Serena’s Review: “A Season of Monstrous Conceptions”

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Book: “A Season of Monstrous Conceptions” by Lina Rather

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: In 17th-century London, unnatural babies are being born: some with eyes made for the dark, others with webbed fingers and toes better suited to the sea.

Sarah Davis is intimately familiar with such strangeness—she herself was born marked by uncanniness. Having hidden her nature all her life and fled to London under suspicious circumstances, Sarah starts over as a midwife’s apprentice, hoping to carve out for herself an independent life. As a member of the illegal Worshipful Company of Midwives, Sarah learns to reach across the thinning boundary between her world and another, drawing on its power to heal and protect the women she serves.

When the wealthy Lady Wren hires her to see her through her pregnancy, Sarah quickly becomes a favorite of her husband, the famous architect Lord Christopher Wren, whose interest in the uncanny borders on obsession. Sarah soon finds herself caught in a web of magic and intrigue created by those who would use the magic of the Other World to gain power for themselves, and whose pursuits threaten to unmake the earth itself.

Review: As Kate has mentioned in some of her reviews, there’s definitely a current trend regarding horror and fantasy stories tackling motherhood, pregnancy, and birth. Pretty obvious why, given the national debate around the topic! Plus, regardless of contemporary happenings, there is a long history of birth and motherhood that has veered wildly between the mystical and the horrific. This novella tackles the same subject but adds actual monstrosities to the mix!

I really enjoy books like this that blend genres so effectively. Not only do we have the horror and fantasy elements, but the story takes place in an alternate 17th century London. This allowed the story to utilize not only its fantastical elements, that children are being born with monstrous traits, but also its historical time period as commentary on many aspects of human life. And, while I liked the fantasy aspects, I think the historical setting of this book is its real strength. At times, some of the magic and horror of what was actually going on was a bit hand-waved away with very little explanation. This is a novella, so I do understand not wanting to get too in-depth with some of these elements, but there were times that I was left questioning.

On the other hand, the historical setting felt very alive and drove much of the story. I particularly liked the group of midwives who were covertly running their own operation, attempting to record what was going on before the more official agencies got in to cover things up. Obviously, this isn’t really anything like the show “Call the Midwife” but it also did have similar vibes, especially with the cast of women we meet along the way.

I also really liked our main character. As an outsider in many ways, she had a unique perspective on the challenges tackled in this story. Obviously, having monstrous characteristics herself, her investment in the future of these children and the mothers who birth them is very close to her. If anything, the richness of her own story and the interesting and complex world we briefly explored left me a bit disappointed by the short length of this story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a novella and not always having to commit to a massive tome (especially as a fantasy reader, a genre that is known for its hefty wordcounts!). But I do think that this book is an example of a concept that was limited by its page count, rather than aided. There was just so much here, I wish we had more time to explore it all!

Rating 8: Creepy, but thought-provoking, my primary complaint is that I wanted more of it!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Season of Monstrous Conceptions” can be found on this Goodreads list: Queer Horror

Serena’s Review: “Night of the Witch”

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Book: “Night of the Witch” by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she’s determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that’s just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjagers burned his innocent mother alive and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they’ve done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other, despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

Review: I was able to meet the authors and snag a signed ARC of this way back at the ALA convention in June. Since then, I’ve been regularly pulling it out and trying to decide how early is too early to start reading a book that doesn’t release until October. But the day finally arrived, and this book, while not exactly what I was expecting, definitely lived up to my wildest dreams!

I don’t know why I had this in my head, but I definitely thought this was going to be a single POV book. Now, reading the book description, it seems pretty obvious that it was not going to be that. Honestly, I probably went in with a more optimistic attitude because of this misconception, as dual POV YA fantasy books rarely really work for me. But I’m happy to always be reminded that there are exceptions to that rule! Here, we see the proper equation to creating a dynamic dual POV book.

First, it starts with voice. It was supremely easy to tell the difference in narrative style between Fritzi and Otto. This doesn’t come down to any quirks in dialect or anything like that, but more the clearly different ways the two characters observe and relate to the world around them. Their senses of humor, levels of cynicism, and the various weights of emotional baggage are clearly different from one another, allowing readers to feel fully immersed both characters’ head.

Second, they each have a distinctive arc from one another, without one over-shadowing the other or their combined arcs turning out to be essentially the same story. Yes, they experience many of the same events, but their motivations, choices, and priorities are very much built up on the many years of life they bring to the current situation, lives that were very different from one another. While they find themselves with common enemies, they each have been coming at the problem from unique perspectives. What’s more, they have very, VERY, different relationships with the players involved, affecting how they each process and respond to certain situations.

Third, they have a joint arc that perfectly ties together their separate story lines and weaves a greater overarching plot line. I really appreciated the slow-burn nature of the romance, with each having to slowly come to trust and rely on the other. It’s never believable when I read these “enemy to lovers” stories where the pair immediately seems to get over whatever made them “enemies” to begin with and then just jump easily to “lovers” with no stumbling blocks of distrust, betrayal, or misunderstanding to be found. Here, these characters must quite naturally, over time, come to understand what makes up the other, and thus grow to love and respect them. It also helps that the “enemy” portion of their storyline is largely built on a misunderstanding, albeit it a natural and, in fact, necessary one. It would be truly hard to buy any story that saw a witch fall in love with an actual witch hunter. Instead, the authors found a clever way of side-stepping the issue while still getting at the juicy drama of it all.

