C. J. Daley

After taking part in just about every goodreads giveaway possible, I finally got approved for the audio from NetGalley. I love the cover, and I really wanted to dig into this one.

Unfortunately, this may have arrived to me at just the wrong time or something, or perhaps not. It just didn’t grip me, didn’t work.

I sadly found the main character to be incredibly unlikable. So even with her living in and through trauma, there isn’t necessarily enough for me to grab onto to care. For me, adultery just turns me off to pretty much anything you could possibly say, so although it’s about her having control over something, any little thing, it just doesn’t matter to me. It’s wrong. Doesn’t matter if I understand the angle.

With that being said, it left the story feeling like it was really missing something, and in that sense, it read as sadly boring, and even confusing at some points. I think the confusion was meant to be, in part, showing the detachment from the main character, but it didn’t exactly work for me. Which is really sad, because the snippets of background world you get are really interesting. You’re dropped into this sort of Afro-futuristic Botswana where technology has reached all new heights—people can live longer, transfer consciousness into other bodies, and augment themselves—but sadly these heights are still being used to further invade women’s space. And in this case, sadly their literal minds and memories, and nothing is safe.

I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I wish this was available in paperback!

This is a sapphic vampire novella that features a likable, yet somewhat despicable main character. Anna is a vampire, over 500 years old, and she finds it best to salve her hunger with the blood of truly despicable people. Her infiltration of CEO Peter Beyer’s company has led her to an employee retreat. She doesn’t intend to let them leave.

I really enjoyed this. It is both a new take on vampires while still holding onto that classic feel. Vampires are day-walkers, the nocturnal antics only a rumor put out to confuse. So Anna sunbathes while reading a book by the pool, yet she still feels like a classic vampire stalking her prey.

For me, I would say this is horror first, with its graphic violence and descriptions. And honestly this just read as really grounded for a huge chunk of it. Anna’s choices in dinner felt kind of like Dexter meets vampirism. But with the vampire heightened strength and speed, as well as the hunters, it still has that urban fantasy feel to it.

The sapphic angle shows Anna finding herself propelled towards Saira. There is in-scene explicit ‘spice,’ which you may know is not my cup of tea, but with the heightened senses and lust, I did feel like it read as warranted for this one. The two of them together feels real, the author does a great job making the reader feel how drawn to each other they are and honestly, I didn’t even think far enough ahead to see the twist.

Overall, this was fast, fun, and a bloody good time. Anna’s use of someone else’s arm as not only a weapon, but a shield in some causes was my favorite part. Personally a 4.5/5*

I believe this is one of the first books released in the same style as the Christopher Tolkien ones post his death. Which of course, still features massive contributions from his life’s work.

In the same vein as Christopher’s work, this sets out to give a straight-forward linear storyline for the falling of Númenor. It also does a really good job taking the reader through the early history of Sauron. It does not seek to overwrite, or undo previous works. As with the other works taken from The Silmarillion and Appendices, it does read similarly to a textbook in places, but doing audio from Brian Sibley and Samuel West made it very digestible. Personally for me, hearing pieces from each that are featured elsewhere just really helps my understanding, as it can be really dense.

This has a beautiful wrapped artwork for the dust jacket (Alan Lee of course), a ribbon bookmark, beautiful interior artwork as well as some nice smaller chapter headers and footers. It has a great quality naked hardcover wrap too, a fantastic edition for a Tolkien collector.

One thing I’d love to highlight is how perfectly this cover matches the depiction shown in The Rings of Power show…I mean spot on. Obviously it comes from the text itself anyway, but when so much else gets changed…it’s just cool. The storyline really goes to show just how much they could do with the show itself. There’s so much going on in the appendices and this edition is the proof.

I saw a fellow FanFiAddict reviewer post this one and saw the Josh Malerman’s Bird Box comparison. So I was incredibly excited to start it when I was approved through NetGalley for the audiobook. The narration by the author is pretty perfect honestly.

This story has many threads that can be drawn to the Covid pandemic, however, it is taken a step further in almost every aspect, so as to be it’s own thing. (Don’t worry Covid novel haters, it’s really not one!).

