Month: June 2024

Diving Into Sub-Genres: Folk Horror

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We each have our own preferred genres of choice. Kate loves horrors and thrillers, really anything that will keep her up at night! And Serena enjoys escaping through hidden doors into realms of magic and adventure. We also read mysteries, historical fiction, graphic novels, etc. etc. And that’s not even counting the multitude of sub-genres contained within each greater genre. In this series, one of us will present a list of our favorites from within a given sub-genre of one of our greater preferred genres.

Interestingly enough, while I have decided to focus on the sub-genre of Folk Horror for this edition of ‘Diving Into Sub-Genres’, it’s a sub-genre that I tend to have complicated feelings about. That isn’t to say that I dislike folk horror; on the contrary, if I love a piece of folk horror, I REALLY love a piece of folk horror. The perfect example of this is the film “The Wicker Man”, one of the earlier examples in the sub-genre in which a Scottish policeman goes to the strange and pagan island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl, and finds a community of odd, quirky, and ultimately devious townsfolk who mess with the outsider before pulling one of the greatest twists in horror history. It’s one of my favorite horror films, and my Terror Tuesday friends and I have watched it about three times in our years of movies. There’s also “The Witch”, which brings a Puritan family to the unforgiving wilderness as a witch lurks in the woods tormenting them, though the bigger threat may be the way the family Others their daughter Thomasin. This is a favorite movie of mine, period. But for every “Wicker Man” and “The Witch” there are probably five or so “Midsommar”s, in which I find the final product lacking, underwhelming, or overly pretentious (sacrilege I know, but I really hated “Midsommar”). But it’s absolutely a sub-genre that has a lot of teeth and a lot of potential, so I wanted to highlight some of the stories within.

Folk Horror is generally a kind of horror tale that involves an outsider finding themselves caught up in an unfamiliar place that has ties to folklore or ‘old ways’, and finds themselves in danger at the hands of the people or things they encounter. Superstition, ritualistic practices, nature and the dangers that come with it, and people with hidden motives are usually involved. And while there are occasionally some supernatural elements to be had, usually involving creatures from folklore and Pagan religions, it’s more likely the the threat is going to just be people in one way or another. In terms of books, one of the earlier examples is the novel “Harvest Home”, where a family movies into an isolated rural/agricultural community that adheres to some old timey superstitions about how to make their crops grow. The list I put together has some newer titles, and are mostly books that I’ve enjoyed. Or at least appreciated.

Book: “The Twisted Ones” by T. Kingfisher

I’m starting with a T. Kingfisher book because I really like the easy breezy and sometimes ‘cozy’ horror tone she brings to her novels, and that same tone comes with “The Twisted Ones”. When a woman named Mouse has to clean out her deceased grandmother’s cabin in the wooded wilderness in North Carolina, she thinks it will be a time consuming, but generally easy task. But she soon hears strange noises at night, and sees glimpses of odd beings through the corners of her eyes in the clearing around the cabin. And she soon finds diary entries her stepgrandfather left, describing strange and terrifying beings that stalk the woods, and a mysterious man named Ambrose. As Mouse starts to dig deeper into the mysteries and the strange things she’s encountering, she finds things that are beyond imagination. Kingfisher is always a fun read, and this one has some weird folksy scares to go along with her affable main character.

Book: “The Ritual” by Adam Nevill

This one is a bit more of a straight up folk horror nightmare, and “The Ritual” had enough cinematic horror elements to it that it did get adapted into a film a few years ago, which I found to be fun and creepy as hell. It definitely solidified my fears of camping, I can tell you that much, and the book beforehand had a similar effect. Four old friends are hoping to reconnect their bond that time and shifting priorities has eroded away, and go for a camping trip in the north of Sweden, in a wooded area nestled in the Arctic Circle. When they start to get discombobulated and lost, tensions start to reach a new high. But it’s when they stumble upon an old seemingly abandoned house, which has odd altars, scattered bones, and Pagan symbols, they realize that they aren’t really alone in these woods. There’s a nice build of tension with this one, and some interesting modernization of outsiders meeting old world sensibilities.

Book: “The Loney” by Andrew Michael Hurley

Folk horror doesn’t always have to be in your face with its action and themes while still achieving an overarching sense of dread, and I think that “The Loney” is a good example of this BECAUSE of how quiet it is, until it has you in a stranglehold in the last few moments. This one was a bit of a slow read for awhile, but then when it sped up MAN did it speed up and create an atmopsheric Gothic oddity. In the 1970s a family consisting of a deeply Catholic mother and her two sons, one of whom is developmentally disabled, take a week long retreat to a remote seaside hamlet, with the mother hoping that fervent prayer and visitation to a local shrine can create a miracle to cure her son. During one of these trips, the younger brother Smith, our narrator, encounters a genial but odd group, consisting of some adults and a heavily pregnant teenage girl, as well as hostile locals who don’t adhere to the Catholic dogma that the visitors do. This one not only has the clash of new sensibilities vs old (though a bit subverted as Smith’s mother is VERY antagonistic in her faith), it also has a really twisted conclusion.