I also am really enjoying this current trend towards Germanic fantasy and folklore. (Spoilers, I’ll be reading another Germanic fantasy here in another few weeks!) This book, specifically, included a lot of references to the historical and religious influences that played a role in the region, as well as a good dose of actual German words and phrases. While much of this was on the periphery of the main story, I appreciated these small touches.

I also liked the magic, fantasy, and witchy-ness of this story. While I was able to guess a few of the major reveals about this magic and the players involved, it was all interesting enough to keep me fully engaged with the story throughout. My one major complaint comes down to the ending of the book. It felt like the story had come to a nice, natural conclusion, leaving us with the rare, unicorn of a stand-alone YA fantasy. But alas, at the very last minute, and I mean very last minute, we get a reveal that effectively undoes this resolution. While I’m happy to return to these characters and this world, I’m not sure this ending actually benefited this book on its own merit.

Rating 8: Stellar! Full of danger, intrigue, and forbidden romance, this is how you do enemies-to-lovers stories right!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Night of the Witch” isn’t on any good Goodreads books, really, but it should be on Witchy YA.

Kate’s Review: “Black River Orchard”

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Book: “Black River Orchard” by Chuck Wendig

Publishing Info: Del Rey, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley and an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC23.

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

Book Description: It’s autumn in the town of Harrow, but something else is changing in the town besides the season. Because in that town there is an orchard, and in that orchard, seven most unusual trees. And from those trees grows a new sort of apple: Strange, beautiful, with skin so red it’s nearly black.

Take a bite of one of these apples and you will desire only to devour another. And another. You will become stronger. More vital. More yourself, you will believe. But then your appetite for the apples and their peculiar gifts will keep growing—and become darker.

This is what happens when the townsfolk discover the secret of the orchard. Soon it seems that everyone is consumed by an obsession with the magic of the apples… and what’s the harm, if it is making them all happier, more confident, more powerful? And even if buried in the orchard is something else besides the seeds of this extraordinary tree: a bloody history whose roots reach back the very origins of the town.

But now the leaves are falling. The days grow darker. And a stranger has come to town, a stranger who knows Harrow’s secrets. Because it’s harvest time, and the town will soon reap what it has sown.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with my eARC and ARC!

One of my favorite things to do in Autumn is going to an apple orchard. There are some good ones outside of the Twin Cities if you are willing to drive a bit, and some of my favorite places have not just apples but also Halloween themed attractions and apple themed baked goods. I mean, what’s not to love? I’m also an alum of the U of MN, which is known for apples given that it created species like the Zestar and the Honeycrisp. We know apples here. And I was thinking about all of these things as I read Chuck Wendig’s newest horror novel “Black River Orchard”, which takes the idea of apples and makes them downright evil. So obviously it is the PERFECT read for the Halloween season!!

So yes, this is a big book, like many of Wendig’s books are, but like his previous novels “Black River Orchard” is paced so well and is so addictive that it reads very, very fast. This nearly 700 page books took me maybe four days to finish because if I wasn’t dealing with the day to day responsibilities of my life, I was reading. We have multiple character perspectives and multiple interludes that add context to a complex but well thought out story, and I felt like it all came together really well even though there were so many threads that needed to interlock. I loved the variation in voices that our characters got, whether it’s Dan, the ambitious and increasingly sinister orchard owner, or his daughter Calla who can see him changing after his new Ruby Slipper apple hypnotizes the community, or newcomer Emily whose marriage is teetering on the brink, or John, a mysterious apple enthusiast who has reason to try and find out as much as he can about these mysterious and heavily sought out new apples. All of their perspectives (and more) were well fleshed out and I never found myself bored with a character chapter because they were all interesting to me.

And in terms of the horror elements of this story, Wendig really does earn the comparisons he gets to the likes of Stephen King, in that the horror is creepy and immersive, but there is almost always some hope and humanity there. Seeing the frog in the pot of boiling water scenario as Dan’s new Ruby Slippers start taking over the town, and turning those who eat them into fanatical and sinister shells of their former selves slowly but surely, is deeply unsettling and pulls the tension tight. Wendig takes his time to show how these apples are affecting people, sort of similar to “The Fly” in that it first seems all positive, with ailments being healed and confidence being boosted, but then we start to realize with a few other characters that no, things are going very, very wrong. We get hints of the strangeness in between chunks of the story at hand, whether it’s flashbacks to the town history or weird perspectives from animals on the property, and by the time we get to the big reveal and crux of what is at stake the body horror, groupthink violence, and psychological terror is all there and it is thriving. I was a tension filled mess in the last chapters, worried about how it was all going to shake out. Hell, even in some of the earlier chapters with moments of mere high strangeness I was in need of setting the book down for a bit. There is just something about the description of an apple skin mask that really, really gets under my skin. Wendig can make things like this seem absolutely terrifying!

“Black River Orchard” is another horror triumph from Chuck Wendig! I am always eager to see where his twisty but optimistic mind is going to go next, and this is a must read for the season. Maybe not if you plan to go to an apple orchard. Or maybe especially if you plan to go to an apple orchard!

