A RED WINTER IN THE WEST by C. S. Humble Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Black Wells Series (Book 1: All These Subtle Deceits, Book 2: All thA RED WINTER IN THE WEST by C. S. Humble Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Black Wells Series (Book 1: All These Subtle Deceits, Book 2: All the Prospect Around Us and That Light Sublime Trilogy (Book 1: The Massacre at Yellow Hill)
General Genre: Supernatural, Cosmic/Cult, Horror, Western, Epic Adventure
Sub-Genre/Themes: Good vs. Evil/Light vs. Dark, Vampires & Werewolves, Cult/Worship, Friendship/Fellowship, Chosen Family, Love Conquers All, Humanity, Bravery
What You Need to Know: You need to know that there is so much more out there in the universe of books than what is traditionally published by agented authors. And it’s overwhelming to navigate the volume of new books that get released every month. The temptation would be to stay inside the lines of heavily marketed books by familiar names. But the terrible risk in doing that is missing some extremely talented writers putting everything they have into books that you might fall in love with.
If you enjoy investing in characters with your whole heart and that feeling of being whisked away into the setting of the book you’re reading, and if you love it when the stakes are impossibly high because evil is so great but there are fellowships of good people banding together to save each other and mankind, these are for you.
My Reading Experience: To have the fullest reading experience, it’s important to read Book 1, The Massacre at Yellow Hill. Book 1 introduces readers to primary characters you will invest in wholeheartedly. I’d even go as far as to say this could be marketed as an epic coming-of-age Western/Horror simply because one of the main protagonists grows up right on the page. And you know how I feel about my coming-of-age horror. It’s safe to say, Carson Ptolemy lives in my reader’s heart.
So yes, book 1 is an important set-up for the story and optimum emotional investment. Similar to the way the Lord of the Rings trilogy is lined up, book 1 brings to light an insidious darkness growing in power. Readers will witness the beginning stages of this evil threat and how the characters we will come to know and love, will eventually band together. The fellowship, if you will. And if you’re at all familiar with LOTR, you know that book 2 is the harrowing journey toward facing unadulterated evil. A Red Winter in the West does not hold back. Prepare to lose your heart along the way. But also, just allow it. The chapters have important headings so that you know where you are in the story as it follows different groups of characters as they are handling their individual conflicts that will ultimately converge. There are multiple enemies and several heroes with strong leaders in both camps. The best part is the storytelling–it moves along at the perfect pace. There aren’t any lags or filler, or unnecessary details, everything feels intentional and significant; a well-plotted tale. Every gut punch is like a heat-seeking missile…Humble never misses the mark. Another attractive aspect of this trilogy is the conversations and the way people gather around a meal, or smoke their pipes, or some other intimate activity of community to have deep, meaningful conversations. The dialogue always feels so demonstrative of the individual characters, revealing their heart and motivations. They all sound different too. Humble knows how to give his characters a unique voice. When new characters are introduced, they are memorable to the reader–not burdensome. Some books have a growing cast list of faceless, voiceless people who add nothing to the forward movement of the story, but in these books, everyone serves a purpose. I could go on, but really, it will get too spoilery. The best part of reading these books is the emotional return on your investment and all the reading discoveries that await you.
Final Recommendation: That Light Sublime Trilogy is like if Ray Bradbury, Joe Lansdale, and Stephen King combined their styles to write The Lord of the Rings. Horror with heart and soul. "Humble writes with rare passion in the tradition of Robert E. Howard and a young Stephen King." - Laird Barron, author of The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All
Comps: The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King–Epic Adventure/Weird Western/Loveable Characters, This trilogy is like a Western ‘Salem’s Lot + The Lord of the Rings (but with Vampires and werewolves instead of Orcs and An evil, cosmic deity worshipping cult instead of a Necromancer & his followers) there are even some elements of The Chronicles of Narnia, with evil ushering in eternal winter and the destruction of mankind so that ghouls and monsters can rule.
