Category Archives: Horror

books, Ghost Story, Reviews, Romantasy, Urban fantasy

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

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Stars: 2 out of 5

This started so strongly, then puttered out somewhere around the midway point.

Mostly because the author didn’t quite know what story she wanted to tell. Was this a romance? A coming-of-age story? A story about grief and how different people deal with it? About the afterlife? Love and betrayal, and courage in the face of adversity?

I think the author wanted to include all of these themes, but didn’t manage to cover any of them in a meaningful manner in the end. It feels half-backed, with a meandering plot and underdeveloped characters.

I loved Nera, though. If this were her coming-of-age story, I would have been all for it. She is bright and alive, and I enjoyed discovering the world of the living with her, as well as getting to know the other souls at the station.

However, I couldn’t stand Charlie, so their romance was a lot harder to stomach. Yes, I know she is suffering, and has PTSD, and her family is all together shitty to her, but she still comes across as selfish and rather cruel.

And, I’m sorry, but her choice near the end of the book was so out of character even for her selfish self that it felt ridiculous. It happened only because the author needed to bring Harosen and his demon face-to-face again somehow. I would argue that there were better ways. He could have put Nera in danger while she was out in the city, and Harosen would have had to conquer his fear and step out into the world to save her. That would have been a great redemption arc for him, instead of whatever pathetic ending was written.

And while I love magical dogs and the idea of them being guides for the souls of the dead, the way they were written was… jarring, I guess? Their interactions with each other are surprisingly petty. I was more annoyed than endeared with them for most of the book.

And the ending was… underwhelming, to say the least. I also don’t particularly agree with the end of the Station. It served a purpose – it let some souls heal and rest before they were ready to cross over. Or to wait for their loved ones so that they didn’t cross alone. What happens to those souls now? Do they just get forcibly escorted to the veil, or are they stuck in a loop in Chicago until their time comes? Also, what about other cities? Do they have Veils like that as well?

There is a good story in there somewhere, but I think it would have benefited from a tighter plot and less purple prose. It’s also very heavy on feelings, often to the detriment of the story, especially when Charlie is concerned.

PS: My thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.

books, Horror, Reviews, science fiction

The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui

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Stars: 4 out of 5

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked up this book. I was surprised to find a “murder ship” story with a strong element of cosmic horror. I also didn’t expect to enjoy Iris and his AI companion as much as I did.

Iris and his AI companion are definitely the highlight of the book. They are a fascinating duo—two separate consciousnesses sharing a single mind. They bicker and can even hurt each other at times, but they also genuinely care about one another’s well-being. As you learn more about their relationship, it becomes increasingly compelling and easy to appreciate.

The deeper I learned about Iris’s trauma, the more I empathized with him. He constantly strives to be useful, to do the right thing, yet he feels he is never quite enough—that he is falling short of what it means to be a Vessel. I was glad to see him eventually find some measure of peace, even though it comes after a series of difficult and painful events.

I wasn’t as engaged with the other characters, as they are less developed and often feel like expendable background figures. I found it difficult to distinguish between the students for much of the book. They are mostly portrayed as frightened and helpless, with others trying to protect them, but they lack distinct identities.

In terms of the story, it’s a strong example of cosmic horror combined with claustrophobic suspense. A group of people explores a derelict generation ship, only to discover that the ship is not as lifeless as it appears—and that it poses a deadly threat.

The book also explores interesting ideas about what it means to be alive versus simply aware, along with a thoughtful perspective on the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next installment, especially since the ending leaves things on a cliffhanger.

PS: My thanks to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

books, Horror, Native American, Reviews

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This was a hard book to read, not only because it is a horror novel, but also because of the dark themes it covers. But it is also a darn good book.

As a first-generation immigrant, I don’t know a lot about the different Native American nations and their cultures, so this book was a fascinating window into that world. And I would have loved it for that little glimpse of a different culture alone, but it accomplishes so much more.

Yes, it’s a horror story, but strangely enough, even though there is a supernatural element behind all the deaths and horrifying things happening on the reservation, it’s not the main focus of this book.

