C. J. Daley
Thanks so much to Tor Nightfire for the ARC, I really wanted to read this one!
Since I started writing I have wanted to write an old person serial killer. Then this year I saw Samantha Downing’s Too Old For This and thought, aww damn. But then I said, wait has there ever been a final grandma? Which began me brewing new ideas until…well this. That’s not to say I can’t or won’t at some point! But this one mentions the Hudson Valley multiple times, with the main character Rose’s daughter even buying a house there, making me feel like a Philip Fracassi book now lives in the same world as my dark little town in Welcome to Cemetery. It can live right next to Black Spring from Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Hex (the American version). I mean there’s even a young female detective named Williams…so just maybe.
The Autumn Springs retirement sounds like the place to be! Apartments next to your acquaintances, friends, maybe even love interests. Schedule exercises or classes, meals, movie nights, and of course there’s open visitations, this sounds like a fun-filled place to live. Rose is just one of a phenomenally inventive cast of characters, all filled with so much life and personality. They may have aches and pains, may get sick easily or need special care, but these people have life left to live—and they’re determined to do so to the fullest. That is, of course, until the first accident. An accident that’s followed by several more, some that are growingly suspicious.
I love that Rose and her small group of confidants take on almost amateur sleuthing the continued accidents and deaths. They use their unassuming, and often underestimated, natures to get information from nurses, doctors, and even the police that others just simply would not receive. With multiple Hercule Poirot mentions, an in-world detective named Hastings, and Miss Marple name dropped, this had my Agatha Christie loving heart aglow.
This did a really great job of showcasing the elderly as more than just the feeble or fragile people they so often are portrayed as. There’s life and spunk and continued brains up there—there’s more life to be lived. So while this book does feature death, even having multiple scenes where someone says, “well death must happen here all the time!” it does a great job of subverting that with strong and strong willed characters. The kills are inventive, as well as a killer reveal that still felt real-world enough, and there is enough brutality in that realness to appeal to a wide horror audience. My grandmother is 87 and I’m definitely giving her a copy. She loves mysteries and thrillers.
The ending had a callback I was not expecting, and I loved its ambiguous style allowing you to believe what you want. It’s hardcore and intense, and you know what, they deserved it!
Before this read, I had Boys in the Valley on my TBR, only having read Fracassi’s Shortwave Media release, D7. After finishing this, I’m going to have to get my copy out of storage to bump it way up the physical TBR mountain.
Thanks so much to Tor Nightfire for the ARC, I really wanted to read this one!
Since I started writing I have wanted to write an old person serial killer. Then this year I saw Samantha Downing’s Too Old For This and thought, aww damn. But then I said, wait has there ever been a final grandma? Which began me brewing new ideas until…well this. That’s not to say I can’t or won’t at some point! But this one mentions the Hudson Valley multiple times, with the main character Rose’s daughter even buying a house there, making me feel like a Philip Fracassi book now lives in the same world as my dark little town in Welcome to Cemetery. It can live right next to Black Spring from Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Hex (the American version). I mean there’s even a young female detective named Williams…so just maybe.
The Autumn Springs retirement sounds like the place to be! Apartments next to your acquaintances, friends, maybe even love interests. Schedule exercises or classes, meals, movie nights, and of course there’s open visitations, this sounds like a fun-filled place to live. Rose is just one of a phenomenally inventive cast of characters, all filled with so much life and personality. They may have aches and pains, may get sick easily or need special care, but these people have life left to live—and they’re determined to do so to the fullest. That is, of course, until the first accident. An accident that’s followed by several more, some that are growingly suspicious.
I love that Rose and her small group of confidants take on almost amateur sleuthing the continued accidents and deaths. They use their unassuming, and often underestimated, natures to get information from nurses, doctors, and even the police that others just simply would not receive. With multiple Hercule Poirot mentions, an in-world detective named Hastings, and Miss Marple name dropped, this had my Agatha Christie loving heart aglow.
This did a really great job of showcasing the elderly as more than just the feeble or fragile people they so often are portrayed as. There’s life and spunk and continued brains up there—there’s more life to be lived. So while this book does feature death, even having multiple scenes where someone says, “well death must happen here all the time!” it does a great job of subverting that with strong and strong willed characters. The kills are inventive, as well as a killer reveal that still felt real-world enough, and there is enough brutality in that realness to appeal to a wide horror audience. My grandmother is 87 and I’m definitely giving her a copy. She loves mysteries and thrillers.
The ending had a callback I was not expecting, and I loved its ambiguous style allowing you to believe what you want. It’s hardcore and intense, and you know what, they deserved it!