It is however, featuring a mysterious virus that seemingly turns normal, everyday humans, into angry, murderous versions of who they once were. Women, men, and children of all varieties fall victim to the virus. Wives, husbands, sons and daughters. Moms and dads. Coworkers and strangers. All they seem to know is that it spreads through eye contact. It has broken down society in every form.

I will say the audiobook version says, “The Last of Us meets Bird Box,” which maybe they meant the violence of TLOU, but it made me think (fungal-)zombies instead, which this is not. And although Bird Box is most definitely a good comparison, I didn’t find this one to hit its stride in the same way BB does with suspenseful-ness. However this one is a novella, not a full length novel.

Riley has survived. She lives in a somewhat secluded area, ordering what she needs, and always has it set to contactless delivery. Even though these are becoming less and less frequent, so far she’s made do, for years. But when a new neighbor, Ellis, introduces himself, her entire world has to shift. He wants to be friends, he doesn’t stay away, and seemingly worst of all, he makes her comfortable.

As their relationship and their visits continue, Riley finds herself unraveling—spiraling as she has to wonder just what it would be like to look. The more tempting it gets, the more unhinged she becomes. This was a good examination of isolation, especially when it hinges on the unknown and fear. Personally a 4/5*

I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.

This is a scifi/fantasy novel that features a war between humans, an alien race, and AI-led humanoids. Within that, two of our main characters, Ren and Izuna, come to blows over questioned honor drawn from their Japanese heritage. They meet throughout the Far West in space and come to continuous blows in katana led-combat. Through the years, each see various wins and setbacks, which does nothing but spur on their rivalry. Ren even has an true obsession with her and their ability to continue fighting.

Outside this rivalry, the world is interesting and unique. The characters feel real. Even though Ren misses out on other parts of life, his obsession with their rivalry brings something to life within him that he so often lacks: choice. They choose to fight, to risk harm. They choose to be this way. So when Izuna is in danger, Ren immediately volunteers to help…he can’t risk losing their fights, their chances to feel alive.

There is a setting with carriages that does feel very fantasy western, but with the samurai references, and katana fights, I feel like mentally I leaned more into that aspect.

I will say, there was definitely an explicit scene that I would label as sexual assault. I can’t really think of why this would have added to, or aided, the story, so it was very jarring to the experience, outside of which was quite enjoyable. Personally a 3/5*

I received this one from NetGalley and this is actually one of two mammoth cloning books coming out this year!

This starts as a pretty typical eco-thriller, at least from my experience, but when the book has the elements of scifi mixed in, things truly take off. In a not-so far off future, computers can make a copy of your brain and conscious. One such conscious is the late expert in elephant behaviors, Dr. Damira Khismatullina. Not just a doctor, but a strict protector of the remaining elephant population, readers have to understand just how far some people will go to protect them. And when Russias newly cloned mammoths end up more like blubbering, stagnant copies then re-evolved miracles, they have to ask if they can imbed the doctor’s conscious into one of the mammoths in the hopes that she can teach them to survive and have future generations be born with intact instincts.

All of the above alone should be enough to entice a scifi or eco reader to grab at this one. But unfortunately for me, the other parts of the book were kind of a confusing blend of “what?” That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this, because I did enjoy more than I disliked, I just found there to be issues.

To be honest, I did start this one on a long drive right after finishing a much longer story that I really loved. As a novella, this one didn’t last long enough for me to connect past that initial changing of setting and characters. So the “tense eco-thriller” promised in the blurb didn’t hit for me, as I really didn’t find this thrilling.

The messages behind the not-so distant future worked for me, as well as the continued greed of humanity with high priced mammoth hunting, but there was a decent amount that was simply flat for me. Personally a 3/5* for me.

I originally received this as an e-ARC read. On a personal note, I was reading this when I went through a really serious breakup. The author saw, and messaged me to say it was okay to be late or even drop the read altogether. It meant a lot and it just so happened that I did need to step away. I have since purchased the book (and all his others though!).

I stopped reading the book right around the same time I picked it back up this year. I was about 50% in, and it had been a slow burn. Other than the impetus that set up the story’s drive, not much action had happened. I was wondering how and when it would finally pick up. But then strangely, I stepped away, and I have never continually thought about something I’ve read so much as this for the entire year I was away.