Rating 9: Creepy as hell with many well conceived plot points that thread together, “Black River Orchard” is another winner from Chuck Wendig!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Black River Orchard” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward to in 2023”!

Serena’s Review: “Bittersweet in the Hollow”

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Book: “Bittersweet in the Hollow” by Kate Pearsall

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: In rural Caball Hollow, surrounded by the vast National Forest, the James women serve up more than fried green tomatoes at the Harvest Moon diner, where the family recipes are not the only secrets.

Like her sisters, Linden was born with an unusual ability. She can taste what others are feeling, but this so-called gift soured her relationship with the vexingly attractive Cole Spencer one fateful night a year ago . . . A night when Linden vanished into the depths of the Forest and returned with no memories of what happened, just a litany of questions–and a haze of nightmares that suggest there’s more to her story than simply getting lost.

Now, during the hottest summer on record, another girl in town is gone, and the similarities to last year’s events are striking. Except, this time the missing girl doesn’t make it home, and when her body is discovered, the scene unmistakably spells murder.

As tempers boil over, Linden enlists the help of her sisters to find what’s hiding in the forest . . . before it finds her. But as she starts digging for truth–about the Moth-Winged Man rumored to haunt the Hollow, about her bitter rift with Cole, and even about her family–she must question if some secrets are best left buried.

Review: Somehow I managed to read two Mothman books in the same number of months? And then, even more strangely, I’m the one reviewing them here on the blog even though Kate’s the big Mothman fan of the two of us! Mostly, that’s because I was trying to get in a few of the more spooky but still fantasy YA novels this fall, and I guess Mothman is having a moment, because that’s what we got! While I had some quibbles with “Together We Rot,” I did like it overall, so I was definitely curious to see what another version of the famous cryptid would present!

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me, but I do think this is largely down to my own personal preferences in reading more than any major flaws in the book itself. I’ll start with what I did like, as always, but fans of contemporary YA thriller/dark fantasy/horror may want to take the rest of it with a grain of salt as well. So, what I liked. Like the other Mothman book, I felt like this one really nailed its sense of place. Not only did the forest feel as if it was almost a character in its own right, but the entire town and region felt very unique as a culture. I also thought the style of writing was very successful with its building tension and pervasive sense of doom. I mean, I obviously have a fairly low bar for creepiness, definitely as compared to true horror fans like Kate, but if you’re looking for low level horror, I think this definitely has it.

As the book started, I felt like I was going to really like it. I was intrigued by Linden and her magical skill of tasting others’ feelings. And, surprising no one, I was very interested in the sister relationships that were being introduced, with each sister having her own abilities and role in the family. I was also intrigued by the romance that was first introduced, with the character of Cole, a young man who used to be closer with Linden before the events of the summer before (also, I just have to say, there’s something odd about the fact that both Mothman books I’ve read now featured very, very similar romance arcs…what’s with that??). Unfortunately, as the story continued, I found myself becoming less and less invested or interested in the book itself.

Many of the characters and relationships that were introduced quickly fell off the page or failed to deliver on the promises hinted at in the early parts of the books. The sisters quickly became hard to differentiate from one another, that is when we saw them at all. The relationship between Cole and Linden also became increasingly inexplicable. Linden spends a lot of time telling the reader that they have all of this beef between them, but their actual interactions on the page sees Cole being pretty much exclusively pleasant and nice to her.

The pacing also begins to drag quite a bit. It takes a long time for the murder to actually happen, or any pieces to the puzzle of Linden’s lost memories to fall into place. What’s more, once Linden supposedly starts trying to piece together this mystery, the clues seem to more fall into her lap that come about due to any actions on her part. And then, after what became painfully slow pacing through out much of the story, the resolution came charging in in the last 50 or so pages, leaving me with a feeling of whiplash when the story ended.

Honestly, while I was reading this book, I spent quite a bit of time setting it down and wondering whether I just really am not a fan of contemporary fantasy/horror. Even now, it’s hard for me to say whether this review comes from legitimate critiques of the story, or whether many of the things that didn’t work well for me are simply staples of the contemporary genre and I just don’t prefer them. I feel like the pacing is definitely a problem area, but my disconnect with the characters could have come down to a dislike for modern, contemporary characters. If you’re a big fan of YA horror/thrillers, this one might be for you, but I do think it’s on the slower side of things.

Rating 7: Definitely has some spooky moments and I appreciated the sense of place established, but the slower pacing and fairly flat characters left me feeling largely disconnected from this story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bittersweet in the Hollow” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Releases October 2023

Kate’s Review: “Pre-Approved for Haunting”

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Book: “Pre-Approved for Haunting: And Other Stories” by Patrick Barb

Publishing Info: Keylight Books, September 2023

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: A collection of weird, dark stories and millennial anxieties. In this new collection, Patrick Barb explores themes of family found and lost, media consumption and the dangers of runaway nostalgia, the supernatural in our lives, and the impact of violence in both the long- and short-term. From rural backwoods to Park Slope brownstones, Barb’s characters face impossible, awful situations, testing their inner strength and understanding of reality. Covering quiet horror, weird fiction, supernatural horror, slasher horror, topical dark fiction, and more, these stories spotlight supposedly familiar terrors and fears in new and unexpected ways.