Before this read, I had Boys in the Valley on my TBR, only having read Fracassi’s Shortwave Media release, D7. After finishing this, I’m going to have to get my copy out of storage to bump it way up the physical TBR mountain.
Grabbed this for $1 on kindle. I’m always down to check out a shark horror.
This had some fun Jaws references—that made me point like the Leo meme—while not try to be it. Which to me was great, because there are some that use Jaws just like a formula, and it’s not.
A great white shark has been tested on and given something to make it larger. When it comes time to end the experiment and pick up the body for study, an incorrect dosage leads to a full on ocean rampage. Surfers, swimmers, entire families aren’t safe.
I do wish the experiment was given a little more for readers to go on. This would have extended the story’s length, but also given it more depth. As it stands, it kind of just feels like a tacked on prologue, and the fact that the animal was given growth hormones doesn’t ever really come into play—it’s mostly just angry and hungrier than a normal shark. This opener reminded me of Michael R. Cole’s Thresher, as that involves a growing shark too.
This was a lot of fun. It’s fast, violent, bloody. It gives readers churning waters and viscous shark bites. You shouldn’t be surprised at the number of different people at the beach and in the waters, and this shark is coming for all of them. I do wish there was a bit more mixed into the descriptors used for the attacks, as sharks do attack from below, do take bites and rip their heads back and forth, but there could have been some more brutality to it for me. Otherwise, I would have read an even longer version of this, or a sequel too!
Grabbed this for $1 on kindle. I’m always down to check out a shark horror.
This had some fun Jaws references—that made me point like the Leo meme—while not try to be it. Which to me was great, because there are some that use Jaws just like a formula, and it’s not.
A great white shark has been tested on and given something to make it larger. When it comes time to end the experiment and pick up the body for study, an incorrect dosage leads to a full on ocean rampage. Surfers, swimmers, entire families aren’t safe.
I do wish the experiment was given a little more for readers to go on. This would have extended the story’s length, but also given it more depth. As it stands, it kind of just feels like a tacked on prologue, and the fact that the animal was given growth hormones doesn’t ever really come into play—it’s mostly just angry and hungrier than a normal shark. This opener reminded me of Michael R. Cole’s Thresher, as that involves a growing shark too.
This was a lot of fun. It’s fast, violent, bloody. It gives readers churning waters and viscous shark bites. You shouldn’t be surprised at the number of different people at the beach and in the waters, and this shark is coming for all of them. I do wish there was a bit more mixed into the descriptors used for the attacks, as sharks do attack from below, do take bites and rip their heads back and forth, but there could have been some more brutality to it for me. Otherwise, I would have read an even longer version of this, or a sequel too!
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the invite to the eARC. Malerman has been an auto-buy author for me for years, so I was excited to see something so different from him for the first time, a nonfiction.
Malerman is offering readers a chance to partake in an incredibly personal and transformative evening with him, his then girlfriend, her cousin and his partner. With snapshots of profundity and also hilarity, this one ticked off some boxes I didn’t even know I was looking for. It features far more ups and downs than I was expecting, and offers a true glimpse into the author’s life and writing thought process. I have seen it compared to King’s On Writing, but to me it’s absolutely its own thing. A living, breathing piece of art. And unlike King’s which features an almost lifelong autobiographical summary, Malerman does his best to never stray too far from that one single night.
Josh, Allison, Kenickie and Rose gather together with alcohol and weed to traverse an immensely important (current) miss—Allison has never seen Evil Dead. It also happens to be the night Josh aimed to answer a question that has been following him like a hellhound: What does a writer deserve? Mentioned previously in interviews, this is much more exhaustive in his journey for the answer. To me, it is a reminder that writing is supposed to happen because you want to do it, you love to write, you even feel a need to get the story out. Everything else that follows is not the prize, telling the story is.
I loved that their night continued with young love, dying love, and of course, Bruce Campbell. From one film to the sequel, to even the remake that must have led hours into the night. There was even mentions of tackling Army of Darkness! I loved the view-screen readers are offered into the author’s processing of art. I feel like I even finished the read with a different take on Evil Dead too, and last night I switched the cable on and BOOM Evil Dead 2 was on, right at the start of the first demon scene. Love when things all line up.
Profound (IMO): “Can I really expect the non-artist to understand that the victory is not in sales but in writing the book itself? Can someone who doesn’t write be expected to understand that the words THE END and not on the dotted line are the finish line?”
Hilarious: “Usually two movies or more means six drinks or more and once you get to three movies … chances are you could be watching Air Bud and not know the difference.”