THE LIGHT OF A BLACK STAR (Book 3 in The Light Sublime Trilogy) by C. S. Humble
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: All These Subtle Deceits, All theTHE LIGHT OF A BLACK STAR (Book 3 in The Light Sublime Trilogy) by C. S. Humble
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: All These Subtle Deceits, All the Prospect Around Us, The Massacre at Yellow Hill, A Red Winter in the West
Release Date: November 2023
General Genre: Horror, Adventure Western Sub-Genre/Themes: Secret cult, cosmic horror, vampires, friendship, loyalty, epic battle against oppressive evil, romance
Writing Style: Multiple POV, short chapters, fast pace, character-driven, lush/accessible prose written with purpose and intention, intricately plotted
What You Need to Know: The Light of A Black Star is the epic climax and conclusion in a trilogy. It’s important to read the other two books before this one, The Massacre at Yellow Hill and A Red Winter in the West. The Light Sublime Trilogy begins with the outbreak of evil in a small town and meets a cast of characters for the first time but ultimately follows for the rest of the story spanning over three books. Also, you need to know that you are going to lose your heart and find it again in these pages.
My Reading Experience: One of the things that makes this trilogy so good is the full sweep of the plot. I feel like I have gone somewhere. A real journey. I’ve compared it to my time with The Dark Tower series by Stephen King and the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien. Following characters that feel very real to you on a high-stakes quest through multiple books is a unique and memorable experience that doesn’t happen all the time. It's a treasure.
I started in book one, met all of these characters, invested in their stories - their mission - their survival, and then I went on the road with them. We traveled together on horses with names. We developed a purpose and headed off toward our destination. I listened to important conversations. I heard worries and hopes whispered in secret. The characters I fell in love with experienced loss, heartache, fear, and pain. Some of them don’t make it to the next book and it’s devastating. Their journey ends but we keep moving on. I’ve read pages where the words kept getting blurry and I would have to stop and wait for the tears to dry up. Sometimes I would just put a bookmark in and let the weight of sadness steep. I held my breath as evil lurked and hunted. And not just any evil–oppressive darkness from all sides capable of horrible acts of depravity. It’s terrifying and torturing. I held on to my hopes that my favorite characters would be okay (even when I knew they wouldn’t be) Sometimes the characters endured but they were changed. I had to learn to trust the author’s ability to tell the story the way it needed to be told. I developed some serious literary crushes. One of our main protagonists, Carson Ptolemy took his rightful place in my reader’s heart very early on, and he’s still there now–but I will confess that another character, Ashley Sutliff, shows up on the page and claims his own retail space as well. Major crush. He shines bright in this last book with his wit, charm, and confidence. Plus he’s a hero–this trilogy is full of them. Gilbert, Annie, Sarah, Sven. Annie. I need to make sure I mention my favorite character arc. Annie Miller is just a child in book one, like Carson, but by the end, through trial and tribulation, the quest has fashioned her into a woman; strong and beautiful–capable of anything. I love her. And I love, love. And that’s what this whole trilogy is about. Love.
"And do you know what helped me work through the loss of my brightest light? "No." Reverend Callum leaned close to the boy. "All the other lights around me. All the people who loved me. Even though my wife was gone, those other lights shined bright enough that eventually the darkness of my sorrow became the shadow of my happiness. And from there, following love's illimitable light, I found joy again.” -The Massacre at Yellow Hill
Final Recommendation: My only real wish is that more readers would experience this trilogy for themselves. It’s not a Western in the way people think about it–it’s a Western in setting, and people ride horses and shoot guns, but a more accurate description would be to say it’s a Horror Adventure. An epic, emotional journey. And characters are waiting inside these books that deserve to be added to your reader’s heart.
