Tag: 9 Rating

Serena’s Review: “The Witchwood Knot”

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Book: “The Witchwood Knot” by Olivia Atwater

Publishing Info: Starwatch Press, November 2023

Where Did I Get this Book:

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

Book Description: Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realizes that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realize, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

Review: Olivia Atwater came out of nowhere for me as a reader. On a whim, I requested the first book I saw by her, “Half a Soul,” and that’s all it took! I quickly read all three in that series over the course of the summer. I know she has another book coming out sometime in the next year, something about baked good and the supernatural (sounds perfect to me!) so I was super surprised to see this book pop up on NetGalley when I was browsing one night. I didn’t even look into what it was, so I was that much more surprised to find that it is a story set in the same world as her original books, only this time taking place in the Victorian era, rather than Regency. Gothic horror and gothic romance? Count me in!

I’ve loved this shift towards gothic fantasy over the last year or so. Of course, there will always come a point where you can have too much of a good thing, but I haven’t reached it yet, as far as this trend goes. I was curious to see, however, how Atwater would fair taking on this sort of fantasy story. Her original three books were the epitome of light-hearted, comical, comfort reads. But a haunted house story and the gothic vibes that are meant to pair with it, well, that’s an entirely different tone! Low and behold, not only was this shift in tone successful, but the book also explores some fairly dark themes regarding assault and the nature of what makes a monster. I was incredibly impressed by how carefully these topics were covered, all without losing the overall appeal that is at the heart of Atwater’s style.

While this book is definitely more dark than her original trilogy, it also fit naturally within the greater world that had been created. In the other books, we saw hints of the darkness that existed in the world of the Fae and the nature of their strict, but confounding, approach to the rules of existence. Here, those aspects are drawn out and painted in darker colors. This book doesn’t shy away from its moments of horror, with violence seeping into scenes, as well as some truly creepy imagery. That said, this is by no means a horror novel. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny at times, but within the story was an incredibly sweet romance as well as an unexpectedly touching relationship between Winnie and her ward.

I loved the main characters, as well. Winnie was a strong central character, working to unravel the mysteries at the heart of the Witchwood Knot while slowly beginning to form connections to those around her, breaking down walls that she had long-ago established for her own protection. I particularly liked the slow-burn romance between her and Mr. Quincy. The beginning of the book has him firmly slotted into a villain role, and I was impressed by how thoroughly the author worked to change the mind of both her main character and the reader. It was done in a very slow, subtle way. I will say that some of the character’s physical descriptions were a bit, um, unnerving, especially as a romantic interest. But on the other hand, I’m impressed with Atwater’s sheer audacity at just going with it and not trying to magic away the “otherness.”

I loved this book! It was right up there with “Half a Soul” as one of my favorites by this author. I’ve enjoyed all of her books, for sure, but I did appreciate this one more than some for the more serious themes at its heart. The balance felt more complete, with the lightness mixing naturally alongside the darker shades of grey, creating a more fulfilling read all around. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of this author or are looking for a solid stand-alone gothic fantasy novel!

Rating 9: Gothic fantasy at its finest, Atwater brilliantly combines her natural light-hearted style with the exploration of darker themes of redemption and what makes a monster.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Witchwood Knot” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Haunted House Stories and Gothic Fantasy Books.

Kate’s Review: “Lore Olympus: Volume 5”

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Book: “Lore Olympus: Volume 5” by Rachel Smythe

Publishing Info: Inklore, October 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love–the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in the gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning Lore Olympus, including behind-the-scenes content!

“You want to know about The Bringer of Death.”
 
It is Persephone’s birthday, and she receives the ultimate gift: Hades confesses his desire for her, leading to their first kiss. But that doesn’t necessarily make things easier for the goddess of spring, who is still in over her head in gossip-driven Olympus. Persephone feels intense guilt over the official breakup between Hades and Minthe, she is struggling to find her footing in her fast-paced job, and—worst of all—the shades of her past are slowly coming to light.
 
