Book Review: Reliquary

Reliquary 

by Hannah Whitten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Public service announcement: Reliquary is very firmly in the horror genre. If you have read Hannah Whitten before and come here for Reliquary please be forewarned that there is a good helping of gore, Lovecraftian elements, torture, cannibalism (minor), panic, terror, dread, and more. The overall feeling of the story will possibly create a continued dread in your mind that may affect you during and after reading.

Whitten has really surprised me here. I expected some excellent writing (of course) from her, a slight bump up on some gore from her gothic romance stories, and maybe a creature or two that was slightly scary. Instead I got sooo much more! I had a couple of ick moments, my usual aversion to cannibalism, some genuine shock at the deaths, and a whole lot of Lovecraft Cthulhu vibes. I’m very pleased to report that Reliquary delivers across the board in ways I did not expect. Not every author can make the jump to horror and have it feel genuine. Building an atmosphere is one thing, but delivering one that also has a complex plot, engaging characters, and creates a sense of dread is quite impressive.

I really don’t want to say much else as part of the tension that builds is not knowing what the heck is going on. Hang in there on this one if you can because it’s so much more fun if you don’t know what is coming.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: The Iron Hex

The Iron Hex 

by Victoria S. Walsh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This should have been a YA/Teen novel. Then it might have stood a chance or at least the prose feeling juvenile could be explained.

The overall plot, for me, felt is all a bit too parallel to major moments in our history. Something I rarely complain about; but on reflection maybe it’s just because it’s written in an obvious vernacular(?). Walsh combines a princess everyone thinks is dead (Russia’sAnastasia) during a take-over from a charismatic leader who (seemingly) speaks for the people by putting all their woes on one group of people, the witches. (Nazi Germany). None of these ideas are unique and many have been reused dozens of times; but here it just felt less cohesive and more like the plot points were stolen and dropped into a story just to be there.

For me,it’s a sad reality, that Walsh shows she is a debut writer. All you’d need to do to make this a YA book is take out 6 pages of awkward, poorly written sex. It was like someone told Walsh ‘thou shalt add a sex scene’ and so she did. The scene lacks any true tension, passion, and desire. It also lacked genuine check-ins or moments of concern for one another. Walsh tried to hit these but somehow they felt manufactured and not fluid for me. Thus, The Iron Hex fell flat for me and by the end I realized I just didn’t care about the cliffhanger or any of the characters.

It doesn’t help that I predicted every single one of the reveals. The first two, we get midway through the story, are very obvious, so I barely consider them reveals. A novel is a bit of a locked room mystery; you only have as many possible outcomes or people to blame as you have introduced (unless you have a cheap ending which is worse!). Therefore your reveals need to be clever, and I think one of them could have been if there had been a bit more backstory on a couple of characters. What is important is, in the end, everything has to come together in a good fantasy novel and it just doesn’t here.

When you are writing and being shelved next to the likes of Sanderson, Yarros, Stewart, Gwynne, and more the bar is high and so your quality needs to be at a higher level as well. Maybe that’s not totally fair, but the reality is that to be classified in the Romantasy adult genre these days, there’s competition abound. Whereas, over in teen, you can survive a few juvenile moments because it’s understood that your story needs to remain ‘cleaner’ (if you will) and maybe your prose can be at a level that doesn’t require the polish and lyricism I love in a good fantasy novel. That’s not to say YA can’t be amazing, as it can; it’s just to say that the genre affords a couple of compromises that could have benefited Walsh.

I’m stepping away from The Iron Hex knowing I won’t carry forward in this series. The characters became flatter (when they should get bulkier) as time went by for me and the plot is just not that unique enough. I highly recommend passing this one by and instead picking up Andrea Stewart’s Bone Shard Daughter trilogy. It feels somewhat similar, but in that series the romance is taut, the magic is costly, and the politics don’t feel borrowed from my junior high textbook.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: What the Woods Took

What the Woods Took 

by Courtney Gould
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank goodness for a great narrator! I might never have made it to the end without the brilliant narrator in this audiobook. I had both a print copy and an audiobook I was swapping between. In the end I probably listened to more than half on the audio (which is unusual for me). Here’s the thing, this is young adult. Now I don’t mean teen, or the kind of YA that appeals to adults in many ways (myself included). This is clearly a, I have a moral purpose and reason to exist YA, and only those who need me at the right point in their life are going to want me.

I’m glad books like this exist. Ones that conceptualize evil and monsters for kids and teens and make something that can be fought back against. Even the most intangible of traumas, once made into ‘real’ things, can be healed or overcome in some way. What the Woods Took is about a number of different traumas, but at its core for me, it was really about fighting back the despair and loss of suicide. While each of our teens has drastically different circumstances, some more horrific than others, all of them have considered if life is worth living. Or what a worthwhile life might look like in the future. And thus at the core of this novel I believe Courtney Gould is having a conversation with teens about how it gets better. Something I tell every single teen I ever meet. It truly does get better. Not perfect, not even easy, but things do improve in ways you maybe can’t even really understand until you leave high school, leave home, create your own life and narrative to walk along.

