Syndrie

With a powerful mix of horror and social commentary, “Our Sister’s Keeper” is a book that highlights the — very unfair — expectation for Black women to carry other people’s burdens with a smile on their face and without a single word of complaint.

The story takes place in the town of East Cobb, which is an all-Black community where its citizens are able to live free from the fear of white hatred and oppression. It seems like a utopia from the first few glances, but readers will be able to quickly realize that the peaceful living that the men and women of East Cobb get to experience is only possible in exchange for the ongoing suffering of a select few women. As I got further into the story, my main question was really just “are all of these people really free after all, or is this entire town just a different flavor of slavery?”

Holmes’ prose flows smoothly and the entire book really had me captivated from the very first page — she did a fantastic job of crafting a story that’s emotional, haunting, and thought-provoking. There’s also a perfect balance of characters you want to root for as well as characters you’re going to hate, and I’d say they’re all developed pretty well. Even though I definitely didn’t agree with a lot of the choices made by certain characters in this story, I do think their motivations were laid out clearly and their behaviors made sense in context of their beliefs.

This is probably going to be one of those novels that I’ll keep thinking back on for quite some time. It’s a story that is here to tell a message and does a great job at delivering that message. I’ll definitely be putting this one into my list of favorite Southern gothics and I’ll absolutely be keeping an eye out for whatever Jasmine Holmes comes out with next!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Bindery Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This is a beautiful story that does a fantastic job at telling a family’s story across multiple generations. Interweaving multiple timelines and following many characters, this is a heartfelt tale that’ll give you a great understanding about who the people of the Lamb family truly are — and maybe make you feel a bit like you’re part of the family as well.

Sitting at just over 400 pages, I’m amazed at how much story is packed into this one novel without the plot ever feeling rushed. Even though the majority of the focus really lies across three different timelines, there’s still a good number of looks at some of the in-between timelines as well. So there’s definitely a bunch of characters in this one, but I found that they were all introduced in a way that made it very easy to remember them all distinctly (and I say that as somebody who often gets tripped up when it comes to large casts). It also helps that each of the characters really felt like they stood out as their own person and were both memorable and — for the most part — lovable as well. I found myself really wanting to root for the members of the Lamb family and hoped that they would make the right decisions in the end.

I also really loved having parts of the story come from the perspectives of the family ghosts as well. It really added a unique element to the standard family drama formula and I thought that having the ghosts directly address the reader really gave off a sense of welcoming. This isn’t just a case of a story being told to you, it’s an invitation to join in and really embrace the family as a whole.

Overall I would highly recommend this to readers of family dramas, especially if you love when they span across multiple generations! I don’t want to spoil too much but I will say this one does tackle some heavier topics — racism of course being one of the big ones — but even with the tragic moments that come up, I do feel like the overall story really gave off a more hopeful vibe. I was very satisfied with the ending and feel like it stopped at the perfect spot.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

With a much darker twist on a children's story many of us are already familiar with, "It Came From Neverland" presents a version of Peter Pan that is both haunting and predatory while also exploring the long-term effects of childhood trauma.

I really liked how this one was less of an in-your-face gory horror story and leaned more into psychological horror aspects (although there definitely is some gore in here). The Darling children all managed to escape Neverland as children but now it's twelve years later and weird things are starting to happen around them. It starts out with small things such as the appearance of oddly behaving crows and slowly ramps up into bigger and more threatening scares. I personally enjoyed the slower pace so the tension was given full time to grow throughout the story, although I will admit some parts did get a little bit repetitive at times. I also kind of wish there had been a little more detail about what the siblings experienced back in Neverland, but the flashbacks that we do get were pretty good at painting a picture of a Peter who was cruel and sadistic.

I don't want to give too much away because I think that the sense of creeping dread is the shining star here. In some ways the escalation might seem a tad predictable, but I think that also goes to show that the story develops at a sensible level instead of trying to rely on things like shock value and crazy plot twists in order to keep the reader's attention.

Overall I enjoyed this one a lot and would definitely recommend it to other readers who enjoy stories that portray a darker side of the children's stories and fairy tales we all grew up with!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This is being marketed as a "'Sleeping Beauty' retelling about escapism, grief, and dreaming of a better world" and I'd have to say it definitely does deliver on that promise. The story is filled with characters who are suffering from loss, depression, and just feeling like they don't fit into the world they were born into and who desire to have a better/happier life — even if that other life happens to exist only in a dream world.