After an unexpected encounter with Apollo, Persephone flees into the depths of the Underworld. Concerned for her safety and determined to find her, Hades must team up with Artemis, Eros, and Hera, but they’re working against a ticking clock. Zeus knows about the bloody secret in Persephone’s past, and now the furious king of the gods will stop at nothing to bring her to justice.

Review: “Lore Olympus: Volume 5” has actually been out since October, but with my Horrorapalooza theme for that month leading up to Halloween it meant that I had to delay reviewing Rachel Smythe’s newest volume of the reimagined Greek Mytho until long after it had come out. Which was difficult, because given that this is one of my favorite series at the moment (and possibly all time) I am always ready and willing to sing it’s praises as soon as I can. But that doesn’t matter, because here we are and I am fully, fully ready to jump into this next part of the story for Hades, Persephone, and all my favorite (and most loathed) Greek Gods and Goddesses and everything in between.

One of the things I really like about this series is that Smythe is doing a slow burn in terms of getting Hades and Persephone together, but is doing it in a way that feels, I suppose, ‘responsible’ on Hades’s part. There is something of a power imbalance between the two in this series (though obviously not in the same way as the original story, thank goodness), but instead of having Hades and Persephone throw that to the wayside, we do see Hades struggling with that dynamic and trying to hold boundaries. Partially because Persephone has requested that they do in spite of their attraction, and partially because as the story progresses he starts to realize that he doesn’t really KNOW Persephone outside of his perceptions of her as an ideal. But not to worry, there is still a lot of sexual tension, it just feels like it is a bit more on the same level between the two characters. We also see Hades genuinely worry about her even though he knows that she is hiding something on some level, and that first and foremost he wants her safe (especially after she feels a need to try and hide away after another awful encounter with Apollo; him trying to piece together where she could be and looking for her is a great arc for him at this point in time).

There is also finally some payoff for the hints that have been dropping about Persephone as the ‘Bringer of Death’ in this volume, and without spoiling anything, man does it pay off. Persephone has, up until this point, been portrayed as a bit naive and seemingly innocent to the ways of the world, though we have started to realize that she has been a bit stunted because of her mother Demeter’s overprotectiveness and that has very much contributed to this portrayal. Persephone isn’t this way because OBVIOUSLY that’s how Persephone as a goddess should be, but more because she has been isolated and hidden away and that has had an effect on her emotional growth, and when she was in the mortal realm she had started to realized as such. This conflict with her mother, this conflict within herself, and these constraints on her person all combine to create a very huge moment that would surely send ripples through the world of the Gods, and the reveal is both shocking, but also perhaps a little… unreliable, given who provides us with the context. That said, it REALLY gives us some insight not only into Persephone, but also Demeter, and ALSO how the Gods are, in fact, not infallible, even when they are generally kind and gentle, as Persephone is. I loved finally getting some answers about what Persephone (and other Gods and Goddesses) have been hiding, and it explains a lot of her actions up until now.

But what of the other characters? Oh, don’t you worry, there are PLENTY of awesome character moments and character developments in this one. I was especially keen on some of the things that Hera gets to do in this volume, but to be honest Hera is always killing it and I so love that Smythe has given her so many things to do and has given her so much depth. We get some more hints towards her own past traumas and the things she has given up to be Zeus’s queen, and how she could be SO MUCH MORE and how this has beaten her down. But we also get to see her wield these powers in other protective ways that make for very satisfying beats and scenes (God I love Hera in this). But the character who is really getting her layers peeled back in Minthe, who is still reeling over her ugly confrontation with Hades and how she can’t seem to stop sabotaging herself and her happiness. Smythe gives so much grace to Minthe , who definitely has self regulation and impulse control issues as well as a very poor self image. All these things lead to her lashing out over and over. But she does this without letting her off the hook for her nastiness towards others, particularly Hades and Thanatos, and I love how complex she gets to be. She still has a ways to go (get AWAY from Thetis, Minthe, she’s AWFUL!), but you can see glimmers of hope that she’s going to figure it out.

“Lore Olympus: Volume 5” continues a fantastic reimagining of my favorite Greek Myth. Now we just have to wait until May for the next Volume, and I know I already have it on pre-order.