Therefore, much as I felt this was a slog for me I get why it should exist. And I hope it lands in the hands of the children or teens, or even adults, that need it. The horror here is monster-like, but it’s also intangible in that living is hard, for everyone. We all fight our own internal battles and each of us has to choose to get up in the morning and carry forward because there are even better things to experience that come our way and those things are well worth the agony that can come from past experiences.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals and Revenge

A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge
by Kate Khavari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous instalment, thankfully. It is always a nice break to visit a series in which you know the cast of characters and what to (mostly) expect.

We get a lot of the family dynamics that have been alluded to in previous books in this one. Head-on, daily encounters with Saffron's mother, grandmother, and others in the family household. There are schemes and opinions abound, but of course none of that really matters to Alexander and Saffron.

I did feel that Saffron was a bit too sneaky at times and certainly undervalued Alexander in this one. She takes advantage of him in a way that doesn't sit quite right for me given their committed relationship. That said, he has excuses for why; it's just too bad that she wasn't upfront with him. The final question will come down to whether he can forgive her or not, which I will not spoil for you; but I will confirm is resolved by the end one way or another.

The actual mysteries to solve here are interesting. I was a bit meh on the ghost medium at first. Eventually I did start to appreciate how clever she seems. Her partner and others involved are all just side pieces, but each plays a key part of the overall story and each brings something different to the table. I wouldn't say these are 'well' developed characters, but they were enough for me given their throw away nature.

This fourth installment of the series is a bit more melancholy than the others. None of it really takes place at the school. It's surrounded by lies, awful family, and those who are no longer with them (many of them because of the war). So be prepared that 'cozy' here has some real undertones of sadness.

Overall, this is a much better installment than the last, and the ending (of course) has a cliffhanger that will have me grabbing book five when I need a cozy break again in the future. I do appreciate that, by and large, Kate Khavari delivers on exactly what I expect from these books. Nothing more, but nothing less, and that works just fine for me.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This rating is causing a huge conundrum for me.
On one hand I LOVED all the supporting characters, possible love interests, friends, etc. I barely tolerated the MC at first, but she grew on me as things went on. I also think it’s grim yet politically manic fantasy world. Well put together, with elaborate magic and a lot going on. 5/5
On the other side, I HATED the ad nauseam overwritten descriptions, telling not showing, long internal monologues about in the book this happens and these people are related this way but in this portal version of the world it’s difficult because of XYZ, and blah, blah, blah. It’s like the writing team that is Ilona Andrews decided they were going to write epic fantasy and therefore that meant they got to be verbose and boring just because they could. 2/5

It gets more complex when you also learn that I’m dying at the cliffhanger!! And adore the complicated, but not too ridiculous love interests and circumstances. At times they ring a bit too romanc-y for me but I expect that from paranormal romance writers delving into Romantasy (aka: more fantasy but still a lot of yearning and such). Most important is the possible romantic interests here are all sooo engaging. Even side characters like the random kid of a soldier and the disowned lady’s maid managed to capture my heart to some degree.

Who is this for?
Fourth Wing readers who liked book 3 (aka, less sex, more politics). To be clear there is NO sex in this book. Just a lot of yearning, jealousy, and can they be trusted issues. I suspect the nasty will come soon however. I’m suspecting it could play out like Laurel K. Hamilton and Anita Blake’s first three books; lacking the smut, but then later books seemingly only had smut.
A Court of Thorn and Roses readers might be okay with this. But I doubt it. It’s too overwritten and probably too gory for them.
Grimdark fantasy readers (aka: Abercombie, Lawrence, Lynch, etc). I don’t think so. There are aspects you will love (grotesque serial killer) but it’s not the core of the story and I think the female MC will annoy you to the point you hope her name ‘Maggie the Undying’ isn’t as literal as it seems to be in the opening chapter.

See what I mean by conundrum?
Maybe this is a book written for the verbose fantasy reader out there. Someone (like myself?) who has spent time (and enjoyed it depending on mood) in: the paranormal romance world (pre-Romantasy existing), the cozy fantasy of Baldree, highly political fantasy of GRRM, the descriptive fantasy of Tolkien, the grimdark of Lawrence, and the complexity of Sanderson; and finds merits to all of it at any given moment.
Does that make any sense at all? (lol)

I think This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is one of those you have to try it to see if it’s for you. I’d encourage you to hang in until at least the 30% mark (as I was a bit bored up until then) and then see how you feel about it. I can say it went from meh to an absolute banger (twists abound) at the end. Hence why rating it is so darn difficult!
I think I’ll stick to 3.5 if I could half it. I’m rounding up here to 4 because I do want to read the next one.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: A Plagued Sea

A Plagued Sea 

by Kim Bo-young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The atmosphere, fear, and cosmic/deity-style Lovecraftian setting here are intoxicating. I could smell and feel the slimy fish and molding sea water jumping off the pages. Not only is this translation superb; but the stunned words of mere humans encountering what is seemingly impossible to comprehend are so well done here by Korean writer Kim Bo-Young that I hate to even try to describe them as I could never do justice. I truly hope more of the Korean works put together for this Lovecraftian project back in 2020 will be translated. I will be hunting down as many of them as I can; plus finding more of Bo-Young’s translated works. If any of them are half as impressive as A Plagued Sea I know I want to experience these stories.