I think Cindy did a great job with presenting really accurate portrayals of depression and I think many readers who have also experienced depression in their own lives will find some very relatable thoughts and behaviors in here. But even though a lot of the story is focusing on the characters having to fight their demons — whether mental or physical — there's still a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel here. I wasn't too sure about the ending at first, but after sitting with it for a bit I have to say I'm rather pleased with how it was wrapped up and what the underlying message seems to be here.

The writing style tends to lean a bit more to the side of purple prose here with some really beautiful lush descriptions, but sometimes it does get a bit awkward. I think jumping between timelines where we're in the dream world in one POV and suddenly jumping to another POV taking place 100 years in the past in the real world throws things off a bit. You start to get used to reading about all the beautiful scenery and magic in the dream world before suddenly get thrown back to reality where things just aren't as beautiful. I do like the idea of that dichotomy in theory, but in this case it felt more like the story's momentum was being reset every new chapter.

I'd also say that the character development is lacking, but moreso in the sense that the buildup just wasn't there for me. The characters definitely do have some development but it didn't really feel very impactful overall and it their relationships with each other seemed to develop way too fast — most especially between Briar Rose and Corin. It definitely felt like way more telling was going on rather than showing. That said, I was interested in Amelia and Malicine's stories in particular and found that their POV chapters kept my attention way more than Corin's chapters.

Overall I think this story had some really solid ideas behind it, but it just didn't hit the execution as strongly as I hoped it would.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Kokila, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

Usually I'm rather good at picking up on foreshadowing and being able to correctly guess the answers behind mysteries in thriller novels but "An Immaculate Deception" was one of the few that has managed to blindside me, and I'm glad that it did!

This is a rather fast paced novel that definitely leans more to the sides of psychological or domestic thriller, and I'd have to say it's a pretty strong debut! Although some parts of the prose did feel a bit lackluster to me, I think Livino did a great job at portraying the character's emotions and that helped make up for the more lackluster areas. You could definitely feel Madalena's fear growing day by day alongside Leandro's increasing inner turmoil. The rather quick plot development made this into a real page-turner for me and I just wanted to keep reading so I could figure out exactly what was going on between Madalena, Leandro, and the mysterious Doctor Lobo.

The novel is split into two different parts with the first being in Madalena's POV and the second in Leandro's and I think this was the perfect layout for this particular story. Having both of their perspectives really added an additional layer of depth to the story and made the reveals much more satisfying in the end. This is definitely one of those novels where you'll be able to appreciate the first half way more after finishing the whole thing.

I'd definitely recommend this to fans of gothic thrillers who are looking for a quick, entertaining read! There are some horror elements but it's not overly grotesque or frightening, so it might be a good pick for readers who aren't too good with horror but want to take a chance on a darker story.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Dutton, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

In some ways this is a story about found family and connecting with others, but in others it’s about escapism and survival. On one side we have a girl who has not felt connected to her family in a very long time and is currently struggling to find her place in life, and on the other side we have the same girl finding a place she’d like to call home — but that place is tinged with horror and governed by rules and beings that she is not fully knowledgeable of. It’s a story that has both realistic family drama as well as life-threatening adventures (for lack of a better word) in a fantasy world where few actually care about the safety of human lives.

I really enjoyed the pacing here and found the story really easy to fall into. This is definitely one of those novels that grabbed my attention from the very beginning! The prose flowed well and the alternating timelines were presented in a way that made sense and was easy to follow. I’d say that the present day timeline being sprinkled in throughout the novel really helped build up some tension and curiosity that made me want to keep on reading so I could figure out exactly what happened next in Moth’s backstory.

I also have to say that Jen Julian did a fantastic job of introducing the world around Deerhaven and the enigmatic guests that resided there — the worldbuilding felt very natural and never felt like a big infodump that I needed to take time to sit back and process. As the reader I felt like I was discovering everything I really needed to know alongside Moth, who was also entering the world of Deerhaven completely blind. The atmosphere crafted here manages to be eerie but also comforting at times, which sounds like an odd paradox but it definitely works in this case. There’s also a rather unique cast of characters here with the majority of them really managing to stand out and be memorable, despite some of them only getting a handful of mentions throughout.