Book: “The Hunger” by Alma Katsu

Feel like combining some historical fiction in with your folk horror? Alma Katsu has you covered with her Donner Party horror story “The Hunger”. Because what could make an already true story about getting trapped in the wilderness in the dead of winter and resorting to cannibalism MORE horrifying? BRING IN SOME SUPERNATURAL TERRORS ALSO MAKING PROBLEMS. As the Donner Party moves west in hopes of finding a new life out west, they go on a bad route and get stuck in the Sierras right when winter is about to hit. As their survival becomes less and less likely and they have to start eating the dead to survive, something else and otherworldly is watching and waiting from the unforgiving wilderness. This folk horror trope is definitely along the lines of outsiders moving into an area unfamiliar to them and finding something terrible and unexpected, but it’s also an interesting meditation on the hubris of men, and the way that manifest destiny made settlers think that they were deserving of a new life, when in actuality they had NO idea what they were getting into.

Book: “Pet Sematary” by Stephen King

This is probably the least obvious of folk horror novels on this list, but thinking about it really made me think about the broad swath that folk horror can reach. And “Pet Sematary” TOTALLY has folk horror elements! It follows the Creed family as they move into a new small town and new house near a forest, leaving big city life behind. When the family cat is hit by a car on the busy road, Dr. Louis Creed is led to a backwoods ‘pet cemetery’ by his neighbor Judd, who says that you can bury an animal there and it comes back to life… Though admittedly a little wrong. It works for the cat, though yes, it’s not the same cat it once was. And when horrific tragedy strikes the family, Louis decides to use the burial spot one more time out of desperation and grief. I’m sure you can imagine how it goes. This one is very much in the realm of ‘unrelenting mysteries and horrors of nature’ trope that is found in the sub-genre, as we don’t know WHY the ground can bring things back to life, or why they always come back wrong. It’s a terrifying story not only because of the reanimation, but also the ambiguity.

Book: “Slewfoot” by Brom

This was a favorite read of mine from a couple years ago, and I still find myself going back and skimming through different parts of it. And MAN, does it really fit a folk horror mold, specifically if your kind of folk horror is very much “The Witch” (which, as we all know, is the case for me). After all, Puritans clashing with a supposedly malevolent force in the forest is always going to be up my alley, and in this book nature and forest spirts play a HUGE role in all of it. Abitha is a reluctant Puritan widow who is trying to keep her farm away from her vicious brother in law now that her husband has passed away. When she meets a strange demonic figure in the forest she calls Slewfoot, who has no memory of his past life but has guidance from forest spirits about his role as a vengeful being, they slowly grow a friendship as outsiders. And when the Puritans start to target Abitha, they don’t realize that messing with her is messing with him. I LOVE THIS BOOK, and it combines nature, zealousness, outsiders, and folklore to create a fantastic addition to this list.

What folk horror novels are your favorites? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Daughter of the Merciful Deep”

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Book: “Daughter of the Merciful Deep” by Leslye Penelope

Publishing Info: Redhook, June 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: “Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he’s might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past.

Review: I’ve read several books by this author in the past. I started out with her original world, high fantasy trilogy, and very much liked that. But I have also enjoyed the swerve towards historical fiction that she’s now taken, incorporating fantasy and magical elements alongside stories that very much tackle the cultures and issues of specific points in history. Her last one, “The Monsters We Defy,” was set in the 1920s, and while the story was made up of many elements (including a heist!) the jazz movement and its place in Black history was very central to the story. All of this to say, that I was very excited when I saw that in this book she was going to tackle an even lesser known point in history: that of the drowned towns of the South.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It manages to fit a lot of excellent historical information into a narrative that is still very character-focused, all told through the eyes of our leading lady. For her part, Jane is a sympathetic character, a young woman who has suffered greatly, but throughout the course of this book, rediscovers her own power and sets a course not only for herself but for her entire community. There’s also a very sweet romance included, something that this author often incorporates in her stories, much to my appreciation!

I will say that the book did struggle a bit with pacing, however. The start to this story is fairly slow, with very little actually happening for much of the first half of the book. For readers of historical fiction, however, this may be less of an issue. The story is definitely following more genre conventions for historical fiction in this half, with its detailed focus on the details of this time and place. Readers who were more intrigued by the fantasy elements, however, have a while to wait for these to truly show up. And then when they did, I feel like a little more could have been done to blend these fantasy elements into the previously established historical setting. The reader is left to take much of them magical stuff at face value and just go with it.

I also appreciated the author’s note that was included at the end. For whatever reason, I’ve gotten into the habit of flipping to the back of books to read the author’s note before I even start, and yet again, I feel like this method has paid off. I had vague knowledge of the sunken towns, already. I grew up in a town next to a large, dammed reservoir; though no towns were destroyed in its making, the concept of drowned towns was always a morbid point of curiosity to a population that went about its day in the shadow of a huge dam like this. But I appreciated the greater detail I received in this author’s note, which went on to further enrich my reading experience as the characters confront this looming danger. Perhaps some of the plotting was a bit predictable, here, but at the same time, the characters were compelling enough that this wasn’t a problem for me. Readers who enjoy historical fiction with a lighter focus on fantasy should definitely give this one a go!

