C. J. Daley

Huge thanks to Scholastic and Scholastic Focus for the physical ARC! So cool to have one of these.

This is really cool. It’s set up as if you are the investigator, and with the help of your Black Swan Scientific Investigations Handbook you are prepared to research the existence of a prehistoric beast! Comb through the evidence, read through the witness accounts, and try hard not to form an opinion! I can see this being such a huge hit with kids and if their imagination is good, there’ll be no end to the fun they can have.

For me, the actual scientific research included was my favorite. From the first sighting all the way to the latest in 2024, the author has delivered an opinion free dissection of what’s been seen and recorded. Whether you’re a believer, or want to stick with the science, the information is so interesting that I think both sides can read for enjoyment.

Is it a prehistoric plesiosaur, that not only survived the last 66 million years undetected, but also survived the fact that the loch was frozen 18,000 years ago? Or is it a new species that has evolved since the loch thawed and perhaps is unrelated? Perhaps a giant eel? Perhaps even something invertebrate that wouldn’t leave huge bones behind to be found?

And while there is no concrete evidence to push forward as proof, there’s certainly nothing definitively proving it’s not real or possible… and if it’s not, why do people keep spotting it?

Found this while browsing Skybound’s Black Friday sale. I didn’t know there were in-universe stories I hadn’t read yet, so I rectified that real quick. This one and the YA Clementine trilogy, which I really look forward to.

This is a one off story featuring Jeff. Jeff is looking to find himself, do a bit of traveling while he does, and sadly finds himself quarantined inside Barcelona when the zombie apocalypse starts. He’s a good guy, which the reader finds out quickly, as he tries to save a kid from being attacked. He isn’t successful, but luckily he is saved by a Spanish armor wearing woman with a halberd. (That really got my mind racing on some museum robbing zombie stuff). Someone to ally with, and also someone with a plan to get out of Spain.

This was awesome frankly. Not only is it a canon story, it’s the first time we see something outside of America in the Walking Dead. There a mixed rumors that foreigners both brought the illness in, as well as America having the cure figured out. Readers of the series will know that’s not true, but it was cool to see another part of the world. This seems pretty close to break out as well, as Jeff seems kind of like an amateur still.

You’ll end up with lots of wondering about what could have been if this one off didn’t end. And what a solid reveal that I did NOT know about.

I really enjoyed the black and white art mimicking that of the full series, and the splashes of red were just perfect at the end.

Grabbed this for a seasonal read on audible’s cyber Monday sale and dove right in.

This is an enjoyable anthology that features different holiday creatures, traditions, and locales. From the Christian Christmas, to folkloric creatures and the winter solstice. I particularly enjoyed that each story was finished with a small snippet of the author describing where they came up with the story idea. Which read like little behind the scenes inclusions.

But with a lot of these large anthologies, I have to wonder if creating them just for a large chunk of them to go to invited authors is the best move. Especially when many of these were just okay. My wonder is if the authors are writing just to be included off the invite, rather than a desire to write the story…which I could be entirely wrong, and enjoyment is subjective. That’s also not to say that I disliked any of them outright, and I appreciated how well rounded it was with its diversity of traditions, but maybe I was just looking for more of a Christmas-centric horror collection, which would be on me!

Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, and Gemma Files are a few standouts, with stories that I particularly enjoyed, as well as their reasonings for writing.

The author very kindly sent me an eARC to check out and I’m glad he did!

Here the author has presented a set of seven fantastically different stories. However, each showcases the author’s dexterity and writing know how. All throughout my reading I kept coming back to this singular thought, wow Hanson can write.

A terrible fire leaves nothing behind but the back door which mysteriously stands as a reminder of what was. A PhD student heads out for six weeks of study—a breakup day of leaves her feeling as if she needs something more, but is the trip worth it? A red lichenous plague spreads through the coasts creating a new kind of apocalypse—can they get to safety in time? The title story, Minotaur, tells the tale of a boy finding or perhaps losing his true self as he becomes one with the Labyrinthine basement under his stilted home. A grieving mother and a lost observer on a dead boat. A hole in the ground with mystifying properties to the water within. And the last is this sort of culty western feeling story with an abandoned mine that’s perhaps not so empty.

While none of the stories above are inked by any characters or plots, and most of these are kind of a general to speculative fiction, there is this kind of creeping, meandering undertone of horror that I felt throughout reading all of them. This made reading as a collection make so much sense to me, and the dread only built as I waited for something explosive to happen.

A great example of what the author is capable of, I definitely need to check out a full length novel next.

This is the slasher sequel we all knew we needed and wanted. The Christmas slay to ring in the holiday season. And the Christmas poem to recap book one was truly perfect.

Taking place moments after the first ended, this sequel is a high octane trip through Christmas lights and bloody pews. The survivors of book one are at the diner, recuperating a little before finally heading back to…well, whatever’s left. Meanwhile, Candy Cain goes a little Michael Myers on some firefighters and steals their truck. She’s headed to the church to take care of some left over business.

McAuley offers exactly what you’d want from a slasher sequel and more. It needs to be said (again) that the author is really bringing some new and exciting things to the genre of slasher. With new redemption arcs, character development, and unique kills. And let me tell you, these are some truly interesting, and awfully brutal kills. Each one more unhinged than the last. If this was on the big screen you’d look away.

As I said with my review of the first, I really enjoy the use of Christianity here. It’s not only used to show the religious side of the Christmas season, but to me it grounds the story. From something that could be viewed as silly, the religious zealotry adds a creepy culty layer to the story that makes it all feel more real to me. The abuse of power and faith, the abuse of people, and especially the abuse of children—this town is anything but the product of god, and just maybe Candy Cain is their savior.

And again of course there is the continuation of great LGBTQ and Disability representation here. No one is weak, no one’s a stereotype. They’re human and heroes alike.

While this wrapped things up great, we know there’s always a revival to these slashers. I’m not saying we need it (but it is maybe a want!) but maybe Killer VHS series # 12? Candy Cain is Back? Candy Cain Kills Again, Again? You never know.

The author very kindly offered me a review copy of his debut, and I’m glad he did. We actually swapped books!

Oh boy. What can I say that won’t be a spoiler for this one, while at the same time will be enough to make it a review? This book is anything but what you think it is, whether you read the blurb or not. And it’s simply fantastic. With characters you’ll realize are real and pop off the page. With stakes that have more weight than the words describing them. With more heart and desire for escapism than most.

Nathaniel is a reader. Capable of entering certain stories and actually living out their events. While exhilarating, it can be awfully discombobulating on the reentry to normal life. This is first shown after an explosive chapter in a hit sci-fi novel. Nathaniel makes the mistake of entering while in a bookshop with his girlfriend. A girlfriend he hardly remembers at first. And while portal fantasy isn’t all that new, I found this to be a refreshing and unique take on one with meshed elements of urban fantasy.

When the family is clearing out their late grandfather’s home, Nate comes across his unfinished manuscript and it calls to him. The following trip takes months in real time, as well as probably years off his life due to the stress. Nathaniel must overcome incredible odds to overthrow the one that plagues his grandfather’s tale, with stakes that weigh heavily on those in the outside world.

The author weaves such a brutal and heart-wrenching tale, and yet it is so filled with warmth and courage. The ability to find oneself, as well as prove themselves while they’re at it. The chance to be seen and feel seen. And the chance to rewrite yourself. Isn’t that exactly what escapism is all about? This one needs more readers.