Normally I would do a longer - in depth review - like I usually do, but honestly, so much happens within this book, I'd absolutely misspell someone orNormally I would do a longer - in depth review - like I usually do, but honestly, so much happens within this book, I'd absolutely misspell someone or mess up something and I don't want to do the book a disservice.
Tim and Christopher have delivered a stunning piece of dark fiction/fantasy that rivals Martin and Rothfuss and the other massive names. We get rival families, distrust, death and fantastical elements.
The biggest pro to deciding if you want to pick this up - it is a single stand alone piece. They could easily add to it and do additional books, but for fans who want to read fantasy but don't want to invest in a massive series - this is a perfect option.
DNFing at 20%. I just couldn't get into it. I'm not a car guy, so there is no intrigue at all for me about this really minor Chevy (I think it was a CDNFing at 20%. I just couldn't get into it. I'm not a car guy, so there is no intrigue at all for me about this really minor Chevy (I think it was a Chevy) plot point. I'm already hating this Scott guy, especially with the way he is trying to force the secretary to have dinner with him.
Just not enough here to really keep me motivated. I purchased this as a thanks to Alien Agenda Publishing for a few free review copies, but that won't stop me from continuing to support Glenn and AAP for sure.
Lately, I’m discovering that the Canadian Literary World is almost its own game of Six Degrees of KeviConnectivity.
It’s an interesting idea, isn’t it.
Lately, I’m discovering that the Canadian Literary World is almost its own game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. For those unaware of what that is, it is a suggestion that no matter what actor or actress you randomly choose, within six movies, they’ll somehow be connected back to Kevin Bacon.
Case in point for me with Craig Davidson is this – in 2015, I purchased two books at Walmart – Andrew Pyper’s ‘The Demonologist’ and Nick Cutter’s ‘The Troop.’ For those who don’t know, Nick Cutter is a pseudonym for Craig Davidson. As it turns out, Andrew and Craig are great friends, and, in May when I went to Toronto for The Demonologist celebration, Craig kindly attended and in a bit of surrealness, at the get together after, I was honored to be able and sit and talk to Craig and we had an honest-to-goodness heart to heart as though the two of us were life-long friends.
Now, oddly, I could’ve sworn I’d previously read Craig’s memoir, ‘Precious Cargo.’ The reason for that, was I felt a connectivity to the book because of two things – the first was that Craig wrote about the year he spent in Calgary driving a special needs bus for high schoolers. May seem a stretch to some, but when I first heard about this book, I was living in Calgary. The second reason, was that back in my Selkirk College days, I spent two school years ‘training’ a special needs student in weightlifting. I use the ” around training simply because we ended up spending far more time playing table tennis than lifting weights – though we did get in the weight room and he was a strong guy for being mid-50’s – and I spent a lot of time listening to him tell me that the muscle twitches he would get in his forearms were actually implanted alien chips that would signal to the mother ship whenever he was playing table tennis, as that was their intergalactic sport of choice.
When I met Craig, it struck me that I needed to go back and re-read this, but as it turned out, I don’t believe I ever did read the book, so I got to experience it for the first time instead of all over again.
What I liked: The memoir opens with Craig giving us an introspective look at where he was, at that point, in his life. He’d thought he’d made it. He was going to have a novel come out, had an agent, the bucks would roll in and hello world, Craig Davidson is being recognized on every street corner.
Insert sound of record scratching.
Things didn’t go according to that plan. Instead, he found himself with a failed novel at launch, minimal money in his bank account, a beat up car and nobody willing to hire him. So, he got himself hired. He saw an ad where the Calgary School District was looking for bus drivers – NO TRAINING NEEDED! – and bingo, bango, bongo Craig aced basic training.
It’s from there that we get a sugary-sweet look at the relationships Craig developed over that time with the kids who rode his bus. Each one was unique, had their own special needs, but, as Craig phenomenally illustrates, were just kids looking to connect, to make friends and have that ‘normal’ kid childhood.
