Beth Tabler

The Faith Machine by Tone Milazzo is a weird and wild combination of action and psychic “superheroes” fighting for the fate of the world.

We are in a world where The Avengers and other superhero juggernaut stories have become as familiar to readers and viewers as peanut butter and jelly. The stories have infiltrated our everyday vernacular and changed the superhero trope. A being with powers can no longer be a nuanced and profound thing. You have to wear spandex and a cape, possibly have a catchphrase of 12. Bad guys are always wrong to the core, and the good guys kiss babies and help older people across the street. Although this is entertaining in a grand “Boom,” “Pow!,” “Ka-Pow” sort of way, it doesn't leave much for actual feelings. I don't see superman ever dealing with apathy, depression, mania, or desperation.
All of this leads me to my newest read, The Faith Machine by Tone Milazzo. The Faith Machine is a new breed of Superheroesque story that is part noir, part thriller, part action and, part science fiction. Unlike many of the trope-filled superhero stories mentioned above that are a part of mainstream culture, The Faith Machine steps outside the box a bit. It reminds me more of a gonzo Watchman then anything having to do with superman. People with powers have double the problems. They are human, and with that comes all of the quirky human characteristics that swirl round in their monkey brains, including mental illness. God or something caused these people to be gifted, but all gifts have a price. It can be life-destroying or life-affirming. But in the end, these characters have a realness that most superhero stories do not have.

The Faith Machine has a huge cast of quirky characters. Occasionally, it was difficult to tell what was going on. But author Tone Mizolli kept his chapters brief, didn't use much exposition, and allows the actions, descriptions of thoughts help differentiate the characters. The story, in a nutshell, is difficult to describe accurately. “Welcome to the dangerous, clandestine world of ESPionage. Welcome to The Strip, where operatives on the fringe command teams of ‘Cards': Agents cursed with subtle, specialized, and sometimes sloppy psychic powers. Dr. Ken Park, Korean-American psychologist, and spy dares to lead six of these Cards. Together, they tackle esoteric threats the Department of Homeland Security cannot.” This description makes it sound like a psychic A-Team. It isn't, it is a much cooler story than that. “Park takes his team to Africa to retrieve the Faith Machine. Built by the Soviets to turn prayers into suffering, the psychotronic device fell into the hands of a demented warlord. Tragically, the mission fails, and the madman slaughters hundreds of innocents while the machine burns.

They return to the States in disgrace, and into an ambush by the mysterious and brutal Casemen. Cut off from command and each other; the scattered agents rush to their safe house in the west. While spy agencies from around the world want retribution for the catastrophe in Africa. Park's team outplays enemies left and right, while uncovering the true threat. There's another Faith Machine, one destined to bring hell on earth.” The team takes on a mission that was a bit too much. They come back to the states only to be attacked by a group called Casemen. It is time to run. They are running most of the novel, and that can be tiring for some readers. But I rather enjoyed the non-stop action. As for what happens next, I am not going to ruin anything. But know there is destruction, and the nature of God and faith.

Or something, it is a bit wild.

It is a great read. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the action. It isn't a book I would usually have picked up, but I am delighted that I did.

Grady Hendrix, the author of Horrorstör, is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. The books I have read thus far, We Sold Our Souls, and now Horrorstör are a combination of the ridiculous, the scary, a hell of a lot of fun.

As someone who worked retail in and outside of IKEA, I felt this book on a deeply visceral level. I feel like Hendrix wrote this for my poor bedraggled retail battered soul. And, even though IKEA as a company is better than others, it can get a bit Stepford Wives in upper management. IKEA has inane terms and culture; there is constant upselling and forced smiles and a vast rat-maze-like store trying to funnel you as much as possible. If you have been told that your presentation is not IKEA, you don't have that coworker attitude; your feet hurt constantly, you have been called names by customers, yelled at for policies, and must do it all again with a smile, this story is for you. I think I am channeling some inner past trauma here.

“The more Amy struggled, the faster she sank. Every month she shuffled around less and less money to cover the same number of bills. The hamster wheel kept spinning and spinning and spinning. Sometimes she wanted to let go and find out exactly how far she'd fall if she just stopped fighting. She didn't expect life to be fair, but did it have to be so relentless?”
― Grady Hendrix, Horrorstör

The book is set up as an IKEA catalog, same size, and same general heft. Every few chapters, there is an advertisement for a piece of furniture that is bound to make your life better and more ORSK. ORSK being the fictional lifestyle and furniture company that is a direct knock off of IKEA and the setting for the much of the story. Amy, the main protagonist, is a struggling 20+ associate that is on the fetid hamster wheel of life. The harder she struggles, the further she gets behind. Amy is about to lose her home due to late rent and is feeling the desperation of not having anywhere to go. Plus, she feels her boss Basil (I have never read a more perfect name for a character) is about to fire her for not being ORSK enough. Amy has put in her transfer, all she has to do is stay away from Basil for the next three days, and she is free of this ORSK store. One problem though, Basil would like to do some special one on one coaching. This is usually shorthand for firing. But, instead of firing Basil as an offer: stay overnight and patrol the store. See what is going on, stop whoever is shitting on the couches at night, and vandalizing the bathrooms. In exchange, Basil will grant her transfer request and give her 200 dollars cash. She thinks that this might save her, but things get a whole lot more complicated overnight and chockful of horrors instead.

“Here was the other option: the tranquilizing chair. It was always waiting for her. It always wanted her back. It always wanted her to quit again, to sit down and never get back up. In the end, Amy thought, everything always comes down to those two choices: stay down or stand up.”
― Grady Hendrix, Horrorstör

ORSK is described as a beautiful piece of fruit with worms inside. We occasionally see a colossal rat scurrying about. Or, there is a general feeling of unease when you walk the beautifully lit and European-esque halls lined with furniture. Could it be that this building this built on the ruins of an insane asylum with a mad doctor who tortured and killed his patients? It sounds like a crazy plot jump, but trust me, Hendrix makes it work.

“I know this is your religion, but for me, it's just a job.”
― Grady Hendrix, Horrorstör

I loved this book, as I said, Hendrix is becoming one of my favorites. It is a perfect mix of horror, current events, with just the right touch of the insane to keep me turning page after page. Check it out, and next time you are at IKEA, remember this book.

Ink & Sigil is Kevin Hearne's first book in an exciting new series called aptly Ink & Sigil. if you aren't familiar with Hearne's novels, he has a couple of interesting series, the most famous being the Iron Druid Chronicles. “Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound.”

“A toast! Tae inks and sigils and straight razors, tae good bosses and wizards on lizards, tae outsmarting evil when ye can and kicking its arse when ye cannae do that, and tae distillers of fine spirits everywhere. Sláinte!”

