tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90908892024-03-07T04:03:19.889-05:00Rob's Blog o' StuffRamblings on Fantasy, Horror, SF and assorted topics. Also, my dog.RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.comBlogger1318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-18380295011104680782024-01-01T21:05:00.001-05:002024-01-02T20:23:27.515-05:002023 Reading Year in Review<div style="text-align: justify;">Two years in a row with a Reading Year in Review, crazy right? Well, since I resurrected the blog earlier in the year, I’ve been much more consistent with posting my reading wrap-ups so of course that calls for a year in review, right? As I’ve done every year I've posted a Reading Year in Review, here are the previous years I’ve put up a reading year in review, <a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2023/01/2022-reading-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2022</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2022/01/2021-reading-year-in-review.html">2021</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2019/01/2018-reading-year-in-review.html">2018</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2016/01/reading-year-in-review-2015.html">2015</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2015/01/reading-year-in-review-2014.html">2014</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-reading-year-in-review.html">2013</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-reading-year-in-review.html">2012</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-reading-year-in-review.html">2011</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2011/01/2010-reading-year-in-review-and-dog.html">2010</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-reading-year-in-review.html">2009</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2009/01/robs-2008-reading-year-in-review.html">2008</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2008/01/2007-review-of-robs-readings.html">2007</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2006/12/out-with-old-and-blue-for-06-in-with.html">2006</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">As I've done every year for the past decade and a half, I've contributed to SFFWorld's Favorite of the Year lists: <b><a href=" ttps://www.sffworld.com/2023/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2023-part-1/" target="_blank">Fantasy</a></b>, <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2023-part-2/" target="_blank"><b>Horror</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2023-part-3/" target="_blank">Science Fiction</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2023-part-4/" target="_blank">Film/TV</a></b>. For those yearly recaps, Mark Yon and I focused only on 2023 releases. Here I will not limit the list to just 2023/current year releases because there are a lot of good books out there from previous years I haven’t read although most are from 2024. I'm still very actively reviewing for both <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/author/rob-b/" target="_blank"><b>SFFWorld</b></a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Two years in a row, Horror was the dominant genre for me, with Fantasy a fairly close second. Horror continues to be in a fantastic place within the genre, both in printed form and filmed. The breakdown/full statistics of the 93 books I read in 2023:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>41 2023/current year releases </li><li>53 can be considered Horror</li><li>44 can be considered Fantasy</li><li>9 can be considered Science Fiction</li><li>47 reviews posted to SFFWorld</li><ul></ul><li>28 books by authors new to me </li><li>47 Books by women</li><li>13 total debut</li><li>18 audiobooks</li><li>7 Book reviews posted here at the Blog o' Stuff</li><li>4 books I DNF'd</li></ul></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">How did I come up with this list? For years, I've been keeping track of the books I read in an Excel workbook and assign each book a rating between 1 and 10. All the books I’ve called out are books I’ve rated 9 (out of 10) or higher. For the purposes of this post, I've listed the books alphabetically by author last name, outside of the first book in this post which was the book I enjoyed the ost. If I've reviewed the book, the title will link to the review either here at the blog or over at SFFWorld with an excerpt of that review below the cover image. If I haven't given the book a full review, then I've provided a brief summary/reaction to the book.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, without further adieu, below are the books I enjoyed reading the most over the past year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/01/how-to-sell-a-haunted-house-by-grady-hendrix/" target="_blank">How to Sell a Haunted House</a></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> by Grady Hendrix </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(My Favorite Overall Novel Published in 2023 even though I read it in late 2022)</span></span><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58B9KlL-sUOTCH8t9Mu-ufKsVMnmLMPyjDngCvqStmurOxdGf_a2sOPt20ALt5PCMSOXd5TebRr54uUydLi5b46Tjbd47zEG66vXIwU2N31Tja-z53p3yZ0tK_WBfxx5GflplMusDnRwNcAb1gosNCiQRvk6P6DDsIC2VhlbldX3utA0LVJXX/s1160/th_b_hendrix_hauntedhouseUS-768x1160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58B9KlL-sUOTCH8t9Mu-ufKsVMnmLMPyjDngCvqStmurOxdGf_a2sOPt20ALt5PCMSOXd5TebRr54uUydLi5b46Tjbd47zEG66vXIwU2N31Tja-z53p3yZ0tK_WBfxx5GflplMusDnRwNcAb1gosNCiQRvk6P6DDsIC2VhlbldX3utA0LVJXX/w424-h640/th_b_hendrix_hauntedhouseUS-768x1160.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> Balancing out the creeps is another thing that Hendrix has excelled at portraying in his previous novels: relationships, family or close friends (who might as well be family). Family is an important part of this novel, not just the siblings, but the extended family who reside in and near Charleston, SC. Louise and Mark’s aunts and cousins who are wonderfully drawn supporting characters help to provide some humor and idiosyncrasies that help to make the family unique. Family is who helps us through grief and a lot of this novel is about grief, too. Frankly, many haunted house stories have grief as a major theme and component, and Hendrix’s very human and empathetic characters navigate this complicated human emotion with plausibility…if you factor in creepy haunted puppets into the mix</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Grady Hendrix has become must read for me, he’s grown into a modern master of the genre and each new book he publishes shows his growth as a storyteller in everything that word encompasses. He’s a smart, savvy writer who spins emotional stories featuring very human people and themes with the best of them.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/02/the-sapphire-altar-by-david-dalglish-vagrant-gods-2/" target="_blank"><i>The Vagrant Gods</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by David Dalglish <br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS-CPsZn0uL5LOe9k0Si8u1ZxIgSqHFZTskaDuHEQFy7__ollUa3k1H1zRkUYtDYfN1KiZnVwyeuFCaSviIemmuyieA15bBWmc3FJzRCWqYJfQDv6lMus1MaOIsIiND9DJ25BT8ZQO9d4iNfIvcSip7uUbO2GDKToawTOLysbRa6w4uL0xyzi/s1184/th_b_dalglish_sapphirealtar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS-CPsZn0uL5LOe9k0Si8u1ZxIgSqHFZTskaDuHEQFy7__ollUa3k1H1zRkUYtDYfN1KiZnVwyeuFCaSviIemmuyieA15bBWmc3FJzRCWqYJfQDv6lMus1MaOIsIiND9DJ25BT8ZQO9d4iNfIvcSip7uUbO2GDKToawTOLysbRa6w4uL0xyzi/w416-h640/th_b_dalglish_sapphirealtar.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I was incredibly impressed with my first experience reading a novel by David Dalglish, which happened to be the first book in this series so I was very excited to dive into book 2. That excitement was warranted. </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></blockquote><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Sapphire Altar</i> picks up shortly after the conclusion of <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/the-bladed-faith-by-david-dalglish-vagrant-gods-1/" target="_blank">The Bladed Faith</a></i> with The Vagrant (a.k.a. Prince Cyrus) questioning the rebellion, his place in it, and the man pulling the strings of the rebellion. But Cyrus knows the Empire must be taken down, regardless of his misgivings because the fist of the Everlorn Empire is clenching harder on Thanet. Violent executions of disbelievers are the norm while they try to capture the Vagrant.</div></span>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></blockquote><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">What impresses me the most about the characters is that none of them seem short-changed. They all feel incredibly well-wrought to the point that I wouldn’t be surprised if Dalglish has a notebook on each of them with details that we as the readers will never see and that the characters most definitely have lived.</div></span>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></blockquote><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">In <i>The Sapphire Altar</i>, Dalglish has managed to craft a second book of a series that improves upon the original in layers of world-depth, character building, and stakes. It doesn’t merely tread water waiting for the next volume of the trilogy. I’d call this more of the Second Chapter of the Vagrant Gods series than anything else.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>
<div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-review-reformatory-by-tananarive.html" target="_blank"><i>The Reformatory</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by Tananarive Due <br /></span></span></b><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTGqnt1gows88KtA7Rm1UY3lq5vTBFCcFy7lb6Qu3egOG7NnTFahI42Qic2MHRloc6trhNaiFUnbDpTQEFq65F8O49BFDIwZ3E90GajyiUHe9WD8S-ojxSMt5flRglFYgOpfh4da4OdP1G2yfWDD70NngCZ40_Zl1mFE3UYQ112MJ4iISwhtc/s900/due_the-reformatory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTGqnt1gows88KtA7Rm1UY3lq5vTBFCcFy7lb6Qu3egOG7NnTFahI42Qic2MHRloc6trhNaiFUnbDpTQEFq65F8O49BFDIwZ3E90GajyiUHe9WD8S-ojxSMt5flRglFYgOpfh4da4OdP1G2yfWDD70NngCZ40_Zl1mFE3UYQ112MJ4iISwhtc/w424-h640/due_the-reformatory.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> When Robbie's white neighbor Lyle McCormack, the son of a fairly influential man in Gracetown, makes advances on Robert’s sister, Robert steps into the situation. There’s a minor physical altercation between Robert and Lyle. As a result, Robert is beaten by Lyle’s father, handcuffed, and shipped off to the Gracetown School for Boys. As it turns out, Gracetown is a recurring town in Due's fiction and if anything screamed the opposite of what its name implied, it is this “home for boys.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Due has a very personal connection to the history that informs the backdrop of the novel. Without knowing that, the novel feels intimate and personal. Knowing the connection only hammers home that part even more. Her prose and storytelling is gut-wrenching, addictive, and powerful.
None of this would work nearly as well if Tananarive Due wasn't a marvelous writer and storyteller. She pulled me into the story immediately, I felt empathy for young Robert and Gloria and felt their anger, pain, and frustration. Her skill at portraying youthful protagonists dealing with adult horrors is powerful, engaging, and enthralling. This is the kind of book that entertains and enlightens. It is simply transcendent.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/08/just-like-home-by-sarah-gailey/" target="_blank"><i>Just Like Home</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by Sarah Gailey <br /><span style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Kidgb8e_pA5qYVCfX73oHC8S3JjTaVV6-jE3bgCgoz9VX5dXQz0p_nUTRIJc8t_NP8L3tiEO1a31gmPYoLri1qqkb1li1bI0Lj0y_rIRowTd_uRcnKo2tfE8g1l-igJ0v5g0GldiCmZ7fuQcbPAD166xGT3Ug73QVui5_P2k2N11cXGHtmU8/s2560/th_b_gailey_justlikehome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1694" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Kidgb8e_pA5qYVCfX73oHC8S3JjTaVV6-jE3bgCgoz9VX5dXQz0p_nUTRIJc8t_NP8L3tiEO1a31gmPYoLri1qqkb1li1bI0Lj0y_rIRowTd_uRcnKo2tfE8g1l-igJ0v5g0GldiCmZ7fuQcbPAD166xGT3Ug73QVui5_P2k2N11cXGHtmU8/w424-h640/th_b_gailey_justlikehome.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="text-align: justify;">The novel is told from Vera’s perspective, but in a unique and fascinating way. We get the “current” timeline of the novel with Vera returning home in the past tense, but when we focus on a pre-teen / teenaged Vera, it is told in the present tense. We only get her perspective, either way. Her wariness in the present about her mother, or Daphne as she’s been calling her mother since she was thirteen becomes understandable the more the past chapters reveal about their lives together. Vera’s whiplash of emotions from being protected and adored by her father to only be verbally and psychologically abused by her mother is raw, it felt real, and I felt a great deal of sympathy for Vera.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>In the present, Vera is continually left unbalanced by her mother’s mood swings which can contradict the spiteful woman she knew growing up. The verbal confrontations with James only amplifies Vera’s sense of unease. To the point that she hears noises, thinks she sees shadows moving, and is convinced *something* is under her bed to the point she goes out and buys a new bed. The icing on the cake of these creepy and potentially supernatural moments are the folded pages she randomly finds that are written in her father’s handwriting. There are more creepy/supernatural elements, I’ll just leave it at that. The timing of the instances of these creepy scenes is expertly doled out by Gailey. She’s got a wonderful sense of pace in the novel. That incredible pacing is also on full display in how Gailey reveals Vera’s past and how she grew closer to her father.</p></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p> </p></div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/09/black-sheep-by-rachel-harrison/" target="_blank"><i>Black Sheep</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by Rachel Harrison <br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53CkG9dVtdK61vln9S_xnuh45KIx1LlzZ3fj9kXd2Ce2swpGsCFTfFY4C1dqK1TgrgJTGbJqVZdngfxANbipD5afOFdn4Np9xLBwcEPiVrGteEwJnML_Jz8-sR7SJC4WXWnpChwKN7hbCo2vBenSLsMnJ2H4UnkIHUYmfIa__4OA4mI58BTY2/s1000/th_b_Harrison_BlackSheep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53CkG9dVtdK61vln9S_xnuh45KIx1LlzZ3fj9kXd2Ce2swpGsCFTfFY4C1dqK1TgrgJTGbJqVZdngfxANbipD5afOFdn4Np9xLBwcEPiVrGteEwJnML_Jz8-sR7SJC4WXWnpChwKN7hbCo2vBenSLsMnJ2H4UnkIHUYmfIa__4OA4mI58BTY2/w424-h640/th_b_Harrison_BlackSheep.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Harrison has proven to be very incisive with her ability to marry horror tropes with societal challenges like werewolves and sisterly love/competition in Such Sharp Teeth, friendship (ranging from true friendship bonds and toxic friendship) and supernatural/demonic possession. Here, Harrison takes her writerly scalpel to cultish religions and familial relationships. There’s a point, about 1/3 into the novel that is one of those “kick wham” moments that is best enjoyed without knowing it, and even that is too much of a spoiler. I’ll just say that I had to re-read it a couple of times.</div><p>Within the novel’s pages is a powerful examination of family, truth, what it feels like to be an outsider everywhere, and betrayal. Rachel Harrison sets these important themes against the backdrop of dark, engaging, and delightfully sinister cult novel.
Another great Rachel Harrison novel that continues to establish her as one of the preeminent voices in modern horror..</p><div><p> </p><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-101-horror-books-to-read-before-youre-murdered-by-sadie-mother-horror-hartmann/" target="_blank"><i>101 Horror Books to Read You're Murdered</i></a><span style="text-align: left;"> by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann<br /></span></span></b></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oDpa8sgNF884QI6nr7sapwR32S8iGAJIIvq1jp_jjJz55eL84y1lEkTzy1FZ3Jen1AN4hzxb9gxofvbzP-1ePhnWYFm6aM_otyNYIdd4woYyEWga76VSW-Hm_g8lLp4tlOk3pTRP0uF9UrRMG9Rf3HDIV0Q-t82DEgOkOHN5Q-tGIwcrTT4s/s1000/th_b_hartmann_101Books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oDpa8sgNF884QI6nr7sapwR32S8iGAJIIvq1jp_jjJz55eL84y1lEkTzy1FZ3Jen1AN4hzxb9gxofvbzP-1ePhnWYFm6aM_otyNYIdd4woYyEWga76VSW-Hm_g8lLp4tlOk3pTRP0uF9UrRMG9Rf3HDIV0Q-t82DEgOkOHN5Q-tGIwcrTT4s/w498-h640/th_b_hartmann_101Books.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br /></span></b></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> What Sadie has done with <i>101 Books... </i>and its focus on books published (mostly) between 2000 and 2023 is serve up a perfect modern companion to Hendrix’s Bram Stoker Award winning book. Just like Hendrix’s Paperbacks from Hell, Sadie Hartmann’s love letter to modern horror should be honored with the Bram Stoker Award for Non-Fiction. … <i>101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered</i> is a definitive look at horror fiction in the early 21st Century by a smart and engaging voice who has her finger on the pulse of the genre. … If I haven’t made it clear by this point, this is a MUST-OWN book for any horror fan and a great book for anybody with a passing interest in the genre.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/06/nights-edge-by-liz-kerin/" target="_blank">Night’s Edge</a></i> by Liz Kerin</span></b></div> (My Top 2023 Debut)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKsPFBbHhBcTcFAM6uhsRJPDiHShLbaqtRNtCbkVa_GfuI4VQ69s8le5T_BOl9kbpjICcytovBgxjR14FmJf-qymicFEjv7yWyzUBX0hzbsAmezyMovlTuXCjN_2yyBxsEx1_ae5fjml-o23BMy_o1zDGYJy8YlqsqDUG3WUp-jhbK_5IeVS9/s1000/th_b_kerin_nightsedge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="655" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKsPFBbHhBcTcFAM6uhsRJPDiHShLbaqtRNtCbkVa_GfuI4VQ69s8le5T_BOl9kbpjICcytovBgxjR14FmJf-qymicFEjv7yWyzUBX0hzbsAmezyMovlTuXCjN_2yyBxsEx1_ae5fjml-o23BMy_o1zDGYJy8YlqsqDUG3WUp-jhbK_5IeVS9/w420-h640/th_b_kerin_nightsedge.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Damn, is this a potent novel. Kerin painfully depicts the co-dependent bordering on parasitic relationship dynamic in Night’s Edge. I’ve had family members who found themselves in a familial caregiver type of relationship and damage and negativity can grow over the years… even when the caregiver and caretaker love each other like family. I was at a remove from that relationship, but other members of my family with whom I was close heard a lot of that negativity. The relationship between Mia and Izzy is ratcheted up a couple of levels, after all, Izzy is literally taking her daughter’s blood as sustenance. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can’t recall if Kerin actually used the word “vampire” in the novel and in that regard, I found a parallel to Mike Flanagan’s masterpiece, <b>Midnight Mass</b>. While <i>Night’s Edge</i> is a bit more intimate and personal, the effect is similar. I was also reminded of another vampire (and zombie) masterpiece, Richard Matheson’s <i>I Am Legend</i> in the way the vamprisim is more of a plague/disease and how it halts civilization.</div></div><p><b style="font-size: large;"><i>The Plot</i> by Jean Hanff Korelitz</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga49i8VOALvWSeqz9XfU26hEC12eERLwH4FnfZu5a6gCft5Iy6zSZVBiyOwz4mafmAKScILQX9ZUYLRfUqO5Ycy9ai9DtA3zRMmNWuh3S1vNhfoTNgufYePH5E1-wZxB6fECfSA6ctPHLHjgBys5bqP6SJNNLp2965VTabw0VyJAX0wIcBIqYm/s1000/Korelizt_ThePlot..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="652" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga49i8VOALvWSeqz9XfU26hEC12eERLwH4FnfZu5a6gCft5Iy6zSZVBiyOwz4mafmAKScILQX9ZUYLRfUqO5Ycy9ai9DtA3zRMmNWuh3S1vNhfoTNgufYePH5E1-wZxB6fECfSA6ctPHLHjgBys5bqP6SJNNLp2965VTabw0VyJAX0wIcBIqYm/w418-h640/Korelizt_ThePlot..jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Plot</i> was one of the rare non-genre books I read in 2023. My wife read it and recommended it to me and I loved it. The story concerns a promising young writer, Jacob Finch Bonner, who manages to publish a bestselling novel, but struggles to find his next book. He is teaching an MFA program when Bonner encounters a very strange student whose story is so unique and different, it sticks in the professor’s mind. The student dies under mysterious circumstances, but the story he told Bonner won’t leave him…so he decides to publish it. The novel is a fascinating and taut thriller, a mediation on authorial voice, authenticity, truth in fiction, and the inner fears many writers experience. I still question things about it months later after breezing through the 320 pages in just two days.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/09/be-sure-wayward-children-omnibus-1-by-seanan-mcguire/">Be Sure (Wayward Children Omnibus #1)</a></i> by Seanan McGuire</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisKmdAIEZT_Iryu56rcFNAHu2b5rlqJVdI6wDJuWJgrhDcRVT6MZbfDUv1cq4AE6No24tsKVU5R2Zlf9lUwajzLQ7ju0_g9LvefOBQ3HDatbTOchcuojfhj0cFo3T0M3BxXQFS8DfwKHw7Irjx_m7fR3MhUe8mq7vVRyNbth3OL0wXGuhgsqK/s1381/th_b_mcguire_besure.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisKmdAIEZT_Iryu56rcFNAHu2b5rlqJVdI6wDJuWJgrhDcRVT6MZbfDUv1cq4AE6No24tsKVU5R2Zlf9lUwajzLQ7ju0_g9LvefOBQ3HDatbTOchcuojfhj0cFo3T0M3BxXQFS8DfwKHw7Irjx_m7fR3MhUe8mq7vVRyNbth3OL0wXGuhgsqK/w418-h640/th_b_mcguire_besure.jpg" width="418" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoListParagraph"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> <b>BE SURE</b> collects the first three, <i>Every Heart a Doorway</i>, <i>Down Among the Sticks and Bones</i>, and <i>Beneath the Sugar Sky</i>. … Seanan McGuire has done it again. She’s hooked me on yet another of her long running series. I’m about a dozen books into her <b>October Daye</b> series, just started her <b>Incryptid</b> series, and loved the <b>Newslfesh</b> saga under her Mira Grant pseudonym. As fun as those series and books are and were, <b>Wayward Children</b> feels like it may be her may be her defining work. It is enthralling, tackles some really important themes (not that she doesn’t in all of her work), and has some of the most endearing characters in her many works. This is a series that will stand the test of time and <b>BE SURE</b> has more than earned a spot on the shelf of my personal Omnibus Hall of Fame.
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-the-september-house-by-carissa-orlando/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The September House</span></b></a></i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> by Carissa Orlando</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35tgz6kxXjCcrdcYiJoq8YW4p1nJvR6PYMqSXd5ot4QHt0ojM0s5joYpmWGhwFM-hMaf9k-j_pZV_eSCvjxFDpbxBrhAyU81PWdBTiXtsRPDeUEkXQzC3mJvwDwe4OBE91110aABq-ON1AJFAJVPjFScdvKEG9xpIQDkN4sdSbiow7MDlfUoG/s1500/th_b_Orlando_SeptemberHouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="993" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35tgz6kxXjCcrdcYiJoq8YW4p1nJvR6PYMqSXd5ot4QHt0ojM0s5joYpmWGhwFM-hMaf9k-j_pZV_eSCvjxFDpbxBrhAyU81PWdBTiXtsRPDeUEkXQzC3mJvwDwe4OBE91110aABq-ON1AJFAJVPjFScdvKEG9xpIQDkN4sdSbiow7MDlfUoG/w424-h640/th_b_Orlando_SeptemberHouse.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">...this story isn’t about somebody trying to escape their haunted house, our protagonist Margaret has embraced her haunted house. It was the dream house she and her husband Hal purchased and she is not giving it up. … Of course, haunted house stories are always about more than just a dwelling being haunted. Margaret is the narrator of the story and Orlando all but begs the reader to question how reliable of a narrator she is. We know from her conversations with her daughter, Margaret is not sharing very much information. Margaret is haunted and the pacing at which Orlando reveals Margaret’s past is handled with measured precision. Details about her marriage to Hal come to light, which helps to give reason for Margaret’s actions.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/07/the-justice-of-kings-by-richard-swan-empire-of-the-wolf-1/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Justice of Kings</span></b></a></i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> and <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/08/the-tyranny-of-faith-by-richard-swan-the-empire-of-the-wolf-2/" target="_blank">The Tyranny of Faith</a> <span style="text-align: left;">(The first two books of </span><span style="text-align: left;">The Empire of the Wolf</span><span style="text-align: left;">) by Richard Swan</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgy0kd8aC_gEFRkUYaUUJveqPEs1_L1eUKhkuAA56z_VNXd_XQ49OB1ii3DHMPHxDDp2RrRXuWv_4GLomrD5bovHAUtTc5xhOk4LdqiZAL6_PSRaGhr09z8EAC3CTw3-Yyxp-TmO_f2od68SCwEY_AJLeRUNdG7aFNKXY1V3TDDALpmVtaMN9/s2880/20231229_201656.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgy0kd8aC_gEFRkUYaUUJveqPEs1_L1eUKhkuAA56z_VNXd_XQ49OB1ii3DHMPHxDDp2RrRXuWv_4GLomrD5bovHAUtTc5xhOk4LdqiZAL6_PSRaGhr09z8EAC3CTw3-Yyxp-TmO_f2od68SCwEY_AJLeRUNdG7aFNKXY1V3TDDALpmVtaMN9/w640-h640/20231229_201656.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: justify;">Two books for one slot, largely because I read them sort of back-to-back and they are part of the same story. With <i>The Justice of Kings</i>, his fantasy debut from Orbit, Swan bursts onto the traditionally published scene and kicks off the <b>Empire of Wolf</b> trilogy. The novel is told from the first person perspective of Helena Sedanka, the law clerk of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, a King’s Justice of the Imperial Magistratum of the Sovan Empire. 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 gut of the story is 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. … Swan’s novel is one of the best series starters and fantasy debuts I’ve read the past decade. He has absolutely captured a “voice” in this tale. … Swan picks up the tale of Konrad and Helena in <i>The Tyranny of Faith</i>. 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 <i>The Justice of Kings</i> runs. … The somewhat subtle supernatural elements introduced in the first novel grew in prominence in this second novel in the trilogy. I am immensely impressed with Richard Swan’s <b>Empire of Wolf</b> trilogy thus far. He has set the story up for a thrilling, heart-rending, dark, and tension-filled finale and I cannot wait to read it. </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/08/camp-damascus-by-chuck-tingle/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Camp Damascus</i></span></b></a> by Chuck Tingle </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wWtlfakBNqEwp8w_eDMT8CWvhQU5ynnq1hql3NpD4Jbs5gnujr-2c0gcfcnoqyEty_30R64QCmK0Y5hs9ENOWErK3SxKVmSnVErVIfdAOE-18ZlWrboV2li8A5REyByLlK4-Xe6yd2zj2nujc8H67sv3MjTT1N-KSPu_6yp3I3hORVlG2Mce/s1391/th_b_Tingle_CampDamascus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wWtlfakBNqEwp8w_eDMT8CWvhQU5ynnq1hql3NpD4Jbs5gnujr-2c0gcfcnoqyEty_30R64QCmK0Y5hs9ENOWErK3SxKVmSnVErVIfdAOE-18ZlWrboV2li8A5REyByLlK4-Xe6yd2zj2nujc8H67sv3MjTT1N-KSPu_6yp3I3hORVlG2Mce/w414-h640/th_b_Tingle_CampDamascus.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Yes, there are quite a few Messages in
<i>Camp Damascus</i>, neurodivergent people matter and can strive; let people be who they are and love how and who they love; trying to squeeze everybody into a myopic worldview and narrow vision of love is evil. But this book wouldn’t work if it didn’t tell a damned good story. I’ve pointed out the incredible character of Rose, there are true moments of horror and terror, some great horror images evoked in the pages. It works as a gripping horror novel as much as it has a message. It is a thrilling story and it is the kind of story that just may help people suffering in some of the same ways as Rose is suffering.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Black River Orchard</i> by Chuck Wendig</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_lD6cXXMKws9jDgIZ6Sf73G1abmwbPx9u6Xkbb_FKTi3VD3mG4j5YDCrKIZqkjHSf42UT-HDBHxKdffXyFhyphenhyphenR70LE6KPuFPGHjAj9eM3H8vrgiHVCeEyP7zJc3o49b3gSPhT6aWZDpscTvDh_qK3GGtcJINVakTO-Q90o3B27GEN8l1Lq8MP/s1000/Wendig_BlackRiverOrchard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="658" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_lD6cXXMKws9jDgIZ6Sf73G1abmwbPx9u6Xkbb_FKTi3VD3mG4j5YDCrKIZqkjHSf42UT-HDBHxKdffXyFhyphenhyphenR70LE6KPuFPGHjAj9eM3H8vrgiHVCeEyP7zJc3o49b3gSPhT6aWZDpscTvDh_qK3GGtcJINVakTO-Q90o3B27GEN8l1Lq8MP/w422-h640/Wendig_BlackRiverOrchard.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"> It has become predictable at this point for me to include a Chuck Wending novel in my favorite/best-of-the-year post. Blame him, not me. Evil apples, that’s the core (pun intended) of the MacGuffin in this novel. A strange, delicious apple variety that is addictive and drives people to some of their darker instincts. In this character-driven novel, the town of Harrow, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania town becomes obsessed with a new strand of apple. (I'm a short drive over the river from Bucks County so it was kind of fun to hear some locales I'm familiar with being referenced in the book.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A down-on-his luck famer named Dan Paxson comes across this strain of apples after a chance encounter with a mysterious individual. When he brings the fruits to the local farmer's market, he realizes he's got something special. These apples, named "Ruby Slipper" by Dan's daughter Calla, makes people feel good, allows them to give into some of their more base desires. As it turns out, Calla does not like apples, much to her father's chagrin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chuck also focuses on a couple named Emily and Meg, who move back to the countryside of Pennsylvania to Meg's hometown after life in the big city didn't quite work out for them. As Meg eats more of the apples, the dark side of their relationship becomes more evident to Emily, who also does not like apples. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's also an "apple hunter" named John who seeks out lost strands of apples and he knows a little bit about the apple known as "Ruby Slipper" though under a different name. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Small town drama and pettiness play out on a grand scale, all because that most American of fruits, the apple. Granted, all those unsavory elements were lurking beneath the surface (and right on the surface for some), but the Ruby Slippers enhance, exaggerate, and highlight those unsavory aspects to an even more uncomfortable degree. Wending naturally weaves in themes of gaslighting, bullying, the growing facist sect in America (and how it is impacting Bucks County, PA in real life), queer representation, sexual freedom, parenthood, just to name a handful. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With every book he publishes, Chuck Wending grows his resume as a modern master of horror and dark fiction and is a must buy and read for me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/03/the-foxglove-king-by-hannah-whitten-the-nightshade-crown-1/" target="_blank">The Foxglove King</a></i> (The Nightshade Crown#1) by Hannah Whitten</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-Wyd9PGoTJMkcQ5yBUivjtpKKdiLEQnocRRKF81PSmRfifppmgxvpgngp_KRB0IJgfv4FJOpCQiW7hu8jKz9YUYUUhuVkTOu2N5DwGyY_4pUf-ZyrmATq14LrQbLpMe3B1JCrllXSmuB2VeuV4QrCJh87aWDM80lcZXPxN0Zn0E34c8_0BWp/s1280/th_b_whitten_foxgloveking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="833" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-Wyd9PGoTJMkcQ5yBUivjtpKKdiLEQnocRRKF81PSmRfifppmgxvpgngp_KRB0IJgfv4FJOpCQiW7hu8jKz9YUYUUhuVkTOu2N5DwGyY_4pUf-ZyrmATq14LrQbLpMe3B1JCrllXSmuB2VeuV4QrCJh87aWDM80lcZXPxN0Zn0E34c8_0BWp/w416-h640/th_b_whitten_foxgloveking.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>The Foxglove King</i> covers a lot of bases, there are political elements; faith & belief; trust; Whitten touches on parental abandonment issues on a couple of potent levels; there’s a romance triangle between Lore, Gabriel, and Bastian; the plot follows something of a mystery thread, it has the feel of a city fantasy and almost urban fantasy even though set in a secondary world. She pulls these elements together masterfully for a unique story. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The milieu in which the story takes place has enough details as well, there’s a mythology/religion that provides a strong foundation, but also seems to have more details yet to be revealed. I found a pleasant resonance between the world Whitten has created in <i>The Foxglove King </i>with the world Tad Williams revealed in <i>The War of the Flowers</i> as well the world of <b>League of Legends </b>as revealed in the Netflix show <b>Arcana </b>and the novel <i>Ruination </i>by Anthony Reynolds.… </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was enthralled with this novel from beginning to end, Whitten’s characters came alive as real people with emotions, snark, and annoyances that real people posses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Honorable mentions: <i>Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives </i>by Adam Cesare, <i>Bloom </i>by Delilah S. Dawson, <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/05/engines-of-chaos-by-rsford/" target="_blank"><i>Engines of Chaos</i> (<b>The Age of Uprising</b> #2)</a> by R.S. Ford, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/07/nightborn-coldfire-rising-by-c-s-friedman/" target="_blank">Nightborn: Coldfire Rising</a> </i>by C.S. Friedman, <i>All Hallows</i> by Christopher Golden, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-starling-house-by-alix-e-harrow/" target="_blank">Starling House</a> </i>by Alix E. Harrow, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/11/good-girls-dont-die-by-christina-henry/" target="_blank">Good Girls Don't Die</a> </i>by Christina Henry, <b>The Gwendy Trilogy </b>by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, <a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2023/03/book-review-son-of-poison-rose-by.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Son of the Poison Rose</a> by Jonathan Maberry, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/05/the-bloody-chorus-john-marco/" target="_blank">The Bloody Chorus</a></i> by John Marco, <i>The Mary Shelly Club </i>by Goldy Moldavsky, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/06/the-endless-vessel-by-charles-soule/" target="_blank">The Endless Vessel</a></i> by Charles Soule, and <i>White Horse</i> by Erika T. Wurth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u> </u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That brings my 2023 read wrap-up/review to a close. Hopefully, 2024 will bring just as much quality fiction into our lives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfo_k7MjHjUvTGbIj6nbwrz36fDm_WNa53LlaStmLrNNrJEe3Cvgj4Q_prgY7J9zQANXG7VDEaRfR9phZtBNoP1G60DaBq8H1z1RpD4mXX5fw3yNzHm5W89acNUjE7Usn6EtroVnKZ1ALvJAIz88rWJvKBkVeiBzvV4LBMmqET8mf6JHVrCx4/s2880/20231229_210657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfo_k7MjHjUvTGbIj6nbwrz36fDm_WNa53LlaStmLrNNrJEe3Cvgj4Q_prgY7J9zQANXG7VDEaRfR9phZtBNoP1G60DaBq8H1z1RpD4mXX5fw3yNzHm5W89acNUjE7Usn6EtroVnKZ1ALvJAIz88rWJvKBkVeiBzvV4LBMmqET8mf6JHVrCx4/w640-h640/20231229_210657.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
