Matthew Bellingham proves that the pen is mightier than the sword with his first book “Vampire city & tales from the shadows”. If you are a fan of any horror sub genre then this is the book for you, 200+ pages of fantastically amazing story which will keep this book in your hands until you have finished it.

Matthew has managed to take existing ideas and twist them round and after putting more logic behind them has re introduced them in a different and fresh style, it is because of that reason I have chosen “Vampire City” as my favourite story from the book.

Okay, put all of your preconceived thoughts away. Matthew Bellingham’s book, Vampire City and Tales from the Shadows, is NOT just another vampire story. Sure, there are lots of them out there. We all know who Anne Rice is. Stephenie Meyer has earned her place on the New York Times Bestseller with her “thick” YA series. But Bellingham has actually written a book that has a bit more to offer than just some dramatic old blood sucking villains. His book has much more than bite!

The title story is actually in two parts followed by three other short stories, each having its on different set of characters and plot that attempt to keep you awake at night. We’ll discuss those first.

“Holocaust of the Dead” is a fun zombie story. It takes place in a town where strange dog attacks are taking place and turning the survivors into the undead, while one man fights for his survival. Sound familiar? Yeah, I immediatly conjured up images from movies like 28 Days and I am Legend.

Next is my favorite of the other stories: “Mars 2050.” It’s a science fiction spin on the end of planet Earth in the year 2030. Again, nothing new, but the author actually saves mankind in the beginning by putting us on spaceships and sending us out there to look for other planets to live on. Scientists are immediately drawn to Mars and begin making it suitable for human life. Just like us humans to go in and sling up a Wal-Mart and a Starbucks! There’s already life there, but it’s not acid dripping aliens waiting to be destroyed by Sigourney Weaver. Instead, the aliens are a bit exotic and docile, so we make some new friends. But then things go terribly wrong! “Mars 2050″ is actually my favorite story, and I read it twice. Out of all 3 of the extra stories, it’s where the author’s writing style and imagination really shines.

Lastly, the title story “Vampire City” is where the author has put forth his best effort. Jason Brook, a former British Special Police member, is called to America by an old friend who believes someone is trying to kill him. Simon, the friend, believes his neighbor is a vampire.

The story that plays out is a fun sexy twist on the vampire story as a whole, with a bit of predictable mystery thrown in. It only suffers from the author’s love of detail that only clouds up the story and causes a reader to stumble through. This is an old argument that I’m afraid as our attention spans decrease, the “lack of detail” side of this fuss will win. I remember reading in Stephen King’s On Writing, that he didn’t like to spend any time on describing what characters looked like or what they were wearing. He left all of that up to the reader’s imagination. Bellingham, I’m afraid, spends too much time on describing appearances, and then the progress of the story suffers. For instance, when Jason arrives at Simon’s house in the very beginning, there is no dialog for 7 pages. We are only “told” what is happening as they first face the mysterious female vampire, rather than being shown.

Overall, Matthew Bellingham’s book is a nice attempt and has great potential. The art gallery on his website proves that I think his writing style would be excellent for comics or graphic novels. The cover of this book is superb, and with a little polishing and practice, I know future work from this author will be just as appealing.

Read the full review at www.lulubookreview.wordpress.com.

‘Vampire City and Tales from the Shadows’ by Matthew Bellingham is full of plenty of action and adventure. If you are into Vampires, Zombies, guns and other wild critters of the “shadows” then this is the book for you. Bellingham doesn’t hold back on the descriptive nature of his stories. I wouldn’t read this and then be alone! Kudos to author Matthew Bellingham for bringing to life that of the undead and scary nature!

4****

Mind Fog Reviews ~ Anastasia Cassella-Young
www.anastasiasbookattic.com

Vampire city begins with a desperate phone call in the middle of the night, between friends Simon and Jason. Simon is terrified and Jason promises to go to him as soon as he can, unknowingly catapulting himself into a world of vicious, life-thirsty vampires.
'Holocaust of the Dead' follows in gory style; a suspected dog attack victim is far more sinister than his partially dismembered body would suggest...
Don't read these stories at night time, not unless you are very brave.