The novel starts with a group of friends on earth the night their hometown is attacked by a group of invaders. They fight back, in defense of each other, and something extraordinary happens. Earth finds out overnight that they are not alone, never were, and are now actively being recruited into a space army. Colton and his friends sign up, charged up and looking for revenge. They ship off and get filtered into groups that are immediately sent to an accelerated schooling program. This is where I left off, and yet I continued to find my thoughts coming back to Colton and his friends time and again.

The author does a great job of showing healthy male relationships, with empathy and understanding, and emotional scenes. And while they may not all learn at the same pace, they embody different strengths and they learn to come together and support each other. This book is a real journey too, it’s basically A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back in one. They have answered the call, and they have to pass the test and training to have any hope of facing the enemy and making it out in one piece. The combat simulations they are put through were riveting and really showed the reader their growth.

The background political intrigue was just another layer that shows the author’s ability. Well sprinkled in, and I really enjoyed the use of keeping our lead informed as our way of finding out too. Oh, and it lead into one hell of a twist and climax! I gotta get into book two soon!

I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.

I want to start with what stuck out to me. My main point of contention is that one of the two mains is referred to as ‘girl’ for the entire opening. The boy even saying that they were going to pull a ‘little girl’ out of her house. But then you find out that she’s actually about 19, older than the boy, so it was just confusing wording and stuck out to me as jarring.

With that being said, throughout the story they remain girl and boy. I thought it was a nice decision, because as monsters, their life is basically forfeited the moment they’re found out. Therefore, their true selves, their chances, their mistakes and hopes, cease to be. Their families even do away with them.

The opening of this was incredible. Fast, mysterious, dangerous, daring. There’s a need to escape and the reader can feel it immediately. Such a quick hook into the reader. I was a little surprised at the lack of chapters, but it doesn’t really take anything away. For me, the opening with its sort of mutilation and animal horror, was the perfect blend of horror and fantasy notes.

I believe this was a well done examination on the loss of hope, and what happens when those that have lost it see a spark of it returning. It is quite bleak, but there are glimpses of warmth and happiness that carry the reader through. By the end you really do end up feeling so much for the two of them and what they’ve gone through.

Personally a 4/5*

This is book five of The Inheritance Cycle, however it is not the book five that the author previously had in mind as one day coming out (aka hell yeah there’s still more). This also features the same story shown in The Fork, just from Murtagh’s perspective.

It’s only been a year since the end of the fourth book, and yet so much has happened and so many things are going on. Murtagh and Thorn are desperately searching for a path forward, in desperate need of figuring out who they are without the traumatic hand of Galbatorix overseeing them. Neither are sure if word has spread of their hand in bringing about the king’s end, so they travel on the very outskirts of society, camping out at night and constantly traveling. Murtagh keeps up his false identity we met in The Fork, but he just can’t help getting involved when things happen. This need, this desire to be good, this curiosity, is the impetus for everything that follows.

Paolini really pulled back the curtain with this one. Murtagh was the jaded, traumatized bad boy long before it was cool. And he doesn’t shy away from telling the reader just how horrible his time at Urû'baen was. From the memories of him as a child, living under the temperamental (at best) Morzan, to being bullied and overshadowed during court life, to his captivity and subsequent torture with Thorn. All while they were forced under oath. And don’t forget that Murtagh is only twenty at the end of the series! They really are just damaged boys. Beat down and trapped over and over again.

Sadly, for most of this new novel, that truth doesn’t change. Perhaps that’s just their lot in life (and Paolini does enjoy torturing us readers too). I will say again, kind of like my recently re-shared ‘review’ of Inheritance and the series in general, there was a part in this new one that involves a fish that had me shaking my head and wondering why I was reading about it. But again, the author reels it in and by the end you’re left not feeling like you’ve had enough. Each trial takes Murtagh and Thorn back through something that triggers a trauma, reliving the worst of their lives. And each time they must adapt, persevere, and fight back. They consistently claw their way out of the trouble they’ve walked into, and both end up way more dynamic for it.