Rating 7: A bit disjointed in its balancing of genre conventions between fantasy and historical fiction, but the strength of the historical topic and the compelling characters still made it a worth while read!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Daughter of the Merciful Deep” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 Adult Fantasy/Sci-fi/Speculative Releases by BIPOC Authors

Blog Tour & Joint Review: “Not in Love”

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Book: “Not in Love” by Ali Hazelwood

Publishing Info: Berkley, June 2024

Where Did We Get This Book: eARC from blog tour!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through – and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business – one that plays for keeps.

Serena’s Thoughts

First of all, I’ve loved being included in these blog tours and truly appreciate the opportunity to participate! I’ve loved most books I’ve read by Ali Hazelwood, up to this point, so I was excited to check this one out! Unfortunately, I have to admit up top that not only was this my least favorite book by Hazelwood so far, but it was a let down of a read for me in most ways. Now, of course, this is a subjective take, especially the things that didn’t work for me, and many of my complaints may work great for others!

First of all, I was disappointed to find that this was a duel POV romance story. Hazelwood has always been a favorite of mine for the simple fact that she writes single POV love stories, something that I always prefer. And, I’m sorry to say, but I think the change in format was for the worse in general. More often than not, I feel like authors end up using duel POV as a crutch when conveying the a love story. Instead of showing the romance building, the narrative simply switches between POVs where both characters simply tell the reader how much they adore the other. And we had much of that here. Gone was much of the nuance and the romantic scenes/action that show the characters growing to love one another.

What’s worse, given the nature of the way this relationship builds, instead of telling the reader how much they each are growing to care for one another, we ended up with a whole lot of inner thoughts about simply wanting to jump into bed with one another. The male POV was especially rough in this arena. I don’t care to repeat the number of times he reflects on how great of a lay Rue is. This is all fine and dandy, but not something I need to be in someone’s head to hear about repeatedly.

I also thought the balance was off in this book between the spice scenes and the emotional development: there was too much of the former and not enough of the latter. Rue, in particular, had an interesting background and I enjoyed learning more about her backstory and watching her come out of her shell a bit. But for his part, Eli felt a bit too much like your standard “golden retriever esque tech bro” type character. He also seemed to immediately fall into instalove/lust with Rue from their very first scene together, which didn’t leave the story anywhere to go for him.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book, which I’m so disappointed to report. I’ve really enjoyed Hazelwood’s romances in the past, but many aspects of this were just never going to be for me (the duel POVS, the balance of spice to plot, etc.). Others who like these elements may enjoy this one more.

Kate’s Thoughts

There is a reason that Ali Hazelwood is probably my favorite romance author, and that is because in some ways I know exactly what to expect, but in other ways she knows how to catch me off guard. I usually know a few things about what I’m going to get into with her novels, and that is they are always going to have quirky and science minded protagonists, and there will be some steamy spicy moments. “Not In Love” is no exception to this, and it still works for me for the most part. I really enjoyed our female lead Rue, as she was probably Hazelwood’s most coded as neurodivergent character yet, and I am always going to be ALL about that kind of representation. Especially since she is never put down or made to feel bad for it by those who matter. I wasn’t as big of a fan as Eli, and it’s for the same reasons that Serena lists above. But I DO appreciate that Hazelwood has been experimenting a bit within her sub genre approaches as of late, whether it was a stellar dive into paranormal romance in “Bride” or a tamer and more chaste take on YA romance in “Check and Mate”. In this one she explores kink and BDSM as Rue and Eli do their forbidden lust/romance, and I kept thinking about “Secretary” as I read, which is a good thing because that movie is WILD and oh my GOD JAMES SPADER. Anyway. I have no experience in the BDSM/kink community so can’t speak to how accurate it is, but I like that Hazelwood is expanding her horizons.

But I do find myself agreeing with her frustration with the way the romance progressed as was presented, though in my case it may have more to do with personal preference more than anything else. I have been used to Hazelwood taking her sweet time with the romances in her books, building up the sexual tension and the friendship and intimate aspects to her love birds at.a pace that makes for lots of fun moments and then a HUGE pay off when they do consummate. Well in “Not In Love”, while there is a BIT of a wait, the sexytimes payoff is a bit sooner than a lot of her past books, and for me it felt like we were going off prematurely. Which I fully recognize is a bit of a silly criticism for a forbidden romance/no strings turned more romance. But it’s a tried and true pattern for me and my reading tastes that romances that have a lot of spice too soon don’t connect for me as well as that sweet sweet slow burn, and that’s, of course, incredibly subjective. I know plenty of people who will see this as a huge plus.

So while some parts of “Not In Love” didn’t quite click for me, I did enjoy other aspects of it like I have in previous books by Hazelwood. I still can’t wait for whatever she comes up with next.

Serena’s Rating 6: The duel POV hampered rather than helped the love story, and the spice scenes were not the best and overshadowed the plot.

Kate’s Rating 7: I like that Hazelwood continues to explore different angles and sub genres of romance, and I like how unapologetically neurodivergent Rue is. But as someone who really likes there to be some build up to spice for a slow burn pay off, “Not In Love” went a little too hard too fast for me.