In my opinion, the Iron Druid Chronicles is some of the best urban fantasy out there and has the most loyal companion dog in all of fantasy. Although, Mouse from Dresden Files is a very close second. The banter and characterization of Atticus's Wolfhound make many of his books both movers and funny. The Iron Druid series set me on a quest to find an Irish Wolfhound for myself. That is, until I found out the actual size of a said wolfhound—basically, the size of a VW Bug. And much like Mouse from the Dresden Files, a Fu dog and also the size of a VW Bug, he will have to be a dream for someday.

With all that being said, this new series has a lot of the flavor of the Iron Druid series, a wicked sense of humor, banter, and action. But, we have an entirely new type of magic to learn about and a new champion protagonist to cheer for in Al MacBharrais. Al, aside from being a slightly cantankerous sigil agent, has also been cursed. As soon as he speaks, his once melodious voice now causes the hearer to hate his guts. Instead, he is forced to talk to folks using a text-to-speech program on his phone. Problems with his various text-to-speech devices do provide a bit of comedic fun. I believe that who cursed him will be the overarching mystery of the series.

Specifically, the great mystery to this book is what is happening to his apprentices. They keep up and dying on him. Geordie, his newest apprentice, although not a nice guy in any way, did not deserve to die the way he did. Much to Al's dismay, Geordie had been living a double life and dabbling in an underground trafficking ring. Fae had been captured and sold to the highest bidder for often nefarious purposes. This ring is where we meet our sidekick of a sort in Buck Foi, a rogue and mischievous hobgoblin set to steal all he can and drink all of the whiskey. Geordie had him trapped.

This underground trafficking ring and the untimely deaths of his apprentices set Al on a quest to find out who is doing the stealing and killing.

Ink & Sigil is such a fun book. Generally, all of Hearne's books are irreverent and do not take themselves too seriously. His books have a light-heartedness peppered with action that keeps the pace rolling along but still makes you laugh out loud as a reader. However, I think that Ink & Sigil steps up the quality and intelligence of the comedy. It is a smarter comedy, although Buck Foi does throw in plenty of dick and fart level jokes to spice things up.

Also, technically Al is much, much younger than Atticus. However, Al has wisdom that Atticus does not. Maybe it is because of Al's profession; Al is a sigil master. He crafts words and symbols with special inks and seals them for different effects. Al, himself, is not magical. But he has the intelligence to do great magic. Conversely, Atticus does Earth magic and communes with Gaia. His magic is more inward, and dealing with the spirit requires less mind and more soul.

Maybe it is the type of magic he practices or because Al looks the part of a cantankerous older man. Unlike Atticus, who looks 22 but is over 2000 years old. But Al feels like he is one inch from yelling at you to get off his lawn.

These beautiful characters come together to make a fun story that is relatable and with a moving plot. Al is full of all sorts of surprises as well as his staff. Nothing is really as it seems. And like The Iron Druid, it is undoubtedly going to be a bit of a keeper. I can't wait to read more.

The Order of The Pure Moon Reflected in Water is a complicated story to talk about due to massive spoilers. It is also short, so the story beats are pretty precise, and if I say anything specific, it will ruin the whole plot. However, there are a few observations I can make about this captivating story.

Firstly, let's talk about the cover; it is masterfully done. I thought it was a beautiful cover and one of the first factors in leading me to request the story to review. After reading the story, you can appreciate just how beautifully done the cover is and how well it works in concert with the plot.

“You hexed a customer?” he roared. He smacked her on the side of the head.
“I didn't say that, Mr. Aw,” protested the waitress, rubbing her head. “I just said I didn't deny only.”

Secondly, the protagonist and supporting characters are fun. Tet Sang runs a band of brothers. They are classic, morally grey independent contractors that are some times on the right side and sometimes on the wrong side. They are minding their business and witness a waitress lose her job and possibly hex a customer. This waitress, a nun in disguise, joins the band of brothers and goes on a bit of a quest. Tet Sang is a good leader with secrets of his own, the same with the nun. We know less about the other characters in the party except for the fun dialog snippets we get as they argue like a family.

Plot-wise, the story delves into quite a few critical issues. The strongest is that families can be found. This goes back to how the group argues like a family; they have that level of banter. There is a level of comfort and trust you can have with someone who is not related by blood. I found Cho's writing on this to be very authentic and effortless. The banter betwixt the members of the group was slipped into like a comfy pair of shoes. Secondly, again no spoilers, but Cho touches on transgender identity. Some of her characters' identities are not what we think. Once again, Cho slips these parts of the characters into the story without a lot of fanfare.

It is brilliantly done.

I loved this story and would have given it a solid 5-star rating, except I found the ending to be a bit jarring. It came out of the left-field for me, which took me out of the story. Aside from that, this is solid, wonderfully written, great characters, and cool backstories. Definitely worth checking out.

Catalyst is a book with enormous ideas. It takes on fracking, environmental degradation, thoughts, human relationships, religion, archaeology, and familial relationships. Those ideas are a lot to cover in 248 pages. Frankly, if you focused on even one of these ideas, you could cover it, but all is a tall order. But, in general, Catalyst conveys what it sets out to. It is a story about an archeological dig site and how environmental degradation is happening all over the planet.

One of the main focuses of the story is the relationships between the main characters. Mainly, the protagonist of the story is Marcie. Marcie is supported by her brother Eric, girlfriend Renee, and possible love interest Leo. These four characters come together at a dig site to do some summer work. Their advisors are grad students Loraine and Zeke, who also play pivotal roles in Marcie'sMarcie's development. There is something different about Loraine and Zeke. Something that takes the four main characters by surprise and changes their lives forever. I can't tell you more than that because.... spoilers. But, know the story does not go where you think it will.

I think some of the difficulties I faced reading this story are the pacing. It felt choppy. I think if it had another two hundred pages of story development, I would have connected with the characters on a deeper level. I enjoyed the environmental aspects of the story. I think a book that takes on fracking is essential. Not many people know the degradation that fracking does to the land, and I am glad that the author took the time to explain why it damages everything so much.

Even though this was not a book for me, I don't connect with YA as much as some readers do, this story has a lot of good. It is interesting, and I am curious about what the next book will look like. Plus, if you are interested in the metaphysical aspect of the human consciousness that this is an even better book for you as a reader.

All in all, Catalyst did not connect with me, but I think that readers of YA with a metaphysical or environmental theme will love this.

Vault is my new favorite comics publisher. With many of their titles, they combine socially relevant ideas and science fiction/horror/fantasy that gives their stories a more profound meaning while still being entertaining and thought-provoking. The initial idea of portraying race relations as a chasm is what drove me to buy a copy of Fissure by Tim Daniel in the first place.

El Sueno was always a divided town. On one side you have the US and the other side we have Mexico. One day, a mysterious gas erupts from the ground with a rumble, and the mental divide that had always split the town is now a physical one. Many townsfolk fall into the chasm, while others are driven by some force that attracts them. At the heart of the story is Romeo and Juliet lovers, pregnant Latina Avery Lee Olmos, and Hark Wright. The conflicts, familial, and cultural that keep them apart turn into physical and horror laden. What lies in the abyss of that sinkhole will test a young couple's ability to survive. They need to join together to survive the chasm. Something wicked lays at the bottom of that hole, something not quite human.

