2024 Reading Year in Review

Here it is! The “Hotly Anticipated” annual installment of “What Did Rob Enjoy Reading the Most Last Year?!??!” That’s right folks, for the third ye in a row and 14th year overall, here are the books I enjoyed reading most the previous year! As I’ve done every year, here are the previous years I’ve put up a reading year in review, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006).

As I've done every year for the past decade and a half, I've contributed to SFFWorld's Favorite of the Year lists: Fantasy/Horror, Science Fiction, and Film/TV. We focus only on 2024/current year releases on our there are a lot of good books out there from previous years I haven’t read.

The trend of Horror being the dominant, or at least highest percentage, of fiction I read in the calendar year continued from the previous two years. Don’t get me wrong, I still read and enjoyed plenty of fantasy! What has continued to drop in quantity/percentage of my reading is Science Fiction. Here are the full statistics of the nearly 96 books I read in 2024. Note that where I indicate "can be considered" takes into account books that can fit into multiple genres. For example, S.A. Barnes's Ghost Station easily fits into both Horror and Science fiction. This explains how the split between genres adds up to more than the totality of the 94 books I read in 2024.

• 43 2024/current year releases
• 35 reviews posted to SFFWorld (including the Halloween Countdown Reviews)
• 52 can be considered Horror
• 40 can be considered Fantasy
• 13 can be considered Science Fiction
• 30 books by authors new to me 
• 48 Books by women
• 13 total debut
• 24 audiobooks
• 3 Non-Fiction

So, without further adieu, below are the books I enjoyed reading the most in 2024. It was really tough to rank this group of books because there’s a very high level of quality and enjoyment across them all.

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

(My favorite fantasy novel of 2024)

Long Live Evil was an enormously fun novel. This is a story that plays with tropes and uses them to its advantage in curious, playful, and smart ways. Rae is a person I couldn’t help root for and rally behind, even when she was being a little bit snarky and obnoxious. In some ways, her being pulled into the narrative and using slang is not unlike John Chrichton using common jokes and pop culture phrases in FarScape, only to have his shipmates shake their heads at him. This trope has the potential to wear thin quickly, but Brennan plays it with a very even hand. …and that’s how she plays this novel/story overall. It embraces the genre, turns it on its head, and outcomes something that is that wonderful balance of familiar and new spin.

Of all the portal fantasies I’ve read, I couldn’t help drawing pleasant comparisons to Stephen R. Donaldson’s landmark Thomas Covenant series. Of course, Rae is a not nearly the embittered jerk Covenant is, but both find themselves thrust into a fantastical world as a remedy for their life-threatening conditions.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
(My Favorite Horror Novel of 2024)

 

Tremblay’s horror novels truly blur the line between fiction and reality, at least as that line is perceived by the characters in his novels. One survivor of a cursed film production from 1993, known only as The Thin Kid, remains. When “enterprising” filmmakers wish to revisit this cursed production, they enlist the aid of The Thin Kid to bring the script and movie to life. Horror Movie delights in playing with the reader, teasing out what is real, what is imagined, and what just might be supernatural. The standard prose is interspersed with script pages making for a mixed media sort of novel that only adds to the blurred lines of horrific fantasy and reality. Since reading A Headful of Ghosts by Tremblay I’ve considered that novel a Mount Rushmore novel of 21st Century Horror fiction and I think Horror Movie is probably at least as good as that. It is certainly rattling around in my head today just as is Headful.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan
(My Favorite Debut Novel of 2024

James and I have crossed virtual paths for the last decade or so. At one point in time he was a member of the SFFWorld forums and was a content contributor for the site and we were part of the SFF “blogosphere” in its heyday around the same time. Wanted to get that out of the way, but that does not affect my judgement of this incredible fantasy novel.

Logan tells the novel in the third person omniscient, primarily from Lukan’s point of view. Towards the end we see events unfold through the eyes and experience of other characters, which was a little bit jarring, but was the best way to tell the story. With Lukan as the protagonist, a lot of the experience of the novel rests on his shoulders, whether or not he is a character the reader can tolerate, empathize with, like, or even simply not hate. While he is a bit of a jerk – a gambling drunk who interrupts people, he isn’t a bad person. He was dealt a rather unfortunate blow that has affected him profoundly. As Lukan’s story unfolds, his good qualities shine through even more strongly. He has a strong sense of justice and not just for himself. He tries to help people when he can. In short, he is a complex character, a very human character.

While the publisher made a comparison to Joe Abercrombie, I’m not sure I fully agree with that. There’s not much about Logan’s novel that says Grimdark to me. Then again, there’s that little bit of genre savvy and snarkiness in the characters in both Scott Lynch and Nicholas Eames’s work that is present here. I’d even say James Logan’s debut has more of the vibe of Tad Williams/Robin Hobb/Raymond Feist classic fantasy of the 1980s/1990s.

As has been custom for these posts, the remaining books will be listed out alphabetical by author because I don’t feel like splitting hairs. Additionally, for the remaining favorites, I’m going beyond books published in 2024 as I hinted at previously.

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Cassidy is a writer who has been a “rising star” in the horror genre for the past couple of years, his first two novels (this and Mary have received a great deal of acclaim and he seems to be a popular podcast guest. Nestlings is one of the most unique takes I’ve read on vampires. Set in New York City in a creepy high-rise, the story focuses on new parents looking to move into the new building with their young child. Ana is unable to walk due to the difficult pregnancy and Reid is, to put it mildly, having difficulty being caretaker. Well, what usually happens when a family with their own difficulties moves into a building (or home) that itself has a dark history? Hilarity ensues! Seriously, though, events darken and characters find themselves pushed even farther away from their center of sanity. Cassidy captures desperation quite well and there are some genuinely creepy, inventively icky scenes in this novel. A captivating, haunted tale that will leave you unable to look at some of the alder architecture of New York City (or any large US city, for that matter) quite the same.