If you’re a fan of atmospheric stories that blend reality with fantasy, and don’t mind having some gothic horror elements thrown into the mix, then I highly recommend you pick this one up! It really was a story that managed to feel both unique and familiar at the same time and I’m very glad I took a chance on it.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Run For It, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This is a collection of ten stories that I have to admit I did not fully appreciate until hitting the final three stories. The first seven stories were mostly all just okay for me — not bad by any means but nothing that really wowed me either. If anything, these first seven just felt like they only skimmed the surface of what they could offer and really left me wanting more. (However the fourth story, “What We Look Like Together,” was an outlier here because I did enjoy that one quite a lot.)

So as I was reading through the first chunk of stories I was fully prepared to settle on an average three star rating and call it a day, but then the final three stories came into play and they completely changed my mind about the entire collection. “No Future” and “Going Up” both had some interesting ideas that grabbed my attention quickly while being just long enough to pull off what felt like a proper full story arc. Although out of these two, I’d have to say “Going Up” manages to be a bit more of a standout and even though I was perfectly satisfied with the length and the ending of the story, I kind of want a full book in this particular universe as well. The idea of The Speaker, who is an unknown entity that randomly calls people and begs them to take ownership of a still beating heart, is perfectly creepy and mysterious and the world seems to have no idea why this phenomenon is actually happening.

But the final, and longest, story is the absolute standout of this collection. Spanning the final 35% of the book, “Heaven is Fine for Girls Who Miss Their Mothers” managed to be a moving and powerful story that also made me sit back and reflect on some of the earlier stories as well. It really re-framed the collection as a whole for me and I definitely gained a new appreciation for those stories that I had originally been writing off as just okay. I don’t want to give too much away here because I really think going into “Heaven…” blind will offer the best reading experience, so I’ll just say that reading it really made pushing through the beginning half of the book absolutely worth it for me.

I’d definitely recommend this to readers who are interested in speculative fiction and aren’t afraid to just sit back and trust the process. I may be rating this as a four overall due to some of the less interesting stories, but I’d argue that sitting through all of them is definitely worth it for those final three — which I would individually rate at a 4, 4.5 and 5 respectively.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, William Morrow, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

I’d say this is really a story about broken and dysfunctional families that keep a few too many secrets, and the children that have to suffer because of it.

All of the characters here are absolutely flawed, but unfortunately they’re also quite realistic. This story really nails how cycles of abuse come to happen — especially when the abuse is more emotional than physical. Neither Chuck nor Lettie grew up with the best of role models to look up to and it definitely shows in their actions. Most of my time spent reading through Chuck and Lettie’s POV chapters I was just left feeling frustrated by their poor choices. And although it was clearly obvious that they truly wanted to do better for their own children, the reality is that it’s not always easy to do so. I was much more invested in Baby’s POV and was rooting for her to break the cycle of bad behavior and be able to really succeed in life. So overall, even though I felt frustrated a lot, I’d say the fact that the story was able to bring up any emotions at all is a testament to it having been well-written enough to cause an impact.

I went back and forth on rating this as a 3 or 4 star, but I’ve settled on 3 for two main reasons: firstly, I just had a hard time keeping track of all the characters names and exactly what their relations to each other were. There are a bunch of nicknames to remember as well as the family trees being confusing due to both confirmed and implied infidelity, with a lot of divorces and breakups leading to the introduction of stepparents that muddy the waters even more. (But I’ll fully admit that I do have a tendency to struggle with larger casts of characters, so there’s probably plenty of other readers that won’t have any problem at all keeping up with all of the names!) My second critique is that the “curse” really wasn’t that prominent in the story at all, and that’s the biggest selling point that had me wanting to pick the book up. The curse definitely has some meaningful mental and emotional effects on the characters that are able to see those premonitions, but overall it kind of felt like a tool of convenience instead of a fully integrated plot piece.

I definitely see this book resonating much harder with readers who grew up in similar situations or who were close with another person that had to face them. Those who have pretty much only seen more happy nuclear families may struggle to really identify with the story being told here, but it might still be a good read if only for the sake of opening your eyes to a different life experience.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Tiny Reparations Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This was a beautiful story that I'd say really focuses on the importance of history and the connections that can form when you share and remember people's stories and form a real community together—even if many of those stories aren't exactly happy ones.