There are a lot of well-done aspects of this story. First and foremost is the excellent writing done by Tim Daniel (Enormous, The Plot). Daniel managed to capture the tension and nuances of a community divided by politics in a way that was not heavy-handed. It was apparent what the struggles were that El Sueno faced as a community, without coming out and slamming the readers face in it. The Romeo and Juliet type love story also fits well within the context of a divided society. Again it wasn't heavy-handed, but sweet. Hark and Avery could have been any couple that struggled with the divide of culture and politics. Instead, because of the excellent writing, they came off as real people rather than caricatures of a Latina and a southern white man. Also, the story is told partially in Spanish. I loved that. It is a rare thing to have multiple languages in a graphic novel, and second, it is appropriate for the story and a city that straddles Mexico and the US.

The graphics are gorgeous. Each of the panels has a slight tinge of a supernatural green to them, letting the reader know that not all is right. Again, I didn't find this to be heavy-handed. Instead, it added a sinister, almost sickly quality to the graphics that let me know that not all was right with El Sueno.

My only slight complaint was that Fissure could have been longer. There could have been more story told. Near the end of the book, the story felt a little rushed. I wanted to know more about Avery and Hark's struggle to escape. I wanted to learn more about the creatures and why they were there.

Overall, Fissure was a great addition to the Vault catalog. It had everything a horror comic needs plus a lot more to make the issues more substantial and memorable. Also, because Daniel is such a great writer, I will be checking out some of his other works.

Check out Fissure and let me know what you think.

I remember thrashing my head to metal when I was a teenager. I remember the moment when I let the music take me; I felt the guitar howl through my head and the drumbeat in my very bones. I am not sure I feel that much anymore. Maybe when I am alone in the car, I might crank Metallica or Tool. But it never entirely is the same as when you were 19, which is a tragedy.

Grady Hendrix's Hendrix's book, We Sold Our Souls is about a lot of things: love for music, love for horror, or the state of mental and emotional health in the US. But what sang for me in this book is losing that connection to music, the kind you have when you are 19. Losing that emotional part of you that vibrates from the energy of the music is one of the saddest things, and it is a kind of horror in of itself. Wrap all of those ideas up, loss, the love of music, passion, and the plight of the middle class into a pulsing metal package, and you have We Sold Our Souls.

Right from the start, you do not have to love thrash metal to appreciate any of the ideas in this book. You could substitute Klezmer music in for metal, and it will ring true for some people. It is not so much what type of music you like, but being able to connect with the music itself. Even though Hendrix speaks at length about Metal music, you can substitute anything you are passionate about.

In this case, the story revolves around the members of Dürt Würk, a semi-famous metal band from the 1990s. Specifically the incredibly badass and beat-down Kris. Kris is to Dürt Würk as Slash is to Guns N' Roses. She is the shredding lead guitarist that gets on stage and apologizes to no one. Kris is authentically herself, a metal-loving girl with bloody fingernails, sweat dripping down her face, and music that sings out from the dark parts of her. She is all that is metal.

“No one loves me! Boohoo! Guess what? We play fucking metal! I don't want to sing about your sad feelings! I want dragons.” - There are no butterflies inside her.

We Sold Our Souls starts with Kris early in life, as a teenager, confused, and all attitude. She wants to play the riff from Sabbath, and she bleeds herself through the first chords until it sounds right. And for one glorious shiny moment, Sabbath was in her basement. She is hooked. Next, we meet Kris at 47 years old. The end of a career, and her soul, living in her mother's house working at a Best Western. The first scene of this is hilarious and sad. A naked man with a pillowcase over his head comes into her office and pisses all over her desk. He then farts and leaves. Her brother, who is a policeman's first question is not “are you ok?” His first question was, “Jesus Kris, couldn't you clean this up?” It is sad, and it shows how much she has fallen from her former life as a guitarist.

You can tell that Kris's life is shit, but she can still fight. “I can pick a fight in an empty fucking elevator. “No one left to fight.” Fuck you”

The brilliant thing about this story, and what sets it apart from other rock-themed stories, is that instead of the story being around a young idealistic Kris at the beginning of her career. It is about Kris at 47 and broken. It is a much more exciting story because Kris is much more complicated. The story progresses as Kris's former bandmate, and ex-best friend Terry Hunt decided to headline a farewell tour for his band. The ex-best friend that betrayed her and the other Dürt Würk bandmates years ago. Kris decides that it is time to get the band back together. To say that she runs into resistance from all sides is putting it lightly. Her quest takes her on a reunion with the bandmates: guitarist Scottie Rocket, bassist Tuck, drummer Bill, and finally Terry. She is on a one-woman quest to figure out what the hell happened on the night it all fell apart with only her grit and ax of a guitar to help her. She battles egos, band managers, the supernatural, and crazed fans. It is an epic fight.

But this is marketed as a horror novel, you say? It is. We Sold Our Souls is a horror novel. Hendrix wrote one of the scariest chapters in a cave that I have ever read. I am claustrophobic, and I had to put the book down for a while before I had a panic attack. Kris deals with a lot of violence and gore. It is almost Viking death metal in its visuals. Also, much of the story has the subtext of the death of dreams. It is much scarier and more visceral than some creature or ghost yelling “BOO” at you. The loss of dreams is a hollowing out of oneself, and it is not something someone can easily come back from. People settle for recreations of things instead of working for the real deal. People even sell their souls for iPhones. It is sad, but the way Grady Hendrix writes it rings true.

“I can't believe that after a lifetime of playing metal, it turns out the world is a shitty country song.”

We Sold Our Souls is a gritty and real story, highly entertaining, and it tapped into that part of me I thought I lost long ago. The part that vibrates and roars when I hear Sabbath or Metallica. It is there still, and I love that Hendrix shined a light on it. We Sold Our Souls is also a story about who we choose as our family and how they can hurt us or help us grow, and it is, above it all, about the transcendent power of music because music cures all.

love excellent Horrorverse adaptations when an author takes something that is banal and twists it and gives it some bite, which is precisely what Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa did with the saccharine sweet Riverdale story. Roberto pulls out an end of the world zombie apocalypse story from the depths of pep rally games, love triangles, and high school melodrama.

I love it so much more than the original.

In this volume, the gang is on the run. There is a horde of the undead being led by a decaying and bloodthirsty Jughead. Still, within the group, there are power struggles, violent flashbacks, and murder. So there is quite a bit to read about aside from the running. Some basics still apply: Betty is a sweetheart but is slowly showing more personality, Veronica is still a bitch, and Archie is still the leader. But, we learn a bit more about Veronica and Betty's backgrounds. The only real snag about this, the artwork is stellar, and the storyline is fun is that the last two issues of this arc never saw the light of day. They have been on indefinite hold. There is no real resolution to this second story arc. I don't mind; I found it was still a fun read. But it is frustrating to some readers.