The main horror is the bleakness of the lives of everyone on the reservation. The author manages to paint an oppressive picture with just a few words – the oppressive heat and humidity, the rundown trailer homes parked on overgrown lots, dirt roads with no street signs on them, and the lack of hope in everyone who lives there. The children are the only ones who are still smiling; everyone else has been beaten down by life into resigned apathy, fueled by drugs and alcohol. No prospects, no way out, no future… My skin is crawling just remembering this.

As far as the story itself goes, it’s broken into two narratives – the present-day story where Noemi is trying to understand why her boyfriend seemingly jumped in front of a car and died, and the past story when her uncle Louie faced something horrifying and won.

I admit that I was a lot more involved in Louie’s story than Noemi’s. The reason for that is that there is a progression and resolution to his story. He witnesses some horrible events, but he discovers what caused it and he defeats the evil spirit (at least within himself). Yes, it leaves him scared both physically and mentally, and he decides to run away from those memories, but at least his story has a conclusion. With Noemi, we still don’t know whether it was an accident or if her boyfriend had killed himself. Plus, I wasn’t as invested in her story, to tell the truth.

All in all, this was a wonderfully creepy story about human desperation and the darkness that lurks within all of us. About balance and what happens when we disrupt it. And about hard choices. I will definitely read other books by this author.

books, Horror, Reviews

The Murmors (Annie Jackson Mysteries 1) by Michael J Malone

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Stars: 2 out of 5

This book started very strongly – Annie has no memories of her childhood due to a terrible accident that killed her mom and landed her in a coma, and on top of that, she starts hearing murmurs and sees how people will die when their death is imminent enough. What would she do with this strange ability? Especially since she just started working in a nursing home.

Well, turns out, nothing at all. Annie quits after the first day there, and her ability doesn’t really come into play at all during the rest of the book.

I felt cheated. Like the blurb was a bait and switch. I came for a woman with a strange ability, not a generational drama and a plot that ground to a halt after the initial setup and then proceeded to creep towards an ending at a snail’s pace.

It doesn’t help that the actual plot of the book is not interesting, at least not to me. Any of the supposed twists were telegraphed way in advance, so I didn’t even have any aha moments to look forward to. And, as I mentioned, the plot went into a completely different direction than I expected.

I also couldn’t connect with Annie at all, even though I tried. To me, she just reads as very immature and full of herself. She only thinks of how things impact her and never even tries to consider how her actions impact those closest to her. And everyone tiptoes around her as if walking on eggshells, even before her curse manifests.

I also wasn’t particularly invested in the other timelines we follow in this story – the one of Annie’s mother and her sisters, and the one of the original twins who brought the curse into being.

Mostly, it was a slog to read and left me rather underwhelmed. I honestly am confused where all the raving reviews are coming from. Did I read a different book than everyone else? I will not be continuing with the series.

PS: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

books, Horror, Reviews, science fiction

An End to Potential by Emily Swiers

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Stars: 4 out of 5

This was a surprisingly good read, even though it turned out to be a completely different story from what I had expected when I started reading this book.

Yes, this is a quest and a mystery to unravel, but more than that, this story is about coping with trauma and piecing together tattered bits of yourself in the hopes of becoming a better (and healthier) person.

I admit that I didn’t particularly like Kana at first. She seemed like the typical spoiled rich brat who always gets her way without even once stopping to consider the lives she wrecks in the process. And admittedly, she is all that, but there is also so much more that meets the eye. Frankly, with all the abuse and trauma she’s been through in her short life, I’m surprised she isn’t a raving lunatic most of the time.

The further I read into this book, the more I came to sympathize with her. Yes, she is capricious and always wants to have her way. Yes, she can be cruel and has a total disregard for the safety and well-being of others. But would you blame her? She learned from a young age that a nanny could kidnap you or sell you to kidnappers. The bodyguard assigned to you might be the one handing you over to people with a grudge against your mother. The doctors who treated your injuries would turn around and sell your medical records to the press to turn a quick profit. No wonder she is paranoid and doesn’t trust anyone. Or have any friends or romantic interests.