It Will Hurt for Only a Moment by Delila S. Dawson 

It should come as no surprise at this point in time that if Delilah Dawson publishes a horror novel in a given year, then that book will be a standout for me in that given year. The protagonist here is a woman on the run from an abusive relationship hoping to find refuge in a artist’s community. However, with this community sharing the same expansive property of a 200-year-old abandoned hotel, nothing can go wrong, can it? Of course, it can when a body is dug up, experienced artists are injured creating their art, and some of the artists begin behaving rather eccentrically, even for artist. Dawson’s ability to capture dreadful tension, well-drawn characters, and feminist themes come together masterfully in this haunted tale.

Children of the Dark and Children of the Dark 2: The Night Flyers by Jonathan Janz

Jonathan Janz has emerged over the last few years as a sure-fire must-read horror writer for me. Children of the Dark was originally published in 2016, but was reissued (and slightly updated/revised) in January 2024 to coincide with the publication of its sequel a couple of months later.

[Children of the Dark] fits comfortably in that very popular sub-genre (?) or storytelling template of horror: kids vs. monsters and is as good a take on that kind of story as I’ve ever read. Will is a 15-year-old high school baseball player in a small-town in Indiana. … The girl he likes is dating his enemy, the biggest jock in the school. As if that weren’t enough, the “Moonlight Killer,” the most notorious serial killer in the country who happens to be from Indiana. But is the Moonlight Killer the one responsible for people being snatched away? Because there are the local legends of “The Children,” humanoid monstrosities that have lived below the surface of the earth. … The sequel picks up shortly after the events of the first novel, with Will Burgess a “guest” at Sunny Woods Rehabilitation Center, after the massacre that occurred in his hometown of Shadeland….Janz continues to make the case that he’s one of the pillars of modern horror fiction. His books have a great balance of character and plot, there’s terrifying monsters and creepy scenes balanced with humor.

My Heart is a Chainsaw (Book 1 of The Indian Lake Trilogy) by Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is a rock star/superstar of the horror genre, a writer who has seen some more mainstream acceptance while still remaining true to his horror roots and retaining that love within the genre. I tried one of his earlier novels and it didn’t work for me at all. So when my wife read My Heart is a Chainsaw (she doesn’t read nearly the percentage of horror I read) and kept peppering me with questions about the genre and encouraged me to read the novel, I relented. Damn, I’m really glad I did. Jade Daniels is a horror junkie with a troubled, broken personal history. When a killer, what she immediately assumes to be a serial killer, descends into her community of Proofrock, she feels a calling to catch the killer. Proofrock is also home to Camp Blood, the site of a massacre 50 years prior to the novel. Jones in this novel has not just written a love-letter to horror films and slashers in particular, he’s captured something very special that is at times difficult to label other than Superb. I’ve got the second book, Don't Fear the Reaper, on my to-read pile, but my wife doesn’t want me reading it before she does!

Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling

(Favorite Horror Novel published prior to 2024)

I won’t say this one caught me unawares because the reason I picked it up is because the good things I read/saw about it. I will say the novel shook me and is maybe the best “cult” horror novel I’ve read up to this point in my life. “Devil’s Creek is a big, meaty book that held me in its horrific embrace from the opening page to the final words. Keisling doles out comforting scenes between some of the characters, as well as extremely horrific scenes both sexual and violent in nature. Not once did any of it feel exploitative, though. Gruesome, certainly. Gratuitous, not at all. Religions/Evil Cults are a fairly common element in horror stories, but Keisling’s novel is all but common. It was a refreshing take on the story trope/element. There are some truly, mouth-wide-open horrific and chilling scenes and elements in the novel.

Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

Malfi is another author (not unlike Jonathan Janz) who has been writing and publishing for at least a decade, but whose work I’ve only recently been acquainted. Malfi is also one of those authors who seem to be a “writer’s writer,” a writer who other writers constantly praise. Oddly, this is one of three horror novels I read in 2024 with the word "Horror" in the title. “Small Town Horror hits on one of the most reliable of narrative starting points – friends reuniting after years apart. In this case, New York lawyer Andrew Larimer receives a call from his old friend Dale Walls urging him to return to their hometown of Kingsport, Maryland. When we first meet Andrew, he is suffering from nightmares and is very concerned for his pregnant wife and unborn child – he fears something very bad will happen to them. When his wife Rebecca asks him about it, he deflects. While somewhat dishonest, it is at least understandable – a husband doesn’t want to worry his pregnant wife any more than necessary or complicate the pregnancy in any fashion. One of the most effective plot twists/revelations I’ve ever read – happened roughly 4/5 through the novel. Not something I saw coming, but one of those logical plot twists that helps to make much of what preceded it make 100% sense.

Dragon Mage by M.L. Spencer and narrated/performed by Ben Farrow

I’ve been seeing a lot of positive buzz about this book for a few years now (originally published in 2021. I finally gave in and used an Audible credit to add the audiobook to my virtual shelf and I am very, very pleased I did so. Spencer’s story is fairly straight-forward and typical for Epic Fantasy, “Aram Raythe is a young boy in a fishing village who is something of an outcast. He has very few friends because most kids his age think he is off, broken, or just not right. Aram has one thing at which he is very good: knots. He knows every knot a fisherman uses, how to tie them, and make them strong. When a few boys decide to bully Aram because he is different, another boy named Markus steps in to help him. It is a bond the two will share for the remainder of their lives… In this milieu, the world is riven in two (i.e. the title of the saga is Rivenworld) – the World Above and the World Below. The World Above is where Aram resides, it is a world bereft of people truly attuned to magic. The only way sorcerers can manipulate magic is by consuming the essence of the Auld, essentially naturally born mages. The World Below is a world where dragons and magic are commonplace, where the mages (Auld) can wield magic naturally…One of the major ways that Spencer is able to put her own unique stamp on the tried and true Epic Fantasy / Coming of Age story is what she does with Aram, he is neurodiverse on the Autism spectrum. The way she writes his internal dialogue, how characters react to him, his obsession with knots…are very much coded as Autism. My wife is a first-grade teacher and has studied extensively about Autism and special needs and has shared with me some of that knowledge. I’m not trying to proclaim expertise, but some knowledge.”

