Author | Flames

Flames Rising is an online resource for fans of Horror and Dark Fantasy entertainment. This horror fanzine offers reviews of Games, Fiction, Movies and more ranging from Top-Selling authors to the coolest Small Press and “indie” publishers. The popular Interviews at Flames Rising include Horror authors, artists and other creators of dark entertainment. Stay tuned to the Flames Rising news feed for the latest news on upcoming products, genre conventions and industry developments.

Flames Rising continues to add new Features and expand the Fiction and Articles sections of the site with topics of interest to Horror and Dark Fantasy fans the world over.


Interview with artist Cathy Wilkins

Posted on March 13, 2006 by

Cathy tells us about her work on Vampire: the Requiem and Demon: the Fallen. She also offers up a little advice for new artists…

[...more]

Interview with author Joseph Nassise

Posted on March 8, 2006 by

The former president of the Horror Writers Association tells us about his new Templar Charonicles series and other projects.

[...more]

Epic Role Playing (Rules Manual)

Posted on March 5, 2006 by


Available at Amazon.com Epic Role Playing is a fantasy role playing game system published by Dark Matter Studios and presented in three separate volumes (the Rules Manual, Bestiary, and Book of the Arcane, respectively). Additionally, a setting designed for use with the Epic system is also available in the form of the supplementary Atlas of Eslin (Volume 1). This review deals specifically with the Epic Role Playing Rules Manual, while further reviews will cover the other Epic core books, as well as the Atlas of Eslin setting supplement. Review written by James Hargrove

[...more]

Dead of Night RPG Review

Posted on March 1, 2006 by

Dead of Night is a horror RPG packed into a 219 page book that’s only 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches. While the game professes that more than one style of horror could be played, Dead of Night is geared towards playing out those campy “B” movies we watch with the lights turned low.

[...more]

Interview with Game Designer Jonathan Ridd

Posted on February 24, 2006 by

In this interview John tells us about the design and development of the the Dog Town RPG and a little about how the Split System works.

[...more]

Ghosts of Albion: Accursed Fiction Review

Posted on February 23, 2006 by

Ghosts of Albion: Accursed is the first full length novel in the Ghosts of Albion series by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden. Ghosts of Albion had been a wildly successful animation series appearing on the BBC Cult website, with Benson and Golden writing and Benson directing. While the animations set up the story at large, one does not need to be familiar with them to enjoy this story. The authors take great care to make sure that new readers are clued into the backstory. What one might miss out on is the internal voices you give the characters from the tale; it is difficult to imagine anyone else as the voice of Horatio Nelson other than Anthony Daniels (C-3P0 of Star Wars).

Review by Timothy S. Brannan

[...more]

Myth Hunters Book Review

Posted on February 23, 2006 by

THE MYTH HUNTERS is the first book of a new dark fantasy trilogy The Veil by award winning horror author Christopher Golden.

When referring to H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman has said that “Fantasy and Horror are linked…twin cities separated by a dark river.” He went on to describe Lovecraft as beginning as a dark alley way that grew into a major four-lane highway. To continue the metaphor, Christopher Golden’s THE MYTH HUNTERS is a dark path through the woods that both cities share. It is dark, twisting with half remembered tales and warnings from our childhood. There are creatures there, beautiful, fantastic and very deadly.

Review by Timothy S. Brannan

[...more]

Interview with Pagan Publishing President A. Scott Glancy

Posted on February 6, 2006 by

In this interview we talk about Delta Green and Call of Cthulhu and other upcoming products.

[...more]

Hostel Review

Posted on January 19, 2006 by

Paxton and Josh are two buddies from the US backpacking their way through Europe. On their journey they have picked up an Icelander named Oli, and together the trio have made it their mission to smoke as much pot and chase as much tail as possible. This incentive has lead them to a Slovakian hostel where something much more terrifying and gruesome awaits them than beautiful women. Unfortunately for the boys, in this city, foreigners are kidnapped and, for the right price, tormented and tortured by their buyers.

[...more]

Bloodrayne DVD Review

Posted on January 19, 2006 by

Bloodrayne the movie is an offshoot of the original console game. Upon seeing some of the trailers and hearing of the actors that were cast in this movie, it was a decision of mine and several friends to spend the $6.50 to see an afternoon showing of this movie. This was the worst $6.50 I spent this entire year.

[...more]

Interview with artist Jennifer Rodgers

Posted on January 17, 2006 by

Jennifer tells us about her work on a variety of projects, including RPGs, comic books and more!

[...more]

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Posted on January 12, 2006 by

Available on Amazon.com Released in September 2005 to a North American audience, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has been heralded as the stunning animé sequel to the Final Fantasy VII video game. I have not played Final Fantasy VII, but I have played other games within the Final Fantasy series. Watching this animé was like […]

[...more]

Interview with URN musician Dominic St. Charles

Posted on December 25, 2005 by

In this interview we talk about the band URN, its influences, adventures and upcoming releases.