Comps: The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King–Epic Adventure/Weird Western/Loveable Characters, This trilogy is like a Western ‘Salem’s Lot + The Lord of the Rings (but with Vampires & Werewolves instead of Orcs and An evil, cosmic deity worshipping cult instead of a Necromancer & his followers) there are even some elements of The Chronicles of Narnia, with evil ushering in an eternal winter and the destruction of mankind so that ghouls and monsters can rule....more
I'm so excited to share my reading experience of THE FERVOR at Cemetery Dance soon! I'm so excited to share my reading experience of THE FERVOR at Cemetery Dance soon! ...more
Look for my review at Cemetery Dance soon. But I will say if you have been waiting for McMahon to return to that same kind of psychological thriller, Look for my review at Cemetery Dance soon. But I will say if you have been waiting for McMahon to return to that same kind of psychological thriller, dark mystery, horror adjacent vibe she had going on with The Winter People, this is your ticket. I loved this....more
The Pussy Detective. A title like this elicits a response; an invite to engage right off the bat. For some, it’s off-putting because of the p-word. Others see the title and the amazing retro-inspired artwork and pull the trigger. Some people think it’s a joke or a parody.
“Wait, this book is about women who have lost their pussy and some detective helps them find it?”
That’s exactly right.
And initial reactions are fine. It’s what readers do with those knee-jerk responses that I want to address. Just to set early expectations, this is not a critical review of The Pussy Detective but more of my own, personal reading experience as part of my entire journey to be a curator of quality fiction that other readers can rely on to help them navigate through new book releases.
I have learned that I approach books with a set of built-in biases that either help or hinder my ability to find books I will enjoy. Book cover design is probably the biggest influence followed by a plethora of other contributing factors like genre, synopsis, and word-of-mouth buzz. In the case of The Pussy Detective, for me, it was the publisher CLASH Books.
I’m a huge CLASH fan and I trust the owners, Leza Cantoral and Christoph Paul, to publish quality, inspired, and fresh fiction. Their mission statement reads,
To publish awesome and engaging books that transcend labels and break boundaries. We put the lit in literary. That’s a great mission, right? I’m sure every reader looks at this pledge and gets excited about all the potential for greatness.
However.
It’s transactional.
CLASH cannot publish “engaging books” without readers willing to engage.
They can’t “transcend labels” if readers use labels to qualify books.
They can’t “break boundaries” if readers fight to uphold them.
So.
The Pussy Detective by DuVay Knox is an experience waiting to be had and readers just need to show up and be willing to have that experience.
Knox is writing with his own lexicon. As an example, I have pulled a quote from an interview about this book that was published at LitReactor
Mah language is actually how I speek. Imma southern nigga and dats how we role werds. I aint neva been to koncerned bout wut literature purists say bout how u SHOOD write. I kan doo dat and have DONE dat actually and won JOBS/CONTESTS n shit. Butt dat type-a-KINGS ENGLISH writing to mee is like COOKING wit No SEASONING. And Im frum New Orleans so mah ass BETTA kno how 2 COOK/if nuthing else!! Writing is like making GUMBO. U gotta SEASON dat shit jes rite. True not errybody will like wut U cook–butt I aint afta dem doe no way. The Pussy Detective isn’t just some bullshit. It’s not a parody or “dark erotica.” Those are labels and labels come with expectations formed from biases, preferences, and assumptions.
It absolutely doesn’t have to be anyone’s cup of tea but on the other hand, it doesn’t owe anybody anything. This is the kind of art that exists because people believe in its importance and readers can agree or disagree but reading it with an open mind is the requirement in order to communicate a valid opinion on the matter. This reader’s opinion is that I enjoyed my experience in Reverend Daddy Hoodoo’s world. I believe DuVay Knox is an important voice that deserves to be heard and I hope he gets to publish a series of Pussy Detective novels. I think Knox has a lot of stories to tell and only he can tell them so I’m glad the industry is giving him the space and the opportunity to do that because there is an audience ready to enjoy them....more
Review originally published at Cemetery Dance: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... .. Isabel Cañas’ striking debut, The Hacienda, is a historical, GReview originally published at Cemetery Dance: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... .. Isabel Cañas’ striking debut, The Hacienda, is a historical, Gothic horror novel enticing readers with a compelling haunted house tale while making a grab for hearts with a love story nestled in its core.
Beatriz is a fierce, wildly independent woman with ambition who sets her sights well above her lowly station. Beatriz and her mother were forced to move in with a family member after her father dies in Mexico’s War of Independence.
One night, she meets a wealthy widower and immediately decides that he is her ticket out of their dire situation. They marry and she is whisked off to the estate of her dreams.