Reader’s Advisory

“Not in Love” is on this Goodreads list: Rom Coms

Kate’s Review: “What Fire Brings”

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Book: “What Fire Brings” by Rachel Howzell Hall

Publishing Info: Thomas & Mercer, June 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publicist.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A writer’s search for her missing friend becomes a real-life thriller in a twisting novel of suspense by the New York Times bestselling author of These Toxic Things.

Bailey Meadows has just moved into the remote Topanga Canyon home of thriller author Jack Beckham. As his writer-in-residence, she’s supposed to help him once again reach the bestseller list. But she’s not there to write a thriller—she’s there to find Sam Morris, a community leader dedicated to finding missing people, who has disappeared in the canyon surrounding Beckham’s property.

The missing woman was last seen in the drought-stricken forest known for wildfires and mountain lions. Each new day, Bailey learns just how dangerous these canyons are—for the other women who have also gone missing here…and for her. Could these missing women be linked to strange events that occurred decades ago at the Beckham estate?

As fire season in the canyons approaches, Bailey must race to unravel the truth from fiction before she becomes the next woman lost in the forest.

Review: Thank you to Sparkpoint Studio for sending me an ARC of this novel!

We’ve actually had a pretty wet Spring going into Summer here in Minnesota, which means that in my part of the state we have no drought conditions and no threats of fires spreading dangerously (for now. We’ll see what Summer brings). Wildfire season hasn’t been a big thing for my state outside of the fact smoke has been making its way here for the past few years, but I know that it’s a huge problem out west. “What Fire Brings” by Rachel Howzell Hall takes that very real threat and throws a mystery of a missing woman, an intrepid detective, and a charming author in for good measure, and that kind of combination is super intriguing to someone like me. I was pretty hopeful going in, and my hopes were pretty well met, I’d say.

The mystery here is pretty unique and has a lot of interesting layers. We have Bailey, an aspiring private detective from L.A. who has taken on a case involving a missing woman Sam, who disappeared in the Topanga Canyon wilderness near the sprawling estate of famed author Jack Beckham. Bailey has snagged an undercover position as Jack’s writer in residence, and is using that to investigate, and while investigating starts to realize that Sam isn’t the only woman who has gone missing in the area over the years. It’s a great hook, and it has a built in suspense factor of whether or not Bailey will be discovered by Jack and his staff on top of the weird things she’s finding during her investigation. It makes for all of her moves to have added weight and potential consequence, as she is playing a part, being deceptive, and starts to realize that there may be bigger problems at hand for her outside of the investigation at hand. Bailey herself is a bit unreliable, as it slowly comes out that she has been having some problems and instabilities of her own, whether it’s a mysterious wound we aren’t privy to the origin of from the get go, an implied problem with fugue states here and there, and weird phone calls that are rattling her. It really added some dread to the ongoing investigation, which has its own twists and turns that I found surprising and enjoyable.

One thing that dinged it a bit was the pacing feeling pretty lackadaisical for a lot of the story, in spite of the fact the dread was built pretty well otherwise. It didn’t exactly meander or feel like it was stalling, but I remember there was a moment in my reading that I thought to myself ‘hm, there’s a lot of book left here’. I wasn’t bored or anything like that, but when I’m reading a thriller, even thrillers that ultimately don’t work for me (this one doesn’t fall into that category, I want to emphasize), I can at least give credit for a fast paced read that feels like it flies by. This one didn’t really have that, and by the time we did eventually get to the start of the climax it felt like it had been a long wait to get there. Once it got going it was breakneck, however. I think it’s sometimes a hard balance to get a solid slow burn for suspense while also doing a good job of keeping things moving smoothly. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker.

“What Fire Brings” is a sizzling thriller perfect for the summer months. Rachel Howzell Hall is making a name in the genre to be sure.

Rating 7: I enjoyed the mystery and the way there is already built in suspense with the private eye angle, though the pacing was sometimes a little slower than I would have liked.

Reader’s Advisory:

“What Fire Brings” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Books by Black Authors”.

Serena’s Review: “Foul Days”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Foul Days” by Genoveva Dimova

Publishing Info: Tor, June 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice taming rusalkas, fighting kikimoras, and brewing lycanthrope repellent. There’s only one monster Kosara can’t defeat: her ex the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times, and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed to him by someone close to her, Kosara’s only hope is to trade her shadow―the source of her powers―for illegal passage across the Wall to Belograd, where monsters can’t follow.

Life in Belograd should be sweet, but Kosara soon develops a fast-acting version of the deadly wasting sickness that stalks shadowless witches―and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To trace her shadow, she’ll have to team up with the suspiciously honorable detective investigating the death of the smuggler who brought her across the Wall.

Even worse than working with the cops is that all the clues point in a single direction: one of the Zmey’s monsters has found a crack in the Wall, and Kosara’s magic is now in the Zmey’s hands.

The clock is ticking, the hunt is on, and Kosara’s priorities should be clear―but is she the hunter or the hunted? And in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the man―the Monster―she’s never been able to escape alone?

Review: This one caught my eyes easily with its arresting cover. It’s not quite like anything I’d seen before, which immediately drew me in. Then, when reading the book description, I had two thoughts: 1.) this story sounds all over the place and 2.) it could be really awesome if it all comes together right! And, to spoil my entire review now, it was definitely the latter!

