C. J. Daley
Loved the red and blue of the cover, so I had to get myself a paperback for this one.
Alex is down on her luck, running away from her abusive boyfriend, and looking for a place to stay while she makes some money. With an incoming baby, she really needs to find someplace safe and quick. As the caregiver to a stroke patient, and with only mildly forged credentials, Alex begins to settle into a new role. But as the blanket of false security begins to settle over her, things begin to show themselves as anything but what they originally appeared. I loved how the granddaughter pulled at Alex’s heartstrings, appealing to her better nature, as she was trying to survive abuse already herself. For me it made it all more believable.
The opening of this for me felt very reminiscent of Riley Sager’s The Only One Left, with its down on her luck main character that’s forced into a perhaps less than desirable role in order to make ends meet. From there it diverges as this creeping, atmospheric blend of horror and mythology, that makes for one hell of a creature feature. The author uses beautifully (and horrifically) described features for the creatures and their shifting that had my skin crawling. And the tie back in the end was one I was begging the author to do!
While I did feel a bit like this closed up within only a few pages that could have perhaps been more climactic—IE the robed sisterhood could have been a bit more included—this did include several edge of your seat beats that kept me itching to get back to reading after my lunch break had ended.
Loved the red and blue of the cover, so I had to get myself a paperback for this one.
Alex is down on her luck, running away from her abusive boyfriend, and looking for a place to stay while she makes some money. With an incoming baby, she really needs to find someplace safe and quick. As the caregiver to a stroke patient, and with only mildly forged credentials, Alex begins to settle into a new role. But as the blanket of false security begins to settle over her, things begin to show themselves as anything but what they originally appeared. I loved how the granddaughter pulled at Alex’s heartstrings, appealing to her better nature, as she was trying to survive abuse already herself. For me it made it all more believable.
The opening of this for me felt very reminiscent of Riley Sager’s The Only One Left, with its down on her luck main character that’s forced into a perhaps less than desirable role in order to make ends meet. From there it diverges as this creeping, atmospheric blend of horror and mythology, that makes for one hell of a creature feature. The author uses beautifully (and horrifically) described features for the creatures and their shifting that had my skin crawling. And the tie back in the end was one I was begging the author to do!
While I did feel a bit like this closed up within only a few pages that could have perhaps been more climactic—IE the robed sisterhood could have been a bit more included—this did include several edge of your seat beats that kept me itching to get back to reading after my lunch break had ended.
Helen McAlpine once again knocks it out of the park. The quality of the voices done is incredible.
Taking place right after the first, Saralene has to deal with the curses of her predecessor in a trial that leads her to the underworld. As the blurb states this is a mix of Orpheus and A Natural History of Dragons, with a vivid and bustling depiction of life after death. For some reason, underworld scenes always bring to mind the number taking scene from Beetlejuice, and while this novella doesn’t depict the souls there as horrific/harmed beings, there still is that added layer where you know they’re dead in the back of your mind.
The biggest plot point that gets moved along here is the relationship budding between Saralene and her protector, Maddileh. As her champion, they shouldn’t be seen together in that light, but as they go through twists and turns in the underworld, literally fighting for survival, sometimes plans go belly up, and the only thing left to embrace is those you truly love.
The sequel also continued the trend of the first with epigraph-like chapters giving the world lore and background information for the story. While these worked a bit less for me this time around, as I felt like they take up just as much space as the actual story, I still found the novella to be enjoyable overall. I think the main thing that stood out to me is how straightforward everything is. With it being short, there’s little room for deliberation or thought, and everything happens in a sometimes too neat row, including the combat beats. However, if you found enjoyment in the first, you absolutely will enjoy the sequel.
Helen McAlpine once again knocks it out of the park. The quality of the voices done is incredible.
Taking place right after the first, Saralene has to deal with the curses of her predecessor in a trial that leads her to the underworld. As the blurb states this is a mix of Orpheus and A Natural History of Dragons, with a vivid and bustling depiction of life after death. For some reason, underworld scenes always bring to mind the number taking scene from Beetlejuice, and while this novella doesn’t depict the souls there as horrific/harmed beings, there still is that added layer where you know they’re dead in the back of your mind.
The biggest plot point that gets moved along here is the relationship budding between Saralene and her protector, Maddileh. As her champion, they shouldn’t be seen together in that light, but as they go through twists and turns in the underworld, literally fighting for survival, sometimes plans go belly up, and the only thing left to embrace is those you truly love.