A bit more character driven than plot driven, I'd say this is a good pick for anybody who tends to enjoy books that are more on the literary fiction side of things. With smooth prose that makes it very easy for the reader to slide right into the story, this book was a delight to read from beginning to end—despite some of the more heavy subject matter regarding racism and girls who have mysteriously gone missing without a trace. And even though there were some spiritual elements in the form of ghostly ancestors (or at least something akin to ghosts), the story still felt extremely down to earth and the spiritual elements felt perfectly in place with the Native American ancestry of the girl who connected with said ghosts the most.

If I had to give one piece of advice to readers looking to pick up this book, it would be to maybe keep a notepad handy nearby as there are a lot of characters in this one! Featuring POV's from five different women, there's quite a few names to keep up with between each of them, their families, and the assorted people they know around town. Having three of these women be related to each other—daughter, mother, and (great) aunt—did help ease the burden of keeping track of everybody though! And the way their stories all entwined by the end of the book really made for a satisfying ending—none of the POV's felt like they were out of place and all felt very necessary to be able to tell the entire story.

So if you're looking for a story that explores grief, ancestral trauma, and the sense of community while also addressing the underlying issues behind the way indigenous people have been historically treated in America, then I highly recommend you pick this one up!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Aunt Lute Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.

I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.

That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!

So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

Simply put, this is a story about a half-Choctaw man who just wanted to find a home and a place to belong amidst a life encumbered by discrimination and many many tragedies.

This is one of those stories that I call "unfortunately realistic." So many terrible things take place in George's life to the point where you'll probably be thinking that surely nobody is this unlucky. However the reality is that growing up non-white in America—especially in the 1930s—meant that you were pretty much guaranteed to have a life filled with injustices. And while George definitely made some poor decisions at certain points that led to him continuing on what was most likely the more difficult path, the story still feels very believable and his choices make sense for his character.

I have to say that the title for this novel fits the story perfectly as well. Although "the walls are closing in on us" is a phrase used a couple of times in the story itself, the experience of actually reading the novel really takes things a step further. There were multiple points in the novel where I myself started to feel anxious as if the walls were closing in on me as well.

This is definitely one of those debut novels that feels more refined than one would probably expect! It's a compelling story that's able to bring up real emotions in the reader. I'd absolutely recommend this one to readers who enjoy character driven novels and don't mind reading a story that's more tragic than it is happy.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Malarkey Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

Gothic vibes? Yes. Historical setting? Yes. Evil old mansion? Yup. Ghosts? Multiple. Lesbians? Absolutely.

“The Wives of Herrick Hall” is set in the year 1799 and I’d say that Julie Lew did a great job making the prose really straddle the line between being historically accurate while also remaining accessible enough for modern day readers. I also found the pacing to be really well done, although I could see some other readers finding it a bit slow in parts. I’d argue that the slower portions are necessary to fully set the scene as well as really establish our main cast of characters — so even though the portions of Josephine wandering the halls of the house night after night aren’t the most action-packed moments, they were still important moments that give both her, and thereby the reader as well, insight into the house itself as well as some of the shady characters that reside there. (And don’t worry, the action definitely picks up as the story progresses, so there’s no lack of exciting moments either!)

I’d have to say my only real gripe with this story is simply that there were so many unlikable male characters involved — although this is definitely an intentional choice and not just a symptom of poor characterization. If anything, I’d say the characterization was really quite well done as everyone had their own distinct set of motivations and they managed to stick to them faithfully. (So really, my gripe is probably more so due to the fact that these unlikable men were just a bit too accurate overall…) As far as the women’s characters went, I really did enjoy Josephine from the very beginning while Nora was one that I really couldn’t stand at first, but she ended up growing on me as the story progressed. By the end, I could say I was pleased with Nora’s overall character arc and I definitely could understand her more.

Overall I’d absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy gothic horror romances!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Quill & Crow Publishing House, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This novella does a great job in saying things without actually saying them and making sure the reader is fully able to understand the main character's mental state. Even though this is really a story about trauma, abuse, and learning to survive in the aftermath, it's still written in a way that's extremely accessible for readers. This novella never needed to use strong, graphic detail to tell the full story of Evey's past — proving that the unspoken can sometimes be even louder than what's actually being said.

I did love the space setting and getting to see little glimpses of what life could be like as a space freighter, but I will say this overall isn't a particularly unique plot because I've definitely read similar stories before. That said, I think the main strength with this novella was really the character work as Evey and Shirr felt like real people with understandable emotions. Their relationship develops naturally over time and by the end of the story I was just really happy that these two managed to find each other.