The majority of the time, the story focuses on Craig’s budding relationship with Jake, a youngster with cerebral palsy, confined to a wheelchair, and living in the aftermath of his mother dying from an unfortunate accident where she was struck by a drunk driver while going for a walk. But the truth is, Craig could’ve focused on any of the kids and this memoir would’ve hit all the high notes. The reason he focused on Jake, was because he developed a relationship with him outside of the bus. They became pals. They played board games together, Craig visited his house often, they went to movies, and as the book progresses, you come to understand that Jake needed Craig’s friendship just as much as Craig needed Jake’s.
It’s a powerful ‘sub-plot,’ which feels odd to categorize it as that, considering it was real life.
And such happens in real life, Craig also focuses on the lows, as much as the highs. On the bus being vandalized. On the looks the bus gets and the way those who won’t take the time to understand these kids treat them.
It was a phenomenal reminder that we are all humans. We all want respect and we are all different in our own ways.
Craig also intersperses the biography aspect with parts of ‘The Seekers,’ an unpublished novel that he wrote during that year. A year where – at first – he believed his time as a writer was all wrapped up and done. But through the connection and new found outlook on life, through those hours driving the bus each day, Craig began to write again, and the kids and their quirks saved an author.
What I didn’t like: I’m not ashamed to admit I shed a number of tears reading this. The ending had me practically bawling, doing my best not to wake my son who was asleep beside me in bed. But the one thing I found, when this was over, was I wished we would’ve had a bit more closure on the Craig-Jake friendship. Of course, it was real life and when summer arrives, plans are made and families flee to all sides of the country or even around the globe. But I simply can’t believe that the last day of school was the last visit Craig and Jake had. I guess we’ll never know.
Why you should buy this: As writers, we go through very high highs and very low lows. Each and everyday we’ll have wins, losses and break evens. This memoir was a powerful (I know I’ve used that word a few times but it’s the only accurate word here) reminder that things can always be worse. That sometimes, in an isolatory endeavour like writing, we need connection to get past the darkness before the dawn, and Craig absolutely nailed how he was pulled forth from the clutches of ‘giving up,’ and was reborn and reinvigorated to return to writing. And us, as readers, are all the more lucky for that.
This is a heartfelt, emotion-layered memoir that showcases the best of us and how at the heart of it all, we’re all kids. We all want to smile, laugh, have friends and enjoy all that life can offer us.
Merged review:
Connectivity.
It’s an interesting idea, isn’t it.
Lately, I’m discovering that the Canadian Literary World is almost its own game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. For those unaware of what that is, it is a suggestion that no matter what actor or actress you randomly choose, within six movies, they’ll somehow be connected back to Kevin Bacon.
Case in point for me with Craig Davidson is this – in 2015, I purchased two books at Walmart – Andrew Pyper’s ‘The Demonologist’ and Nick Cutter’s ‘The Troop.’ For those who don’t know, Nick Cutter is a pseudonym for Craig Davidson. As it turns out, Andrew and Craig are great friends, and, in May when I went to Toronto for The Demonologist celebration, Craig kindly attended and in a bit of surrealness, at the get together after, I was honored to be able and sit and talk to Craig and we had an honest-to-goodness heart to heart as though the two of us were life-long friends.
Now, oddly, I could’ve sworn I’d previously read Craig’s memoir, ‘Precious Cargo.’ The reason for that, was I felt a connectivity to the book because of two things – the first was that Craig wrote about the year he spent in Calgary driving a special needs bus for high schoolers. May seem a stretch to some, but when I first heard about this book, I was living in Calgary. The second reason, was that back in my Selkirk College days, I spent two school years ‘training’ a special needs student in weightlifting. I use the ” around training simply because we ended up spending far more time playing table tennis than lifting weights – though we did get in the weight room and he was a strong guy for being mid-50’s – and I spent a lot of time listening to him tell me that the muscle twitches he would get in his forearms were actually implanted alien chips that would signal to the mother ship whenever he was playing table tennis, as that was their intergalactic sport of choice.