Let’s start with the world-building and fantasy elements. Right from the start, the atmosphere of this world was pervasive as well as intriguing. We feel the fear and dread of Kosara’s city, a place plagued by monsters for a brief window of time every year. It is cold, grey, but her home, and one that she loves and will do anything to protect. As the book description mentions, she then travels to the city beyond the wall, a place vibrant and full of life, having safely locked away its troubles (and seemingly all thoughts of trouble) behind a tidy wall. The contrast is stark and we feel Kosara’s bewilderment at the difference. I enjoyed the complicated nature of her feelings about these people and this place, comparing and contrasting it with her own home, with its very different culture and priorities. At the same time, the hardships of her home are not romanticized.

I also really enjoyed the various monsters we encounter throughout this book. At first, it felt like we weren’t really getting much page time or action with these monsters, instead hearing more about Kosara’s experiences in the past dealing with these beings. But as the pacing ramps up, about a third of the way into the story, we start to get some truly action-packed scenes, full of horror and excitement. Truly, it’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy story that so effectively pulled me into these sort of scenes; I often found myself on the edge of my seat, wondering how Kosara and Asen were going to escape.

As for Kosara herself, man, she has to be one of my new favorite leading ladies of the year! On her own right, she’s a strong, independent character who is used to going it alone. Her past is rife with trials and mistakes, all of which have lead her to distrust those around her, sometimes to the detriment of her own situation and any burgeoning relationships she’s trying to form. In this way, her relationship with Asen is particularly interesting. Even as she slowly begins to trust and like him more, the habits of a hard life are difficult to fully shed, and we see her continuously struggle against her own worst tendencies and to have to later deal with the repercussions of these choices. I also really enjoyed the slow-burn romance between them. It’s very, very much a backburner part of the story, however, so readers shouldn’t go into it expecting much on this front. For me, however, this is almost the exact level of romance I look for in my preferred fantasy reads: it’s there, it has sweet moments, it has a lot of potential, but it’s not the main point of the story.

What’s more, much of the character arch of this story is tied up in Kosara’s relationship with the antagonist of the story, her ex, the monster, the Zmey. This was simply fantastic. For one thing, it’s a nice rebuttal (perhaps too strong of word, maybe “counterbalance” would be better) to the many fantasy romances out there where the male love interest can often come across (or actually be!) quite abusive (usually emotionally or verbally). Here, we see the after effects on a woman who escaped an abusive relationship. What’s more, we see the ongoing challenges of being exposed to this sort of person, the way their power over their victim can remain, despite escape, despite “knowing better.” Kosara can recognize the dangers and abusive tactics of the Zmey, but she can also understand why women keep coming to him, and why she, herself, still feels drawn to him, despite all of this. It was all supremely well done, and not a subject I see covered this well very often. This is the dark side of the “but I can change him” story that we often see go the other way.

As you can tell, I loved this book! I started out this review thinking to give it a “9” on my rating scale, but now after writing about it, I realize I haven’t come up with a single criticism, and indeed, spent a good chunk of time talking about how rarely good it is at covering some its themes. If that’s not a “10” rated book, I don’t know what it! I highly recommend this to all fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy Naomi Novik, Margaret Rogerson, or Emily Lloyd-Jones!

Rating 10: Fantastic in every sense of the word, with a world brimming with magic and peopled with characters you can’t but fall in love with!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Foul Days” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Most Beautiful Covers of 2024 and Eastern European Fantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Horror Movie”


This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Horror Movie” by Paul Tremblay

Publishing Info: William Morrow, June 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A chilling twist on the “cursed film” genre from the bestselling author of The Pallbearers Club and The Cabin at the End of the World.

In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick. The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.

The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions — demons of the past be damned.

But at what cost? 

Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful twist on the “cursed film” that breathlessly builds to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel!

Hooray hooray, it’s finally time for another Paul Tremblay horror novel!! I always look forward to seeing what this master of horror literature comes up with next, as not only can I count on it being deeply deeply upsetting in a scary sense, I can also count on it being deeply deeply upsetting in a ‘I am experiencing utter despair’ sense. And in “Horror Movie” we get both of those things and then some as we are told the story of a production of a ‘cursed’ horror movie, which starts as a shoe string low budget project and ends up as a tragedy that has to be shut down… only for a reboot in the works years later, with one of the last people involved standing being tapped to participate. This alone was enough to have me on board, but with Tremblay at the helm I knew that this was going to be a ride. And man, I really adored it.

There were so many elements of this book that really, really got under my skin. One reason for this is the narrative structure, as we are kind of flipping back and forth between two. The first is that of the unreliable (as we slowly start to realize) narration of our Unnamed Protagonist who played “The Thin Kid” in the original film as he navigates the new situation of a reboot and reminisces about his time on set with friends and coworkers Valentina (the director), Cleo (the writer), and the other people involved in the production that becomes a new member of the ‘cursed films’ club when tragedy after tragedy befalls so many people connected to the project. What starts out as a pretty straight forward thread that seems like a reminiscing and a slow reveal to the first domino of an incident that closed down the film gradually starts to transform into something very, very odd, and downright unnerving. And then on the other side we get snippets from Cleo’s original script for “Horror Movie”, which starts as a pretty familiar arthouse horror film with a little bit of an inflated sense of itself, but then really, REALLY starts to shift towards something that is, indeed, a bit genius but also bizarre. There is one moment describing a long holding shot towards the end of the book that really, really creeped me out because of how Tremblay drew it out, and I genuinely began to feel anxiety and was nervously giggling to myself as it went on. Tremblay has always been SO good at creating completely nerve wracking moments and beats without spilling into ludicrous or unworkable territory, and “Horror Movie” is another masterclass in this. And it really messed with me.