Artwise, this volume is dark and gorgeous.

All in all, a fun read. Sucks that the last issues are not out, but still worth checking it out if you are a zombie apocalypse fan.

Goldilocks by Laura Lam is not your typical science fiction story. Lam has combined political unrest and women's rights with a desperate need to explore and save the Earth.

Because in Lam's story, the Earth has only about thirty years left.

In the not so distant future, humanity has all but destroyed the planet. We have the world on life support, but water is disappearing, the air is unsafe to breathe unmasked, and the animals are gone. All we have as a species is technology, human ingenuity, and the desperate need to survive. This is a promising start to a story. So much of that rings true for humanity right now. We are hurling ourselves down a path of environmental destruction that we might not be able to come back from. I understood this and empathized with this part of the plot. Lam Partnered the imminent ecological catastrophe with the degradation of women's rights; women have been relegated to a secondary position. Never as good as their male counterparts. However, this is where the plot became a bit messy for me.

Women's rights in science fiction and dystopic fiction are at the forefront of many stories. The Handmaids Tale, the me-too movement, and many new books have come out in the last few years that have had different angles on how to approach women's rights. Most of the stories had a hook, a reason why women were considered inferior whether it was religious patriarchy, inferiority due to menstruation, or the religation for women to become breeders for the good of humanity. Goldilock's hook was not clear to me. Women were considered inferior, looked over for promotions, and passed over for education. They needed to be twice as smart and twice as bold, as in the case of Valerie, to get anything done. But I was not sure if this was an extension of already existing conditions for women, or if there was some plot nuance I had missed early on. I couldn't engage fully with this exciting story because, for much of it, I couldn't figure out what had got humanity to the state it was in.

The story starts with five women, all who had been relegated to the sidelines, decide to steal the ship, Atalanta. This ship is slated to travel to a possible new home for Earth's inhabitants. A planet that exists in the Goldilocks zone, hence the title. The story is told from the perspective of Naomi Lovelace, a nice nod to Ada Lovelace, the ship's botanist. Naomi is brilliant but overshadowed by her fiercely driven adopted mother, Valerie. Valerie is the ship's captain. Much of the meat of the story is the dynamic between Valerie and Naomi. We are treated to flashbacks every few chapters by Naomi as she experiences monumental moments in her life. These moments help set her on the path that she is, stealing the Atalanta.

Along with Naomi and Valerie, the crew is made up of Lebedeva, a Russian ex-pat in charge of engineering. Hixon and Hart who are married, and in charge of Pilot and medical, respectively. They are all brilliant thinkers, top of their field, but the “why” still eluded me. Why did these women steal this ship? Later we come to find out that there are five men in cryostasis on-board. I was never sure why they were there. But they were five men who were leaders, mentors, shipmates, and in one case husband to the five women at some point in their careers. Why were these men considered inferior, especially considering the close relationships these men had with the women astronauts?

Aside from the head-scratching “why” I experienced much in the beginning of the book, I enjoyed the banter, characterizations, and pacing of the story. Goldilocks is a quick-moving story, and if you can get past the back-story holes, it is very engaging. This is doubly true as it picked up near the end of the plot. In the end, everything came together. We understood the characters for who they were, why they were doing what they did, and what could happen in the future.

For readers, I would characterize this story as more about relationships between family members than about the science fiction aspects itself. The story takes place in space, and the crew are scientists, but Goldilocks is about women's rights and motivations, and politics. Granted, the crew had things happen to the ship that they had to solve as a crew; most of these issues were caused by the men who put the space shuttle together, and that was interesting. But again, it was more about how each character approached the problem versus the science itself.

All in all, Goldilocks is an engaging story that tackles some tough questions about women's rights, all within the overarching story of climate change.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this digitally in exchange for my open and honest review.

If you would like to read more of my reviews, check out my writing on www.grimdarkmagazine.com or www.beforewegoblog.com

Something wicked this way comes.

I am new to the church of Jeffrey Ford. Pretty much any die-hard horror fans will be familiar with his massive catalog of work. His stories have appeared everywhere, from anthologies of fantasy to his stand-alone novels. Knowing all that, I still hadn't picked up one of his stories and jumped in. It was always a convergence of wrong time, wrong book for me. This is why it was such a pleasure to be sent an advanced copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge for his newest novella, Out of Body.

Also, at 176 pages, this is not a huge undertaking. I was looking for bite-sized horror, something that would grab me by the throat, and scatter my body in chills. What I got was... eh.

This is a decent story. I loved the librarian angle as I tend to think of librarians as superheroes. I thank my childhood visits to the library, and A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies, a short story by Alix E. Harrow. That short story replenished my love and admiration of librarians. I was tickled that the main protagonist was one. Owen, the main protagonist, leads a complacent life where he seems happy with the routine. “It was time to wash out his coffee cup and dress for work. That day it was the blue-gray suit, white shirt, no tie. The only alternative was the brown suit, white shirt, no tie. Locking the door behind him, he walked to the corner and turned left, making for town along a tree-lined sidewalk. The rain had stopped overnight, but the wind was raging, and the new leaves on the spring trees made a rushing noise like a rain-swollen creek.” Until one day, his seemingly charming if lackluster life is cracked open like a pinata. He witnesses the murder of a friend of his while in the local deli for his usual breakfast sandwich. This murder sends him for a loop, it traumatizes him emotionally, and the injury that occurred to him changed him physically. As a child, Owen suffered a terrible sleep disorder called sleep paralysis. This disorder that stalked him as a child is back. Not only has It come back, but it has also changed, giving Owen a chance to leave his body for another plane. Owen pushes out from his body and can wander the Earth as an OBE or out of body entity. He has a duty now to observe and bear witness to the world that only night can bring.

By about this point in the story, there isn't much going on. Owen is going day to day and night to night. He views the quirks and curiosities that only come out at night. Owen watches men who eat bugs to get high one night, a loving family the next, an author, and finally an old painter. On one of his nightly runs, he meets another OBE, she takes him under her wing and begins to explain the terrible and frightening things that lurk in this plane, things that can sever the cord to your body, or boil your soil out of existence. There are things of real horror in this world between life and death. And, sometimes, things that see you in the spirit realm can find you in the real world.

This story is as advertised, a cool take on night paralysis and out of body experiences. It was a nice story to read, even with the horror angle that comes the last 1/3 of the story. I enjoyed reading it. The issue that I had with the story and why I didn't give it a much higher review was I found Owen to be unlikeable. Not all protagonists need to be liked by their readers, but Owen was so unlikeable to me that I had a difficult time latching onto his plight and being concerned about what was befalling him. That, coupled with the shorter length of the story, didn't allow me to invest the mental energy that I would have loved to had it been longer.