Review: Thank you to Turner Publishing and Keylight Books for sending me an ARC of this collection!

Though I do see myself as an avid horror fan (probably more than avid if we are encompassing all of my pastimes and interests), I am always discovering creators that are new to me, either because they are also new, or more likely because I just haven’t tuned into them yet. It’s always fun to have a new horror author end up in my path, and “Pre-Approved for Haunting: And Other Stories” by Patrick Barb (who is also a local author for us Minnesota people!) is the newest example of that. I had never heard of Barb before, but the description of his works in this collection definitely had my attention from the jump. A short story collection is a great way to get a feel for a new to me author, and I can definitely say that this book is a good example of that. Holy varied works, Batman!

As always with short stories collections, I shall focus on my favorite three stories and then review the collection as a whole.

“Casual”: This was a story pretty early in the collection, and it was the first one to make me say ‘okay, this guy knows what he’s doing’. Talk about a twisted take on a pretty well worn concept! Jack and Lizzie are meeting for the first time in person after meeting online, choosing a quiet bar to get to know each other a little bit… and to do their first dual murder together. From the jump you know that these two young people are here to do something terrible, but it’s written in a way that feels like a cozy meet cute between two people who have similar interests and sparkling chemistry. I really liked the subversion, and how even though you know how it’s going to go you can’t help but kind of like the banter and flirtation as they get to know each other, and feel the poignancy of the end.

“I Will Not Read Your Haunted Script”: As a person who enjoys an urban legend, especially ones that involve haunted Hollywood and cursed movies, this one had a lot going for it out the gate. A screenwriter is sick of people approaching them with supposedly haunted and cursed screenplays, as their own notorious script may or may not have cursed an entire production, leaving them the last person involved alive. But this newest one may be the exception, and not because the writer has any say. I love the construction of this one, being somewhat second person from the screenwriter’s POV, and how it vacillates between a rant with exposition, and bits from a screenplay. I loved the frenzied build up and the absolute bonkers unraveling of it all.

“Iggy Crane and the Headless Horse Girl”: I’m pretty certain this was my favorite in the book, as I love anything related to “Sleepy Hollow” and I REALLY loved the way that Barb updated it and made it fit into a modern framework. Iggy Crane is the new riding instructor at the prestigious Sleepy Hollow Girls’ Preparatory Academy. She is drawn to headmistress Cat Van Tussel, but finds some of her students, specifically the Bones Girls Clique, difficult. And when she sees a viral video involving a girl who pretends to be a horse, things get all the stranger. I really, really loved this story, and how Barb takes the ideas of superstition and lore and translates it into viral videos and idle gossip. It feels like “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” without trying too hard, and I adored how it all lines up with the original tale while still being pretty novel and unique.

As for the collection as a whole, it was probably pretty evenly distributed between the three I loved, then the ones that were pretty good, okay, and not really for me. I did like the overall unease of these tales, and I definitely see the tweaked and twisted take on certain aspects of Millennial nostalgia in a good number of them (I’m specifically thinking of “The Other Half of the Battle”, which, without giving too much away, was making me flashback to both the ‘Pork Chop Sandwiches!’ meme and my G.I. Joe sleeping bag from when I was but a child. MAN did that tap into multiple layers of nostalgia memories). A few were a little much for my triggers and horror boundaries, so it’s probably a good idea to know what your triggers are and know that there will probably be a few content warnings that would be good to be aware of (child harm, some body horror aspects, some gendered horror but not in an exploitative way). At the end of the day there is variety here and it touches upon multiple genres, multiple tones, and multiple entry points for horror fans of all types.

“Pre-Approved for Haunting” is a weird and sometimes nasty collection that is a good introduction to an author I was unfamiliar with. I will be looking for more from Patrick Barb in the future.

Rating 7: A varied and macabre collection of horror stories for many different horror tastes, “Pre-Approved for Haunting: And Other Stories” is a spooky and at times terrifying treat.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Pre-Approved for Haunting: And Other Stories” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on “Best Dark Fiction Short Story Collections”.

Author Q & A: Michele Campbell

Today we have a very special post, dear readers. We are very grateful and very honored to have Michele Campbell, the author of such books as “It’s Always the Husband”, “She Was the Quiet One”, the brand new “The Intern”, and more thrillers, here on the blog for an interview. Kate is a big fan of thriller books and of the aforementioned novels from Campbell, and in honor of the release of “The Intern”, we have some questions about writing thrillers, insights to her writing process and more. You can look for a review of “The Intern” on this blog as soon as Horrorpalooza is over. And we want to extend a special thanks to Michele Campbell for agreeing to answer some questions, and to Taylor Brightwell for arranging it!

Q.   What kinds of thrillers did you like to read when you first became a fan of the genre? Do you have any specific influences, whether it’s authors you like, or media, or specific sub genres?