If you're a reader that likes stories that hit on darker topics, but aren't looking for anything too heavy right now, then this might be a great pick for you! It can easily be read in a single sitting while still doing great job at scratching that itch to read a satisfying story without having to commit to a 300+ page novel.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

Although “Wolf Worm” definitely isn’t going to be the book for those with genuine insect phobias, those without will be able to find a great mix of creepy atmosphere and other gothic horror charms alongside a strong female main character who is filled with some charmingly sardonic and dry humor.

I really loved Sonia as a character and her inner monologue and little quips throughout had me snickering at quite a few times throughout the novel—her personality really shines through and she feels like a believable character that you want to root for. Honestly all of the characters here were really well done with strong personalities and clear motivations. The first half of the novel really comes in at a slower pace, but I really enjoyed that since it gave plenty of time to really flesh out all the characters and to slowly build up all the mystery and tension in the plot. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong at first, but as we follow along with Sonia on her days living in Halder’s mansion we start to piece the mystery together with her—and she’s the kind of woman who will do everything she can to sate her curiosity. I can definitely say this is one of those novels where I had an inkling of what was actually going on here, but the reality was not something that I was able to guess at all! So for the readers who are happy to sit through the slower paced portions: you’ll definitely be rewarded with an interesting plot climax, a satisfying ending, and perhaps a new fear of botflies.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and I have to say that Mary Robinette Kowal did a fantastic job with narration. She has great enunciation and really nails shifts in tone and inflection, as well as keeping up a great tempo. She also makes an effort to give each character a unique voice—and accent—during their dialogue portions which I found to be a great help at keeping track of all the characters. I will say that the men’s voices did get a bit similar at times, but overall it was still a very well-done effort.

If you’re already a fan of T. Kingfisher’s horror, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one as well. But I’d say this is also a good choice for gothic horror readers in general, especially if you like to have a bit of body horror in the mix—just as long as you can get past the creepy crawlies! And I’m sure audiobook fans won’t be disappointed with Kowal’s performance here, so if you’re on the fence on which version to get I’d say go ahead and go for the audio.

(Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance listener copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)

Both compelling and blasphemous, “Bone of My Bone” is an ambitious mix of historical, religious, and folk horror steeped with gothic charm and impossible to put down. With her third novel, Johanna Van Veen has once again managed to give readers a unique story about a love between two women that is able to grow in the most unlikely of situations.

I really liked how this was both a story about fighting—basically literal—demons as well as one about fighting yourself and your own beliefs. This wasn’t a story about two women immediately casting away their faith at the smallest sign of hardship; it was a story about two women who went through hell while having to make some very difficult decisions that made them grapple with their ideas of right versus wrong. There’s a lot of push and pull between the girls as they clash over differences in personality as well as their differences in faith—one being a Catholic nun and the other being a Calvinist—which provides a nice balance of more relatable conflict in-between the supernatural elements going on in the story. And though the plot itself is filled with conflict, darkness, and despair, there remains a small light of hope that’s able to shine throughout the story.

As usual, Johanna’s writing flows beautifully and makes for a very easy read. Her descriptions are detailed enough to paint a clear picture without overstaying their welcome, and the language is easy to comprehend without being simplistic. My only real complaint with the story would be that the relationship between Ursula and Elsebeth developed a little too quickly for my tastes—although one could argue that they were living in a heightened state of emotion being surrounded by danger all the time, leading them to behave differently than usual.

If you’re already a fan of Johanna Van Veen, or just a fan of gothic or folk horror in general, then I think you’ll really enjoy this one! Just be aware that there are some rather graphic descriptions of gore among quite a few other trigger warnings, so readers with known triggers may want to take some caution and look up the warning list first. For me, I think I’m going to have to officially put Johanna Van Veen into my list of favorite authors after this novel because she’s three for three now.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This really felt like a breath of fresh air and was an absolute delight to read! I haven’t had a new series grab my attention so quickly in quite some time now, and I can see this series easily gaining a dedicated fan base. You can definitely feel the Studio Ghibli inspiration in the story in that it gives off a certain whimsicality despite it covering some heavier topics (e.g. classism, political corruption) as well as showing scenes of violence.

