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Fires Rising (Leisure Fiction) |
Author: Michael Laimo
Published: 2008-02-26 |
List price: $7.99
Our price: $7.99
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As of: December 01st, 2008 12:12:11 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 This One Didn't Do It For Me
As a fan of Michael Laimo, I was excited to dig into "Fires Rising", and it starts off strong. While building a church in New York at the turn of the century, a crate arrives and upon breaking turns the parishoners into murderous lunatics. Flash forward to present day, and this same church now facing destruction has become home to a number of winos and bums...(ooops sorry I mean "homeless"). Whatever evil that was in the crate has been unleashed, and it's up to the homeless residents and the former priest of the church to stop the evil from consuming New York in the form of angry sweaty construction workers. Yes that's right....the world ends not with a bang, but with a yellow hard hat, stained wife-beater, power tools, and just a hint of butt-crack showing.
Unless, spooky church imagery is frightening to you, you won't find much here. I am a big fan of Laimo's writing style. His descriptive passages fairly drip off the page, you can almost smell the smoke of fires burning, taste the blood and feel the goo coming off of some of his creations. But the subject matter of "Fires Rising" just wasn't frightening.
I highly recommend you try "Dark Ride", Laimo's latest collection of short stories to discover this author. There Laimo covers a multitude of horror bases, and you are bound to find something you like. Then turn to "Fires Rising" after you are familiar with his style, and if you have an interest in religious horror....or angry construction workers.
 Okay
I won't get into too much detail, but some say this ranks up there with a Stephen King novel. I'm not a huge fan of Stephen King's books, but he's got a few like Misery that are bar none - the best. Mr. Laimo does have the ability to write in different styles and point of view, but this story was just a bit choppy to me. He seemed to try to get too detailed and I felt outside the story. I could never really feel or care about the protagonist.
 laimo does it again
When I reviewed The Demonologist for Apex Digest, I said then that Michael Laimo reminded me of good 1970s/1980s religious horror. 666, The Omen, The Amityville Horror, and everything good and similar. His February 2008 Leisure Fiction release, Fires Rising, is no exception.
This book has everything. Strong religious themes, vagrants, evil construction crews, fire, mayhem, and enough tension implied through vivid imagery to stand one's hair on end (if you'll pardon the cliché). Fires Rising isn't for the weak of stomach or the easily repulsed -- not with its sewage demon, raw gore, violence, and copious blood. Without these things, though, the story would have a much blander flavor and not as much religious fervor.
Laimo researched this book to the bone -- this is readily apparent. His use of vivid sensory imagery is near overwhelming in places, causing the reader to, instead of putting the book down for a break, keep turning the pages.
"Well done" seems inadequate. Even so, I can't wait to see what Michael Laimo brings us next.
Laimo Delivers Us From Evil
3 AND 1/2 STARS
Fires Rising reminded me of a nice mix of movies from filmmaker John Carpenter. Take the standoff of trapped heroes from Assault On Precinct 13 and put them in a church, then add the growing evil and possession from Prince Of Darkness and you have a fairly accurate description of Fires Rising. While I didn't relate to the characters nearly as much as I did in his earlier novels such as Deep In The Darkness or Dead Souls, I enjoyed the constant threat of danger that Michael Laimo infused throughout the book. Somewhere between a novella and a full length novel, this is one of the shorter Leisure titles I've seen. But don't let that fool you, Laimo stuffs this baby full of violence, mythology, creatures, gore, and some memorable visuals that will stay with you for quite some time. And while I agree with others that this is his best technical writing, the story didn't grab me as much as I would have liked. Still a solid recommendation that has me looking forward to Laimo's next one.
 Why aren't you reading this book?
Seriously?
If you love horror, you'll love Fires Rising.
Laimo is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the horror world, so readers take note, and buy this book now. Don't get left out in the cold, gather 'round the fire and prepare for a bloody good read.
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