When I met Craig, it struck me that I needed to go back and re-read this, but as it turned out, I don’t believe I ever did read the book, so I got to experience it for the first time instead of all over again.
What I liked: The memoir opens with Craig giving us an introspective look at where he was, at that point, in his life. He’d thought he’d made it. He was going to have a novel come out, had an agent, the bucks would roll in and hello world, Craig Davidson is being recognized on every street corner.
Insert sound of record scratching.
Things didn’t go according to that plan. Instead, he found himself with a failed novel at launch, minimal money in his bank account, a beat up car and nobody willing to hire him. So, he got himself hired. He saw an ad where the Calgary School District was looking for bus drivers – NO TRAINING NEEDED! – and bingo, bango, bongo Craig aced basic training.
It’s from there that we get a sugary-sweet look at the relationships Craig developed over that time with the kids who rode his bus. Each one was unique, had their own special needs, but, as Craig phenomenally illustrates, were just kids looking to connect, to make friends and have that ‘normal’ kid childhood.
The majority of the time, the story focuses on Craig’s budding relationship with Jake, a youngster with cerebral palsy, confined to a wheelchair, and living in the aftermath of his mother dying from an unfortunate accident where she was struck by a drunk driver while going for a walk. But the truth is, Craig could’ve focused on any of the kids and this memoir would’ve hit all the high notes. The reason he focused on Jake, was because he developed a relationship with him outside of the bus. They became pals. They played board games together, Craig visited his house often, they went to movies, and as the book progresses, you come to understand that Jake needed Craig’s friendship just as much as Craig needed Jake’s.
It’s a powerful ‘sub-plot,’ which feels odd to categorize it as that, considering it was real life.
And such happens in real life, Craig also focuses on the lows, as much as the highs. On the bus being vandalized. On the looks the bus gets and the way those who won’t take the time to understand these kids treat them.
It was a phenomenal reminder that we are all humans. We all want respect and we are all different in our own ways.
Craig also intersperses the biography aspect with parts of ‘The Seekers,’ an unpublished novel that he wrote during that year. A year where – at first – he believed his time as a writer was all wrapped up and done. But through the connection and new found outlook on life, through those hours driving the bus each day, Craig began to write again, and the kids and their quirks saved an author.
What I didn’t like: I’m not ashamed to admit I shed a number of tears reading this. The ending had me practically bawling, doing my best not to wake my son who was asleep beside me in bed. But the one thing I found, when this was over, was I wished we would’ve had a bit more closure on the Craig-Jake friendship. Of course, it was real life and when summer arrives, plans are made and families flee to all sides of the country or even around the globe. But I simply can’t believe that the last day of school was the last visit Craig and Jake had. I guess we’ll never know.
Why you should buy this: As writers, we go through very high highs and very low lows. Each and everyday we’ll have wins, losses and break evens. This memoir was a powerful (I know I’ve used that word a few times but it’s the only accurate word here) reminder that things can always be worse. That sometimes, in an isolatory endeavour like writing, we need connection to get past the darkness before the dawn, and Craig absolutely nailed how he was pulled forth from the clutches of ‘giving up,’ and was reborn and reinvigorated to return to writing. And us, as readers, are all the more lucky for that.
This is a heartfelt, emotion-layered memoir that showcases the best of us and how at the heart of it all, we’re all kids. We all want to smile, laugh, have friends and enjoy all that life can offer us....more
I’ve been a fan of Theresa Braun’s writing for some time now. She has a way of crafting her stories like few others and she covers different genres soI’ve been a fan of Theresa Braun’s writing for some time now. She has a way of crafting her stories like few others and she covers different genres so easily and so well that’s it’s a joy when you’re the reader. Theresa also happens to be one of the nicest people out there, so I’m always excited when she has a new release out, knowing people will be clamoring to check out what she’s created this time.