Murtagh’s curiosity leads them down a path that involves a witch and her unruly cult. More than once they question if they should contact Nasuada, Eragon, or Arya so that they aren’t alone. Part anti-hero rashness, and part not knowing if they’ll be accepted by the others, they push on alone. This does not go well for them. There is even a part where Murtagh pushes a healing charm to Thorn’s nose that I could feel actual tears brewing. This witch makes a lot of heavy claims. Whether or not she’s telling the truth, or if those things come to pass, we may get to experience some things that make us say, “Galbatorix who?”

I really enjoyed that Paolini only has Murtagh use a handful of spells in the ancient language. He tends to get whatever he needs done, somehow, but it’s pointed out how he has quite large gaps in his education (unlike Eragon) and I felt like this was actually one of the author’s subtle ways of showing it. I feel like this book is half “Eragon ain’t the only dragon rider, I don’t need him,” and half “oh damn, we really should have called Eragon.” It’s hard to be the older brother.

I think it’s obvious that Paolini has clearly grown and learned a lot. The writing is powerful and each word is packed with meaning. Not only are his characters growing, but he has as well. His style still feels well within the world of Alagaësia, however I really wouldn’t tag this one as young adult at all. The themes are dark, the descriptions are brutal, and they have grown out of adolescence themselves. This was absolutely incredible, and I’m so excited that he’s stated he’s not running out of ideas anytime soon. Personally a 5/5*

I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.

This is the prequel to The Heart of Quinaria series, and in my opinion, it does operate quite well on its own. It’s a little sparse of descriptors, but it is very focused on the story it’s centering on, so it still works.

Igtheos and Elize are an interracial married couple with a mixed child. The differences are not exactly explained, at least not in black and white, but I took the Nyrian people to be kind of elf/god like beings. The would be dictator they rebel against would put a stop to such relationships, and much more. He believes the humans to be outright beneath them. So when he offers terms for their surrender that seem to good to be true, the rebels still have no choice but to accept. That or be starved out. This is the chaos that ensues when he breaks his treaty to the rebels. It’s a good examination of hope over caution, as well as the lengths people will go for those they love (and in some sense the depths).

While being quite short, perhaps even for novella standards, this was still quite impactful. The action is big, the emotion even bigger. I really felt for the rebels cause, mostly through how the author portrays the rebel leaders. And of course, fights over equality are always hard hitting, fantasy world or not. And in my opinion, this kind of representation of evil is one of the darkest there is. Not just outright evil, not just bad and hectic, but the pointed attempt at lowering or even annihilating a people. In that sense, it is quite a heavy read though.

You feel their losses, you feel their plight, and you feel like raising up a sword in their defense.

The authors very kindly offered me an audible code to continue my The Prophecies of Ragnarok journey, and I’m glad to say this new narrator (Jennifer Pratt) was pretty great.

While the first book meshed atmospheric horror, a single location, and a romance plot, I found book two to build much more into the action adventure side of the storyline. Victor and Silje are star-crossed lovers, fated to love each other and struggle through the ages. And due to Victor’s godly lineage, they are constantly hunted, each big bad just a little worse than the last as the climax grows.

This makes for a pretty fast paced novel, but the authors still manage to keep a somewhat comedic air to the story with the inclusion of Victor’s British best friend. It’s also funny how as an urban fantasy, the authors were not afraid to infuse the story with misconceptions from the way the MCU presents the Norse gods.

This installment definitely worked better for me, especially with the separation of Victor and Silje, which really allowed for the latter to grow into her own character, with strength and a personality that stands on its own. Even against the biggest bad in the story, Thor.

I particularly liked the use of the Philippines for a location, as seeing authors infuse stories with their cultures or histories is always a nice turn. And this trilogy definitely has a nice diverse cast of characters.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy, Norse mythology, and unique takes on meshing those worlds, this should work really well for you.

Second I saw this was announced I had to grab one. The scurry furries, which first appeared in a short from Christmas in the Empty Cabin, are just such good creatures for a horror story. I’m glad Reyes brought them back.

Amber needs the money, so sadly she’s off to work on Christmas Eve, even with her entire family on the way over. The author yet again gives us diverse characters, bringing Hispanic culture with Amber and her family’s celebration. It adds authenticity to her as a character right away.