Me suppressing a panic attack until I can be alone after putting down the book after one specific scene. (source)

But this is also a really interesting take on the idea of art creation and how it can consume the creator, but also how art can come to life due to the belief in it, whether or not it’s from the creator itself or from the audience that it finds. There are some obvious explorations of this, mostly as “The Thin Kid” has to basically be method during the production and is isolated from everyone else and even goes to extreme lengths to get into character. But we also kind of see this through Valentina and Cleo’s methods as they are filming, as they have such grand ideas and lofty heights for their creation and how they want it to turn out. And even the way that the movie garners a following in spite of the fact it was never completed and never officially released, but through a few scenes being posted to YouTube which somehow brings not only the fanbase to life, but also other things that perhaps didn’t have the power they wield until a love of the art itself spread far and wide. It’s such an interesting examination of the power of art, for better or for worse. You get the sense that our protagonist probably wouldn’t be on the path he ends up on were it not for the film he was a part of, and not just because of what happened on the set.

Another fantastic novel from Paul Tremblay. I really loved “Horror Movie” in all its weird, nerve-wracking glory. I always look forward to Tremblay’s twisted horror tales, and highly recommend that horror fans check him out if you haven’t already!

Rating 9: A strange, deeply disturbing meditation on the creation of art, the way a myth can build, and how creation can influence destiny.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Horror Movie” is included on the Goodreads lists “Lost Films & Cursed Movies”, and “Found Footage”.

Book Club Review: “What the Wind Knows”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Our current theme is Centuries, where we were given a random century and had to pick a book based during that time period.  For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “What the Wind Knows” by Amy Harmon

Publishing Info: Lake Union Publishing, March 2019

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Century: 20th

Book Description: Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?

Kate’s Thoughts

I will be honest, when I read the description of this book my initial thought was ‘so….. “Outlander” but Ireland?’ Which isn’t quite right (though don’t ask me to elaborate as I haven’t READ “Outlander” nor have I watched the show, but I just know it’s different, okay?). But I was still a little hesitant because it just didn’t really seem like my jam. But I pride myself on being a good sport, and I’m always game to give a book club book a try. And it was, as predicted, a bit of a mixed bag, but probably not because of the book itself and because of my own personal tastes.

So I will focus on what I did like, and that was the setting of “What The Wind Knows”. I know a pretty minimal amount about the history of Ireland, or perhaps it’s more fair to say a broad stroked history. I have some working knowledge of The Troubles, but had very little knowledge of the things that led up to it in the 20th Century, so seeing this story take place at what was in part the start of the domino effect was really enlightening, and I really, really liked how Harmon took this time period and brought it to life. I also liked the way that the time travel aspect of Anne’s presence in this time knowing how all of this was going to play out over the decades, and having to be VERY careful in how she approached the people she has come to care for with this knowledge in the back of her mind was a really fascinating angle. It also led to some serious tension as some dangerous people start to think that she may be a spy for British interests, and man was THAT nerve wracking. All that said, I wasn’t as invested in the romance between Anne and Thomas, and the fantasy elements didn’t really do much for me as a whole, but I want to reiterate that I am not, in general, a person who likes the genre. So it’s not really shocking that the historical elements clicked more for me.

Overall “What the Wind Knows” was fine. Fans of time travel fantasies will probably connect more than I did!

Serena’s Thoughts

Readers of the blog may already be somewhat familiar with Amy Harmon’s books, as I’ve reviewed a few of them over the years. One was a YA fantasy novel which I loved and the other was a historical fiction piece that was rough with its darker themes at times, but good. So i went into this book expecting to like it. Not only was it combining two of my favorite genres (historical and fantasy) but I enjoy Harmon’s lyrical, low key style of writing. And, for the most part, this all panned out!

I often struggle with time travel stories. There are just too many ways for this sort of plot to go wrong, often leaving me bogged down in ultimately unimportant details that take me out of the story. Even authors I’ve enjoyed in the past have struggled in this area (see Adrienne Young’s latest book!). But I was pleased by the way that Harmon handled it here. In that, she really didn’t go into any of the details of how this all worked much at all. Our main character travels through time in some magical manner, and other than that, very little thought goes into the actual mechanics of how this all worked. Further, while the time travel element comes into to the plot in many of the ways you’d expect, it also wasn’t overly fixated on in a way that would be distracting.

Instead, much of the focus was on the historical aspects of the story itself. I wasn’t overly familiar with this point in history, but I think Harmon did a great job of presenting it for readers who are both knowledgeable and less so. Further, I was impressed by her ability to bring in real-life characters and write them in a way that felt believable and true to character. Mostly this came down to judicious use of these characters, only having them on-page during a few select scenes.