I enjoyed the audiobook so much, I decided to buy the physical/hardcover version of the book and it is a lovely book.

The Trials of Empire (Empire of the Wolf #3) by Richard Swan

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this Dark, Epic Fantasy trilogy and was very excited to dive into the finale. “The third and final volume in the trilogy, The Trials of Empire continues the story seamlessly from The Tyranny of Faith, with Konrad Vonvalt drastically powered down. He’s still got the Emperor’s Voice at his disposal, but from a stature standpoint, he is not what one would call “in good standing” with the empire. Despite this, he, Helena, the knight von Osterlen, and Sir Radomir are determined to put an end to Claver’s uprising. The problem is Claver’s influence has become very far ranging, to the point that Vonvalt is doubting his former allies, especially with Vonvalt being a wanted man. … Epic Fantasy often flirts with horrific elements, after all, many of these tales demons or demonic entities are major threats or the actual Big Bad/Final Boss. As a reader who thoroughly enjoys horror, I really like when horror elements start to seep into Epic Fantasy and Swan deftly weaves those horrific and terrifying elements into his story. There are some eldritch powers at play in the magical powers in the world of this novel and Swan’s pace at easing those elements into the novel were superb.

I couldn’t help but include both novels by M.L. Wang I read this year, they were both so impactful and impressive.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang and narrated/performed by Andrew Tell

Much like Spencer’s Dragon Mage, The Sword of Kaigen has been something of an “independent darling” of the Epic Fantasy space the past few years. First, a little bit about the world-building while the novel is Eastern Asian influenced, it most definitely is not traditional. This world has telecommunications, airplanes, high-rise building, and modern technology. … Very high marks for the world building because Want makes her world feel like a character. But a character we only know a little bit about. The world in this novel is fascinating on so many levels, I haven’t read too many fantasy novels where spells sit alongside airplanes and telecommunication infrastructure. Well, sure, quite a few Urban Fantasy novels, but not very many Epic Fantasy novels. Want wraps all these seemingly disparate elements together masterfully. … The Sword of Kaigen is a very powerful Epic Fantasy novel, a familial saga, a novel of war. Epic in its magic, epic in its scope even though it focuses primarily on one nation of a world, and most definitely epic in scope of the family. Not just one of the best “self/independently” published novels I’ve ever read, but a top single-volume fantasy novel I’ve ever read.

Blood over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Slightly switching gears, this novel is what might be considered Dark Academia. “Set in an industrialized land called Tiran, the novel captures a very momentous time in this land’s history. The ascension of Sciona Freynan as the first woman to achieve the title of High Mage. …The magic is unique. The cover of the US Edition from Del Rey depicts what appears to be something like an old fashioned typewriter with a strange disc where the paper might be standing. What this device actually is amounts to a magical coding device, it is how spells are written and created. It is a fascinating take on magic and an interesting scientific approach to magic. … Wang packs so much into this single-volume fantasy novel. It is a complete, powerful, and intensely thought-provoking story.

Honorable Mentions

Clown in a Cornfield 3: Cult of Frendo by Adam Cesare – A thoroughly enjoyable young adult horror trilogy, Cesare’s story came to a close in a wonderful way. A smart story that expertly tows the line between appealing to readers who don’t often read horror and die hard horror fans alike. 

C.J. Cooke had two novels publish in the last two years and I enjoyed both of them! A Haunting in the Arctic was an eerie tale of lost memory with some Lovecraftian overtones and The Book of Witching is very much about witches and the haunted history of the “witch trials” in Scotland. 

David Dalglish – I read and enjoyed Soulkeeper, the first installment of his Keepers trilogy from a couple of years ago and thought he brought The Vagrant trilogy to a close quite nicely with The Slain Divine. 

The Pine Deep Trilogy by Jonathan Maberry – The first installment, Ghost Road Blues was Maberry’s first novel, it recieved the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006. The series is set in a rural Pennsylvania town with a murderous past. That murderous past comes back because it wasn’t human. This is an enormously fun trilogy and proof that Maberry has been a great storyteller straight out of the gate. 

Dungeon Crawler Carl is another “independent darling” of the fantasy scene, but in 2024, Ace books began reissuing the series. What if the world is turned into a giant dungeon for the entertainment of aliens as a reality TV show? A crazy premise that works remarkably well with snark and some insightful things going on in the story. 

So Thirsty is Rachel Harrison’s modern, feminist take on vampires and what a freakin’ delight it was! It felt like a wonderful pairing of Kathryn Bigelow’s vampire masterpiece Near Dark and the iconic Thelma & Louise. A traveling band of vampire rogues, two women who rely on their friendship through challenging times (an extreme oversimplification, I know). I’m left wanting more, though. Of the novels I’ve read from her, this one feels the most like there’s more story to tell with the characters. 

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen - The most impressive horror debut I read in 2024. Sandeen has crafted an extremely impressive debut with This Cursed House. She touches on colorism, which is a form of racism that doesn’t seem to get quite the “attention” ofr “feature” in fiction/horror fiction.

Another series finale I read this past year was Chuck Wendig’s Vultures, which wonderfully concluded his Miriam Black series. This set of books is a raw, awesome, crime-horror story. 

Last, but certainly not least, The Navigator’s Children (The Last King of Osten Ard #4) by Tad Williams – I’m still kind of processing this one, as it brings to a close a story and characters I’ve had part of my reading experience for the better part of 30 years! The conclusion was very emotional and well-earned.