Sadly, when Amber gets to works, her boss Eddie immediately asks her to help a coworker with a last minute shipment. This shipment happens to be a big ol’ pallet of scurry furries. The descriptors of retail work, the way the store is set up, as well as the temperament of holiday shoppers, are spot on. I have worked some form of retail for the last sixteen years, and Reyes doesn’t miss a beat. Especially because the scurry furry is a holiday hit. The Black Friday-esque need to push, shove, and name call for last minute items are all things I’ve seen in person.

Reyes hits us with some of his best descriptors during the chaos that ensues. Bringing this creature feature novelette to life for the reader. Not just the gruesomeness of scurry furries chomping on unsuspecting shoppers, but also the way he described the smells in the store. “Unkempt ass” most definitely being my favorite.

I’ll be honest, I feel like these recent novelettes are just missing the slightest bit. If Amber had gotten into work, and perhaps we were given more of her day, and then as it neared closing the scurry furry pallet came out? It could have given more atmosphere to the story, as well as lengthening it a bit, so that the surprise is leveled up. Or perhaps I just really think the horror novella is where things hit their stride the best?

Regardless, Reyes does a great job here. I loved that there ended up being a deluxe edition of the scurry furry, so we did not get the exact same story as the previously released short. I love that it remained in the same universe of the short, with the OG store getting name dropped, and I really liked that Reyes also shouted out his forthcoming slasher novel. Personally a 4/5*, a quick read for Gremlins fans.

This is the prequel novella to the Malitu series, and it’s set 200 years prior to the events in book one. I’m very lucky to have been sent an arc.

Black flags in Ennea signify a messenger. They are supposed to be allowed to travel in peace, but just like real history with military drummers, refugees, and the like, “don’t shoot the messenger” is rarely upheld. The ideals of peace for some are scarier than the concept of war. Some would even kill to stop the talks of peace.

I really appreciate the juxtaposition between Isála’s sort of idealized naivety and Rione’s steadfast jaded heart. Her brusque attitude is presented as knowing better, but she’s just haunted in a different way. Teshun was of course the perfect middle man as well, turning to humor and charisma to cloak and turn away the pains of war and loss.

Isála is convinced that peace can be achieved without violence, but the first time her life is threatened, she gets rocked to the very foundations of her beliefs. Once again the author achieves a story—this time much shorter—that provokes inward thinking and a deepening understanding of those we perceive as different. And AGAIN, it’s also just a good fantasy story, so if you aren’t the deep thinker, you can still enjoy it for just what’s on the page. Dulin does great with both.

I really felt the quotes below, and I feel like as a whole, it kind of embodies the entire series:

“That is not your responsibility!”

“That is all our responsibility!”

Well written, gut punching, and deep. I did find a bit of the back and forth to be slightly repetitive, but not so much so that I lost enjoyment. This is a prequel novella that does break the mold of recent times. Even though it’s written post book one’s release, it really does stand solidly as it’s own piece of writing.

I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.

This novella mixes quite a lot into it. It’s post apocalyptic event, with seemingly more of a fantasy based event than a scifi one, but the notes of both are still there. In that sense it’s urban fantasy, but as it’s after the events, it reads as a fantasy world unlike our own in ways, and yet it has notes of a Victorian-era London to it as well. Not to mention I’ve seen reviewers call the author a grimdark writer too. Oh, and this features a detective, so it’s mystery as well. Far be it from me to tell you what genre to call it, but I personally loveeee blended genres.

Kade Blackcap is an out-of-luck and yet above-average sleuth. When his abilities lead to a guilty man being hung, he finds that he can’t exactly cope with the death of a human, guilty or not. This spirals out of control until he’s about to end up on the street. Rashly, he decides to run something in the paper for a more superstitious clientele. It’s vastly unsuccessful, but he’s not a quitter.

I love that our detective’s journey involved researching mythology and folklore from the world’s past in the library. He is not naturally knowledgeable or gifted and winning without trials. He struggles with a penchant for sipping from his flask, so more often than not he’s stumbling to his destination or has a headache. Not necessarily uncommon for the mystery genre, but it’s pretty cool to see this implanted into a world that’s much less common for it. And it makes Kade read as incredibly grounded, real.