</div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-31083212287246825412023-11-29T08:00:00.138-05:002023-11-29T08:00:00.138-05:00Book Review: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><u style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAohuff5KDqLVlpM5RyNbLFuzGSacNk2lSk92NZy0yiywgw1ARY5blptyEYMb5cGDLO9zDiWXAo6-bKVtpPKXEOL2hhLNZivOAb8DoUZhoOyXUgOd8QXfBo5P25L7YEFObS5q5XQYkYRhLa2WoYRZNWSmM9YIZuRwIhyphenhyphen3QDc1SrOOMCpnliqQt/s2111/Due_Reformatory.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2111" data-original-width="2111" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAohuff5KDqLVlpM5RyNbLFuzGSacNk2lSk92NZy0yiywgw1ARY5blptyEYMb5cGDLO9zDiWXAo6-bKVtpPKXEOL2hhLNZivOAb8DoUZhoOyXUgOd8QXfBo5P25L7YEFObS5q5XQYkYRhLa2WoYRZNWSmM9YIZuRwIhyphenhyphen3QDc1SrOOMCpnliqQt/w400-h400/Due_Reformatory.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Title</u><u>:</u> <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Reformatory/Tananarive-Due/9781982188344" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><i>The Reformatory</i></a></div></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://www.tananarivedue.com/">Tananarive Due</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://sagapress.com/">Saga Press</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 576 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: October 2023<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Tananarive Due is one of the Important Voices in horror literature, her work has been nominated for many awards, she’s won the American Book Award (<i>The Living Blood</i>), she teaches Black Horror at UCLA, has been a expert “talking head” on multiple horror documentaries (<i><a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2023/04/in-search-of-darkness-1980s-horror.html" target="_blank">In Search of Darkness</a></i>, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_Noire:_A_History_of_Black_Horror" target="_blank">Horror Noire</a></i>) and no less a horror Icon than <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenking/status/1722421552044441977" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> is an advocate for her work. In a genre that is largely white and male, Due is a bright light as a Black Woman writer who spins a damn good story and often with Something to Say. I’ve read about a half-dozen of her novels at this point in time. I consider her novel <i>The Good House</i> a modern Haunted House masterpiece. Her <b>African Immortals </b>series (<i>My Soul to Keep</i>, <i>The Living Blood</i>) is a powerful dark fantasy saga. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I saw the book for sale at <a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2023/11/watch-this-space.html" target="_blank">New York Comic Con</a> a few days before the official on-sale date, I knew I had to have it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">With all of that said, <i>The Reformatory</i> will likely go down as her Magnum Opus, her defining work. Set in Florida in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws">Jim Crow</a> 1950s, the novel focuses on Robert Stephens, Jr., an African-American boy who is forced into a prison camp as a result of a minor scuffle with a white neighbor. The novel is a tale of racism (duh), family bonds, ghosts, the dead, and the dark underside of our country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">On to the story...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When Robbie's white neighbor Lyle McCormack, the son of a fairly influential man in Gracetown, makes advances on Robert’s sister, Robert steps into the situation. There’s a minor physical altercation between Robert and Lyle. As a result, Robert is beaten by Lyle’s father, handcuffed, and shipped off to the Gracetown School for Boys. As it turns out, Gracetown is a recurring town in Due's fiction and if anything screamed the opposite of what its name implied, it is this “home for boys.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was immediately put in the mind of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Talisman_(King_and_Straub_novel)" target="_blank">"Sunlight Gardner's Home for Wayward Boys" from Stephen King & Peter Straub's <i>The Talisman</i></a>. However; the Gracetown School is even more horrific because it is based on a place that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_School_for_Boys" target="_blank">actually existed</a> and history tells us horrible, racist, abusive behavior existed in places like this. At the school also known as "The Reformatory," racism and brutality are the norm. When Robert is taken into the School, during the drive up, he has a vision of pain and suffering, he sees fire, he feels the flames, and Robert hears the screams of death. It affects him profoundly and does not go unnoticed. What makes it all the more strange is that this fire occurred 25 years prior to the events of the novel. Robert has shown a proclivity for seeing ghosts. He is often visited by the ghost of his own mother.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">The Gracetown School for Boys is haunted not just by the looming hands of racism and violence, but actual ghosts, or “haints” as they are referred to in the novel. It is not a term I was familiar with before reading <i>The Reformatory</i> and I’ve read quite a lot of horror. Then again, I haven’t read enough horror written by non-white people. Be that as it may, haints are considered vengeful spirits, especially by the people in power at The Reformatory.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Robert is not only haunted by the ghosts at the School, his father’s past haunts him as well. Robert has to live in the shadow of his father (Robert Sr.) being a wanted man. Robert Sr. dared speak out about inequities in Gracetown, he was labeled a communist and his voice of "dissention" was looked down upon even more because he was black. Because Robert Sr. is nowhere to be seen and can’t be found near Gracetown by the local authorities, there’s a little bit of the sins of the father being paid for by the son.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">As hard and brutal as life is within the walls of The Reformatory, Robert makes friends and tries to be upbeat. He catches the eye the whipping master and Warden of the School, a man named Haddock. Robert’s affinity with seeing haints is something that makes him useful to the Warden, because Warden Haddoc does not like being haunted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">While Robert is the central figure of the novel, Due gives ample “page time” to his sister, Gloria. Gloria is a little bit older and has one single goal: get Robert out of the Reformatory. Her journey shines an equally powerful lens on the racism of the time (and frankly, it is sad to see how some of the ugliness is still alive today) and the inequities she faces even when simply trying to visit her brother or trying to have her voice heard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Due has a very personal connection to the history that informs the backdrop of the novel. Without knowing that, the novel feels intimate and personal. Knowing the connection only hammers home that part even more. Her prose and storytelling is gut-wrenching, addictive, and powerful.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">None of this would work nearly as well if Tananarive Due wasn't a marvelous writer and storyteller. She pulled me into the story immediately, I felt empathy for young Robert and Gloria and felt their anger, pain, and frustration. Her skill at portraying youthful protagonists dealing with adult horrors is powerful, engaging, and enthralling. This is the kind of book that entertains and enlightens. It is simply transcendent. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Reformatory</i> is a landmark work, a powerful coming-of-age horror novel that is a beautiful and harrowing tale. I will be shocked if <i>The Reformatory</i> is not at least short-listed for multiple awards for books published in 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly, highly recommended.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">© 2023 Rob H. Bedford</div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-53530626238722114422023-11-27T08:00:00.027-05:002023-11-27T08:00:00.142-05:00Watch this Space!<div class="separator"><span style="text-align: justify;">Yes, this blog is still alive!</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;">However, I seem to have gone on something of a hiatus at the o' Stuff again. Work life has been <i style="font-weight: bold;">extremely</i> busy since the summer. Most people who read me here know I review over at SFFWorld and it has been quite <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/author/rob-b/" target="_blank">busy over there</a>, too. October is always busy with New York Comic Con (Interviews with <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/new-york-comic-con-2023-jim-butcher-interview/" target="_blank">Jim Butcher</a>, <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/new-york-comic-con-2023-delilah-s-dawson-interview/" target="_blank">Delilah Dawson</a>, and <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/11/christina-henry-interview-new-york-comic-con-2023/" target="_blank">Christina Henry</a> plus a <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/new-york-comic-con-2023-panel-recap-the-horror-the-horror/" target="_blank">Horror Panel recap</a>) as well our annual Countdown to Halloween focusing on horror. Five book reviews in October for me! <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-101-horror-books-to-read-before-youre-murdered-by-sadie-mother-horror-hartmann/" target="_blank">101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered</a></i> by Sadie Hartmann, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-the-september-house-by-carissa-orlando/" target="_blank">The September House</a></i> by Carissa Orlando, <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-thehandymanmethod/" target="_blank"><i>The Handyman Method</i></a> by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-starling-house-by-alix-e-harrow/" target="_blank">Starling House</a> </i>by Alix E. Harrow, and <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2023/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2023-looking-glass-sound-by-catriona-ward/" target="_blank"><i>Looking Glass Sound</i></a> by Catriona Ward. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPH4OoSE3T9bXMBVCaCYL6xNtPrnuSCS45-gfE0jipaLndp-v_gWuyRGlYtrEcmhoe5NTOzR6sQRzqeJEPwffnCEU16SI428rX8yAaD3hSffpZ1cAC_00SIDWGzSeewij9MmcV9QTOBV59rT-dnI9lng40Fcy2TWIXdXw6SPp0CTWAPkAN14z/s1345/NYCC2023Books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1345" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPH4OoSE3T9bXMBVCaCYL6xNtPrnuSCS45-gfE0jipaLndp-v_gWuyRGlYtrEcmhoe5NTOzR6sQRzqeJEPwffnCEU16SI428rX8yAaD3hSffpZ1cAC_00SIDWGzSeewij9MmcV9QTOBV59rT-dnI9lng40Fcy2TWIXdXw6SPp0CTWAPkAN14z/s320/NYCC2023Books.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>Acquisitions from NY Comic Con 2023</i></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, I'll be posting a new review here this week (there's a hint in the picture above). I'll be posting a reading year in review, too.</p><br />RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-51089834239963108662023-06-22T09:05:00.012-04:002023-06-22T09:05:00.144-04:00Book Review: Blood Country (The Raven #2) by Jonathan Janz<div style="text-align: justify;"><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5VDKvwPDN6Jcd1VYKcx7JPuP6Adrtvh7wlGLjCXGC74YTOMHL3HVoLQ75qodLOnZTOVdOxEj5lzZmU7rSxrly68FSGTZqTuoefnibITYHQ3nRZi0cCtC2F3U2RDiFXbnmNRRZAzjXARSqLZV5Zh9SWTWDwq47GpKi1uHbri8s9Rm6Ng3og/s2162/Janz_BloodCountry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2162" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5VDKvwPDN6Jcd1VYKcx7JPuP6Adrtvh7wlGLjCXGC74YTOMHL3HVoLQ75qodLOnZTOVdOxEj5lzZmU7rSxrly68FSGTZqTuoefnibITYHQ3nRZi0cCtC2F3U2RDiFXbnmNRRZAzjXARSqLZV5Zh9SWTWDwq47GpKi1uHbri8s9Rm6Ng3og/w259-h400/Janz_BloodCountry.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />Title</u>: <a href="https://www.flametreepublishing.com/blood-country-isbn-9781787586635.html"><i>Blood Country</i> (<b>The Raven</b> Book 2)</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://jonathanjanz.com/">Jonathan Janz</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://www.flametreepress.com/">Flame Tree Press</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 288 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2022</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve been making my way through Jonathan Janz’s backlist over the last couple of years. About <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2022/07/june-2022-reading-round-up.html">a year ago</a> (June 2022), I read and thoroughly enjoyed <i>The Raven<span style="font-style: normal;">, his take on the post-apocalyptic story, but with a very potent horror lacing throughout the story. </span></i>Blood Country is the second novel in the series and the focus, as the title implies, is vampires. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><i><br /></i></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Briefly, in the world of <b>The Raven</b>, a group of rogue scientists released a virus that transformed humanity into creatures out of our nightmares: werewolves, trolls, cannibals (the strength of the people they eat is added to their own), witches, and vampires. Dez McClane is a rarity, he was unaffected by the virus so he is a man without any added abilities. Since the first novel, he’s been searching for the woman he loves. The conclusion of that novel provided him with a direction to head: Blood Country, the land of the vampires. With the woman he saved (Iris), Dez sets out to find his girlfriend Susan and to hopefully right a wrong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Reading <i>The Raven</i> is a must before diving into <i>Blood Country</i> as the two novels very much feel like two episodes of a larger story, and the story Janz is telling in these novels is an absolute blast. He puts us in Dez’s head, which allows Dez’s fears and doubts to be felt quite effectively. Before the events of the series, Dez lost his family and has blamed himself so his self-blame is only increased with the loss of Susan. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Dez, Iris and their other allies (Michael, a man who can control fire as a result of the changes to the world, a young boy named Levi, and a couple of other allies I won’t spoil) head to the heart of Blood Country, a high school which serves as the seat of power for the vampires, particularly the Vampire Queen. Once they arrive at the high school, the action gets more intense and the emotional twists and turns become more sharp.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">The story is very brisk and works somewhat cinematically. I was able to visualize a lot of the action Janz was relaying the novel and felt myself turning the pages rather quickly as a result. In the relatively short space of the story (under 300 pages), Janz crafts a story that is equal parts breakneck plot and character. After having read a small sampling (4 novels at this point) of Janz’s work, I’ve found my reading sensibilities really sync up with the stories he writes. When I was younger, one of my favorite RPGs was <b><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17236/Gamma-World-3rd-Edition" target="_blank">Gamma World</a></b>. I think what appealed to me about that game is something Janz nails so well, even if <b>Gamma World </b>leans more towards fantasy-based monsters and Janz is firmly planted in horror. The mix of “our world” and something fantastical and horrific is what both these things capture so well. Ultimately, <i>Blood Country </i>was just pure fun for me because I love an over-the-top apocalyptic tale, especially when there are monsters and/or mutants of some kind. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">After two novels in <b>The Raven</b> series, I was very pleased to learn there will be at least one more novel. The conclusion most certainly left a very clear path where these characters need go and I cannot wait to catch up with Dez and his crew. The world and characters seem rather fertile for more stories and the length of the two novels so far lend themselves nicely to an episodic, long-form story that could lead to more than just one additional novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">© 2023 Rob H. Bedford</div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-75957607013385373222023-04-06T02:30:00.060-04:002023-05-08T16:00:42.837-04:00In Search of Darkness: 1980s Horror Documentary Trilogy<div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve been a horror fan for years, I cut my reading teeth on Stephen King, just as many “children of the 80s” did, as well as early Dean Koontz and Robert R. McCammon. I sort of skipped all the <b>Goosebumps </b>and Christopher Pike books, I was already on King early in my middle-school years and maybe even before that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From a TV perspective I remember the show <b>Tales from the Darkside</b> with great fondness, too and the fact that it isn’t available a streaming service like Shudder boggles my mind. As relates to this post, specifically, I also was a fan of the horror movies of the 1980s. Movies like <i>An American Werewolf in London</i>, <i>Gremlins</i>, Tobe Hooper’s <i>Lifeforce</i> were movies I often returned to during my formative years. I remember being drawn to the video cassette boxes at my local mom & pop video store, Video Unlimited in Linden, NJ for many rentals. In those days, there was no Blockbuster Video, just mom and pop stores capitalizing on the home video craze. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPZtjTiqR2VZqU8--56K9YG-lBoF0DpiVR29VscHwoF4YkWoFrGV4eOl9CkoSXWKDdspUM8CejLR8l7cvGH15xcYZGB-ucRYcaMkrP3tI2YPbwjQeh5HlSi3nz617ekKGbSpqIOwE4LAr6xZ7bxJ-dsqweNsPlTLOfnkOE2tahZIX-i_h8A/s1448/InSearchOfDarkness_I.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPZtjTiqR2VZqU8--56K9YG-lBoF0DpiVR29VscHwoF4YkWoFrGV4eOl9CkoSXWKDdspUM8CejLR8l7cvGH15xcYZGB-ucRYcaMkrP3tI2YPbwjQeh5HlSi3nz617ekKGbSpqIOwE4LAr6xZ7bxJ-dsqweNsPlTLOfnkOE2tahZIX-i_h8A/w453-h640/InSearchOfDarkness_I.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Fast-forward a few decades and I learn of the documentary, <b>In Search of Darkness</b> and I’m intrigued. When I learned that the horror streaming service <a href="https://www.shudder.com/" target="_blank">Shudder</a> had rights to air it on their service, I signed up for the service. I’d wanted to sign up for Shudder for a while, but for whatever reason, the app wasn’t available in my smart TV and was eventually made available through Prime Video via amc+. This was January/February 2021 and I was recovering from shoulder surgery so there wasn’t much I could do except sit up straight. The first installment of the <b>In Search of Darkness</b> was an absolute delight. This documentary, like the best of them, was clearly a passion project for the creators. It was so much fun reliving some of those classic movies that are now much more readily available thanks to streaming services. It was wonderful to get both insider perspective on the movies from the people behind the scenes (actors like <b>Hellraiser</b>’s Doug Bradley, directors John Carpenter and Joe Dante, 1980s Scream Queen Barbara Crampton) as well as fans/media personalities like Phil Nobile, Jr. (<b><a href="https://www.fangoria.com/" target="_blank">Fangoria</a></b>’s Editor-in-Chief <b><a href="https://cinemassacre.com/" target="_blank">Cinnemascre</a></b>’s James Rolfe (f.k.a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Video_Game_Nerd" target="_blank">The Angry Video Game Nerd</a>) and <a href="https://dailydead.com/" target="_blank">Daily Dead</a> News’s managing editor Heather Wixson.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcz4a22aK5KfjAaSsQaqwWvHiTdQYxlJExtUHuX7g3YxVr1Pqwxp-tIQBpcRyOdtkAd9ANdxYta7jWZV4EEzEQDCXPNvwtXvbyOV6bOnDItdurvAKKxQgssnkfSMtKJu81DJqFQBS6XKY1siBxYAa6kvAwvaINGLo1RMlVReBdJvwsDolYA/s2560/in-search-of-darkness-2-scaled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcz4a22aK5KfjAaSsQaqwWvHiTdQYxlJExtUHuX7g3YxVr1Pqwxp-tIQBpcRyOdtkAd9ANdxYta7jWZV4EEzEQDCXPNvwtXvbyOV6bOnDItdurvAKKxQgssnkfSMtKJu81DJqFQBS6XKY1siBxYAa6kvAwvaINGLo1RMlVReBdJvwsDolYA/w453-h640/in-search-of-darkness-2-scaled.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few months later, the second installment of <b>In Search of Darkness </b>landed on Shudder after a successful crowd-funding campaign. The first installment shone its lens on the more well-known horror films like <i>An American Werewolf in London</i>, <i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i>, <i>Fright Night</i>, and <i>Pet Sematary</i> that have entered the larger public consciousness with some smaller films like <i>Dolls</i> and <i>Night of the Creeps</i> thrown into demonstrate the breadth of the genre. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Search of Darkness</b> <b>Part II</b> highlights some of the lesser-known films, or rather, the films that most horror-junkies know and might be considered cult classics. Movies like <i>EvilSpeak</i>, <i>C.H.U.D.</i>, and <i>Night of the Demons</i>. If the first installment was something of a reminiscence and films to revisit, this second part was very much a “To Watch” list. As I said, with so many streaming services, many of these films can be found with a few clicks of the remote control. The creators also expanded some of the “panelists” / talking heads for this installment and more of the filmmakers including Nancy Allen (<i>Carrie</i>, <i>Dressed to Kill</i>), filmmaker Jackie Kong (<i>Blood Diner</i>), and one of my favorite professional wrestlers of all time, <a href="https://twitter.com/IAmJericho" target="_blank">Chris Jericho</a>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh645VyA04PeMJxvkjGLPQZZPpuelwvG21kQ8phsmiIGwpMTpgblZjofwG83dNUJuSV_LA-yqW_k1sGn_-7l4O3QmL3uILD8DpqnuTB-f98LqlKKORarNhc4T_VdSKAFl4qplF8P-Jf2BMpuMtx_9dvOoHeFDLDY4qp0NakQNo88MJBCQ8_Nw/s932/in-search-of-darkness-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="696" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh645VyA04PeMJxvkjGLPQZZPpuelwvG21kQ8phsmiIGwpMTpgblZjofwG83dNUJuSV_LA-yqW_k1sGn_-7l4O3QmL3uILD8DpqnuTB-f98LqlKKORarNhc4T_VdSKAFl4qplF8P-Jf2BMpuMtx_9dvOoHeFDLDY4qp0NakQNo88MJBCQ8_Nw/w478-h640/in-search-of-darkness-3.jpg" width="478" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, a third installment would have to happen, right? Well, a crowd funding campaign through Kickstarter made sure that would happen. From past experience, I had a pretty strong feeling Shudder would eventually be airing the third installment, so I commenced a re-watch of the first two installments….all 9-ish hours of the first two volumes.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicH3Co-yOIgb6lri5_aNKw3fV8At7aDnVY2n7v0jW04Ba0FBBaILji_prhAng4YmCi_BMBa_QRuVjgoFFWrO64F-3yXA3gdgj9zcFR70fr8_pprg25fRvnyS_x_mUjauKewgVx-eHmbGZt0E8-SuA_7dK2ymrvHSKasT03Uq7UTUkERzKC_Q/s1875/ISOD-VDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1875" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicH3Co-yOIgb6lri5_aNKw3fV8At7aDnVY2n7v0jW04Ba0FBBaILji_prhAng4YmCi_BMBa_QRuVjgoFFWrO64F-3yXA3gdgj9zcFR70fr8_pprg25fRvnyS_x_mUjauKewgVx-eHmbGZt0E8-SuA_7dK2ymrvHSKasT03Uq7UTUkERzKC_Q/w640-h360/ISOD-VDAY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">February 2023 rolls around and I'm finishing my re-watch of <b>In Search of Darkness II </b>and the third installment is about to release to Shudder. On Valentine’s Day, my wife gifted me something on a piece of paper… “<i>Nothing says love like a nice cozy night or two or three or 666</i>” along with an image of the three-disc set. She had the link to watch online, but I wanted to wait for the Blu-Ray to arrive. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_RIwqp2gkP8Lm-dNBLVmN0J5kkZ1ZqN7WVRKqcKjtuTm-Qoh3fBtP3Fzkrs6vfUrsdyyd8ShULf8Og4Pdu2LNWWYLaO1SV-aCOtVtPTME3V7jbnyVyYqNGBXxDERLg89jsW814DlY5jW4QaD5cJiJbfUqLkmfVT-V468oYKqmo4p-sgLVw/s2900/ISOD_3Discs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2900" data-original-width="2900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_RIwqp2gkP8Lm-dNBLVmN0J5kkZ1ZqN7WVRKqcKjtuTm-Qoh3fBtP3Fzkrs6vfUrsdyyd8ShULf8Og4Pdu2LNWWYLaO1SV-aCOtVtPTME3V7jbnyVyYqNGBXxDERLg89jsW814DlY5jW4QaD5cJiJbfUqLkmfVT-V468oYKqmo4p-sgLVw/w640-h640/ISOD_3Discs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A big focus for the third installment was home video and some of the movies that were direct to video. While the first installment covered some of the "video nasties" elements of 1980s horror, there was more of a deep dive into people like Charles Band of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Home_Entertainment" target="_blank">Media Home Entertainment</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_International_Pictures" target="_blank">Empire Pictures</a> (<i>Ghoulies</i>), and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Moon_Features" target="_blank">Full Moon Features</a> (<i>Puppet Master</i>) and quite obscure movies like <i>The Video Dead </i>and <i>Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama</i>. Some very obscure (to American audiences, at least) films were featured as well, like the Canadian film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_(film)" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Things</a>,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><span>Japan's </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_Pig:_Devil%27s_Experiment" target="_blank">Guinea Pig: The Devil's Experiment</a></i>, and Italy's <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_of_the_Living_Dead" target="_blank">Hell of the Living Dead</a></i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All told, the <b>In Search of Darkness</b> is a masterpiece, a piece of media lovingly created, meticulously detailed, and just pure fun. One hand hand, it is a lens to the past, on the other it can be seen as an elaborate curation of movies to watch. Seek it out if you are a horror fan, horror curious, or simply want to experience an exceptionally well-made documentary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for extras that came with the gift...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not only did the Blue-Ray of <b>In Search of Darkness</b> <b>III </b>arrive, it came with the <b>In Search of Darkness</b> <b>I</b> and <b>II </b>and a nice slipcase for all three Blu-Rays, the three posters were part of the package. I got a sense that when they filmed the panelists for <b>In Search of Darkness</b> <b>II</b> the creators knew they were going to release a third installment. It is a common practice nowadays when film series are being made, so it shouldn't be a surprise, for example, when you see Chris Jericho in the same jacket and seat in both <b>In Search of Darkness</b> <b>II</b> and <b>III</b>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5UKLFRhHf3107Hrd6F5Cs0RbkjFnMh0Lh8OmxVGGBgZE5Z6B7EeoV-4abL0ulHzbqazaXeEv6txs4NarrIFBwjH5OgODr7NKv8d0i2w6ui05PRpR6Ge19gPBtCn9OxmmGfS2gI-nAQFKrbtKUgb2KDh14FXqsDJTqeoe4wdouscrmweNOQ/s2418/ISOD_III_Posters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2418" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5UKLFRhHf3107Hrd6F5Cs0RbkjFnMh0Lh8OmxVGGBgZE5Z6B7EeoV-4abL0ulHzbqazaXeEv6txs4NarrIFBwjH5OgODr7NKv8d0i2w6ui05PRpR6Ge19gPBtCn9OxmmGfS2gI-nAQFKrbtKUgb2KDh14FXqsDJTqeoe4wdouscrmweNOQ/w640-h298/ISOD_III_Posters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My wife also said for me to make sure that she’s awake when I watch the end credits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpNoPb5pP0t4PmbMxR-xXmuXFkPBe1uaRBl93BQfRAJoq4qPZhck1aQ6C3e1lXKL6OdHV0MPUdVJZoYGl0UY0V4v13NfUIm8NyqwdV75MjfAGWJbE7JvOW57NFvZr_AbeH5mYMCHVCrN5VCuj70EazHrXBermI6U-ZoK-a5S6Lp2oBjkigQ/s1027/ISOD_Credits.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpNoPb5pP0t4PmbMxR-xXmuXFkPBe1uaRBl93BQfRAJoq4qPZhck1aQ6C3e1lXKL6OdHV0MPUdVJZoYGl0UY0V4v13NfUIm8NyqwdV75MjfAGWJbE7JvOW57NFvZr_AbeH5mYMCHVCrN5VCuj70EazHrXBermI6U-ZoK-a5S6Lp2oBjkigQ/w640-h640/ISOD_Credits.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You see, I acquired the nickname of <b>ManBearPig</b> a few years back and my wife wanted to make sure my name stuck out in the credits so she had them add me as Rob ManBearPig Bedford.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VGx5-odnbo-3o4bOmUG1BbkvJT0Z3cITVJVIyWhI8x_ebNS-SRTVruG0fN-scWW72ozAwQp6WtCXk25hTNCYpZqruSPxpvDe_LcPfnuA9a1zijUYW64MUhv03odX6vme5JIPxVtKaCC6BTbsfV4V1a3am2BoP1LB20WkxCRsUV4oZNZdmw/s2880/ISOD_Collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VGx5-odnbo-3o4bOmUG1BbkvJT0Z3cITVJVIyWhI8x_ebNS-SRTVruG0fN-scWW72ozAwQp6WtCXk25hTNCYpZqruSPxpvDe_LcPfnuA9a1zijUYW64MUhv03odX6vme5JIPxVtKaCC6BTbsfV4V1a3am2BoP1LB20WkxCRsUV4oZNZdmw/w640-h640/ISOD_Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-68620237831399986272023-03-21T09:00:00.020-04:002023-12-09T16:08:20.765-05:00Book Review: Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry
