The nitty-gritty: Gear brings more deadly creatures, more political maneuvering and lots of action to the table in Reckoning, another fantastic entry in his Donovan series. It’s always fun when a new W. Michael Gear Donovan book comes out, a series that could keep on going as far as I’m concerned. I’m convinced Gear isn’t […]
The nitty-gritty: Imaginative world-building and an intriguing premise make The Luminaries a solid series opener. The Luminaries was a fun opening book in Susan Dennard’s new fantasy series, and although it didn’t fully work for me, I’m definitely curious enough to continue with the series. This is Young Adult through and through, with plenty of […]
The nitty-gritty: A family legacy of blood sacrifice infuses Andy Davidson’s folk horror tale with atmosphere and dread. Max stops in his tracks, as if the old house rearing up before them has teeth, claws, is a thing alive. A dragon in the midst of a long slumber. It sees us. A fresh sweat springs […]
The nitty-gritty: A most unusual werewolf tale that combines body horror, romance and humor in surprising ways. If you aren’t reading Rachel Harrison, you need to get on that, stat. “I run and run. It doesn’t matter how fast I’m going, which I know is fast, animal fast, my senses are not dulled by the […]
The nitty-gritty: A beautiful, horrible tale of inescapable family ties. Above, the castle sighs and shifts. Creaks, cracks, sound and movement as if with the passage of vast dark coils. The thing from Dinah’s dream is down here, too. It crawls up through the trapdoor. Catriona Ward has a gift for creating characters who are […]
The nitty-gritty: A psychological thriller that explores trauma and recovery, Dark Room Etiquette is an edge-of-your-seat read that delivers both thrills and emotion. “The bad things are going to change you no matter what, and they can make you angry and bitter—or they can make you better.” I’m not the biggest fan of YA fiction, […]
The nitty-gritty: Slow burn suspense, mystery and an atmospheric setting make Lute a thoroughly compelling read, despite uneven and puzzling world building elements. This is one of those books that completely sucked me in, but after I had some time to think about it later, I started to have a lot of questions. Like many […]
The nitty-gritty: Crazy connections, cool aliens and plenty of mystery make this series starter a fun but convoluted romp through space. “There are many, many things at play. You will never understand every single one.” That quote pretty much sums up this book. I’m not sure I’ve ever used the phrase “cuckoo bananas” in a […]
The nitty-gritty: A group of friends discover the mysteries and dangers of ghosts and hauntings in this creepy, disturbing tale. “Ghost isn’t the kind of drug you find. It finds you. You hear about it from someone who’s used it. They tell you about it, then you tell someone else, like a —” “Ghost story?” […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of raw emotion and tough themes, Full Immersion combines mystery and horror as a a woman attempts to heal from personal trauma. Full Immersion surprised me in many ways and ended up being one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Gemma Amor’s latest novel is an exploration of some very […]