C. J. Daley
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.
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*.
I received a copy to review for BBNYA, and my review has been withheld until after the competition ended. I also grabbed a paperback copy, as I prefer to read physical. And what a beautiful cover.
This is a fun mix of elemental-esque magics, as the seasons are at war with winter. The big bad is so bad that he is locked away and still posing problems. One of the most enjoyable things, is that while the stakes are high, world-endingly so, the entrance of our de facto hero is in the king’s kitchens as a lowly kitchen boy. He does desire to be a knight, but he’s just a boy. One with nearly no experiences in life.
Through the novel, the author shows Garlan as he leanrs, experiences, and grows. He has to experience danger, loss, near-death activities (several times), and even new friendships. He is not infallible, nor is he invincible, he feels both real and knightly.
Although the ending does really deliver on the whole battling seasons plot line, I did find some of the other stops/action sequences to feel a bit uninvolved. They served the purpose of teaching Garlan, but at the same time didn’t always tie back to winter.
Personally a 4/5* for me. As this is more so whimsical than many other fantasies, as well as featuring such a young protagonist, the fairytale-esque style of storytelling did make this read a little overlong for me.
I received a copy to review for BBNYA, and my review has been withheld until after the competition ended. I also grabbed a paperback copy, as I prefer to read physical.
One of the things I worried about as this is my first year with BBNYA is the idea of 2,000 words being enough to fully grasp the worth of a story. For me, this story was not a huge win for me for round one. I was intrigued, but not desperate to continue. Luckily, I received it again, because this was one hell of an action adventure story!
This reads like a young adult historical fiction where the Templar order is searching for lost artifacts. The back likens it to Indian Jones and Uncharted. At first, I thought it odd that it didn’t mention Assassin’s Creed, as it seemed unlikely the author had not heard of it, but then I figured that might have put them as villains in readers’ minds.
Noah is desperate to follow in his family’s footsteps, to prove himself to his father, and to join the Templar order. This is the last thing his father wants, but unfortunately, it’s not entirely up to him.
The action is slick and believable, never going to the action-hero limit, while still being edge-of-your-seat enjoyable. The diving scenes really helped amp up the claustrophobic feeling and that added to the overall climactic built.
Personally a 4.5/5*. Really enjoyed it, but some of the teenage boy thoughts got a bit repetitive.
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*.
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 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.
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.
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.
As soon as I saw this cover, I immediately grabbed a copy and started reading it. Christmas horror is 100% my style this year.
Douglas finds Christmas lights, blinking in not-red and not-purple, within the storm drain. He doesn’t know why, but he feels drawn to them and fishes them out. They then cause havoc throughout their little town’s tacky lights competition.
This was pretty much what I gathered from the blurb, and it delivers on it quite well. What I didn’t expect, was the heavy gut punch of grief that this short story packs. I recently attended an indie author’s presentation on Victorian grief, and they spoke of how sons, daughters, siblings are often pushed aside in their grief, making way for the parents first. This exemplified that explanation fantastically. Douglas is dealing with his grief silently, because he is seen as the absence rather than the survival, the continuation after loss. It was really well done and added a much needed layer to the story.
Maybe it’s just me, but the storm drain/kids fighting to save a town when the parents don’t believe them felt very reminiscent of IT to me, as well as a blend of others.
Personally a 4/5*, check this one out!
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.
This is Christine Bennett mystery # 5, which naturally I’ve never heard of, so why not pick up a random one for Christmas.
In all seriousness though, this actually does a great job of filling you in on needed information while not being an info dump. Nor does it feel like you’re lacking for not reading the others. I was pleasantly surprised.
This series started in the nineties, and in today’s world would probably be marketed under ‘cozy’, which just seems to mean it lacks the “on screen” violence of most modern mystery/thrillers. The deaths are for the most part less gruesome or in this case, completely unknown until the very end, as the person is missing.
It’s written well, and has a simple style that added to my enjoyability. It being included for free on audible also certainly helped, as I may not have picked it up otherwise being in the middle of a series and all, although I do like the cover a lot.
Christine “Chris” Bennett almost became a nun, now she’s an amateur sleuth instead. Her husband is an NYPD officer, and tries to help, but she does the connecting of dots all on her own. So when one of her favorite priests goes missing on Christmas, she’s pulled back into a blend of her old and new worlds.
Personally a 4/5*. Liked it, but was kind of light on the Christmas.
I actually preordered a paperback of this, but I’ve been too busy to get to it. The author very kindly sent me over an audible code, so I was able to fit it in sooner. Sadly there is a short story where you are not supposed to say the rhyme out loud so now I am unfortunately cursed. Alex Schiffer does a pretty solid job with narration though.
This collection features 15 short stories, some of which have been published elsewhere before, but were entirely new to me. One of the cool things about them being from other anthologies is that you are getting a slew of locales and types of horror in this single collection, nothing reads as one note.
My personally favorite was Percepto! not only in its shock value, but also for the classic Vincent Price. A close runner up was Sally Under the Bed, which to me felt almost like Hendrix’s Ankle Snatcher but from a younger perspective and somehow even creepier.