<div style="text-align: justify;"> <u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y0AficgXNrb3NKJ_yaa3crzSoiIB1HtfNRH3rN8k_8fZe67ZQaCSfcjXgX3ebyA668Ua1tjh5e8dsszVEPr8Gtg6O583kRizSVH5GLnYG5bFFAjirexLFm8q_MNOzHoRmGFUbUB8RRztP151NJiEh7XK-Q4oFYzax_CY5tlWNcnuVPuAKQ/s1381/Maberry_SonofthePoisonRose.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y0AficgXNrb3NKJ_yaa3crzSoiIB1HtfNRH3rN8k_8fZe67ZQaCSfcjXgX3ebyA668Ua1tjh5e8dsszVEPr8Gtg6O583kRizSVH5GLnYG5bFFAjirexLFm8q_MNOzHoRmGFUbUB8RRztP151NJiEh7XK-Q4oFYzax_CY5tlWNcnuVPuAKQ/w261-h400/Maberry_SonofthePoisonRose.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>Title</u>: <a href="https://www.jonathanmaberry.com/lp-book-sonofthepoisonrose.cfm"><i>Son of the Poison Rose</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://www.jonathanmaberry.com/">Jonathan Maberry</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/stmartinspress/">St. Martin’s Press</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 687 Pages (including appendix/glossary)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: January 2023</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Epic Fantasy / Epic Horror / Grimdark</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I was a big fan of Jonathan Maberry’s first foray into Epic Fantasy last year, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/07/kagen-the-damned-by-jonathan-maberry/">Kagen the Damned</a></i>; which was one of my <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2022-part-1/">favorite fantasy</a> novels I <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2023/01/2022-reading-year-in-review.html">read in 2022</a>, so I was looking forward to diving into <i>Son of the Poison Rose</i>, the second installment of the Epic Horror-Fantasy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> I was not disappointed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Son of the Poison Rose</i> picks up almost immediately after the events of <i>Kagen the Damned</i>. Kagen is on the run, mentally, physically, and emotionally scarred as a result of the events of the first novel. He’s got a pair of trusted companions, Filia and Tuke, at the start of the novel with whom he is attempting to take down the Witch King who has conquered the Silver Kingdom, Kagen’s hope.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">The first book is required reading before jumping into <i>Son of the Poison Rose</i> and there may be spoilers below.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Kagen is a great study in dealing with dread and post-traumatic stress … he witnessed his parents killed, his kingdom conquered, felt his gods abandon him, and learned the identity of the Witch King. He blames himself for many things that have befallen the world. A good chunk of the early narrative focused on Kagen’s self-doubt, fears, and not-so-positive coping mechanisms. He “recovers” and gains more focus. He comes to realize he was drugged so he couldn’t fulfill his duties of protecting the youngest children and heirs to the throne and also learns they were not actually killed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I appreciated that Maberry devoted a significant amount of the narrative to the Witch King as he tries to cement his rule. That is proving quite difficult for the man once known as Herepath since his coronation was interrupted, thus throwing into question how powerful he truly is. His “children,” the aforementioned heirs of the empire twins Alleyn and Desalyn (whom the Witch King renamed Gavran and Foscor respectively, and has passed off as his own), are demonstrating a strength that is making it difficult for Herepath the Witch King to keep under his spell. Plus Herepath is obsessed with finding Kagen. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Maberry sets these two personalities at odds with each other along with the supporting characters for each. I’ve mentioned Tuke and Filia for Kagen already. Herepath has a mysterious, powerful, being with Lovecraftian roots join as advisor – The Prince of Games, who may be Nyarlathotep, but lists off other possible names he’s had in the past including Flagg (yes, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Flagg?wprov=sfla1" target="_blank">Randall Flag, The Walkin Dude</a>) and one very familiar to fans of Maberry’s <b>Joe Ledger</b> novels – Nicodemus. Remember, this book is set in “our world” but about 50,000 years in the future (A conceit I love) and fits in with how Maberry likes to link his stories together. The Prince of Games here comes across far more mischievous than I remember Nicodemus being in the <b>Joe Ledger</b> novels </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Maberry also introduces readers to Kagen’s siblings, the twins Jheklan and Faulker , brings back Rissa from the first volume somewhat briefly, Mother Frey (another great character) as well as what I’d call a guest appearance from the vampire sorcerer Lady Maralina.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">While Maberry established a fantastic, deep, mythology through smart world-building in <i>The Sword of Kagen</i>, more depth and richness is elaborated upon in <i>Son of the Poison Rose</i>. The Cthulhu/Lovecraftian elements become even more prominent and I loved it. I said about the first volume how well Maberry interwove horror elements into Epic Fantasy framework. That intermingling worked to an even greater degree in <i>Son of the Poison Rose</i> because he was enhancing and building upon a strong foundation with intriguing details.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">The only criticism I can level at the novel is that there was a bit of a repetitive nature to some of Kagen’s self-doubt. It felt like he was going through the same conversations with himself more than a couple of times in maybe the first third of the novel. Granted, depression and self-doubt drive that kind of internal dialogue in reality. In the novel, it slowed the pacing just a bit for me. Thankfully, that is just a minor criticism because I was glued to the pages and loved how Maberry structured his chapters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Son of the Poison Rose</i> is a wonderful follow-up that sets things in motion for what I hope will be a thrilling conclusion in <i>Dragons in Winter</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">This series provides for a dark and intriguing take on the Epic Fantasy genre and will appeal to horror fans as well. Great stuff and Highly Recommended<span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-35832320750138491192023-02-21T08:30:00.096-05:002023-02-21T08:30:00.172-05:00The Completist: Duncan M. Hamilton's Dragonslayer Trilogy<div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve decided to resurrect one of my old columns, at least for this particular post. The column in question: <b><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20221119043030/https://www.sfsignal.com/archives/category/columns/the-completist/">The Completist</a></b> from the sadly closed <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150923045804/http://www.sfsignal.com/">SFSignal</a> (still available via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRVxSPYXH-PDWU4xMItNw-bc6JHsNMD3ao6PBQJgycT4E6cnLkqZmUMLZeQtJmThjGCM0zIM9dH8_xIEifBtRj3ilpaEgiWritRHN75jZl7rzkYtKLsAACtQlAUiz4jeKtBC8aCvP8XAYB-SLwjeD5j342PGtLl2RPD5y-6N2qi1odYUX8w/s415/TheCompletist2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="415" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRVxSPYXH-PDWU4xMItNw-bc6JHsNMD3ao6PBQJgycT4E6cnLkqZmUMLZeQtJmThjGCM0zIM9dH8_xIEifBtRj3ilpaEgiWritRHN75jZl7rzkYtKLsAACtQlAUiz4jeKtBC8aCvP8XAYB-SLwjeD5j342PGtLl2RPD5y-6N2qi1odYUX8w/w400-h126/TheCompletist2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I said almost a decade ago:
<i> I’ve read a lot of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror over the years and my aim with this feature is to examine those SFFH series which have concluded. In short, all books of the series are available to be read in some format, electronic or print, but ideally both.</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this edition of The Completist, I’m taking a look at <a href="https://www.duncanmhamilton.com/" target="_blank">Duncan M. Hamilton</a>’s <b>Dragonslayer</b> trilogy. I read and <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2019/12/dragonslayer-by-duncan-hamilton/" target="_blank">reviewed the first book for SFFWorld back at the end of 2019</a>, this post will incorporate some elements of that review with my thoughts on book 2, <i>Knight of the Silver Circle</i> and book 3, <i>Servant of the Crown </i>as well as the series as a whole.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdv-W7h8K6dmSXnEzCHah7Wmkc4rbkiIGsudghSuMp77pfZh6Xa7Np36kzlC22Uj4s7Ed2_i15uCZzCQ-pK6AREPsH3h_jzHqxpVYGyqvxNIN6_3Jc3Di-JwCxfLDULAcDE35pyJ6hS-t6vUGff4CxK_gvc5H1MjqHxrYjjdy18CAJy49zw/s2489/DragonslayerTrilogy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="2489" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdv-W7h8K6dmSXnEzCHah7Wmkc4rbkiIGsudghSuMp77pfZh6Xa7Np36kzlC22Uj4s7Ed2_i15uCZzCQ-pK6AREPsH3h_jzHqxpVYGyqvxNIN6_3Jc3Di-JwCxfLDULAcDE35pyJ6hS-t6vUGff4CxK_gvc5H1MjqHxrYjjdy18CAJy49zw/w640-h323/DragonslayerTrilogy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Hamilton began the series with <i>Dragonslayer</i> focusing on the protagonist of Guillot [Gill], a disgraced knight brought back from anonymity for that “one last fight." Exiled from the main kingdom of Mirabaya to his familial lands of Villerauvais, Gill’s days are occupied with minor squabbles of his demesne, but mostly drinking wine. He is woken from self-pity when an agent of the Prince tells him of a disturbance in the kingdom, small villages are reporting very unsettling things. The Dragons have been gone for hundreds of years…to the point few believe they ever existed. That is until what amounts to a royal dig accidentally wakens the Dragon Alpheratz. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbHWsxthXO2WnUbenfiYzM2vX1ukmRIPuIX9Q0IP1o_dA7jkV4ta328WeqqAaMkh72AZ9E8b9_Iec0IaN-XqBY1ueUzjn8yx5vYftDCPKUi4krVRrLQuOo_JYShzPG1p0Pz3IVixfGju7rRDdsO6uhPOwUlgtqvYf7CeAK4twUB8ILgBIsA/s800/Dragonslayer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbHWsxthXO2WnUbenfiYzM2vX1ukmRIPuIX9Q0IP1o_dA7jkV4ta328WeqqAaMkh72AZ9E8b9_Iec0IaN-XqBY1ueUzjn8yx5vYftDCPKUi4krVRrLQuOo_JYShzPG1p0Pz3IVixfGju7rRDdsO6uhPOwUlgtqvYf7CeAK4twUB8ILgBIsA/w211-h320/Dragonslayer.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />Much like Dragons being forgotten and thought to be mythical, magic has similarly disappeared and become scorned, and forbidden and those suspected of practicing magic are eliminated. A young woman in Gill’s village – Solène – is suspected of being a witch and is summarily set for execution. That is, until Gill steps in and saves her life. Those two characters provide much of the point of view for the story, but the other primary POV would be that of the woken Dragon, Alpharatz. We get a few views into Alpharatz’s head which provides a more “truthful” context of Dragons' once high place in this world. The Dragon makes for a very interesting character and while he is not evil, Alpharatz is very much an antagonist for this story and to humanity as a whole. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gill fits the trope of the grizzled veteran reluctant to return to the fray. Gill’s fears, anger, and self-pity help to give him a realistic bent. His character arc from when he is introduced as a drunk to his waking from that haze is a strength of the novel. Solène follows an equally rewarding character arc, as she comes to realize what her burgeoning powers of magic can mean. Her full background is somewhat of a mystery, but we’re introduced to her as a village loner, but she is far from a country bumpkin. Her smarts show through in how she navigates the treacherous pathways of court and how the world at large views those who wield magic. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Set as the human antagonist is Prince Bishop Amaury del Richeau, a man who has sidled himself up close to the royalty. Amaury also has a rather dotted history with Gill, the two were combatants in the past and Gill struck a very potent blow on Amaury. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Dragonslayer </i>lays the foundation for a fairly familiar fantasy world and plays with the most iconic of fantasy creatures in a fun, familiar, and refreshing fashion. The second installment, <i>Knight of the Silver Circle</i> picks up hot on the heels of the first volume. As it turns out, Alpheratz was not the only Dragon in the world, but his appearance has essentially changed the world. Prince Bishop Amaury uses the threat of Dragons as an opportunity to dig his fingers deeper into the power base. He manipulates the new King into shaping laws that fit his needs all while sending people to search for a magical, long-thought mythical cup that will confer Amaury with great, sorcerous powers. Amaury’s hatred for Gill becomes more of a driving force and along with his lust for power, manipulation of the King, and drive to “Make Mirabaya Great Again” fully carve out Amaury as the Big Bad of the trilogy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More importantly, it is revealed that Alpheratz was not the only Dragon in the world. We meet a new Dragon, Pharadon, who steps into a point of view role, which makes for a more interesting plotline for the Dragons in the novel and provides insight into the history of the creatures in this world. We also learn that Dragons are able to shape-shift into human form, which allows for the creature to interact with Gill and other humans. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC_rTNx5K7CDflv4A6MJlSHmlfDEY2yYKJmfxfViGlmIHZzRa_QJA6EM551LnbwYroXLvfII4NYPmG0rWXXWPg8r-Sq1aQAm6sYfE0QsJyZ0rvJVVv-B-8MJnwbvjBnTj7IxkAi4DuyxjF8CVcrzthpT21d3tSmRPUiEj9ogRBt0FEkfwlQ/s2850/KnightofSilverCircle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC_rTNx5K7CDflv4A6MJlSHmlfDEY2yYKJmfxfViGlmIHZzRa_QJA6EM551LnbwYroXLvfII4NYPmG0rWXXWPg8r-Sq1aQAm6sYfE0QsJyZ0rvJVVv-B-8MJnwbvjBnTj7IxkAi4DuyxjF8CVcrzthpT21d3tSmRPUiEj9ogRBt0FEkfwlQ/w211-h320/KnightofSilverCircle.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Meanwhile, Solène and Gill have gone their separate ways as she tries to gain a better understanding of her magic because it could be deadly if it goes unchecked. She reunites with an old friend after she leaves Gill the magic cup that provides him with the extra boost he needs when fighting Dragons. She returns to Amaury under the auspices if trying to help him find the cup (while also learning more about magic), but comes to realize what a despot he is. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amaury’s daughter, Ysabeau is his most trusted agent and provides additional insight into the villain and another layer of his despicableness. She’s an interesting character and isn’t quite the villain her father is, nor is she heroic, either. I feel like she could support a novel focusing on her exploits following the conclusion of the trilogy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A deepening of the characters, more angst around Gill and his guilt and pain around his wife and child’s death add depth to the reluctant hero. A deepening of what Dragons are and their relationship to the world at large was most welcome, too. There was a great big hint towards the end of the novel and I felt a nice bit of resonance with what we saw of Godzilla’s “lair” in <b>Godzilla: King of Monsters</b>. Although books 2 and 3 of this series sat on Mount ToBeRead for a couple of years, I was very, very happy that I had book 3, <i>Servant of the Crown </i>ready to read the minute I finished <i>Knight of the Silver Circle</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the cliffhanger-ish ending of <i>Knight of the Silver Circle</i>, Hamilton picks up the events as if he was just turning the page to a new chapter with <i>Servant of the Crown</i>. With the King on the sidelines thanks to Amaury’s misunderstanding of the magic the cup conveys, Amaury is ruling as Regent of the kingdom with the King indisposed. As a result, Amaury is more unhinged. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the second book, Gill acquires a squire, a young man named Val and Hamilton shows some of the story from his point of view. He’s an admirable young man who only wants to train at the academy to follow Gil’s path to becoming a knight, or Banneret. We also get to see more of the King in the final volume, though more from Gill’s perspective. Gill, who was burned by the previous King (and father of the current King) has his own misgivings about whomever sits the throne. I enjoyed seeing Gill appreciate the kind of man the King had grown to be through the third installment. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX67mbpny5UkAiE0BlvTbZr8e6LKa7d1X2E4A6sy2p1lVXParJBpJX3dqmJ1bSrQZ7K1ej1bbtdD3Z_oOKuzUrrbYPX1LTToEAcEtZev08hkNhJ03JoP479FrzrZYZ8-wm_eIijrt5sGqOBdUaLzkxJ-XsOiJIuNrr1N9soPJYeQgpLPPWDw/s800/ServantoftheCrown.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX67mbpny5UkAiE0BlvTbZr8e6LKa7d1X2E4A6sy2p1lVXParJBpJX3dqmJ1bSrQZ7K1ej1bbtdD3Z_oOKuzUrrbYPX1LTToEAcEtZev08hkNhJ03JoP479FrzrZYZ8-wm_eIijrt5sGqOBdUaLzkxJ-XsOiJIuNrr1N9soPJYeQgpLPPWDw/w210-h320/ServantoftheCrown.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The emotional weight of the first two volumes comes to a largely satisfying conclusion in <i>Servant of the Crown</i>, even if there are a couple of points of execution that marred it only slightly. Gill’s journey was enjoyable, but I think the most rewarding was following Solène’s character arc through three volumes. I also appreciated that Hamilton is not afraid to kill his darlings, there isn’t as much “plot armor” as one might expect in these three books, not all the characters survive. Especially a few of the supporting characters Hamilton managed to imbue with real heart. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dragons are the creatures that most exemplifies the fantasy genre. Many writers have tackled the great winged beasts, shown various shades of what these kinds of creatures could be from monstrous to intelligent and everything in between. Duncan Hamilton follows very closely with perceived tradition of the genre as a whole and the iconic mascot of the genre and adds some spice of his own with the lore and history of the creatures in this world. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hamilton tells his story at a great pace that makes the three-hundred page installments for each volume in very consumable volumes. I managed to read the second two books in the series while sitting on the train for two days commuting into New York City, which made those train rides seem to go past rather quickly. Thankfully, those two days were a one time thing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Dragonslayer</b> trilogy is a fun, entertaining character-driven story that tackles some interesting themes along the way. It is a throw-back series in some ways. By that I mean it is very much in the classic vein with knights, magic, and Dragons. Where much of fantasy in recent years has trended toward Grimdark and some moral ambiguity with its heroes/protagonists, Hamilton’s story (maybe with the exception of Ysabeau), clearly defines the heroes and villains. I found that somewhat refreshing.
This was an extremely entertaining, gripping trilogy that is worth your time. The books are available in trade paperback and audible/audio. With the very consumable length of the first book (and all three, frankly), it is worth your time to give the first book, <i>Dragonslayer </i>your time.
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdv-W7h8K6dmSXnEzCHah7Wmkc4rbkiIGsudghSuMp77pfZh6Xa7Np36kzlC22Uj4s7Ed2_i15uCZzCQ-pK6AREPsH3h_jzHqxpVYGyqvxNIN6_3Jc3Di-JwCxfLDULAcDE35pyJ6hS-t6vUGff4CxK_gvc5H1MjqHxrYjjdy18CAJy49zw/s2489/DragonslayerTrilogy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="2489" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdv-W7h8K6dmSXnEzCHah7Wmkc4rbkiIGsudghSuMp77pfZh6Xa7Np36kzlC22Uj4s7Ed2_i15uCZzCQ-pK6AREPsH3h_jzHqxpVYGyqvxNIN6_3Jc3Di-JwCxfLDULAcDE35pyJ6hS-t6vUGff4CxK_gvc5H1MjqHxrYjjdy18CAJy49zw/w640-h325/DragonslayerTrilogy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /> </div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-50709642352214085112023-02-02T09:00:00.052-05:002023-02-02T09:00:00.191-05:00The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock - Definitive Edition from Saga Press<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moorcock" target="_blank">Michael Moorcock</a> is one of the towering giants of Speculative Fiction, he’s been writing and publishing stories and novels since the 1950s, both of his own creation and as an editor. His most famous creation, Elric of Melniboné first appeared in a story called “The Dreaming City” in 1961. Since then Elric has appeared across the course of 11 novels and many stories. Those novels have been reprinted several times in several single novel editions as well as collected/omnibus editions. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I first discovered Elric through the artwork of legendary artist <a href="https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/stormbringer/" target="_blank">Michael Whelan</a> and first read <i>Elric of Melniboné</i> in the Ace paperback published in 1987 with the Robert Gould cover art. Elric didn’t’ click with me initially, so I set the book aside until one of the many times I joined the Science Fiction Book Club and I got one of their omnibus editions. When White Wolf books reissued all of Michael Moorcock’s <a href="https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pubseries.cgi?3090 " target="_blank"><b>Eternal Champion</b> novels in omnibus editions</a> - including two editions featuring Elric <a href="https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?12125" target="_blank"><b>Song of the Black Sword</b></a> and <b><a href="https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?47920" target="_blank">Stealer of Souls</a> </b>- I “got it” and enjoyed the stories immensely. Other publishes have put together omnibus editions since. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBUIY4J1QyuqRa1YbJeQC6TRHOwOw4dIe7qPx-X-rN0WbaS3fwHJWSym-mlxVpXKWBffnJgv_TpNCWlHDbDpcehl0kGJyR272X-RIo9bJLbUC-0NncQyS4gjUQVyASKA2p-eqKRAJx9sYD3wX2Wb6dfS2Vu__LaiWNSzRFE8jX04-y7xcRw/s2884/20230130_111126.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2884" data-original-width="2023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBUIY4J1QyuqRa1YbJeQC6TRHOwOw4dIe7qPx-X-rN0WbaS3fwHJWSym-mlxVpXKWBffnJgv_TpNCWlHDbDpcehl0kGJyR272X-RIo9bJLbUC-0NncQyS4gjUQVyASKA2p-eqKRAJx9sYD3wX2Wb6dfS2Vu__LaiWNSzRFE8jX04-y7xcRw/w448-h640/20230130_111126.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That is all preamble for the main subject of this post: the new, gorgeous editions of the <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/Elric-Saga-The" target="_blank"><b>Elric Saga</b> from Saga Press</a>. Three books contain the Elric stories in chronological order, in Moorcock’s preferred order and preferred text. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLko88f5tV7ON2FTZn7ODrO8ny5VYdaOqO9qIzrdZu14Vx-u_-m_FS0Au9eeyBAqVLKOnm7gBc75UXSCgwRwjNZkq7uLoVx7kv4AMG6L2iwUR3NfP-Ht-wybkRZDSsIx1aIqU1QKnTEWmaEf0MYRgR0bJKsVfzyyZNUYVsxXFIIpj0IkRysw/s2996/20230127_145820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="2996" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLko88f5tV7ON2FTZn7ODrO8ny5VYdaOqO9qIzrdZu14Vx-u_-m_FS0Au9eeyBAqVLKOnm7gBc75UXSCgwRwjNZkq7uLoVx7kv4AMG6L2iwUR3NfP-Ht-wybkRZDSsIx1aIqU1QKnTEWmaEf0MYRgR0bJKsVfzyyZNUYVsxXFIIpj0IkRysw/w400-h400/20230127_145820.jpg" title="Interior illustration by John Picacio" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">These books are gorgeous and are worthy editions to showcase Moorcock’s iconic creation. The omnibus/collections feature gorgeous artwork from the likes Brom, Robert Gould, and John Picacio among others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBxTVlkhpA9EYbxdFH3JM6D3OzpQkrjb_HqyviYPj2ghRnXpfz69uJZHKrlHqDz4AMllSQfCDpTbr9LVe4tZyvD9QyA0rvdZeTLmojSkC4lgHGY4cdIAVTW4pN-zcSppENZ06dGaq0hWQ8FAW7SX7FM0wz_bBiXRTVyUuVOhZb2qLRtN8cQ/s2991/20230127_145627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2991" data-original-width="2991" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBxTVlkhpA9EYbxdFH3JM6D3OzpQkrjb_HqyviYPj2ghRnXpfz69uJZHKrlHqDz4AMllSQfCDpTbr9LVe4tZyvD9QyA0rvdZeTLmojSkC4lgHGY4cdIAVTW4pN-zcSppENZ06dGaq0hWQ8FAW7SX7FM0wz_bBiXRTVyUuVOhZb2qLRtN8cQ/w400-h400/20230127_145627.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The maps on the endpapers by John Collier are full color and some black and white images are included throughout each omnibus. Each book contains a readers guide and as well as a a foreword/introduction by genre giants Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, and Alan Moore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVYYDWy5o0yAL4MHuHfZZuW1fEBQp5ohpDScB4SCRB7mcAVMntYiUzwRsFNiID6UZe1WjHTLZBoLP6Yh1bZIXCnc3Z9BLrwkIbu9MVpnjpEQTZvXIoaMLlh9bLQp44TEa2w_Y9YekYNeb7UmAigilRvMvSwqds1Pt3aqDqWyz8NkpVM3RMA/s2610/20230127_145709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2610" data-original-width="2610" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVYYDWy5o0yAL4MHuHfZZuW1fEBQp5ohpDScB4SCRB7mcAVMntYiUzwRsFNiID6UZe1WjHTLZBoLP6Yh1bZIXCnc3Z9BLrwkIbu9MVpnjpEQTZvXIoaMLlh9bLQp44TEa2w_Y9YekYNeb7UmAigilRvMvSwqds1Pt3aqDqWyz8NkpVM3RMA/w400-h400/20230127_145709.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In chronological order, the omnibus editions are: <b> Elric of Melniboné</b> with cover art by Brom, <b>Stormbringer</b> with Michael Whelan’s iconic original DAW Books <i>Stormbringer </i>cover being re-used, and <b>The White Wolf</b> sporting Robert Gould’s cover from <i>The Dreamthief’s Daughter</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm26YbZBiOE0rY8FvtZFbh5TIr1Wj2GIIL4nypNOQGZzCukyA38axklWuw0IEA3578bD7d3cEvhXEmUjJ2h7Rd86ViGsjvLG3opAMjPdX2T8dzESabknX8Mf6YL0oi-44s1f0Y9L-h0qHCKm7Wh9jauHTo_aGXkPPABuF3V2xBElGgSbb8VQ/s2215/20230127_145755.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2215" data-original-width="2168" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm26YbZBiOE0rY8FvtZFbh5TIr1Wj2GIIL4nypNOQGZzCukyA38axklWuw0IEA3578bD7d3cEvhXEmUjJ2h7Rd86ViGsjvLG3opAMjPdX2T8dzESabknX8Mf6YL0oi-44s1f0Y9L-h0qHCKm7Wh9jauHTo_aGXkPPABuF3V2xBElGgSbb8VQ/w391-h400/20230127_145755.jpg" width="391" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Joe Monte is the editorial director of Saga Press and this republication comes across like a passion project. There is clearly a great amount of care and attention to detail with these books, to say they are anything less than “the definitive editions” of the Elric stories is underselling these tomes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKWTrgTfFWxOHnUs5fodBeWROCNKgGIjS3Myp7ttEWxbNpm55_AO5ehbkug_qRPBNb_Zkdrq4EUoERb9cMZ9i8bPpJBAsBe-XTBw5Dm3hQwwSjAwFj9Myl72Lfw4gwH9JrOUjhU1P_2nyxBzA6nG-DhUwMfvfOxdAEulW-b9GnS8T9AP84A/s2645/20230127_145909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="2645" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKWTrgTfFWxOHnUs5fodBeWROCNKgGIjS3Myp7ttEWxbNpm55_AO5ehbkug_qRPBNb_Zkdrq4EUoERb9cMZ9i8bPpJBAsBe-XTBw5Dm3hQwwSjAwFj9Myl72Lfw4gwH9JrOUjhU1P_2nyxBzA6nG-DhUwMfvfOxdAEulW-b9GnS8T9AP84A/w400-h400/20230127_145909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These editions commemorate the sixtieth year since Elric was unleashed into the world from Moorcock’s mind. Along with the three omnibus editions from Saga Press, there’s an entirely new Elric novel, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/the-citadel-of-forgotten-myths-by-michael-moorcock/">The Citadel of Forgotten Myths</a></i><span style="text-align: left;">, which my SFFWorld colleaue Mark Yon has reviewed and heaped with high praise: "<i>a glorious return to one of Fantasy’s greatest characters that I stayed up reading much more than I should have, It does not pander, yet enhances what has gone before, adding a technicolor vividness to the complex multiverse of Elric</i>."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFERoWJZm6Tsf59UWQonotbjXdSRikrhu4C2oGv5prU1fhznQzpEp5pLTCa3hlah0uEN9EpPQIFG9MzYAsBUaB8GV9N-5zB9p3SEvPdAbxo6-m8VkR4G4RoUGXr3ZokjhlQqzsLoFy8bC7ssQD4BFsKvEfqdS4Fk3La72wF12JU-9S4RHOUA/s2488/20230127_150142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2488" data-original-width="2488" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFERoWJZm6Tsf59UWQonotbjXdSRikrhu4C2oGv5prU1fhznQzpEp5pLTCa3hlah0uEN9EpPQIFG9MzYAsBUaB8GV9N-5zB9p3SEvPdAbxo6-m8VkR4G4RoUGXr3ZokjhlQqzsLoFy8bC7ssQD4BFsKvEfqdS4Fk3La72wF12JU-9S4RHOUA/w400-h400/20230127_150142.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>It has been over 20 years since I read Moorcock’s Elric novels so I’m due to revisit the last emperor of Melniboné. I’d been considering diving back into the world and now that I have these lavish, books-as-art on my shelves, I am far more inclined to revisit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinozuwX3UFmdK90kT6QRSE8ozwG-A1TMeFopmE34OdFT5-23Ng-dB5TM9ei4RlNqMA1XHgwMWAS_RFEL5wV461BjQO9-5I6WIm6EfDAkoCG0S3AiYJZjXtRtJpQqfqj9bpFkNvmZ8AaAHHkHymKmidQsCRs1z3AlbNGY58ChIwP54AACMyg/s2331/20230127_150238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2331" data-original-width="2331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinozuwX3UFmdK90kT6QRSE8ozwG-A1TMeFopmE34OdFT5-23Ng-dB5TM9ei4RlNqMA1XHgwMWAS_RFEL5wV461BjQO9-5I6WIm6EfDAkoCG0S3AiYJZjXtRtJpQqfqj9bpFkNvmZ8AaAHHkHymKmidQsCRs1z3AlbNGY58ChIwP54AACMyg/s320/20230127_150238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br />RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-28860741162018222282023-01-27T10:00:00.011-05:002023-01-27T10:00:00.167-05:00Book Review: HIDE by Kiersten White<div style="text-align: justify;"> <u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOy0V-Jn3uuaCm2qqd9vHDiuTBJZdtjCjeoCdEjozXT0KsoKVTOSVnPo15WWiCXTK-uqpNbhgyK8To0Me9_R5KfROlFJEKJh5YpJLQ4UNJiEOJyRt_g_wCyIms_edJtg3CXq-dE36INt3er0h0qpYoBOf8hVLfdggbzDgjlvbt_PsdiEm6g/s1280/Hide_KierstenWhite.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="842" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOy0V-Jn3uuaCm2qqd9vHDiuTBJZdtjCjeoCdEjozXT0KsoKVTOSVnPo15WWiCXTK-uqpNbhgyK8To0Me9_R5KfROlFJEKJh5YpJLQ4UNJiEOJyRt_g_wCyIms_edJtg3CXq-dE36INt3er0h0qpYoBOf8hVLfdggbzDgjlvbt_PsdiEm6g/w264-h400/Hide_KierstenWhite.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br />Title</u>: <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688184/hide-by-kiersten-white/"><i>Hide</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://www.kierstenwhite.com/">Kiersten White</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="http://www.randomhousebooks.com/genres/science-fiction-fantasy/">Del Rey Books</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 256 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2022</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">We all played Hide and Go Seek when we were kids, right? How many of us played in an amusement park, let alone an abandoned and closed amusement park? Probably very few people were afforded that opportunity. That’s the basic premise of <i>Hide</i>, Kiersten White’s first novel for adults. The added layer is that 14 people are chose to play in the “Olly Olly Oxen Free Hide and Seek Tournament” in an Amusement Park that has been abandoned since the mid-1970s. The winner is promised fame and $50,000. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Our main sightline into this novel is Mackenzie Black, a young woman who is the lone survivor of her father snapping and killing her family. She’s out of work and essentially homeless, so it is difficult for her to say no. Especially since she has spent most of her life hiding…hiding from the spotlight, hiding in the house when her father murdered the family.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Other participants in the latest game are an “internet celebrity,” a CrossFit instructor, a person hiding from his own cultish family, a street artist, an actress, among others. White does a very good job of providing just enough background for these supporting characters to make them distinct and real. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Each night the contestants go out and hide, with two people always being “found.” How they are found, nobody knows. The “found” contestants simply don’t show up at the check in in the morning. As more of the contestants are found, the remaining contestants begin to form bonds in pairs. This is not something Mack planned on or even wanted when she entered the contest. Her journey as a character provides a great deal of the novel's emotional weight. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I couldn’t help but find parallels between this novel and one of Stephen King’s early novels written as Richard Bachman, <i>The Long Walk</i>. <i>The Long Walk</i> is a gem of a novel and could be considered one of King’s best. White takes a similar premise and adds in some of her own flavors, particularly around the history of the amusement park and how the contestant pool shrinks every day. There’s some borderline folk-horror elements to the tale, but White grounds the events and characters with enough reality that those elements are just as believable. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I thought she brought <i>Hide </i>to a very satisfying conclusion that could have some room for more stories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve also got to give a big shout out to the design of this novel, the end papers are wonderful. Anybody who has visited some kind of amusement park knows there’s a map you can get that shows where the rides are. Well, the endpapers in <i>Hide</i> Elwira Pawlikowska are clever in their depiction of “The Amazement Park” where the novel is set.