The nitty-gritty: Top notch horror elements and heavy handed social commentary combine with mixed results in this slow but entertaining story. There’s a lot to love in The Burn Line, the latest novel by horror podcaster Jonanthan Sims, but I also found this to be a frustrating read for a couple of reasons. The London […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightful, cozy romance with a fascinating premise, The Art of Charming A Changeling excelled at world-building but lacked a strong plot. The Art of Charming a Changeling is a cute cozy fantasy with absolutely wonderful world-building, and I enjoyed it a lot. However, it lacked something for me and I found it […]
The nitty-gritty: While the writing and themes were beautifully done, the plot and the multiple timelines never really gelled for me. Mudlark had a lot of potential, but it lacked a few important things for me. Mostly, I never felt an emotional connection to the characters, so it was very hard to care about what […]
The nitty-gritty: Two unhappy women seek revenge in this dark, bite-sized story, full of black humor and cats. I loved Icelandic writer Hildur Knútsdóttir’s last book, The Night Guest, so I was very excited to read Dead Weight. First, I want to mention that although this is being marketed as horror, it’s anything but. Honestly, […]
The nitty-gritty: S.A. Barnes’s fantasy debut is a solid series opener with dangerous characters, high stakes and plenty of romantic angst. “And I need you to know that I may not enjoy killing people, but I am very, very good at it.” Despite my middle of the road rating, I really did enjoy Death’s Daughter, […]
The nitty-gritty: A magical cafe is the setting for this engaging fantasy that blends mythology and modern themes. The Café of Infinite Doors has a fascinating premise, but it ended up being a mixed bag for me, mostly because of the characters (I’ll explain more below). I did love the touches of folklore, however, which […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of gorgeous, disturbing imagery and ambitious in scope, Bodies of Work is a unsettling peek into the mind of a killer. Clay McLeod Chapman always comes up with unique ideas, and in Bodies of Work, he’s taken the story of real life artist Henry Darger and built a fictional tale inspired by […]
The nitty-gritty: History and magic combine in this engaging debut fantasy story. The Geomagician wasn’t quite what I expected, but I ended up enjoying so many elements, even if there were a few things that didn’t work for me. Debut author Jennifer Mandula has taken a real life figure from history—Mary Anning, an English paleontologist […]
The nitty-gritty: A mysterious cellar is at the center of this short but impactful tale about change and acceptance. The Cellar Below the Cellar is an odd little story with a strong folktale vibe, and I enjoyed it! It’s sort of a mash-up of different genres, so it’s hard to pigeonhole it into just one. […]
The nitty-gritty: Cottagecore meets The Lord of the Rings in this entertaining but slightly uneven debut. I couldn’t resist this adorable cover, which I’ll admit is one reason I wanted to read How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days. And it was cute! There are also some rather weighty themes hovering over all the […]