All that being said, this is a good story and should be added to your reading list if you are a horror lover. The writing is solid, and the plot was interesting. The pacing lagged in the beginning but picked up dramatically at about the 50% mark. Plus, the story has elements of fantasy as well as horror so that it will appeal to a broader audience. Check it out. Though, I think I am going to try another collection of his books, The Well-Built city trilogy, to get a real sense for him as a writer.

Out of Body comes out on May 26, 2020, and can be pre-ordered or purchased wherever books are sold.

Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis is not at all what you think. Marketed as a YA Horror novel, you would think that maybe this might be a campy horror story. Perhaps with a 1980s vibe.

You would be entirely wrong.

Instead, Harrow lake is a story of intense psychological horror. I think in a lot of ways, psychological horror is much scarier than slasher horror. The reader can eternalize much of the plot; we readers all have psychological quirks. Harrow Lake is a good book for that. The lead character, Lola, has broken parts of her psyche. She has suffered her mother abandoning her, a father who smothers her, and deep mental wounds that sound much like PTSD. This leads to a realistic characterization of mental illness and a developing and strong protagonist.

Lola Nox is the daughter of the famous Horror movie directer Nolan Nox. Nolan made his fame with the movie Nightjar, and he also met Lola's mother on the set of Nightjar because it was filmed in her hometown, and she ended up being her star. Nightjar has an almost cult-like following to it. After an accident with Lola's father, Lola ends up staying with her estranged grandmother in Harrow Lake while Nolan recuperates. Harrow Lake is dark, and something is off with it. Something is not right. The reader can not tell if the town is off or Lola's perceptions of things are off. As Lola navigates the village of Harrow Lake and her traumatic memories, things escalate in the story to a fevered pitch.
What is real? What is imagined? The reader won't know till the very end, and I can't tell you more because of SPOILERS!

Harrow Lake ended up being one of those books that I appreciate as a reader but has aspects of it that didn't sit well with me. In a lot of ways, Harrow Lake is perfectly crafted. The narrative moves page to page. The horror is almost palpable. The lead character is one that the reader can empathize with. However, I had a difficult time with the supporting characters in the story. I did not find them wholly believable. That was hard for me because the supporting characters are a huge part of the narrative. In the scheme of things, it is a small thing set against the excellent writing and Lola as a character, but it was a bit hard for me to get over it.

All in all, this is a solid and exciting story. It is terrifying and so much more than you thought it was going to be. The visuals that the author Kat Ellis creates are gripping, and the pacing is frenetic.

This story is a must for YA Horror fans.

Again, Kenneth B. Andersen has written an exciting story.

Phillip was getting along pretty good on the alive side of things. He was making friends and finding a balance between being 100% good and 100% bad. But through an accident, Sam winds up in Hell, and it is Phillip's fault. What transpires is exciting, and includes some of the great characters from history. How is he going to help Sam?

Furthermore, hell is in peril. Many demons, new to mortality after the last book, have abandoned Hell for the outer reach and are gathering together. Something is afoot; a war is brewing.

There is a lot of cool plot movement in this book and the series in general. Firstly, the overall tone of the story is darker and more adult. The writing is moving apace with Phillip as he gets older. Also, Phillip is dealing with more adult situations and is showing the kind of man he is becoming. Also, Phillip's relationship with Satina is maturing, and Satina is fleshing out to be a great supporting character. It is excellent how Andersen is pulling everything together and creating characters that readers can enjoy and appreciate.

Again, I recommend this series to YA readers. Andersen has done a great job crafting something unique in this book and the series in general. The protagonist, Phillip, is a likable character that the reader can empathize with. The supporting characters are help carry the story forwards and bring a dimension to the story that would have been missing had they been caricatures of devils. All and all, this was a great addition to the series, and I look forward to the next one.

Review for Give the Family My Love by AT Greenblatt

“Give my family my love” is a phrase fraught with meaning. It could be a phrase as light and delicate as something uttered on the phone to a relative while on vacation, “Hey see you next week and give the family my love.” Or, densely and emotionally packed containing the summation of a lifetime of love between individuals, “Goodbye my love, I am leaving for boot camp and then active service, give my family my love.” It is purely contextual and outright compelling phrase dependent on the circumstances. That is why it is such an apt name for this nebula nominated short story, Give my Family My Love by AT Greenblatt. In this turn of phrase, it is used in a way that encompasses all. It is a goodbye to not only the protagonist's planet, and her life, but to everything she has ever known.

It all started with a letter and a trek across a foreign land.

“I'm beginning to regret my life choices, Saul. Also, hello from the edge of the galaxy.”

Hazel, an astronaut, is traipsing to a destination through on an utterly foreign planet. She is an astronaut, matter a fact, she is the last astronaut from Earth. Hazel is a hail mary; she is all the hopes and dreams for a dying planet. And most of all, she is the little sister to a very pissed older brother. Whom the letter she is dictating as she tromps through the soil is meant for.

“So here I am. Walking.”

Saul(her brother) becomes a beacon for why she is doing this.

“Sorry to do this to you, Saul, but if I don't talk to someone—well, freak out at someone—I'm not going to make it to the Library. And like hell I'm going to send a message like this back to the boys on the program. You, at least, won't think less of me for this. You know that emotional meltdowns are part of my process.”

As she walks, she realizes that she might die far from home and alone in the most real and complete sense. What Hazel is walking to is The Library. An alien collection of information, that if Hazel is good enough for, she may have access to and live. She tells Saul all this.

The reason I loved this story is that it is subtle and still magnificently massive in scope. The subtleties are around Hazel's relationship with her brother and a lifetime of nuances and moments. Moments that are known and appreciated to anyone that has a brother, maybe a brother you are currently in a tiff with. It is an intimate moment inside a character, that even with such limited dialog, you can get a clear sense and feeling of her mind and presence in the scene. Also, through Hazel's letter writing, you can get a sense of the hugeness of what she is doing. The last hurrah of the human race. The one and only astronaut sent to the stars to save humanity. Even with this huge thing, Hazel is pretty grounded and ordinary, making jokes with her brother while occasionally being flummoxed at the craziness of doing what she is doing.

“The Archivists have set up something that's not too different from a studio apartment in the corner of the section on sea coral. It has running water and artificial sunlight and all eleven seasons of MASH on a TV that looks like it came from the 1980s. I have this theory that my living quarters are part of some junior Archivist's final thesis project, but I'm probably just culturally projecting. On the bright side, if they picked the 80s, they could have done much worse than MASH.”

The story delves even deeper when Hazel talks about moments where things changed for her. Moments of profound sadness.

“There aren't many defining moments in my life. Mostly, I think defining moments are clichés in hindsight. So maybe this is too, but do you remember that summer, ten years ago, when everything burned? Yeah, hard to forget.”