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Hide</i> is a fun, dark, vicious novel I have to recommend.</div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-61016961846517512612023-01-09T09:00:00.097-05:002023-01-09T09:00:00.157-05:002022 Reading Year in Review<div style="text-align: justify;">Two years in a row with a Reading Year in Review, crazy right? Well, since I resurrected the blog earlier in the year, I’ve been much more consistent with posting my reading wrap-ups so of course that calls for a year in review, right? As I’ve done every year I've posted a Reading Year in Review, here are the previous years I’ve put up a reading year in review, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2022/01/2021-reading-year-in-review.html">2021</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2019/01/2018-reading-year-in-review.html">2018</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2016/01/reading-year-in-review-2015.html">2015</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2015/01/reading-year-in-review-2014.html">2014</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-reading-year-in-review.html">2013</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-reading-year-in-review.html">2012</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-reading-year-in-review.html">2011</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2011/01/2010-reading-year-in-review-and-dog.html">2010</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-reading-year-in-review.html">2009</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2009/01/robs-2008-reading-year-in-review.html">2008</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2008/01/2007-review-of-robs-readings.html">2007</a>, <a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2006/12/out-with-old-and-blue-for-06-in-with.html">2006</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">As I've done every year for the past decade and a half, I've contributed to SFFWorld's Favorite of the Year lists: <b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2022-part-1/" target="_blank">Fantasy/Horror</a></b>, <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2021/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2021-part-2/" target="_blank"><b>Science Fiction</b></a>, and <b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/sffworld-review-of-the-year-2022-part-1/" target="_blank">Film/TV</a></b>. Where those book lists are focused only on 2022 releases, here at the reawakened old Blog o' Stuff, I don't limit the list to just 2022/current year releases because there are a lot of good books out there from previous years I haven’t read. A few stinkers, too, but I try to keep my focus on the positive here at the B.O.S. I'm still very actively reviewing for both <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/author/rob-b/" target="_blank"><b>SFFWorld</b></a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">For the first time that I can recall and since I’ve been tracking my reading trends over the last 20+ years, Fantasy was not the genre that featured the highest number of books read, in 2022 that distinction falls to horror and by a decent margin. Horror is in a great place right now, publishers are giving it serious attention, new imprints have been launched, and horror film is getting more attention than ever. That said, here are the full statistics of the 81 books I read in 2022, I finished #81 on 12/31:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>41 2022/current year releases plus 1 2023 release</li><li>29 reviews posted to SFFWorld</li><li>41 can be considered Horror</li><li>34 can be considered Fantasy</li><li>12 can be considered Science Fiction</li><ul><li>Some books like <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/02/dead-silence-by-s-a-barnes/" target="_blank">S.A. Barnes's <i>Dead Silence</i></a> falls into multiple genres</li></ul><li>31 books by authors new to me </li><li>41 Books by women</li><li>13 total debut</li><li>17 audiobooks</li><li>5 books I DNF'd</li></ul></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">So, without further adieu, below are the books I enjoyed reading the most in 2022. I've listed the books alphabetically by author last name, outside of the first three on this post. If I've reviewed the book, the title will link to the review either here at the blog or over at SFFWorld with an excerpt of that review below the cover image. If I haven't given the book a full review, then I've provided a brief summary/reaction to the book.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King <br />(My Favorite Overall Novel Published in 2022)</span><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVRw3vnBxvXDrtgcZRamIuv0HS9JXhpj4PAXEQ2NdbPCIlqVzj7m0Zv2266_jLse2OBc5FkGbEzrBGXXSzRtduewUmLRDO_lzI12gVm8iOCIm1QEvuB4Y_kGbsOlAu67ZWdVDLlY1tDk51SySlST4Cs0zTcuy_5tL77RTSt9adYnmDtypig/s2128/81PMOtoT7zL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2128" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVRw3vnBxvXDrtgcZRamIuv0HS9JXhpj4PAXEQ2NdbPCIlqVzj7m0Zv2266_jLse2OBc5FkGbEzrBGXXSzRtduewUmLRDO_lzI12gVm8iOCIm1QEvuB4Y_kGbsOlAu67ZWdVDLlY1tDk51SySlST4Cs0zTcuy_5tL77RTSt9adYnmDtypig/w422-h640/81PMOtoT7zL.jpg" width="422" /></a></p><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Fairy Tale</i> is a book I’ve been anticipating since I heard about it in January of 2022. I immediately thought of <i>The Eyes of the Dragon</i> and <i>The Talisman </i>when the title was announced and there are some parallels to those King classics, but this one is its own story. Charlie Reade lives with his father, a recovering alcoholic because his mother was killed in a freak car accident when he was younger. Charlie managed to push through his challenges, becoming a star athlete. When he befriends a mysterious man who lives in the oldest house in the neighborhood, Charlie learns of another world filled with magic, strange creatures, and evil. He also befriends the neighbor’s dog, Radar. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are little shout outs to past King works, it is a novel that blends so many things King is good at doing; youthful protagonist, monsters, character, friendship between an older and younger character, and dogs. I suspect Molly, AKA the Thing of Evil may have helped in shaping who Radar was as a character. I suspect some Constant Readers will end up naming their dogs “Radar” in the future. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I finished the book and as I write this a few months since reading the book, I’d say that <i>Fairy Tale</i> is maybe top 10 King novel for me, out of the near 50 or so books I’ve read by Sai King. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/02/the-violence-by-delilah-s-dawson" target="_blank"><i>The Violence</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by Delilah S. Dawson <br />(My Favorite Horror Novel Published in 2022)</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I’ve been enjoying Delilah Dawson’s writing for a few years now, she’s incredibly consistent, incredibly efficient, and an incredibly smart writer. This book is her best book, hands down and one that I think will stand the test of time.<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEJJe9NyTe4qrBykgZly3fwpXn0z1WVJb-GZp6eO8sZmmzPyCa4w54KOyvKYomliVcKqx1GXNPOC7uVGqnPiLYImqcrPR1XT8hy0_BnI6Xxbsr72sIYaqQOtTuCNfodLIQKz8ZiCWgDpqk607ptJgEZQXco4AoO7uWOUIFmyl2Ksadofd9g/s1125/th_b_dawson_theviolence.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEJJe9NyTe4qrBykgZly3fwpXn0z1WVJb-GZp6eO8sZmmzPyCa4w54KOyvKYomliVcKqx1GXNPOC7uVGqnPiLYImqcrPR1XT8hy0_BnI6Xxbsr72sIYaqQOtTuCNfodLIQKz8ZiCWgDpqk607ptJgEZQXco4AoO7uWOUIFmyl2Ksadofd9g/w420-h640/th_b_dawson_theviolence.png" width="420" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></blockquote><span style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes when you are reading a book, you know you’re getting into something special. This feeling usually happens in the early chapters, a growing sense that the book is the writer’s Opus. Recently, I felt that way when I read Chuck Wendig’s The Book of Accidents and Seanan McGuire’s Middlegame. I also felt that way while I was reading Delilah S. Dawson’s </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Violence</i><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><div><div style="text-align: justify;">...</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few elements can truly make a novel like this feel so grounded and believable. First are the characters, all of whom are genuinely real, living and breathing people as I’ve noted. Other little details are “landmarks” I’ll call them, tiny details that add a layer of grit and realism to the world. Enter Big Fred’s Floors, a store that Chelsea and the other characters pass numerous times, with an outdated, misogynistic slogan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">...</div><span style="text-align: justify;">But it almost seems like everything she’s written (at least those novels I’ve read) have prepared her for this outstanding gem. </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Violence</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a novel that will stand out for its intelligence, for its compassion, for its “un-put-down-able-ness,”</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/02/engines-of-empire-by-r-s-ford-the-age-of-uprising-1/" target="_blank"><i>Engines of Empire</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by RS Ford <br />(My Favorite Fantasy Novel Published in 2022)</span></span></b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFiuPi6SUPYNoQX3-nw6MdpmmteylwbIApnPKUqzXtCuwzLbyAgpXcLoiQqTlF8EDRJ6mkd7IPAy-3zwJkFKYwkTfdsw2BV-MegWA5Y0oLYk64ikGH_V7yFPiK3DPqqAsTMBhS3VNU7ycUnpylZq_BEjnBT5BkL_yulQ2-lFlhmvwM6cgdg/s1184/th_b_Ford_EnginesofEmpire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFiuPi6SUPYNoQX3-nw6MdpmmteylwbIApnPKUqzXtCuwzLbyAgpXcLoiQqTlF8EDRJ6mkd7IPAy-3zwJkFKYwkTfdsw2BV-MegWA5Y0oLYk64ikGH_V7yFPiK3DPqqAsTMBhS3VNU7ycUnpylZq_BEjnBT5BkL_yulQ2-lFlhmvwM6cgdg/w416-h640/th_b_Ford_EnginesofEmpire.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
</div><p><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When matriarch and Guildmaster Rosamon sends her children,
youngest son Fulren, daughter Tyreta, and eldest son Conall far away, the
action R.S. Ford’s <i>Engines of Empire</i> begins. … Ford does many, many things very
well in this novel, which launches <i>The Age of Uprising</i> trilogy. He’s nailed the
character portion of the novel, each of the Hawkspur family members came across
as believable and empathetic. One of Fulren’s driving forces was to see revenge
against Lancelin Jagdor, the man he sees as murderer of his father. To be fair,
Fulren’s father challenged Lancelin to a duel and lost, but the outcome was the
same – Fulren’s father was killed. The death of their father also weighs on
Connall, but he’s caught between devotion to his family and the duty placed
upon him as military man. Tyretta finds herself embroiled in a conflict far
from the borders of her home, but affected a great deal by her homeland.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>...<br />Perhaps my favorite element of this novel is the
world-building. The way the magic of the pyerstones powers the technology, like
airships and engines, is borderline steampunk. In fact, I’ve seen the setting
described as “aetherpunk,” a term I surprisingly (having been reading this
stuff for a few decades) wasn’t aware of before reading this book, even if I
was familiar with the definition. Anyway, it is a fun setting and “-punk”
varietal. Jim Butcher’s <i>The Aeronaut’s Windlass</i> comes to mind, as does Tad
Williams’s <i>War of the Flowers </i>as standout novels that sort of fit in this
descriptor.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;">For the remaining favorites, some of these books were published prior 2022
</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Senlin Ascends</i> (<b>Tower of Babel</b> #1) by Josiah Bancroft<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1F4QtVkNsezouQi3B0sos8gSm55AE2CrkX6NBTQeHYHDMLhD_V51bUm3PIjrKsY_XqTYEDgcgps_pN-8iMmuvokDDkl88nkZduHc9Bm7RDg2cqi0CmjLz5i3Lct5CWCFt2f4ZxSrOvfytthWxY-C7XikUoJSlUmdRORHd_685_M-WtUkqQ/s500/Bancroft_Senlin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1F4QtVkNsezouQi3B0sos8gSm55AE2CrkX6NBTQeHYHDMLhD_V51bUm3PIjrKsY_XqTYEDgcgps_pN-8iMmuvokDDkl88nkZduHc9Bm7RDg2cqi0CmjLz5i3Lct5CWCFt2f4ZxSrOvfytthWxY-C7XikUoJSlUmdRORHd_685_M-WtUkqQ/w426-h640/Bancroft_Senlin.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><p><span style="text-align: justify;">What makes this novel so enchanting is how it is everything an Epic Fantasy novel should be, but has similarities to so very few Epic Fantasy novels I’ve read. The closest two novels that come to mind for me are Alastair Reynolds’s </span><i style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2011/06/bookreview726/">Terminal World</a> </i><span>and Gregory Frost’s </span><i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2008/02/bookreview423/">Shadowbridge</a></i><span>… Title character Thomas Senlin takes his wife Marya to the Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. The tower is an enormous, continuously growing structure with each vast level, or "ringdom," essentially a world unto itself… Bancroft’s prose is elegant, it lulls you in like a comforting blanket, but the stories it reveals over the course of Senlin’s journeys through four of the forty "ringdoms" are harrowing, enchanting, and often dark. The fourth and final novel published November 2021, so I may have to binge the three remaining books I’ve yet to read.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><br /> </p></div><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/05/the-hacienda-by-isabel-canas/" target="_blank"><i>The Hacienda</i></a> <span style="text-align: left;">by Isabel Cañas<br /><i>This happens to snag the “Best Debut” of 2022 spot for me</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlGh0k_ft-vexcx4Nk37oCvhJ_TGxE2sWzGQZzXU4gblgmmStt_viA6EVwJ5NwrxmHhlK8jUUl8whJjvw5s-FxuLou2mnrkAAttDtn8dljib67d3GUrOe9AEv2j2exYLbOvAzX9bmbr4_-9W7WFdRHMyPefw33u0PM4ieVQNjJ0g6ofKwCQ/s1160/th_b_canas_Hacienda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlGh0k_ft-vexcx4Nk37oCvhJ_TGxE2sWzGQZzXU4gblgmmStt_viA6EVwJ5NwrxmHhlK8jUUl8whJjvw5s-FxuLou2mnrkAAttDtn8dljib67d3GUrOe9AEv2j2exYLbOvAzX9bmbr4_-9W7WFdRHMyPefw33u0PM4ieVQNjJ0g6ofKwCQ/w424-h640/th_b_canas_Hacienda.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">… expound upon the pleasures of Cañas’s writing and storytelling. I immediately felt as if I was inside Beatriz’s head, I was drawn to her character and her plight. The way Cañas conveys the hacienda through Beatriz’s eyes is a delight, I was transported me to the grounds of the estate alongside Beatriz. Cañas also flavors the atmosphere with a lingering paranoia that grows into a mounting sense of dread that made it difficult for me not “just read one more chapter.” … What impresses me most is that The Hacienda is Cañas’s first published novel. She has an enchanted pen when it comes to the prose, telling the story from Beatriz and Andrés points of view that was extremely inviting. Every story element meshed together wonderfully…</div><p> </p><div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ghost Eaters</i> by Clay McLeod Chapman</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAXxsNldlKAr50DvfMwpn8sbL4o47s5O2vcDHkDHaDS6WNLOEGTry0J0jrIedz8KMGyw6IaGjkl8UPpsRxiZ0SD181SRHd36-rFGQPTolElEUnDAn0cY6fhvwOt62yVctv0CvIMglX1cOu7LlYmjcI8HdA4SYEphDkaJc_YjM-yQk5N7rAQ/s666/GhostEaters_final_72dpi_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAXxsNldlKAr50DvfMwpn8sbL4o47s5O2vcDHkDHaDS6WNLOEGTry0J0jrIedz8KMGyw6IaGjkl8UPpsRxiZ0SD181SRHd36-rFGQPTolElEUnDAn0cY6fhvwOt62yVctv0CvIMglX1cOu7LlYmjcI8HdA4SYEphDkaJc_YjM-yQk5N7rAQ/w432-h640/GhostEaters_final_72dpi_0.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the third novel I’ve read by Chapman and he’s a must buy at this point. The story of <i>Ghost Eaters</i> focus on Erin and her toxic ex-boyfriend Silas. She keeps trying to get away from him and his addictions, but she finds it difficult. He eventually turns up dead of an overdose. Erin can’t hold on, she always feared he may wind up dead, but it actually happened and she has difficulty dealing with it. Then she learns about the aforementioned drug called Ghost. There’s an escalating creep factor that sets it apart. Chapman’s characters seem genuine and are empathetic and not since Jeff VanderMeer have mushrooms been so very creepy.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <i><a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2022/02/book-review-come-closer-by-sara-gran.html" target="_blank">Come Closer</a></i> by Sara Gran</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzqsW3_OMiJ6PO7CKW8amjoS3-Iw68vKK1SKC_vOr_ICkjBkqgE-P1hD8MLZZ_f2Y_K6_z9sI_BVgg9kA4dWS9YZEG0wyTFcVhv21cQC-dVpXl1-wPQLj8QoFBcza3Lg9mYJca2Ot6qiKQnjO0CTO6fhhaEen9G_SAr6SX5RrkbpOhDrFeg/s1842/Gran_ComeCloser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="1134" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzqsW3_OMiJ6PO7CKW8amjoS3-Iw68vKK1SKC_vOr_ICkjBkqgE-P1hD8MLZZ_f2Y_K6_z9sI_BVgg9kA4dWS9YZEG0wyTFcVhv21cQC-dVpXl1-wPQLj8QoFBcza3Lg9mYJca2Ot6qiKQnjO0CTO6fhhaEen9G_SAr6SX5RrkbpOhDrFeg/w394-h640/Gran_ComeCloser.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Possession. One of the more rife subjects explored in horror novels. Sara Gran’s Come Closer takes a powerful approach to examine how easily such a possession can destroy a person. … Gran tells the story in Amanda’s matter-of-fact first person voice. That, for me, might be the most terrifying element of the story, just how “normal” some of the deplorable behavior and events are delivered. I had to re-read some passages with an unspoken “WAIT WHAT?” in my brain. This was an utterly addictive read that I managed to plow through in a Sunday afternoon</div></div><p><br /> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Such Sharp Teeth</i> by Rachel Harrison</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHFxa1OAxn2sgSpPC7sQI3jBTNAnr4MxtlUI1DQmP7ZAui04Kv5JI9CCv-j_zzT0Kpk2o--8zK6RIPdf_24UF6ij_81IWCZFLT1Nq4RSuUKDYxXyyxK7yvZJ4sUCFQfr_Qebfh-vFk_L3A0M4kUDW8BfpXIdO8B4QhVmfQL-QHeiOuvZkNg/s1194/th_b_harrison_SuchSharpTeeth.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="784" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHFxa1OAxn2sgSpPC7sQI3jBTNAnr4MxtlUI1DQmP7ZAui04Kv5JI9CCv-j_zzT0Kpk2o--8zK6RIPdf_24UF6ij_81IWCZFLT1Nq4RSuUKDYxXyyxK7yvZJ4sUCFQfr_Qebfh-vFk_L3A0M4kUDW8BfpXIdO8B4QhVmfQL-QHeiOuvZkNg/w420-h640/th_b_harrison_SuchSharpTeeth.png" width="420" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Harrison – I read Harrison’s debut novel <i>The Return</i> earlier in the year and I was very impressed so I was excited to try her new (in 2022) novel which was about werewolves. Well, one werewolf in particular. Harrison tells the tale of Rory (short for Aurora) Morris, who returns to her hometown to be by the side of her twin sister Scarlett during the last weeks of her pregnancy. On the way there, Rory is bitten by a creature and she finds her body going through changes. She’s stronger and transforms during the full moon. Harrison does a fantastic job of paralleling the experiences of the twin sisters, and telling a compelling, addictive story. I read it over the course of two days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With <i>Such Sharp Teeth</i>, Rachel Harrison has written an instant/modern classic werewolf novel.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <i><a href="http://robbedford.blogspot.com/2022/01/book-review-siren-and-specter-by.html">The Siren and the Specter</a></i> by Jonathan Janz</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrqmCR3I-4DuUlneQFLyrc-9NXJphpj2faAA0Sr4ghwoeE5xDmPmPqHnb4gA9fLLtNEPb4uQshQd6Ee4jErhsvjOoFbLJukdYdfVDIPvfhsSz7_zu0NlNCJACvl-gNwrdeJ2q-YFIPREz2Ul0Y25B4SYBKYCMR0kdZz7GLp4ow3_IB6Ib3Q/s2163/the-siren-and-the-specter-9781787580053_hr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2163" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrqmCR3I-4DuUlneQFLyrc-9NXJphpj2faAA0Sr4ghwoeE5xDmPmPqHnb4gA9fLLtNEPb4uQshQd6Ee4jErhsvjOoFbLJukdYdfVDIPvfhsSz7_zu0NlNCJACvl-gNwrdeJ2q-YFIPREz2Ul0Y25B4SYBKYCMR0kdZz7GLp4ow3_IB6Ib3Q/w414-h640/the-siren-and-the-specter-9781787580053_hr.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoListParagraph"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">When his old friend Chris suggests he spend some time at Alexander House, allegedly the “Most Haunted House in Virginia” for his next book project, David acquiesces. Dave becomes friendly with his neighbor, Ralph Hooper and much to his chagrin, kids whose parents are absentee parents, all of whom reside on the banks of the Rappahannock River. He also hears and sees things in the house and the area surrounding it. …and like many haunted house stories, David is haunted by his past and brings ghosts of his own when he arrives at Alexander House. …. A couple of days into reading the book I had a nightmare. I’m not saying reading <i>The Siren and The Specter</i> caused the nightmare, but I’m not saying the book didn’t cause the nightmare. Correlation…the only two books I can directly say gave me nightmares are Stephen King’s <i>The Shining</i> and Dan Simmons <i>Summer of Night</i> and what caused those nightmare were what I previously called the “edge of your senses” creepiness. Janz, in <i>The Siren and the Specter</i>, excels at the “edge of your senses” horror, as I said.
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/07/kagen-the-damned-by-jonathan-maberry/" target="_blank">Kagen the Damned</a></i> by Jonathan Maberry</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOBh443_iZre6O8EiBPUfDrKDHMwhnuN8NuvArZII9aCJxHv_FFtbFOxO6Bc8ouzI49Beac3RtcKyCTn4iUYLnNuyJfdvuRHBs_xMVPYhxzBYGlJVZtoWjuf-QbzLAWuJMkWyEGAp03bCOLl8gmFI5WK4ZQohF_qv_xFki3wNpCDt04U-1A/s1358/th_b_maberry_kagendamned.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOBh443_iZre6O8EiBPUfDrKDHMwhnuN8NuvArZII9aCJxHv_FFtbFOxO6Bc8ouzI49Beac3RtcKyCTn4iUYLnNuyJfdvuRHBs_xMVPYhxzBYGlJVZtoWjuf-QbzLAWuJMkWyEGAp03bCOLl8gmFI5WK4ZQohF_qv_xFki3wNpCDt04U-1A/w424-h640/th_b_maberry_kagendamned.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m a fan of Maberry’s Joe Ledger Military SF/Horror thrillers and was excited to see him turn his pen to Epic Fantasy. This has some nice horror flourishes; too, with a Cthuhlu/Lovecraftian vibe lurking in the background. From my review: “I realize the plot seems fairly straight-forward, revenge, quest, evil king and all that, but damn if Maberry doesn’t make it feel fresh and exciting. A large part of what makes this novel, and the world, feel so fresh is how much horror, specifically cosmic horror, informs the world-building. Elder Ones like Hastur and Cthulhu are major elements of the world’s mythology with the R’lyehian language appearing in the text. There are some decidedly dark and horrific passages and allusions throughout the majority of the novel and the Lovecraftian flavor is very welcome in an Epic Fantasy setting. It is a seamless infusion, and an elegant one that simply works to the point that I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before. I love that element of this novel and world because the delight in which Maberry reveled during the world-building emanates off the pages.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Black Mouth </i><span style="text-align: left;">by Ronald Malfi</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeD5NhgeHCeGBF42YLVosrz0uXUiMQ8crnVOhYHYIlUU4zJJ_uIdVFnNypeiARVYjggE1AfMB4u9zV_VIYZWmL6-qL7nTAseJoM0vJbhfwjLECnJFjaL_8Yvj4g0y5kvzFqkWKu1w8aC-K-ErwyNPwdYWmYjzLCtHD9LVVtxy9N6f6kK-hA/s500/41bTASyBXDL._AC_SY780_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeD5NhgeHCeGBF42YLVosrz0uXUiMQ8crnVOhYHYIlUU4zJJ_uIdVFnNypeiARVYjggE1AfMB4u9zV_VIYZWmL6-qL7nTAseJoM0vJbhfwjLECnJFjaL_8Yvj4g0y5kvzFqkWKu1w8aC-K-ErwyNPwdYWmYjzLCtHD9LVVtxy9N6f6kK-hA/w420-h640/41bTASyBXDL._AC_SY780_.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This one’s description grabbed me for its very superficial similarity to books like King’s IT and Dan Simmons’s <i>Summer of Night</i> - friends reunite in their hometown to take down a monster they thought was gone. Those similarities, as I noted, are just superficial. Malfi’s tale is a little more confined, in that there are fewer characters and much more despair surrounds the characters; protagonist Jamie Warren is an alcoholic struggling with his addiction; his mother is a junkie who killed herself, thus brining Jamie back to Sutton’s Quay, VA. His disabled brother was found wandering. Dennis’s other friends Mia and Clay have their own demons, but they were very close friends when they were kids, but haven’t seen each other in years, since an eerie man known only as the Magician touched their lives. Malfi excels with his characters and building a sense of creepiness, between the Magician and the haunted region of Black Mouth itself. … He tells the tale in intertwining chapters that focus on the present and past when Jamie and his crew initially encounter the Magician. Malfi has a very deliberate pace and that pace works perfectly in Black Mouth to build up empathy for all the characters, the horrific nature of the Magician, the unsettling nature of Black Mouth itself, and how the tension builds towards the conclusion.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <i> Take Your Turn, Teddy</i> by Haley Newlin and narrated/performed by Thomas Gloom</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11MbkpbLHknlZLvaJqwjr9jgufCAVDawZDf32bynKiYXbBs7d2_SyJTdts6yiVZvqR9tmQ2Udjgd_MWPoC8nuynSg2BAHFe0FhucDh_l7HnymD1x2PPetUjujGD3dxAWEU-Xyuw-GMMOF3pUupgF09_vwGvfvbq3PpUV7a49dWzKQhAJsMg/s500/410KDDd-njL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11MbkpbLHknlZLvaJqwjr9jgufCAVDawZDf32bynKiYXbBs7d2_SyJTdts6yiVZvqR9tmQ2Udjgd_MWPoC8nuynSg2BAHFe0FhucDh_l7HnymD1x2PPetUjujGD3dxAWEU-Xyuw-GMMOF3pUupgF09_vwGvfvbq3PpUV7a49dWzKQhAJsMg/w400-h400/410KDDd-njL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Newlin played with the “Creepy Kid” trope just about as good as any horror novel I’ve read. I thought Gloom’s narration of the story enhanced the novel a great deal, too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a book I’ve seen good things about on the various horror blogs and instagrammers I follow. This book starts out as a sad tale of a young boy named Teddy whose father is extremely abusive to his mother and becomes a horror novel mixed with a serial killer police procedural. Some creepy scenes, nice character development with the cast of characters, and nods to the Stephen King. Newlin drove the story around some bendy turns that weren’t expected, but worked very nicely. Haley also <a href="https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/tag/haley-newlin/">reviews for Cemetery Dance</a> magazine online.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Lamentation</i> (<b>Psalms of Isaak</b> #1) by Ken Scholes </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKlaxEYl_IYbf1OPj_J2sywR8jGl8WRNXNu-yuEr0ZCEVLwuoM2GH7Y6USAfWOR4LAyA-pCjw1ferJGZz3J4bukOXeKdDSG4hUAu35NrILUT-489TUCKWtcajEqO_AudWyz7sYzjamU0fSQQJtvVS3rqCDTLQk-PNYnibrBWbhKA9JQH80g/s2252/Scholes_Lamentation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKlaxEYl_IYbf1OPj_J2sywR8jGl8WRNXNu-yuEr0ZCEVLwuoM2GH7Y6USAfWOR4LAyA-pCjw1ferJGZz3J4bukOXeKdDSG4hUAu35NrILUT-489TUCKWtcajEqO_AudWyz7sYzjamU0fSQQJtvVS3rqCDTLQk-PNYnibrBWbhKA9JQH80g/w398-h640/Scholes_Lamentation.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Lamentation</i> is Ken’s debut and the launch of the <b>Psalms of Isaak</b> five book saga. Set in a world that has survived a few apocalyptic events, magic and science coexist, though not always quite comfortably. The inciting incident – the city of Windwir being destroyed, particularly its legendary library – was because a robot cast a spell. From there, the novel winds through a wonderful path of alliances, manipulation, romance, politics, and redemption. … The novel is more concerned with how the characters react to the destruction of Windwir than anything else, so there isn’t too much world-building on display but the hints (robots and magic coexisting, essentially) are quite intriguing. There are also hints of a deep history to the world, so I'm hoping subsequent volumes will reveal more…. I’m quite excited to see where this series goes over the course of those next four novels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div>
<i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Book of Cold Cases</i> by Simone St. James</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCoG0vjFrJasy61XmengW67CBNtvrAgw5jgeCgqDj_oZIUSOLFSfqMp0KylGKNQfdztrE89aINv2nxP9kHF_rB2SKjrYMEQeYUWH2m48L7DCbpQPWZlGOOkN3dYKZxd68_rVOOaHPcm6Vz7TuJL0FyodC8Fv9sFqEY24KGsXD4ojLkUeWxA/s500/51iYvBxO+IL._SL500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCoG0vjFrJasy61XmengW67CBNtvrAgw5jgeCgqDj_oZIUSOLFSfqMp0KylGKNQfdztrE89aINv2nxP9kHF_rB2SKjrYMEQeYUWH2m48L7DCbpQPWZlGOOkN3dYKZxd68_rVOOaHPcm6Vz7TuJL0FyodC8Fv9sFqEY24KGsXD4ojLkUeWxA/w400-h400/51iYvBxO+IL._SL500_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></i><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Book of Cold Cases</i> is the second book I’ve read by St. James and it is just as good as the first one, The Sun Down Motel. In this book, Shea Collins, a young divorced woman has a hobby looking into open murder cases and runs the Website “The Book of Cold Cases.” Her latest obsession is the socialite Beth Greer, who was suspected killing two men in 1977, shortly after her parents died. Shea, in 2017, is able to convince Beth to tell her the full story of the murders and her life. It is fascinating story, that has hints of a ghost story, murder, and great character development. St. James excels at telling parallel stories as we learn about Beth’s from Beth as Shea listens intently.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wayward </i>by Chuck Wendig</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd6FA4Slb2dmiiNl5v22Eb2a0b5o0HXhzXD1EXPWlPPIxxSmVoNAGfAy7v7Cqy-EKzZ4J_c2waWHMaiHjZM4lM1HMz6AfXLA08T_PDvFBL92rkzeGO8X4o5nIHqxe_hlikepATNMYAXQNYd8voBaHW1Jotx83NLVNCrj43HQhSpKZ3ZEhXg/s700/th_b_Wendig_Wanderers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd6FA4Slb2dmiiNl5v22Eb2a0b5o0HXhzXD1EXPWlPPIxxSmVoNAGfAy7v7Cqy-EKzZ4J_c2waWHMaiHjZM4lM1HMz6AfXLA08T_PDvFBL92rkzeGO8X4o5nIHqxe_hlikepATNMYAXQNYd8voBaHW1Jotx83NLVNCrj43HQhSpKZ3ZEhXg/w422-h640/th_b_Wendig_Wanderers.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Wayward</i>, the sequel to his epic apocalyptic <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2019/07/wanderers-by-chuck-wendig/" target="_blank">Wanderers</a></i>. Chuck picks up those threads and weaves a powerful, gripping story of how the survivors of a plague-apocalypse (White Mask) try to survive as humanity with the “help” of an extremely powerful and convincing AI (Black Swan) who helped to “hand pick” a select group of people and protect them from the plague as a last hope for humaity. Picking up about five years after the events of Wanderers, Chuck keeps the pace addictive over the course of the novels lengthy 800 pages. There’s a sense of anger in this novel that is completely believable, especially with the returning characters like Shana Stewart and “President” Ed Creel, though scientist Benji Ray and rocker Pete Corley balance out that anger with signs of hope</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wayward was a fantastic novel, I was consumed by it for the week-and-a-half I was reading it. Never did I want to leave, never did the novel drag, never did things happen in the novel that didn’t make sense even if what unfolded over the course of the novel was not what I expected. I was surprised by where the story went, and at times even scared by a lot of what the characters had to confront. Put simply, a fantastic novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Into the Narrowdark</i> (<b>The Last King of Osten Ard</b>) by Tad Williams</div></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmbptsASwcj_sVr-ApAAal31kSUx3NhY0srrj-qWwI0TrtVkLcbtcmJ-gUaIPuamw8jzIoewPBoyWUmXVpB5oznCo2-VTLVaisBCY9AjpZ-d8rI37MTyPcRXZVhqRX0zV12n1Z6mYcvma-VoaF2MdBy77ddoVQFOLf_OAKKTQZ2jE--SRdA/s2560/Williams_Narrowdark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1695" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmbptsASwcj_sVr-ApAAal31kSUx3NhY0srrj-qWwI0TrtVkLcbtcmJ-gUaIPuamw8jzIoewPBoyWUmXVpB5oznCo2-VTLVaisBCY9AjpZ-d8rI37MTyPcRXZVhqRX0zV12n1Z6mYcvma-VoaF2MdBy77ddoVQFOLf_OAKKTQZ2jE--SRdA/w424-h640/Williams_Narrowdark.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the penultimate volume in the series that is a sequel to his landmark <b>Memory, Sorrow and Thorn</b> four-book trilogy, which holds the top #1 of #2 spot as my favorite fantasy trilogy.