At its core, “The Rainshadow Orphans” seems to be a story that really puts a focus on the power of found family. Our main set of characters — Toshiko, Mei, and Jun — consider themselves siblings, but they aren’t actually blood related. Bonded after all being separately adopted into the care of a woman named Reiko, these three seek to find revenge for their dear adopted “aunt” who ended up being murdered by a member of a local gang. This novel starts off with an absolute bang where we’re thrown right into a scene of Toshiko attempting to complete a stealth mission that puts her face-to-face with the same man who murdered her Aunt Reiko years ago.

I’m usually a bit wary of stories that immediately start in the middle of the action as it tends to be a bit overwhelming, but “The Rainshadow Orphans” did not suffer from this at all. In fact, I found it extremely easy to fall into this novel right from the get-go. I was able to pick up the character names quickly and found the plot and character’s motivations easy to follow even with only minimal information. If anything the storytelling shown here just felt really natural. All of the plot progressions felt like they fit in and it never seemed like drama was being thrown in just for the sake of adding more drama — it all had a purpose. I also really liked how some rather advanced technology is in play here right alongside a magic system that is slowly revealed throughout the novel. The contrast between the two is very interesting and having both in play means there’s a lot of creative potential for the rest of the series!

Overall I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers in general – especially those who enjoy stories with Japanese influence! And for people who might be new to fantasy stories and are looking to dip their toes in the water here, then I think this would also make a fantastic introduction to the genre.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Saga Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

I’d say that this is one of those stories where the horror lies more in the unseen than the seen.

There’s no obvious boogeyman character to fear here, just an ever-growing sense of unease that permeates through the pages as you watch one man devolve from a kind and friendly soul into a man caught in the throes of obsession over a prehistoric ruin. This is not a story of axe murderers, it’s a story about how an even bigger horror is watching a loved one transform into somebody you no longer recognize.

I would not have guessed this was a debut novel if I didn’t already know it was before picking it up! The writing is wonderfully atmospheric and Higginson did a fantastic job at setting the scene — the story told here perfectly fits into the backdrop of an isolated sheep farm deep in the Welsh mountains. Carwyn and Rhian were also both well-developed characters that truly felt like real people. In-between the creepy stuff happening in the present day, the novel intermingles flashbacks of their story from their first meeting up through married life that really helps readers get to know each of them properly — which makes the main story hit that much harder. And although I would say this story is a little slow-paced, I’m also saying it as a compliment. Everything is given just enough time for the plot to fully develop and for all that tension to really build up to a proper climax at the end. There’s also some folklore elements that really add some extra intrigue to the story and really help flesh everything out just a bit more (if you aren’t already familiar with the Mari Lwyd, you’re about to learn).

So if you like folk horror, and don’t mind a bit of a slow burn, then I highly recommend picking this one up! (And I’ll most definitely be putting Liam Higginson on my list of authors to keep an eye out for going forward.)

I definitely enjoyed this book, but I must admit I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into proper words here. Something that I can't quite put my finger on made this novel feel unique and I think it's something readers will have to just dive in and experience themselves to really understand.

I'll start off by saying if you're a reader that likes faster paced novels or plots with a lot of action—this book is definitely not for you. But it will be perfect for the readers who are happy to sit down with a slow-burn story full of atmospheric writing and can, at times, feel a bit like a character study.

In a tale that's absolutely stuffed with longing, as well as anger, grief, classism, and a pinch of witchcraft, we follow alongside a girl named Margaret who just so happens to be a bit in love with Joanie—the girl she considers her best friend. Although coming from different walks of life—Margaret from a poor family and Joanie from wealth—due to a certain series of events, Margaret has ended up in the care of Joanie's family and lives with them instead of her father. But after the pair is discovered in a rather compromising situation by Joanie's father, Margaret is cast out of the house and has no choice but to return to her father's house of squalor. The bulk of the novel really focuses on Margaret's feelings and general state of being after she's been torn away from her love—and let's just say she doesn't exactly handle it well.

As I mentioned before, this is a rather slow-paced novel, but Evans' prose sets the tone so well that I felt as if I was being pulled into a trance while reading it. You can really feel Margaret's pain and the great amount of tension she has between herself and pretty much every other character in the story. There's also really great insight into Margaret's state of mind as well as her motivations for the actions she does (and doesn't) take. With a bit of witchiness thrown in as an extra level of intrigue, this really stood out to me as a story that I haven't quite read anything like before.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This was one of those books that took me a little bit to get into, but once I hit chapter 7, around 20% in, I was hooked!