Rating 9: We’re finally getting some insight into Persephone’s secret backstory, and Hera is getting some amazing moments of her own. Throw in some humanizing moments for Minthe and we have another fantastic entry into this Greek Mythology reimagining.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Lore Olympus: Volume 5” is included on the Goodreads list “October 2023 Most Anticipated Romance Releases”.

Previously Reviewed:

Kate’s Review: “Midnight Is The Darkest Hour”


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Book: “Midnight is the Darkest Hour” by Ashley Winstead

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks, October 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: From the critically acclaimed author of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and The Last Housewife comes a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts—the preacher’s daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks—hold the key to uncovering the truth.

For fans of Verity and A Flicker in the Dark, this is a twisted tale of murder, obsessive love, and the beastly urges that lie dormant within us all…even the God-fearing folk of Bottom Springs, Louisiana. In her small hometown, librarian Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider, even as her beloved father rains fire-and-brimstone warnings from the pulpit at Holy Fire Baptist.

Unfortunately for Ruth, the only things the townspeople fear more than the God and the Devil are the myths that haunt the area, like the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to steal into sinners’ bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar—and Ruth realizes only she and Everett, an old friend with a dark past, have the power to comb the town’s secret underbelly in search of true evil.

A dark and powerful novel like fans have come to expect from Ashley Winstead, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is an examination of the ways we’ve come to expect love, religion, and stories to save us, the lengths we have to go to in order to take back power, and the monstrous work of being a girl in this world.

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

Halloween is over but there is still a bit of Autumn left before things go full Winter over here (I mean, kind of…. it’s been VERY cold here, lately, so it feels more like Winter), and that means I’m still reveling in stories that just feel like the season. When “Midnight is the Darkest Hour” by Ashley Winstead ended up in my mailbox, the description made me think of dark nights and leaves and autumnal creepiness. It also caught my attention when the description made comparisons to “Thelma and Louise” and “Twilight”, because THAT is a combination that hadn’t crossed my mind before. So with my interest piqued and the seasonal aesthetic being perfect, I jumped in with high expectations, and I’m happy to say that they were pretty well met!

I was never on the “Twilight” train but I’m tickled that we are now at the place where it’s being referenced as a cultural touchstone in an adult thriller. (source)

With the “Twilight” references, not only in the description but also in the book itself, I went into “Midnight is the Darkest Hour” with certain expectations about how the story was going to go, but Winstead kept me on my toes and subverted them in many ways. I think that the biggest surprise for me was how much I really loved the relationship between our protagonist Ruth and her best friend Everett, and how that relationship defined not only themselves, but also in a way how the community saw them. While our story is from Ruth’s perspective, told through what’s happening in the present and also what happened in the past, I felt like I not only got a good sense of who she was, I also got a good sense of who Everett was, and how complicated they both are due to their various traumas and experiences of growing up in a hyper-zealous small town that sees them as threats (though their various social standings, her being the powerful preacher’s daughter and him being the son of a notorious criminal, makes the town approach them in very different ways). I really enjoyed how Winstead, instead of merely making them star crossed lovers, made Ruth and Everett have a connection that started as trauma bonding in a way as they try to hide a terrible secret, and then turns into a relationship that transcends both romantic and platonic into something that just feels correct. You know that a bond between characters really gets me in the feels when I don’t even need them to be together romantically, I just need them to be together in whatever way is going to work for them, relationship definitions be damned (Buffy and Spike are another of these, looping back to more vampire lore). True, there are some shades of “Twilight” here, whether it’s parallels or straight up references, but they are done in a way that I really liked even if I have no nostalgia for that story.