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the invite to the eARC. Malerman has been an auto-buy author for me for years, so I was excited to see something so different from him for the first time, a nonfiction.
Malerman is offering readers a chance to partake in an incredibly personal and transformative evening with him, his then girlfriend, her cousin and his partner. With snapshots of profundity and also hilarity, this one ticked off some boxes I didn’t even know I was looking for. It features far more ups and downs than I was expecting, and offers a true glimpse into the author’s life and writing thought process. I have seen it compared to King’s On Writing, but to me it’s absolutely its own thing. A living, breathing piece of art. And unlike King’s which features an almost lifelong autobiographical summary, Malerman does his best to never stray too far from that one single night.
Josh, Allison, Kenickie and Rose gather together with alcohol and weed to traverse an immensely important (current) miss—Allison has never seen Evil Dead. It also happens to be the night Josh aimed to answer a question that has been following him like a hellhound: What does a writer deserve? Mentioned previously in interviews, this is much more exhaustive in his journey for the answer. To me, it is a reminder that writing is supposed to happen because you want to do it, you love to write, you even feel a need to get the story out. Everything else that follows is not the prize, telling the story is.
I loved that their night continued with young love, dying love, and of course, Bruce Campbell. From one film to the sequel, to even the remake that must have led hours into the night. There was even mentions of tackling Army of Darkness! I loved the view-screen readers are offered into the author’s processing of art. I feel like I even finished the read with a different take on Evil Dead too, and last night I switched the cable on and BOOM Evil Dead 2 was on, right at the start of the first demon scene. Love when things all line up.
Profound (IMO): “Can I really expect the non-artist to understand that the victory is not in sales but in writing the book itself? Can someone who doesn’t write be expected to understand that the words THE END and not on the dotted line are the finish line?”
Hilarious: “Usually two movies or more means six drinks or more and once you get to three movies … chances are you could be watching Air Bud and not know the difference.”
Huge thanks to Berkley for the physical ARC. I originally saw the UK cover, which is wild, but I enjoy this one quite a lot too.
So right off the rip, I was drawn in by the comments on a feminist body horror, of wax models coming to life to dispatch men that have wronged them. And while that does happen, that’s not exactly what this book is about. This is an incredibly slow burn with an equally slow build. While this does teeter on the edge in the final act, I don’t know that I would call it a body horror…at least not in what I imagine is the typical sense. To me, this was an almost historical drama and horror, the tale of two women trapped by circumstance and a master manipulator.
Eleanor, after running away from home for love, then sleeping with the man only to be abandoned, finds herself in quite the bind. She cannot return home due to how she left, and 1763 London doesn’t look kindly on young women that are all alone. Here enters Elizabeth, a resplendent and well-mannered Lady, to sweep her off her feet. She speaks a big game about pretty things, about having money not just for needs but for wants. She is opening her own serail, a high class brothel, to be the first of its kind in London, and she thinks Eleanor is just the beauty she needs. There’s talk of a family-style existence there, of having people to lean on, and truthfully, as it stands, Eleanor is not exactly juggling options.
On the modern side of this split timeline story we have Alys, a high class antiques dealer, and the true driving force for the novel. We meet her, then learn of the wax Venuses and their entrancing abilities in short order, only to find out that she is being pushed (read: coerced) to destroy them ASAP. She agrees to do so in two weeks time, but the reader quickly learns that things aren’t so simple. While she is clearly a traumatized character with a hidden past, she remained this strong presence throughout the entire book for me.
I loved the different ways evil was showcased. Elizabeth is manipulating like someone that has always had the mind to put themselves ahead no matter what. She earns trust, builds a life for her girls, and then traps them. She then transcends time to appear as a witch or even an evil hag (to my mind), truly embodying the evil she has displayed. Then there are the men. And while this story operates around the idea of opening a brothel, there is not any actual sex work displayed. The men can easily be shown as deviant, misleading and misrepresenting women without having to go further. I also enjoyed the lack of there being more because it was never about it, or the men, it was all for Eleanor and Emily. And when the actual wax-figure antics finally began, I thought that how they were almost underused/under-shown really enhanced the impact. The thought of these women—so often ignored in every day life, or garnering attention they would never want (especially at night)—stalking devious men and waiting for the right moment to strike, was the perfect climax to a story filled with barely-tempered rage. And the visual of them dressed in all black brought to mind the Widow from season five of Slasher titled Ripper. The brutality present in this, while short, certainly equalled the likes of that show.