I'm not sure I'd really consider this one to be much of a horror story — although that could just be due to the fact that I'm used to reading much darker novels. I'd say the horror elements are mild, the thriller elements are a bit stronger, and mystery is the strongest of them all here.

That said, Jacquie Walters did a great job weaving the two different timelines in this story together using a rather unique connection between them. I definitely wasn't able to guess ahead of time what was really going on here and it was satisfying seeing how the whole mystery unfolded throughout the story. I found the pacing to be really well done as well. It's a bit of a slow build but that just gives us plenty of time to set the scene and let tension build up naturally throughout the novel. I'd say the ending does ramp up pretty quickly, but it manages not to feel overly rushed or anything like that. The ending felt well-rounded and I'm satisfied with how it all wrapped up.

The main reason I'm knocking a star off of my rating is simply because I found the present day timeline to be noticeably weaker — and maybe a tad too dramatic — compared to the historical timeline. I also found Edith's character to be the most fascinating, so that's probably influencing my opinion a bit as well. As a woman healer back in the 1600s — a time when intelligent women were regarded with great suspicion — she proves herself to be a rather strong character. But, as I said earlier, the connection between the two timelines was so well done that I can't complain too much about the present day plot at all. Without it, this would be a completely different story and wouldn't have quite the same charm overall!

So overall, I would definitely recommend this story to readers who are interested in mysteries with some ghostly/thriller aspects weaved in!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Mulholland Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

Both heartbreaking and beautiful, Tayari Jones has crafted a poignant story about two girls who crave maternal connections after growing up motherless. This is a story about family and friendship, love and heartbreak, and growing up as a black women in the south in the middle of the segregation era.

Referring to each other as cradle friends, Vernice and Annie have known each other their whole lives and grew up together from babies all the way to adulthood. Connected by the loss of their mothers (one by death, the other by abandonment) these two girls both understand and care for each other deeply. They are perfect foils to each other where Vernice tends to be more of a rational thinker while Annie often lets her emotions guide her. And even though they end up going on separate journeys as they enter adulthood, the girls keep their bond strong by keeping in touch via letters. It was really nice to see a friendship so strong that it couldn't be broken by either distance or differing life experiences (because they do end up living significantly different lives).

Although I'd consider the overarching tone of this novel to be more somber than anything else, it still has its bright moments and is overall a really nice read. Honestly it's just a very realistic story — after all, not everything in life goes correctly all the time. Jones did a great job with the story pacing as well as giving us fully fleshed-out characters that were easy to care about and therefore want to keep reading about.

In showing the girls at both their most fragile moments and their strongest moments, this ends up being a rather thought-provoking story that will probably sit with readers for awhile after they've finished. I would highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys character driven novels and literary fiction as a whole.

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

A bit of a slow burn—in the best way possible—"A Slow and Secret Poison" is a novel where the title is a perfect fit for the story readers will find inside.

The story follows a woman named Vee as she begins her new job as a gardener at Harfold Manor—home of the now dwindled Lascy family. Vee initially applies, and accepts, the position without knowing anything about the family's history, but as she settles in she begins to uncover more knowledge about the family and the curse that the current family head, Arabella, fully believes has been placed upon her lineage.

Lowkis did a fantastic job with the pacing of this novel. We start off really taking the time to get to know all of the characters, their histories, and the setting in general—if anything it feels like a bit of a slice of life story at first. But as the novel progresses there are more and more quips and small details slipped in that suggest things might not all be as straightforward as they may seem. The plot itself slowly becomes poisoned with secrets, distrust, and paranoia as more and more of our character's stories are revealed.

This is one of those novels I probably could've devoured in one sitting if life hadn't gotten in the way! It was a smooth and easy read that captured my full attention from the very beginning. The characters felt like real people, the settings were perfectly descriptive, and the romance aspect was the perfect mix of being important to the plot while not completely overtaking the whole story. I really enjoyed my time with this novel and I'm honestly a little sad that it's already over!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Atria Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

This was one of those stories that ended up being deeper than it originally seemed like it would be. Starting off it feels more like it could be a potential mystery of the week kind of deal where we’ll be following along as DEUS — a government agency that helps keeps supernatural beings & events out of the public eye — tries to uncover the mystery behind a disappearing neighborhood. But as the story progresses, it really digs deeper into bigger themes of ethics, society, and community.

