Rhiannon

This very fine collection of Lansdale has nearly every flavour of horror in it, and with his inimitable style there's probably something for everyone here. Creepy horror creatures, demons, cannibals, the apocalypse, noir, cosmic horror, splatterpunk, western horror... and yet it's all of a piece – it clearly feels like each tale is unmistakably ‘a Lansdale story'. It's bizarrely and satisfyingly undefinable.

But a warning: Lansdale pulls no punches. He has a knack for unflinching prose and characters that are designed to make you uncomfortable, appalled, outraged... there is a method to it all that will leave you disturbed and ruminating for some time to come.

Out October 7, 2025

My thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5⭐, rounded up

A pretty chaotic mild horror/dark academia that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. The initial premise was decent – nothing spectacular or noteworthy. The MC, Robin Quain, is an academic who applies to a mysterious Colorado Rockies institute to finish up her thesis on something-something witches-were-actually-an-ancient-fertility-cult, which in all honesty didn't really seem groundbreaking, but sure ok, the reason for the start of this journey is kinda weak, but go with it.

Off she goes to Colorado in the summer, when there are no students at this obviously well-funded college (that she's also never heard of before) and just a handful of professors? students? employees? left to have sophisticated parties. They all immediately behave oddly around her, she starts wandering off into rooms and areas that she's not supposed to looking for an artifact of this ancient cult. And then the plot gets muddled and befuddled with all manner of annoying behaviour and pretty much every horror trope thrown in for good measure. We already have witches, cults and then comes: best friend betrayal, science & medical experiments, missing and murdered folks, neuroscience, game theory, old gods, werewolves, secret island, weird lake, Greek temple, sacrifices, big government, grow-op, hallucinogenics, cryptography, data safety, cosmic horror (maybe kaiju) and the current state of our chaotic world...

WHEW.

I got to the end but with a good dose of whiplash and a desire for one remotely likeable and not-stupid character, and about 2/3 reduction in plot points, MacGuffins and red herrings.

Out October 7, 2025

A perfect little novella of creeping screaming cosmic horror and a one of the scariest things I know – a small child... a superfast, one sitting read that confirms my lifelong belief that children are eldritch demons and I am always right to ignore them!

Ghosts, curses, serial killers, malevolent spirits and a very haunted town make for a supernatural horror novel full of secrets and surprises.

There are a lot of elements going on in this story of Audrey whose cousin Mara has recently been murdered and whose spirit has taken up residence (without permission!) in her body. As Audrey grapples with this disturbing situation, she's also trying to solve the murder with Mara's now bereft girlfriend, Zadie. Audrey comes from a matriarchal line of gifted, or cursed depending on your point of voice, women who see ghosts, spirits, and the future.

The book focuses on the POV of Audrey, Zadie, and Audrey and Mara's recently deceased grandmother, Shirley. I particularly enjoyed Shirley's POV as it starts in the past and moves up to the present and I found her to be sweet, tough and complex. The various elements are admirably woven together without being confusing, although the love triangle story was getting on my nerves after a while (a bit draggy, and the weakest point of the novel IMO, but not crucial to the main story).

This makes for a decent supernatural horror with mystery at its core and a satisfying conclusion. The writing is well done and apart from the aforementioned love triangle, the pacing is consistently nimble and compelling. A recommended read for those seeking horror without gore and a cracking good story.

The liminal space concept is explored here with 15 short stories. The cover confusingly (or purposefully?) says there are 13 tales... a clever joke or just a poor last minute editing job?Anyway, some of these tales did an excellent job of exploring the liminal space idea very well, creating just the right amount of ambiguity, confusion and disorienting dread of spaces. Highlights for me were [a:Samantha Whitmore 60164456 Samantha Whitmore https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s ‘Greenhouse', [a:Blair Daniels 7434157 Blair Daniels https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565119631p2/7434157.jpg]' ‘Suburbs' and ‘Playground' and [a:H.T. Waite 52519811 H.T. Waite https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s excellent ‘Office'.A few missed the mark for me in that all-too-crucial atmosphere that is absolutely necessary for a liminal space tale to be truly terrifying and unsettling. A few were somewhat predictable, or repetitive, which I think is usually the author's attempt to create that disorientation but sometimes just comes off as exasperating or monotony without the constraint.I think liminal space stories can be a tricky place to navigate for authors. For me they require a very balanced and sophisticated narrative and if it's not found it becomes a basic horror story. Not necessarily a bad story, but not a strong liminal horror one. All in all, this collection averaged out with a handful of really good mixed with the ‘just ok'. It's probably a good introduction for anyone dipping their toes into this rather metaphysical sub-genre of horror and weird fiction.