The story itself is a bit convoluted with a lot of flashbacks that, though useful to paint the picture of Kana’s life, sometimes bog the narrative down. It felt like it dragged at times. Also, some of those flashbacks raise more questions than they provide answers. Like the postcard referenced at the very beginning of the story. What was that about? And the incident that left Kana disfigured. It’s mentioned in the beginning, but never expanded upon. Why talk about it if it doesn’t have any impact on the story?

My other issue is with Bexley. Who is she? Kana treats her like a close friend during that one phone call at the beginning of the book, yet Bexley isn’t present in any of her other recollections of her childhood or teenage years. She isn’t mentioned at all for most of the book, apart from one other time. What are her ties to Kana and the Amobrose family? Why is she in California and not wanting to come back? The lack of any mention of her in Kana’s past makes her seem like a figment of Kana’s imagination rather than a real person.

The other question that is left unanswered is why Rabid Sinthies were attracted to Kana. What makes her so special? There are hints to it, but nothing is fully explained. 

All in all, I really liked this book, and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. And if there is a sequel, I will definitely pick it up.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Ghost Story, Horror, Reviews

Long Past Midnight by Jonathan Maberry

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I am not familiar with the Pine Deep trilogy, but I have read the first Joe Ledger book by this author. Nevertheless, I had no problems following the stories in this anthology, because the author does an excellent job with setup and gives the reader just enough information about past events to not be lost and get invested in the story.  In fact, I now want to go back and read the Pine Deep books, because I want to know more about Crow and Val, and Mike.

And that’s the biggest draw of this book – the characters. The author has this rare talent to make you care about the characters in just a few words and brief descriptions. I didn’t know anything about this world when I went into the book, but you can be sure that I was invested from the very first story. Also, Sam, the aging werewolf, is a grumpy sweetheart, and I want to read more about him as well. His story about the lonely ghost who was trying to help people who lived in her house but scared them instead was one of my favorites in this anthology.

All of the stories are pretty darn good, I must admit. There isn’t a single one I read that I didn’t like. They all bring a new facet to the multilayered tapestry that is Pine Deep. 

I think what I liked the most about this anthology is that even though these are horror stories, the message they try to communicate is one of hope. Yes, horrible things happen in Pine Deep. Yes, there are literal monsters roaming the forests around it (and even the cemetery, though that one might stay quiet now that the mafia brothers came to lend a hand, and the caretaker has a shotgun and isn’t afraid to use it). But each story shows us the resilience of Pine Deep residents, and the fact that evil doesn’t always win, especially when good people are willing to fight and bleed to stop it. 

So all in all, I had a wonderful time with these stories, and finished this book feeling a lot more hopeful about humanity than when I started. It also made me want to check out the other books by this author, which is exactly what a short story anthology is supposed to do.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Horror, Reviews, Zombies

How We End by L.M. Juniper

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Stars: 3 out of 5.

Reading zombie books is my guilty pleasure, and I realize that there is only so much you can do with the genre before you run out of fresh ideas and start repeating common tropes, even inadvertently. 

How We End surprised me in the beginning with how different it was from other zombie books: people cooperated and helped each other when faced with the horrors of zombie apocalypse, instead of being complete arsholes, as they are usually depicted in other books. In a way, this was a story of found family and overcoming hardships together more than a zombie survival book. Seven strangers are thrown together during the first outbreak in London, and they decide to stick together and try to survive this nightmare. It was refreshing to see this aspect of humanity brought to the forefront, rather than the cruelty, looting, and killing that are usually prevalent in zombie books.

The characters are also pretty interesting, though only two of them, Liv and Jake, get any sort of development or story arc. The rest are more there for support and to add necessary survival skills to the group. Like how convenient that the American couple stranded with them are a cop and a restaurant owner who can cook pretty much anything and knows how to forage? And for some reason knows exactly what kind of edible wild plants and mushrooms are available in the UK, even though he is from Louisiana and was a tourist in London? 