And as for the mystery, Winstead creates a sense of place and a slow burn urgency in Bottom Springs that puts both Ruth and Everett in danger and makes the stakes high from the jump. What starts as a skull found in the swamp, and an introduction to two characters who may know how it got there, soon turns into a mystery involving small town secrets, religious zealotry that infects and rots a community, corruption, and the superstitions of an urban legend known as the Low Man, and how they all tie together. Winstead throws a out there, but it never feels overwhelming or that she loses control over all of the threads that go into making a dark and eerie tapestry. She reveals pertinent details when she wants to and keeps the secrets close, and while I figured out some things, it was rarely too much earlier than she was intending. And I am always going to be a fan of thrillers and mysteries that take on the dangers of fundamentalism and the hypocrisies of many who pretend to be righteous within systems of oppressive power, and there were many a moment that my blood was somehow both boiling AND running cold as Ruth and Everett cross those at Holy Fire Baptist. Especially since Ruth is the daughter of the man who influences all of it. So many things in this book just click for me on a personal level.

“Midnight is the Darkest Hour” is an eerie and propulsive thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, and made me swoon over its two main characters. I definitely recommend it for the fleeting Autumn season.

Rating 9: An addictive and otherworldly thriller about small town secrets, religious trauma, and unbreakable bonds between misfits.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Midnight is the Darkest Hour” is included on the Goodreads lists “R.I.P. Book Challenge”, and “Reads for Fall/Autumn”.

Kate’s Review: “The Intern”


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Book: “The Intern” by Michele Campbell

Publishing Info: St. Martin’s Press, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.

When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?

As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead?

Review: Thank you to St.Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of this novel at ALAAC23!

Back in October I had the pleasure of interviewing Michele Campbell. I had been approached to do a Q and A and to write a review for her newest book “The Intern”, but the timing, review wise, was tricky, as it was right at the start of Horrorpalooza. But I committed to reviewing the book as soon as Horrorpalooza was over, and when I did sit down with it I tore through this book in probably two days because it ensnared me so thoroughly. There are so many things about “The Intern” that work. This is absolutely my favorite book I’ve read by Michele Campbell, and it’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read in 2023.

I’m not beating around the bush, this was great. (source)

“The Intern” is told through the perspectives of two women. The first is Madison Rivera, an ambitious law student at Harvard Law who is desperate to rise above her difficult childhood and to make something of herself. The other is high powered judge Kathryn Conroy, who is respected in law circles and is Madison’s most liked professor turned boss once Madison becomes her intern. They have alternating sections in the book, with Madison being in the present and Kathryn being mostly in the past, and I liked getting one bit of information from Madison’s experience, and then getting more context and more information from seeing Kathryn’s past experiences. I felt that both women were pretty well rounded and complex, and once it was revealed that we were going to see what was going on in Kathryn’s mind, I knew that this was going to be a bit more than a run of the mill cat and mouse game thriller. Campbell really brought out her layers in particular, as while I anticipated her being a conniving antagonist, she ended up being quite a bit more than a potentially corrupt judge. Madison also had some well explored complications, and I really enjoyed watching her piece things together while also still feeling a certain loyalty to her boss, even when it could put her at odds with doing the right thing. Her ambition and her reasons for that ambition were wholly believable. It made for an interesting dual character study at the heart of the thrills (though Kathryn’s was the one that really drew me in).

And as a thriller this really clicked with me. The mystery has multiple mysteries within in, and as some questions were answered others would arise, all at breakneck speeds that kept me reading this book long into the night or any time I had ANY kind of down time. Campbell places clues in the past and present for the reader and Madison to parse through, while being skillful at misdirection and plot twists that completely caught me off guard. I don’t read that many legal thrillers, but this one has all the makings of a legal conspiracy story along with the elements of sudsier whodunnits, and Campbell balanced the tones of those sub genres with ease and combined them into a story that really grabbed hold. This is top notch stuff, it’s well thought out and well executed and was incredibly satisfying. Even though we get one big issue cleared up right away, there are plenty of other questions at hand to make for a fun and twisty read.

“The Intern” is an enjoyable thrill ride with some fascinating characters. If you are looking for a rollercoaster of a thriller, this is one to put on your list!

Rating 9: A suspenseful story with great twists and great characters, “The Intern” is Michele Campbell’s best novel yet!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Intern” is included on the Goodreads lists “Legal Thrillers”, and “Chick Noir Novels”.

Kate’s Review: “Here in the Night”

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Book: “Here in the Night” by Rebecca Turkewitz

Publishing Info: Black Lawrence Press, July 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a print copy from the author.