Another year of great reading and maybe one of the best over the past couple of decades. Several of my top reads earned at least a 9 out of 10 for my personal rating system.

Book Review (Audio Book): The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

Title: The Sword of Kaigen (A Theonite War Story)

Author/Publisher: M.L. Wang

Narrator: Andrew Tell

Length: 24 Hours, 24 Minutes

Publication Date/Year: 2020

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Over the past dozen years or so, the term self-published has transformed from a negative connotation to the term “independently published,” which is almost a badge of honr. With that shift in nomenclature, books that writers set out to publish outside of traditional paths have gained wider recognition, acclaim, and respect. Which brings me to The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story by M.L. Wang.

I’d seen this book generate a lot of good response over the last couple of years and finally decided to use one of my audible credits to read/consume this novel. I tried not to read too much about the plot details when skimming over reviews from folks whose opinion I trust aside from the generalities…a Japanese-influenced military fantasy/family saga which takes place on the Kusanagi peninsula. And full transparency, I recently watched the incredible FX mini-series Shōgun and I was blown away. I was looking for something with a similar flavor/influence. 

First, a little bit about the world-building while the novel is Eastern Asian influenced, it most definitely is not traditional. This world has telecommunications, airplanes, high-rise building, and modern technology. The language is Japanese, but the world is not Earth, it is called Duna. The people of the Kaigenese Empire very much live near the water and as such, the magic is water/ice based and is depicted as extremely powerful. Case in point, an ice sword conjured by a powerful manipulator of the magic can rival the sharpest metal sword. The rival empire, the Ranganese, utilizes a fire-based magic.

Very high marks for the world building because Want makes her world feel like a character. But a character we only know a little bit about. The world in this novel is fascinating on so many levels, I haven’t read too many fantasy novels where spells sit alongside airplanes and telecommunication infrastructure. Well, sure, quite a few Urban Fantasy novels, but not very many Epic Fantasy novels. Want wraps all these seemingly disparate elements together masterfully.

From a character perspective Wang focuses her story on the Matsuda family, eldest son 14-year old Mamoru and his mother Misaki. Told from their points of view, Wang evokes a world of strict rules with regard to class, gender, and age. In Mamoru, we see a young man coming of age, on the cusp of manhood, trying to be as good a fighter like his legendary father and uncle. Mamoru still has a lot to learn about combat and the world at large. But he, like many teenagers transitioning to adulthood, begins to question the history he’s been fed over the years. As a citizen of the Kaigenese Empire, he is told to believe everything the Emperor disseminates to the populace. But Mamoru has questions about the Ranganese enemies, he is more open to what they might be and how powerful they truly are.  Mamoru is desperate to prove himself to his father and his uncle and himself, as well. Mamoru has been training to be a Sword of Kaigen, a great defender of the Kusanagi peninsula. Mamoru is a well-drawn, believable character.

Misaki was betrothed to Mamoru’s father Takeru when she was 19 in an arranged marriage, uniting two prominent families. As such, Misaki was forced to leave her life behind and it turns out, she had quite a robust life before becoming wife to Takeru. She had an identity, she had friends, she felt she had a purpose with those friends as a crime-fighter. Misaki also has the power to control blood, which she can use to heal herself or others and increase her strength. But that life, once she’s married to Takeru, is all gone and her only purpose was to essentially be a baby-making machine for the Matsuda line. As much as I liked Mamoru and felt him to initially be the protagonist, I felt much more drawn to Misaki the more I got to know her. Wang played a deft hand with both of these characters.

Wang gives readers chapters from her POV from her early life before being married all the way to being married and a mother. This provides a fascinating and ultimately enthralling view into one character’s major lifespan. A great deal is given over to being a mother, not something you’d typically see in an epic fantasy novel.

When war arrives on the doorstep of the Matsuda family, the novel takes a turn as the tension gets even higher. A good portion of the novel is dedicated to the major conflict and the fallout. This major conflict takes place with a great deal of narrative in the rearview mirror, but there's a lot ahead as well. That's my fancy way of saying I can't recall exactly how closely to the middle it takes place, maybe the arrival of war takes up the middle third of the novel?

I’m a fan of books told with parallel narratives, whether those narratives take place in different time lines of from different points of view. My favorite instance of this, at least with parallel character narratives might in Scott Lynch’s Red Seas Under Red Skies but I think M.L. Want topped that here in The Sword of Kaigen. There comes an instant (and this isn’t too much of a spoiler, I think) when Mimoru’s storyline intersects with that of his mother, Misaki and it was a genuine “a-ha” moment for me.

I have to give kudos to narrator Andrew Tell. At first, I wasn’t exactly connecting with his performance, if I’m being honest. I felt some of the pauses were a little off. Soon enough, I was hooked and realized what a masterful job he did. He portrayed each character distinctly, and helped to build tension through his pacing and voice.

The Sword of Kaigen is a very powerful Epic Fantasy novel, a familial saga, a novel of war. Epic in its magic, epic in its scope even though it focuses primarily on one nation of a world, and most definitely epic in scope of the family. Not just one of the best “self/independently” published novels I’ve ever read, but a top single-volume fantasy novel I’ve ever read.

Countdown to Halloween 2024 at SFFWorld is a Wrap!

Well…Countdown to Halloween 2024 is a wrap at SFFWorld. We had a lot of reviews go up this year and as ever, our friend Randy M (noted Horror expert) contributed quite a few. Take a look at what we (Randy, my long-standing SFFWorld colleague Mark Yon, and I) did this year at Countdown to Halloween 2024. For my part, I’ll provide just a little bit more with the links below. 

I started off October / Countdown to Halloween 2024 with reviews of Jonathan Janz’s two Children of the Dark novels: Children of the Dark and Children of the Dark 2: The Night Flyers. I’d have to say, my favorite “new to me” horror writer I started reading the past five years is Janz and these two books just might be his best. They play on the great trope of Kids on Bikes/Kids vs. Monsters to a very satisfying degree.