The good: - Satisfying character development. - A good mix of humorous antics as well as serious moments and concepts. - The idea of humans simply being too blind to notice gods and mythological beings living amongst in secret is definitely entertaining. - Lots of diversity amongst the Others - we get to see jinns, wyverns, necromancers, and more alongside some concepts that I believe are unique to this novel. (I found the idea behind the Gardeners especially interesting!) - I loved how the top secret government agency tasked with helping manage the Others is forced to deal with the same bureaucratic bs that the average human employee experiences.

The less good: - At times, it seemed like the prose started to ramble a bit and it did lose my attention here and there. Other times it felt like too much information too fast and I had to reread portions to fully take a new concept in. - It feels like the first half of the story was more plot focused, but towards the end the plot felt like it really took a backseat to the message that the book was trying to portray. So by the end, when the stakes should’ve been at the highest for our characters, it felt somewhat predictable and did not hold the same tension that the middle portions had.

Overall this was a nice read and, as a starting point for a new series, it did give us the foundations of the world and its rules while giving a good introduction to our main cast of characters. So even though I had a couple of problems with it, I’ll probably be keeping an eye out for the second book in the future to see how it plays out!

(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Orbit Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)

Through "Year of the Mer," L. D. Lewis has crafted an engaging story that is both a dark re-imagining and a sequel to a well-loved fairy tale. This is not the story of The Little Mermaid that many of us grew up on, but a story of how the selfish choices of one Mer girl ended up causing strife and political unrest across multiple nations—both on land and in the sea—for many years to come.

Not only do we get to see how Arielle's descendants are living as a result of her decision to leave the sea to live as a human, but we also get a lot more insight into the character of the sea witch, Ursla, herself. Lewis has clearly put a lot of thought into this tale and has created a fascinating lore for the world itself as well as managing to give Ursla a proper backstory—something that I was especially interested in.

I found the pacing to be absolutely perfect here and I'm impressed at just how much story was packed into just 400 pages. Things do start off a little slow as we're introduced to the general setting, characters, and conflicts, but once the action kicks in, it really kicks in. I was personally happy to have had the slower start to really get myself oriented with the story and get some real insight into the character's personalities as well. (Also, this is only the first book of a planned duology, so we have plenty of time to see more action with book two!) The characters themselves were properly fleshed-out as well and each one really stood out as a unique person in the story. We really get to see their beliefs and ideals come through in the choices they make, as well how their interpersonal relationships occasionally make choosing the "right" path a bit of a struggle.

Overall, "Year of the Mer" was a riveting story packed with anger, trauma, revenge, and love—both familial and romantic. I'll probably be thinking about this one for a while still as I eagerly await the second book, because that ending especially has left me wanting more!

[Thank you to Saga Press for providing me with an advance review copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.]

A bit slow to start off, "Heap Earth Upon It" takes its time building up tension before throwing the reader right into the middle of what is both a family drama and a haunting tale of obsession. This is a story about a family that is trying to escape their past, even though none of them are actually ready to move on yet.

Starting off I wasn't sure if this was going to be very suited to my tastes, the slow start plus the more classical-styled prose made it a little hard for me to get into. But once things started to pick up around the midway point, my attention was definitely captured! Howarth does a good job of really building up a tense atmosphere around the O'Leary family that makes you wonder if you can really trust them or not. There are many POV shifts between the siblings in here, but each one lasts just long enough for you to get a good look at their—sometimes unsettling—motivations and emotions. And even though I had a general idea of where the story would probably end up, I was still pleasantly surprised by some of the turns that it took on the way there.

I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy the classics or even just gothic fiction readers in general!

(Thank you to Melville House for providing me with an advance review copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)

I already had some knowledge of QAnon and their beliefs before picking this book up, but only enough to know I wasn't going to be buying what they were selling before mostly tuning them out. So this book was both equally enlightening and horrifying to see just how deep their ideas ran (run?) and how much they've disseminated into the general public media.

The book itself is very well written—easily approachable with a seamless blend of both narrative and info-dumping. Cook has done a great job of mixing actual scientific information and facts with the very real stories detailing the lives of five different families who have been directly affected by QAnon. This is my ideal kind of nonfiction book where there's just enough of a storytelling aspect to make it easy to digest, while also clearly being a factual account full of reliable information.

If you're someone who's curious about how American politics have devolved into what you're seeing today, then this book probably has a lot of the answers. I'd highly recommend it to anybody looking to fill in some gaps in their understanding of current political climate.