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

Book Description: The thirteen stories in Rebecca Turkewitz’s debut collection, Here in the Night , are engrossing, strange, eerie, and emotionally nuanced. With psychological insight and finely crafted prose, Here in the Night investigates the joys and constraints of womanhood, of queerness, and of intimacy. Preoccupied with all manner of hauntings, these stories traverse a boarding school in the Vermont woods, the jagged coast of Maine, an attic in suburban Massachusetts, an elevator stuck between floors, and the side of an unlit highway in rural South Carolina.

At the center of almost every story is the landscape of night, with all its tantalizing and terrifying potential. After dark, the familiar becomes unfamiliar, boundaries loosen, expectations fall away, and even the greatest skeptics believe–at least fleetingly–that anything could happen.

These stories will stay with you.

Review: Thank you to Rebecca Turkewitz for sending me a copy of this book!

We are starting to wind down the Halloween Season, as the holiday is next week and the various creepy plans that I have for the month are coming to a head (“Hocus Pocus” night with ladyfriends? Check. “Practical Magic” night with more different ladyfriends? Check. “Lost Boys” party at the local Alamo? CHECK AND MATE!). And as we continue our horror lit journey for the month, we are now coming to a book that felt a little different than my usual horror fare. “Here in the Night” by Rebecca Turkewitz was sent to me by Turkewitz herself (thank you again!), and I was expecting another short stories horror collection with blatant scares, sub genre jumping, and the usual fare for the horror fan who wants smaller tales to read at their own leisure. But when I sat down and started reading, I realized that “Here in the Night” was something far different from what I was expecting, and that it was something very special because of it.

Like I always do, I will highlight my three favorite stories and then review the collection as a whole.

“Warnings”: Members of a school track team run in a desolate area, the warnings of predators and strangers at the back of their minds until something they never thought could happen, happens. This is one of the shorter stories in the collection, more like a flash fiction tale, but I loved the structure, written in a ‘we’ narration, speaking like a chorus and speaking for the track team as a whole and beyond. This story felt like an expanded take on the Calvin and Hobbes quote (which I’m probably butchering) ‘this is one of the things you figure will happen to someone else, but unfortunately we’re ALL someone else to someone else’. It’s scary and sad and sobering, and all achieved in maybe two pages.

“Here in the Night”: On June 12th 2016, Ellie and Jess are returning from a visit to Ellie’s family, and seeking out updates on the Pulse Nightclub massacre as they drive down an isolated country road in rural North Carolina. As their grief and anxiety builds, they question their differences in reactions as well as their differences in upbringings. Almost definitely the most heart wrenching story in the collection, Turkewitz captures the trauma, the grief, and fear, and the questions that were swirling in the queer community after this horrific hate crime happened, examining two women in a relationship who find themselves upset at the world as well as at each other amidst the fear and uncertainty. There’s the slow build of their relationship tension, but then a whole other tension about the potential danger they could be in in the moment, perhaps heightened due to the mass shooting on their minds, which make for some very unnerving beats as well as emotional ones.

“Crybaby Bridge”: Sam is a teenager who has just moved to small town Indiana after an incident in her old community in the big city, and has trouble fitting in with other girls on her basketball team. While at a sleepover they tell her the story of Crybaby Bridge, a haunted spot in town that is supposedly roamed by the ghost of a young woman who drowned her baby and then killed herself, and Sam finds herself drawn to the tale. I love a scary story about urban legends, and “Crybaby Bridge” does a really good job of spinning a familiar tale while subverting it in ways that I didn’t expect. I really loved Sam as a character, as she is so complex and nuanced and could read like a ‘not like other girls’ trope but is so much more. It’s also a great exploration of how urban legends can make villains out of victims and turn them into spectral monsters.