The (moderately creepy) real-life twist here is that A Plagued Sea was first conceived before COVID-19 and the first lockdown. Published in May of 2020 in Korean, yet reading it 6 years later in this English translation, I could feel the lockdown fear emanating from the page. The concern, scientific choice (with some paranoia added in) that caused the world to come to a standstill, cleared Times Square, grounded planes, and left cruise ships stranded at ports with thousands of people on board. How bizarre that Bo-Young was writing this in the middle of all those events also transpiring in reality. A parallel that is too stark to miss and served to enhance the horror for me here.

More important is how relevant, even six years later, this story still is today. As the world’s politics have shifted significantly, towards supporting the original prejudice-based story being rewritten here, and published in English, the core language of the orange man who (arguably, gleefully) today has led so many to re-prescribe to the ideals of racism and prejudice of all kinds to be appropriate if not required in society. A Plagued Sea brings us around to the understanding that it’s merely fear that creates these segregations and thoughts. The parallels of societies’ fear that we might lose something we can’t even describe are deliberately and brilliantly laid out on the page in this short story.

Bo-Young ripped my heart out with their emotional climax and reminded me that we need not fear what we do not understand, but instead look for the love and good in the differences. And thus I adore the narrative here that it’s okay if things change. Even if they seem cosmically difficult to understand that doesn’t mean that change is inherently wrong. That our own fear is what feeds racism and prejudice and serves no purpose except to create discord and fighting when, often, none is needed. There can be a place for everyone in which no one is better than another.

There is so much more that could be said about these mere 100 pages and the narrative here. Just like when I first read Lovecrafts Call of Cthulhu and Innsmouth stories I feel the fear turning into hatred on the page and emanating from the story. If only we could learn, as a species, to accept one another as we are and co-exist. So much unnecessary sadness and loss could be avoided. Yet, so many believe otherwise which is sad. Thankfully Bo-Young has flipped the narrative to make this a story about love instead of hate. For that I am truly grateful.

I believe A Plagued Sea will stick with me. I’ll be seeking out a copy for my print library that I can loan to others to see what their takeaway is from 100 pages of intellectual writing that challenges what is horrific. In many ways it feels like The Plagued Sea was written to lecture us on how we ever allowed Lovecraft to spur his awful prejudice as a legacy in literature. This kind of twist and rework is perfect for the 21st century, and exactly the kind of work that North America needs right now. A reminder that acceptance of everyone, regardless of how monstrous they might appear, will result in less loss and tears. Our world is better when we work together and don’t fight one another. I’m truly glad to see this cosmic horror ideal flipped in narrative to expose the hatred below that shows that fear should not drive hate, it should drive curiosity and a desire for life to be better, for everyone.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Morsel

Morsel
by Carter Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Morsel, debut novella from Carter Keane, is the kind of horrific fun you can only have in the isolated mountains with an unknown evil, insane thoughts in your head, and a loyal pup by your side. It doesn’t hurt that the dog is also a pitbull rescue, just like my own puppy boy. (And don’t worry while there is lots of death and gore in this, the dog technically survives, as guaranteed in the introduction by the author).

A quick little romp that looks at the evil of capitalism, soul sucking jobs (bosses and coworkers) and spins it all together before spitting it out in the middle of the mountains with a cult on the side. I don’t want to give too much away, so let’s just say this folk horror story wallops a big punch in the end and has a divine twist.

I mostly enjoyed it, especially the narration of the audiobook. The pacing varies as the story does, and the narrator does a beautiful job of making it clear who is speaking and when.

The part of this novel that didn’t work so well, especially in audio, are the little interludes and snippets of backstory in phone text or podcast format. Normally I love that (see Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie for an amazing use of this kind of found footage approach), in Morsel it felt like an unnecessary addition and a late stage evil monologue could have easily summarized the key points in the end. Maybe if the story was longer it might have worked, but at only 187 pages it felt unnecessary.

That said, at the end of the day, this is a good gory horror fest with fun use of horror tropes, a creative twist, and a super sweet dog. Most important, of course, is the dog a lovely pitty named Riley who isn’t vicious or mean (thank you to Keane for not perpetuating the stereotype of our poor pit bulls who are made out to be menaces that almost none are!).
Pick Morsel up for a quick romp in blood and guts.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Hopeless Necromantic

Hopeless Necromantic 

by Shiloh Briar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This little cute book is a bit of a conundrum. At times I loved it, and yet other moments I was super frustrated.

