Tor Books RoundUp!

 I received these books from Tor and Tor Teen in Exchange for an honest review.


I'm a huge fan of Tor because no other imprint captures the varying genres I enjoy like they do! I like reading thrillers and Horror reads during the winter months and these tor offerings really where in alignment with what I was craving.

Stranded is my first read by Macleod. From the opening pages Bracken creates a moody atmosphere in alignment with the story's location. The ship Arctic Promise  is off course and stuck in the ice. An away team is sent to investigate faraway lights and find something that induces sickness and madness into the crew. I really liked the protagonist Noah and Bracken's ability to make nautical terms understandable to the lay person. A chilling read with an interesting ending.

The Empty Ones is the second book in the Vicious Circuit series.  I was going to wait and find the first book in the series but i took a chance and read a few chapters. I found the book highly readable despite it being a sequel. I loved the character Kaitlyn. She is a stunt woman who stumbles into a world of psychopaths and monsters after she connects with a childhood crush. The book also follows a character named Carey in 1977. How these two stories intersect is a hell of a ride and mind melting good. This is one of those books that works best if you surrender to the narrative and let the author guide you through his universe.

This book had me at the cover, Tentacle monsters!!  This book is set in the Wild Cards universe but don't let that scare you off. This book is very new reader friendly.  In a world where humans have been gifted with powers that place them in the categories of Aces or Jokers, Fort Freak is a police force trying to keep the streets in balance. After a rash of disappearances a group is sent to investigate and a threat to the entire planet is released.

The Family Plot is a great haunted house story. In this stand alone story a young woman goes to an estate to prep it for sale. She finds a home full of mysteries and an angry spirit  that craves to share it's pain before the house is fully abandoned. This is a standalone read with strong characters and lots of suspense.

The Rains is a fast paced horror thriller about an infection that turns everyone over 18 into a reanimated corpse. though this book has the feel of a good Zombie thriller, there is a strong Science Fiction vibe to the story as well. We see the unfolding drama through the eyes of two brothers in a small farming community. As the duo go on the run they learn more about the parasitic infection and how they are crucial tot he survival of the world. 

Though this book covers familiar themes, the narration of the younger brother Chance Rain, makes this book a thrill filled read.