But I had a hard time picking my favorite three stories because I really enjoyed all of them. They are definitely horror stories, but they all flow so smoothly and read like literary ruminations on love, loss, grief, and trauma, and never in a way that felt like it was trying too hard (which can be a big sticking point for me when it comes to the idea of ‘literary’ horror; if you have to hammer home you’re ‘literary’, it just makes you seem like you think you’re more valid than genre horror, and I hate that). Turkewitz can peel back the layers of the human condition and find the scary things, be they real life or supernatural or perhaps ambiguous, usually framed within a female or queer experience. The stories here are effective but never feel over the top, and there were multiple times I said to myself ‘I really like this’ as I finished up one story and moved on to the next. Not a clunker in the bunch, and in my experience that is rare in a short stories collection.

I urge horror fans who are hoping to find something a bit more ruminative to seek out “Here in the Night”. These stories will unsettle you, but they will also bubble up emotions as they tug at your heartstrings. I am spreading the word on Rebecca Turkewitz. Check this book out.

Rating 9: Quite possibly the best short story collection I’ve read this year, “Here in the Night” combines uneasy supernatural horrors with the horrors of the real world, all with a literary flair that makes for an evocative read.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Here in the Night” is included on the Goodreads list “Spooky/Halloween LGBTQ+ Fiction”.

Kate’s Review: “Black River Orchard”

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

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”!

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.

Blog Tour: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch”

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Book: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” by Melinda Taub

Publishing Info: Grand Central Publishing, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Review: First of all, thanks again to Laurel for reaching out about participating in this blog tour! I obviously love all things Jane Austen, so I jumped at the opportunity to read and review a unique re-imaging like this one. And, spoilers, as I loved it so much, I truly hope this tour helps raise this book up in the awareness of Janeites, as I think it’s the kind of re-telling that will work for a lot of the P &P fans in the community.

I will admit to being initially a bit skeptical of the entire premise of this book. Not only was it claiming to re-tell “Pride and Prejudice” from the POV of one of the more unlikable characters in that story, namely Lydia Bennet, but it was also going to mange to re-imagine this Regency world to the point that Lydia was also a witch. Oh, and Kitty’s a literal cat and and Wickham is a demon AND still a potential love interest. I have to say, I was more skeptical of the latter being possible than the former! But man, was I proven wrong! Turns out you can write such a book!

So, I think there are two ways to evaluate this book. One has to do with how it does in regards to maintaining or accentuating the original story. And the other has to do with what success it has with its original characters and concepts. Let’s start with the original stuff, as I think the biggest concern with re-tellings or re-imagings of beloved classics is that the new version will somehow harm what is most enjoyed about the original. And I think that was one of the cleverest conceits of this approach to the story. Lydia shows up on the page very little in the original story, and she’s nowhere to be found, doing who knows what (well, flirting with Wickham), throughout almost the entire second half of the book. By focusing on her story, the author allows the plot of the original to unfold neatly on its own in the background. I was also impressed with the way the author wove Lydia’s story in and out of the plot points of the original, all while creating a story that could have neatly existed right alongside the original, with no one the wiser (well, a few characters the wiser, but they would have their own reasons for not telling).

There were also a number of small Easter egg type tie-ins to the original story that are sure to please fans. Just a small example, but in the original story, there’s a bit of a throwaway line about how, when found in London, Lydia pays no attention to and ignores Mrs. Gardener when she tries to speak with Lydia about her behavior and situation. Here, the author cleverly references these interactions, but comes up with an entirely different reason for why Mrs. Gardener would come away with this re-enforced negative impression of Lydia.

Beyond this, I really liked the original characters, or new versions of old characters. Kitty being an actual cat, of course, was very clever and worked surprisingly well for the story. I also liked demon!Wickham. There were some very clever adjustments to his backstory and timeline that go far to allow him to be a satisfying love interest in this new version, all while retaining enough of his “Wickam-ness” to fit alongside the original. Of course, we also got to spend a lot more time with characters like Mrs. Forster, the woman who befriends Lydia and invites her on the fateful trip to Brighton. I really liked the arc that we saw in this friendship. While the romance is, of course, nice, much of Lydia’s personal arc has more to do with the friendships and sisterhoods she experiences throughout this book. We see close relationships falter, new relationships form, and original judgements of other women be wildly off-base. For example, not only does Miss Darcy play a fairly major role in this story, but we also get a character that is referenced in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, “Sandition” who also is heavily involved in the overall plot.