Next was Murder Road by Simone St. James. I’ve read a few novels from her prior to this one and they’ve all been a very enjoyable mix of mystery and supernatural. This one continues that trend.

The following week, I posted a book that is going to be a favorite read of 2024 for me, Todd Keisling’s Devil’s Creek. A story of a cult/dark church that has some Lovecraftian overtones. A truly dark and harrowing novel.

It is always great to read new voices in the horror genre, especially when those voices bring something you haven’t seen before or a perspective that is different than your own experiences. That’s Del Sandeen’s This Cursed House, which was an extremely impressive debut novel. 

Next up is another new-to-me writer, but a writer who has received (arguably) the highest honor a horror writer can receive, the Bram Stoker award for Life Achievement. I refer to Nuzo Onoh’s fable-like horror novel, Where the Dead Brides Gather.

Closing it out is a book by a writer with an interesting personal connection. Nicole M. Wolverton and I both own dogs…these dogs happen to be sisters. We adopted our dogs (Dusty for my, Myrtle for her) from the wonderful Angel’s Retreat dog rescue. Little did I know that one of the side benefits to bringing the perfection that is Dusty into our lives is that I’d “discover” such an engaging horror writer with A Misfortune of Lake Monsters. There you have it, a half-dozen +1 batch of horror novels for your reading pleasure.

The Completist: CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD by Adam Cesare

Coulrophobia: the fear of clowns. The setting of a cornfield (Lost in a Maize over at TVTropes). Two prominent and familiar horror elements, so if you combine a creepy clown figure with the tried-and-true setting of cornfields, you’ve got two great tastes that taste great together in the horror genre. Thus, we have Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield trilogy. 

The first novel in the series, Clown in a Cornfield (published in 2020) introduces readers to Quinn Maybrook, who moved from Philadelphia to Kettle Springs, MO with her father (a Doctor) after the death of her mother. Kettle Springs fits the trope of many such stories: that of a town seemingly passed by the future. A once booming industry/company was at the center or Kettle Springs – The Baypen Corn Syrup Factory, which recently closed and was burned down.

Before we meet Quinn; however, Cesare introduces some of the local Kettle Spring teens hanging out at a flooded rock quarry. As teenagers are won’t to do, they dare each other to do something dangerous and potentially stupid: dive into the water. When one of the kids doesn’t resurface, the tone of the novel (and series) is largely set: there will be deaths.

Quinn is barely settled into her new home and school when Frendo the Clown makes its appearance known. Quinn is invited by her newfound friend Cole Hill (whose father happens to own Baypen) and his friends Janet, Ronnie, Matt, and Tucker to join the Founder’s Day party (the typical small-town celebration) as well as the after-party in the neighboring cornfield. Frendo shows up at the after-party, uninvited, and starts killing people. Frendo was the mascot of the Baypen Corn Syrup company, but its face and appearance have been appropriated – much like the Ghostface from the Scream film franchise – so people could begin murdering the teenagers. Especially the “troublesome” kids. Classic slasher, kill the kids. But who? We don't exactly have a Billy Loomis figure here, but Cesare doesn't try to give a red herring in that way.

Horror has often been laced with social commentary and Cesare picks up that baton from his predecessors. The parents of this community are somewhat locked in their ways, they don’t have much trust in their kids and the kids who live in Kettle Springs. The death at the rock quarry only hones those thoughts even more. One might even say these parents want to make Kettle Springs great again. There’s very much an undercurrent of that “things were better when we were younger, these kids are ruining everything” mentality that can easily lead down a path of toxicity.

Some of those adults include Cole’s father Athur Hill, Sheriff Dunn, a waitress named Trudy, among others, but Arthur and Sheriff Dunn serve as the primary antagonists of the novel who drive the adults to take care of their kids’s mistakes. 

The first novel, then, has elements of the expected (but very much heightened) friction between two generations; slashers; and small town with dark secrets. Think one part Stand by Me, one part Footloose, and one part Scream.

Clown in a Cornfield is an impressive, compulsively addictive novel. Cesare manages to craft a story that has appeal to hardcore horror fans (like myself) as well as a story that is welcoming to readers not as into the genre. The book is published by Harper Teen and has that YA appeal with the youthful protagonists at odds with adult antagonists. For his efforts and the quality that is the outcome of those wonderful efforts, Adam Cesare received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel for Clown in a Cornfield. I haven’t read the other books on the finalist list from that year, but I can say I am not surprised in the least that Cesare won the award.

The second book, Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives, picks up about a year after the events of the first novel. Few have survived the onslaught of Frendo (or rather, Frendos), although Quinn is one of the survivors as are Cole and Rusty, who are now officially a couple. Quinn is at college in Philadelphia and thanks to a “documentary” called The Baypen Hoax nobody believes that what happened to Quinn and her friends is real. Even when she is attacked by another Frendo during a college party at the same time her father is attached by a Frendo back in Kettle Springs. Quinn is still at the center of the story in the second installment, the heart of everything.

Of course, Cole, Rusty, and Quinn return to Kettle Springs where they learn of conspiracies and an internet movement around Frendo, #FrendoLives, which gives us the subtitle of the second novel. There’s a good bit of social commentary in this book again, such as that internet movement and how many people think the events in Kettle Spring are a hoax. Not quite social commentary, but a statement, I suppose is making the primary romantic couple in the book a gay couple. More than anything, it is a normalization of the relationship and it is quite welcome.

In general, I think Cesare did a great job of weaving these kinds of messages into the story, making them essential elements to the story, but not browbeating the reader with any heavy-handedness. Frendo definitely lives, there’s an army of Frendos at one point in a harrowing, pulse-pounding scene. Nobody really escapes this second installment unscathed and by the end, Quinn is a mentally and emotionally scarred young woman with a list and a purpose. 

