The nitty-gritty: Gritty crime drama meets killer teddy bears in this high concept, bloody tale of revenge. Teddy Bears Never Die is probably one of the strangest books I’ve ever read, and the fact that it’s also a translated book (written by a Korean author and translated by a Korean translator), the “strange” factor jumps […]
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: A mysterious ancient artifact is the centerpiece of this well written, carefully researched and plotted story, perfect for readers who love scholarly mysteries. The Gatepost is another excellent story by Tim Weed, whose last book, The Afterlife Project, was one of my favorite books from last year. The Gatepost didn’t hit quite as […]
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: Nicholas Binge combines cosmic horror with biting commentary on big corporations in this short and entertaining novella. Nicholas Binge is such a good writer, and Abyss was a fun, mind-bending story with some Lovecraftian horror elements, hence the tentacled creature on the cover. It’s also a cautionary tale of corporate greed and how […]
The nitty-gritty: Intricately constructed and full of surprising reveals and connections, The Girl With a Thousand Faces is an epic, emotional journey of revenge, trauma and forgiveness. “Pain and grief are holes that never fill. We just learn to step around them as we walk.” It’s been a four year wait for Sunyi Dean’s follow […]
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: A high stakes, emotional tale that explores language and communication between species, The Language of Liars is both thrilling and heart-wrenching. “He’d only wanted to understand them. How many Linguists had told themselves that lie? A lie enough repeated until it becomes true.” The Language of Liars is a beautifully written science fiction […]
The nitty-gritty: Lovers of YA dystopian stories won’t want to miss this series opener, a fast-paced, action-packed tale with plenty of surprises in store. The Verdant Cage has been getting lots of great buzz, so I was eager to experience it for myself. And I really enjoyed it, especially the last quarter of the book. […]
The nitty-gritty: A woman must return to the faerie world she was thrown out of in this fun and twisty fantasy debut. Books about faeries and the fae realm seem to be everywhere these days, so it’s nice to come across one that feels a little different. There are familiar elements in The Tricky Business […]