I did find the mystery itself to be a little on the nose, but obviously the twist is that he switches to supernatural detecting, and in that sense, it worked very well for me. It is also a bit shy on its explanation of what happened to the world, again, I think possibly (like others that follow this format) because it came out after book one, and perhaps the author did not want to explain it twice. But because this is a mystery, and such a singularly focused event, I found it helped the mystery rather than hindering the book.

Personally a 5/5*, a real killer for me.

I absolutely love the title. It might be a top three book title ever. And the red of the cover is great too, so I knew I needed to read it right away this holiday season.

I read this across day 4 and 5 of Covid, in a kind of semi-fugue state, and I think it kind of struck me that the author must have been in something similar to have thought this sucker up…

…joking aside, this is an incredibly clever idea that’s whimsical, fantastical, and original.

It has so many references that I was constantly highlighting and rereading snippets. Perhaps you’ll understand the one below, which was my favorite: “…loose newell post, or cleaning up after the fried cat under the armchair in the lobby, or fixing the furnace, or...” it was like reading one giant Christmas reference and I absolutely loved it. It made the North Pole seem like fantasy, but with references to known culture, pulling it back down towards magical realism at the same time.

With that said, this is a murder mystery! Sam Shovel is a snowman that comes to life every year for the twelve days of Christmas at the North Pole. Not only does he have a knack for detecting, but his corncob pipe biting, fedora wearing antics felt very noir crime novel without his personality being the usual grit.

The author’s knowledge of Christmas, and the actual past history of it, is clearly on display through various characters and traditions. And it was so interesting to see the murder mystery (the murder of O. Tannenbaum) intertwine with them.

The character’s names, all references of their own, should honestly earn the author some kind of award. The book is silly but serious the entire time, and I laughed more than once.

I’m really not sure how, but this is somehow like a warm blanket, a cup of warm coco, and a hug. All while investigating murder. It’s cozy, and feels kind of safe even though it’s mysterious at the same time. It also didn’t read as ‘cozy’ in the kind of corny sense that has begun to be associated with the term. I cannot stress enough how enjoyable this was. Personally a 5/5*. This is a first for me from the author, but with a Hercule Poirot reference, it certainly won’t be the last.

I received an ebook copy to review for FanFiAddict/Fear For All and I’m glad to have read it.

This is a drug induced horror ride. Blood pumping, ear splitting, nose sniffing ride.

What works:

Paulo, the father, and the first person POV in the novel, is desperate to find his daughter Adriana. The loss of his wife and his promise to her really solidified his desperation. It sells the fact that he would drive off and then walk miles through the wilderness in winter to find here. Not that a father wouldn’t move mountains for their daughter in general, but this is death-defying stuff here.

Adriana, always forced to focus education above all else, has taken the loss of her mother hard. It has driven a split between her and her father, and she has taken this one step further by running away. Turning to a life that neither parent would want for her. Their relationship, centered around grief, again really sold their decision making.

This examination of grief, the loss of a loved one, and the lack thereof that follows, were really the pieces that glued this together for me. The author’s grasp on human nature is showed off really well.

The monsters, whether it was just Harold and the drugs, or something more, were very interesting, gruesome, and most definitely intense. The scene in the tunnel was almost scifi monster level.

What didn’t work for me:

The drug influenced scenes, which could arguable be all of them, none of them, or at least a decent chunk, read very out there. In that sense, they are clearly successful, don’t get me wrong. But in a sense they read like fantasy dream sequences, which I find extremely hard to get through. I don’t do drugs, therefore maybe I don’t get it? It read as real, just a bit to get through for me.

Found this amongst my kindle while putting together a folder of Christmas related reads and decided to give this a go as it fits the horror holiday kick I’m on.

They are quite short, but not really as short as I’ve come to expect when people use the word “flash.” There was a decent variety of stories, and they were enjoyable without going too extreme, something I’m somewhat not a fan of.

If you’re looking for a quick read for the holidays, this one might be perfect for you. As they are so short, as is the collection in general, it’s harder to go into specifics without spoiling anything, but I was a big fan of Secret Santa short and its twist.