 A couple things to know right away:

• there is no spice here. Barely even some longing. It’s mostly a plot driven story 
• we are dropped into the middle of a fantasy world with no anchors and little info dumping (which is both good and bad as it’s a hit disorienting) 
• the core of this book is about emotional distress, grief, and guilt. It’s not all that lighthearted at time and in fact has a few moments that are just heart wrenching 

Overall I liked this and will read the second book as the characters were quite compelling. I enjoyed getting to know both our MCs but especially our necromancer.
Comparisons to a number of other books I’ve seen are mostly just referring to there being necromancy. Nothing about this is like Locked Tomb (it’s more the exact opposite!), it lacks the real dilemma of evil that Django Wexler gives us in his quirky evil lead perspective series, and it doesn’t have the mystery aspect of Assistant to the Villain. So I’d recommend throwing out all comparisons and just go in knowing that there is some grief and regret emotional baggage, cute flirting, sarcastic quips from our leading male, and a downtrodden (everyone dislikes her cause she’s a demon in the human world) leading lady who is likeable enough.
I’m really hoping we get a lot more sparks between our two MCs in book two!

There is a small cliffhanger at the end of the story but nothing too difficult, at least for me, to hang onto and pick other books up while I wait for book two. I will caution this was a ‘break’ book for me. Which is to say, a book where I am looking for something lighter, fluffy, fun, and nothing too ‘fancy’. It was a bit more emotionally involved than I expected but well done and I appreciated the friend to enemy narrative and difficulties shown in accepting someone for who they are today (not who they once were). As someone whose had that happen with someone I was close with it can be hard to move on and I think Shiloh Briar does a very good job of the emotional turmoil and emoting needing to give credence to her characters feelings.

I’m looking forward to book 2 and hope that we continue to have sarcastic overtones from the leading male as that is easily the best part!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: The Summer Fun Massacre

The Summer Fun Massacre 

by Craig DiLouie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ll confess to being biased on this one. I met Craig DiLouie a couple months ago. He’s local to my city and had such a great time chatting with him and his darling gal. As such I knew exactly what I was getting into. I also knew why he wrote this the way he did, a redemption arc for the archetypical bumbling idiot deputy. You know the one in all the slashers who’s always two steps back and just doesn’t seem smart enough to stand a chance. Therefore going into The Summer Fun Massacre I knew the focus wasn’t the actual massacre event description but instead its investigation. From what I’ve read from others that is what they found disappointing. I’m not sad to miss out on gory explicit descriptions of slasher deaths frankly, but I get if you go in expecting that being disappointed by the political cop drama that unfolds here instead.

Don’t get me wrong there are still some slasher moments (including a call from inside the house!). My favourite is when a sole survivor stands up and just says, to the discomfort of everyone at a memorial, ‘fuck’. It’s a brilliant moment to make people understand that she doesn’t want condolences for her friends deaths or ‘wow you were lucky’ statements but instead for folks to realize she lost all her friends she loved and she doesn’t understand why she is the one to survive and not them. It’s a poignant moment and one I felt was a truly new expression for a sole survivor story. If there is one thing I do lament is we don’t get more of this character overall.

There are so many twists and turns in the end of this that I couldn’t put it down in the last 75 pages. Everything falls into place nicely and while I thought I had the twist figured out I was only half correct. DiLouie left in a surprise that tickled my brain but made perfect sense in the end. Nothing cheap or convenient here. Just good ole writing and set-up that turns a couple times more than you might expect.

I recommend going into The Summer Fun Massacre knowing this is a slasher-adjacent book. It’s about solving the crime. It has politics, moments of excitement and danger, a sad love story, and as many twists and turns as a good rollercoaster ride. Book two comes out this fall and connects right into this one. However there is enough of a finale here that you won’t be totally frustrated (or at least I wasn’t); and yet I still look forward to book two and some further answers and maybe more of a supernatural element?!

I’m glad to put this quick read on my print shelf with its author signature and inscription to both my husband and I.
Quick note: If you want a real spooky read from Craig DiLouie pick up Episode Thirteen. It’s the best of his I’ve read to date and a truly unique take on a haunted house (using found footage format!).

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: She Waits Where Shadows Gather

She Waits Where Shadows Gather

by Michelle Tang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won’t lie… this Canadian horror novel was a bit of a slog for me. It was a bit too contemporary for me. I’m sure there are many readers, especially women, that will enjoy this and perhaps relish in the oddly happy(ish?) ending. For me, it felt contrived, annoying and flat out unrealistic. Which may seem a silly thing to say about a ghost story that features witches, ghosts and other supernatural events; but some things should fall inside the realm of realism and if you want to root your book in contemporary life then your ghosts need to be a bit moderate or less dramatic than seen here, in my opinion.

I’ll also confess to be so very annoyed with the concept of love here. Both the selfish kind (I want her all for myself) and the devoted kind (I’d do anything until they lie). Each has its flaws, seen here, but also each leaves a weird feeling behind for me as love is so much more complex than this. You can in fact love someone you detest. And begrudge, even hate someone you love. A concept that Michelle Tang seems to avoid here. Instead it’s too black and white for my tastes, and the twists and turns just make the ultimate outcome even more awkward for me. Plus, a key point (in the end) is never explained!!