I feel like somewhere in our ever-diminishing world, there is someone like Hazel, or maybe she hasn't been born yet. That will get this chance to see The Library and send information back that will save humans from themselves. I hope to meet that girl, or maybe my daughter is that girl, or perhaps your daughter is. I wish I meet her. I will not want her to go, can't someone else go? But she leaves me to seek the stars. I will miss her, desperately, to the very marrow of my bones, I will miss her. And maybe I will be her Saul. She will tell me how her day went at the Library, learning of the wonders of the world, how books came to life right before her and enveloped her. I will get to see this girl live a dream. I will get to know this girl save us. But I will never see this girl again. In that last part, Give My Family My Love becomes bittersweet.

I loved this story, and you will love it too.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review.

Wow. What a story. What an idea.

Again, Christina Dalcher has written an almost prescient story about humanity. Much in the Vein of Vox, Dalcher tackles the idea of the “haves” and “have nots” and takes it to a terrifying place. It isn't a new idea; I know of quite a few authors who have delved into the concept of inequality based on genetics or disposition. However, I can't think of one who pulled at my emotions as much as this story. Her book struck a chord in me. Maybe it is the combination of motherhood, something so powerful and innate it makes me shake thinking of someone taking away my child, and the current climate of unease. Or, perhaps the utter impotence and rage I felt reading about Elena's predicament. She fought to save her child in a near-impossible system.

Either way, Dalcher wrote a hell of a character.

Dr. Elena Fairchild looks like she has it all. On paper, she does because she has a high Q score, the perfect husband, the ideal career, the perfect children. The Q score is an amalgamation of all the characteristics a society considers “desirable.” Underneath it all, people are imperfect. Because people are people warts and all, and when you shove them into a system like the one described in Master Class, you can see right away how people will start to fall through the cracks. People like those who learn differently, such as Elena's daughter. Or wives who fall out of love with their husbands. And especially those who have any disability, all of those who are outside the “perfect” line. When Elena's nine-year-old daughter bombs a critical test, her Q score becomes too low and is sent away to an institution, and Elena wants her daughter back.

I think that some who read Master Class will feel that it is a compelling dystopian story, and the undercurrent of narrative and discussion won't go any further than that. Others, though, like myself, Master Class will rip their heart out and have to put the book down a few times because of the building rage inside of them.

I wanted to yell a few times:
“Stay the hell away from her child!”
“What a bastard of a husband!”
“What a messed up system!”

Any book that can elicit such a strong emotional response inside of me is aces in my book.

Reviewing “How the Trick Is Done” by A.C Wise

There is a secret trick in reading “How The Trick Is Done” by A C Wise. The trick is to see past The Magician as just a flat character. And understand the abuse and narcissism that a figure like the unnamed Magician represents.

The tragedy of this well-crafted story is not the death of The Magician. All creatures die, some deserve it, some don't. But in the immortal words of The Dixie Chicks, “Earl had to die, goodbye Earl.” The real tragedy is the love that is abused and neglected by The Magician. First, in the form of Meg, the assistant who loved The Magician and was cruelly cast aside. Meg committed suicide by jumping off of The Hoover Dam in her grief. Secondly, the stage rabbit. The Magician could not bother to learn the real name of. Thirdly is the stagehand who is constantly overlooked. Not all love has to or can be reciprocated; however, there is a certain caustic cruelness to The Magician. He is a man who can only see as far as the light that personally shines off of him. And, in that, others will get hurt.

“It's not the Magician's infidelity. Like the Magician himself, she's grown used to that. The Magician could kiss hundreds, flirt with thousands, fuck every person he meets, and Angie wouldn't care. The kiss means nothing to the Magician, and to Rory it means the world. That, Angie, can't abide.”

Enter the resurrectionist, Angie. While the stage magic of The Magician is a created thing, Angie is the real deal. She is magic and able to resurrect those that have died, although it hurts her. What can Angie do to right The Magician's wrongs?

“It's getting harder to hold everything together, to want to hold it together—tell the bullet to stop, to cease to be once it's inside the Magician's skin, and tell the Magician's blood to go. She sleeps eighteen hours a day, and it isn't enough. Angie's life has become an endless cycle—wake, eat, turn back death, applause that isn't for her, sleep, repeat ad infinitum.”

“How The Trick Is Done” is a great story and worthy of its nomination.

If you would like to see more of my reviews, please check out my website www.beforewegoblog.com

I think at one point or another, we are all the titular character,
Dolores, in Stephen King's Dolores Claiborne. We may not be her specifically in all ways. But I guarantee that the humanity that Mrs. Claiborne has, the trueness and rawness, will happen at one point or another in every human's life. This, in itself, is what makes Dolores such a relatable character.

“Sometimes you have to be a high riding bitch to survive, sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to hang on to.”
― Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne

If you are new to Stephen King and haven't heard about him, which would be crazy because who hasn't heard of King, Dolores Claiborne is Stephen King's first novel entirely told in dialect from a single person point of view. I don't know many authors who could pull off the feat of writing something clear, concise and engaging like Dolores Claiborne while handicapping themselves with this type of narrative style.

But he does it, and he does it well.

Dolores Claiborne is told in one long and breathless story recounted at a police station after Dolores Claiborne has been brought in for questioning for the death of her senile and long time employer Mrs. Vera Donovan. Mrs. Donovan had taken a tumble down the stairs and subsequently perished from the fall. Dolores is under scrutiny by the police because thirty years prior, there were mysterious circumstances around the death of Dolores's husband, Joe. Dolores, herself, is described as an aged, hard-worn woman in her sixties working as a housekeeper in the fictional island of Little Tall Island, Maine. Many of Stephen King's novels take place in Maine, and some ways interconnect with each other. As an aside, if you pay attention to some of the character references in reading Dolores Claiborne, you will notice a direct connection to Gerald's Game. One of King's other horror works.

“What did you ask, Andy Bissette? Do I ‘understand these rights as you've explained em to me'? Gorry! What makes some men so numb? eNo you never mind—still your jawin and listen to me for en awhile. I got an idear you're gonna be listenin to me most of the night, so you might as well get used to it. Coss I understand what you read to me! Do I look like I lost all m'brains since I seen you down to the market? I told you your wife would give you merry hell about buying that day-old bread—penny wise and pound foolish, the old saying is—and I bet I was right, wasn't I?”
― Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne

It turns out that Dolores did not murder Vera. This isn't a spoiler, we find this out in the first twenty pages or so. We also find out that Dolores did murder Joe, the whole town knows it, although they could never prove it. Dolores Claiborne, the story is really “the why.” Why would a woman murder her husband?

Dolores begins her tale, describing it in great detail to Andy and a stenographer, how she came to be married to Joe. How she came to work for Vera and how those two things shape who she became and the choices she took to get there. What you get is the in-depth look is a woman who will do anything to protect her family, and do what is right by her code of ethics. It is morally gray, but life is morally gray, and that lends a sense of realism to Dolores. I can imagine her existing somewhere in the world.