The reality of her new life becomes uncertain as soon as she arrives at Hacienda San Isidro.
This is where the big “Rebecca” vibes enter the room! The fantasies of the idyllic marriage to a wealthy, powerful man and living a life of luxury in his beautiful estate begin to dissipate.
The author does an amazing job painting a vivid sense of place. She describes the landscape and the hacienda with intricate details so that the reader feels they are touring the grounds right alongside Beatriz as she sees her new home for the first time.
Cañas leans into classic Gothic traditions by immersing the reader in the narrative; wrapping luscious prose in a cloak of dark, haunting atmosphere with that glorious sense of doom and gloom. It’s utterly mesmerizing to the point of never wanting to separate from its grip. Plan to spend long hours in this book.
The unexpected aspects of this book are best left for readers to discover on their own but it’s important to mention that investment in the characters is at a premium, especially Padre Andrés.
The Hacienda is an exciting debut because it masterfully selects the best parts of several horror sub-genres and works them together to create something altogether unique and hauntingly magical. This is a must read and Isabel Cañas is one to watch....more
(I don't rate books with stars-Please read the review) Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... “La(I don't rate books with stars-Please read the review) Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... “Last night I dreamed of Storm Break, dear Lillian, for the first time since we escaped that salt place.”
June Vogel returns to her family’s estate on the Oregon Coast after being away for six years. In the tradition of all atmospheric, Gothic storytelling, Wendy Wagner sets the stage perfectly in the prologue, hinting at family tragedy and secrets that will be revealed in time. But with only one hundred pages used to tell the tale, readers don’t have to wait long.
In fact, June’s first night back in the house is quite eventful, complete with a creepy child that says things like, “You must really be my Aunt if the house is trying to kill you too.”
Wagner gives her audience a sweeping tour of the grounds, including the Vogel family sawmill and surrounding forest as June’s new relationship with her niece, Abigail (the creepy child) deepens. It’s clear that Abigail and June would much rather be outside Storm Break instead of inside. Which, to be fair, is indicative of living in the Pacific Northwest and needing to spend as much time as possible outdoors if it’s not raining.
Eventually, June’s brother Frederick and his new wife come to Storm Break and the dynamic between all the characters changes once again — more secrets, new feelings surfacing, and the possibility for danger. It is positively delicious. This is sometimes the downside of novellas; they are exactly the number of pages they need to be — nothing more, nothing less. But, they could be novels. The Secret Skin could be a four hundred page doorstopper of a book and readers would be happy to spend countless hours wandering the haunted halls of Storm Break.
Alas, the journey does end and with it comes a feeling of longing and desire that lingers well after the last page. I loved all the supernatural elements, the magic and the unpredictability of The Secret Skin.
I will show up for anything Wendy Wagner writes. Her prose is lush and decadent. There is so much to hold on to and it’s so easy to invest in the fictional lives of her characters. Definitely a new favorite author....more
THE MASSACRE AT YELLOW HILL (Book 1: That Light Sublime Trilogy) You can listen to me READ this review: https://open.substack.com/pub/sadieha... Other bTHE MASSACRE AT YELLOW HILL (Book 1: That Light Sublime Trilogy) You can listen to me READ this review: https://open.substack.com/pub/sadieha... Other books I’ve enjoyed/recommended: The Black Wells Series Books 1 & 2 Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978158767... Release Date: April 17th, 2023 General Genre: BISAC Categories: Horror - General, Westerns - General Subgenre/Themes: Western, Supernatural/Vampires, Creature-Feature, Occult, Small Town Horror, Coming-of-Age Writing Style: Multiple POV, short chapters, fast pace, character-driven, lush/accessible prose written with purpose and intention, intricately plotted
What You Need to Know: I am the editor-in-chief of Dark Hart Books, publisher of Humble’s Black Wells Series which means I stand behind C. S. Humble’s work as a publisher, a Bram Stoker Awards nominated editor, and the author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered. Cemetery Dance stands with me behind That Light Sublime Trilogy and basically, what I’m telling you in my loudest voice possible, is that Humble’s work is not only worth your time, it’s worth prominent retail space on your shelves and worth opening your reader’s heart because that, my friends, are where these characters will live in perpetuity.