In this novel, Tad deftly balances multiple points of view as the world is on the precipice of another momentous change. He does a fantastic job of balancing the weigh of each character’s storylines and weaving in plot threads dangling from 30 years ago. As it turns out, there’s been about 30 years since Memory, Sorrow and Thorn concluded and that’s about the same time that has elapsed in Osten Ard. … The conclusion/finale of this novel…just…damn you Tad! It was so well executed and is as much of a cliff-hanger ending as you’d want but also hate to read. I can’t wait for The Navigator’s Children. My only real slight on the book – and this is no fault of Tad Williams – is that DAW books decided to drastically change the look/cover art of the book. The legendary, iconic Michael Whelan painted all the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn covers and the two earlier volumes in this series (as well as many of the covers for Tad’s novels).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's a wrap on my 2022 reading. Like I said, some names are familiar to those of you who know me or the reviews I've written over the years while others are new to me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hope you all have a great 2023, happy reading!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SColLcCFhDhDmSdOf6tXuZd3dxyKvt-MQmdorehZun9zgtN8_1UuYcg3xlzJuTMmKEKj9HpVjByWznGaSP15Hr9HDccYItbKWBd3PmHDXtfcreV29Ct6CYorD82PzIsfS0hGNv78N6uiEuw2rAv6qG00mxS8RaJghY2J-JSvce_oKrMF0Q/s2880/2022_FavoriteReads.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SColLcCFhDhDmSdOf6tXuZd3dxyKvt-MQmdorehZun9zgtN8_1UuYcg3xlzJuTMmKEKj9HpVjByWznGaSP15Hr9HDccYItbKWBd3PmHDXtfcreV29Ct6CYorD82PzIsfS0hGNv78N6uiEuw2rAv6qG00mxS8RaJghY2J-JSvce_oKrMF0Q/w640-h640/2022_FavoriteReads.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span><p></p>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-80308765312097769642023-01-04T08:30:00.000-05:002023-01-04T08:30:00.169-05:00December 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">The 4 book reviews at SFFWorld in December made up for the the lack of any book reviews I posted in November. However, two of these books mentioned in my November post. There was also a 2023 release I read, the review of which I’ll be posting in January, but I’ll just say it was from a favorite horror author. The standard drill follows...excerpts of what went up at SFFWorld this past month followed by brief review/reactions to the other books I read in December 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXk2oqnh3-zC_dFQEPf3DFhbLUpdCaTg6v7xV3otwfM6MI35caCYTpxzPjuHT1mBjwlqmh2ha0utGb9bV2JCYTQ4ZljlsF1txLfDcq63wZotVIrHKItUaUCK5HiwwQGidOzyliosYrngqvFw0udP6xx-6pLf5YM-PM--8jYTprsLYt03rlw/s2880/20230101_213104%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXk2oqnh3-zC_dFQEPf3DFhbLUpdCaTg6v7xV3otwfM6MI35caCYTpxzPjuHT1mBjwlqmh2ha0utGb9bV2JCYTQ4ZljlsF1txLfDcq63wZotVIrHKItUaUCK5HiwwQGidOzyliosYrngqvFw0udP6xx-6pLf5YM-PM--8jYTprsLYt03rlw/w400-h400/20230101_213104%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/the-art-of-prophecy-by-wesley-chu-the-war-arts-saga-1/" target="_blank">The Art of Prophecy</a></i><span style="text-align: center;"> (</span><b style="text-align: center;">The War Arts Saga</b><span style="text-align: center;"> #1) by Wesley Chu - </span><i>What the novel then turns out to be is a lengthy and entertaining answer to the question of “What if the Prophecy was wrong?” Well…it turns out the true nature of the Eternal Khan was very misunderstood by Jian’s people, but we learn more about the Eternal Khan and the Katuia Hordes of the Sea of Grass who worship him through the character of Salminde (Sali). Sali finds herself on a quest to a new Eternal Khan. This also allows readers to gain a sympathy with the “other side” because Sali is a fantastically realized character. I appreciate when characters buck the “expected” in favor of logic and reason and Sali has a great wit about her that makes her particular journey quite enjoyable.</i></div><p><i> </i><i style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/the-spare-man-by-mary-robinette-kowal/" target="_blank">The Spare Man</a></i><span style="text-align: center;"> by Mary Robinette Kowal - </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps the word that I can best use to describe this book (and it has already appeared in this review) is the word charming. Tesla and Shal are charming, so is Gimlet, and the story is just a fun romp that itself is charming. Charming can sometimes come across as “too cute” for its own good, but MRK is a smart enough writer to keep that charming element that is a comforting blanket over the whole novel at just the right level.
Although The Spare Man is not marked as the first book in a series, it certainly can work that way. I for one would love to follow Tesla and Shal throughout the galaxy solving crimes and having adventures.</i></p></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/the-bladed-faith-by-david-dalglish-vagrant-gods-1/" target="_blank">The Bladed Faith</a></i><span style="text-align: center;"> (</span><b style="text-align: center;">The Vagrant Gods</b><span style="text-align: center;"> #1) by David Dalglish - </span><i><span style="text-align: justify;">David Dalglish has published over 25 novels since 2010, many of them in the same secondary world of Dezrel (The Half-Orcs, Shadowdance). With The Bladed Faith, Dalglish launches a new world and a new series entitled </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Vagrant Gods</b><span style="text-align: justify;">. In it, young prince Cyrus of Thanet watches his parents and gods Endarius the Lion and Lycaena the Butterfly murdered by an invading army of the Everlorn Empire. Cyrus is shocked to see this transpire before his eyes. ... </span><span style="text-align: justify;">A lot happens in this novel, The Bladed Faith very much fits the term Epic. But is only the first installment of a trilogy! Dalglish reveals his story and characters at a measured pace I very much appreciated, with a balanced approach to character, action, backstory, and worldbuilding. It was fun, it was epic, energetic, and addictive. In short, The Bladed Faith is very strongly in my Epic Fantasy wheelhouse. Even before I finished the novel, I knew the second book in the series, The Sapphire Altar would be very high on my anticipated reads list.</span></i></p><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/lucky-girl-or-how-i-became-a-horror-writer-a-krampus-story-by-m-rickert-2/" target="_blank">Lucky Girl: or How I Became A Horror Writer: A Krampus Story</a></i><span style="text-align: center;"> by M. Rickert - </span><i>This is by no means an uplifting Christmas ghost story, but it is gripping and rife with dread and tension. The only minor issue I had with the story was that for a horror writer, Ro was not quite genre-savvy to recognize some of the horrific elements she was experiencing. That in itself is a trope, characters of horror stories being somewhat unaware of the nature of the darkness plaguing them so perhaps that is what Rickert was playing with in this story.</i></p></div><p><i> </i></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8iV1ed7D0TG-M28rU6NBLbVhAIVWQi3X94972bqRffWGcyf3yrUWE4Y_7YbHvzTijmM2Gckd-9dtpjQLBcZh99tP1Tdcu8cSQmTDIqhCs-itpXeYTBsBJmLdl51plZpRql3gQSCr0SSdj7eRWaBZ87xHAlDBgVqN8XmZxJWnbML-CTXLsA/s1439/WhatMovestheDead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8iV1ed7D0TG-M28rU6NBLbVhAIVWQi3X94972bqRffWGcyf3yrUWE4Y_7YbHvzTijmM2Gckd-9dtpjQLBcZh99tP1Tdcu8cSQmTDIqhCs-itpXeYTBsBJmLdl51plZpRql3gQSCr0SSdj7eRWaBZ87xHAlDBgVqN8XmZxJWnbML-CTXLsA/w400-h640/WhatMovestheDead.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">T. Kingfisher published two genre works this year, and I read both of them, moist recently <i>What Moves the Dead</i>, which is a retelling of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” with a non-binary character who happens to be a retired lieutenant named Alex Easton. Alex visits the Ushers to help her friend, Madeline thanks to Roderick (Madeline’s brother) request. The Ushers are not in good shape, they seem to be affected by a strange affliction. Adding another layer of creepiness are a few factors constantly seen on the grounds of the Usher mansion – staring, white rabbits, the strange lake on the grounds, and the proliferation of fungi. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> There is a quirky cast of characters who surround Alex: Eugenia Potter, the mycologist (a scientist who studies fungi) and the American doctor James Denton. The three of them try to figure out what is plaguing the Ushers and if it can be remedied. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> This was a strange, weird, and fascinating story. Largely because of the fungus element, I was reminded of Jeff VanderMeer’s <b>Ambergris</b> stories. Kingfisher has one of the more unique and enjoyable points-of-view in the genre and I’ll continue to read her work as it publishes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHFxa1OAxn2sgSpPC7sQI3jBTNAnr4MxtlUI1DQmP7ZAui04Kv5JI9CCv-j_zzT0Kpk2o--8zK6RIPdf_24UF6ij_81IWCZFLT1Nq4RSuUKDYxXyyxK7yvZJ4sUCFQfr_Qebfh-vFk_L3A0M4kUDW8BfpXIdO8B4QhVmfQL-QHeiOuvZkNg/s1194/th_b_harrison_SuchSharpTeeth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="784" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHFxa1OAxn2sgSpPC7sQI3jBTNAnr4MxtlUI1DQmP7ZAui04Kv5JI9CCv-j_zzT0Kpk2o--8zK6RIPdf_24UF6ij_81IWCZFLT1Nq4RSuUKDYxXyyxK7yvZJ4sUCFQfr_Qebfh-vFk_L3A0M4kUDW8BfpXIdO8B4QhVmfQL-QHeiOuvZkNg/w420-h640/th_b_harrison_SuchSharpTeeth.png" width="420" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Rachel Harrison’s <i>Such Sharp Teeth</i> is a Mount Rushmore-level Werewolf novel. I read Harrison’s debut novel The Return earlier in the year and I was very impressed so I was excited to try her new (in 2022) novel which was about werewolves. Well, one werewolf in particular. Harrison tells the tale of Rory (short for Aurora) Morris, who returns to her hometown to be by the side of her twin sister Scarlett during the last weeks of her pregnancy. On the way there, Rory is bitten by a creature and she finds her body going through changes. She’s stronger and transforms during the full moon. Harrison does a fantastic job of paralleling the experiences of the twin sisters, and telling a compelling, addictive story. I read it over the course of two days. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had to bail on the second book in an epic fantasy series I was really looking forward to reading, I just couldn't connect as the narrative felt very scattered. I think it may have been a case of “me, not the book,” but a book that size (and the predecessor was just as large) would very much benefit from a recap page and cast of characters page. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVpudDn2Pg8DDdx0KKKG677W2clGBeu4Mut1m2sRYk67tZoC8EBXTtXM93ECLJDgLv58ZWmdhDDn4iMI5JO0Wm3jwxIdW27vsnVYHMF-qi-kMEiI4InM8h_Ih5WhTWByc_4iigXG2opAw7OTH6tzSznV88GCi3_UwTG9YH3oLNmtfmgUECQ/s1612/Belcher_SixGunTarot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1612" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVpudDn2Pg8DDdx0KKKG677W2clGBeu4Mut1m2sRYk67tZoC8EBXTtXM93ECLJDgLv58ZWmdhDDn4iMI5JO0Wm3jwxIdW27vsnVYHMF-qi-kMEiI4InM8h_Ih5WhTWByc_4iigXG2opAw7OTH6tzSznV88GCi3_UwTG9YH3oLNmtfmgUECQ/w358-h640/Belcher_SixGunTarot.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">After that unfortunate book, I moved onto R.S. Belcher’s <i>Six-Gun Tarot</i>, which is the first book in his <b>Golgotha</b> Weird-Western fantasy series. This guy is criminally under-read, he writes wonderful, genre-bending stories. The kinds of books/stories that when you look at the superficial ingredients, you shake you head and ask yourself, how in the hell is this going to work. But he makes it work. I read the third book, <i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/12/lucky-girl-or-how-i-became-a-horror-writer-a-krampus-story-by-m-rickert-2/" target="_blank">Queen of Swords</a> </i><span style="text-align: center;">five(!) years ago and liked it very much. This one introduces readers to a young man named Jim on his way to Golgotha. Jim’s got a magic eye from his deceased(?) father and somehow gets deputized shortly before arriving at Golgotha. Maude, a young witchy woman, is another featured character. Belcher tells the novel going between the “current” storyline as well as Flashbacks that show the “origins” of Maude and Jim. There’s also a powerful, dark presence (maybe it is an Elder God like Cthulhu?) on the outskirts of Golgotha and oh yeah, we see chapters that peek into the War in Heaven or what lead to the War in Heaven and Lucifer’s fall. Heady, all over the place stuff, but it makes sense within the pages. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">All of my Audiobook time in December was dedicated </span><i style="text-align: center;">A Crown of Swords</i><span style="text-align: center;">, the seventh Robert Jordan </span><b style="text-align: center;">Wheel of Time </b><span style="text-align: center;"> novel. I’m still enjoying the trek through Randland.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW47q1-HXvODRDM0XthcBCi2gtlNqxUXG2-tgyf1LEyqQiWX4TvQeABWHTn5yKENipqlXO9l2kQU2YbSwlSJJQUhiUno6ny7mkf25o2j5HwQbQJKTY3HFE2MQjnmOU9W2SovHdws8CaRd-2RmT1J1mbKeltiMueRFmuSpuKy7q_42SWg2fgQ/s2880/2022-Dec_ReadingWrapUp%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW47q1-HXvODRDM0XthcBCi2gtlNqxUXG2-tgyf1LEyqQiWX4TvQeABWHTn5yKENipqlXO9l2kQU2YbSwlSJJQUhiUno6ny7mkf25o2j5HwQbQJKTY3HFE2MQjnmOU9W2SovHdws8CaRd-2RmT1J1mbKeltiMueRFmuSpuKy7q_42SWg2fgQ/w640-h640/2022-Dec_ReadingWrapUp%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><p></p></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-27291144589486690222022-12-05T08:30:00.002-05:002022-12-05T08:30:00.176-05:00November 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">November still had a linger of horror to start, but it the month saw traipses through fantasy, horror, and science fiction. I didn’t post any reviews to SFFWorld in November, but all the reviews I posted in October made up for that, I’d hope. However, two books I read in November will end up being reviewed for SFFWorld (<i>The Art of Prophecy</i> by Wesley Chu which posts tomorrow 12/6 and <i>The Spare Man</i> by Mary Robinette Kowal which will post 12/13) so as usual, I’ll focus on the other books I read.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH62-vu8kE0Q8msII3GZt-N47kCy_5nryEmXfPW6yLSO5npm6VQ05UZ0man8hw9HLcMJxvREKrGYnawvRaDht4z62kXZ7Abwy2i-fKXdghb7SXEr-H1TGPqfk6redw9b2gISu8PaJcaToy2Pj6gqIc9H91X5lvH4bd5DumXJzORuy3htkWg/s2475/Moreno-Garcia_CertainDarkThings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH62-vu8kE0Q8msII3GZt-N47kCy_5nryEmXfPW6yLSO5npm6VQ05UZ0man8hw9HLcMJxvREKrGYnawvRaDht4z62kXZ7Abwy2i-fKXdghb7SXEr-H1TGPqfk6redw9b2gISu8PaJcaToy2Pj6gqIc9H91X5lvH4bd5DumXJzORuy3htkWg/w418-h640/Moreno-Garcia_CertainDarkThings.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Certain Dark Things</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia kicked off November in a great way. I’d read the author’s 80s love letter, <i>Signal to Noise</i> a few years ago and had my eye on this book for a while, especially since Tor Nightfire acquired the rights and wrapped the pages in a gorgeous cover by John Picacio. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Garcia plays with vampire mythology and noir in this fantastic novel set in Mexico City. A young man named Domingo finds himself drawn to vampire Atl and despite her attempts at pushing him away, he continues to find her. Vampires are real and very much a part of the world in Garcia’s novel, although they aren’t quite welcome in Mexico City. Atl and her Doberman are on the run from a gang of “Necro” vampires led by Nick, who has a long-held grudge against Atl. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I loved how the relationship between Domingo (not quite a “Renfield”) and Atl played out over the course of the novel. He was bright and optimistic, she a bit closed off (understandably). What I enjoyed even more was the deep vampire mythology Garcia built for this novel. It isn’t in your face world-building, rather, the backbone of the story that informs the conflicts Atl is forced to deal with in her life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Certain Dark Things</i> is an immediate classic vampire novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjMXra7Qhd9khbz3wgXnebgR0-5c6EZTYIPBhfkO46-aZOPUXn40CuoCaReIuK2igHlgpVG0r5e5zQpYEScqwxNpYwzsFBcMdceDgldMUcEZ31-0KsIgRJ7zpdbQDrWa-tJ215aRfcvgBh2-M9qi-bPKjUuFiKnRy0wsNbBqevY0t2KtChw/s700/th_b_Wendig_Wanderers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjMXra7Qhd9khbz3wgXnebgR0-5c6EZTYIPBhfkO46-aZOPUXn40CuoCaReIuK2igHlgpVG0r5e5zQpYEScqwxNpYwzsFBcMdceDgldMUcEZ31-0KsIgRJ7zpdbQDrWa-tJ215aRfcvgBh2-M9qi-bPKjUuFiKnRy0wsNbBqevY0t2KtChw/w422-h640/th_b_Wendig_Wanderers.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The book that took up the most significant portion of my reading time in November was Chuck Wendig’s <i>Wayward</i>, the sequel to his epic apocalyptic Wanderers. Chuck picks up those threads and weaves a powerful, gripping story of how the survivors of a plague-apocalypse (White Mask) try to survive as humanity with the “help” of an extremely powerful and convincing AI (Black Swan) who helped to “hand pick” a select group of people and protect them from the plague as a last hope for humaity. Picking up about five years after the events of Wanderers, Chuck keeps the pace addictive over the course of the novels lengthy 800 pages. There’s a sense of anger in this novel that is completely believable, especially with the returning characters like Shana Stewart and “President” Ed Creel, though scientist Benji Ray and rocker Pete Corley balance out that anger with signs of hope. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s something about “road stories” and “apocalyptic” stories that work so well when brought together, traversing a barren landscape with potential dangers out of sight makes for great storytelling. That’s one strong element of the <i>Wayward</i> and I again felt resonance with Robert McCammon’s <i>Swan Song. </i>In fact, characters in <i>Wayward </i>specifically called out <i>Swan Song</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s also the Very Good Dog Gumball, who along with Radar from Stephen King’s <i>Fairy Tale</i> are co-winners of the goodest dog of the year. Many authors try to tell stories from the point of view of dogs, not all of them succeed, Chuck does. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chuck did a <a href="https://www.doylestownbookshop.com/event/chuck-wendig-wayward">pre-release signing at the Doylestown Bookshop</a> the Saturday before the book published, with the bookshop about an hour away from me, there was no way I was going to miss it even though I chatted with Chuck at NY Comic Con. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the end, <i>Wayward</i> was a fantastic novel, I was consumed by it for the week-and-a-half I was reading it. Never did I want to leave, never did the novel drag, never did things happen in the novel that didn’t make sense even if what unfolded over the course of the novel was not what I expected. I was surprised by where the story went, and at times even scared by a lot of what the characters had to confront. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Put simply, a fantastic novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRDpgXh4-sW_FFeu3ep3w_Yn4XSV03dmQQGb7AFVdJMCk27RvjRfpEtOt-w9YSd6Q6tN3oZEQjCBCVDgvdQH9HGrJLy80r9tORtkLTeB5LDk8UDCp5mfz2huoKM7rIuvv7qJoSXDBGIvKCU4W1YtYA2kUY2zWUypVLqxt7FqYjROIQ6T3og/s500/Schwab_SavageSong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRDpgXh4-sW_FFeu3ep3w_Yn4XSV03dmQQGb7AFVdJMCk27RvjRfpEtOt-w9YSd6Q6tN3oZEQjCBCVDgvdQH9HGrJLy80r9tORtkLTeB5LDk8UDCp5mfz2huoKM7rIuvv7qJoSXDBGIvKCU4W1YtYA2kUY2zWUypVLqxt7FqYjROIQ6T3og/w400-h400/Schwab_SavageSong.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the audio side of things, I dipped into another V.E. Schwab novel, <i>This Savage Song</i>, the first of <b>Monsters of Verity</b> duology. Set in a world where monsters are real, the story focuses on two young characters – Kate Harker, daughter of a powerful monster hunter who oversees on portion of the city and August Flynn, adopted son of man who runs another portion of the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've read a good handful of novels by Schwab and what I enjoyed in those novels was on display here - deft characterization. Kate and August felt real, genuine, and I wanted to believe them. I also appreciated Schwab's world-building especially when it comes to the various monsters who live in this world side-by-side with humans. She balances the details with the elements that are mysteries to the readers but taken for granted by the characters very well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYpWIbWyI4eZKUQ4zYewJD224SuyunkkiBUYkZbpMSrmVdcC2pHnvJUKGQfD4fws1-Ij-WSJfD1ldeVS6EcAKIz8PdR4WiCvN3wyj8LGOUqeQ4D-hoEKexZptIw1jcPeDoj9fpaPTjrUtZDnA5C6k8gx8cuyF8QP1HedYd53VhvRrDpgMmQ/s1152/Jordan_ACOS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYpWIbWyI4eZKUQ4zYewJD224SuyunkkiBUYkZbpMSrmVdcC2pHnvJUKGQfD4fws1-Ij-WSJfD1ldeVS6EcAKIz8PdR4WiCvN3wyj8LGOUqeQ4D-hoEKexZptIw1jcPeDoj9fpaPTjrUtZDnA5C6k8gx8cuyF8QP1HedYd53VhvRrDpgMmQ/w400-h400/Jordan_ACOS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lastly, I started (and am still listening to) <i>A Crown of Swords</i>, the seventh <b>Wheel of Time</b> novel. I was trucking along pretty well diving into Randland on an almost monthly basis for the first portion of the year, but it was July when I finished the preceding installment, <i>Lord of Chaos</i>. At this point, what can I say about a <b>Wheel of Time </b>novel. I knew this book is where many fans of the series see the "slog" creeping in, but so far I'm feeling very comfortable back in the world. It has been just over<a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-crown-of-swords-wheel-of-time-re-read.html" target="_blank"> a decade since I re-read this book</a> so this makes the audio version I'm currently consuming the third time I'm reading the book. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's it for November 2022!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-31648305371692243692022-11-03T11:00:00.038-04:002022-11-03T11:00:00.166-04:00October 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">October, shockingly, was all about horror. Well, the books I read, at least. The first weekend in October was New York Comic Con and it was the fist time since 2019 I was able to attend. They limited the press passes in 2021 and it wasn’t held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. One of the books I’ve already read, but you can click over to these three posts at SFFWorld to read my recaps of my time during the convention:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/new-york-comic-con-2022-panel-recap-authors-on-the-best-advice-they-ever-got/" target="_blank"><b>New York Comic Con 2022 Panel Recap: Authors on the Best Advice They Ever Got</b></a> </li><li><b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/new-york-comic-con-2022-panel-recap-spooks-shivers-and-shrieks-horror/" target="_blank">New York Comic Con 2022 Panel Recap: Spooks, Shivers, and Shrieks: Horror</a></b> </li><li><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/new-york-comic-con-2022-wrap-up/" target="_blank"><b>New York Comic Con 2022: Wrap Up!</b></a></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I said above, every book I read in the month of October either had some horror flavors or was flat out horror. Three of those books were review books part of the annual “Countdown to Hallowe’en” series we do at SFFWorld</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uRomQHtqePRKkNUYnVK9jYWe3nGLtoJk3zuZO3p_N-6gqfXMeyqHcPtbUk0nQ7h1xZ-TzxWp81glky1zO_v9b7FAJc_RmOuXPX4T9CqW6l8ibP_JtQnn1OYG4aoXI7x2GyIE4rHfVIEvAAY3ChCMMzDXd7J8wMwf7B1mu-TfUFD6J9SfDA/s2880/20221102_142251.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uRomQHtqePRKkNUYnVK9jYWe3nGLtoJk3zuZO3p_N-6gqfXMeyqHcPtbUk0nQ7h1xZ-TzxWp81glky1zO_v9b7FAJc_RmOuXPX4T9CqW6l8ibP_JtQnn1OYG4aoXI7x2GyIE4rHfVIEvAAY3ChCMMzDXd7J8wMwf7B1mu-TfUFD6J9SfDA/w400-h400/20221102_142251.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2022-little-eve-by-catriona-ward/" target="_blank"><i>Little Eve</i> by Catriona Ward</a> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Little Eve</i> touches many topics in its slim, but potent length. There’s the concept of “grooming,” psychological manipulation, cults, animal cruelty, and of course child abuse (both mental and physical). Although this is a fictional tale set nearly a century prior to today, the games Uncle plays with his family are frighteningly real and are very much cultish in nature.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2022-leech-by-hiron-ennes/" target="_blank"><i>Leech</i> by Hiron Ennes</a> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Hines manages to generate a wonderful atmosphere in the novel, there are hints of things familiar in the genre, but mixed up in a way that feels quite refreshing. With a creepy mine, there’s some definite horror vibes of the dark dwellers flavor of the genre and even something of an old west feel…In addition to <i>The Thing</i>, I also felt a sense of resonance with some of Jeff VanderMeer’s weird horror fiction and in the way the Institute “helps” humanity, I couldn’t help thinking of Octavia Butler’s <i>Dawn</i> and <b><a href="https://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/02/the-completist-xenogenesis-a-k-a-liliths-brood-by-octavia-e-butler/" target="_blank">Lilith’s Brood/Xenogenesis</a></b> books. Like I said, some familiar echoes that when fully projected are a story of its own.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2022-lute-by-jennifer-thorne/" target="_blank"><i>Lute</i> by Jennifer Marie Thorn</a> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">What I found as unnerving as the black cloud over “The Day” was the affect it had on Nina’s relationship with her husband Lord Hugh. He initially seems quite stable, but as Nina begins to stray from the home as the “Day” draws ever closer, he seems to unravel. As it turns out, Nina is a quick learner and the true impact and import of “The Day” begins to settle into her mind, she understand what it means to be a resident of Lute and somehow begins to find herself more resolute.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/adowryofblood/" target="_blank"><i>A Dowry of Blood</i> by S.T. Gibson</a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Compulsive…that’s the word that comes to mind when I think of this novel. Gibson has lovely prose and the tale is told with both auras of relaxed prose as well as elements of urgency, but through it all, the narrative of Constanta’s confessional is powerfully compulsive, which is why I read this book in only a couple of days. Her tale is gripping and you want to see her overcome her abuser.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4M5lYc53XBLexPlz8pfZlHOYPrmSHwuwgcr4V_kNAhAf-hRO2GBTdWEbmYS0lEDwS_9nZ1lUt-aWFKqsIxGQ3WAvtii7HCAw1J2BX0uY3Ow0U1cV9JOg-wYa2CQYW2sUCLe3HxO4ZL53Lyp2XBK4Sia1Wiobc498SEb-l2Wi7gE-SoC5iw/s500/41bTASyBXDL._AC_SY780_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4M5lYc53XBLexPlz8pfZlHOYPrmSHwuwgcr4V_kNAhAf-hRO2GBTdWEbmYS0lEDwS_9nZ1lUt-aWFKqsIxGQ3WAvtii7HCAw1J2BX0uY3Ow0U1cV9JOg-wYa2CQYW2sUCLe3HxO4ZL53Lyp2XBK4Sia1Wiobc498SEb-l2Wi7gE-SoC5iw/w421-h640/41bTASyBXDL._AC_SY780_.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of the non-SFFWorld review books, let’s start with Ronald Malfi’s <i>Black Mouth</i>, which is the first novel I’ve read by the author. I’ve been seeing good things about his work for the past couple of years (<i>Come with Me</i> in particular), but this one’s description grabbed me for its very superficial similarity to books like King’s <i>IT</i> and Dan Simmons’s <i>Summer of Night</i> - friends reunite in their hometown to take down a monster they thought was gone. Those similarities, as I noted, are just superficial.
Malfi’s tale is a little more confined, in that there are fewer characters and much more despair surrounds the characters; protagonist Jamie Warren is an alcoholic struggling with his addiction; his mother is a junkie who killed herself, thus brining Jamie back to Sutton’s Quay, VA. His disabled brother was found wandering. Dennis’s other friends Mia and Clay have their own demons, but they were very close friends when they were kids, but haven’t seen each other in years, since an eerie man known only as the Magician touched their lives. Malfi excels with his characters and building a sense of creepiness, between the Magician and the haunted region of Black Mouth itself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He tells the tale in intertwining chapters that focus on the present and past when Jamie and his crew initially encounter the Magician. Malfi has a very deliberate pace and that pace works perfectly in <i>Black Mouth</i> to build up empathy for all the characters, the horrific nature of the Magician, the unsettling nature of Black Mouth itself, and how the tension builds towards the conclusion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Black Mouth</i> is one of my favorite novels of the year and I’m looking forward to reading more from Malfi in the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfRSSEYo1Yxg2c4YhtUbcVNSVXmXfzuI16CYwbp4g5gHUEN92odKZYxbxPe095uj7VA8uOEmjhv03z3rvpKK7gP1M4xlLh-GJBnhmAP3VKUOO_27jqYU45KNCDc9pyVzLFgm6hIGLRiUr6deLfiDAB26yE1g4Pg9QZ0y1mVrx7CA8UaPOwg/s666/GhostEaters_final_72dpi_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfRSSEYo1Yxg2c4YhtUbcVNSVXmXfzuI16CYwbp4g5gHUEN92odKZYxbxPe095uj7VA8uOEmjhv03z3rvpKK7gP1M4xlLh-GJBnhmAP3VKUOO_27jqYU45KNCDc9pyVzLFgm6hIGLRiUr6deLfiDAB26yE1g4Pg9QZ0y1mVrx7CA8UaPOwg/w432-h640/GhostEaters_final_72dpi_0.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the books I picked up at New York Comic Con was Clay McLeod Chapman’s <i>Ghost Eaters</i>, which he then signed. I’ve read two of his books so far (<i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2019/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2019-the-remaking-by-clay-mcleod-chapman/" target="_blank">The Remaking</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2021/04/whisper-down-the-lane-by-clay-mcleod-chapman/" target="_blank">Whisper Down the Lane</a></i>) and enjoyed both and shared both with my wife to read. This one focuses on a drug called Ghost that allows the people who consume it to see dead people, or ghosts. Thinking about seeing dead loved ones might bring a swell of positive emotion to your heart…Clay goes the opposite direction. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I won’t spoil what that means, but damn.