And, of course, I really liked Lydia! Her voice, especially in the first half of the novel is familiar and deftly inline with the version we know from “Pride and Prejudice.” But as the story continues, the reader begins to realize that Lydia is an unreliable narrator, and the story becomes more complex on a character level from there. The magic and fantasy elements also worked surprisingly well, weaving naturally in and out alongside our familiar Regency world. Frankly, the story commits to the fantasy elements WAY more than I was expecting; there’s a lot more to it than “Oh, Lydia Bennet as a bit of magic, but it’s no real change!” Really, this book worked in pretty much every way that matters! There was, perhaps, a bit of a drag in pacing towards the middle of the story, but even then, I was having enough fun with the entire experience to be unbothered. If you’re a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” and looking for a completely new take on the story, this book is definitely for you!

Rating 9: The confidence it takes to change famous Austen characters into cats and demons and witches is only matched by the sheer skill with which Taub manages to pull it all off!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best of 2023: Jane Austen Variations and Best Books with “Witch” in the Title.

Serena’s Review: “The Fragile Threads of Power”

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Book: “The Fragile Threads of Power” by V.E. Schwab

Publishing Info: Tor, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

Review: I can fairly confidently say that this was my most anticipated read of 2023. Not only have I enjoyed every V.E. Schwab book I’ve read, but my favorites by were were the three books that made up her “Shades of Magic” trilogy. And its been years and years and years since those books came out! I wasn’t even expecting a return to this world as the original trilogy ended quite neatly. But not only are we returning to the world, but we’re returning to the same main characters (plus a few extras) several years later! The best of the best.

And yes, there was a lot to like about this book! First and foremost, for fans of the original trilogy, I’m happy to report that our main characters are just as awesome as you remember them, perhaps even more so as they tackle the ever more complex relationships between one another. I was a bit concerned going in that Lila, Kel, Rys and Luc would be relegated to background characters who just flitted in and out of the main storyline. But rest assured, they play vital, central roles to everything that is happening. Per my experience with the first trilogy, Lila is still far and away my favorite character of the four. As the book plays out, the story jumps backwards in time at several points to show how are characters have lived over the last eight or so years. Through these flashbacks, we get to see Lila as a captain, Lila as a reluctant leader, and, best of all, Lila as a support system for Kel as he deals with the loss of his magic. Of course, her “support” comes in the very hard-nosed style that we all would expect from her.

For his part, Kel’s story was heart-breaking as he traverses the various stages of grief over the loss of the central portion of his identity. Schwab doesn’t shy away from the very dark places that this kind of loss can inflict on people. Rys probably gets the least page time, but for this book, at least, his story is the most straight-forward: learning how to become a king at a very young age. Alucard was the one who surprised me the most, however. In the original trilogy, he felt like the least of the four characters (not necessarily in preference, just in page time and the amount of story given to him). But here he is probably the most central character of the four to the main arch and mystery that makes up the plot of this book. I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with this character, and I’m very intrigued to see where he goes from there.

Now, to the new characters. Yes, of course, they are very good as well, especially Tes, the young girl with the extraordinary ability to see and manipulate magic itself. Her history was interesting, with a complicated and, at times, frightening family. And her abilities open a lot of pathways forward (perhaps too many? She definitely has the potential to run the story into the “Superman problem” where a character is so over-powered that essentially any conflict going forward could be solved by that one person simply intervening). I also liked the Antari queen that we meet in White London. There’s an interesting mystery building there, but I have to admit that she was my least favorite of the group. Not because she was a bad character in her own right, but because she had some stiff competition and there were a few mysteries that I feel are leading in a very obvious, dark direction which makes me struggle to truly connect ot her.

So, that’s a lot about characters, and there’s a reason why: Yes, I mostly read for characters, so that’s common of my reviews. But in this case, the characters were truly the heart of the story. As much as I enjoyed this read, and I really, really did, it definitely suffers as being the first book in a trilogy. Almost 90% of the story is devoted to understanding how our familiar characters ended up where they did and introducing the new characters and their history. Beyond that, there’s a rather short, simple mystery that is resolved at the end. But it’s also clear that Schwab is placing much larger pieces on this chessboard, and much of this book is spent properly positioning everything. That alone is why I had to knock this one down from a 10 star rating. But on pure enjoyment, pure joy at seeing beloved characters back on the page again, this is definitely a top tier book!