‘The Broken Darkness’ is her first short story collection and it combines a few of her previously released novelette’s/novella’s with some new pieces. One thing you can guarantee when diving into her work, is that the characters will be intriguing and darkness will seep into every corner of the story.
What I liked: Consisting of thirteen stories, Braun wastes no time bashing the reader over the head and in their hearts with ‘Dead Over Heels.’ This was a fun story and one that works as an excellent opening piece in the collection to give you an idea of what you’re in for.
The highlights for me were;
‘Collecting Empties’ – a fun story detailing a drunken encounter.
‘Celestial Assignment’ – love this novelette. We get a really intriguing story that will make the reader wonder about where they fit in the world and what else is going on between the veil of here and there.
‘Guilty as Cell’ – a horror-ized PSA about the dangers of driving while using your cellphone. This one is dark, gripping and horribly sad.
‘Stillborn’ – possibly the craziest story in the collection, this one follows a new nurse working with a doctor facing some conspiracy type accusations. When she investigates them, she finds far more than she’s wanting to discover.
‘Dying for an Invitation’ – really outstanding story that showcases the romantic-aspect of the vampire lore. A real highlight of the highlights.
Throughout, Braun’s enjoyable writing style shines through and really pulls the reader along.
What I didn’t like: A few of the stories didn’t connect that much with me. They were still fun, but compared to the ones I really loved, they were solid, but not as phenomenal as they others. This happens in every collection and anthology and it’ll absolutely be reader preferences.
Why you should buy this: Braun’s writing speaks for itself and honestly I need to be seeing more of YOU sharing her work on all of the social media platforms. She writes phenomenal characters who have to deal with dark scenarios as best as they can and she does it so very well. This was a great collection and a perfect place for those who’ve not read her work to dive in.
Merged review:
I’ve been a fan of Theresa Braun’s writing for some time now. She has a way of crafting her stories like few others and she covers different genres so easily and so well that’s it’s a joy when you’re the reader. Theresa also happens to be one of the nicest people out there, so I’m always excited when she has a new release out, knowing people will be clamoring to check out what she’s created this time.
‘The Broken Darkness’ is her first short story collection and it combines a few of her previously released novelette’s/novella’s with some new pieces. One thing you can guarantee when diving into her work, is that the characters will be intriguing and darkness will seep into every corner of the story.
What I liked: Consisting of thirteen stories, Braun wastes no time bashing the reader over the head and in their hearts with ‘Dead Over Heels.’ This was a fun story and one that works as an excellent opening piece in the collection to give you an idea of what you’re in for.
The highlights for me were;
‘Collecting Empties’ – a fun story detailing a drunken encounter.
‘Celestial Assignment’ – love this novelette. We get a really intriguing story that will make the reader wonder about where they fit in the world and what else is going on between the veil of here and there.
‘Guilty as Cell’ – a horror-ized PSA about the dangers of driving while using your cellphone. This one is dark, gripping and horribly sad.
‘Stillborn’ – possibly the craziest story in the collection, this one follows a new nurse working with a doctor facing some conspiracy type accusations. When she investigates them, she finds far more than she’s wanting to discover.
‘Dying for an Invitation’ – really outstanding story that showcases the romantic-aspect of the vampire lore. A real highlight of the highlights.
Throughout, Braun’s enjoyable writing style shines through and really pulls the reader along.
What I didn’t like: A few of the stories didn’t connect that much with me. They were still fun, but compared to the ones I really loved, they were solid, but not as phenomenal as they others. This happens in every collection and anthology and it’ll absolutely be reader preferences.