I also enjoyed the slow burn romance. This is a bit of a staple as far as Harmon’s writing goes, but I always enjoy the fairly straight-forward, sweet nature of her love stories. I could quibble about the timing of Anne’s sharing her true nature with Thomas, but that’s really neither here nor there as far as the actual story goes. I also enjoyed the mystery at the heart of Anne’s story, which I think added a nice point of balance to the romantic plotline, adding some tension and stakes to what could have otherwise been an overly sentimental tale. Readers who enjoy romantic historical fiction will likely enjoy this one, though it is definitely on the slower side!

Kate’s Rating 6: I loved the setting and the time period, but the fantasy and romance didn’t click as well for me (though this is very much a case of ‘your mileage may vary’).

Serena’s Rating 8: Harmon delivers again with a sweet, romantic tale that also dives deeply into the tensions of a specific point and place in history.

Book Club Questions

  1. How much did you know about this particular point in history? Were you familiar with any of the real life individuals? How well do you think they were portrayed?
  2. Time travel can be a tricky element in fiction. How does this book’s use of time travel compare to others?
  3. The story explores themes of patriotism, trust, and the lengths to which people will go in pursuit of what they believe is right. What stood out to you with these themes?
  4. There are two primary relationships that drive this story: the romance and the relationship between Anne and Eoin. How well did you connect to these relationships?
  5. There are numerous moments where Anne’s decisions in the past connected to the future. Which of these stood out to you?
  6. What do you think would be the most challenging part of travelling through time like Anne did here?

Reader’s Advisory

“What the Wind Knows” is included on the Goodreads lists Best for Book Clubs (ha!) and The Best Time-Travel Romance Novels.

Next Book Club Pick: “A Study in Emerald” and “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman

Giveaway: “The Sin On Their Bones”

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Book: “The Sins On Their Bones” by Laura R. Samotin

Publishing Info: Random House Canada, May 2024

Where Can You Get this Book: Amazon | IndieBound | WorldCat

Book Description: Set in a Jewish folklore-inspired reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe, this queer dark fantasy debut pits two estranged husbands and a daring spymaster on opposite sides of a civil war.

Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.

But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.

Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.

Giveaway Details: To celebrate Pride month, we are happy to host a giveaway of “The Sins On Their Bones” by Laura R. Samotin! With its intriguing cover and captivating description blending fantasy and historical fiction, this one has definitely been making its way steadily up my TBR list. Perfect for readers looking for their next beach read this summer, don’t miss out on this chance to win your own copy!

The giveaway is for an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book and it will ship directly from the publisher. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends June 16.

Enter now!

Kate’s Review: “Anna Bright Is Hiding Something”

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Book: “Anna Bright Is Hiding Something” by Susie Orman Schnall

Publishing Info: SparkPress, June 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: What some women will do for success…

A fast-paced and ripped-from-the-headlines story set in the glossy offices of Silicon Valley startups and New York City new media, Anna Bright Is Hiding Something explores our culture’s fascination with businesswomen who are breaking barriers—and sometimes behaving badly in the process.

Anna Bright is committing fraud. But nobody knows it yet. Not the board of her multibillion-dollar company, BrightLife; not her investors; not the media; not the public breathlessly anticipating the imminent launch of BrightSpot.

Jamie Roman, a hardworking journalist for BusinessBerry, is, no surprise, in awe of her company’s billion-dollar valuation, her polished confidence, and her hustle. But when Jamie learns about Anna’s misconduct, she embarks on a bicoastal journey to expose the crimes in the hope of making a name for herself as a journalist. It’s not long before Anna learns what the young reporter is up to, however—and she’ll do anything to stop Jamie, especially now that BrightLife’s IPO is days away.

With news of the deceit about to break, each woman will risk everything for her version of the truth . . . and only one will emerge unscathed.

Review: Thank you to SparkPress for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Back in 2019 I read the book “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup” by John Carreyou, which was about the rise and fall of Theranos and it’s lying founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who defrauded many many people for a lot of money by promising her tech could do something it absolutely could not do. Then a few years later the Hulu miniseries “The Dropout” came out, which is about the same thing with Amanda Seyfried as Holmes, and my husband (who had been following the Theranos scandal in real time) watched it and really enjoyed it. So when I found an offer to read “Anna Bright Is Hiding Something” by Susie Orman Schnall in my inbox, the story alone caught my attention, as it definitely sounded inspired by Elizabeth Holmes and her shenanigans. And given that I love a scandal and a mess, I obviously had to read it.

For people familiar with the Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes scandal, this will follow some similar beats, but that isn’t to say that it just lifts that story completely and makes it fiction. In part we follow Jamie, an intrepid and ambitious reporter who starts to investigate Anna Bright, the CEO of BrightLife whose upcoming ocular implant is boasted to change the way we see and gather information. Jamie starts to hear rumors of unrest at BrightLife after initially being in awe of the CEO, and when she smells a story that could define her career, she jumps on it. I liked Jamie’s character, as it’s always refreshing to see a flawed but easy to root for character take the reins in a story like this, and Jamie is all that and more. She has every reason to strive to prove herself, whether it’s because she’s a woman in an environment that can be sexist in a lot of ways, or because of being worried about being the shadow of her journalism giant father (and with whom she has.a tricky relationship). And I liked seeing her get the scoop, and enjoyed the suspense of wondering just what she was going to find, and what consequences there could be should she REALLY cross Anna and her own ambitions.