Naturally, I’m really here to talk about It Haunts the Mind. The collection’s namesake, but also a short story from the world of The Exorcist’s House (which I absolutely loved). I believe this fits somewhere within the opening of the novel and the family moving into the vacated house. Three teens plan to get drunk and look around. They’ve heard rumors, but they aren’t scared. Fans will see a familiar face, and be haunted by a familiar, foul-mouthed presence. With it being short it doesn’t quite hit the same level of creepy, but I enjoyed the extra layer in background.
Personally a 4.5/5*.
I am, as ever, a little late. I received this from NetGalley, but wanted to wait for the correct seasonal feel.
This has a bit of an issue with formatting, but I was able to get through it, and the writing is easy to read and without typos. The book does feature artwork throughout, but the style isn’t always the same, and some of them are actually almost creepy when they aren’t meant to be.
This is a reimagining of the story of Santa Claus. It starts with an immigrant toy maker and his toy shop. He eventually adopts two orphans that have good carving skills, and makes them his apprentices. One of the children ends up being Santa. The strange thing to me with the story though, is that it almost seems to not be about Santa at all. His real name is John Nicholas, and things happen around him, and he just kind of becomes Santa. He’s not really the whimsical, saintly guy we’ve come to think of. He does deliver toys to the children of the world, however it wasn’t even his idea or plan.
I did find enjoyment in this story, but the writing style felt more like note taking/plot points rather then the telling of an actual story. Also with some of the content and the way it’s written, I’m not even sure what the age group it’s aiming for is. Personally a 3/5*.
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. The author also had it up for free on kindle, so I grabbed it for a verified review.
This prequel novella caught me off guard. It’s not only a post apocalyptic story, but also a scifi/futuristic story. The blend of which worked really well for me. It also read as withholding information on purpose, rather than just waiting for the full length novel like some other prequels do, which I appreciated, and it definitely kept me wanting.
Our gritty main character, Thibault, will do anything to free his wife. Sometimes that grittiness made it a little hard to believe the loving/longing relationship he still holds for his wife, but I had to keep reminding myself that it’s also post apocalypse, so people change and do whatever they have to to survive. When faced with an ultimatum, a final job, one that forces him to do something practically suicidal or never see his wife again, of course he must agree.
I thought the stakes were high and mostly were delivered on. I do wish some of that withheld information was explained a bit more by the end, but it was certainly intriguing and would read more.
I would be remiss to not mention the main factor that detracted from my enjoyment of the book though, which took it from a solid 5* down a notch. At the end of the book, there is a call to action to sign up for the author’s newsletter to receive a bonus epilogue. Personally and unfortunately, to me, the epilogue comes post story, but is typically integral to the lead up to the following book. To me that makes it necessary reading, not a “bonus” and that lack of accessibility hurt it overall. Like receiving 90% of the book you thought you bought. So personally a 4/5* for me.
This was included for free from audible, and as it bridged the gap between holidays, I gave it a go. I’ll share the bio, as this is kind of a real short one:
“Most of you know I’m not known for my short stories, apparently I’m much too long-winded. But on occasion there are some things I just need to pull from my head and put on paper. I hope you enjoy this small glimpse into the things that keep me up at night.”
The first story opens up with the author writing his family and home into a zombie apocalypse. As he is an apocalyptic writer, it makes sense, but I also thought it was a really cool idea too. They barricade themselves upstairs and fight to keep the hoard at bay.
The following stories feature some of the characters from his works, which I have not read, and I can only assume would be much more enjoyable if I had first. However, they do seem to be at least mostly unrelated to the other works, because you can follow along easily enough, it’s just some of the personal relationship stuff that doesn’t hit.
Personally a 3/5*, an enjoyable and real short collection. The narration was real Bostonian, but enjoyably fitting.
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team.
This is posed as humorous fantasy, and it certainly delivers just that. It’s enjoyable, witty, a little inappropriate, and adventurous. I love the idea of a team of adventurers just being awful at it. They may end up being in the right or wrong place at any given time, and lord only knows how they’ll fumble it. Beden just wants to prove himself. He just can’t seem to get things right. Oz, his wizard companion, cannot keep his pants on long enough to cast a spell, and his remaining partner is all brawn and no brains. So when they get buddied up with another group led by Jyden, they can’t seem to mesh. She’s hard headed, determined to lead, and breaking the group apart with her personality.
The character work is fun, with witty banter, and each person being unique in their own abilities (if you can call them that). My only gripe is that as it’s titled “episode one” it does feel like the first piece of something, not like it’s own story. The ending and really only the start of explaining the world feels more like a couple of chapters of something rather than it’s own novella.
Personally a 4/5* for me as it’s fast and fun and real easy to read
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team.
Take this with a grain of salt/sand/ashes/world making crystals (if you will)…as this story unfortunately did not connect for me. I found it to read as disjointed, often jumping between times while also switching characters in a way that did nothing but confuse me. The scenes are often very short, perhaps a couple hundred words each, and it felt like I couldn’t sink my teeth into anything. Like I was constantly trying to connect or understand but then it changed again. Even after finishing, I’m not quite sure what the plot is.