The sequel also continued the trend of the first with epigraph-like chapters giving the world lore and background information for the story. While these worked a bit less for me this time around, as I felt like they take up just as much space as the actual story, I still found the novella to be enjoyable overall. I think the main thing that stood out to me is how straightforward everything is. With it being short, there’s little room for deliberation or thought, and everything happens in a sometimes too neat row, including the combat beats. However, if you found enjoyment in the first, you absolutely will enjoy the sequel.
Thanks so much to Page Street Publishing for the physical ARC. This is the type of thing that HAS to be read in a physical form!
A truly magical and vivid read that mixes the fantastical with mythology and history. This collection of mythological creatures will have you drooling with its in-depth creature designs, its watercolor beauty, and its heavily researched yet inventive histories for each being. There’s something so special about how deeply magic this feels while also somehow feeling grounded in our world history. I thoroughly enjoyed how different cultures and parts of the world were portrayed has different relatives/branches of creatures, with none of them being depicted as first or more real.
The author delivers this beauty in parts. From creatures of the air, sea, forests, and the plains, this showcases just how wide the range of creation is in this world. While dragons will always be a personal favorite, it’s crazy to me just how many kinds of flying mythological beasts exist, and just how different they can be. I kept thinking while reading through these how so many different places in the world shared some of the same depictions and ideas and yet we’re to believe none of these existed?!
I feel like this book will scratch the itch for those that were upset by the direction the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series went. It’s educational, with tidbits from the author and other ‘mythologists’ that have evidence of, or are lacking it, to prove or disprove previous conceptions or claims. It really is such a fun and unique read. Fantasy and mythology fans will love it, and with its vivid imagery and coloration, so will children.
Thanks so much to Page Street Publishing for the physical ARC. This is the type of thing that HAS to be read in a physical form!
A truly magical and vivid read that mixes the fantastical with mythology and history. This collection of mythological creatures will have you drooling with its in-depth creature designs, its watercolor beauty, and its heavily researched yet inventive histories for each being. There’s something so special about how deeply magic this feels while also somehow feeling grounded in our world history. I thoroughly enjoyed how different cultures and parts of the world were portrayed has different relatives/branches of creatures, with none of them being depicted as first or more real.
The author delivers this beauty in parts. From creatures of the air, sea, forests, and the plains, this showcases just how wide the range of creation is in this world. While dragons will always be a personal favorite, it’s crazy to me just how many kinds of flying mythological beasts exist, and just how different they can be. I kept thinking while reading through these how so many different places in the world shared some of the same depictions and ideas and yet we’re to believe none of these existed?!
I feel like this book will scratch the itch for those that were upset by the direction the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series went. It’s educational, with tidbits from the author and other ‘mythologists’ that have evidence of, or are lacking it, to prove or disprove previous conceptions or claims. It really is such a fun and unique read. Fantasy and mythology fans will love it, and with its vivid imagery and coloration, so will children.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Stephanie Németh-Parker and Shahjehan Khan both do a fantastic job delivering their character work.
Ruby Tucker has run into some problems, and while she usually lets her anger out, rather than bottling it up, she’s just trying to course correct so she can move on. After her court mandated volunteering, she makes a bit of money on the side helping her disabled and eccentric neighbor. But while cleaning up and organizing his collection of religious relics, Ruby comes into contact with a possessed, demonic ring. Attaching itself to her finger, there’s little she can do to get it off. I enjoyed the use of Jewish mythology for the story, especially as it’s not something I’ve experienced before.
I’ve seen a lot of things label this as fantasy, and I have to say the mythology parts certainly had a fantasy otherworldly feel to them, but if anything it’s definitely urban fantasy/mythology based in horror.
While most of this read as kind of an unserious novel, the author actually does a pretty solid job combining a large number of elements. Personal and familial drama, possession and demonic influence, a rogue serial killer, and a time in which rock-n-roll was fueling the news and nation into a Satanic panic.
Not only is the ring vying for control of Ruby’s mind, but there is an actual entity bodily inhabiting her. Sent by the demon controller of the ring, his momentary freedom allows for him to try to steer Ruby to freedom as well. While the first attempts release demon spawn, at the very least one of them can play the drums. These kind of silly things kept me engaged with the plot line that was a bit more far out, and it did build into a nice emotional connection with the otherworldly characters.