One thing I noticed right away was how spellbindingly well this was written. With a mix of short and long (longgggg) chapters, there is so much happening, with so much at stake, that even with things going slowly I was enraptured. This book is filled with so much history and life, and while it is absolutely destroying emotionally, it’s so well done as to make you end your read with a thank you to the author.
For me, this book tells the story of losing, or the loss of, autonomy. Or perhaps even the realization you never had it. As Elizabeth is slowly showing her true colors, there is this growing unease in atmosphere, truly driven deep by the two-week rush in the present day. Eleanor and Emily are not receiving the family camaraderie they were promised, and as seemingly nothing goes their way, their debt to Elizabeth is more of a chain than an opportunity. Then, with the novels more supernatural elements, the theme is nailed down by having them physically tethered to their wax figures. From a loss of autonomy to their souls being stuck in anatomical Venuses. With no choices of their own, with Eleanor not even able to speak on her own, there is a truly horrifying loss of self and autonomy. This is where there is true body horror. Lost to time and to self, but still present enough to know you’re being controlled. The idea of which is horrifying.
The ending featured several twists (some of which I had guessed, and others I hadn’t) and there are so many masterfully woven plot points coming back around that I was surprised in how it all finished up. Small details from throughout the entire story come back, some in major ways. The ending itself is even another tie back to the loss of autonomy, to losing free will. What must be sacrificed to finally be free? I find myself thinking the typical saying to finally be “set free” but even that feels like a certain amount of allowance comes from someone else…I’m still thinking about it every day, and I dare say this has become my favorite read this year.
Huge thanks to Berkley for the physical ARC. I originally saw the UK cover, which is wild, but I enjoy this one quite a lot too.
So right off the rip, I was drawn in by the comments on a feminist body horror, of wax models coming to life to dispatch men that have wronged them. And while that does happen, that’s not exactly what this book is about. This is an incredibly slow burn with an equally slow build. While this does teeter on the edge in the final act, I don’t know that I would call it a body horror…at least not in what I imagine is the typical sense. To me, this was an almost historical drama and horror, the tale of two women trapped by circumstance and a master manipulator.
Eleanor, after running away from home for love, then sleeping with the man only to be abandoned, finds herself in quite the bind. She cannot return home due to how she left, and 1763 London doesn’t look kindly on young women that are all alone. Here enters Elizabeth, a resplendent and well-mannered Lady, to sweep her off her feet. She speaks a big game about pretty things, about having money not just for needs but for wants. She is opening her own serail, a high class brothel, to be the first of its kind in London, and she thinks Eleanor is just the beauty she needs. There’s talk of a family-style existence there, of having people to lean on, and truthfully, as it stands, Eleanor is not exactly juggling options.
On the modern side of this split timeline story we have Alys, a high class antiques dealer, and the true driving force for the novel. We meet her, then learn of the wax Venuses and their entrancing abilities in short order, only to find out that she is being pushed (read: coerced) to destroy them ASAP. She agrees to do so in two weeks time, but the reader quickly learns that things aren’t so simple. While she is clearly a traumatized character with a hidden past, she remained this strong presence throughout the entire book for me.
I loved the different ways evil was showcased. Elizabeth is manipulating like someone that has always had the mind to put themselves ahead no matter what. She earns trust, builds a life for her girls, and then traps them. She then transcends time to appear as a witch or even an evil hag (to my mind), truly embodying the evil she has displayed. Then there are the men. And while this story operates around the idea of opening a brothel, there is not any actual sex work displayed. The men can easily be shown as deviant, misleading and misrepresenting women without having to go further. I also enjoyed the lack of there being more because it was never about it, or the men, it was all for Eleanor and Emily. And when the actual wax-figure antics finally began, I thought that how they were almost underused/under-shown really enhanced the impact. The thought of these women—so often ignored in every day life, or garnering attention they would never want (especially at night)—stalking devious men and waiting for the right moment to strike, was the perfect climax to a story filled with barely-tempered rage. And the visual of them dressed in all black brought to mind the Widow from season five of Slasher titled Ripper. The brutality present in this, while short, certainly equalled the likes of that show.
One thing I noticed right away was how spellbindingly well this was written. With a mix of short and long (longgggg) chapters, there is so much happening, with so much at stake, that even with things going slowly I was enraptured. This book is filled with so much history and life, and while it is absolutely destroying emotionally, it’s so well done as to make you end your read with a thank you to the author.