A: The legal thriller was my first love, with Presumed Innocent an early favorite. I devoured the courtroom scenes and plot twists. As a young lawyer, I read a lot of Grisham. This was partly out of professional interest, but mostly just because I loved his books. The high stakes and fast-paced plots. The villains, who weren’t just evil, but smooth and sophisticated and smart. The heroes who were just as flawed as the bad guys — full of doubts, tempted by the dark side, always on the verge of moral collapse. Then, when Gone Girl came along, I fell hard for domestic suspense, like everybody did. I adored the nuanced characterization and strong female leads. In THE INTERN, I’ve tried to blend these two subgenres into one – a character-driven thriller with a propulsive plot, set against the glamorous backdrop of the Boston legal community.

Q.   You are not only an author, but you also have a law degree, worked as a federal prosecutor, and taught constitutional and criminal law. Does having that background in law affect your creative process in any way?

A: Yes, in terms of both subject matter and craft. After eight years as a federal prosecutor in New York, investigating narcotics and gang cases, going to court every day, standing up before juries, my books always include a criminal investigation. That’s true not only of my legal thrillers, but my domestic thrillers as well. For example, my international bestseller, IT’S ALWAYS THE
HUSBAND, is about the toxic friendships among three former college roommates. But when one of them turns up murdered, the local police chief and the young female detective investigating the murder get their own chapters. And that multiple-viewpoint style, I think, is a hallmark of my legal training. As a lawyer, I learned that there were at least two sides to every story, sometimes many more. Just as I never tried a case with only one witness, I wouldn’t write a book from the perspective of a single character. The use of multiple viewpoints builds suspense and lets the reader be the ultimate judge of the truth.

Q.  What inspired you to write “The Intern”?

A: THE INTERN was born from a desire to return to my roots. I actually began my writing career with a legal thriller series written as Michele Martinez (my full name is Michele Martinez Campbell), featuring federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas. Melanie (so I have been told) was the first Puerto Rican female protagonist of any crime series, and she’s based quite closely on me. After that series ended, I turned to writing psychological thrillers and domestic suspense. But I’ve always wanted to return to the excitement of the legal thriller, and write another character whose experiences mirror my own. Madison Rivera is that character. We’re both of Puerto Rican heritage, from modest backgrounds, and went to big-name law schools where we felt like outsiders. Madison matches wits with the mysterious (and possibly dangerous) Judge Kathryn Conroy. The funny thing is, once I started writing, I related just as much to Kathryn as to Madison. They both turn out to be complicated, fascinating heroines, hiding huge secrets and facing impossible choices. I love them equally.

Q.  What do you find most challenging about writing, whether in general or when it comes to thrillers as a genre?

A: To me, both the magic and the bane of writing is that there are so many ways to tell the same story. As the author, you have to choose, which by definition means there will be paths not taken. It’s a truism that every writer is either a plotter or a pantser (i.e., someone who writes by the seat of her pants). But I’m both. I start with a detailed outline. Then, as I write, the characters take charge, pushing the story in new directions. That’s when I most love writing — when I’m taking dictation from the muse, watching an alternate reality unfold that I don’t really control. And yet, to produce a coherent book, I have to maintain focus. I have to stick to one idea, to a plot, to a viewpoint. Otherwise, I’ll end up going down the wrong path. Yet too much focus can stifle inspiration. Navigating my way through that tension and finding the right balance is what I find most challenging.

Q: As a blog run by librarians, we love hearing what authors are reading and enjoying! What books, thriller or otherwise, have you been loving at the moment? Any you are looking forward to?

A: I read across all genres of fiction. Books I have read and loved recently outside of the thriller/suspense genre include: Elizabeth Chadwick’s Alienor of Aquitaine and William Marshal series; A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles; The Guest by Emma Cline; and Babel by S.F. Kuang. I of course also read a lot of great thrillers and crime fiction. Recent favorites include The Partner Track by Helen Wan and The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan. I am most
looking forward to Kristin Hannah’s The Women, Jeneva Rose’s It’s A Date Again (because I love a great romance and a good laugh), and of course, the Winds of Winter, which I’ve been looking forward to for the past decade like everybody else.

Serena’s Review: “The Unmaking of June Farrow”

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Book: “The Unmaking of June Farrow” by Adrienne Young

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: eARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

Review: I was super excited when I saw that Adrienne Young was coming out with another book this year. And adult fantasy, at that! As much as I enjoyed some of her earlier YA work, I’ve really enjoyed the turn her writing has taken lately toward adult fantasy, especially of the sort where the fantasy elements are largely in the background of a story more focused on characters, relationships, and mysteries. “Spells of Forgetting” was one of my favorite reads last year, and this one sounded very much like it was up the same alley!

I don’t think I can avoid minor spoilers when talking about this book, but it’s really only a “spoiler” in the sense that the official book summary doesn’t lay it all out there. Any quick perusal of Goodreads will reveal this. But if you’re really vigilant, I’m going to try to discuss quickly at the top the absolutely non-spoiler-y things and then get into the rest towards the end.

And the first non-spoiler fact is that I loved this book! It had a lot of similar features to “Spells for Forgetting” and they worked just as well this time around. Namely, Young’s talent for writing compelling, nuanced, and sympathetic characters. This talent extends beyond her ability to write great leading ladies and romantic interests, but also to the side characters and villains that populate her world. This book, in particular, did some great work with these side characters. By the nature of the story, we see several versions of these characters, and it was fascinating to piece together these pieces of their histories and how they interacted with those around them.