Why you should buy this: Braun’s writing speaks for itself and honestly I need to be seeing more of YOU sharing her work on all of the social media platforms. She writes phenomenal characters who have to deal with dark scenarios as best as they can and she does it so very well. This was a great collection and a perfect place for those who’ve not read her work to dive in....more
Konn Lavery is a new to me author, one who is also a local author. It’s been great connecting with him, as I’ve not met many other Edmonton based3.5/5
Konn Lavery is a new to me author, one who is also a local author. It’s been great connecting with him, as I’ve not met many other Edmonton based writers who write dark fiction. My first experience with his writing was in the ‘Prairie Gothic’ anthology, and so I was excited to dive into ‘Rave.’
I grew up in a very small town, in the West Kootenays of British Columbia. Knowing this was set in Prince George, a town I had family in, I was excited to see what type of carnage would ensue.
What I liked: ‘Rave’ follows a group of four friends who struggle with living their current reality. Seth, Tanis, Joel and April, all dream of leaving their small town lives behind, but all are afraid to actually make that leap. So, they drown their sorrows and fill their time when not at work with drugs and alcohol, as is the nature of many small town residents.
On this particular weekend, the four manage to snag tickets to an exclusive underground rave that is happening far out in the wilderness. Once there, things take a turn, when a strange thing arrives and people begin to die.
Lavery adds in a layer of mystery with a backstory surrounding Seth’s cousin, which has brought a sour taste to his family and anyone associated with his last name.
We also get to see the group unravel as they come down from a night of ingesting a lot of mind bending drugs. Lavery fills the final quarter of the book with a Major Motion picture level of blood and gore, ensuring that no one is safe and no one is spared.
What I didn’t like: Oddly, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Where I should’ve been shocked and horrified when characters met a bloody and gruesome ending, instead I just shrugged and carried on.
As well, there were moments where an odd narrator type POV came along and I wasn’t sure if I’d missed something from the beginning or if this was a way to move action along.
Lastly, there were a lot of exclamation points. I found it started to create a comedic effect when it should’ve been a serious moment or an action moment.
Why you should buy this: I’m a massive fan of ‘things going crazy in the woods’ stories and this one will tick all those boxes. Lavery delivers some fantastic dark moments and truly stressful, tense situations. With this one, people will really love the ‘survive at all costs’ turns and it makes for a fast propulsive read.
Merged review:
3.5/5
Konn Lavery is a new to me author, one who is also a local author. It’s been great connecting with him, as I’ve not met many other Edmonton based writers who write dark fiction. My first experience with his writing was in the ‘Prairie Gothic’ anthology, and so I was excited to dive into ‘Rave.’
I grew up in a very small town, in the West Kootenays of British Columbia. Knowing this was set in Prince George, a town I had family in, I was excited to see what type of carnage would ensue.
What I liked: ‘Rave’ follows a group of four friends who struggle with living their current reality. Seth, Tanis, Joel and April, all dream of leaving their small town lives behind, but all are afraid to actually make that leap. So, they drown their sorrows and fill their time when not at work with drugs and alcohol, as is the nature of many small town residents.
On this particular weekend, the four manage to snag tickets to an exclusive underground rave that is happening far out in the wilderness. Once there, things take a turn, when a strange thing arrives and people begin to die.
Lavery adds in a layer of mystery with a backstory surrounding Seth’s cousin, which has brought a sour taste to his family and anyone associated with his last name.
We also get to see the group unravel as they come down from a night of ingesting a lot of mind bending drugs. Lavery fills the final quarter of the book with a Major Motion picture level of blood and gore, ensuring that no one is safe and no one is spared.
What I didn’t like: Oddly, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Where I should’ve been shocked and horrified when characters met a bloody and gruesome ending, instead I just shrugged and carried on.
As well, there were moments where an odd narrator type POV came along and I wasn’t sure if I’d missed something from the beginning or if this was a way to move action along.
Lastly, there were a lot of exclamation points. I found it started to create a comedic effect when it should’ve been a serious moment or an action moment.