And here we come to the crux of my issue with this book – everything is a bit too convenient. Need a car? Fareena knows how to hotwire them! Need a houseboat to use the canals? Fareena’s aunt used to live in one, so she knows how to navigate them! Need to stock up on food for the winter? Rob can forage! And cook! And pickle! And smoke meat! Need a water filtration system? Another member of the group used to be a cosplayer who loved to tinker with stuff… don’t ask me how that translates into knowing how to make filtration systems. Oh, and Jake was a doomsday prepper with a stocked pantry and a bugout bag ready to go!

There is never a struggle or mad dash for survival, unless it’s needed by the story to fridge a character. And even then, some characters survive against impossible odds when others just get offed seemingly immediately. How was Frances okay after an infected clawed all over her face and scalp? I distinctly remember the author mentioning blood and wounds… yet this is never mentioned again once they get on the boat. Jake has traumatic bruising on his arm… which is conveniently glossed over and never talked about again. More importantly, it never impedes him from doing anything.

And the action comes to a grinding halt in the last quarter of the book, once they all get to Jake’s parents, and what we get is a long group therapy session with absolutely nothing else happening. Then the author remembered that this was actually a zombie book and decided to end it with a bang… so they go on a hospital raid… for no reason. Yes, they would eventually need meds, but going into ground zero for infection half-cocked with people they had never worked with before is the epitome of stupid. Not to mention, the action sequences in the hospital dragged way too long. 

By the time they reached Jake’s parents’ house and everything that happened there, I was rapidly losing interest in the story. The hospital raid didn’t really do anything to help with that. The book went from a solid 4 stars to about 2, so I rounded it up to 3 because the first half of the book had promise.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Dystopian, Horror, Reviews

The Monsters in our Shadows by Edward J Cembal

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Stars: 4.5 out of 5

Oof, this was a depressing book to read, and up until the very last chapter, I really didn’t know if the author would give us even a sliver of hope at a decent ending.

The world is bleak – most of the world (at least the continental USA, from what I see) has been eaten by Shivers. Those are monsters that appear out of a person’s fears, depression, despair, and grow closer and closer, until they literally eat the person who created them. They are like our darkest emotions made manifest, and the more we experience those emotions, the closer they get, and the closer they get, the more negative emotions we experience. It’s a vicious circle that ends in death and blood.

As it stands, only the village of Atlas is left, the last refuge where what’s left of humanity hides behind high walls from the horrors roaming the Deadlands. It’s a bleak and run-down village in the middle of a downtown of some unnamed pre-Shiver city where humans try to survive under a constant cloudy sky where the sun hasn’t shone in years and no rain ever fell. Only thunder, no lightning, no rain.

I would say the saving grace of this book is Anthem, our protagonist, because even though his world is bleak, and the work he does is even bleaker, he harbors a wealth of compassion and a sliver of hope that refuses to die even in the most dire circumstances. We experience the horrors of this world through his eyes, and he has the knack of seeing beauty and peace even in the darkest times. And a child-like wonder for new things, like the man playing piano in the middle of a dead city, or the peaceful surface of a lake undisturbed by human activity. Yes, Anthem can be whiny and depressed, and downright annoying throughout the book, but his refusal to give up, to lie down and let his Shiver eat him is what makes us root for him.  

My only complaint about Anthem is that he can be rather obtuse sometimes. Or maybe naive? Like his insistence to see the best in people, no matter what. Him trying to reason with Doubleday even when it was obvious to everyone else that the man wouldn’t listen. On the other hand, this willingness to negotiate and try to get his point across is what helped him get what he wanted at the Spit, and help the afflicted of Atlas in the end, so I can’t fault him for that.

I would also say that the story has plenty of twists and turns, and I honestly couldn’t say where we were heading most of the time. Like I said, I wasn’t even sure we would get a good ending, since the events leading to it were depressing. 

All in all, it’s a wonderful reflection about mental illness and depression, and how sometimes we let our negative emotions eat us from the inside. Here, those emotions are made manifest, just waiting to consume us.

I loved the main message of this book as well – that no matter what, no matter how dark the times and how bleak your world is, hope might be just one step away. You just have to be courageous enough to take that step, and then another, and then another one.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Horror, Reviews

Reunion by Christopher Farnsworth

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Stars: 4.5 out of 5.