Personally a 4/5*.

This was included with audible, so I decided to give it a go for the holiday season.

Honestly, I’m not really even sure how to rate or review this as it’s doing several things at once. It’s both informational/educational, while being historical of course, then it’s the mix of folklore/mythology/and a bit of fantasy, and then it’s also part recipe/baking book?

With that being said, with this book’s hand in several baskets, this was still a really great bit of info on the history of Christmas. From paganism and the Christian events that began to overshadow the old holidays, to the different iterations of Santa and his helpers. (And the different iterations of those that weren’t his helpers…IE Krampus). Just a really great job of laying out the different winter holidays and their traditions around the world.

In that sense, I suppose to succeeds in what it sets out to do, so 4/5* as somethings lost their flow a bit.

Grabbed this as it was included on audible, and it seems to track with some of the other Christmasy stuff I was reading.

This is a murder mystery. Honestly, I think I was a little distracted, or maybe I listened too fast, but this one seemed to lack a lot of needed substance. The main character, Cameron Winter, is called in to help solve the murder of Sweet Haven’s librarian. There are various details about the main character that were left vague or tight lipped to the point where I thought this wasn’t the first book. It is. He has the build of a man that works out and has hands as if he does lots of push-ups on concrete (who knew that was a thing). Almost bringing to mind the kind of bare knuckle boxing look of Daredevil to mind. When asked, he just says he’s an English professor.

Then, he is brought in because sometimes “he can see outside of himself and just figure stuff out.” This almost brought to mind Will Graham from the Hannibal series, except there’s not substance behind the claim. He simply sees things differently sort of aka—there are no hints and the author makes it up?

Another jarring detail that’s there, but also somehow lacking, is that he is haunted and in therapy from a traumatic childhood. The therapy sessions happen during the story, and seem to link to why he is the why he is, but they never actually pay out to anything worthy of much. Oh, and for Cameron Winter, every woman is “young” and “beautiful” and guess what, interested in him. It read like a lack of a personality for the main, and a lack of existence for the women.

The murder, how it was solved, and the twist surrounding it, all read as awfully flat to me. Nothing, not a single line in the entire book, made me care whatsoever. Again, maybe it’s me, and maybe it’s not.

Personally 2/5*. I wish the characters were more than mobsters and smiling women enhancing the character’s looks. Narration was good though!

Grabbed this one/was drawn in 100% for the title. Keeping my Christmas horror streak going too is a plus.

This is a gruesome and no holds barred collection. The author takes you through a murder-fueled nightmare and does not slow down for a second. As the blurb claims, this really is a multi-sub genre horror collection, with varying lengths that made it go by pretty easily.

My personal favorite was the self titled story. A man loses his family to a drunk driver accident. Now, this Christmas, he’s out for revenge, and he’s taking more with him than you think. Out at all the revenge stories I’ve read, this one definitely had me feeling for the guy. It’s kind of strange that revenge stories in fantasy have you rooting for them, but this being in the real world still felt wrong. Maybe it’s just how extreme it was.

Personally a 3/5* for me. Great horror Christmas cheer.

I read approximately one romance a year, and only if they are Christmas based. Romance isn’t really my thing, but it’s the season of love, so I let it slide. I enjoy the cover art, so I grabbed a copy.

Libby, a down on her luck photographer and our story’s main, has just lost another job. Coincidentally, she’s also just lost her living space due to her boyfriend falling into another woman. As is necessary with these plots, we now have the impetus for a swift change. In comes her new employer, Seth, an eccentric money-man looking for a live in assistant. Naturally, she accepts.

The plot is pretty straight forward, and while she got into her job and all it entails, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t find anything boring. It’s pretty unique when an author can write something so slice-of-life and still keep you turning pages. Then something incredible happens, her boss gets a puppy and then you get to take the puppy out to pee and go on walks!

The romance kicks in pretty early, but it’s not really always on the nose. It’s often rather slight and you definitely have to read between the lines a bit. Partly because of the way the character Seth is written, and in part due to the author giving the reader the option to NOT read into it. In a kind of too-good-to-be-true sense.