The story focus on Erin and her toxic ex-boyfriend Silas. She keeps trying to get away from him and his addictions, but she finds it difficult. He eventually turns up dead of an overdose. Erin can’t hold on, she always feared he may wind up dead, but it actually happened and she has difficulty dealing with it. Then she learns about the aforementioned drug called Ghost.
There’s an escalating creep factor that sets it apart. Chapman’s characters seem genuine and are empathetic and not since Jeff VanderMeer have mushrooms been so very creepy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other non-SFFWorld review book I read was Nick Cutter’s <i>Little Heaven</i>, which I was looking forward to reading after <a href="https://robbedford.blogspot.com/2022/06/may-2022-reading-round-up.html?burning" target="_blank" through=""><i>The Troop</i></a> earlier in the year because I enjoyed it so much. I can’t say I felt the same way about <i>Little Heaven</i>. The book started off fine, I was into it. But it just turned into a slog as it felt everything was happening at a glacial pace.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNqTELJaENiTSW9di3ExuP16Fn4kFecImPYB5t3G0JY8BWF_-sELr_azu4ZFeNaqjoliK9MdLU8q3YTjJkil0m1q1GCCqd6daw2kNnbNF7sm8vIh_RIEyVl69s8W_2PfYcg33IMW0m2fFIw6sn-4RuIfHvqOPfbZLzfsDv9I26dJE_50Cwg/s500/51sK2j+Qz5L._SL500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNqTELJaENiTSW9di3ExuP16Fn4kFecImPYB5t3G0JY8BWF_-sELr_azu4ZFeNaqjoliK9MdLU8q3YTjJkil0m1q1GCCqd6daw2kNnbNF7sm8vIh_RIEyVl69s8W_2PfYcg33IMW0m2fFIw6sn-4RuIfHvqOPfbZLzfsDv9I26dJE_50Cwg/w400-h400/51sK2j+Qz5L._SL500_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The audiobook I read (and have yet to finish) took up all of October, but it was a re-read, Chuck Wendig’s <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2019/07/wanderers-by-chuck-wendig/">Wanderers</a></i>, which I reviewed back in 2019 for SFFWorld when it published. The book was released before the COVID-19 Pandemic, but damn if Wendig’s story wasn’t prescient for what we’ve experienced the last few years. Seems more horrific in hindsight than it did at the time. Here’s some of what I said back in 2019: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">In short, between the potent politics, graphic nature, and embracing of the tropes, Wending doesn’t shy away from ANYTHING in <i>Wanderers</i>. As a writer, Chuck is far from a shy person, as people who follow him online and in fiction already know. I’ve read a few of Chuck Wendig’s novels and I see some pieces of those works, here, except maybe a little more refined an in your face. Wanderers is a magnum opus for him, it seems like a work of fiction he’s been working towards, and is a powerful achievement ... Wendig has shown himself at the very least an equal storyteller/writer of the Epic Apocalypse with <i>Wanderers</i>. For me, it is an instant classic, an immediate Modern Masterpiece of the genre, and will probably be my favorite 2019 novel, and a book I will hold very high in my pantheon for years to come.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’ll close out with my bookstack from New York Comic-Con 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ4lMJeKar-fg9sGijqQ0NZ_guUmY5PJPK5fZiNCLigQOn6DLOqt6cLO1JstpGnAR11vsaqsJGFjYHVnxryj9fViJSN6ORayFJUpKIBMfPAq9BL1khXiedB2wNbWTs5N5L367CMs1Y_Q5DPh7X-7AZSDPhK_Yp2g57NmSw0plRPpNksliZg/s2805/20221009_190504.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2805" data-original-width="2805" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ4lMJeKar-fg9sGijqQ0NZ_guUmY5PJPK5fZiNCLigQOn6DLOqt6cLO1JstpGnAR11vsaqsJGFjYHVnxryj9fViJSN6ORayFJUpKIBMfPAq9BL1khXiedB2wNbWTs5N5L367CMs1Y_Q5DPh7X-7AZSDPhK_Yp2g57NmSw0plRPpNksliZg/w400-h400/20221009_190504.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-31964538928374425372022-10-06T08:45:00.025-04:002022-10-06T08:45:00.160-04:00September 2022 Reading Round up<div style="text-align: justify;">September proved to be a proflific and varied reading month for me. A few books I read were review books for SFFWorld: <i>Ruination</i> (the first prose novel set in the world of <b>League of Legends</b>) and <i>It Rides a Pale Horse</i>. Also, I read <i>Full Immersion</i> by Gemma Amor in August (as hinted last month), but the review posted in September. As of this post, those reviews are up at SFFWorld, but the excerpts of each are below. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOjkBWaR-I_D7Bmfaps_vHeXQ5YENMzZXdsoYfouzisMPm3AGT7bmIYrHvMvWO6rDU-QVKU6B8jbxNhn2wFTVD-YJJXSavDVn88FmHkvzsSJvZA1k2-39DDl_mWq4q3LlENNfFB9ArW_4MMPzIVzBxjfcAB5Hjh-5QnULnyBaAe5maBiqlw/s2880/SFFW_Collage_Sep2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOjkBWaR-I_D7Bmfaps_vHeXQ5YENMzZXdsoYfouzisMPm3AGT7bmIYrHvMvWO6rDU-QVKU6B8jbxNhn2wFTVD-YJJXSavDVn88FmHkvzsSJvZA1k2-39DDl_mWq4q3LlENNfFB9ArW_4MMPzIVzBxjfcAB5Hjh-5QnULnyBaAe5maBiqlw/w400-h400/SFFW_Collage_Sep2022.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My SFFWorld colleague Mark Yon and I both received review copies of <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/09/ruination-by-anthony-reynolds/">Ruination</a></i>, we both enjoyed the book a great deal…and probably more than we expected: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Reynolds has a great deal of experience in writing these kinds of books and he’s quite adept at relaying a lore-heavy world while also maintaining a well-paced story with developed characters. The primary characters manage to breath uniquely beyond the tropes in which they fit and the plot is fairly straight-forward. The details of the world relayed in the novel are just enough to keep the plot going for a relatively un-experienced <b>League of Legends</b> person like myself. </i></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, I didn’t quite enjoy <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/sffworld-countdown-to-halloween-2022-it-rides-a-pale-horse-by-andy-marino/" target="_blank">It Rides a Pale Horse</a></i>:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Marino does some interesting things with his characters, at least Lark and his two companions, pens engaging dialogue, and has a knack for crafting some horrific, visceral scenes. Unfortunately, those elements – while strong – weren’t strong enough to carry through the portions of the novel that didn’t work for me. That dichotomy ultimately left me feeling frustrated with the novel.
</i></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/09/full-immersion-by-gemma-amor/">Full Immersion</a> </i>by Gemma Amor was one of the most potent novels I've read this year<i>:</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Amor pours her soul into this novel, it is raw, full of emotion, and incredibly honest. That feeling comes through in every word of the novel, even outside of the forward. There’s a science fictional aspect to the novel with the Virtual Reality element, but a mounting dread both in the simulated environment and with the observers has the novel creeping and creeping towards horror. The bouncing between the observers and what Magpie was experiencing in VR made for a very gripping read, building tension on both sides that made it tough to set the book down</i>. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for the non-review books, I read Tasha Suri’s <i>The Jasmine Throne</i>, the first the <b>Burning Kingdoms</b> saga and thought a very good silk road, epic fantasy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK88dmKaBjzIHGXmwDbDQx2lch85P_qARPhIw3L245ynBm49O20T60j5dMsfSzbGXsrLw-OlamVOAQQ5HQnBOL6e2n-fpUvTUfE-SB49QRYZ3WOfdW5MRp1ek0GAIqRxYshb-dMQ59YEZ6jOP6Q4axNNjo3oQGI0GkyBgbIe-2Dhzbb91uyw/s500/518JzZIgtDL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK88dmKaBjzIHGXmwDbDQx2lch85P_qARPhIw3L245ynBm49O20T60j5dMsfSzbGXsrLw-OlamVOAQQ5HQnBOL6e2n-fpUvTUfE-SB49QRYZ3WOfdW5MRp1ek0GAIqRxYshb-dMQ59YEZ6jOP6Q4axNNjo3oQGI0GkyBgbIe-2Dhzbb91uyw/w260-h400/518JzZIgtDL.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Potent themes, thrilling action, and fantastic character development. Set in Parijatdvipa, which is very much inspired by the legends and history of India, the novel focuses on the character of Priya, a servant in the household of the regent of the city state of Ahiranya. The other main character is Malini, a prisoner and sister of the emperor. The storyline of the two characters eventually intertwine making for a very satisfying novel. Great world-building, interesting magic, with enough closure for the novel itself, while also setting up a foundation for future novels. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTzjZmLKc0dEJ1GcbdsLO5EkCziilBWdVBDXosU-XOdsSF7NWFVET3T-tDNfdi8LzQ2x3Qzr4fV7mdZlo_IM11q2XwmDKwLcx345dxJmUhrExOxBxkyNU7jviFThF0fWOJ0V_sM9z_Hz4pEmqIg6DiuqBqXhm8aQPcuJmKIbSH_j-NueXGg/s2128/81PMOtoT7zL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2128" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTzjZmLKc0dEJ1GcbdsLO5EkCziilBWdVBDXosU-XOdsSF7NWFVET3T-tDNfdi8LzQ2x3Qzr4fV7mdZlo_IM11q2XwmDKwLcx345dxJmUhrExOxBxkyNU7jviFThF0fWOJ0V_sM9z_Hz4pEmqIg6DiuqBqXhm8aQPcuJmKIbSH_j-NueXGg/w264-h400/81PMOtoT7zL.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King is a book I’ve been anticipating since I heard about it in January of this year (2022). I immediately thought of The <i>Eyes of the Dragon</i> and <i>The Talisman </i>when the title was announced and there are some parallels to those King classics, but this one is its own story. Charlie Reade lives with his father, a recovering alcoholic. Charlie’s mother was killed in a freak car accident when he was younger. Charlie managed to push through his challenges, becoming a star athlete. When he befriends a mysterious man who lives in the oldest house in the neighborhood, Charlie learns of another world filled with magic, strange creatures, and evil. He also befriends the neighbor’s dog, Radar. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are little shout outs to past King works, it is a novel that blends so many things King is good at doing; youthful protagonist, monsters, character, friendship between an older and younger character, and dogs. I suspect Molly, AKA the Thing of Evil may have helped there, too. I wouldn't be surprised if some Constant Readers will end up naming their dogs “Radar” in the future. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the end, I’d say that <i>Fairy Tale</i> is a top 5 or top 10 King novel for me, out of the near 50 or so books I’ve read by Sai King. This one is an instant classic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO0gfyeeVl1Ms4R95bIu4TYjIG5px7cxYXjGfA0uUn5ndnvVbslLUgzLSbLQ0dnl_e8Iz3jaU4QqyYMglzsh_3lJRMC2qMcckCeXc1Vc4zcORaSElb1XuXqfBrPTqkh_jqhFI5tT4kmUCYhE6mgq0X0PrVcXLwDNAP6KgUsAFURNQ_SjwPw/s500/41NOE6Ye7BL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO0gfyeeVl1Ms4R95bIu4TYjIG5px7cxYXjGfA0uUn5ndnvVbslLUgzLSbLQ0dnl_e8Iz3jaU4QqyYMglzsh_3lJRMC2qMcckCeXc1Vc4zcORaSElb1XuXqfBrPTqkh_jqhFI5tT4kmUCYhE6mgq0X0PrVcXLwDNAP6KgUsAFURNQ_SjwPw/w250-h400/41NOE6Ye7BL.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>T</i><i>he Last Stand of Mary Good Crow</i> by Rachel Aaron is the first book in a new Weird-Western-Epic Fantasy series. Set in Medicine Rocks, Montana which is a hotbed for “Crystal” a mysterious substance discovered in 1866 which has since become the most valuable thing in the world. Crystal, unsurprisingly, is a magical substance that can speak to certain people. The Mary Good Crow of the title is a guide, helping would-be seekers of fortune find crystal in the mines. She is enlisted by Josephine Price, an heiress from Boston seeking to reinvigorate the company she inherited. Rounding out the trio of protagonists is Tyrel Reiner, who has connections to a lot of things happening in Medicine Rock. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Like I said, the Crystal is highly sought after so many people are vying for control of the mines, which presents one of the novel's primary conflicts. Two strong elements make this book as enjoyable as it was: Aaron’s amazing world-building skills and the characters she creates. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was a fun one and a good start to a series. As with <i>The Jasmine Throne</i>, there is a decent amount of resolution in the novel, but <i>The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow </i>is definitely just the first of a series. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6O8FjVEk9A9kccP4EMpEQDzXgKunDRyzATXN6pRd-OcGHFwMQRftLasw5lktDStmhdEW7dJltZ5CUBHcsXdPX7sHewmmnn712CQ8wPSOGB0Hc95UhllK2M-dg8qNUTcF0SPIAIF34u-PikaMCGY2tF_Ssw8WClA9Dzx4j9eExD842H9kzA/s500/61+kYHxqtSS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6O8FjVEk9A9kccP4EMpEQDzXgKunDRyzATXN6pRd-OcGHFwMQRftLasw5lktDStmhdEW7dJltZ5CUBHcsXdPX7sHewmmnn712CQ8wPSOGB0Hc95UhllK2M-dg8qNUTcF0SPIAIF34u-PikaMCGY2tF_Ssw8WClA9Dzx4j9eExD842H9kzA/w400-h400/61+kYHxqtSS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Children of Chicago</i> by Cynthia Pelayo is a fascinating blend of urban fantasy, fairy tale, crime procedural, and mystery. These are all genres that can naturally meld together and Pelayo does an impressive job of placing the Pied Piper myth into modern day Chicago. The main character is detective Lauren Medina, whose father was also a police detective. Children are being brutally murdered and the only clue is a connection to the Pied Piper. Medina is an extremely well-constructed character, flawed, determined, and undeniably believable and real. The novel is also steeped in the dark history of Chicago. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unsurprisingly, this one takes some chilling turns on the way to the stunning conclusion. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeFK45AP3subYU1CAvjfa0g4XbYgA2qGO5EAzKbuNk-RRU7JsyBIoF_vF0DlzIVo7cK9Bm5SUQn46tEcloEmy3i7QAprOWqOhgggSJecB00rThZ5dkEtoMQLoFa8ig3U31DXq_abgQCpceGq03_CEAs__FoSit3qB8nxHB1UI0ADrK3VByw/s500/51iYvBxO+IL._SL500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeFK45AP3subYU1CAvjfa0g4XbYgA2qGO5EAzKbuNk-RRU7JsyBIoF_vF0DlzIVo7cK9Bm5SUQn46tEcloEmy3i7QAprOWqOhgggSJecB00rThZ5dkEtoMQLoFa8ig3U31DXq_abgQCpceGq03_CEAs__FoSit3qB8nxHB1UI0ADrK3VByw/w400-h400/51iYvBxO+IL._SL500_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I just finished <i>The Book of Cold Cases</i> by Simone St. James a couple of days before this post went live so technically it could be either an "October" or "September" read. Either way <i>The Book of Cold Cases </i>is the second book I’ve read by St. James and it is just as good as the first one, <i>The Sun Down Motel</i>. In this book, Shea Collins, a young divorced woman has a hobby looking into open murder cases and runs the Website “The Book of Cold Cases.” Her latest obsession is the socialite Beth Greer, who was suspected killing two men in 1977, shortly after her parents died. Shea, in 2017, is able to convince Beth to tell her the full story of the murders and her life. It is fascinating story, that has hints of a ghost story, murder, and great character development. St. James excels at telling parallel stories as we learn about Beth’s from Beth as Shea listens intently.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSWRRnA91yKPVylGqfEgaoJYaxjGcxLPfH0vNAkyDVLJpyd_BkNEBpYjefbzf625toPNqGoIyME0AbEm67I0PZj5LORk5HvKywDXFYu1f7JvyC5mLzs1odM1doF6kfh9FM1UuPFHXJc-RxpyZwddiFxuZ1WhA9pQS3xN1b2CFzuuCDuyDXA/s2880/20221003_174908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSWRRnA91yKPVylGqfEgaoJYaxjGcxLPfH0vNAkyDVLJpyd_BkNEBpYjefbzf625toPNqGoIyME0AbEm67I0PZj5LORk5HvKywDXFYu1f7JvyC5mLzs1odM1doF6kfh9FM1UuPFHXJc-RxpyZwddiFxuZ1WhA9pQS3xN1b2CFzuuCDuyDXA/w400-h400/20221003_174908.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-30754509549099788072022-09-07T09:00:00.011-04:002022-09-07T09:00:00.190-04:00August 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">August was an interesting month, in terms of what I read. A couple of big fat fantasies, a couple of darker novels, and I started a new space opera / military science fiction audio book series. I’ll only really mention the two big fat fantasies I read in August since the other two books are review books for SFFWorld.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">August started in a big way with <i>Into the Narrowdark</i> the penultimate volume in Tad Williams <b>Last King of Osten Ard</b> series. This series is sequel to his landmark <b>Memory, Sorrow and Thorn</b> trilogy. I reviewed <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2019/05/the-empire-of-grass-by-tad-williams-last-king-of-osten-ard-2/">The Empire of Grass</a></i> (<b>The Last King of Osten Ard</b> #2) and <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2017/06/the-witchwood-crown-book-one-of-the-last-king-of-osten-ard-by-tad-williams/">The Witchwood Crown</a></i> (<b>The Last King of Osten Ard</b> #1) as well as <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2017/06/a-brief-retrospective-of-tad-williamss-memory-sorrow-and-thorn/">A Brief Retrospective of Tad Williams’s <b>Memory, Sorrow and Thorn</b></a> over at SFFWorld, so I’m a big fan of everything Tad Williams has written and it may be easy to surmise that <i>Into the Narrowdark</i> was quite high on my anticipated reads list for 2022. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOs6Fp5BSB82htrtnQjn1j_icEou9lGaDqAjPZB0J4hwFxTWU-1yAteu-6XTL1AWEM_YAc2n3iGdfhtHGZ5JexGj6CrNjnSTE6AN3s2ohyLJoHRNm2stD-hk484nob5Kj21JcoU8ie5riT4Psom-O-5eyePWJm9xbSgkzr7IWw99Wi-5f3w/s2560/Williams_Narrowdark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1695" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOs6Fp5BSB82htrtnQjn1j_icEou9lGaDqAjPZB0J4hwFxTWU-1yAteu-6XTL1AWEM_YAc2n3iGdfhtHGZ5JexGj6CrNjnSTE6AN3s2ohyLJoHRNm2stD-hk484nob5Kj21JcoU8ie5riT4Psom-O-5eyePWJm9xbSgkzr7IWw99Wi-5f3w/w424-h640/Williams_Narrowdark.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As it turns out, this is just the first half of what is the final volume of <b>The Last King of Osten Ard</b>. Tad has a tendency of publishing four-book trilogies. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premise of the series is that about three decades have passed since the end of <b>Memory, Sorrow and Thorn</b> with Simon and Miriamele ruling. Their son has passed away and their heir, Morgan, has not turned out to be the prince they’d hoped. In this novel, Tad deftly balances multiple points of view as the world is on the precipice of another momentous change. He does a fantastic job of balancing the weigh of each character’s storylines and weaving in plot threads dangling from 30 years ago. As it turns out, there’s been about 30 years since <b>Memory, Sorrow and Thorn</b> concluded and that’s about the same time that has elapsed in Osten Ard. Those older mysterious and revelations to the characters make for some great moments. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I like what Tad has done with the character of Morgan over the course of these books as the young man matured and is coming into his own. He’s paired up with Nezeru, a harsh sacrifice who acts as his guide through the wilds while he guides her to a life that could be better than what she knew. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Simon, I have to admit, was a little too wrapped up in his grief, but a switch went off with him in the later part of the novel and Miriamele continues to shine in every scene that features her. The Hayholt, the castle that serves as the home and seat of rule, continues to be a mysterious and often creepy place to navigate, as Simon’s granddaughter finds out. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The conclusion/finale of this novel…just…damn you Tad! It was so well executed and is as much of a cliff-hanger ending as you’d want but also hate to read. I can’t wait for <i>The Navigator’s Children</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My only real slight on the book – and this is no fault of Tad Williams – is that DAW books decided to drastically change the look/cover art of the book. The legendary, iconic Michael Whelan painted all the <b>Memory, Sorrow and Thorn</b> covers and the two earlier volumes in this series (as well as many of the covers for Tad’s novels). That is not the case with this book. The cover is fine and eye-catching, but a small bit of magic is missing from the overall physical element of the book. A big, fat, Tad Williams tome just doesn’t seem right without a Michael Whelan cover. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other big Epic Fantasy novel I read in August was <i>Lamentation</i>, the first installment of Ken Scholes’s <b>Psalms of Isaak</b> five-book saga. This book was published a little over a dozen years ago (2009) and was Ken’s debut novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wRePT2G7SjVAhABrMEIST3feKnYL-Mz3QynXZDz7bMkyNJuzvfuPJhMaNSbVsHKERjw16rAL9s0C8aBhbfxbDju9wH3fOfhSVC4hHPzjjTzHi59AqBGL6BfPu-MwoX4mhx-mw1ffyUe_ZFkXrpEaot3yYRaKtNTfcS_a5yVxHdsvQxQuoA/s2252/Scholes_Lamentation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wRePT2G7SjVAhABrMEIST3feKnYL-Mz3QynXZDz7bMkyNJuzvfuPJhMaNSbVsHKERjw16rAL9s0C8aBhbfxbDju9wH3fOfhSVC4hHPzjjTzHi59AqBGL6BfPu-MwoX4mhx-mw1ffyUe_ZFkXrpEaot3yYRaKtNTfcS_a5yVxHdsvQxQuoA/w398-h640/Scholes_Lamentation.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Set in a world that has survived a few apocalyptic events, magic and science coexist, though not always quite comfortably. The inciting incident – the city of Windwir being destroyed, particularly its legendary library – was because a robot cast a spell.
From there, the novel winds through a wonderful path of alliances, manipulation, romance, politics, and redemption. Religion is quite powerful in the novel as the philosophy of the long dead P’Andro Whym drives the Androfrancines who are led by a Pope, but that is where the large similarities end. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The main players are Rudolfo, the heroic Lord of Ninefold Forest; the duplicitous Sethbert Overseer of the Entrolusian City States; Jin Li Tam, the prominent daughter of the house of Tam, whose father does a lot of plotting; Neb, the seemingly lone survivor of Windwir; and the old man Petronus who takes Neb under his wing. Scholes does a great job of jumping between these characters to keep the pace of the plot moving very briskly. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The novel is more concerned with how these players react to the destruction of Windwir than anything else, so there isn’t too much world-building on display but the hints (robots and magic coexisting, essentially) are quite intriguing. There are also hints of a deep history to the world, so I'm hoping subsequent volumes will reveal more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The series was completed a few years ago (in 2017 with <i>Hymn</i>) and I’ve got books 2, 4, and 5 on Mount ToBeRead waiting. I’m quite excited to see where this series goes over the course of those next four novels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the audio front, I started Glynn Stewart's <i>The Terran Privateer</i>, the first book in his <b>Duchy of Terra</b> Space Opera/Military SF saga. More on that next month once I finish it since I was only about half-way through when September began.</div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-32207053788650826222022-08-04T09:00:00.002-04:002022-08-04T09:37:23.474-04:00July 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">July was another great month for reading, I read a couple of authors for the first time as did many people recently, they were debut novels. Three of the books I read in July were review books for SFFWorld (one of which will post in August so I'll note that next month), but the review of a book I read in June was posted in July. The short of that sentence - I posted 3 reviews to SFFWorld in July: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrJRYTNpvyi0vgM-npPCOf-G1gemYY9kucZiYGg8OA0SLdQgGeHxfSbo3ezFogFfBsabruSjr_sFRPyappAisErSDGCYEzC7iAjznV6avSTLrE269VqgNSw4qlNei3o7sX7XGs_9sYytT-4eeh_VT0eZ03_oKang0fnI7eTTsguj36GKQ-g/s1358/th_b_maberry_kagendamned.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrJRYTNpvyi0vgM-npPCOf-G1gemYY9kucZiYGg8OA0SLdQgGeHxfSbo3ezFogFfBsabruSjr_sFRPyappAisErSDGCYEzC7iAjznV6avSTLrE269VqgNSw4qlNei3o7sX7XGs_9sYytT-4eeh_VT0eZ03_oKang0fnI7eTTsguj36GKQ-g/w265-h400/th_b_maberry_kagendamned.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/07/kagen-the-damned-by-jonathan-maberry/"><i>Kagen the Damned</i></a> by Jonathan Maberry:
<i>Horror and Epic Fantasy tend to intermingle, just read some of the passages of Tad Williams’s <b>The Dragonbone Chair </b>and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re reading a horror novel. More recently; however, some big chonker Epic Fantasy novels don’t just have horror passages, or dashes of horror, they can be considered Epic Horror novels outright – Jay Kristoff’s <b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2021/09/empire-of-the-vampire-by-jay-kristoff/" target="_blank">Empire of the Vampire</a></b> and Christopher Buehlman’s <b><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2021/05/the-blacktongue-thief-by-christopher-buehlman/" target="_blank">Blacktongue Thief</a> </b>immediately come to mind. Of course, this novel could be considered Grimdark – and it will definitely appeal to Grimdark readers – but the horror DNA of Kagen the Damned is pretty potent. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmh1tej-Nq69F6MezMuExVbxTw5C-aU2f4oneOroW90iHwbN4fVBBqwTCqpKzMfm2eUM76iQtGnEEt4Hgun5p-c_rpgIdFjcNRIXOb1-3aX2YvGDOfkA4PuH1NlDs9EOzZhNYzTIcZahsR4CopO8XeUafqB_mUZbJTtUAhV48suqlVI3d2A/s1440/th_b_harrow_Mirrormended.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmh1tej-Nq69F6MezMuExVbxTw5C-aU2f4oneOroW90iHwbN4fVBBqwTCqpKzMfm2eUM76iQtGnEEt4Hgun5p-c_rpgIdFjcNRIXOb1-3aX2YvGDOfkA4PuH1NlDs9EOzZhNYzTIcZahsR4CopO8XeUafqB_mUZbJTtUAhV48suqlVI3d2A/w250-h400/th_b_harrow_Mirrormended.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/07/a-mirror-mended-by-alix-e-harrow-fractured-fables-2/">A Mirror Mended</a></i> by Alix Harrow:
<i>Powerful prose, modern sensibilities, and a great sense of fun make A Mirror Mended a great follow-up to A Spindle Splintered. There are many other fables/fairy tales Harrow can explore with her fine-tuned pen and sensibilities, I for one would welcome more stories in this vein with these characters. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0UOLGoLG7Xm_bN8lb-gh8ajBwYNI9Qxwp3SZt6EL9hX33VRiMlXCSTBnToum7oSe_p6573TlCHi5CIG2xKuVAdiKUBM4BTXonD77JnLyaOQrKrGGY-EARMI-p6BNnttCqqh_0e5LB1do4200AEB0wPIBsIcOAWyie2F8m4-Zz6xauFjYXA/s1609/th_b_jones_blacktide%20-%20Copy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1609" data-original-width="1049" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0UOLGoLG7Xm_bN8lb-gh8ajBwYNI9Qxwp3SZt6EL9hX33VRiMlXCSTBnToum7oSe_p6573TlCHi5CIG2xKuVAdiKUBM4BTXonD77JnLyaOQrKrGGY-EARMI-p6BNnttCqqh_0e5LB1do4200AEB0wPIBsIcOAWyie2F8m4-Zz6xauFjYXA/w261-h400/th_b_jones_blacktide%20-%20Copy.jpeg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/07/black-tide-by-k-c-jones/">Black Tide</a></i> by K.C. Jones:
<i>I also like how Jones injects humorous passages into the otherwise dark and horrific tale. The best horror novels, and movies, have a laugh here or there to balance out the tension and the same can be said for Black Tide. That humor and balanced approach…i.e. not every chapter/passage being a conflict with an alien monster…helps to keep the pages and story moving at a great pace. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkv4E_K12ZfaoWmn1ve5jhDIvMWOugYjYLFAPyR8gu0rwhB2k6Jr1l-gsdAxU_4KhitcB21jXJEU0ksu5OI5SjtGfow9DQ-GRijsSd2WwHQn88BJ2k4CYeFR6ewxmKjmCzCdTzs2M1LPM3UxoVYrCLderxU3_2H9rE0YP5Mk3cITWWUFJRg/s450/LadyHenterman.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkv4E_K12ZfaoWmn1ve5jhDIvMWOugYjYLFAPyR8gu0rwhB2k6Jr1l-gsdAxU_4KhitcB21jXJEU0ksu5OI5SjtGfow9DQ-GRijsSd2WwHQn88BJ2k4CYeFR6ewxmKjmCzCdTzs2M1LPM3UxoVYrCLderxU3_2H9rE0YP5Mk3cITWWUFJRg/w245-h400/LadyHenterman.jpeg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In books I read that weren't reviewed at SFFWorld, I continued with Marshall Ryan Maresca’s <b>Maradaine</b> super series with <i>Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe</i>, the second in the <i>Streets of Maradaine</i> sub-sequence. This trilogy within the big series has a heist-like/caper feel and focuses on The Holver Alley Crew. The crew is still trying to get some kind of revenge or recompense for their homes and base of operations being burnt down. The street-wise group needs to infiltrate a high-society party to learn who was pulling the strings lead to a surprise. I’ll admit, a book with a title about a woman’s closet may be peculiar, but the book was lots of fun and was a great “episode” of the overall <b>Maradaine</b> saga. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RevsqYS3rBfKOpBT-TDAbJPvK34iFMv_zqZzBO_r-Y4bCeuDTfmpGpEGVHrigeXVri1Jr5Ws-b_TRtBCZLMUWKLyFZbtqRoOr9XYnN93oBNrSS3OeUGeCpLYJWp5RjfG-axANi6mvnJsSCwZ6ElZsa7kMeas7LzdOUBDBypWybLegAwSqg/s2560/SurvivorSong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1429" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RevsqYS3rBfKOpBT-TDAbJPvK34iFMv_zqZzBO_r-Y4bCeuDTfmpGpEGVHrigeXVri1Jr5Ws-b_TRtBCZLMUWKLyFZbtqRoOr9XYnN93oBNrSS3OeUGeCpLYJWp5RjfG-axANi6mvnJsSCwZ6ElZsa7kMeas7LzdOUBDBypWybLegAwSqg/w224-h400/SurvivorSong.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Paul Tremblay is one of the more impressive horror writers to emerge into the genre the last decade or so. <i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> is one of the most perfect horror novels I ever read. Slowly, I’ve made my way through his books and this past month, landed on <i>Survivor Song</i> which is set during a pandemic as a new, deadly strain of rabies emerges. Although published in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tremblay wrote it before. Timing can be interesting. Anyway, this was a pretty gripping novel focusing on the plight of Natalie, a pregnant woman who was bitten and asked her friend, a Doctor, to help her. The novel follows their journey across a small region of Massachusetts over the course of a few hour. An intense, emotional and unsettling novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D2DR_4pvFj22-1Dfe9Bg76mVF2N_qd60FVUWiqjDwID2LZucE-zXoWZanEUvZ_UtEeNVL_uc9qHaBI4L_e5T6-3Vv6PW4j3sLWJqET6BRVuAnv1sTq4jRQB0bRkibaFiLChT1_DHjpWKofxbPcxWT8c6tD-s4eeZmk_O-NTCMh7YXqr7Xg/s450/Narrowdark.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D2DR_4pvFj22-1Dfe9Bg76mVF2N_qd60FVUWiqjDwID2LZucE-zXoWZanEUvZ_UtEeNVL_uc9qHaBI4L_e5T6-3Vv6PW4j3sLWJqET6BRVuAnv1sTq4jRQB0bRkibaFiLChT1_DHjpWKofxbPcxWT8c6tD-s4eeZmk_O-NTCMh7YXqr7Xg/w265-h400/Narrowdark.jpeg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the month came to a close, I cracked open <i>Into the Narrowdark</i> the third book in Tad Willams’s latest 4-book trilogy, <b>The Last King of Osten Ard</b>. Hard to say too much at this point, but I eased right back into the world and these characters. Small print at 500+ pages means I’ll be occupied with this book for a while. That is NOT a complaint. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZOnqnvJxx2Xcjh8nke7fEXo6vlsBby4vg5A621p1fe5hyoP9w-5kolF-OLwrpZ6GYU5RRc52tuj17tvVq0s5dhGnhfWH-B5LOs4UOyeUM3zhGIVDVg6vuqWfNFuuhZ_tSlEYvNuq4sZz-ZV-GucGAr3hoB2fDIR6ZwAIi9FwmRUyrTXHCw/s1536/LordofChaosAudio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZOnqnvJxx2Xcjh8nke7fEXo6vlsBby4vg5A621p1fe5hyoP9w-5kolF-OLwrpZ6GYU5RRc52tuj17tvVq0s5dhGnhfWH-B5LOs4UOyeUM3zhGIVDVg6vuqWfNFuuhZ_tSlEYvNuq4sZz-ZV-GucGAr3hoB2fDIR6ZwAIi9FwmRUyrTXHCw/w400-h400/LordofChaosAudio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For my audiobook readings, all of July was consumed by <i>Lord of Chaos</i>, the sixth installment of Robert Jordan’s <b>Wheel of Time</b>. I’m enjoying it as a very comforting return to friends and familiarity, but I’m beginning to see hints of the dreaded “Slog.” Some fantastic character moments in the novel, more perspective from the Forsaken and dark side. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Only one book didn’t work for me in July, Ruthanna Emrys’s <i>A Half-Built Garden</i>. I found the pacing to be rather slow. I didn’t’ connect with the characters and was simply not feeling the book.
