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Below you'll find my scale on reviewing books. Below that you'll find all the books I've read according to the mark they've
attained against my scale. Beside the book name will be a number in brackets. This will be the actual mark they receive from
me - so a book which scores a 3.2 will be listed as a 3 against the scale, but a 3.6 will be a 4. Anything gathering a 3.5
(or similar) will be rounded down.
Remember that this is only my opinion and I'm more than happy to discuss any of my marks with anyone.
0 - If anything ever scores a zero I'll be amazed, but if it does, run for the hills and poke out your eyes so you may
never have to endure it's torture. If I've given it a zero, I have probably already done serious damage to myself.
1
- Chances are this will go on the kindling pile for use next winter. Do not buy this.
2 - This book was okay. If you
can get it from a library, a free copy from elsewhere or have received it as a gift, then reading it won't be too bad, but
never ever fork out the hard earned for this - there are much better titles to spend your money on.
3 - This was a
pleasant way to spend time. I was transported to another place and/or time and gained enough enjoyment from the journey that
I don't feel cheated in parting from my cash in the purchase of this title.
4 - A good, well written book. I would
happily recommend this to my friends. I would happily buy this as a present for someone I cherished. Recommended purchase
to all and sundry.
5 - Outstanding. You must buy this book. If money is tight, then steal it.
6 - Genius.
This is literary perfection. This is modern-day Shakespeare. This is written by as close to the hand of God as I've ever encountered.
Examples of how I judge books so far:
0 - None, yet.
1 - None, yet.
2 - One Foot Wrong (2.4); All The Colours Of Darkness (2.3); Atrum Tempestas (2.4);
3
- Infected (3.4); Envy The Night (2.8); RealmShift (3.2); The Schumann
Frequency (3.4); Demon Apocalpse (2.7); Sadistic Killers (2.6); The Dirty Secrets Club (3.5); Voodoo Doll (3.0); Triangulation:
Taking Flight (3.1); ADFH 2006 (3.4); The Ninth Circle (2.8) Suffer The Children (3.5); Aurealis #41; Vacation (3.4); Sheep
& Wolves Collected Stories (3.1); Dexter: An Omnibus (3.4);
4 - Gratia Placenti (4.4);
Tainted: Tales of Terror & the Supernatural (4.0); Deep Inside (4.2); To Kill A Mockingbird (4.1); Misery (4.4); 13 Bullets
(3.9); Promise Not To Tell (3.6); MageSign (3.7); Grants Pass (4.3); Ravensoul (3.6); Dexter by Design (4.0); The Grave Thief
(3.7); This Is Not A Game (4.4);
5 - Books of Blood V 1-3 (4.8); The Harrowing (4.7);
6
- Until now I haven't found anything even close to approaching this.
Most books seem to rest comfortably in the 3 or 4 range. Occasionally I find a 5 and even more rarely, I find a 2. You'll
notice that anything listed as a 2 or a 5, only just miss being marked as a 3 or 4. I expect no book to ever be marked below
a 2, unless I am forced to read something self published by a complete cretin. Anything accepted for publication and run through
an editors hands, will need to loose me in translation, as One Foot Wrong did on occasion, or be a pretty bad read, as was
All the Colours of Darkness. If you're an author with books you want reviewed, particularly prior to Australian release,
(but I'm happy to read and review for any book in any English-speaking market) then feel free to contact me - or leave me
a comment in any blog post with a contact email and I'll see what I can do for you. Arrangements for reviews can also be made
through contacting Shane at HorrorScope: Australia's Dark Fiction Weblog.
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