novella that provides the perfect escape for a couple of hours. This novella is so much fun, I had a ball reading it.
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Blue Demon synopsis
- Print Length: 134 pages
- Publisher: Sinister Grin Press
- Publication Date: December 16, 2016
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?
Biography of David Bernstein
David Bernstein is originally from a small town in Upstate New York called Salisbury Mills. He now resides in NYC and misses being surrounded by chainsaw-wielding maniacs and wild backwoods people that like to eat raw human flesh. He’s grown used to the city, though hiding bodies is much harder there. He is the author of Amongst the Dead, Damaged Souls, The Tree Man, Witch Island, Relic of Death, Apartment 7C and the forthcoming Episodes of Violence. David writes all kinds of horror, from hair-raising ghost stories to gore-filled slashers and apocalyptic tales of terror. He loves hearing from his readers. You can reach him on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/david.bernstein.3. Visit him at his website: davidbernsteinauthor.blogspot.com email dbern77@hotmail.com, or on Twitter at @Bernsteinauthor.
Praise for David Bernstein
“David Bernstein delivers a fast-moving tale of desire and destruction that gives new meaning to the words, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ Relic of Death twists reality and will leave you reflecting on your own personal Achilles heel long after you finished reading…” —Allan Leverone, author of Mr. Midnight
“A fascinating, unpredictable, ever-shifting tale of greed and desperation. Highly recommended!” —Jeff Strand, author of Pressure
“Fast-paced, cinematic, and excellent. Horror fans gather around, it’s time for another chilling tale from David Bernstein.” —Keith Deininger, author of Within and Ghosts of Eden
“A harrowing, brutal thriller, Skinner is Bernstein at his best!” —Peter Giglio, author of Shadowshift
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