Claustrophobic... panicked... anxious... all these emotions, and more, run rampant through this book like a hot, metallic burning fever of hallucinatory uncertainty and suspicion.

When Margaret checks into Graceview Memorial for a radically experimental and dangerous treatment program for her extremely rare autoimmune condition she's out of options and almost all hope. Isolated and without friends or family (by her own design) she begins the painful and highly invasive treatment as a last resort.

This book was startling and unexpected. It built into a kind of subtle gothic horror without my even noticing it as I was so wrapped up in the story of what the MC was going through. A sense of dread and panic gradually sets in that's barely discernable and makes it all that more effective. The setting in an isolated ward in what seems like your average hospital definitely plays into the paranoia and suspicion, particularly if the reader has pre-existing phobia or mistrust of hospitals.

So much of the story felt hallucinatory, dissociative, hypnagogic in the most unsettling ways. It is a perfect example of an unreliable narrator whose desperation to get better overcomes all her better judgments. I can only imagine the kind of desperation that would lead someone to this kind of risk, but when you're out of options...?

A sinister, gripping medical horror that subtly edges in, just under the skin, and stays bone deep long after the last page.

A classic - deserving of its place in the psychological horror pantheon. This is a subtle haunting; subdued and quiet except for those rare moments when it's not.

It's a quick read but don't expect to have your hair blown back by action or obvious twenty-first century jump scares. It's all about the atmosphere and setting and the psychological state of mind of the characters, particularly Eleanor, a tragic figure who can be viewed as either the cause or the mirror of the strange events in the house.

4.5/5⭐, rounded up

Such a blast to read!

This was a Christmas Eve release in 2024 (Why Duncan? Why would you do that?!?), and it's been sitting on my shelves giving me the Evil Eye for many, many months now, waiting for October to roll around so I could really get into the spirit of the season.

And it did not disappoint.

Brimming with action and nostalgia and a large cast of memorable characters this girthy novel is evocative of King's classic opuses (Operas? Opi?) of the eighties. Comparisons have been made. And comparisons are accurate and apt in all the best ways.

Ralston nails it with his non-stop and wholly engrossing multi-threaded, multi-character narrative of a group of teens and high school teachers who must survive a paranormal Armageddon of epic weirdness and the literal hell that is unleashed when a group of wasteoids perform a ritual that opens a gate and unleashes Them, They, the Multitudinous glory that is Legion (and The Great Pumpkin) upon their small town.

Heroes you love and villains you despise. Crazy action that kept me fully engaged, constantly surprised, and never bored. And of course, there is Ralston's inimitable sense of humour...

A crazy ride that was absolutely worth the possible long term effects of carpal to my wrist.

There are some wonderful whispers of Neil Gaiman and C.S. Lewis in this uniquely absorbing dark fantasy/light horror tale of a boy whose shadow is stolen. Young Connor must journey to the Shadowlands and navigate his way through this dark, grim world to retrieve the part of his stolen shadow and prevent further loss of it – and himself – the loss of your shadow means the loss of yourself, your identity. This clever allegory leads beautifully into the doubts and fears that plague Connor in the real world and Shadowlands both – themes of trust, loss, sacrifice and friendship are paramount in this story and Connor must confront them all.

There is some ambiguity and a bit of confusion about Connor’s age – at first, I thought I was reading about a much younger child based on Connor’s inner monologue. In the beginning he seems to be constantly thinking of and crying for his ‘mommy’. For at least the first half of the book I found his dialogue to feel much more juvenile than his actual age (I thought he was about 7 years old!) which it turns out is 11 years old. The age of the MC and the target audience (“YA” – what even is that anyway?) seemed to run contrary to several of the plot points in the story which are very strongly adult themed: Connor witnesses the literal hanging of a man that is very graphic, he is regularly threatened with torture and whippings, and eventually experiences being hung by the neck himself. Pretty serious stuff.

Now to be fair, I was rather advanced as a young reader (way before the invention of the YA marketing juggernaut that exists today) so my personal tolerance for this kind of stuff was always pretty high (I’d read Carrie, Helter Skelter, The Exorcist and The Amityville Horror by the time I was 11) so ‘mature themes’ never bothered me per se, but I could see how some of the scenes in this book might have an adverse lasting effect on some children reading it. But maybe ‘young adults’ are all secretly yearning for that kind of upgrade in their reading material?