And then there is the choice to follow Anna, a choice that could have been a bit dicey as having our primary antagonist a perspective is a risk that can, in general, go really well, or really poorly. In this instance I thought that it was effective, as we not only get to see what kind of manipulative sociopath that Anna is, and not only do we get to see how she’s buying time and shutting all naysayers down, but we also get to see her start to realize that Jamie is on to her, and what lengths she will go to to stop the story, and the truth, from coming out. Schnall walks a really fine line, as she never makes excuses nor sympathizes for Anna’s unethical and downright dangerous lies and fraudulence, but she also isn’t painted as a cartoony villain. It’s very fun to watch these two women play a game of cat and mouse, while also watching the narrative critique some of the aspects of the scandal as it unfolds that could apply to real life (misogyny towards women in tech, the way that BIPOC women are especially targeted, the way that men who do similar things don’t receive the same level of scrutiny, and so forth). I also appreciated that while this is more of a contemporary novel, the suspense and thriller elements are still well done with the intrigue and as these two women set out to take each other down.

If you are looking for a page turner this summer and enjoy a good tech company scandal, “Anna Bright Is Hiding Something” ought to be put on your book pile. It’s very enjoyable.

Rating 8: Gripping, timely, and a little bit soapy (in a good way), “Anna Bright Is Hiding Something” is an entertaining page turner and a grand cat and mouse story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Anna Bright Is Hiding Something” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but if you want the real life parallels I would recommend “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup” by John Carreyou.

Serena’s Review: “The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King”

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Book: “The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King” by Carissa Broadbent

Publishing Info: Bramble, June 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

Previously Reviewed: “The Serpent and the Wings of Night”

Review: “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” was one of those rare books where I actually could see what all the hype was about! Were there familiar concepts employed? Sure. Was the romance fairly straight-forward? Yes. Was the twist a bit predictable? Yeah. But you know what? The characters were interesting, thought had clearly went into the world-building, and the writing was compelling. And most of all, I simply had a fun time reading it! All of that to say, this was one of my most highly anticipated sequels for the first half of the year!

So, this book didn’t quite reach the highs of the first book, but overall, it was still an excellent sequel! For one thing, I appreciated the way some of the reveals at the end of the first book were followed up on here, most especially Oraya’s relationship with her recently deceased father. While most readers are here for the romantic relationship, I think it is this complicated father/daughter relationship that really holds the true character arc of this story. As the story progresses, we peal back layers of trauma and crippling expressions of love. There is clearly darkness in this relationship, and much of this book is Oraya attempting to reconcile the man she grew up with with the man her father truly was. But instead of taking the easy way out, Broadbent doesn’t simply vilify this character and go from there. Instead, the story explores the nuances of this relationship, the way that love, hatred, and fear can become so wrapped up in one another as to be nearly indistinguishable. How people can hurt those they love best, all while convincing themselves that they are protecting them.

As for the plot, while the “Hunger Games” style competition of the first book was a fairly familiar device, I did find myself missing it some here. I often enjoy books that get into the nitty gritty of court politics, but for some reason I struggled to enjoy this elements as much here. For one thing, I felt like most of the players were fairly obvious, with the reader largely already knowing who stands where, who can be trusted, and what must be done. That being the case, much of the story then feels like a waiting game for our main characters to catch up.

I did enjoy the romance, for the most part. Again, due to the events of the first book, there’s definitely a slow build up in this area. Oraya’s trust has been broken badly, so it takes quite a while for her to come around again. And while this is understandable and necessary for good characterization, it did make the first half of the book drag a bit. I did appreciate, however, that Raihn was simply all-in on this relationship and simply spent the majority of the relationship wooing Oraya back to him.

I’m not sure how I feel about the decision to include POV chapters for Raihn in this book. On one hand, we learn more about his own history, which was very interesting. But on the other hand, his POV lead to one of my biggest annoyances with the book: the repetition of the phrase “there she is.” He would say this whenever Oraya seemed to return to her fierce, feisty self. The first time, it was kind of cute. The second time…ok, I see what we’re doing here. But then it just kept happening! Seriously, I stopped counting the number of times he said this at a certain point. All of the romance of the line was completely sapped and it instead turned into one of those annoying phrases that immediately threw me out of the book whenever it came up. I wish an editor had flagged this as something that needed to be paired back. Broadbent is a talented writer, so I know she’s capable of better writing then this level of repetition indicates.

Overall, however, I found this to be a completely satisfying sequel! It came through in all of the ways I wanted (a satisfying conclusion to the romance and central conflict) and even tackled a level of depth and nuance with regards to Oraya and her father’s relationship that I wasn’t expecting. There were a few writing quirks that got on my nerves, and I do think the plot dragged a bit in the first half. But that said, I think book will likely please fans of the first book, and I’ll be on the lookout for the next book Broadbent releases!

Rating 8: Full to the brim with romance, court politics, and family trauma, an excellent sequel all around!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King” is on these Goodreads lists: New Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy and Romance Novels with King in the Title.