I also liked the mysteries at the heart of this story. There were several, including the truth behind the strange curse/mental illness that afflicts June’s family, as well as the disappearance of June’s mother, and a long-ago, unsolved cold case of the town’s preacher. All of these various mysteries wove in and out of one another, and even as you uncover a portion of the truth from one mystery, it simply adds another layer of unknowns to the remaining questions. I was able to piece together a few bits fairly early on, but there were definitely other reveals that took me by surprise. Depending on your sleuthing abilities, there was a fairly large twist that came late in the game that was actually so monumental that I wish the story had lingered over it a bit longer even than it did.

I also really liked the romance at the heart of this story. The love story is a slow-burn style romance, with much of the book carefully detailing June’s connection to the complicated man she meets after going through the door. Due to the nature of how they meet and the mystery of the door, this relationship faces several deep-seated conflicts built into the very core of who each character is. In my opinion, this is the best sort of love story, one that explores the personal arcs of each individual alongside the burgeoning romance building between them.

And now to the spoiler (sort of??) aspect of the review. Again, I don’t think this is a real spoiler as it’s revealed very early in the book and is commonly referenced in reviews. But the door that appears is in fact a time travel portal, allowing the Farrow women to move backwards and forwards through time. Overall, I really liked the way this conceit was worked into the story. It was explained and given parameters to a certain degree, but Young also didn’t get bogged down into a lengthy description of magic systems and space/time continuums. It is very much a tool at the service of the more character-driven story that makes up the heart of the book. And while I was reading, it was easy enough to simply go with the flow, as I was fully caught up in the stakes of June’s own story. That said, after I finished the book, there were some niggling bits of confusion and questions that began to bother me. On one hand, I think it’s really, really hard to write a time travel book that doesn’t lead to inevitable questions about how it could all possibly work. But the resolution of this book specifically is clearly meant to build to some greater point about how this specific example of time travel works, and I’m not sure it was fully successful in that regard. There were some lingering questions about whether the late game actions of characters really would accomplish what we were told they would.

Beyond that, I also questioned the initial premise a bit, that the Farrow women would understand the give and take of using the door and still continue to use it as they did. We’re told simply “they couldn’t resist, ultimately,” but I feel like this simplistic explanation actually does a massive disservice to the very nature of the complicated, nuanced characters that Young is known for creating. People don’t just do things, all of them making the same choice simply because, and one of Young’s strengths as a writer is her exploration of these differences between how and why people do what they do. This is a fairly minor complaint, but it did stand out at me, mostly because it is so out of step with the rest of the character exploration and explanation that we’re given. And, necessarily, it’s at the heart of much of the Farrow story, over the decades.

But while I did have lingering questions and quibbles, I can’t emphasize enough how much none of this bothered my actual reading experience. And even with these questions, I think the exploration of family, history, and the deep connections formed with those who make up our lives was so expertly done that I have no qualms recommending this to almost anyone, especially those who enjoy character-driven stories and slow-burn romances.

Rating 8: Atmospheric and lyrical, Adrienne Young does it again, painting a story of a long line of women whose lives weave in and out of one another’s creating a beautiful tapestry of love and mystery.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Unmaking of June Farrow” can be found on this Goodreads list: Moody stories about small towns with secrets and magic

Serena’s Review: “Throne of the Fallen”

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Book: “Throne of the Fallen” by Kerri Maniscalco

Publishing Info: Little, Brown and Company, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Sinner. Villain. Ruthless.

These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other…

Talented. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches and a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn’ Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love. 

Review: I’ll admit, I knew very little about this book when I picked it up. It was a book that the publisher approached me with, and, giving it a brief once over, sounded like something up my alley. I like fantasy. I like romance. I’m always on the hunt for a good combination of the two. Plus, there’s something oddly appealing about the rather old-fashioned romance book cover art on this one. Reminds me of some of the Nora Roberts stuff we were seeing in the 90s and early 2000s, in the best of ways!

It was only after I started reading that I connected several facts. One, I’ve actually read a book by this author, “Stalking Jack the Ripper,” which I very much enjoyed. And two, that this was an adult spin-off of a popular YA fantasy series, “Kingdom of the Wicked,” that was already published. Before getting into the nitty gritty, I will say that I do think this book works as a spin-off. There are clearly references to characters and plots from this first series, but I didn’t find myself overly confused or struggling to put together pieces from those books to fill out the one I was reading. So, if you haven’t read that series and are interested in this one, I do think it is approachable on that front.

And, while this book didn’t work for me, I do want to touch on a few positives first, as always. Firstly, this author has a very clear, fast-paced style of writing that I think appeals to a lot of readers. Indeed, it was this style of writing that made “Stalking Jack the Ripper” work for me as it did. Secondly, while I haven’t read the other series, I’m guessing that this spin-off will work well for all of the established fans. It’s easy enough to see the similarities and the simple changes (largely the inclusion of more graphic romance scenes) that might have been made to adjust the story for adult fantasy romance readers. So, if you like the original series, this will probably work for you. New readers, however…I think you can find better.