When it becomes apparent, is towards the end when they have themselves a Christmas truce. It’s festive and fun, and the romance is believable. The Christmas dinner, the decorations, the movies they watched, were all exactly what I was looking for. I did just find this part to be a bit short for my liking. Personally a 4/5*.

Decided to give this a go as Christmas horror is 100% my style this year and I liked the cover art.

This features a character that the author has used elsewhere before, the Tricker-Treater, but it did not feel as if the prior story was a necessity to understand this. The TT is a kind of Internet folklore figure that’s passed around forums kind of like the slender man. There’s a way to call him, to grant you your wish, but there’s a hefty fee…and the fine print is a must read.

The plot using the dysfunction of the family gave the need for the TT a grounded feel. The father’s fear of losing his daughter, on top of his job, makes his desperation real for the reader. I could feel his desire to hold on to her, for some last semblance of control, and his turn to the TT as a last resort was right there.

The Tricker-Treater as a character was terrifying and his description had me thinking of him speaking with a proper Englishman’s accent (that might just be the top hat) with a skeletal demonic visage.

Personally a 4/5* for me.

I wanted to read this for the Christmas season, and lo and behold, I won an audible code giveaway from the author and Shortwave Publishing. The narration from Elisabeth Rodgers was very well done!

This is book two in the Killer VHS Series, but I believe they are standalone stories. It’s styled just like you’d think. It has everything you’d look for in a slasher film. Drama. Comedy. Surprises. Kills. I’d say Black Christmas sticks out as similar, but that’s likened to the Christmas atmosphere probably.

A Christmas from the past has shocking repercussions on one in the future. The same house, two different families, one hell of a Christmas stay. I enjoyed that the story linked back to the Christian side of Christmas, as that is somewhat absent at times, and it has the ability to be turned so super creepy when done right. This does it pretty flawlessly.

Another thing McAuley has achieved is taking something kind of silly, and making it creepy. Not to mention gruesome. The tagline, “Oh, what fun it is to die” is a perfect cheesy rip off the Christmas song, and drew me as a reader 100%, but it could very easily have fallen in the way that its B, C, and even D horror predecessors have gone. Don’t get me wrong, it most certainly is what it claims to be, I’m just saying the author has done so quite well.

Personally a 5/5*, I did not call the twist, therefore I was twisted.

As soon as I saw this was available, I immediately grabbed a copy and started reading it. Christmas horror is 100% my style this year.

This was a lot darker than I expected from the blurb to be honest. I expected a fast paced home invasion story, and instead I got a ghost story featuring kidnapping, infatuation, absolute control, and conditional love. Mam is not like other mothers. Angelina is constantly watching out so as not to upset her, because at best, she’ll be berated, and at worst…well she doesn’t want to know.

This really broke down and showed the different ways a parent can be over the top controlling. One of my WIP actually features the same type of control, and this was done well enough that I was definitely taking notes. The conditional love was so strongly written and revolting that it made my stomach turn just reading through it.

This was definitely a very Christmasy story, and just about as dark as you can go. Personally a 4/5* for me.

Much like my last read by Lee Harris, this was included with audible for free, and is also in the middle of a series (Daisy Dalrymple) that I’ve never read.

The novel sets itself up well, without the feeling of needing to read the others. The family has an opportunity to spend Christmas in Cornwall and they decide to do it. But unlike my latest read, some of the additional background information was definitely lacking as I got deeper into the read. Daisy’s husband, much like Christine Bennett’s, is a police officer. But in actuality he seems to be doing most of the investigating, only asking her to take notes. There’s also several parts of the story where he tells her she’s not allowed to come along. So I was a little confused about her sitting back and figuring the whole thing out, something that I’m quite sure is part of the larger series.

This is a 1920’s era series that could also be marketed as cozy. The family speaks of good/ill breeding and the separated roles of men and women (not such a cozy conversation for today’s world). It has the old time feel of an Agatha Christie-esque story, which is more or less what I think of when people say “cozy.” Or basically, mysteries where the murder isn’t gory and not ‘on camera’. It was enjoyable though, and even though it isn’t from that time period, I couldn’t really tell, so that was well done.

Personally a 3/5*. A twisting mystery.