C. J. Daley
Saw that this was included listening on audible, and in the “fallout” of being done with the Meg series, I decided to give this a go.
This is all the blurb says, and honestly it’s not even that accurate/descriptive, but for some reason my brain definitely said, ‘yeah this must be another shark novel’. It’s not. To my surprise.
“A young couple go to Bermuda on their honeymoon. They dive on the reefs offshore, looking for the wreck of a sunken ship. What they find lures them into a strange and increasingly terrifying encounter with past and present, a struggle for salvage and survival along the floor of the sea, in the deep.”
A honeymooning couple (one is divorced and not that young) find a hidden shipwreck underneath a known shipwreck. In typical Benchley fashion, there is also a gangster with unbelievable connections. He wants what they’ve found, and he’s willing to kill to get it as they race to collect it. It does add the layer of tension the novel needs, but it does feel oddly reminiscent of Jaws. This novel is certainly different though, as it’s also full on historical fiction too.
Personally a 3/5*
Saw that this was included listening on audible, and in the “fallout” of being done with the Meg series, I decided to give this a go.
This is all the blurb says, and honestly it’s not even that accurate/descriptive, but for some reason my brain definitely said, ‘yeah this must be another shark novel’. It’s not. To my surprise.
“A young couple go to Bermuda on their honeymoon. They dive on the reefs offshore, looking for the wreck of a sunken ship. What they find lures them into a strange and increasingly terrifying encounter with past and present, a struggle for salvage and survival along the floor of the sea, in the deep.”
A honeymooning couple (one is divorced and not that young) find a hidden shipwreck underneath a known shipwreck. In typical Benchley fashion, there is also a gangster with unbelievable connections. He wants what they’ve found, and he’s willing to kill to get it as they race to collect it. It does add the layer of tension the novel needs, but it does feel oddly reminiscent of Jaws. This novel is certainly different though, as it’s also full on historical fiction too.
Personally a 3/5*
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.
This novella features a gritty fantasy world and focuses on a group of assassins. They moonlight as s*x workers, blacksmiths, medical stall workers, all with the aim of collecting information on their marks and raising a little funds. They have all been recruited by a masked-wearing man, one that seems to know all, and has the plans kept mostly mum.
In one scene, they focus on saving a captured priestess turned new member of their group. Call it an unannounced recruitment. It was in this scene that I felt like it hit a bit of a stride. It was explained that each woman had a different but pivotal role, and here it was showcased. Annah is the blade in the night, while Erika is more of a heavy hitter.
The finale takes off with them reaching a new area and needing to take out three cronies before getting to the big bad. This felt like an in depth Assassin’s Creed scene or set, which if you know me, I love AC, so this was a huge part of my enjoyment with this novella.
The action/assassinations were all unique and well written, and I enjoyed taking the journey with them. I will say that the characters worked much more as the group then on their own for me, but I think with that could be changed in a full novel.
Personally a 4/5*
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.
This novella features a gritty fantasy world and focuses on a group of assassins. They moonlight as s*x workers, blacksmiths, medical stall workers, all with the aim of collecting information on their marks and raising a little funds. They have all been recruited by a masked-wearing man, one that seems to know all, and has the plans kept mostly mum.
In one scene, they focus on saving a captured priestess turned new member of their group. Call it an unannounced recruitment. It was in this scene that I felt like it hit a bit of a stride. It was explained that each woman had a different but pivotal role, and here it was showcased. Annah is the blade in the night, while Erika is more of a heavy hitter.
The finale takes off with them reaching a new area and needing to take out three cronies before getting to the big bad. This felt like an in depth Assassin’s Creed scene or set, which if you know me, I love AC, so this was a huge part of my enjoyment with this novella.
The action/assassinations were all unique and well written, and I enjoyed taking the journey with them. I will say that the characters worked much more as the group then on their own for me, but I think with that could be changed in a full novel.
Personally a 4/5*
Saw this for free on Twitter and immediately gave it a go! It just released the 14th, so check it out!
I wish this had been available for my spooky season reads, but it was good nonetheless. This felt like it had the same vibe as Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, while being entirely different. Maybe it’s just the pumpkin heads.
Why is it that spooky stories come alive? Why is it that the dark and terrible lore is always true? The Pumpkin King is no different. Emil never believed it, was made fun of during the war for sharing it as a tale from his town. But clearly something is taking people out every autumn. Now that he’s home, that doesn’t mean it’s any realer, right?
Personally a 4/5*. Concise, written well, and dark.
Saw this for free on Twitter and immediately gave it a go! It just released the 14th, so check it out!
I wish this had been available for my spooky season reads, but it was good nonetheless. This felt like it had the same vibe as Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, while being entirely different. Maybe it’s just the pumpkin heads.
Why is it that spooky stories come alive? Why is it that the dark and terrible lore is always true? The Pumpkin King is no different. Emil never believed it, was made fun of during the war for sharing it as a tale from his town. But clearly something is taking people out every autumn. Now that he’s home, that doesn’t mean it’s any realer, right?
Personally a 4/5*. Concise, written well, and dark.