This is one darn good book! It’s a bit of a cross between Stephen King’s It and a superhero story, as the protagonists are children that had to fight an unimaginable evil in their high school year. That experience changed them in ways that, even twenty years later, still weigh on them. But those are not ordinary children. All four have superpowers. One has a photographic memory and absolute recall, and also phenomenal powers of deduction. One is a genius inventor with an almost computer-like brainpower. One is half Fair Fold prince who is stronger, faster, and more ruthless than any adult. And finally, one is a literal magician.

It was interesting to get to know these children and their adult versions. I loved that the chapters were split between THEN and NOW, so we got to gradually uncover both what happened during that fateful night of New Year’s Evil during their high school year and what is happening in the present when they are all called back into Middleton for the 20-year reunion. We are gradually introduced to each of the four protagonists and shown what makes them special, but we also discover what drew them together and allowed them to defeat Colchester the first time.

I must admit that the NOW chapters were rather depressing, especially when showing their lives before they came back for the Reunion, because all of them, except for Alana, maybe, seemed to have lived in a holding pattern. They had so many dreams and goals before New Year’s Evil, and they just let those turn into ash. It’s especially apparent for Eric who lost his real magic and spent 20 years being a stage magician in Las Vegas, and drinking himself into an early grave.

So while returning to Middleton isn’t something none of them wanted, that return allows them to finally kill the past once and for all. To resolve issues that were left hanging. To defeat the evil that was left to linger and fester because of cowardice. And by doing that, they can let go of that past and finally start living the lives they were destined to have. That’s a powerful message right there.

My only complaint is that the Followers are a very stupid bunch for an evil death cult. I know that humans can be cruel, petty, and selfish, but come on, are you telling me that so many people went along with literally bringing about the end of the world and expected to survive it? Or even gain anything from it? And not kids. Normal adult people who should know better.

But that’s just a small gripe. If you want a good character-driven book and you loved It, then I suggest you go and get Reunion. You won’t regret it.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Ghost Story, Reviews

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5

This book started with a bang, and I really liked the character of Beatrice and her genuine desire to help people. She is a compelling character and easy to like. Though I must admit that I couldn’t quite suspend my disbelief that dropping acid a couple of times would somehow unlock her latent ability to see other people’s ghosts. However, I was willing to let that slide because I liked Bea, and I wanted to see where this story would go. I wanted to see Bea conquer her ghosts and come triumphant on the other end of her ordeal.

I also loved the island and the nuns who run the ferry. Mother Maggie was a pleasure to read about, and I would have loved to hear more about her life and her very pale and washed-out ghosts. Unfortunately, we don’t get nearly enough of her in this story.

The descriptions of island life are also very calming. I wouldn’t have minded living in Bea’s cottage with the cows and the views of the tumultuous sea. So I was fully engaged with the story and read the first 50% of the book in one sitting. Then Anne arrived at the island, and the book went downhill from there.

See, the story shifted from being about Bea to being about Anne and her abusive and controlling husband. Bea was relegated to a side character who was there to build up Anne’s confidence and be a receptive ear for Anne to tell us her story. It would have worked hadn’t Anne been such a meh character. I understand what the author tried to do here – the battered wife who carries all the guilt about being in this situation in the first place and thinks it’s her fault. However, this is written a bit on the nose here. Her husband is a caricature of an abusive and controlling psychopath. He is so over-the-top evil that I couldn’t take him seriously as a character or as a threat to Bea and Anne. There are better books written about this topic. Heck, even Stephen King wrote a book about a battered wife who ran away from her abusive cop husband and managed to build a new life for herself, and that book was more compelling than Anne’s story.

So after the focus shifted to Anne, I slowly lost interest in the book. In fact, I put it down for a few weeks and only came back to it because I don’t like DNFing books unless I absolutely don’t jell with them. But I skimmed till the end more than I read, hitting the major plot points. And even then I can tell that the ending is very overwritten. It should have stopped several chapters before it did. In fact, it should have stopped after James left the island the second time. Everything else could have been summarized in a brief epilogue. 

As it stands, this book had a lot of promise but ended up a disappointment for me, but I am willing to give it 2.5 stars because in the beginning I really thought I would love it.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.