“The Unburned Island,” by @audendj is a tiny slice of a rich and exciting horror fantasy world that I look forward to reading more of.
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About The Book
“The Unburned Island,” by Auden Johnson is a dark fantasy story where a massive assortment of shapeshifters, magic users, and ghost hunters are pitted against each other to cleanse a mysterious island of the malevolent spirits that plague it. And if you have any love of urban exploring, ghost hunting shows, or “Supernatural,” I think you’ll love it.
Criticism and Thoughts
Although this book has some grammatical errors speckled through it and could have used one more surface-level revision before going to print- it’s a fantastic read.
I enjoyed the leading character, Kiran, so dang much. She had a properly surly attitude, was stubborn af, and had a gaze that could literally kill people if she wasn’t. But underneath this vicious shell is someone incredibly sensitive to the supernatural and it gets her into a lot of trouble.
Kiran’s journey through the story is a bit like Georgie’s paper boat flowing down the gutters in Stephen King’s, “It.” She fights to maintain her autonomy and strives to survive on her own inner strength but ultimately the tide of horrors on the island is too strong. What I enjoyed about seeing Karin’s struggle is that you have no doubts about how strong and quite-frankly scary she is, but her friends fight along side her to keep her from being pulled completely under.
The pacing of the story rolls right along and I actually read this book in a day. If I had the option, I probably would have devoured it in one sitting. The spooky factor, the ghosts, and ghouls were properly disturbing and the in-fighting between the main characters was hilarious.
Verdict
I’m happy to recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read that blends horror, the paranormal, and fantasy in such an entertaining way. For me, this one’s going on my 5 out of 5 stars shelf. I’ve literally already signed up to Auden Johnson’s mailing list… I want to read the next one as soon as it comes out!
All The Details
The Unburned IslandOther Investigator Series Book OneAuden Johnson
Tagline: A haunted island. An unusual demon. Can this team of magical investigators solve the mystery of the Unburned Island? Book Description: The entire island was on fire yet only one schoolhouse burned. Everyone disappeared. Several tried taking it over but were never successful. People no longer talk about the Unburned Island. It was left to rot. Years later, Kiran, En and a team of magical investigators travel to the island to banish whatever haunts an old building. With En acting strange, they knew this wouldn’t be a simple job. Kiran develops a second ability, making their investigation both easier and harder. It takes them no time to realize the building isn’t the problem. The island is. They never anticipated the terrible secrets hidden within the school’s campus. Maybe some of the residents deserved their fate.
About the Author: An artist at heart, Auden Johnson loves photography, graphic design and writing beautifully dark stories. She’s published 13 dark fantasy stories featuring diverse characters with powers and questionable morals. She enjoys taking her camera on a long hike and photographing the scenic views. Most of her landscape photos are on sale online. Auden has a Masters in Publishing: Digital and Print and a Masters in Information and Library Science. She lives in Brooklyn with her writing buddy Oreo.
Website: https://www.audenjohnson.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/audendj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audenjohnson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audendjohnson/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7183504.Auden_Johnson
Horror Made 
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you enjoyed my book.
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