I struggled in a few ways, but the first and most prominent one was the way the pacing and romance of the book played out. I’m not overly prudish about my romance, but there are still a few necessary steps that make a romance work for me. Namely, you need to build up a relationship before you get to any pay-off. And this book…didn’t do that. We get a fairly graphic, if imaginary, scene in which the heroine is fantasizing about being with the hero within the first few chapters of the book, after briefly meeting him once and exchanging, at most a few sentences. To me, scenes like this fail to actually deliver what the appeal is meant to be in romance novels: I have zero investment in these characters together, and thus reading a prolonged, fantasized scene of the two them together after only just meeting them both…does nothing for me. It feels like its being graphic and sexual purely for graphic sexuality’s sake, as if the author was so desperate to make sure it was known that this was an adult fantasy romance that she hurried to squish this scene in, even if it’s completely unnecessary and unappealing in its own right.

This is a brief example, but it perfectly illustrates my ongoing struggles with the pacing of the relationship, and these two characters in general. I didn’t particularly like either of the lead characters, and I became increasingly frustrated with the passive nature of the heroine as the story continued. Envy (I won’t even get into the awkward reading nature of the names; I get that it’s the seven deadly sins, but Envy/Syn was so hard to take seriously every time I read t on the page) keeps telling us how feisty Camilla is, but then she seems very passive in any actual action. I was interested in her story when she was initially introduced, but it was hard to connect the type of woman who made a life for herself in the way that she must have with the type of character who was actually on the page.

From some brief sleuthing, I can tell that Envy must have been something of a fan favorite background character in the original series. And, yeah, I can see it. When given the correct moments, he definitely has some snark and spunk, especially of the variety that works great as a side character who pops up to dazzle in a scene. If anything, I liked him more when we saw him interacting with the other Princes of Hell. But when he was serving as the romantic lead, he didn’t connect with me, and I didn’t buy the chemistry between him and Camilla.

Overall, this one really didn’t work with me. Mostly, the pacing and the approach to the romantic elements started off on the wrong foot and the story never recovered from there. However, I’m guessing that this will be an unpopular opinion and that fans of the original series will gobble this one up!

Rating 6: A bit of a disappointment, mostly due to the rushed nature of the romance scenes and my inability to connect to either leading character.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Throne of the Fallen” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2023 and Lock and Key.

Kate’s Review: “The Court of Shadows”


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Book: “The Court of Shadows” by Victor Dixen and Francoise Bui (translator)

Publishing Info: Amazon Crossing, September 2023

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: A fiery heroine seeks vengeance against a royal court of deadly vampires in this epic alternate history set in lavish Versailles.

Louis XIV transformed from the Sun King into the King of Shadows when he embraced immortality and became the world’s first vampire. For the last three centuries, he has been ruling the kingdom from the decadent Court of Shadows in Versailles, demanding the blood of his subjects to sate his nobles’ thirst and maintain their loyalty.

In the heart of rural France, commoner Jeanne Froidelac witnesses the king’s soldiers murder her family and learns of her parents’ role in a brewing rebellion involving the forbidden secrets of alchemy. To seek her revenge, Jeanne disguises herself as an aristocrat and enrolls in a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers. She soon finds herself at the doors of the palace of Versailles.

But Jeanne, of course, is no aristocrat. She dreams not of court but of blood. The blood of a king.

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

It’s early in the Halloween season (well…. okay it’s early in October, as for me the Halloween season starts the day after Labor Day), and you know that I just had to have a vampire story in my Horrorpalooza line up somewhere. So here we have “The Court of Shadows”, a historical fiction/alternate timeline/ vampire horror tale by Victor Dixen. Originally published in France, it has been translated into multiple languages and now it is hitting the United States. When it ended up in my mailbox I was wholly, wholly interested, and knew that it was going to be perfect to showcase during Horrorpalooza. Vampires in Versailles is just ingenius. And “The Court of Shadows” really sucked me in.

Dixen has created a familiar and yet foreign alternative timeline, in which much of the world has had vampires insert themselves into seats of power to govern countries and to feed upon the lower classes while they use the upper classes to keep them in line. In France King Louis the Sun King has been ruling as a vampire for 300+ years, and has established a court of aristocrats to keep the common folk in line while they are taxed of their blood. It’s such a unique vampire mythos that uses themes of the aristocracy and a parasitic nature (in multiple ways) that works SO WELL in vampire tales and makes them feel fresh. You add in a competition at a prestigious school that creates protectors and right hand men/women for the vampires, all potentially ending with a granted chance at vampirism for the winners, and I was completely enthralled. It makes for some engaging political intrigue as people plot and scheme, and try to make their ambitions bear fruit by any means necessary, all while they are pitted against each other for darker ends. I also highly enjoyed the concept of the Vampyria rule essentially stalling society in time, technology and culture wise, as it reads like France is still very much existing during the reign of the Sun King even though it is three hundred years later (aka, modern day). As a vampire tale, it works very well.

I also really liked Jeanne’s story arc as she goes from rural ‘commoner’ to vengeful imposter with a mission to kill the vampiric King Louis, and where that drive and ambition and journey takes her characterization. When we first meet her she is a bit in the dark about her family’s involvement in a potential rebellion against Vampyria, and in a moment of panic and self preservation she passes herself off as an aristocrat and ends up at a school where she will be trained to protect the vampires from any threats. From there she decides to win the favor and the training competition they are holding, as it will get her close to those who had her family killed, including Louis himself. It harkens back to dystopia tales like “The Hunger Games” or “The Belles”, but what I liked about Jeanne is that her rage and need for vengeance starts to transform her into a calculating, and in some ways merciless and brutal, competitor. I liked the complexity and how at times she was downright vicious, and walking towards the precipice of becoming a villain in her own way. It makes me all the more excited for the next book in the series, “The Court of Miracles”.