My Reading Experience: Goddamn it if this book didn’t catch me hard in the feels, again! I already read this book when it was self-published. I knew what to expect going into this a second time but there was something different about returning to these characters after knowing everything that I know (yes, I’ve read the whole trilogy). I’d like to use this time to remind anyone reading this that it’s not a review, it’s a response. It’s my heart glowing. My brain fired up. It’s me trying to explain the way this book made me feel alive and excited and emotional and this is just me organically trying to put these things into words so that you can decide for yourselves if this is something you want to enjoy for yourself. I’m not great at explaining why an author’s storytelling works for me or not but what I can share is that this is character-driven work. A lot of intention and purpose went into the craftsmanship of creating characters with authenticity. These characters act independently from one another with their own motivations, their own emotions, reactions, voices, and opinions, all the things that make each person special and uniquely them are accounted for. Nobody is a stand-in. Not one person in this story given a name is wasted. And the main protagonists are fucking real. They are actively doing things while they’re talking to each other. They’re making coffee, lighting a pipe, brushing their horses…they have tears, they tuck in their shirts, and their eyes are scanning the room or conveying emotions to one another. The author is busy recording everything they’re saying and doing. The barroom is a place. The Miller family lives in a house. The mine shaft has lighting along the walls, am I doing a good job explaining how intricately and carefully this story has been crafted? The chapters serve the purpose of propelling the action forward, they’re succinct, organized, and fluid. The backstories of our favorite characters are exactly where they need to be at the perfect time. I mean, sometimes our participation, as readers, in a very well-written book, is a reminder of what quality feels like while you’re reading it. You can suddenly be struck with the realization that this is how storytelling is supposed to be. An author has the ability, the skills, to lift the reader up and out of themselves and set them down in another world, another time, to live other lives as people in the middle of a supernatural horror Western. We get to wonder what terrible thing has taken up residence inside a mine. We meet a family crushed by grief and devastating loss. A woman, Tabitha now a widow with a young son, Georgie, and a daughter, Annie.
“Dunes of sand rolled out forever. Hundreds of miles of beach and not a drop of ocean. That is what her life had become. All grit and no salve. But sadness wouldn’t win today. She told herself. She had to find a way to stop crying in front of the children, even when it was hard. If they were going to work past their father’s death, if they were ever going to find that strength in themselves, they had to see it in her first.”
The Millers. It’s terrifying how much I fell in love with this family the second time around, they’re all treasured-up in my heart. You will also experience the love between an orphan boy named Carson adopted, loved, and cared for by a man named Gilbert Ptolemy. They are on a journey to save the world. Maybe my most beloved trope of all time, an older, wiser, hardened man looking after a child who is alone in this world (this is where I could list them all but I’m thinking specifically of Roland and Jake, Joel and Ellie, Eleven and Hopper, etc.). And if all of this isn’t enough (it is) there’s also epic fucking horror. Vampires, some kind of Hell-beasts, a secret society of the occult, an ancient tome that drives people insane, and the most horrific vampire, Sigurd of Antioch. The only people that we know of who can stop all of this madness? The characters we’re in love with. So, hold on to your heart in your chest.
Final Recommendation: Um, buy this fucking book and then the next two. Comps: Like if King, Lansdale, McMurtry, Tolkien, and Lewis smashed their voices together to write a horror Western....more
APACHE WITCH And Other Poetic Observations by Joe R. Lansdale was released as an exclusive, limited, hardcover edition printed by Independent Legions APACHE WITCH And Other Poetic Observations by Joe R. Lansdale was released as an exclusive, limited, hardcover edition printed by Independent Legions for The Last Bookstore. Joe R. Lansdale was generous enough to send me a digital file to read this summer and now that the exclusive editions have been released into the wild to collectors, I can mention that there are only 5 copies left available here: https://www.shopthelastbookstore.com/...