Maybe there are women, especially mothers, out there that will find something here. For me, as a childless woman, with a spouse of 18 years I can tell you that this just feels like another ‘women’s horror’ book written for the current trend of discussing motherhood. And I’m over it. In fact never loved the concept to start but was willing to concede it makes good sense to bring the horror of birth, loss, etc into this genre. Yet this past couple of years has really saturated the market and I’m over it. So I’ll put this one aside and likely not think of it again.

That said, if you want a contemporary, feminine look at generational family horror and how it might be passed down from generation to generation this could be for you. Just be ready to feel like you are ready a contemporary literature book and not an easy breezy horror one.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Comic Review: Lady Mechanika - La Dama de la Muereta

Lady Mechanika: La Dama de la Muerte 

by Joe Benítez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful as always. From the gorgeous art to the well thought-out storyline. Joe Benitz always adds a child that is enamoured with Lady Mechanika and this short series (3-shot) is no exception. A little three year old and her brother of maybe 8 or so have lost their parents to bandits whom Mechanika realizes are not as scary as they may appear to the villagers.
Easily one of my top 5 favourite comic book characters; Lady Mechanika is a kick-ass heroine whom has no “place” in life and so wanders joining up (when needed) with those whom need her help or are fighting the ‘good fight’, if you will.
If you want intricate art, steampunk style and good stories you won’t go wrong with any of Benitz’s comics; but Lady Mechanika is one of my favourites. Note: this story can easily be read on its own but is technically Vol. 4 of the series.

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Graphic Novel Review: The Cutting Garden

The Cutting Garden: A Graphic Novel 

by Darcy Van Poelgeest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely divine! With the soft lines and beauty of Little Bird, lyrical Victorian writing, and a gothic story to both make you shudder and smile. This first collaboration hopefully won’t be the last for our two creators. 

The Cutting Garden is at once a vampire gothic story, a commentary on loneliness, and a reminder that not all monsters are monstrous. Even the most vicious of killers can still desire something softer in life; a connection with another, and someone to care for them. 

With mild overtones borrowed from Interview with the Vampire; and yet wholly its own story and narrative, The Cutting Garden immerses us in a slow, methodical, perfect Victorian gothic story with just enough blood to sate a child vampire.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Third Rule of Time Travel

The Third Rule of Time Travel 

by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Immensely readable! This foray into Time Travel, with its roots in real (theoretical, obviously) physics is a fast paced, high action novel that (at times) falls somewhere between Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch with some Andy Weir humour thrown in; and re-uses the science of Interstellar (movie). This is an accessible science fiction story with a leading lady who is easy to root for against her corporate (asshole) boss.

With all that, you may wonder, why only four stars?
Honestly, it’s the ending.
What comes below could be construed a spoiler; but I don’t tell the ending, just how it made me feel… so venture with caution if you are sensitive to spoilers…


Time Travel is a tough concept to work with. A lot of factors and elements come into play; and while you get the easy out that it’s just a ‘timeline variance’ for any anomalies, the final note you leave with your readers is critical in my mind. If we are time travelling then, I’d hope, we are learning and progressing as a species. Something Nolan did a super job of portraying in Interstellar; and even in Crichton’s (lesser of his novels) Timeline we see an ultimate final decision that requires sacrifice for our time travelling characters. This is where, for me, The Third Rule of Time Travel doesn’t deliver.

Maybe I’m a jaded cynic who hates happy endings; but I just believe that sacrifice must happen for great discovery to be possible. Moments of great advance in history are often at the expensive of someone or a piece of our humanity (the atomic bomb being the obvious example). And here the ‘sacrifice’ is a bad, annoying, typical trope that just ticked me off. It was obvious, typical, and made me want to insert some angry Chuck Tingle dialogue to sound off about how it’s a Hollywood move with the gloss of ‘happy ending’ tacked on to make it seem okay (read Bury Your Gays for more on this). The ending just cheapens the whole narrative leading up to it; and so I just can’t in any good conscience give this five stars. In fact the more I think about it the more angry it makes me. I have sooo many examples of the same trope over and over again being used to write off ‘sacrifice’ so our leads can benefit; and I’m tired of it.

Thus, while I enjoyed every minute of this read, up to the final chapters; and was absolutely enthralled (reading most of it in less than 48 hours), I just can’t in good faith give it five stars. It just doesn’t deliver the final punch I wanted. There’s no moral lesson, no scientific aha moment, nothing new to add to the time travel narrative. In fact I just might go and watch Interstellar again (which I think is brilliant) just to feel better about a science fiction time travel story (based on the same Kip Thorne theory) that MEANS something.