</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBrdXUF5J2bfPn4uruVVV-zxZCSvI61hDdaTFH9bhXSVr8zP0J8jxYQjrCG9YFu8K88QerE0m1B6VtEYUUIWA2e8cq10MYdsSyT_E5d2gD1owPYj-MwjkP1dFd2ACr4MQ8DKft0JF5-23PzGwQw5A0emnJoRwzd9c9flpDcSjEFgFjAgQNQ/s2880/BOS_July_2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBrdXUF5J2bfPn4uruVVV-zxZCSvI61hDdaTFH9bhXSVr8zP0J8jxYQjrCG9YFu8K88QerE0m1B6VtEYUUIWA2e8cq10MYdsSyT_E5d2gD1owPYj-MwjkP1dFd2ACr4MQ8DKft0JF5-23PzGwQw5A0emnJoRwzd9c9flpDcSjEFgFjAgQNQ/w400-h400/BOS_July_2022.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-21900120905455172682022-07-07T10:00:00.110-04:002022-07-07T10:58:06.190-04:00June 2022 Reading Round Up<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Another month, another batch of books read
and shelved. Let’s start with the lone book I reviewed for SFFWorld, <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/06/in-the-shadow-of-lightning-by-brian-mcclellan-the-glass-immortals-1/" target="_blank">In the Shadow of Lightning</a></i> by Brian McClellan</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><em><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"></span></em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfv0ZYrk2p8dtCelsXfSktCrK8BIvXs_3VY_L8Dq5kCvd28GCt1IIu0i20JEB5JtbEHXw8ljCcLRb_3dvw5wClnfQONoeYLid2ZrNw7LNTV_VxtbXTvAhrKlYQgmPHe9_afUZIQ14oSBZ97KXr1B7-k343iU5gm2tNEFVH0cFj7i5AghT2dA/s760/th_b_McClellan_INTHESHADOWOFLIGHTNING.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfv0ZYrk2p8dtCelsXfSktCrK8BIvXs_3VY_L8Dq5kCvd28GCt1IIu0i20JEB5JtbEHXw8ljCcLRb_3dvw5wClnfQONoeYLid2ZrNw7LNTV_VxtbXTvAhrKlYQgmPHe9_afUZIQ14oSBZ97KXr1B7-k343iU5gm2tNEFVH0cFj7i5AghT2dA/w264-h400/th_b_McClellan_INTHESHADOWOFLIGHTNING.jpeg" width="264" /></a></div><p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-style: italic;">In the Shadow of Lightning</i><i> </i>is an enormously entertaining, inventive, and smart novel. As a series starter, it does everything perfectly…lays the ground for the world and the people, invites speculation about where the plot can go, provides some closure, but leaves the door open for the inevitable second novel. I was a fan of Brian’s <strong style="outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Powder Mage Trilogy</span></strong> and this book reminded my why I like his writing and storytelling so much…it is FUN! I could feel how much Brian enjoyed
crafting this magic system and have his characters play in it, the feeling was infectious. That’s something he has always infused his work with and reminds me I need to catch up with the sequel trilogy to <strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Powder Mage Trilogy</span></strong>.<i> </i></div></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgor57EoQJbGH5MXJljvHhNTTWCaSyN4LxQey8JTIeDXd3G57V5CjMgpGhFz1nCI5nXnyMrstRytcspTS4k-D2nyZ6EnQxa7N9nJ2LTOq7JngwcF8a2E8CfzZ90d_v5kjFrCNU9e4YLbZ4YjmPsu1ykRPvQPsWW2LF1jyQro1a4yRcJxOOe2Q/s2100/Wendig_Thunderbird.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgor57EoQJbGH5MXJljvHhNTTWCaSyN4LxQey8JTIeDXd3G57V5CjMgpGhFz1nCI5nXnyMrstRytcspTS4k-D2nyZ6EnQxa7N9nJ2LTOq7JngwcF8a2E8CfzZ90d_v5kjFrCNU9e4YLbZ4YjmPsu1ykRPvQPsWW2LF1jyQro1a4yRcJxOOe2Q/w266-h400/Wendig_Thunderbird.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I’ve slowly been making my way through <a href="https://terribleminds.com/" target="_blank">Chuck Wendig</a>’s <b>Miriam Black </b>series and I tore through the fourth book, <i>Thunderbird</i> early in the month in about a day or two. With each book I read from Chuck Wendig, he climbs my top 10 list of favorite writers. This series is a horror/mystery/noirish hybrid that focuses on title character Miriam Black who can tell you when you die. In this fourth novel, Miriam is even more broken. This installment finds Miriam hoping to get rid of her ability to see people’s deaths, which she considers a curse. Of course, it isn’t that easy for Miriam because she gets caught up with drug dealers in the Southwest and bad things happen. I’ve got two more books in the series and I’m vacillating between consuming them quickly because they are so damned good and stretching out that consumption because well, then they won’t be new to me any longer. DAMN YOU WENDIG!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFqTWJOz8HzLeEWgyr21dxQVFcBNLxmRCYEsrCWGTckpvbSjGjO7oYUBpwkSrlZxTNrTRGxoq-5vXCI_JZ7mum2IkE5e1HRYA7RcpQyrPgsy1vp3TD0olDiH8mcjuMcNSueVLXByt7LfPUwi0WgxedHc9SBAGU0UZKZhrRzvskptiSAurFw/s1360/Miskowski_Worst.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFqTWJOz8HzLeEWgyr21dxQVFcBNLxmRCYEsrCWGTckpvbSjGjO7oYUBpwkSrlZxTNrTRGxoq-5vXCI_JZ7mum2IkE5e1HRYA7RcpQyrPgsy1vp3TD0olDiH8mcjuMcNSueVLXByt7LfPUwi0WgxedHc9SBAGU0UZKZhrRzvskptiSAurFw/w266-h400/Miskowski_Worst.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">After bouncing off of Ava Reid’s newest novel, <i>Juniper & Thorn</i>, I dove into S.P. Miskowski’s <i>The Worst is Yet to Come</i>. This one is a few years old (2019), but I’ve been seeing it mentioned with some frequency in some of the horror social media circles I’ve been following. None of that prepared me for what was in store in this dark, sort-of-coming-of-age story. Tasha is a 14 year-old girl who befriends Briar, a new girl in town, much to the chagrin of her mother. Miskowski brilliantly tells this story from multiple points of view and each layer of dread that unfolds reveals a new layer of dread. Miskowski has more stories set in this town of Skillute and I think I need to get my hands on them. Also, that cover is just hauntingly gorgeous.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsr_dQ5Fl7awHBni7TC4bI7f9oilNdi7xDIoIG7morrGIHZS091t_6f8tx5ABbtV1RuwsomCKHw4i86s_2q-zo7XnSWRLBf9-zO4HY0xN6rfc0UP8xBgirctMITJ1SCD9iGlhUeBTCW-LYNk_Q0Wx9DwV2YJuroZy8uKggkQBEhZ7ZZx7bQ/s500/Bancroft_Senlin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsr_dQ5Fl7awHBni7TC4bI7f9oilNdi7xDIoIG7morrGIHZS091t_6f8tx5ABbtV1RuwsomCKHw4i86s_2q-zo7XnSWRLBf9-zO4HY0xN6rfc0UP8xBgirctMITJ1SCD9iGlhUeBTCW-LYNk_Q0Wx9DwV2YJuroZy8uKggkQBEhZ7ZZx7bQ/w266-h400/Bancroft_Senlin.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">After a couple of dark tales, I jumped into a book I’ve had sitting on Mount Toberead since late 2017 – <i>Senlin Ascends</i> by Josiah Bancroft, the first novel in his <b>Books of Babel</b>. This book was a self-published sensation when Orbit republished it and the second book, <i>Arm of the Sphinx</i>, in 2018. What makes this novel so enchanting is how it is everything an Epic Fantasy novel should be, but has similarities to so very few Epic Fantasy novels I’ve read. The closest two novels that come to mind for me are Alastair Reynolds’s <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2011/06/bookreview726/" target="_blank">Terminal World</a> </i>and Gregory Frost’s <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2008/02/bookreview423/" target="_blank">Shadowbridge</a></i>. Those comparisons really don’t do justice to the magic of what Josiah Bancroft has done with this novel and world. Bancroft sets his story in a world that has many similarities to our own, but is clearly just echoing that familiarity, the story has a fable-like feel too it, as well.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Title character Thomas Senlin takes his wife Marya to the Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. The tower is an enormous, continuously growing structure with each vast level, or "ringdom," essentially a world unto itself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas and Marya are separated almost immediately and he spends the bulk of the novel searching for her. Bancroft’s prose is elegant, it lulls you in like a comforting blanket, but the stories it reveals over the course of Senlin’s journeys through four of the forty "ringdoms" are harrowing, enchanting, and often dark. The fourth and final novel published November 2021, so I may have to binge the three remaining books I’ve yet to read.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu_JiAYGeEjk2kIO62ILyFO3nfqa_pFTCq7kmPZt7w8RuSQXTA8Jc7ksJ_sjCswzLeBrZ7l8pX5yYhCXHLkKOsglhAcVVJJeOejsHROLytOVQQ5no0wwb0qd6SSULArJQmqLCIruBZA5KOEWNNJMFyP1-y2yBcXDaYVfYdhiItYfAzdqb_w/s600/Janz_TheRaven.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="388" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu_JiAYGeEjk2kIO62ILyFO3nfqa_pFTCq7kmPZt7w8RuSQXTA8Jc7ksJ_sjCswzLeBrZ7l8pX5yYhCXHLkKOsglhAcVVJJeOejsHROLytOVQQ5no0wwb0qd6SSULArJQmqLCIruBZA5KOEWNNJMFyP1-y2yBcXDaYVfYdhiItYfAzdqb_w/w259-h400/Janz_TheRaven.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">If there’s one author I’ve “discovered” in the sense that I hadn’t read them before the last year or so who has jumped up my must buy list it is <a href="https://jonathanjanz.com/" target="_blank">Jonathan Janz</a>. The third book I’ve read by him over the last year, <i>The Raven</i> is a post-apocalyptic/horror/adventure hybrid. Prior to the events depicted in the novel, in order to avert what was thought to be a guaranteed nuclear holocaust a group of rogue scientists played with human genes that triggered monsters of legend, like werewolves, zombies, cannibals, and vampires, to reemerge from our “junk DNA” in the world. They were always real in the world of <i>The Raven</i>, but mankind all but erased them from memory. The titular character, The Raven, is Dez, a man trying to survive in this broken world and find the woman he loves. Dez
is guilt-ridden for the lives he couldn’t save, which drives him to find and hopefully save her. This one is a blast and Janz is releasing a second book (hopefully of many) later in the year. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #333333;"><u>Audio
Books</u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSHQz4I4OYAJnvZk1Rs54GHPPrzsGTaONeGv-yjplmAxxpaCL6eNHAslv63TnZwkQ1eJc6SesLwF2Lgta-T0xgLOb50cx1GHVCspT60OnqKwchtq36xj0k5s9MlfEcPRRbaGxgTK3J2ngIGbd1QArO6SbVuvk5GU5Noc2pZcS629Xb21rsw/s342/Buroker_LayersofForce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="342" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSHQz4I4OYAJnvZk1Rs54GHPPrzsGTaONeGv-yjplmAxxpaCL6eNHAslv63TnZwkQ1eJc6SesLwF2Lgta-T0xgLOb50cx1GHVCspT60OnqKwchtq36xj0k5s9MlfEcPRRbaGxgTK3J2ngIGbd1QArO6SbVuvk5GU5Noc2pZcS629Xb21rsw/w400-h400/Buroker_LayersofForce.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I mentioned last month I was in the home stretch for Lindsay Buroker’s fantastic <b>Star Kingdom</b> saga and I finished the last book in the series, Layers of Force about halfway through the month. I can’t recommend this series highly enough, fun, light-hearted, and optimistic with some interesting SF tropes on display. The narration by Fred Berman is awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, I tried a new series from a trusted author: <a href="https://www.seananmcguire.com/" target="_blank">Seanan McGuire</a>’s <i>Discount Armaeddon</i>, the first novel in her <b>InCryptid</b> series. If the first book in the series is any indication, I’m going to enjoy these books. They focus Verity Price a ballroom dancer and part of a family of Cryptozoologists, who were once monster hunters. Verity's family realized a couple of hundred years ago that hunting and killing innocent monsters might not be such a good thing. There are some similarities with Larry Correia’s <b style="text-align: left;">Monster Hunter International</b><span style="text-align: left;"> series, but those are mostly superficial. McGuire’s series, at least based on this first book, is far less
militaristic and a little more upbeat and flavored with more romance. Enormously fun in every way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedB9pYEEECq0O76zfI8n0dU134zYd1de-rqSrT-vwXEaAazl3Xb0Pjvg0OusF7w7NxkE9V5cv5g1zeWOt5iYguoL3hfwqd2nWOFa2GSCIk1AqB8NqM7oooAK-gbTN654SdMdur_Bi0H2b03FhPjYi4LFndDVTtvhSg3yp95glM_W2yxGWjA/s500/McGuire_Discount.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedB9pYEEECq0O76zfI8n0dU134zYd1de-rqSrT-vwXEaAazl3Xb0Pjvg0OusF7w7NxkE9V5cv5g1zeWOt5iYguoL3hfwqd2nWOFa2GSCIk1AqB8NqM7oooAK-gbTN654SdMdur_Bi0H2b03FhPjYi4LFndDVTtvhSg3yp95glM_W2yxGWjA/w400-h400/McGuire_Discount.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I went back to <b>The Wheel of Time</b> with book six, <i>Lord of Chaos</i>. I’ve only just begun, but I think this is one where the
bloat starts to creep into the series. I’m enjoying it on what is either my third or fourth re-read. The audiobook is 40 hours so I may not finish it in July!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGRBHtqzeFE8ItyXZFX9tulM0Uc41_qoUnwF9F6quQfV21jRXqk8E98qzsGFyIOkI1o7PyBuNF6oOg0dvLz585wivFzJwpjqkS2Dgm48FJc3xiDCYdJ9t8jzZ3pVCIPDj3W61exJZ8dWdG6pKmmpKMRr0IhqnEN4N1ewmBgnEFSNNhht-YA/s2880/BOS_June_2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGRBHtqzeFE8ItyXZFX9tulM0Uc41_qoUnwF9F6quQfV21jRXqk8E98qzsGFyIOkI1o7PyBuNF6oOg0dvLz585wivFzJwpjqkS2Dgm48FJc3xiDCYdJ9t8jzZ3pVCIPDj3W61exJZ8dWdG6pKmmpKMRr0IhqnEN4N1ewmBgnEFSNNhht-YA/w400-h400/BOS_June_2022.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span><p></p>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-1019691201124896612022-06-03T09:30:00.027-04:002022-06-03T10:07:13.401-04:00May 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">This is getting to be a regular thing, it seems – I read some books, I post about them. Sure, I’ve been doing that at <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/author/rob-b/">SFFWorld for years</a>, but with far less frequency here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWZhmachc-UohXgyxH5JvdlzfqOM34tQ-AbqP2Imgk_xu4-WBuLjAuwH-qiTUvw8WLZw69RGK5p_vw8K09zNf0j1X8P5UamdrK-kPpiyFgbgOhXgCwX5CeIiC-IS60S_LFB5IdyAAqMlHEbczz6VMfxVtAkPHQSXWdYsKZoVqj3UCLuyJQw/s2880/20220531_213922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWZhmachc-UohXgyxH5JvdlzfqOM34tQ-AbqP2Imgk_xu4-WBuLjAuwH-qiTUvw8WLZw69RGK5p_vw8K09zNf0j1X8P5UamdrK-kPpiyFgbgOhXgCwX5CeIiC-IS60S_LFB5IdyAAqMlHEbczz6VMfxVtAkPHQSXWdYsKZoVqj3UCLuyJQw/w400-h400/20220531_213922.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’ll briefly mention the reviews I posted to SFFWorld during the month of May before doing an overview of the goodies I read not for review for SFFWorld, i.e. books I bought or were gifted, but not sent for review from the publisher.
Over the last month at SFFWorld, you’ll find my review of <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/05/the-hacienda-by-isabel-canas/" target="_blank"><i>The Hacienda</i></a> by Isabel Cañas, which I posted last week. This was a haunting, excellent horror debut novel. Last month, I hinted at a book I read in April whose review would be going live May 3, that was <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/05/book-of-night-by-holly-black/" target="_blank">Holly Black’s <i>Book of Night</i></a>. A review of a book I read back in March went live in May, too. An outstanding Horror Anthology edited by John F.D. Taff, <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/05/dark-stars-new-tales-of-darkest-horror-edited-by-john-f-d-taff/" target="_blank"><i>Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Terror</i></a>. There’s one book officially publishing in June which I’ll post to SFFWorld on the book’s publication date. I started it late last week, but will hopefully finish it in the next week or so.
Here’s the rundown of what I read outside of the review books I received for SFFWorld. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZIt3ppQ_T0GvYuaB2xrYnT3h516-c4PgHLwaB5YYud5NOPrZsZ51SlTFa3-RUH_jZThIZ3lYSL2tZb4BZ1i_D6c4YzYA-WIKYvRIVUuhcbMTxh7DMyoIHmf2SUdRAehjc02HAxAvuaicQgWCr57bmiJWkGlgVrw3quFtdNjqiIMOO7a5xQ/s500/410KDDd-njL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZIt3ppQ_T0GvYuaB2xrYnT3h516-c4PgHLwaB5YYud5NOPrZsZ51SlTFa3-RUH_jZThIZ3lYSL2tZb4BZ1i_D6c4YzYA-WIKYvRIVUuhcbMTxh7DMyoIHmf2SUdRAehjc02HAxAvuaicQgWCr57bmiJWkGlgVrw3quFtdNjqiIMOO7a5xQ/w400-h400/410KDDd-njL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">May started out strong with the audiobook of <i>Take Your Turn, Teddy</i>, by <a href="https://www.haleynewlinauthor.com/" target="_blank">Hayley Newlin</a>. This is a book I’ve seen good things about on the various horror blogs and instagrammers I follow. This book starts out as a sad tale of a young boy named Teddy whose father is extremely abusive to his mother and becomes a horror novel mixed with a serial killer police procedural. Some creepy scenes, nice character development with the cast of characters, and nods to the Stephen King. It works extremely well and the narration by <a href="https://www.haleynewlinauthor.com/" target="_blank">Thomas Gloom</a> helped to enhance the story. Haley also <a href="https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/tag/haley-newlin/">reviews for Cemetery Dance</a> magazine online. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4azI1SWn-ttOeVq5idmNvLOt6a691Msl1u4pwfHqvLzZUJ1FFxTGykGz2QQHanVEQSEaoiT7dfwgzt4EyiMTu0qljxYnY5iJE9EeFsLJgIOpVO03aTClWZ3wAtUCgTiYEDceUF0rlSnAgq-oMDQoeNAeTFMrxfMOhy8o7Rv-JWNQsTXfM1w/s500/41rwzJm-amL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4azI1SWn-ttOeVq5idmNvLOt6a691Msl1u4pwfHqvLzZUJ1FFxTGykGz2QQHanVEQSEaoiT7dfwgzt4EyiMTu0qljxYnY5iJE9EeFsLJgIOpVO03aTClWZ3wAtUCgTiYEDceUF0rlSnAgq-oMDQoeNAeTFMrxfMOhy8o7Rv-JWNQsTXfM1w/w424-h640/41rwzJm-amL.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Clown in a Cornfield</i> is a book whose title alone would strike a chord of creepiness in most reader’s imagination. <a href="https://adamcesare.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Adam Cesare</a> tells the story of a middle American town, but it can be seen as a microcosm of some of the issues in everyday America. Our main character, Quinn Maybrook, moves to Kettle Springs, a town whose divide between the adults and teens traces back to the recent shutting down of the syrup factory, which was a great source of the town’s economy and livelihood. Added to the chaos is “Frendo the Clown,” the mascot of the syrup factory, who begins killing people. Quinn is caught up in the mess as a new kid torn between the popular crew and the not so popular crew. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cesare did a fantastic job of immersing me in the story, building empathy for his characters, and keeping the tension and scares a very appreciable level. I read the book in only a couple of days because it was both relatively short and very difficult to set aside. As this post goes live, the sequel, <i>Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives</i> is on the horizon. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZkmSqIm-qrYsA6hNkUnDHMuf2_019hCKtvJVz8OxhK7hjqZ5Bdb2JgBbY9m3YurA14u288dAFznP9tWZN6kuBXB8hid5gUsZ6Z9KM-VAL_cN_UtzhF6K3cWm4niufAXOsald0v7HJOSahSyvnyGETiP5i4FyFYK53lmaj2JC4EI3hnEe7A/s500/51LECXC+68L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZkmSqIm-qrYsA6hNkUnDHMuf2_019hCKtvJVz8OxhK7hjqZ5Bdb2JgBbY9m3YurA14u288dAFznP9tWZN6kuBXB8hid5gUsZ6Z9KM-VAL_cN_UtzhF6K3cWm4niufAXOsald0v7HJOSahSyvnyGETiP5i4FyFYK53lmaj2JC4EI3hnEe7A/w400-h640/51LECXC+68L.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A break in the horror with <a href="https://www.bookwormblues.net/" target="_blank">Sarah Chorn</a>’s second novel in her <b>Songs of Sefate</b> series, <i>Glass Rhapsody</i>. I was a big fan of the first book (<i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2021/11/of-honey-and-wildfires-by-sarah-chorn-the-songs-of-sefate-1/">Of Honey and Wildfires</a></i> reviewed @SFFWorld) and was eager to see where she took this fantastical frontier world. Her prose remains top notch and beautiful. Building on the momentous events at the conclusion of the first book, Sarah manages to maintain the same emotional pull that drove <i>Of Honey and Wildfires</i> while also examining new ways for her characters to deal with grief and tribulation. Sarah self-publishes her novels, but her storytelling ability is stronger than many traditionally published writers whose work I’ve sampled.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg2eaaIWjeJXcJTj2S_zSCVf9aSiQ-mfuqjvoqsmNX3NvcyVmi93FD4IfZHsQ-rxobUfQbn2WFNyFYK0Lr4tcnnUN9W7CZfUzd6sPdjptLlrtNXvAhOSPc7fptejMC3DimzfPbeH97sEDa-FxtkjoeHcDDqBa3F7WGLaRv-w937vUe2rmkw/s1360/61B61epbeyL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg2eaaIWjeJXcJTj2S_zSCVf9aSiQ-mfuqjvoqsmNX3NvcyVmi93FD4IfZHsQ-rxobUfQbn2WFNyFYK0Lr4tcnnUN9W7CZfUzd6sPdjptLlrtNXvAhOSPc7fptejMC3DimzfPbeH97sEDa-FxtkjoeHcDDqBa3F7WGLaRv-w937vUe2rmkw/w426-h640/61B61epbeyL.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to Horror with <i>The Troop</i> by <a href="http://www.craigdavidson.net/nickcutter/index.html" target="_blank">Nick Cutter</a>. This book, as well as Cutter’s other books, seem to make every recommendation list I see for “recent horror” novels. After finally diving into the book, I now understand why. A scout troop goes to a local uninhabited island, Falstaff Island, to experience the wilderness as part of their annual trip. This island is essentially cut off from civilization, which is the point of the trip, especially in a world that is uber-connected. The boys and Scoutmaster arrive and are shortly joined by an unexpected visitor. That unexpected visitor brings some unexpected visitors of his own. The hype is pretty genuine with this book, it is horrific and creepy, at turns reminding me of the films <i>Alien</i> and <i>The Thing</i>, and of course the easy novel comparison, <i>The Lord of the Flies</i>. Some gruesome scenes, but not really gory for gore’s sake. Any of the squelchy scenes serve the story as a whole and a couple of characters are equally monstrous.
Cutter openly admits the use of “real” updates like blogs, court records, and psychological transcripts interspersed in the text was inspired by Stephen King’s <i>Carrie</i>. It is an extremely effective method for building tension in the story. I’m looking forward to reading more of Nick Cutter’s novels in the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p9N1a0WZaVto7H8wWFJ5MmlWr0LnXfgp448rhevmu-iko7oyjeOp_madEc1SRX5i-RvT6uHteYoR3zX703PHdAcsCxBBmYKWHXNU0lIbYNssZ6Z3pisqzXA8d6h61JOn5y5X8lcRmvPVSn5H3o1ZvfklPedCQ4qqKYtxG6grJA7kZZJM-A/s500/51cDSOC2dYL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p9N1a0WZaVto7H8wWFJ5MmlWr0LnXfgp448rhevmu-iko7oyjeOp_madEc1SRX5i-RvT6uHteYoR3zX703PHdAcsCxBBmYKWHXNU0lIbYNssZ6Z3pisqzXA8d6h61JOn5y5X8lcRmvPVSn5H3o1ZvfklPedCQ4qqKYtxG6grJA7kZZJM-A/w400-h400/51cDSOC2dYL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I took a break from my audiobook re-read of <b>The Wheel of Time</b> to finish out <a href="https://lindsayburoker.com/" target="_blank">Lindsay Buroker</a>’s <b>Star Kingdom</b> space opera series over the past month with book 7 <i>Home Front</i> and I started, book 8 <i>Layers of Force</i> at the end of the month, and will finish early June. This is a fun, character driven space epic set thousands of years in the future and unlikely hero Casmir Dabrowski who finds himself at the center of events of galactic conflict. The series features genetically modified humans, robots with AI, royalty, romance, space pirates, ancient technology and is enormously fun. In many ways, protagonist Casmir Dabrowski and his hopeful outlook in the face of tyranny reminds me of Julius from Rachel Aaron’s equally fun Fantasy/Apocalypse hybrid, <b>Hearstrikers</b>. I reviewed the first two books of that series for SFFWorld: <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2015/02/nice-dragons-finish-last-heartstrikers-1-rachel-aaron/">Nice Dragons Finish Last</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2016/08/one-good-dragon-deserves-another-by-rachelaaron/">One Good Dragon Deserves Another</a>.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On to another month of books!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbWQu2ZaNmW5Q3A1Tku2483MB6HpRqSQxf2eu9F6_rfVSVP3DR1DK0Kgc-Vi6ULR34vD9NNyh7P2kzpRTeES2ZDxTWgmwY5wKSvOxQPuoiDXmVrsPN8ZRGqIPnJMT32m7Lkc2gVh3qjbadqnITN6KG2e-UZBqwxTbS752Q3vGcVMPCMwJag/s2880/20220531_163552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbWQu2ZaNmW5Q3A1Tku2483MB6HpRqSQxf2eu9F6_rfVSVP3DR1DK0Kgc-Vi6ULR34vD9NNyh7P2kzpRTeES2ZDxTWgmwY5wKSvOxQPuoiDXmVrsPN8ZRGqIPnJMT32m7Lkc2gVh3qjbadqnITN6KG2e-UZBqwxTbS752Q3vGcVMPCMwJag/w400-h400/20220531_163552.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-65771715066406555912022-05-01T10:51:00.021-04:002022-05-01T10:51:00.156-04:00April 2022 Reading Round Up<div style="text-align: justify;">Books, I read books. I read lots of books. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfmGkbRawjWy3ffn061wrHgGldNBFuM6wUDrwKoSGXqZ1CahXK6FnGkrGI8HY-gMccHTAKN_c40wk6SKwZSzK0L_I56x7SeVxC8rJwsgIJh6kIXr9jyT5nDw3YDywX6W4g5fZ-60H5PyUJBF2iZ-rH9QotYxVHMHbgATY9elA5CojTDAEuA/s2735/Kingfisher_Gwynne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2735" data-original-width="2735" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfmGkbRawjWy3ffn061wrHgGldNBFuM6wUDrwKoSGXqZ1CahXK6FnGkrGI8HY-gMccHTAKN_c40wk6SKwZSzK0L_I56x7SeVxC8rJwsgIJh6kIXr9jyT5nDw3YDywX6W4g5fZ-60H5PyUJBF2iZ-rH9QotYxVHMHbgATY9elA5CojTDAEuA/w400-h400/Kingfisher_Gwynne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I read a few books in April, one of which is a May release. I’ll be posting my review to SFFWorld on May 3, the day of publication. I also posted a couple of book reviews in April, books I read in March: <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/04/the-hunger-of-the-gods-by-john-gwynne-the-bloodsworn-2/" target="_blank">The Hunger of the Gods</a></i> by John Gwynne, the spectacular second entry in his Norse-inspired Bloodsworn saga. Bottom line: this is shaping up to be a stellar fantasy saga.
