The nitty-gritty: Shocking and audacious, Maeve Fly combines repulsive violence with unexpected emotion, and I could not put it down. “Having stripped most of the flesh down with chemicals and the slow cooker, and having worked my muscles to a place beyond fatigue with the hacking, I now have to dry the bones outside in […]
The nitty-gritty: Dragons, brutal action, deadly games and romance combine in this stellar fantasy series opener. “If Jack wants to kill me, he needs to get in line. Besides, I have a feeling Xaden Riorson is going to beat him to it.” Well, that was a bunch of fun! I’m happily joining in the hoards […]
The nitty-gritty: A twisty, fast-paced story that will keep you guessing. All is not as it seems in The Ferryman, Justin Cronin’s new novel, an epic, mind-bending tale that takes place in a future dystopian world. I had a blast with this book, and the twist was not what I was expecting at all. I […]
The nitty-gritty: A grotesque but beautifully written tale of revenge and love. “I bite down on my smile instead, straightening, aware of how I must look: transparent hair, translucent skin, lips red as arteries. Iridescent eyes, stained-glass oceans, so large that they are nearly alien, their breadth magnified by thick, sweeping lashes. With every hour […]
The nitty-gritty: Ai Jiang explores grief and loss in this unsettling, beautifully written tale. “This town worships the dead, but it has no respect for the living.” Ai Jiang is destined to be an important author in the horror field, if she isn’t already. Linghun was one of the most unusual stories I’ve ever read, […]
The nitty-gritty: T. Kingfisher mashes together Southern gothic creepiness, a cast of unforgettable characters, and plenty of humor in A House With Good Bones, a thoroughly entertaining haunted house story. “There is probably something more awkward than the morning after you’ve found a jar of teeth and your mother has admitted she thinks she’s being […]
The nitty-gritty: An excellent sequel, Hel’s Eight brings readers more of Ten Low‘s desolate and dangerous desert setting and larger than life characters, with just the right balance of action and emotion. Last year I read Stark Holborn’s Ten Low and loved it, and I’m so happy that the author decided to continue Ten’s story. […]
The nitty-gritty: A sweeping family saga dripping with gothic atmosphere, The Girl From Rawblood is both a love story and a tragedy, filled with dread and shocking revelations. “When I try to think of Rawblood, to draw it with words, a muffling whiteness comes. I can’t describe it any more than I can my own […]
The nitty-gritty: A multi-generational story of the ties that bind a family of women together, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. “She looked happy, hand in hand with her husband. Perhaps she was, then. Or perhaps I was standing too far away. A great many things look different from a distance. […]
The nitty-gritty: A feel good story with lovable characters, World Running Down is an engaging dystopian that offers plenty of food for thought. Despite the gloomy title, World Running Down was a breath of fresh air, an upbeat and optimistic story that tackles some heavy themes in an accessible way, and it was simply a […]