Grab it for a summer beach or quick plane trip read. You’ll enjoy your time and maybe even be on the edge of your seat for 90% of it. Just know that it will not deliver on the end in any real emotional, humanitarian, or moral way that (for me) includes any satisfaction or adequate sacrifice. All that said, I will try another of Philip Fracassi’s books as I’ve heard very good things about a couple others.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Chaotic Orbits

Chaotic Orbits 

by Beth Revis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This trilogy of novellas by Beth Revis, collectively together is the perfect omnibus of fun, science fiction, silly quips, and yet has many severely perilous moments. To say I adore the Chaotic Orbits trilogy is a bit of an understatement. It’s very rare I read books one after another in a series. Generally I spread them out by a few books and/or months to ensure I don’t get bored or tired of the story, setting, or characters. In the case of these ones I was dying to read the next book immediately, and so took the chance reading all three of these stories within one year. And it was the right choice!

Science fiction can be one of those genres that’s very hard for newer readers, or new to sci-fi to break into. There’s a lot of garbage, and a huge variance between the sub genres with hard science, space opera, survival dystopia, and sci-fi horror all sitting at many folks limits of what they are interested in or can handle. Chaotic Orbits has none of these problems. This cozy, humorous, yet deadly series is easily accessible to anyone while still being engaging for the average sci-fi reader (like myself). Be warned, the blurbs may make it seem like there is romance here, it’s very very mild and not a key piece of the final instalment as the synopsis might make you think.

If you enjoy Murderbot, Firefly/Serenity, Automatic Noodles, or Themis series you’ll likely enjoy this series. I’m super glad to see it in this omnibus as my reason for not giving each book individually 5 stars is because it was broken up and feels like a cash grab. A very ironic thing given the anti-capitalist rhetoric throughout by our leading lady. Therefore, this opportunity to get all 3 stories continuously is key. Keep in mind all three novellas together is barely the length of your average book, so it’s not even that big of a time commitment!

I’ll be picking up a copy in this format to add to my print shelf as I could see myself coming back to this one day. Plus the cover art is gorgeous!!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Make Me Better

Make Me Better 

by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sarah Gailey has written a bit of a slog (as in crazy slow burn). The kind of book that Stephen King would write, if you will. A bit too detailed and over written, in my opinion. A novel that takes forever to get through, and yet one you can’t quite give up on or put down as you must know how it ends. I both hated this, and was entranced by it. It was both tame in its horror and yet chillingly awful in the end.

Make Me Better is a number of movies I have seen put together into a novel with unreliable narrators, timelines that swap randomly, and a puzzle that eventually you see and yet wish you hadn’t. It is Midsommar meets The Island (Leo version) meets Mother (with Jennifer Lawrence). Taking all the creepy, disturbing indoctrination and mixing it together to give you a community that seems like the right answer, even when you know it isn’t. Gailey convinces the reader that what our MC is experiencing and thinking is perfectly normal, because in a way it is… even when we know in our gut there’s nothing normal about it.

If you ever wanted to understand why or how people are lured into a cult then this is the book to read. Perhaps you’ll even find yourself agreeing in the end that the horrific price of staying is worth it… or maybe you’ll shiver at how easy it was to follow along and nod. Even knowing you’re reading a horror novel that lacks the gore, jump scares, traditional monsters, or savage slasher moments the genre is known for; yet still has obviously horrific events.

I don’t want to say too much as I think this one is best experienced as it is without much foreknowledge except that it’s a cult and nothing is as it seems. However, I do want you to know that I really struggled to get through almost 65% of it. I had to convince myself to keep reading even when it seemed dull and obvious what was happening. A bit ironic given that our MC is at times feeling so disconnected from the experience as well.

The question, is the pay off worth the work?
For some it will be. For me it was just enough to eke out 4 stars right now. Maybe in a couple days I’ll return and drop it. We will see.
While I’m glad to have completed the book; I’m also glad to return my print copy to the library and not come back to it. I might recommend it for the right person who desires a study of cults or to understand how people become so blind to what is truly around them. Mostly, I think I’ll tell folks to stay away as it is not an enjoyable read per se. However, Make Me Better is a read, I suspect, I will think of in the future when I’m asking myself why I care, why I feel motivated, or why I’m reacting in certain ways. If only to ensure it’s not just because someone told me I should be a certain way.

There’s a mantra somewhere in it all, but it’s too creepy to write or say as that is much too close to assimilation for comfort. If there was something to take away it might go like this: May I always be turned off by the idea of ‘forced’ community and ensure I’m evaluating what’s happening through my own morales and eyes, not by what someone else told me is ‘right’.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: There is no Antimemetics Division

There Is No Antimemetics Division 

by qntm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How do you explain how mind bending a book is when you are not even sure how it ended or what it is conceptualizing?
The core idea here is: how do you fight an entity you cannot perceive or even know exists; as the moment you know it exists you are compromised?

This is one of the most engaging, cosmically horrific, and yet wildly creative scientific engagements I’ve ever encountered. It’s so much more than just a book or story. It’s an idea, a commentary on the world that could only be understood if you lived in our world today. A world with the internet, socials, memes, viral knowledge, misinformation, paranoia post pandemic, and terror of terrorism in your own backyard. I believe if read in 1992 this book would be nonsense and couldn’t evoke the same horror it does today as the ideas would be too abstract. While today they are difficult and make your brain really think, the idea is tangible enough and one that makes the reader question everything around them including the oxygen they are breathing.