Rating 9: It’s a rare feat to return to a beloved fantasy trilogy, pick up fan favorite characters and manage to not break anything in the process, but Schwab makes it look easy! A triumphant return that’s nothing less than masterful!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Fragile Threads of Power” is on this Goodreads list: [ATY 2024] Touch of Magic.

Kate’s Review: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus”

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Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” by Stephen Graham Jones & Davide Gianfelice (Ill.)

Publishing Info: IDW, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC23

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

Book Description: The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the worst: America.

Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own—a reluctant linguist named Tad—on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.

Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1, the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.

Review: Thank you to IDW comics for giving me an ARC of this book, and thank you to Stephen Graham Jones for being SO kind when you signed it!

Back when I had just gotten back from ALA, people were asking me what my highlights were. And one of them was meeting Stephen Graham Jones at a signing at the IDW booth. I was already ecstatic when I saw that he was going to be there, and even more excited when I realized that he was signing ARCs of the first volume of his series “Earthdivers”, a fantasy/speculative fiction/historical fiction series about Indigenous people on a dying earth using a time travel portal to send one of their own back in time to stop America from happening (as America is seen as the main driver of the climate change disaster). I had been eager for this first volume, and getting it WHILE MEETING HIM (and having a lovely conversation!) was just the very best. And “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” is everything I had hoped it would be.

The concept alone is so unique and also so, so bold. I mean, it takes serious spunk to frame a story about the assassination of a man that is still, in a number of places, celebrated every year as the supposed ‘discoverer of America’, but whose horrific crimes and direct and indirect actions towards the Indigenous peoples on this continent are impossible to ignore. Even I was like ‘whoa’ when I read the premise of the comic book, but the rage is earned, and it is palpable on the pages as Tad, the man chosen to go back in time and assassinate Columbus, has to take on a mission with high and dangerous stakes. And low odds of success. I loved seeing Tad grapple with the fact he will never see his wife again, that he has to do things that he never thought he could do, and also really enjoyed seeing him slowly start to accept his mission and the bloody business that goes with it. Jones depicts the brutality of life on the ship, whether it’s the dire conditions or the hierarchy that lends itself to violence, and also shows the less acknowledged aspects of the voyage the ships are on (specifically the religious zeal that Columbus has). I also found the tension building and building and building as Tad realizes that his chances to kill Columbus and stop that version of America from happening are slipping through his fingers, and that if he fails, it was all for nothing, and it could mean the end of humankind. The tension is rife, the violence is visceral, and the anger and desperation is well depicted.

But I also liked the ways that Jones depicts the others back on Earth in 2112, as the world is dying due to climate change and they are becoming all the more desperate, especially when they realize that the time portal in the cave may have more dangers than realized. I really liked Sosh, Tad’s wife who is in an uneasy partnership with Yellow Kid, the member of the group who came up with the idea, but has been a little shifty as far as Sosh is concerned. I liked the moral ambiguity that Jones gives a number of his characters, as it raises very difficult questions about the lengths that these characters are willing to go to make this mission a success. And along with that, I really enjoyed how the time travel themes didn’t feel like super hard Sci Fi, and more like fantastical or speculative based in the system in place. We don’t really know what the deal is with this cave, but I have a feeling things are going to be explored as the series goes on.

And I really liked the artwork. I like the use of color and the angles that Davide Gianfelice brings to the page, and I loved the detailed character designs for our main players.

(source: IDW)

What a fantastic start to what is sure to be a fantastic series! “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” is another shining star from Stephen Graham Jones. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Rating 9: Unapologetic, daring, dark, but hopeful, “Earthdivers: Kill Columbus” is a must read in speculative fiction with a visceral message and lots of what ifs.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Graphic Novels & Comics by The Aboriginal, Indigenous, and Native Peoples of the World”, and “Best Time Travel Fiction”.