As soon as you get one paragraph into Dolores Claiborne, you will notice King's use of dialect. I am of two minds of this. On the one hand, the jargon can be immersive; it can help the reader immerse themselves in a story. On the other, it can be frustrating and classist. Some author's use dialects to divide rich folk from poor folk. If a character is poor, they speak unintelligibly, dropping letters, forgetting words, and using an excessive amount of slang in their vocabulary. It is lazy and insulting writing. However, I think dialect done well, as I believe King's version here did not make the story difficult to read for me. It isn't Riddley Walker and indecipherable. But it does add to Dolores's character.

“One way or another, all the bridges between that time n this one have been burned. Time's a reach, too, you know, just like the one that lies between the islands and the mainland, but the only ferry that can cross it is memory, and that's like a ghost-ship - if you want it to disappear, after awhile it will.”
― Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne

Stylistically, Dolores Claiborne is not King's typical style. In most of King's novels, even his short stories where brevity is a must, King over explains, over describes, overanalyzes, just overdoes it. If King were to describe a doorknob to the reader, it might be a single paragraph describing the texture, smell, sound, year make and model of said knob. I know that many readers find that level of explanation tedious. It goes right in the face of the minimalist school of writing that is getting more and more mainstream. Others who know King and are familiar with his style, love it. I love it. Although when I read the unabridged version of The Stand that came in at 1327 pages, it might have pushed it a little bit for me. I bring this up because his typical style is in sharp contrast with how Dolores Claiborne is written. This is sharp and concise writing. Almost blunt in its emotional brutality scene to scene. Dolores is not a long-winded character. She speaks her mind, and if there is nothing to say silence is better. I think King took that to heart when writing her, although I don't know many people that can tell a single story, especially to a police officer that is over 300 pages long.

The glory of this story is the relationships that Dolores has, namely the relationship between her boss Vera and her husband, Joe. Joe is almost a caricature of an abusive alcoholic husband. However, it is Dolores's handling of Joe and the language King uses to get across to the reader about Dolores's strength that I found very appealing. Vera and Dolores are another matter entirely. Vera is a bitch. She is a bitch in every sense of the word, Entitled, rich, classist, snobbish. Where King could have used a caricature of a stuffy, white, rich woman, Vera has pain. She isn't all bad, although her moments of where the reader can see through the mist of her money and airs are few and far between. Her relationship between Vera and Dolores is old. It reminds me of the relationships old nemeses have when underneath it all there is an undercurrent of respect and made a sprinkling of love. But you have to dig way, way down to find it.

“...two bitches livin on a little chunk of rock...”
― Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne

If anything, Dolores Claiborne highlights that King is not a one-trick pony. Although he has the horror genre down, he is a talented writer that can write with nuance and gravitas. He writes with heart and emotion. When I hear about King naysayers who talk about his writing being hackneyed, pigeonholed in horror, I think of the story The Body (made into the movie Stand By Me), or Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption (made into the movie The Shawshank Redemption), and now I think of Dolores Claiborne.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review.

This is a faithful adaptation of Olivia Butler's Parable of the Sower story. It is being adapted, Damian Duffy and John Jennings, the same team that tackled Butler's Kindred story.

Initially, I was apprehensive about reading and reviewing Parable of the Sower. It is a story I do not like, to no fault of Butler's beautiful writing. For some reason, the first time I read Parable, there was something about it that disturbed me deeply. Maybe it is how lyrically she describes the bleak future. Perhaps it is the repetition of the word, change. I am not sure. I was hoping that reading the graphic adaptation to the story would lend to some greater insight and love of the story. And it did.

The Sower story is a heavy dystopian story about a world that has drastically changed from our own. The environment has been all but destroyed, wild packs of dogs and cannibals roam the hills. Lauren, the lead protagonist of the story, is trying o find her own spirt and religion in the form of journal keeping while the world around her changes.

Adding the graphic element to the story helped nail down the visuals for me as a reader that was slightly murky on the first read. The graphics in the story are beautifully done. It is done as a monochromatic palette of oranges and reds, and I think that lends to the story and was a good design choice.

Even with the beautiful graphics and faithful adaptation, this still isn't a story I want to come back to. However, that should not keep other people from reading this and starting this journey with Lauren. Butler is a powerful and lyrical writer. She infuses every word she writes with emotion, and for some readers, this story is an emotional, beautiful journey.

I received this copy from the author in exchange for my open and honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review it.

This was an interesting, if not a bit strange story. I can honestly say that I was not entirely sure where the story was going. The author added quite a few twists and turns. The story has some disturbing visuals which I think add to the overall plot and darkness the author envisioned. It involves PTSD, multi-verses, being lost, and not sure of what your reality is. The only critique I can make is that I would have liked to have seen this much longer with more developed characters. It has enough meat to make a much more involved book.

The Die of Death is the second book in The Great Devil War series by author by Kenneth B. Andersen and is an exciting second act to human, Phillip Engel's story. Thus far, protagonist Phillip Engel is back in his regular life. He is changed from the experiences of the first book. Now instead of being all angel, Phillip is a little bit of a devil. Just a little bit to temper his character. You can't go to hell and not be a little bit changed, and I think in terms of Phillip's character, for the better. After all, humans are not black and white, but shades of gray. And not only are humans gray but so are the devils that play supporting roles in Phillips's story. I think this is an essential distinction for young adult readers who would be reading this story. Not everyone is black and white, and no one thinks of themselves as a great villain. The devil in The Great Devil War series knows he does terrible things as a matter of course, but he knows that he has a part to play like everyone else. You can't have great good if you don't also have evil. You need to have balance in life.

Now Death needs Phillip's help. Death's Die has been stolen, and without it, people can not die. Without Death, Life has little meaning. What transpires is a fun “who done it.” The tale includes a massive cast of characters, including Satina. Phillips friend and young temptress from the first novel. All, in all this, is a fun story. I love these books; it reminds me of a dark, slightly evil Percy Jackson.

I am looking forward to continuing Anderson's tale and learning more about Phillip as time goes on.

Charlie Jane Anders is a writer that I discovered last year and immediately fell in love with. I enjoyed The City in the Middle of the Night, and I had to investigate all the other things she has written as a matter of course. I am so glad I did. Anders is a Hugo and Nebula award-winning writer and a Hugo nominated fancaster with her partner Annalee Newitz. You can find her excellent podcast here. I bought a hardback copy of her short stories after checking out and reviewing As Good As New. A twist on the classic three wishes tropes, and is also my favorite short story. As Good As New exudes pure positivity even in the face of tragic or exhausting circumstances. It is a quality that I find quite a bit in Anders's writing. She has a way of finding the good, the beautiful, the heartfelt in places where finding those things is hard. Even in the direst of circumstances, there is always good and always something beautiful even if you can't see it, and Anders calls it out; she shows us.

There are six stories in Six Months, Three Days, Five Others, all are wonderful. However, the two I gravitated towards where As Good As New referenced above, and Six Months, and Five Days. Six Months and Five days is another short story with the same sense of optimism demonstrated in As Good as New. Six Months and Three Days is a love story, of a sort. What happens when two individuals, one who can see his future, and another who can see all futures meet and fall in love? It is a literal definition of a rock and a hard place.