Why you should buy this: I’m a massive fan of ‘things going crazy in the woods’ stories and this one will tick all those boxes. Lavery delivers some fantastic dark moments and truly stressful, tense situations. With this one, people will really love the ‘survive at all costs’ turns and it makes for a fast propulsive read....more
I stumbled upon this story through Twitter and I am glad I took the time to check it out! While it is an intro story, within the 2Fantastic little gem!
I stumbled upon this story through Twitter and I am glad I took the time to check it out! While it is an intro story, within the 20 odd pages, SR quickly captures your interest and pulls you into an expansive world.
That expansive world is what will keep people coming back for more!
Can't wait to check out the full length!
Merged review:
Fantastic little gem!
I stumbled upon this story through Twitter and I am glad I took the time to check it out! While it is an intro story, within the 20 odd pages, SR quickly captures your interest and pulls you into an expansive world.
That expansive world is what will keep people coming back for more!
*Huge thanks to Jason Parent for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
Ah, Halloween.
That wonderful time where spooks, ghosts and goblins get to dance*Huge thanks to Jason Parent for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
Ah, Halloween.
That wonderful time where spooks, ghosts and goblins get to dance around the neighborhood’s, get candy and pretend to be a regular kid doing regular kid things. And guess what? It’s only six weeks away! Well, at least it is, at the time of writing this!
And that also means two things will be happening in the horror literature world – a lot of exciting releases and many, exciting collections focused on the theme of Halloween. Jason Parent is one such author, but he smartly decided to get the book out in advance of Halloween, which frankly is prudent, as you don’t want to get lost in the deluge of releases.
I’m a huge fan of Jason’s work, whether it be short stories, novella’s or full-length releases, so when I saw this one was launching and he was looking for reviewers, I messaged ASAP.
What I liked: As mentioned, within this collection are ten short stories that deal specifically with Halloween. Parent does a wonderful job of mixing things up between kids, teens and adults and because of this, the stories don’t feel repetitive, nor recycled. I read this on a recent flight, while reading Garrett Boatman’s newest collection, so it was great to bounce back and forth between those two, as they were very differently themed.
Highlight for me were;
‘Easy Pickings’ – massive bully, Trevor, and his forced sidekick, Rascal, are on the prowl on Halloween night, stealing candy from the little kids. They’re having a blast until they run into Jack and his imaginary friend, Jacob. This story was fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat. I knew something was going to be revealed, but when it was, wow! Parent went totally off the rails with this story.
‘Rain’ – crazy, heavy rain falls on Halloween, disappointing two young brothers who want to go Trick or Treating. To ease their sadness, their dad tells them a scary story, but nothing prepares them for a knock on the door and the ‘costumed’ folks standing on their porch. This felt like an X-Files episode that never aired. Amazing.
‘Black’ – an emotionally weighted story, this one followed a husband who recently had some heart issues, and his wife, while they go to a haunted theme park. He’s been cheating on her, but realizes he’s been an asshole and decides to make things right. Unbeknownst to him, his wife knows and she’s dealing out revenge in secret. The layers within this one were spot on and the anxiety that Jason created as our main character begins to fight for his life was unnerving.
‘Last Halloween’ – what starts as your standard story – two female friends want to Trick or Treat one last time before considering themselves too old – takes a turn when they run into two male friends and they decide to go to the woods and get drunk. Some odd noises begin and not long after, the darkness collects. Again, another highly unnerving story that had me absolutely captivated.
From start to finish, Parent gives us such solid characters to root for, characters we want to see survive, even when we know the story they’re in is unsurvivable.
What I didn’t like: A few stories felt a tad long, but that might be more that I was bouncing around between two different collections. Saying that, I noticed a dip in pacing a few times.
As well, though needed to showcase the deplorability of some of the characters, I did find a few specific words to be a bit off putting and wished a different word had been used.
Why you should buy this: Parent writes like a bat out of hell on the best of days, but when focused solely on the horror that can be conjured around Halloween, this collection rampaged within my Kindle in the best way possible. Every story had me glued to the screen/page and every story had me emotionally invested, which is always a highlight when dealing with a collection.