Thank you to Kasey Lansdale for sending me one of the 180+ original copies. This is an absolute must-have for any Lansdale fan & collector. Joe's poetry is a delight. If I wasn't laughing or cracking a sly grin, I was either wiping away a rogue tear or bookmarking the poem for later. In any event, this collection moved me emotionally. Lansdale has a simple way of saying just the right things.
PERSPECTIVE Writing and reading seem like/ the greatest things in the world/ and nothing matches them/ until your loved one calls you to bed/
Sex > Reading/Writing. Truth! Ha!
Lansdale also dips into his prolific experience with horror to deliver dark poetry that slaps you in the face.
I HATE IT
I hate it, The way you won't talk. sitting there in your chair, for so long now, with my axe in your head.
BOOM!! And there is just a full range of poetry for every kind of emotion. I enjoyed my time here so much. I love how accessible and relatable it all is and it reminds me that we don't have to put on airs or use flowery language to communicate a thought or a feeling to one another through lyrical prose. It can be simple. Straight forward. Means what it says and says what it means. What else do you want from a poetry collection?...more
(I don't rate books with stars-Please read the review) . Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... . I(I don't rate books with stars-Please read the review) . Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... . In this young adult, coming-of-age horror novella, AJ Franks imagines what life would look like for a teenage boy with an actual spider-face. The story unfolds rather quickly with the protagonist, Jeff Pritchet, struggling to lead a normal life but realizing that nothing will be easy for a boy with his unique condition. At school, Jeff befriends “the new kid” which introduces a combination of subtle queer themes and very heavy-handed racism.
Jeff’s parents and the parents of his new friend are disapproving of their boys hanging out together. Things escalate quickly as the story winds down to its violent climax. Franks leaves the door open for the potential to position this novella as an origin story in order to develop a certain storyline further.
Due to the style of the writing and the use of familiar body horror tropes, The Boy with the Spider Face would have maybe been better served as a graphic novel. The descriptions of Jeff’s mutations, like an emerging thorax, were tough to visualize, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps with their own imagination. It was confusing to understand how Jeff’s human form and arachnid parts functioned as a whole. Equally confusing were Jeff’s parents. The character development just didn’t have enough time in the oven for readers to buy into some of the over-the-top hostility and violence, again suggesting this story would make a kick-ass comic. As a novella, it just falls really short of reader expectations. ...more
Cackle by Rachel Harrison is a mixed bag of emotions. The story centers on Annie Crane, a woman looking for a fresh start after her boyfriend moves their relationship into the friendzone. She leaves the city for a quaint, little rental in a small town.
Things do not go well. Annie is consumed with her feelings about the break-up and her new job at the local high school is only adding to her lack of self-esteem. None of her new co-workers make her feel welcomed and the students in her class are not cooperative.
Then she meets Sophie and everything begins to change.
First of all, I want to set some early expectations here. I don’t know why Amazon has this book under “vampire fiction” because there are no vampires. Don’t come to Cackle looking for any blood-suckage. But can I interest you in some cozy Witch-Lit?
As Sophie and Annie’s friendship develops, it becomes increasingly obvious there is something different about Sophie. Annie takes note of how the townspeople engage with her new friend; the way people seem almost frightened by her. Annie is utterly mesmerized by Sophie’s charisma but also a little thrown off by how intense she is about everything.
Honestly, Sophie’s behavior toward Annie gave me anxiety. As an introvert who enjoys my own company and a low level of social commitments, the way Sophie courts Annie for friendship is a lot. There are invites for breakfast, trips to the café, so many tokens of affection and gestures of kindness, even an invite for an overnighter after just a few days. Not to mention, Sophie clearly wears her neediness for a bestie on her sleeve. I felt like the author did an amazing job communicating how exhilarating all of that attention can be while, at the same time, how overwhelming it would be. I think some women were made for that level of intimacy between friends and seem to thrive in situations where there is daily interaction, but I felt validated by Annie’s hesitancy to jump into it with the enthusiasm Sophie was expecting.
This book is really about Annie and the rollercoaster of emotions she goes through during the course of this novel. Themes of self-care and personal introspection. Setting healthy boundaries in relationships. The process of learning to love yourself in any setting-alone or moving through life with a partner.
