The nitty-gritty: A short but powerful tale of the dark emotional lives of a family, Ormeshadow is an exceptional novella with the promise of magic just around the corner. I had no idea what to expect when I started Ormeshadow, but I have to say this was a surprise of the best kind. Priya Sharma […]
The nitty-gritty: Weird, shocking, bloody and did I mention weird? Reading Gideon the Ninth was an experience. Gideon the Ninth was weird. I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like Tamsyn Muir’s debut, so if you’re looking for that elusive, completely original story, then Gideon might just be the book for you. And […]
The nitty-gritty: A sinister, blood-soaked story steeped in myth and darkness. Monster, Monster, Monster, Johann said to himself, the first half a kiss, the second a hiss. I wanted to squeeze in one more review this month, so I decided to grab one of my September novellas in order to make that happen. And wow, […]
The nitty-gritty: Another strange and bloody tale, part horror, part sci-fi, and one hundred percent WTF. The first book in the series, The Murders of Molly Southbourne, was a bloody, violent surprise of a story, a horror tale steeped in mystery where the reader is in the dark about what’s going on for quite a […]
The nitty-gritty: An atmospheric, dreamy tale based on the Green Man myth that lacked a cohesive plot, but had some wonderful moments nonetheless. This was an odd little tale that I enjoyed, although it didn’t completely capture me the way I was hoping, which is the reason for my middle-of-the-road rating. Tobias Finch has lived […]
The nitty-gritty: Ambitious in scope and imagery, Middlegame is an epic tale of friendship, both uplifting and heartbreaking. I’m a huge fan of Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant, although I’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to her huge backlist. But I have been trying to keep up with new releases, and when I heard about […]
The nitty-gritty: A short, well written tale with a dream-like quality that gives readers plenty to think about. This was such an odd little story, but I enjoyed it a lot. Vylar Kaftan has written a twisty, hallucinogenic tale about mental health and inner strength that didn’t go where I was expecting it to go—at […]
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, Gothic nightmare of a story that beautifully explores the depths of grief and loss. I didn’t know I was in the mood for a creepy, Gothic horror story until I picked up The Atrocities, and boy did it deliver! This is one strange story, but it’s so well written and has […]
The nitty-gritty: This story had some wonderfully magical elements and compelling characters, but as a whole it didn’t quite work for me. “You were a mermaid, weren’t you? That’s what Nadya said.” “I still am,” said Cora. “I just have my scales under my skin for now.” It pains me to admit that I didn’t […]
The nitty-gritty: Strange and horrific, I loved this novella, even though it’s still giving me nightmares. Once, while they are sweating together, a molly appears in the doorway and joins them. It does not go bad while the three of them make love, and Molly kills it with regret and an ice pick the next […]