For me, this book tells the story of losing, or the loss of, autonomy. Or perhaps even the realization you never had it. As Elizabeth is slowly showing her true colors, there is this growing unease in atmosphere, truly driven deep by the two-week rush in the present day. Eleanor and Emily are not receiving the family camaraderie they were promised, and as seemingly nothing goes their way, their debt to Elizabeth is more of a chain than an opportunity. Then, with the novels more supernatural elements, the theme is nailed down by having them physically tethered to their wax figures. From a loss of autonomy to their souls being stuck in anatomical Venuses. With no choices of their own, with Eleanor not even able to speak on her own, there is a truly horrifying loss of self and autonomy. This is where there is true body horror. Lost to time and to self, but still present enough to know you’re being controlled. The idea of which is horrifying.
The ending featured several twists (some of which I had guessed, and others I hadn’t) and there are so many masterfully woven plot points coming back around that I was surprised in how it all finished up. Small details from throughout the entire story come back, some in major ways. The ending itself is even another tie back to the loss of autonomy, to losing free will. What must be sacrificed to finally be free? I find myself thinking the typical saying to finally be “set free” but even that feels like a certain amount of allowance comes from someone else…I’m still thinking about it every day, and I dare say this has become my favorite read this year.
Grabbed this tiny audiobook before even finishing with the novel and I’m glad I got to it. Scott Fleming did a great job with this continuation.
Paschia’s hidden journals, frequently mentioned in book one, are finally being revealed to us. I think it’s a genius move by the author as this thing is 100% world building. It gives the universe an origin, as well as showing the beginning of the Keepers. I loved how it spanned years unknown…as existence without time cannot truly be measured.
I also really commend the author as he was able to keep it feeling like a diary throughout its entirety. Yes we receive dialogue, and yes there is more to the cast and happenings, but it always remains within Paschia’s worldview—as he is the one reporting on it. As we know, Paschia is a great creator, as he is the inventor of the empathic weapons (and items) introduced in the novel, and that he was always learning. What a great way to show off the emerging personalities of the other Keepers by him spending time around them learning what they know.
And as anyone who has ever taken up journaling or keeping a diary will tell you, once you get into the habit, it’s often hard to stop. So if you pay a little attention to that volume one on the cover, the author could keep us plied with information for years. I’m excited by the idea that newly released entries could take readers to entirely different worlds, realms of existence, to sentient life that isn’t even human. This series could be endless in scope. I think the author has shown his skill is up to the task of it too. This is perfect for fans of the first book, novellas, and lore.
Grabbed this tiny audiobook before even finishing with the novel and I’m glad I got to it. Scott Fleming did a great job with this continuation.
Paschia’s hidden journals, frequently mentioned in book one, are finally being revealed to us. I think it’s a genius move by the author as this thing is 100% world building. It gives the universe an origin, as well as showing the beginning of the Keepers. I loved how it spanned years unknown…as existence without time cannot truly be measured.
I also really commend the author as he was able to keep it feeling like a diary throughout its entirety. Yes we receive dialogue, and yes there is more to the cast and happenings, but it always remains within Paschia’s worldview—as he is the one reporting on it. As we know, Paschia is a great creator, as he is the inventor of the empathic weapons (and items) introduced in the novel, and that he was always learning. What a great way to show off the emerging personalities of the other Keepers by him spending time around them learning what they know.
And as anyone who has ever taken up journaling or keeping a diary will tell you, once you get into the habit, it’s often hard to stop. So if you pay a little attention to that volume one on the cover, the author could keep us plied with information for years. I’m excited by the idea that newly released entries could take readers to entirely different worlds, realms of existence, to sentient life that isn’t even human. This series could be endless in scope. I think the author has shown his skill is up to the task of it too. This is perfect for fans of the first book, novellas, and lore.
My thanks again to the author for the audio review copy! The continued narration by James Meunier is great, he does a solid job with bringing a different cast to life.
This was a real unique mix. It is prequel, it is sequel, it is side character origin story, and side mission story all rolled up into two novellas. I can only assume that the actions, interactions, and outcomes from the two will carry weight in the sequel. It didn’t feel like random characters or random locations, so I’m interested to see where it goes.
Conwenna, who we meet in book 1, must shed her identity that has kept her in hiding all these years in order to save her family name and a city about to be ruled by evil men. She must reassume the name of Koni, she must retake her place in society and power. Alfswich, who stole Grahme’s stone flowers, tries to return to the world of thievery. Somehow, while trying to stay in the shadows, he still can’t seem to avoid the spotlight. Both the thief and the blacksmith’s wife run afoul of treacherous hags, the repercussions of which will leave them cursed.