Layered into Annie’s journey of self-discovery is the story of Sophie and why she’s so unique. It’s a lot of fun because it never really crosses into dark horror territory. Harrison keeps this tale pretty light, all things considered. This is the perfect kind of book for readers who like to read something a little spooky and dark for October but aren’t really looking for traditional horror scares. I enjoyed this one and had it perfectly cast with actors who fit the various roles for the movie that played in my mind while I was reading. So much fun....more
(I don't rate books with stars-please read the review) . Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... . A(I don't rate books with stars-please read the review) . Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... . As far as this reader knows, The House of Little Bones is Beverley Lee’s first novella-length release. At just under two hundred pages, fans of Lee’s literary prose and gothic storytelling style will love this fast-paced chiller.
David Lansdown is a popular British author accustomed to life in the public eye. Privately, he has fallen in love with his publisher’s son, Luca. In a momentary lapse of judgment, their taboo relationship is discovered and David’s publicist sends him away to a house on a desolate moor in order to weather the media storm of his scandal.
Lee does an excellent job developing the main characters in order for readers to invest in their situation. The element of forbidden love between David and Luca adds to the supernatural tension building as the story progresses.
The narrative splits into two points of view, David trying to settle into “Bone Hollow” but feeling like he’s not alone, and Luca desperately trying to make sure his lover is safe even though they have been forced apart.
As much as I enjoy burning through a horror novella, there are aspects of this story that felt hurried. Since the story begins with Luca and David being driven away from each other, the reader isn’t privy to their chemistry or dynamic which makes their relationship feel a little flat.
Also, the story within the story about the origins of Bone Crone is my favorite part,but I was left wondering if the placement of that narrative would have better served the atmosphere had it prefaced our tale rather than closed it. I’m not sure. In any case, Beverley Lee is one of my favorite storytellers. She has a vivid, dark imagination and I always know I’m going to get something creepy and menacing when I read her books. The House of Little Bones is the perfect one-sitting read on a dark and stormy night — just pray the lights stay on....more
(I don't rate books with stars-Please read the review) Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... .. T(I don't rate books with stars-Please read the review) Review originally published at Cemetery Dance Online: https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/... .. There are so many important themes to unpack in V. Castro’s The Queen of the Cicadas, that I almost don’t know where to start. First, I’ll entice you with some plot details. There is a dual narrative which involves a present-day wedding ceremony at a farmhouse and a story from the past that takes place at the same location.
The narrative taking place in the 1950s hits close to home for me. Milagros is a migrant farmworker in rural Texas. My own grandfather, Isaac Solis, left Monterrey, Mexico, with his family and worked their way through Texas picking everything from peaches to bell peppers. My mom tells a story of a man approaching my great-grandfather to see if he could buy my Papa Isaac at nine years old to work a farm several miles away from the farm where his family worked. My great-grandfather agreed and he was taken away. Story has it he ran all the way back in the middle of the night and when my grandmother saw him, she wouldn’t let him be taken again.
In The Queen of Cicadas, Castro tells the story of Milagros, a woman working at a farm who finds herself the target of hate. Her dangerous predicament escalates despite her efforts to flee. In a moment of extreme brutality (that honestly felt like Jesus symbolism to me) the Aztec goddess of Death, Mict?cacihu?tl, supernaturally infuses herself with Milagros’ spirit to avenge her murder and exact revenge.
Excuse me, but it’s fucking awesome.
From here, this narrative takes on a life of its own in the style of other urban legend horror stories like Candyman or La Llorona.
In the present day narrative, Belinda and her new friend Hector (the owner of the legendary farmhouse) are hell-bent on learning the origin story for the Queen of the Cicadas. I must admit, I enjoyed my time in the past so much more than the present and always felt a little impatient to get back to that story. Not that I was disinterested in Belinda, but I did feel like that narrative didn’t feel as intricately plotted as the other story so the tension was muddled.