[...more]

Interview with author Caitlin R. Kiernan

Posted on December 13, 2005 by

Caitlin tells us about some of her novels To Charles Fort and The Five of Cups. She also takes a trip down memory lane by telling us about her time in the band Death’s Little Sister.

[...more]

OctaNe RPG Review

Posted on November 30, 2005 by

Mad Max – what a trilogy. Dustbowl landscapes, battered old sedans, Australian accents and stubble. It had them all. Plenty of RPG’s have attempted to capture the post-apocalyptic genre in all its glory and few have fully succeeded. Introducing the latest contender: octaNe. Will it roar off into the healthy radioactive glow of sunset on wheels of fire, or will it get a razor-edged boomerang in the forehead?

By the way, the capital N is all part of the product identity. I thought it was going to stand for Nitro or something similar, but according to the introduction it just looks cool. Go figure. It kinda makes me want to pronounce the word oc-tay-NEH. Given the content of the game though, the odd grammar is well in-theme.

[...more]

Saw II Movie Review

Posted on November 11, 2005 by

The basic premise of Saw II is the same as Saw. I know, you’re shocked. Put people in a messed up situation, see if they can survive, and possibly…learn their lesson. Also, like its predecessor, the movie really only revolves around one of these messed up situations. That is, eight seemingly innocent people wake up to find themselves players in one of Jigsaw’s games. They’re all trapped in a room where deadly gas is being vented in. If they cannot find the various antidotes hidden throughout their surroundings they will die. Donnie Wahlberg is Eric Matthews, a washed up old cop, whose son, Daniel, is one of the players in Jigsaw’s latest game. It’s a game of survival, who will win?

[...more]

To Charles Fort, With Love Book Review

Posted on November 5, 2005 by

I’ve read a few reviews of this book that make statements like “Kiernan has finally found her voice,” or “this set of stories flow together so much better than [insert title of short story collection here].” I’m not completely sure that I agree. Granted, the lines that bind some of these stories together, or with her other novels like Threshold or Low Red Moon are a lot more sturdy, but to say that these stories are where Caitlin finally found her author’s voice just strikes me as a little misinformed. Caitlin’s had her voice for several years now, and while it may not be a shout, it is most certainly distinct and it carries.

[...more]

World of Darkness: Antagonists Review

Posted on November 4, 2005 by

Written by Pamela Collins, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Jonathan McFarland and Morgan A. McLaughlin with artwork provided by Sam Araya, Durwin Talon, Avery Butterworth, Michael Gaydos, Travis Ingram and James Cole, World of Darkness: Antagonists is a sleek, thin hardcover that offers both players and Storytellers a good look at three “generic” types of foils – the walking dead, mortal hunters, and organized (or not so organized) religious threats – as well as a toolbox for the generation of home-cooked antagonists to fit the needs of any chronicle, limited entirely by the imagination of the ST. While World of Darkness: Antagonists is written in a voice that speaks very directly to the ST, the book is most certainly a boon for the player who wants to give their character a nice, solid history and “flesh out” some of their Merits… in the case that you’ve got an Ally out there who happens to be a freelance witch-hunter, that is… and therefore works out a place for itself on both ST and player bookshelves.

[...more]

Interview with author Kelley Armstrong

Posted on November 3, 2005 by

The author of the Women of the Otherworld series tells about her writing, tells us why she likes werewolves and hands out a little advice for other authors.

[...more]

Dominion vs. Excorcist: the Beginning

Posted on November 1, 2005 by

For those unaware, this is the “alternate” version of the Exorcist prequel, directed by Paul Schraeder. It marks the first time in history that two entirely different versions of a film have been commissioned by a studio, and that both have seen major release (though Dominion’s theatrical release was far more limited than that of The Beginning.) Naturally, watching the films inevitably breeds comparison between the two. So which is a better film? Which is a better prequel? Are the two mutually exclusive or do they go hand-in-hand? Let’s see, shall we?

[...more]

Email Newsletter Sign Up

Click Here to Sign Up for FlamesRising.com's Weekly Newsletter.

You will receive horror and dark fantasy updates, news, and more once a week!


11 Tales of Ghostly Horror

    Reviews Wanted!

    The new Review Guidelines have been posted on the Flames Rising website. We are currently seeking a few good reviewers to help us expand our collection of horror and dark fantasy reviews. RPGs, fiction, movies, video games and more are all welcome on the site...

    What do you get out of it?

    Beyond helping out fellow Flames Rising readers by letting them know what you think of these products, we're giving away some pretty cool stuff. Regular Reviewers can earn free products to review, which is their to keep after the review is submitted to the site.

    Note: We are especially looking for folks interested in reviewing eBooks (both Fiction & Comics). We have lots of great titles in digital format and even get advance copies sometimes.

    Use the Contact Page to submit reviews or let us know if you have any questions.

    The Devil’s Night WoD SAS

    Free Devil's Night | White Wolf