I thought the curses were fantastically chosen. Conwenna is a family woman, hiding in a plain life so that her family is safe. A lot of her story is about sacrifice, so the cost of her closest friend is just one more tally on the list of losses. I did however, dislike that when he is so upset and wants comfort he just outright asks for sex? It struck me as odd…I understand that it linked back to the hag’s curse, and it was probably part of her plan, but when you are particularly upset wouldn’t you just want someone to be there for you in the moment? To not be alone? This felt almost calculated, which I did not like for Blocky’s character.
Alfswich is a thief, a masterful one, so when the hag’s curse means he has to give away the six stolen stone flowers, he thinks there’s no catch because losing treasure is bad enough. He’s wrong. And I really liked how his curse forced notoriety onto him everywhere he went, taking away his nighttime profession. It did stick out to me though that he says he isn’t an assassin, that he only kills when absolutely necessary, and yet throughout the story he is most definitely a cutthroat.
I loved the combined and entwined conclusion. The way the stories connected back into the present. The main reason I am certain there will be an impact going forward into the next book. There was definitely good world building here, and the side story style allowed the author to present us with things outside of Grahme’s worldview, especially the Sorim.
This will hit for fans of the first book, as it is required reading, and for fans of side missions/completionism.
My thanks again to the author for the audio review copy! The continued narration by James Meunier is great, he does a solid job with bringing a different cast to life.
This was a real unique mix. It is prequel, it is sequel, it is side character origin story, and side mission story all rolled up into two novellas. I can only assume that the actions, interactions, and outcomes from the two will carry weight in the sequel. It didn’t feel like random characters or random locations, so I’m interested to see where it goes.
Conwenna, who we meet in book 1, must shed her identity that has kept her in hiding all these years in order to save her family name and a city about to be ruled by evil men. She must reassume the name of Koni, she must retake her place in society and power. Alfswich, who stole Grahme’s stone flowers, tries to return to the world of thievery. Somehow, while trying to stay in the shadows, he still can’t seem to avoid the spotlight. Both the thief and the blacksmith’s wife run afoul of treacherous hags, the repercussions of which will leave them cursed.
I thought the curses were fantastically chosen. Conwenna is a family woman, hiding in a plain life so that her family is safe. A lot of her story is about sacrifice, so the cost of her closest friend is just one more tally on the list of losses. I did however, dislike that when he is so upset and wants comfort he just outright asks for sex? It struck me as odd…I understand that it linked back to the hag’s curse, and it was probably part of her plan, but when you are particularly upset wouldn’t you just want someone to be there for you in the moment? To not be alone? This felt almost calculated, which I did not like for Blocky’s character.
Alfswich is a thief, a masterful one, so when the hag’s curse means he has to give away the six stolen stone flowers, he thinks there’s no catch because losing treasure is bad enough. He’s wrong. And I really liked how his curse forced notoriety onto him everywhere he went, taking away his nighttime profession. It did stick out to me though that he says he isn’t an assassin, that he only kills when absolutely necessary, and yet throughout the story he is most definitely a cutthroat.
I loved the combined and entwined conclusion. The way the stories connected back into the present. The main reason I am certain there will be an impact going forward into the next book. There was definitely good world building here, and the side story style allowed the author to present us with things outside of Grahme’s worldview, especially the Sorim.
This will hit for fans of the first book, as it is required reading, and for fans of side missions/completionism.
I usually try not to take on too many ebooks for review as I have never been the most organized person. But I also find it hard to say no, so I usually never agree to attach a date to when I will read it by. Even with those excuses in place, I would still consider this late as hell, so I am truly sorry! With that being said, I have bought all the ebooks for the trilogy, and I also bought this one on audio when it came to my attention I still hadn’t gotten to it yet. I do try to make my small amends. The narration by Jonathan Johns was solid, I enjoyed the voices he did and his pronouncements of all the monsters.
When a beast surprises Ara parents, they fall victim to the deadly attack. Ara is left with nothing and no one, and although her parents weren’t shining beacons of parenthood, that’s still a daunting reality to find yourself in for someone that’s not quite an adult yet. In enter the beast hunters to save the day. They were working another case, and therefore they were too late to save her parents. They take her under their wings, and while she’s traveling with them, they gain her trust and begin to teach her of the world and monsters around her. When they reach their destination of Cornstead, they are plunged into mystery, deception, and a bit of short-legged mayhem!
This read like a coming of age, young adult blend of The Witcher and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Like if Geralt was a little less gruff (a lot less) and the world wasn’t so dark. If Ciri wasn’t always gone and was instead more the focus. This world is described as being filled with dangerous monsters and beasts, many with cool and original names like Fantastic Beasts. However, with most of the story taking place within the walls of Cornstead, the reader doesn’t actually get to experience many. Instead, we receive an almost inspector’s apprentice mystery, where we learn only as clues trickle in. With that being said, it’s certainly in no way slow, it just took me by surprise.