By the end of this book, readers will have a strong sense of who V. Castro is as a writer and the stories she will continue to tell. It’s an exciting journey that I’m excited to be on so I can experience the magic of Castro’s universe and her cast of kick ass, strong women characters....more
A man named Cabot, seriously lacking in self-awareness and full of privilege, is looking for his son and estranged wife in a small town called Rookfield. Leana apparently fled to the small town under marital duress. It’s suggested that perhaps Cabot and Leana didn’t see eye to eye when it came to the ways they would be handling the pandemic and the protection of their son’s health and safety.
Cabot finds himself in the center of some unusual circumstances but, honestly, they are of his own making. Narrated by a character who views the world through his own skewed lens, the book forces the reader to filter Cabot’s experiences through a fact check.
Once Cabot is reunited with his family, the question lingers heavy in the air: Will he learn to accept things the way they are or will he continue to believe his own narrative and risk everything? In contrast, Rookfield citizens take the pandemic very seriously but there’s something just below the surface that has nothing to do with the current health crisis.
White spins a truly compelling yarn but by the end of this story, I was left wanting more. While I appreciated the way the author crafted an eerie atmosphere layered with unsettling dread, I was let down by ambiguity. I wanted to spend more time with the town of Rookfield and its strange citizens. I desired a backstory on the totems, maybe a detailed account of some folklore, or a tour of the township.
I will seek out other stories by Gordon B. White and I’m excited that I own As Summer’s Mask Slips and Other Disruptions. I would recommend Rookfield to horror fans that enjoy cultish, small-town horrors and eerie secrets. ...more
Despite the fact that she is still emotionally recovering from the violent murder of her roommate and best friend by a suspected serial killer, Charlie Jordan accepts a rideshare request from a young man she’s never seen around campus before.
Readers will need to suspend copious amounts of disbelief in order to enjoy this ride, but it’s possible; for curiosity’s sake.
Riley Sager obviously knows how to write bestselling thrillers. There are four successful hits prior to Survive the Night, none of which I had read before, and the hype is real. Determined to hop on the bandwagon of Sager fans, Survive the Night was going to be my ticket in. Except, unfortunately, I’m still waiting at the station.
Let me unpack this carefully and without any spoilers (which will be extremely difficult because most of my issues with this book are the plot holes).
Much of this story takes place in a car with this young woman, Charlie, and the “stranger danger” driver, Josh Baxter. Knowing what we know prior to this trip, there are zero good reasons for Charlie to have put herself in this situation so the author must convince readers that she is somehow…dun-dun-dun… unreliable.
The thriller genre’s oldest trick. Or maybe it’s a relatively new trick? Regardless, in the last ten years or so, thrillers have leaned into the unreliable woman trope (think: Gone Girl, The Woman in the Window, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Girl on the Train). These women are mentally unstable and their perception of reality can’t be trusted. Did she see what she saw? Did she hear what she thought she heard? Was she too drunk, tired, emotional, or hormonal to have a firm grasp on her circumstances?
In Survive the Night, Charlie’s bizarre mental condition isn’t a convincing enough reason for her to be so self-sabotaging. In fact, character development is not a strong suit here at all so it’s difficult to invest in this story beyond just a casual curiosity to see what happens.
Charlie and Josh initiate different topics of conversation to alleviate obvious tension. He clearly thinks that she’s scared of him and he’s trying to set her mind at ease and she is constantly trying to bait him into revealing his true identity…a serial killer whose recent victim was Charlie’s best friend and who has killed at least two college students prior to that.
The problem is that Charlie slips in and out of these cinematic episodes that feel like she’s living in a horror movie, but the truth is that she’s just “zoning out.” When she snaps out of it, she has no concept of how much time she has lost or what actually transpired while she was starring in these movie fantasies.
It’s about as believable as it sounds. In fact, none of the characters in this book have any real motivations or purpose for doing the things they do. It doesn’t bring me any kind of satisfaction to run this book through the shredder but this is truly my honest reading experience. I was very disappointed. Thriller fans are bound to have a good time with this one despite any of the issues I had with the story and the characters solely because of plot twists and reveals, right? Such is the nature of thrillers. The *thrill* of finding out what happened or who did it. And Survive the Night comes equipped with plenty of those.
But for me, the premise of the story is tissue paper thin. The heavy reveals and twists are not supported and therefore feel a little ridiculous....more
Loading...