I may never ever NOT wonder about white worms wriggling in my overall existence or shadowy figures or spider-like entities or or or. These ideas and antimemes, if you will, are going to stay with me forever. The way that ‘he was a ghost the whole time’ has since I saw The Sixth Sense in high school (when it was first released).

It’s the kind of story that just makes you pause at moments and question everything around you. While reading it I started having ideas for stories I could write that explain away other phenom in our world based on the idea of an antimeme existing. It had me wondering things like, maybe that Déjà vu moment isn’t a glitch in the Matrix, but a mnestic drug side effect (once you’ve read this you will understand what I mean)!

The most surprising part of this novel is the love story embedded at its core. I am surprised no one really talks about the woven in ideal of love being one thing that really sets humans apart. Arguably, what is humanity without love and how powerful can it be… If you forget all the cosmically horrific ideas here and only come to understand the Quinn’s relationship (or non-relationship) then it begs the question: what kind of love does it take to save the world? And yet, it didn’t have to be this particular path that gets us to the end, but I do think it is interesting the author chose the path he did. A lot more should be said about the love story than seems to have been said to date, in my opinion.

I truly believe this is the kind of book and idea that will live on long after its initial readers, author, and fandom has gone. There Is No Antimemetics Division asks you to conceptualize that everything you know is not at all the way you know it. And it does it in such a way that once you start to wonder or get it you are trapped in its horror and unable to escape.

A warning: this is also the kind of book that if you don’t ’get it’ or aren’t pulled in by the idea then you will hate it. I can absolutely see why some detest it. I believe you must go in with an open mind, and ready to really process a reframing of our world. If not you may think it’s ridiculous, stupid, or too complicated. I would recommend going in with only the knowledge that this book is going to ask you to change the way you think about reality, the way the Matrix, Interstellar, Dark Matter, and Piranesi do. If you are not ready to work for the knowledge in this mere 275 page book then you will get nothing out of it. But if you give it your attention and really allow the ideas to expand your mind then I believe you can walk away different.

I read many, many passages twice and in just the last hour of thinking about it have re-read the epilogue three times. This is a book that will occupy my brain for a long time to come (I think) and may very well be the best science fiction book I’ve ever read. I couldn’t have imagined anything hitting like Childhood’s End did when I was 13 yrs old; but this may very well have done it. The kind of book that once you’ve read it you can’t remember what it was like to not read it. (An irony that tickles me given the ideas presented in the narrative!)

If this review feels a bit contradictory, mysterious, or otherwise like you’re missing something that is because without reading the story my little nods likely mean nothing. But once you’ve read the book, come back here and let me know if reading it changed your take on what I’m saying. I’d love to know if I gave just enough to tickle someone’s brain into wanting to read it, while still being too specific. Don’t go looking for spoilers, but don’t worry too much either. It would be hard to understand a spoiler without experiencing the novel itself.

This is a book that is an experience as much as a story. See where your mind goes when asked to think about the impossible, that which cannot be perceived, and then think about how you fight it to save everything, when you don’t remember, or even know, it exists. And then ask yourself how different the world could really be after you read this. Then read it. And come let me know if you’re a hater, or you too had your mind expanded (like me, and so many others) who cannot remember what it was like before we had the antimemes knowledge in our brains.

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Book Review: The Beasts We Bury

The Beasts We Bury 

by D.L. Taylor

Book 1 of The Broken Citadel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Why are more people not talking about this book?! It’s really great for a debut, YA, Romantasy novel. It has all the elements one might desire in a book of its genre and target age group; and yet I can’t help but think the marketing is part of the trouble. Even the tagline on the hardcover from my library feels all wrong. At no time is our leading guy trying to steal the throne or get in the way of it. Instead he is just trying to get by and live. To not starve another day or sleep shivering in the cold, harsh, glass edged world war has left him. And our leading gal is just trying to survive her own existence, while opulent and at the palace, it too is fraught with horror and drenched in the blood of the many animals she has killed with her bare hands!

All of this comes about not by choice for either of our teen characters; but by circumstance. This is perhaps what makes this such a good story. Neither character needs the other, per se; and yet each needs the other more than they can imagine once they realize they could support each other. Amongst politics, lies, magic, alliances, deals, and intrigue is this sweet little romance between two unlikely people. Although I couldn’t help but think street rat and princess like in Aladdin; but that’s okay as it doesn’t have any other resemblance to Agraba or its magic.

The Beasts We Bury is the kind of book that could have made a splash, like Fourth Wing, if it had a bit more refinement and a better marketing campaign. A few things could use fixing up. For example, why didn’t our main gal ever go back to the training academy to check on the improvements she was promised? Why didn’t she have more of a relationship with either mom or her sister (the distance felt so awkward)? And why was she still so in love with dear ol’ daddy even as she understood he was a huge part of the evil in the realm? These types of issues needed a lot more exploration to get this up to 5 stars. Plus both Vie and Rooftop needed to be more than just typical side characters with jealousy and one skill or trait that their whole personality hung on.