Though the ending was a little rushed for me, as I did not feel fully connected to the trio of characters yet, I really do enjoy them. I liked how the author weaved a story that started with abusive parents and then gave us the rest of the story with understanding and accepting male protectors. Ara has to battle within to trust them, to let them in, and that continues on to the very last page. The town’s guard is displayed to perfectly play off of them with male toxicity and anger.
It fittingly felt almost like finishing The Sword of Destiny, where the Witcher shorts only leave you wanting more—as a book one, this is poised to do just that in the sequels.
I usually try not to take on too many ebooks for review as I have never been the most organized person. But I also find it hard to say no, so I usually never agree to attach a date to when I will read it by. Even with those excuses in place, I would still consider this late as hell, so I am truly sorry! With that being said, I have bought all the ebooks for the trilogy, and I also bought this one on audio when it came to my attention I still hadn’t gotten to it yet. I do try to make my small amends. The narration by Jonathan Johns was solid, I enjoyed the voices he did and his pronouncements of all the monsters.
When a beast surprises Ara parents, they fall victim to the deadly attack. Ara is left with nothing and no one, and although her parents weren’t shining beacons of parenthood, that’s still a daunting reality to find yourself in for someone that’s not quite an adult yet. In enter the beast hunters to save the day. They were working another case, and therefore they were too late to save her parents. They take her under their wings, and while she’s traveling with them, they gain her trust and begin to teach her of the world and monsters around her. When they reach their destination of Cornstead, they are plunged into mystery, deception, and a bit of short-legged mayhem!
This read like a coming of age, young adult blend of The Witcher and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Like if Geralt was a little less gruff (a lot less) and the world wasn’t so dark. If Ciri wasn’t always gone and was instead more the focus. This world is described as being filled with dangerous monsters and beasts, many with cool and original names like Fantastic Beasts. However, with most of the story taking place within the walls of Cornstead, the reader doesn’t actually get to experience many. Instead, we receive an almost inspector’s apprentice mystery, where we learn only as clues trickle in. With that being said, it’s certainly in no way slow, it just took me by surprise.
Though the ending was a little rushed for me, as I did not feel fully connected to the trio of characters yet, I really do enjoy them. I liked how the author weaved a story that started with abusive parents and then gave us the rest of the story with understanding and accepting male protectors. Ara has to battle within to trust them, to let them in, and that continues on to the very last page. The town’s guard is displayed to perfectly play off of them with male toxicity and anger.
It fittingly felt almost like finishing The Sword of Destiny, where the Witcher shorts only leave you wanting more—as a book one, this is poised to do just that in the sequels.
I received a physical ARC of this, so huge thanks to Plume, however I did receive it only two days before the book released. I didn’t want to sit on it and not have a review ready for longer, so I also grabbed the audiobook and it is narrated by ROGER L. JACKSON. They should be shouting that from the rooftops! Certainly the definitive way to take in this nonfiction in my opinion. He did a great job and did all the chapter titles in the Ghost Face voice, it really elevated my enjoyment.
This was absolutely fantastic. An intensely deep dive into the Scream franchise and how it’s shaped the horror industry. As a self proclaimed Scream connoisseur (I’ve never proclaimed that) this was right up my alley and I had to have it. For me, this was one of the few horrors I had seen as a kid that stuck with me into adulthood, and I still love it to this day. I was one of those kids that was deathly afraid of anything you told me was supposed to be scary. I couldn’t understand that horror—slashers especially—can be both scary and enjoyable. Scream is a leading example of this and is one of the few I’d actually watch as a young kid. It’s scary of course, someone in a mask is murdering people right on screen, but it was also silly and bordered comical in its self references and satirical dissection of previous horror. As it stands, the first Scream movie is why slashers remain my most enjoyed (and watched) horror subgenre.
As the title states, Scream was the dawn of true meta-horror, a style that has been chopped and chipped and adopted by many others over the years, but few can capture the allure of the first. A slasher horror that knows it’s a slasher horror, that knows its tropes and where it’s treading them? Personally that’s always been my favorite part. The sequels, with their in-universe Stab franchise, equally find a way to mock and poke fun at themselves and their own commentary—all while still commentating. There’s something almost omniscient about them, as they dissect what came before and dictate where horror’s going. The first really paved the way to elevated slashers as a whole.