The thing is, apart from that, this is a pretty great story. If I’d come across this book as a kid, I would have loved very nearly all of it – I always enjoyed being challenged as a young reader – but the issue with Connor’s initial maturity level might have turned me off a bit as a kid, but I would have still stuck with it! As an adult I absolutely enjoyed Najberg’s engrossing and engaging worldbuilding and imagination, and as a dark fantasy that incorporates adventure and mystery with some dark themes and strong character development this book is well worth the read!

Highly recommended for all adults who like a good dark fantasy and for all ‘extra’ mature young readers.

My thanks to the author, for the complimentary copy in exchange for a free and honest review.

Andrew knows how to write horrific tragedy. He writes of loss, and longing, unfathomable grief, and several kinds of apocalypses and every single story is full of heart and dread in equal measure.

“One thing you learn about trauma flashes, something that any psychologist can tell you, is that you never know when they’re going to surface or what will trigger them.”

Well, I’m pretty sure at least a third of these stories has permanently scarred me…

Notable highlights...

• Before You Fade Away – this absolutely shredded me. This was the opening story and by the end of the second paragraph my heart was already hurting. It was beautiful and lyrical and for the first time in years the written word moved me to tears. I’m afraid to contemplate what inspired this story – I think it would break me.
• Do You Read? – felt like it was worthy of it’s own spot on Love, Death, and Robots. Poignant.
• Intersected Sky – A tense reunion between siblings with a terrifying apocalypse literally looming over them…
• The Shut In Conduit – had me simultaneously laughing and cringing and my muscles were so sore from all that tension.
• Don’t Look There – An eight year old suffers unbearable, unthinkable trauma.
• Where We Leave Ourselves and Meeting Quinto – The insouciant humour couldn’t disguise Najberg’s incredible imagination in these tales…
• May I Take Care Of That For You – more humour expertly blended with grief horror

This collection of horror (quiet horror, really), dark fiction and science fiction was consistently satisfying in every way. Najberg proves a thorough mastery of creative fiction that is profoundly, beautifully disturbing and ultimately hopeful.

My thanks to the author for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

This scifi horror novel had me hooked right from the start. And I mean, right from the copyright page which left me with a sinking sense of dread by acknowledging “entities” in the ‘any resemblance to...' blurb.

This is a most unsettling beginning...

The alien enemy in this novel is unseen, incomprehensible, and pretty much impossible to fight. Markus is sent into orbit with his fellow soldiers to combat the terrifying and secret threat but they can't even begin to comprehend their opponent.

“It's hard to be scared of the dark once you see the damage light is capable of inflicting.”

Existential Extinction Nightmare

“...but we're all on the sharpest parts of our edges...”

“I realize my mind wasn't built for what's being done to it.”

3.5/5⭐Good mix of shorts from the BoH Indie Brawl contenders. A few of these stories won't really resonate or make sense if you haven't read the adjacent brawl book. But most do a really good job of standing on their own while offering tasty bits for those folks who've read them.Standouts for me were:• [a:Leigh Kenny 46183807 Leigh Kenny https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1699702877p2/46183807.jpg]'s

Decent cosmic cult horror novel where the cultists reconvene 20 years after their first attempt to raise the Fallen Ones from their earthly grave was thwarted by police.

A dream of a tale set in an unknowable, endless ocean that is not of this world yet connected to it.

Whitt's ceaseless nightmares of a drowned town lead him to a mysterious ship setting out with a small, inscrutable crew of similarly troubled sailors on an unsettling journey across the Bering Sea.

Blaine Daigle crafts a haunting and mesmerizing story of guilt, loss and a desire to know one's own past woven into the abyssal world of dark ocean legend. He knows how to set the perfect scene in the coldest, creepiest of places and keep you there.

Highly recommended!

5/5⭐

This is an oh so quiet book. Blaine says so himself in his afterward, and that was the word I was reaching for while reading it. Quiet. Muted. From the hushed susurrus of falling ashes in the dark Cascadian forest to the mysteriously silent boy who lives in the large Manor in that muffled wood.

“Atop the creaking house was the soft touch of a steady shower. The rain hit the outside of the manor tenderly, as though nature itself were afraid to subject the frail old home to too much force.”

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“The Pacific Northwest had this quality of being made more beautiful by the rain.”

“It was late afternoon, and the hidden sun slunk closer to the skyward reach of the dark green teeth of the landscape.”

My thanks to the author for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.