Perhaps just not my style, writing taste, or the wrong story for me, as I actually highlighted quite a bit that I thought was fantastic. Quotes and odds and ends that hit me as profound. As I received this to review, it wasn’t an actual kindle version, so I couldn’t upload them to goodreads sadly.
Personally a 3/5* for me. Just not to my taste.
Saw that this was included listening on audible, and in the “fallout” of being done with the Meg series, I decided to give this a go.
This is all the blurb says, and honestly it’s not even that accurate/descriptive, but for some reason my brain definitely said, ‘yeah this must be another shark novel’. It’s not. To my surprise.
“A young couple go to Bermuda on their honeymoon. They dive on the reefs offshore, looking for the wreck of a sunken ship. What they find lures them into a strange and increasingly terrifying encounter with past and present, a struggle for salvage and survival along the floor of the sea, in the deep.”
A honeymooning couple (one is divorced and not that young) find a hidden shipwreck underneath a known shipwreck. In typical Benchley fashion, there is also a gangster with unbelievable connections. He wants what they’ve found, and he’s willing to kill to get it as they race to collect it. It does add the layer of tension the novel needs, but it does feel oddly reminiscent of Jaws. This novel is certainly different though, as it’s also full on historical fiction too.
Personally a 3/5*
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. 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 features a gritty fantasy world and focuses on a group of assassins. They moonlight as s*x workers, blacksmiths, medical stall workers, all with the aim of collecting information on their marks and raising a little funds. They have all been recruited by a masked-wearing man, one that seems to know all, and has the plans kept mostly mum.
In one scene, they focus on saving a captured priestess turned new member of their group. Call it an unannounced recruitment. It was in this scene that I felt like it hit a bit of a stride. It was explained that each woman had a different but pivotal role, and here it was showcased. Annah is the blade in the night, while Erika is more of a heavy hitter.
The finale takes off with them reaching a new area and needing to take out three cronies before getting to the big bad. This felt like an in depth Assassin’s Creed scene or set, which if you know me, I love AC, so this was a huge part of my enjoyment with this novella.
The action/assassinations were all unique and well written, and I enjoyed taking the journey with them. I will say that the characters worked much more as the group then on their own for me, but I think with that could be changed in a full novel.
Personally a 4/5*
Saw this for free on Twitter and immediately gave it a go! It just released the 14th, so check it out!
I wish this had been available for my spooky season reads, but it was good nonetheless. This felt like it had the same vibe as Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, while being entirely different. Maybe it’s just the pumpkin heads.
Why is it that spooky stories come alive? Why is it that the dark and terrible lore is always true? The Pumpkin King is no different. Emil never believed it, was made fun of during the war for sharing it as a tale from his town. But clearly something is taking people out every autumn. Now that he’s home, that doesn’t mean it’s any realer, right?
Personally a 4/5*. Concise, written well, and dark.
I received a copy to review for BBNYA, and my review has been withheld until after the competition ended.
I was very lucky to receive this through more than one of the stages of BBNYA, not because reading 2k and 10k excerpts are really my thing, but because this was so enjoyable.
A middle grade scifi/fantasy adventure featuring ghosts? Those are some of my favorite things! This novel has so much growth to it, and I love that the author showed the main character going back and forth in her growing just like children do. There’s so much heart and struggle in this one and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The characters, from Eva, the first human born on Mars, to her friends, the cast is diverse and interesting and they react and respond like actual friends do. The science is there, but not overwhelming as it’s targeting kids. The same can be said for the action. It’s thrilling without being too much, but it does have realness to it.
Personally a 5/5*
I was apparently approved for this from NetGalley, but then I got so busy that I completely missed it. So, very sorry about that! The narration by Lindsay Dorcus was awesome.
Wardens are like rangers and wizards mixed into one. Our main character, Aelis, is a sword wielding, wand caster, and the new arriving overseer of Lone Pine. She is a necromancer, an anatomist, and pretty good with a sword too. The world pieces Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and even Harry Potter, and I could see people thinking Gideon the Ninth too. With all that in mind, the blend read very unique to me, as well as fully fleshed out.
The inner thoughts of Aelis, somewhat sarcastic and even self-deprecating, mixed with the more deadpan and steadfast personality of her half-orc guide, Tun, read as a great dynamic. I did struggle a bit with the half-elf love interest though. It felt kind of like pushing for a sapphic subthread that didn’t really need to be there. Or at least it wasn’t fleshed out enough for me.
I’d also liken it to some older fantasy series in the sense that it doesn’t deliver on some gigantic climax. That didn’t really work for me in the moment, but I think I’ve just become so engrained in the modern delivery of heavy action before the end. This does not have that, and that’s actually okay. It’s not without action, nor is it boring at all!
Personally a 4/5*. The peppered in flashbacks from school at the Lyceum really added depth to the world and the MC.