I love how vividly this painted the experience of the films. With chapters spanning from the original script’s conception all the way up to the latest, and currently unreleased, sequel (read: Requel/Legacy Sequel). I loved how everyone shone light on how wonderful Wes Craven was, the energy he brought to the experience, and how he bred such warmth and an inviting set. As a horror writer myself, it was nice to see the spotlight showing off how nice horror writers are as people! We bring people scares, we aren’t all scary.
I also enjoyed that this didn’t shy away from the controversies. From set troubles, money troubles, reception troubles, even ownership and The Weinstein Company troubles. This book showcases it all, the good and the bad. Not only does it serve as a very honest piece of work, it also provides the inside track on how movies get (and often times do not get) made. From displeased big shots, to rushed sequels, to rights disputes, firings, and studio languishing, there is quite a bit of behind the scenes issues we may never even know about. I even liked that this went into the controversy around the requel, Scream 7. Laying out some info that was previously misunderstood or misinterpreted. I can only add that it’s really sad to see Kevin Williamson (the original screenwriter) coming back to direct one that feels like it’s up against a wall already with the bad coverage and enraged fanbase. But what really shines through, and I’m sure will continue to, is the passion these people have for the entire franchise.
Most importantly, this keeps the focal point on us, the fans. As the fanbase is the point, and no matter what topic this is traversing, it continues to keep an eye on enjoyment. Almost everyone has seen these, has something linking them to one, has a reason why they’ll always rewatch them. That’s what they’re for. So, what’s your favorite scary movie?
I received a physical ARC of this, so huge thanks to Plume, however I did receive it only two days before the book released. I didn’t want to sit on it and not have a review ready for longer, so I also grabbed the audiobook and it is narrated by ROGER L. JACKSON. They should be shouting that from the rooftops! Certainly the definitive way to take in this nonfiction in my opinion. He did a great job and did all the chapter titles in the Ghost Face voice, it really elevated my enjoyment.
This was absolutely fantastic. An intensely deep dive into the Scream franchise and how it’s shaped the horror industry. As a self proclaimed Scream connoisseur (I’ve never proclaimed that) this was right up my alley and I had to have it. For me, this was one of the few horrors I had seen as a kid that stuck with me into adulthood, and I still love it to this day. I was one of those kids that was deathly afraid of anything you told me was supposed to be scary. I couldn’t understand that horror—slashers especially—can be both scary and enjoyable. Scream is a leading example of this and is one of the few I’d actually watch as a young kid. It’s scary of course, someone in a mask is murdering people right on screen, but it was also silly and bordered comical in its self references and satirical dissection of previous horror. As it stands, the first Scream movie is why slashers remain my most enjoyed (and watched) horror subgenre.
As the title states, Scream was the dawn of true meta-horror, a style that has been chopped and chipped and adopted by many others over the years, but few can capture the allure of the first. A slasher horror that knows it’s a slasher horror, that knows its tropes and where it’s treading them? Personally that’s always been my favorite part. The sequels, with their in-universe Stab franchise, equally find a way to mock and poke fun at themselves and their own commentary—all while still commentating. There’s something almost omniscient about them, as they dissect what came before and dictate where horror’s going. The first really paved the way to elevated slashers as a whole.
I love how vividly this painted the experience of the films. With chapters spanning from the original script’s conception all the way up to the latest, and currently unreleased, sequel (read: Requel/Legacy Sequel). I loved how everyone shone light on how wonderful Wes Craven was, the energy he brought to the experience, and how he bred such warmth and an inviting set. As a horror writer myself, it was nice to see the spotlight showing off how nice horror writers are as people! We bring people scares, we aren’t all scary.
I also enjoyed that this didn’t shy away from the controversies. From set troubles, money troubles, reception troubles, even ownership and The Weinstein Company troubles. This book showcases it all, the good and the bad. Not only does it serve as a very honest piece of work, it also provides the inside track on how movies get (and often times do not get) made. From displeased big shots, to rushed sequels, to rights disputes, firings, and studio languishing, there is quite a bit of behind the scenes issues we may never even know about. I even liked that this went into the controversy around the requel, Scream 7. Laying out some info that was previously misunderstood or misinterpreted. I can only add that it’s really sad to see Kevin Williamson (the original screenwriter) coming back to direct one that feels like it’s up against a wall already with the bad coverage and enraged fanbase. But what really shines through, and I’m sure will continue to, is the passion these people have for the entire franchise.
Most importantly, this keeps the focal point on us, the fans. As the fanbase is the point, and no matter what topic this is traversing, it continues to keep an eye on enjoyment. Almost everyone has seen these, has something linking them to one, has a reason why they’ll always rewatch them. That’s what they’re for. So, what’s your favorite scary movie?