The other book review was T. Kingfisher’s <i><a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/04/nettle-bone-by-t-kingfisher/" target="_blank">Nettle & Bone</a></i> a modern take on the tried and true fairy tale about the princess who wants to marry the prince. In the case of this delightful novel, a princess wants to kill the prince. I highly recommend this one, too. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5b9VOKYLzYlQNlMa0F4f3weuFiQBgw60DF2yJzVsmWhSNC9uaM2meRE-mCGPc7wxwjbJ1d9LtIpxLQ2OfMdbqNQ8g1Sn_qD392aqKDDgVlAb5ux6f2jPGWHGbxxbzjIVWq8y9myy7uehARoqAlT84uQ4_e_3rIs1Moz7PxwUjDUB01JtqQ/s1536/Jordan_FoH-Audio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5b9VOKYLzYlQNlMa0F4f3weuFiQBgw60DF2yJzVsmWhSNC9uaM2meRE-mCGPc7wxwjbJ1d9LtIpxLQ2OfMdbqNQ8g1Sn_qD392aqKDDgVlAb5ux6f2jPGWHGbxxbzjIVWq8y9myy7uehARoqAlT84uQ4_e_3rIs1Moz7PxwUjDUB01JtqQ/w400-h400/Jordan_FoH-Audio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the audiobook front, the entire month was consumed joyfully with book four of <b>The Wheel of Time</b>, <i>The Fires of Heaven</i> wonderfully narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.
I continued with my descent into the Horror genre with two gems from small presses. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8O5wRtcqOE4WHAgTVNtUkqfaUOEkX8w_r65ddv2_ks_gw_4LSwUT_59pOuSy3wTYd0RV8E5vZ-F44I74fJF8OfXA5IeN3hCOWlAiomrPSdPeFPH_VIrioxWnw0qsDhFOao87BJbZNGhhKn_BAKeYzPeNqj5Fb1ExGlsON4BLTdtOVW03LQ/s1500/Taff_Fearing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8O5wRtcqOE4WHAgTVNtUkqfaUOEkX8w_r65ddv2_ks_gw_4LSwUT_59pOuSy3wTYd0RV8E5vZ-F44I74fJF8OfXA5IeN3hCOWlAiomrPSdPeFPH_VIrioxWnw0qsDhFOao87BJbZNGhhKn_BAKeYzPeNqj5Fb1ExGlsON4BLTdtOVW03LQ/w426-h640/Taff_Fearing.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://twitter.com/johnfdtaff" target="_blank">John F.D. Taff</a>’s <i><a href="http://greymatterpress.com/product/the-fearing-definitive-edition-john-fd-taff-pbk/" target="_blank">The Fearing</a></i>, which was originally published in serialized format as short novels/novellas, much like Stephen King’s <i>The Green Mile</i>. <a href="http://greymatterpress.com/" target="_blank">Grey Matter Press</a> released a “Definitive Edition”/omnibus slightly re-worked by Taff to be more of a novel. Boy-howdy did I enjoy this book. In it, all the fears of the world have been unleashed and it is up to a handful of characters to figure out how to navigate this world in the midst of transforming. Seemingly at the head of this release of fears is a man named Adam. Taff follows Adam’s journey across America and his affect on the people he encounters along with a few groups of characters who manage to survive the catastrophies and monsters unleashed in the world. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Have I said I loved this book? Well, Robert R. McCammon’s <i>Swan Song</i>, Stephen King’s <i>The Stand</i>, and Chuck Wendig’s <i>Wanderers</i> now have another book joining them on my proverbial top shelf of Epic, Apocalyptic Horror. Love the cover on this one, too. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhrvS-4aI3LWW02SHkxfoYNyi1NbPaueq-ZBhhJBDwXPGS0ZGhhh_4t7kkkwunaaBYA05jVMYa3kuKRzSkuuum7GPupKwfTSlnZs6BAPT4KYcAE9fVEclLtnarl4PFuFByuWuB0HBhpJwKFHxN0kLyXnbGQjTf9DZTcM6wzsg7bEijvIomg/s1360/Kiste_RustMaidens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhrvS-4aI3LWW02SHkxfoYNyi1NbPaueq-ZBhhJBDwXPGS0ZGhhh_4t7kkkwunaaBYA05jVMYa3kuKRzSkuuum7GPupKwfTSlnZs6BAPT4KYcAE9fVEclLtnarl4PFuFByuWuB0HBhpJwKFHxN0kLyXnbGQjTf9DZTcM6wzsg7bEijvIomg/w426-h640/Kiste_RustMaidens.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.gwendolynkiste.com/rustmaidens.htm" target="_blank">Gwendolyn Kiste’s <i>The Rust Maidens</i></a> received the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel and it has been appearing on several lists when I'm looking for a good creepy read. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Set in 1980, Kiste paints a very bleak picture of a Cleveland manufacturing town in the process of dying. The factory which employs the majority of men in town may be closing or cutting back. Phoebe is our protagonist who is returning to town when her mother is about to move from the family home and the area is even more rundown in 2008 than it was in the 1980. Phoebe is powerfully devoted to her friends, even when they exhibit strange maladies like leaking water, glass fingernails, and showing metal bones.
Kiste does a fantastic job with character and place in this novel. I could have used a little bit more of an explanation of why these girls were transformed, but sometimes in life, things happen without explanation.
I’ll be reading more from Gwendolyn Kiste in the future. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, one book did not work for me and it is from an author whose work I typically adore. Seanan McGuire’s <i>Season Fears</i> is the “companion” novel to her masterpiece, <i>Middlegame</i>. I found the book to be an overwrought world-building exercise, with one of the main characters taking far too long to actually believe what was happening. The plot momentum was extremely sluggish and everything was bogged down with dense, complicated, and confusing world building.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">...and that's a wrap for my April Readings</div>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-53222104928940036572022-03-30T08:30:00.002-04:002022-03-30T08:30:00.159-04:00Book Review: The Return (Audio Book) by Rachel Harrison / Women in Horror Month<div style="text-align: justify;"> <u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyiphwoAe2oTkPcGL79Jj34TtAKkeRygmgrYrUxXr3GO7NfgxSuYc8BlfTVeWMNTkNkG0PI1DpAPYVg7T3wiVTX8wwHK00ruFCDSd3VMYeYTqy2F5ZghuJ47MQPdIxkCzxfspI9hbFwrrAoqohHFN_xtN3y_BCmZFe6XJW3WATIKmbQ9D1w/s450/HarrisonRachel_TheReturn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyiphwoAe2oTkPcGL79Jj34TtAKkeRygmgrYrUxXr3GO7NfgxSuYc8BlfTVeWMNTkNkG0PI1DpAPYVg7T3wiVTX8wwHK00ruFCDSd3VMYeYTqy2F5ZghuJ47MQPdIxkCzxfspI9hbFwrrAoqohHFN_xtN3y_BCmZFe6XJW3WATIKmbQ9D1w/w320-h320/HarrisonRachel_TheReturn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Title</u>: <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611389/the-return-by-rachel-harrison/"><i>The Return</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://www.rachel-harrison.com/">Rachel Harrison</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Return-Audiobook/0593165640?qid=1648429047&sr=1-3&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_3&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=HR5863E4R2REX7JP14D2">Audible/Berkeley</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 304 Pages / 9 Hours, 34 Minutes</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2020</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Narrator</u>: <a href="http://thatsarahscott.com/">Sara Scott</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Rachel Harrison’s debut novel, <i>The Return</i>, has been on my radar, probably since it published a couple of years ago. Three friends are surprised when their friend, Julie, disappears. Julie went hiking and never returned. Many people think she’s dead, but not Elise. Elise assumes Julie will return. She goes through the motions of attending the funeral (which happens a year after Julie disappears), but she also loses touch with Mae and Molly. Until Julie does return exactly two years after she vanished, Julie’s friends, Elise, Molly, and Mae, organize a weekend getaway at the Red Honey Inn, an exclusive, new, themed hotel in upstate New York. Julie is the last to arrive and this weekend is her friends to see her. Julie is much thinner, she looks sickly, a pale imitation of her former self. Julie is also acting strangely, for example, she now eats meat. Before she disappeared, she was a vegetarian. There are only occasional flashes of Julie’s former self. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Harrison frames her story through the voice of Elise, who as I suggested above, was the least concerned of her three “living” friends about Julie’s fate largely because she was closer to Julie than her other friends. Elise is a loner, somewhat self-imposed, compared to Mae and Molly. It was pretty easy to identify with Elise for me, Harrison did a nice job of making her situation grounded. For example, I thought it was a very nice touch that Elise expressed concern over the weekend getaway. First she thought it might be too much too soon, but second, and what gave the story that much more of a genuine feel is that Elise was concerned with the cost of going away to a fancy hotel. A seemingly small detail like that goes a long way to allowing the reader to “buy in” to what is happening in the story. Of course, with Elise as the narrator of the story, we only get her opinions on her friends and the situation. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Elise’s trepidation is a hint of the unsettling nature of the story that will unfold. A sense of dread slowly creeps into the story. The hotel is eerie, for starters. While it isn’t as haunted as say, the Overlook, it does give off a vibe of not quite being normal. The mountain setting doesn’t help, either. The limited number of staff, as Elise relays to us, come across as almost too perky. Each of the four characters is in their own themed room, each room feels like it could be in a Tim Burton movie. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">As I said, the three friends realize Julie is very different. There’s an odor about her, Julie’s teeth are falling out, and she only seems to have an appetite for raw meat and alcohol. Elise soon thinks she’s seeing shadows moving, adding to her unease and an overall sense of being haunted. Julie’s presence continues to unnerve the three friends, with Mae and Molly urging Elise confront Julie about her memories and her appearance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I don’t want to go too much further with plot details, but suffice it to say, Harrison does a fantastic job with an unsettling narrative. The creep factor increases as the novel heads to its inevitable conclusion, with some of the elements being explained, others not so much.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">At times, Elise explained things that didn’t require explaining. But in the little moments, the intricacies of the friendship of these four women, Harrison excels. As I said, sometimes the smaller “devil in the detail” elements can pay it forward for the larger narrative. Overall, Harrison manages to infuse her narrative with a very strong pull that was difficult to deny.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">An impressive horror debut. I’ve seen this novel labeled as a feminist horror and I suppose with the majority of characters being women (Tristan, Julie’s husband is the lone significant male character) I suppose that could be true. What <i>The Return</i> wound up being for me was a gripping, horror novel that was told with well-measured reveals. I guess I’d say folks who enjoyed the film <b>The Descent</b> would likely find a lot to like in this novel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Highly Recommended</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-21233269666115148982022-03-16T09:00:00.002-04:002022-03-16T09:00:00.199-04:00Book Review: The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn / Women in Horror Month<div style="text-align: justify;"> <u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghxRyMfXG8CYRitGeSJkaBttRvBEW1jcr1H9dThCJQSuXRSa21RzpFNd_najkMsYaRA84Zqfc1FwTgylvV0D8qnPxcAFpIGSTFyd50XJt9-aha2pQF6-aYoqYToLwglXjHodQ8d14d_N0UwqMzgp36SGJvJVi2N3pEywOddeYkRsXe2N7WeQ=s630" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghxRyMfXG8CYRitGeSJkaBttRvBEW1jcr1H9dThCJQSuXRSa21RzpFNd_najkMsYaRA84Zqfc1FwTgylvV0D8qnPxcAFpIGSTFyd50XJt9-aha2pQF6-aYoqYToLwglXjHodQ8d14d_N0UwqMzgp36SGJvJVi2N3pEywOddeYkRsXe2N7WeQ=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><br />Title</u>: <a href="https://www.aniaahlborn.com/novels?lightbox=dataItem-ikkoces51"><i>The Bird Eater</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://www.aniaahlborn.com/">Ania Ahlborn</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/47north.html">47 North</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 267 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2014</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Over the past few years, I’ve come to be a fan of Ania Ahlborn’s horror novels. Some are flat out horror stories featuring ghosts and demonic children, others feature serial killer families. The latest novel I’ve read by Ania Ahlborn, <i>The Bird Eater</i>, is a novel about a haunting; a haunted place and a haunted person. It also features something that could be classified as an evil presence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Aaron has had what some may call a challenging life; he didn’t know his mother and the aunt who raised him (and who he thought of as a mother) died when he was young. The opening chapter is from the point of view of Aaron’s aunt/mother figure. She provides minimal details about his mother except that she was unstable and killed herself (which she doesn’t tell Aaron) shortly after Aaron was born. Despite that, Ahlborn paints a fairly nice picture of Aaron’s life growing up in this unique family. That is until his Aunt is killed at the end of that first chapter. Fast forward twenty years, Aaron is fighting addiction and separated from his wife after their son Ryder died in an automobile accident. In other, Aaron is a haunted individual. His therapist suggests he return to the home in Arkansas where his aunt raised him and renovate the house, Holbrook House, which has laid abandoned since he left when he was a teenage twenty years ago.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Aaron re-connects with some of his old high school friends, including his old high school sweetheart Cheri. His departure was rather sudden when he was a teenager, a couple of the friends (Cheri included) thought he was dead. In those twenty years, Holbrook House has become a local legend, thought to be haunted. His old friends have a tough time understanding why Aaron would want to stay there given the house’s history and his history with it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Aaron isn’t prone to believing in the supernatural. So when a young boy seems to be stalking him, Aaron thinks it is just an annoying teenager. When dead birds continue to pile up on the ramshackle house, Aaron has a tough time explaining that to his friends. The creepy kid gets closer, taunts Aaron, and even vandalizes Aaron’s vehicle. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Aaron’s sanity begins to slip as he sees the boy more often, he descends into despair over his ruined marriage and dead sone. He questions what is real, self-medicates, and consumes more alcohol. His friends worry about him, but he has a tough time breaking from his cycle of self-destruction. After relatively slow build, and that great foundational first chapter, <i>The Bird Eater</i> draws to a heightened and potent conclusion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">So, let’s get this out of the way, shall we? Anytime a story features a house with a Proper Name, chances are that house is haunted. Those chances go up to 100% when the Named House is central to the Horror story. Holbrook House is no exception, rather, it proves the rule. Looking at Aaron, he is very much an unreliable narrator, especially as he relays his harrowing experiences with the creepy kid and Holbrook House to his friends. His personal demons and haunted presence mirror the haunted nature of Holbrook House Ahlborn walked the line of reality and supernatural quite finely, especially as she pulled Aaron to the conclusion of the novel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">There are quite a few implied connections between characters and elements throughout the story. Clues blatant and subtle that, as a reader, I found enjoyable in the reading experience. In that respect, <i>The Bird Eater</i> was very successful as a conversation between reader and writer. Aaron seems to be the latest (or current) person affected by Holbrook House, there is a deeper history to the house and area that Aaron discovers and hints that Holbrook House isn’t quite done torturing people.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Very creepy with a magnetic narrative that kept me reading, <i>The Bird Eater</i> is another excellent horror tale from the mind of Ania Ahlborn. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Highly Recommended</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-68579497045123173382022-03-09T08:00:00.011-05:002022-03-09T13:22:36.683-05:00Book Review: The Winter People (Audio Book) by Jennifer McMahon / Women in Horror Month<div style="text-align: justify;"> <u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4muARUPVQn8qcZbR9oZKMjQ1ts-ji2PbqTtyTMS-omRvihaPpl3Vss4cAR1-hWTSsVrnkjVRRilSGFgvxUIGkrDhN1zpddo2-e933M9kWp78OnPuKjNqtvfI0E2y6dAFlYVWUiAyN7RPwwsdHBzAgN8Y5AFIqgNYj_GIsc_CsuB253YKmBg=s500" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4muARUPVQn8qcZbR9oZKMjQ1ts-ji2PbqTtyTMS-omRvihaPpl3Vss4cAR1-hWTSsVrnkjVRRilSGFgvxUIGkrDhN1zpddo2-e933M9kWp78OnPuKjNqtvfI0E2y6dAFlYVWUiAyN7RPwwsdHBzAgN8Y5AFIqgNYj_GIsc_CsuB253YKmBg=w277-h320" width="277" /></a></div><br />Title</u>: <a href="https://jennifer-mcmahon.com/books/the-winter-people/"><i>The Winter People</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://jennifer-mcmahon.com/">Jennifer McMahon</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=The+Winter+People+Jennifer+McMahon&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=randohouseinc7986-20--9780804165167">Audible</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Narrated by</u>: Cassandra Campbell & Kathe Mazur</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Lenth</u>: 10 hrs and 45 min</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2014</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Jennifer McMahon is a best-selling writer of suspense novels, some of which easily fall into the horror genre, like this particular novel, <i>The Winter People</i>. I’ve been wanting to give her work a try for a short-while now and have been wavering on which book would be my first from her and decided on this one, the creepy description was intriguing. I’m also a fan of stories told in parallel timelines, which is a feature of this novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">While both storylines take place in West Hall, Vermont, one timeline is told in 1908, during an uncompromising and difficult winter. Sara Harrison Shea’s* daughter Gertie dies during that winter and unfortunately, Gertie isn’t the first child of Sara and her husband Martin to lose. In denial, Sara puts the full blame for Gertie’s death on her husband Martin. She is driven beyond the bounds of sanity to do anything to see her daughter one more time, she is convinced her daughter hasn’t died. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><blockquote>* I'm always wary of characters with three names like that, who are constantly referred to by their first, middle, and last name. Lots of serial killers go by the three names and characters with three names tend to not be the most...stable?</blockquote></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">In the “current timeline” there are additional parallel stories occurring: Ruthie and her kid sister wake up one day and their strict mother Alice has disappeared. Oh, by the way, these folks live in Sara Harrison Shea’s old home. There have been a spate of missing people in the West Hall area, specifically where Ruthie and her family live, and Ruthie is worried her mom might be the latest victim of some cruel and twisted presence. Adding to the creepiness is the dark history surrounding Sara Harrison Shea. She was labeled a witch, and supposedly had a book that could bring the dead back to life. These living dead people have been dubbed, by the local populace, as Winter People.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Adding another layer of parallel story is the arrival of a woman named Katherine, who is mourning the recent loss of her husband as well as the death of her son not so recently. She is drawn to West Hall when she learns her husband made an unannounced visit there just before he died. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">McMahon has a great knack for compelling narrative. She switches between the parallel stories in a deliciously powerful manner. What do I mean? We’ve all had that “oh just one more chapter” thought cross our minds when we’re invested in a good book. McMahon is really good at implanting that thought in readers’ heads. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Of course one of the most enjoyable elements of stories told in parallel narratives is trying to figure out how those narratives cease to become parallel and intertwine. McMahon does a great job with this storytelling element as well, and is a complement to that whole “just another chapter” thought.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I felt ingrained in these character’s heads with each switch of viewpoint, Jennifer McMahon built a solid foundation for them that allowed for a great deal of empathy. I will say; however, I found Ruthie’s little sister somewhat annoying, but I suppose that is kind of the purpose of the character.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">My issue; however, is with the audiobook edition which has two performers/narrators. The present day narrator is fine, excellent actually. The narrator who performed the story in the past sounded strained as if she were trying to whisper, or whisper shout. I wish audiobook narrators and producers would stop with this trick, which is not dissimilar in annoyance to how darkly streaming shows are shot these days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">In the end, <i>The Winter People</i> was a thrilling, creepy, compulsive read. It’s no wonder Jennifer McMahon is a best-selling writer, she spins a compelling, tale. I'll be seeking out more of her work in the future. This book should appeal to horror readers and thriller fans, as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recommended</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-84340912178227813942022-03-07T09:00:00.021-05:002022-03-27T21:05:05.530-04:00Women in Horror Month (2022)!<p style="text-align: justify;">March is Women in Horror Month, a celebration of women's contributions to the Horror Genre. A few of the bookstagrammers and bloggers I've been following are highlighting works by women in the horror genre during the month of March. This includes the <a href="https://www.ladiesofhorrorfiction.com/2022/02/14/march-women-in-horror-month-readathon-announcement/" target="_blank">Ladies of Horror Fiction, who is hosting a readathon</a>, which functions as a pretty good "to-read" list. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another great way to find some goods books to read in the spirit of this month is to follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenInHorrorMonth?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank">#WomenInHorrorMonth</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WiHM" target="_blank">#WiHM</a> hashtags on twitter or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/womeninhorrormonth/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. You could als follow Ladies of Horror Fiction on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladiesofhorrorfiction/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/lohfiction" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and Mother Horror/Sadie Hartmann on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mother.horror/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/SadieHartmann" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for good recommendations. Hell, those accounts should be followed regardless if you happen to enjoy horror.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For my part, I've got a review posting here on Wednesday (03/09), of an excellent, spooky novel I recently enjoyed as an audiobook. I may have one more audiobook review of a book I just started enjoying recently; a non-audio book review of another recent favorite writer, and perhaps an author profile going live over the course of this month. Life outside the pages (and earbuds for the audiobooks) may dictate what happens 'round here. Could be more, could be less.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">All that said, here's a picture of my puppy, Dusty, sitting with me while I read the excellent <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/02/dead-silence-by-s-a-barnes/" target="_blank"><i>Dead Silence</i> by S.A. Barnes (a.k.a. Stacey Kade), which I reviewed for SFFWorld</a>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEbA2NUxMg4vZl0qABArSICU4hGQ77I4wyAoXq7-BcqPzRc2xpzPjDIstQnZ39Xwn6QdRHxiYght9DBb922cDYHr4_A5T6Eh3XgIrjjKI9dkuTzpiDhWPcz8AKtYlyj802EvEEKZP_OFex20G19zy8fMVtz2LQti0vY5oA7oJ0wn7SM36Wpw=s1357" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="1357" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEbA2NUxMg4vZl0qABArSICU4hGQ77I4wyAoXq7-BcqPzRc2xpzPjDIstQnZ39Xwn6QdRHxiYght9DBb922cDYHr4_A5T6Eh3XgIrjjKI9dkuTzpiDhWPcz8AKtYlyj802EvEEKZP_OFex20G19zy8fMVtz2LQti0vY5oA7oJ0wn7SM36Wpw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-18554244294787406422022-02-03T09:00:00.007-05:002022-02-03T09:00:00.208-05:00Book Review: Come Closer by Sara Gran<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtjk41vFjgdbm7r-vGIhqKfOqLbY8q8C10Ayf5VZ8cZbodP3_y4D9C7ZjnxHbO3qYlHIlQ7VYVSKQ8Ri1m0iMH4a-3IBcfv6H9s5qfeeoYJQ-bk2wKty0aWZ4oGAhxO25FpRFfe4CfCBq2aTNBf_mJil8xBsDFJIAjvQ2ORkR-bQZtSypurw=s1842" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="1134" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtjk41vFjgdbm7r-vGIhqKfOqLbY8q8C10Ayf5VZ8cZbodP3_y4D9C7ZjnxHbO3qYlHIlQ7VYVSKQ8Ri1m0iMH4a-3IBcfv6H9s5qfeeoYJQ-bk2wKty0aWZ4oGAhxO25FpRFfe4CfCBq2aTNBf_mJil8xBsDFJIAjvQ2ORkR-bQZtSypurw=w246-h400" width="246" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> <u>Title</u>: <a href="https://sohopress.com/books/come-closer/"><i>Come Closer</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://www.worldsbestdetective.com/">Sara Gran</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://sohopress.com/">Soho Press</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 166 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2003</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Possession. One of the more rife subjects explored in horror novels. Sara Gran’s <i>Come Closer</i> takes a powerful approach to examine how easily such a possession can destroy a person. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Amanda and her husband Ed live happily in New York City, she’s an architect, he’s a financial guy for a prominent women’s clothing company. Gran gets things moving immediately … Amanda is called into her boss’s office after he reads the proposal she placed on his desk, pages of vicious and vulgar attacks. Amanda can’t explain it, but she knows the words spoke truth to his deviant behavior. At home that night, she and Ed hear strange noises in their home, noises in the wall they attribute to pipes or mice. These noises continue to occur for a few days. Rather innocuous, since they live in an older house. I live in a house built in the 1950s, I hear noises all the time and have come to dismiss them as just normal “house noises.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Strange things begin to occur… A stray dog she befriended and began training growls and backs away from her. Amanda finds herself arguing with Ed with more frequency, something they didn’t typically do before we met her at the beginning of <i>Come Closer</i>. Things that she previously brushed off, Ed’s late nights, his friends quirks, begin to annoy her even more. Amanda comes across a book, <i>Demon Possession Past and Present</i> with a quiz a person can take to assess whether or not they are possessed. Things like blacking out without having taken drugs or alcohol (Amanda has spaces of time she can’t recall), finding yourself picking up habits (like smoking) you’d given up or never had. Amanda takes the quiz a few times over the course of the story. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Accompanying the aberrant behavior are dreams Amanda has of a woman on a red beach who proclaims her need for Amanda, her love, and who promises to never leave. As her behavior becomes more disturbing to herself, Amanda’s life unravels. There’s a part of her that takes an almost sick glee in the destructive behavior, while another battles for control against the demon she believes to be Naamah. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Gran tells the story in Amanda’s matter-of-fact first person voice. That, for me, might be the most terrifying element of the story, just how “normal” some of the deplorable behavior and events are delivered. I had to re-read some passages with an unspoken “WAIT WHAT?” in my brain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">There’s a small hint that perhaps Amanda is suffering a psychotic break and Gran smartly has Amanda visit both a psychiatrist and a spiritual advisor to help her remedy her problem. This leads to the inevitable question I have about first person stories, is this a reliable narrator? That unreliable narrator element adds another level of dread, especially as Gran brings the novel towards its powerful conclusion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">My wife read <i>Come Closer</i> a few years ago. I vaguely remember her recommending it to me and she thought highly enough about the book that she wanted to keep it. I saw the book being <a href="https://litreactor.com/columns/march-madness-8-books-that-will-mess-with-your-head" target="_blank">mentioned over the last year on various blogs and books-ta-grammers</a> and decided to finally dive in. I read in essentially one sitting on a gloomy January Sunday and it was a perfect reading experience. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Powerful, gripping, believable creepy, and utterly unsettling. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly Recommended</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090889.post-81864472265732303952022-01-12T08:00:00.032-05:002022-01-12T08:00:00.180-05:00Book Review: The Siren and the Specter by Jonathan Janz<div style="text-align: justify;"><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoNdf7Oj4zpYtcVPRzdX504DNVNDhWmLmWc5JWs221MxX6_Ik1j2n_pjSxAvXt77nDStdxkSFqRZxPeMtKAm-p33qh9Sp7YqRglEN7-zN-fvONPLD3Qn1if06Ztx3VBffs0b6b7VttNw5r9W11BeVGlKRkRDI7ey5xh4n_FpVdvryMYoH5JQ=s600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="388" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoNdf7Oj4zpYtcVPRzdX504DNVNDhWmLmWc5JWs221MxX6_Ik1j2n_pjSxAvXt77nDStdxkSFqRZxPeMtKAm-p33qh9Sp7YqRglEN7-zN-fvONPLD3Qn1if06Ztx3VBffs0b6b7VttNw5r9W11BeVGlKRkRDI7ey5xh4n_FpVdvryMYoH5JQ=w259-h400" width="259" /></a></div>Title</u>: <a href="https://www.flametreepublishing.com/the-siren-and-the-specter-isbn-9781787580077.html"><i>The Siren and the Specter</i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Author</u>: <a href="https://jonathanjanz.com/">Jonathan Janz</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publisher</u>: <a href="https://www.flametreepress.com/">Flame Tree Press</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Page Count</u>: 304 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Publication Date/Year</u>: 2018</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Genre</u>: Horror </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Jonathan Janz is one of the more prominent horror writers to emerge over the last half decade or so. His name has been floating around social media as a talent to watch and read. Well, about a year ago, I read what I think was his debut novel (or at least an early work), <i>The Darkest Lullaby </i>and some of it stuck with me, he does creepy really well. I decided to take my second tour of his work with <i style="font-style: italic;">The Siren and the Specter</i>, which is the subject of this review. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">David Caine is a skeptic, he is a best selling author of books that essentially debunk haunted places. When his old friend Chris suggests he spend some time at Alexander House, allegedly the “Most Haunted House in Virginia” for his next book project, David acquiesces. Dave becomes friendly with his neighbor, Ralph Hooper and much to his chagrin, kids whose parents are absentee parents, all of whom reside on the banks of the Rappahannock River. He also hears and sees things in the house and the area surrounding it. …and like many haunted house stories, David is haunted by his past and brings ghosts of his own when he arrives at Alexander House. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alexander House was home to “Governor” Judson Alexandar, a notorious abuser of women and children, murderer and potentially a practitioner of dark rituatls, whose taint has affected the entirety of the region. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">What happens when the skeptic is confronted by something he cannot deny? Well, that’s the thrust of the story and Janz charges the entire narrative with a sense of unease and foreboding. Janz does a fantastic job of putting us in David’s head and building up empathy for him. Although his character type (skeptic in a horror novel) is tried and true, David is wholly his own. When confronted about his past and what lead to the death of his former girlfriend Anna, it is difficult, almost impossible to not side with David despite some of the less than level-headed decisions he’s made both in the "present" of the novel and the past. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Janz also does a nice job of surrounding David with supporting characters who rise above their character types. There’s the down-home neighbor Ralph who befriends David, but soon reveals he knows more than he initially let on to David. Janz did some nice navigating with Ralph’s character. There’s the romantic interest Jessica, whose relationship with David starts off in a very believable and awkward fashion. Lastly, the antagonists…at least the living antagonists, the Shelbys. To say more is to rob you, the reader, of discovering just how awful they are. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">The scares and the creeps are intense. There’s enough to set your hair on edge, much of it at the proverbial edge of your vision, which for me is far more effective than in your face horrors. Sure, there’s some in your face stuff, but that is far outweighed by the edge of your senses elements. Janz lays amazing groundwork with the “edge of your senses” stuff, which makes the more “in your face” stuff that much more effective. He doles out the scenes with perfect descriptions that are utterly creepy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Something I said on twitter while reading the book: A couple of days into reading the book I had a nightmare. I’m not saying reading <i>The Siren and The Specter</i> caused the nightmare, but I’m not saying the book didn’t cause the nightmare. Correlation…the only two books I can say directly gave me nightmares were Stephen King’s <i>The Shining</i> and Dan Simmons <i>Summer of Night</i> and what caused those nightmares were what I previously called the “edge of your senses” creepiness. Janz, in <i>The Siren and the Specter</i>, excels at the “edge of your senses” horror, as I said. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Haunted House stories are staples of the Horror Genre and readers (and viewers of the movies) have certain expectations when starting the story. Janz managed to bring the novel to a rather unexpected and potent conclusion that kept me glued to the pages later into the night than I’m normally reading. He played some great twists with the Haunted House story towards the end of the novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>The Siren and the Specter</i> is a stunning, powerful horror novel that has me very eager to read more from a writer many have called a modern master. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly Recommended</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">© 2022 Rob H. Bedford</div>
RobBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04014122096561992311noreply@blogger.com0