I enjoyed “The Court of Shadows”. The intrigue, the competition, the vampires, it all worked for me. I am very interested in seeing where we go from here in the next one.

Rating 9: Filled with political intrigue, complex characters, and a dark fantasy vision of a vampire run world, “The Court of Shadows” is entertaining and a Gothic delight.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Court of Shadows” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but I think that if you enjoyed “The Belles” and general vampire fiction, this could be a good match.

Serena’s Review: “Reign Returned” and “Blood Divided”

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Book: “Reign Returned” by Katie Keridan

Publishing Info: SparkPress, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Kyra Valorian is the most gifted Astral healer the golden-blooded realm of Aeles has seen in ages. When tragedy strikes, Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing she’s a Recovrancer, able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them . . . even partner with a dangerous enemy.

Review: I was approached to review the second book in this series, but, being a duology, it was important that I read the first book first. So, to that end, I’m going to put two mini reviews into one post and cover both books today! Let’s get started with the first book!

Right off the bat, it’s clear that the author has a very approachable style of writing. It was very easy to find myself becoming invested in both of our main characters right from the start. Their various motivations were clear, with their very different backgrounds playing into how they approached decision making when they did come together. Kyra’s dream of following in her father’s footsteps as a healer begins to waver as she uncovers truths about her nation, but throughout the story she maintains an optimistic, hopeful approach to the world. For his part, Sebastian’s history is much darker, as is the way he makes his living current, as an assassin. I appreciated that the author didn’t look away from the reality of what this profession would look like. It’s definitely a steep task to set yourself to show one of your characters killing people, but then make them still sympathetic and worth investment as half of a romantic pair.

The pacing and plotting of the story were all on point. From the first chapter, we are privy to knowledge about Kyra and Sebastian’s history that they only slowly uncover over the course of the story. The reader knows just enough to guess at certain clues, but there were still surprises in store. This isn’t an action-packed story, but the characters (especially some of the fun side characters, like the animal companions and an actual dragon!) really carry the story for much of it. However, the story does build to a good climatic conclusion.

While I like the world-building overall, I was a bit confused at times trying to picture the type of world we’re meant to be envisioning. There were elements that read as very “sci-fi” like comm systems and transporters, essentially, but then there was also the dragon and some unicorns. I have no problem with blending genres as a concept, but here at a certain point it felt more like I just gave up trying to put it all together into a cohesive world and just went with the flow, which isn’t necessarily the way you want to get the reader through.

Rating 8: A solid first book in a duology that definitely left me eager to jump into the second book!

Book: “Blood Divided” by Katie Keridan

Publishing Info: SparkPress, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre have finally remembered their pasts as the former Felserpent Queen and King, and now it’s time for them to change the future―by reuniting the realms and bringing peace to Astrals and Daevals. But tensions between Aeles and Nocens have never been higher, and those of silver and gold blood are more divided than ever.

In addition to improving her recovrancy abilities and completing internship, Kyra is determined to uncover her father’s role in the evil Astral experimentation program, no matter the danger. As Sebastian learns to be in a relationship, he finds himself facing the traumas of two very different pasts, forcing him to make tough decisions about his chosen profession and who he wants to be. Meanwhile, Tallus, arch-enemy to the Felserpent monarchy, has also returned―and it will take help from Cyphers, as well as friends both old and new, to find and stop him.

As Kyra and Sebastian struggle to navigate the differences between their past and current relationship, one thing’s part of fulfilling their destiny means accepting their fate. The choices they make will reach all the way into Death in this thrilling found family sequel to Reign Returned.

Review: While the last book didn’t end of a cliffhanger exactly, there was still a massive shift in perspectives made with Sebastian and Kyra remembering their former lives as the Felserpent King and Queen. I was very curious how this would be tackled, as both characters now have to deal with not only the memories of past selves, but must still content with the people they are now and the lives they already lived in these bodies. And, ultimately, I really liked how it was handled here. Having these memories did not suddenly erase the romantic tension, something I was concerned about, but added a new intriguing layer to the proceedings. I also liked how these past life experiences played into the ways that Kyra and Sebastian dealt with the problems they were facing currently.

There were various mysteries that had to still be tackled from the first book, both smaller ones having to do with Kyra’s father and Sebastian’s own personal history, but the last few pages also dropped the fact that a new villain was on the stage. It was fairly easy to predict who this character was, but I did like the way this storyline was tackled, weaving neatly between past events and the current conflicts. The story had a lot of ground to cover in this book, and I felt like things moved along quickly, while also not losing the charm of the first book.

Overall, this was a very creative, well-done fantasy duology that I think is well-below the radar of many readers who would enjoy it. If you’re a fantasy-lover looking for something fresh and unique, this is definitely the duology for you!

Rating 8: An excellent conclusion, full of action, adventure, and romance, perfect for fantasy-lovers of every variety!