The story is charming, and we know right from the beginning how it is going to end. But, the ending is not important. It doesn't matter how Doug and Judy end up getting there; it is the six months and three days of life that happen before the final moment, which I think Anders wanted to highlight. Yes, we can know all the answers. Yes, we know there will be lots of pain in this relationship. Yes, we know exactly how it is going to end. However, there are many beautiful moments, moments of love, and life that are worth celebrating even if you have already seen them in your mind's eye; you haven't experienced them.

The juice is worth the squeeze!

Check out the full story collection, but read Six Months and Three Days for sure.

People love fantasy stories; they love the heroism of it, the sheer thrill of being the rogue stealing, the wizard whipping spells from their arsenal, the pure glory of winning. But life is not like that. Real-life is full of heartbreak, addiction, pain, love, and loss. These aspects can either break you upon the wheel or help make who you are. Anyone who is involved in fantasy or RPG has imagined themselves in a game or book at one point or another. Especially when we are young, you wish to be transported to that world to cause mischief or seek great glory for yourself. But in Die by Kieron Gillen, he took that thought a few steps further. Your thoughts and deeds within this world have real consequences.

“This isn't a conversation. This is the sort of monologue you run in your head with lovers you'll never speak to again. This is what happens when thoughts curdle.”

Seven friends embark on a DND game, not just any DND game, a game where they are sucked into it and have to become the characters that they chose for fun. It is Jumanji but in dark fantasy. Very dark fantasy. These kids get sucked away in this world for two years. They disappeared, but when they returned, a geas had been put on them that they could never speak of their experiences of this world, less other people get sucked into it. Twenty-five years later, one of the remaining five that made it out of the world receives a care package containing one bloody 20 sided die. They know they need to gather together, combine forces, and enter this world again. This time though, they are broken, middle-aged people, not children. Some with families, others with serious careers but all have something to lose.

“As he rode off, he said he would not rest until he had gazed upon my perfection once more. He dared me to use my power to make his words binding. I laughed, so I did. The oath holds. There has been no rest.I died three years after we met. Three years after that, my eyes rotted. My oath will never be fulfilled.”

Die is a dark story. It is not for the light-hearted fantasy fan, because these powers they have in the game do not come with ease. For example, one of the characters is a grief knight. The only way that he can come into power and protect the group is for him to experience a profound wave of grief. Experiencing intense emotional pain is not something sane people want to do. Enter the powers of the Diplomat. She is described as “kind of a diplomat with teeth. She's like a cross between Cleopatra and Machiavelli.” Whenever the need arises, The Diplomat plucks terrible memories from The Grief Knight. The thief, a cyberpunk, can use her powers but only at a cost. Gold. Once the gold is used up, it disintegrates, leaving the user desperately craving for more. She has become a junky for gold. You can see how this story plays out; normal people broken by their past must make choices to save their future. Decisions that will haunt their future and again change who they are. It is an excellent story and an interesting take on DND and the realities of slaying armies, defying gods, and breaking the will of people with your powers. Also, the graphics are very well done. They embody the feel of gaming and the misty quality of a dream world that is made real.

“Angela is a Neo. Her artifacts are gifts from the Fair. The Fair are...“What if William Gibson designed elves” It is complicated. It's a fairy pact. Every morning, her equipment is dead. Until she pays the tithe.”

It is worth the read, Gillan, Hans, and Cowles have written a remarkable Jumanji-esque story for fantasy fans.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a E-ARC to review in exchange for my open and honest opinion.

Sometimes the end of something is just the beginning of a new chapter. Things don't have to end. Characters don't have to stop because, with some, there is so much more story to tell—case in point, American Demon, the first book in the extended Hallows universe.

I am so happy they are back.

Kim Harrison has brought back our favorite “itchy witch” as well as many of our other favorite characters. I am looking at you, Bis. Things are a bit different, and people are moving on with their lives; some are moving into new phases. But Rachel is Rachel, and where there are mischief and catastrophe, you know, she will be right there righting the wrongs and sticking up for her friends. In this story, someone has sent an entity called a Bacu after Rachel and her friends. It is a creature that strips your aura level by level, eventually driving you mad. Who sent it and why are they doing these things is the big mystery. We have a few new characters to enjoy and learn about. One is an elf. The other is a demon; both seem like a lot of fun and should prove more important as new books and stories are written.

The action is fun, the banter is standard for The Hollows, and Trent and Rachel are lovely as ever together. I Recommend to lovers of The Hallows, or if you want to get into a new world to read, get into The Hallows. You won't be disappointed.

Stephen King let it all hang out in this short story.

There are different types of horror. There is gore or disturbing; this is pretty self-explanatory. There is psychological horror where you fight your mind. There is killer horror; good ole' fashioned slasher movies type horror. Then there is paranormal and cosmic horror. Cosmic horror is usually defined as Lovecraftian. It is the horror of the unknown, coupled with fear and awe. It is the type of horror that makes us feel small and insignificant. In the grass is cosmic horror. It is the most comic horror story I think I have ever read. This story, written in tandem with his son Joe Hill is a genius and probably the evilest and unforgiving horror story I have ever read. That is saying something considering how much King I have read.

The premise is simple, terribly, and cruelly simple. Twins, Becky, and Cal, are on a road trip. They are driving along listening to music when they overhear a child yelling for help in the tall grass on the side of the road. Anyone with a soul would stop for a screaming child. Maybe they got lost? They can't find their mother, and we should go to help them.
Becky and Cal enter the grass and get lost. You would think that at this point, a never ending field of grass would be terrifying. King is “hold my beer” on this one. There is gore, violence, death, destruction, and so much more. I felt roasted and stripped bare after the ending.

That ending! Dear god.

As I said, this is one of the most humbling and ferocious horror stories I have ever read. I am not sure that I can even recommend it, as I don't think this story would sit well with most readers. But, if you are up to crush your soul a smidge, you should read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this marvelous book in exchange for my review.

This is a brilliant collection of stories told by the people who didn't win. History usually is stories of those who won but not by all those affected. This collection of short graphic stories attempts to rectify that. Each story is a moment in history told through the eyes of an indigenous person. They are all graphically and thematically different, but each of the stories is extremely important. I couldn't pick a favorite, each one excelled and was beautiful. I recommend this group of stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest opinion.

This is a deliciously dark PI crime novel that is a perfect combination of strong but damaged heroine and PI cases. Rucka delivers a story that has all the right parts to make it interesting: Great dialog, a heroine that you cheer on, a “not everything is what you think it is” crime to solve and effective graphics. In the first installment of the Stumptown series, PI protagonist Dexedrine “Dex” Parios has a drinking and gambling problem. The owner of a local Native casino asks her to find her missing granddaughter in exchange for clearing her debt. What is Dex to do but say yes? What follows has her digging up the lives of multiple crime lords, getting shot at, beat up, stealing cars and more. It is exciting and I wholeheartedly recommend this series.