The ending for me wasn’t entirely a win, it didn’t stick the landing. It certainly does subvert expectations, but it just seemed too much like giving up…spend the entire novel fighting it and looking for a way out and then you just give in? I won’t say more as I want to avoid spoilers, but that’s my gripe with this one. There is also an original song that plays throughout the novel, representing the song that Ruby must get people to sing to build the magic that will save her. Definitely not my cup of tea, I found it kind of corny, although it was for sure stuck in my head by the end. Regardless, this is one I will be thinking over for a while for sure.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Stephanie Németh-Parker and Shahjehan Khan both do a fantastic job delivering their character work.
Ruby Tucker has run into some problems, and while she usually lets her anger out, rather than bottling it up, she’s just trying to course correct so she can move on. After her court mandated volunteering, she makes a bit of money on the side helping her disabled and eccentric neighbor. But while cleaning up and organizing his collection of religious relics, Ruby comes into contact with a possessed, demonic ring. Attaching itself to her finger, there’s little she can do to get it off. I enjoyed the use of Jewish mythology for the story, especially as it’s not something I’ve experienced before.
I’ve seen a lot of things label this as fantasy, and I have to say the mythology parts certainly had a fantasy otherworldly feel to them, but if anything it’s definitely urban fantasy/mythology based in horror.
While most of this read as kind of an unserious novel, the author actually does a pretty solid job combining a large number of elements. Personal and familial drama, possession and demonic influence, a rogue serial killer, and a time in which rock-n-roll was fueling the news and nation into a Satanic panic.
Not only is the ring vying for control of Ruby’s mind, but there is an actual entity bodily inhabiting her. Sent by the demon controller of the ring, his momentary freedom allows for him to try to steer Ruby to freedom as well. While the first attempts release demon spawn, at the very least one of them can play the drums. These kind of silly things kept me engaged with the plot line that was a bit more far out, and it did build into a nice emotional connection with the otherworldly characters.
The ending for me wasn’t entirely a win, it didn’t stick the landing. It certainly does subvert expectations, but it just seemed too much like giving up…spend the entire novel fighting it and looking for a way out and then you just give in? I won’t say more as I want to avoid spoilers, but that’s my gripe with this one. There is also an original song that plays throughout the novel, representing the song that Ruby must get people to sing to build the magic that will save her. Definitely not my cup of tea, I found it kind of corny, although it was for sure stuck in my head by the end. Regardless, this is one I will be thinking over for a while for sure.
Didn’t quite make this one fit into October, but the beginning of November is just as good!
This is a collection of 5 short stories that the cover boasts will be eerie, tragic & macabre. The author certainly delivers, and what I liked the most is how each has at least some kind of small twist that is unexpected, even if the subject matter is something we’ve seen before.
A group of three grave robbers find more than they bargained for in the basement of an abandoned church. Two lovers, destined to be pulled apart, will do anything for their love of each other and their home to stay intact. Two survivors during a zombie apocalypse take in a final sunset together. An occult specialist is hired to remove an entity from the beach, and having never failed before, they figure it’ll be run of the mill. A serial killer that’s anything but a newbie is being followed, or haunted, by more than just his victim.
I enjoyed each story and I look forward to reading something in a longer form by the author. The story about the lovers brought to mind the spooky house vibes of like Crimson Peak or The Little Stranger, with that willingness to hold on that was almost Hocus Pocus-y. The zombie apocalypse story had unique zombies that definitely felt like the demons from the new movie Azrael that I quite enjoyed. A worthy one to pick up for a quick read!
Didn’t quite make this one fit into October, but the beginning of November is just as good!
This is a collection of 5 short stories that the cover boasts will be eerie, tragic & macabre. The author certainly delivers, and what I liked the most is how each has at least some kind of small twist that is unexpected, even if the subject matter is something we’ve seen before.
A group of three grave robbers find more than they bargained for in the basement of an abandoned church. Two lovers, destined to be pulled apart, will do anything for their love of each other and their home to stay intact. Two survivors during a zombie apocalypse take in a final sunset together. An occult specialist is hired to remove an entity from the beach, and having never failed before, they figure it’ll be run of the mill. A serial killer that’s anything but a newbie is being followed, or haunted, by more than just his victim.
I enjoyed each story and I look forward to reading something in a longer form by the author. The story about the lovers brought to mind the spooky house vibes of like Crimson Peak or The Little Stranger, with that willingness to hold on that was almost Hocus Pocus-y. The zombie apocalypse story had unique zombies that definitely felt like the demons from the new movie Azrael that I quite enjoyed. A worthy one to pick up for a quick read!