The finale, Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo, is a departure in some ways from the two novels that preceded it which is not a bad thing at all. Again, though, Quinn is a heart of the novel. She is on a mission to find the various people who donned Frendo masks and tried to storm Kettle Springs in Frendo Lives. Joining Quinn is a young man named Johnny as well as the ghost of the original Frendo masked killer, Arthur Hill although only Quinn can see Arthur. The two regularly converse which makes clear that Quinn is Dealing With Some Shit, understandably.

While Quinn is tackling her hitlist, the “dream” of Frendo is still alive back in Kettle Springs. By dream, I mean church (as the title implies), but what I really mean is a cult. Cesare gives us a great sightline into this church/religious movement through a couple of the young girls whose parents are swept up (in more than one way) in the Church. Another thing Quinn isn’t quite aware of is that somebody is pursuing her. Rather, she knows she’s a recognizable individual and just might be a fugitive, but she isn't fully aware a sinister organization is hunting her just as she’s hunting the members of the Frendo mob.

The Church of Frendo, much like its two predecessors is an addictive read; the pacing is frantic (in a good way) and Cesare continues to give his characters depth, they engender empathy, they are relatable, and they are interesting. A very satisfying conclusion to Quinn Maybrook’s story. Cesare has intimated he may have more stories set in this world, if so, sign me up for them!

Cesare has managed to give horror fans a fascinating and complex take on the “Final Girl” in Quinn Maybrook. You can see elements of Sidney Prescott (Scream) and Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Quinn is not going to be kept down, she’s going to take charge of her destiny. Quinn felt very real to me, I couldn't help but root for her throughout the saga. As I said earlier, Clown in a Cornfield is one of those great stories that has appeal to long time horror readers (of which I count myself) and people curious about the genre or somewhat unfamiliar.

As I was writing up this review, I realize how little I mentioned the fact that this is a YA set of books. I think part of that is because my experience reading these books is that Cesare just told a great story, labels be damned. The imprint is Harper Teen and Cesare explicitly aimed these books at young adults. Be that as it may, do NOT let that dissuade you or let you think these books are "soft" or "tame." That’s part of what I was getting at in that these books will and should have wide appeal horror readers of all ages. There's blood, there's murder, there's adult themes. The social commentary is woven naturally and elegantly into the story and it isn’t tacked on.  

The bottom line: Clown in a Cornfield is a modern horror masterpiece and I am looking forward to more stories from Adam Cesare. 

I am also looking forward to see the film, which is written and directed by Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Little Evil) which is in post-production as of this writing. It is listed on imdb, but I haven't seen too much official about it outside of this post at the venerable and indispensable Bloody Disgusting web site.

Dark Ink: A Day of Horror 2024 at the Doylestown Bookshop

Time to inject a little dark life into this blog… 

This past weekend (08/03/24), The Doylestown Bookshop held their first (of what many attendees and authors hope) was the first Dark Ink: A Day of Horror event, celebrating horror in its printed form. You can see from the promo image above, the event featured some of the leading voices in the horror genre. I’ve visited the Doylestown Bookshop a few times over the years, usually when Chuck Wendig is involved in the event (the release of Wayward in 2022 and before that, in the before-times when Chuck Wendig, Fran Wilde, and Kevin Hearne had an event celebrating the release of Kevin Hearne's Scourged. 

Back to the Dark Ink...

Although I have to cross the State Line dividing New Jersey and Pennsylvania, I’d consider the Doylestown bookshop is the closest, good independent bookshop that supports Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. As for Dark Ink, when I saw the line up of writers who would be featured, it was a no-brainer for me to make the 30-minute drive to attend. The first panel featured Adam Cesare (whose Clown in a Cornfield teen slasher trilogy is fantastic), Rachel Harrison (whose horror novels are modern classics, like Black Sheep and Such Sharp Teeth), and new-to-me writer Caitlin Marceau. Panel moderator Violet James McMaster did a great job leading the discussion. I hadn’t encountered Marceau’s fiction prior to that day, but hearing her on the panel pushed me to buy a copy of (what I think may have been the last copy) This is Where We Talk Things Out. It was great to briefly chat with these three writers as they were signing my books and I was able to confirm with Rachel Harrison that the amusement park mentioned in Black Sheep was indeed a certain Land up in North Jersey I visited many, many years ago as a child. 

The next panel was about Cover and Book Design and featured Andie Reid, the Creative Director at Quirk Books and Todd Keisling graphic designer and author in his own right, moderated by Marguerite/Peg Turley. This was a fascinating “look” into who at Quirk makes their books look so appealing. They have some of the smartest, and most eye-catching designs in the genre. I told Andie and Todd, when I had Todd sign my copy of Devil’s Creek that when my wife and I attend NY Comic Con every year, the Quirk Books booth is a must-visit because we each always find something we want to buy. I’d heard / seen really good things about Devil’s Creek including the fact that Sadie Hartmann features it in 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered, which is enough of an endorsement for me! 

Following that panel was a “Story Doctor” workshop with Clay McLeod Chapman and Chuck Wending, that I unfortunately wasn’t able to join. There was a sign-up online I missed and seating/participation was limited. I took a little break and strolled around lovely downtown Doylestown for a while and grabbed a beer. Soon enough, I returned for the panel featuring Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul Tremblay, and Chuck Wendig. Although I own the majority of Chuck Wending’s novels, most of Paul Tremblay’s horror novels, and most of Clay McLeod Chapman’s horror novels, hearing them talk about horror in person was a great opportunity. Collectively, these three writers have a very high “batting average” when it comes to delivering books that connect with me strongly. Chapman’s Ghost Eaters remains one of the most creepy novels I’ve read in maybe the last decade. Huge kudos again to Peg Turley for doing a fantastic job moderating this panel as well as the Quirk Books panel.