I could likely list a few more places I’d make enhancements or changes; I will say this is immensely readable, very clean and suitable for teens, and an overall intriguing premise. The narration from both narrators is solid and I love how each chapter swaps the POV between our guy and gal. Most importantly the ending is a bombshell that must be explored!!!
So yes, I’ll be searching out book 2 quickly, as I definitely want to know where this goes and am hopeful the darkness factor creeps up a bit more.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Marion

Marion 

by Leah Rowan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a ride!! I could have easily finished this in a weekend; but instead dragged it out a bit just because it was so crazy I didn’t want to know the end right away. This is the feminine Psycho. A girl, meets Norman Bates, and wins. But now there is a dead body (or two or three), money from weird circumstances, a sister, a crazy mom, and a lot of details to handle.
With a lot of uniqueness, new players, added plot from every corner, and a base story we all know so well, Leah Rowan takes us on a crazy, wild, kinda fun, with lots of blood splatter, killer ride. I don’t know how else to describe this except a lot of fun, immensely clever, quite satisfying in the end, and a very readable story.
If you like thrillers or murder mysteries, you’ll likely enjoy Marion.
If you enjoy the story from the offenders eyes, you’ll likely enjoy Marion.
If you want to see how someone goes from totally normal to a bit deranged this might be for you.
It’s definitely for those that want a light thriller for the beach or a weekend read that keeps them flipping the pages quick to find out what happens next.

I’m sure some armchair detectives could rip details apart here; I didn’t even try as I had too much fun reading about Marion and her exploits. The best part, she didn’t do it alone and it’s not unreasonably set-up or implausible. Just a good, crazy thriller that keeps you on your toes. Whether as an audiobook or in print (I swapped back and forth) I think the average reader will find something here to admire in this rewrite of the Bates Motel.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: The Fox Hunt

The Fox Hunt 

by Caitlin Breeze
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 star, rounding up to four stars because I think this story concept is excellent, more than acceptable writing for a debut novel and characters have good development arcs. The biggest issue for me was connecting our characters back together in the final chapters.

I felt like I read two or three totally different, yet related, stories. Portal fantasy does tend to do this where you are taken somewhere so different it’s jarring. And yes, you want to create a sense of discomfort for your reader (as your MC is likely having that feeling), it’s still critical to connect the story back to the original pages. And that is where Fox Hunt comes up lacking. There must be a hundred or more pages where the MC’s main ‘enemy’ from the beginning of the book isn’t mentioned directly. It seemed a bit odd for me when we finally circled back around. While the group our boys are members of is mentioned lots they are (seemingly) forgotten for a while and I can’t figure out why. I’d link them back in for part two to help join things up.

Overall, my advice is to go in prepared. A lot happens, it’s not that complex to follow necessarily, but we meet characters early on that we don’t see again (sadly) until the final pages of the story. Our leading gal undergoes a large transformation (in so many ways) from start to finish. And so you must accept that the severity of her circumstances causes her to shift quickly into the person she becomes. I’d definitely pick up another book by debut author, Caitlin Breeze, as I see a lot of promise in her storytelling, especially as her writing style matures.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Pam Kowolski is a Monster!

Pam Kowolski Is a Monster! 

by Sarah Langan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just spent 3 hours listening to this. Straight through. No pauses or breaks, barely a drink of water, while I worked on a stitching project. It occupied my mind, grabbed my attention, and did not let go. I have struggled with audiobooks for years. This past few months somehow I’ve been finding a way to hear them better. The right audiobook will grab me every time. Pam Kowalski is a Monster certainly did that. However, I believe it would have done the same if I’d read the pages because this is a compelling, can’t wait to get to the next moment story.

Sarah Langan gives us a book that may not seem like horror at first. It may seem a bit mundane and silly. A comic, like the cover art. Yet the further you venture into it the more unhinged, and yet creepily familiar it feels. This is a story about unhandled trauma and how it (literally) eats the world around you. Makes you lesser in ways you can’t even see. It poisons your mind and everyone you touch. Or at least that is what I got from it. It might also just be a pre-apocalypse story about where society is headed; not because of technology or war, but instead because of a bizarre monstrous magic or energy that overcomes people. However you look at the final twist of this story, one thing is for certain, it’s stunning, immensely well done, and will entrance the reader (or listener).

The thing it made me think of the most is a movie I adored called Late Night With the Devil. It starts off goofy, silly, and seemingly a hoax, but by the end it just stuns you with it twists, turns, and finale. That is what Pam Kowalski is a Monster does as well. In its own, different, yet similar way. If you love horror that emerges from our world in its own bizarre way check this out. If you love immense twists of a psychological but also that are slightly supernatural check this out.

Overall if you enjoy a good mystery, without feeling like you’re reading a ‘typical’ mystery (I have a real meh reaction to whodunnit stories) then definitely check out this little gem from Langan. It’s quick, efficient, and effective in its telling and definitely well worth a few hours one night when you don’t need to sleep until you’ve encountered the last line.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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