There was one more panel, which featured Nat Cassidy, Sarah Langan, Brian McAuley, again moderated by Vi James. I’d heard both Nat and Brian on a few podcasts over the years (including the required listens of Talking Scared and Books in the Freezer) so I felt compelled to purchase at least one of their books. I already have a couple of Langan’s books, too. As it turns out, Stephanie, the host of Books in the Freezer was in attendance so it was cool to meet her and Neil’s Talking Scared was a point of discussion by the writers and many of my fellow readers while we waited on line to get our books signed. Because I had something already on the schedule for the evening when I learned about the event, I didn't sit in on the last panel since I had something scheduled before I knew about this event, but because I had books by Cassidy and McAuley on my amazon wishlist, I figured I pick them up during the event.

There's a pretty decent chance one (or more) of the books I purchased (and pictured above) will be featured over at SFFWorld during our annual Hallowe'en Reads during the month of October this year (2024).

The folks at the Doylestown Bookshop (and Lahaska Bookshop) should be proud and happy with how this event turned out. There were a lot of readers, some fantastic conversations throughout the day, and many books bought!  The sentiment from the staff was that this could be just the first event of its kind. I for one, hope more of these book celebrations, especially featuring horror (or fantasy) will happen in the future. One of the big themes of the day is that Horror makes us Happy and that sentiment could be felt throughout the day, from the writers, staff, and fans/readers. 

Thanks to the staff of the store and the writers for making it such a wonderful day. 

The Completist: Richard Swan's EMPIRE OF THE WOLF

Just over a year later and here’s the second installment of my resurrected Completist series.* As a reminder, previous posts of: The Completist from the sadly closed SFSignal are still available via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

When a writer is able to publish a trilogy, on a book per year basis, readers, publishers, and the writer themselves is happy. Richard Swan did just that, in 2022 (The Justice of Kings), 2023 (The Tyranny of Faith), and 2024 (The Trials of Empire), through Orbit Books, he released the three-volume fantasy saga, Empire of the Wolf. An impressive accomplishment made even more impressive by the extremely high quality of the books themselves. 

Richard S. Swan has had some success self-publishing about a half-dozen science fiction novels. With The Justice of Kings, his fantasy debut from Orbit, Swan bursts onto the traditionally published scene and kicks off the Empire of the Wolf trilogy. The series is told from the first-person perspective of Helena Sedanka, the law clerk of Sir Konrad Vonvalt. Vonvalt is a King’s Justice of the Imperial Magistratum of the Sovan Empire, very much a knight in shining armor. Not unlike Watson relaying the events of Sherlock Holmes’s investigations, except that Vonvalt is not an independent investigator. He is the Emperor’s Voice, he is judge, jury, and executioner, when necessary. 

The novel, in the form of Helena’s notes, starts when Vonvalt is investigating a small town not practicing the religion of the empire, which might just be home of a witch. Konrad Vonvalt is Accompanying Vonvalt on this investigation is the aforementioned Helena (19 years old the time) and his “protector” Dubine Bressinger. At Vonvalt’s disposal are two powerful, magical/supernatural weapons. The first is the Emperor’s Voice, which compels those he interrogates to speak the truth to him. The other power is the necromantic ability to animate the dead, depending on how recently they’ve been killed and the state of their remains. Similar to the Emperor’s Voice, the dead are compelled to reveal the truth to Sir Konrad. After a short investigation in the hinterlands where a town is suspected of not conforming to the Empire’s religion, Vonvalt resolves the issue, though he gets some pushback from a rather zealous priest for compassionate towards the offenders leading to a conflict of wills. 

From there, the main mystery takes hold – the suspicious murder of a noblewoman. When Vonvalt, Helena, and Bressinger arrive and begin their investigations, they realize there is a deeper conspiracy afoot. It wasn’t a simple, random murder. Also under concern and somewhat connected to the murder is the daughter of the woman murdered was sent to a kloster prior to the events of the novel, but nothing has been heard from the girl since she entered the kloster. 

That’s the gut of the story – a murder mystery/conspiracy story. The world of the novel is at the precipice of a shift in power, and much of the conflict is between secular law and religious law. Those kinds of conflicting ideologies make for great story and Swan does a very good job of presenting this conflict through his characters. Vonvalt is looked upon as one of the highest of his order of Justices, he’s got a very strict definition of the law, he views the law as above everything else. But what makes Swan’s novel so enthralling is largely his voice as a writer, or at least how that voice comes through Helena’s reflective narration years after the events of the novel. I like that it was told from her “notes” rather than from any reflective remove of time through Vonvalt’s diaries. Utilizing this narrative structure allows for some foreshadowing and some very sharp hooks that will dig in at the end of some chapters that will keep you reading.

The magic and supernatural are present, but somewhat subtle. The power of the Emperor’s Voice is not employed very often, but the way in which other characters speak about this compulsion gives it even more weight in the story. The necromantic powers of speaking to the dead are conveyed with even greater awe, instilling even more fear into many of the characters.

Picking up shortly after the events of the previous novel, Helena and Konrad Vonvalt head to the capital of the Empire to investigate how deep the corruption they discovered in The Justice of Kings runs. Vonvalt has been away from the capital for years and so focused on his job as an investigator/inquisitor that he is a bit out of touch with the changes that have been happening, changes that don’t exactly sit well with him. The Magistratum (the body of power) is not as respected as they once were, their influence is not quite as strong and the enigmatic Patria Claver (the root of the Konrad’s problems) has spread his power widely and subtly.

But Vonvalt can’t focus on that, he is charged with retrieving the emperor’s kidnapped grandson, who is in a direct line for the throne. It doesn’t matter that Vonvalt (and most other characters) realize this kidnapping is a diversion. Even Vonvalt’s long-standing relationship with the Emperor can’t deter the Emperor from sending his most trusted knight to retrieve the heir.

Swan’s execution is very precise and measured. The building of the world, the fleshing out of the characters, the narrative drive, and the plotting all flow together from the pen and keyboard of a master. He constructed an extremely impressive foundation in The Justice of Kings and built on it admirably here in The Tyranny of Faith. What he accomplished is even more impressive considering how high the bar was. Helena was already a fantastically drawn character, but here she became more fleshed out. Konrad is still at a bit of a remove from Helena, but their relationship grows through some emotional turns.

Richard Swan’s mastery of the first-person narrative becomes even more evident in this novel. It doesn’t matter that we know at least Helena survives the events of this story, there is still a high amount of tension in the narrative, especially with the stingers like “but the good times wouldn’t last for long” at the end many chapters. It is a delicious sort of tension along the lines of the great Willy Wonka quote, “The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last.”

The somewhat subtle supernatural elements introduced in the first novel grew in prominence in this second novel in the trilogy. From the very beginning of the novel, and especially as Konrad and Helena arrive in the capital, a tingling sense of unease pervades the novel. Konrad’s health begins to deteriorate, the supernatural elements become more prominent and have an infectious affect on Helena. Part of that unease increases because of the necromantic powers Vonvalt – and all Emperor’s Justices can wield – enable him to cross the line of death, a dangerous enterprise.

The third and final volume in the trilogy, The Trials of Empire continues the story seamlessly from The Tyranny of Faith, with Konrad Vonvalt drastically powered down. He’s still got the Emperor’s Voice at his disposal, but from a stature standpoint, he is not what one would call “in good standing” with the empire. Despite this, he, Helena, the knight von Osterlen, and Sir Radomir are determined to put an end to Claver’s uprising. The problem is Claver’s influence has become very far ranging, to the point that Vonvalt is doubting his former allies, especially with Vonvalt being a wanted man.

The companions travel north towards the city of Seagurd, in the hope of finding the Emperor’s grandson. Unfortunately, the rumors of the city being destroyed are rather accurate. Claver’s power and influence are even wider than Vonvalt feared leading up to this point, he and what’s left of the Empire will not be able to defeat the arcane “priest” in its current state. He must find some allies who want to bring down Claver as much as Vonvalt does. This is no easy task because the Empire, and Vonvalt, has made enemies across the land.

The term “by any means necessary” is at the forefront of Vonvalt’s approach and this is quite distressing to Helena. She worries that Vonvalt will descend into the same kind of darkness that engulfed Claver. Vonvalt has already crossed some uncomfortable lines leading up to this point, lines that helped to define him. Vonvalt sees that the ends justifies the means, that any dark deeds he performs will pale in comparison to the world of darkness Claver seeks to unleash.

The demonic and otherworldly forces come more to the stage as the trilogy leads to its conclusion. The demons pulling Claver’s strings are more prominent and Helena’s ties to the god(?) Demon(?) Aegraxes (the character depicted on the cover of The Trials of Empire) become more defined. Aegraxes haunts Helena’s dreams, he may be pushing her towards something, but it may not be as bad as she fears.

While Vonvalt and Helena have their inner struggles, and struggles with each other, the fate of the Empire is hanging in the balance. Whether the Empire survives, is destroyed, or evolves into something else is not certain. This is one of the things Volvalt struggles with the most, for as he’s had to shift his morality – do evil deeds so a greater more imposing evil doesn’t succeed – he has had to examine the Empire that formed him. It is a very interesting concept to tackle, is the Empire we are trying to save worth saving? Has the world changed to the point that something different is better for the world and the people? Swan does not shy from any of these kinds of heavy topics throughout the series and especially here as the saga draws to a conclusion.

The Empire of the Wolf is a magnificent fantasy trilogy. Swan shows great skill in his characterization and how those characters deal with morally complex and philosophical challenges presented throughout the series. Epic Fantasy often flirts with horrific elements, after all, many of these tales demons or demonic entities are major threats or the actual Big Bad/Final Boss. As a reader who thoroughly enjoys horror, I really like when horror elements start to seep into Epic Fantasy and Swan deftly weaves those horrific and terrifying elements into his story. There are some eldritch powers at play in the magical powers in the world of this novel and Swan’s pace at easing those elements into the novel were superb.

Given that Helena was our narrator for the breadth of the series, it is no surprise she survived to the end of it. Swan brought the series to a fantastic conclusion, tying up the majority of the plot threads in a satisfactory and expert fashion. There’s definite potential for more stories to be told in this world and specifically featuring Helena, however changed it became from the first page. Helena is a marvelous narrator and character, I’d say her voice is as consistent and engaging as Fitzchivalry Farseer from Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings saga. Helena is utterly believable, she exudes empathy, and is magnetic in a way that made me as the reader drawn to her very powerfully. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t draw major attention to the wonderful design and art, by Lauren Panepinto and Martina Fačková respectively. Striking images that provide these three books with a gorgeous visual identity that perfectly match and complement Swan’s powerful and engaging storytelling between the covers.

Each book in the 500-page range and would make for a wonderful reading experience back-to-back-to-back.

Empire of the Wolf is a must-read of 21st Century Speculative Fiction. It is a series that upon completion I can look back and level no real faults at what Swan accomplished. I am eager to see where his words take us next. The series has been very successful: it has sold quite well and it is held in high regard by fans, reviewers, and published authors alike. In short, Empire of the Wolf is an instant classic.

Parts of this column appeared previously at SFFWorld in the form of my reviews of the first two books in the series: 

The Justice of Kings: https://www.sffworld.com/2023/07/the-justice-of-kings-by-richard-swan-empire-of-the-wolf-1/ 

The Tyranny of Empire: https://www.sffworld.com/2023/08/the-tyranny-of-faith-by-richard-swan-the-empire-of-the-wolf-2/

*having more job responsibilities (A GOOD THING, BTW) does get in the way of regular blogging

All images copyright Orbit Books and used with courtesy. The last tryptich was borrowed in good faith from Martina Fačková's website. Head over there to bask in the glory of her powerful, beautiful images.