Another home run by an author that should be on everyone’s ‘must-read’ list!...more
*Huge thanks to Matt for sending me a digital copy of this one!*
Over the last few years, I’ve read a number of Wildasin’s works and have grown to real*Huge thanks to Matt for sending me a digital copy of this one!*
Over the last few years, I’ve read a number of Wildasin’s works and have grown to really enjoy the way he tells his stories. That’s always one thing I love about reading as widely as possible – discovering so many unique voices and cadences, so many ways of crafting prose and creating a story. Wildasin infuses his work with a world-weary drawl, a sense that just under the surface, things are tense, and with this one, ‘The Vast,’ it may very well be the most suffocating story he’s created yet.
What I liked: The authors note beforehand lays out what to expect. Real life’s not been easy for Wildasin and this book reflects just that. We then get thrown into the deep end, a man wakes in a room, a room he never wanted to return to, but is there regardless, and from that point on, the story details his fight to survive.
Wildasin has done a remarkable job of fictionalizing anxiety and depression. Of showcasing the internal fight many of us battle between our brains and what our eyes see. Our main character wants to live, but he doesn’t. He wants to do everything that it takes to put hardship behind, but he doesn’t know how and with each new setback, he feels the crushing weight of failure and darkness.
It’s a harrowing read, one that will connect with each reader in unique, individual ways, and one that chases hope. That was what kept me plugging away – the potential for hope that seemingly shines through the black.
The ending highlights that and I think, in this case, was a great way to wrap things up.
What I didn’t like: While the book reads with emotional context, one difficulty I had was the inability to tangible ground this somewhere. As the story unfolds (mostly within a mental context) there isn’t anything to solidly state “this is where the character is” and makes it tough to determine what events are real, if any, and what we should expect out of the environment and the characters.
Why you should buy this: Books that tackle mental health so specifically head-on can often be a tough sell, as many readers are looking for escape from their own struggles, but Wildasin turns that on its head and offers us a book that alludes to the mental health struggle while throwing the reader into a strange world where people from his past return in various forms. This one is heavy, but a heaviness that makes for a solid, engaging read....more
A fun sequel to book one, though felt a bit light when compared to book one and to the way the Bad Guys series unfolded. Still a lot of laughs and my sA fun sequel to book one, though felt a bit light when compared to book one and to the way the Bad Guys series unfolded. Still a lot of laughs and my son and I enjoyed some of the pun humour within....more
*Huge thanks to RDSP for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
If you’ve not seen, I’m a huge fan of Sonora’s work and I’m always excited to see her c*Huge thanks to RDSP for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
If you’ve not seen, I’m a huge fan of Sonora’s work and I’m always excited to see her continued ascension within the writing world. I was first introduced to her work with her excellent ‘Without Condition,’ and from there, she’s continued to decimate her readers with a unique blend of emotions and chills.
When this novella was announced, I was over the moon, and given that we’ve already been blessed with a collection from Sonora earlier this year, I was filled to the brim with excitement over what she’d conjured with this one!
What I liked: The story follows Deirdre, a young woman who has just discovered she’s pregnant. She’s got a tentative relationship with her mom, she isn’t sure if Tom, the father of the child is husband material, and she has next to no relationship with her extended family. The pregnancy wasn’t planned, but when she reveals the news to her mom, she’s not only surprised her mom is excited, but also that her mom insists her and Tom take a trip out to Deirdre’s grandmother’s home and meet her extended family.
Taylor plays it relatively safe to this point, and you can see where this is going from a mile away, but it’s that anticipation that Sonora uses perfectly to absolutely coat this story with dread and tension. This is the long trip down a driveway where the crazy folks live in every movie. We know the family has something going on, we know something horrible is about to happen, and even when it does happen, you shake your head in disbelief that it’s ACTUALLY happening.
Sonora does a spot on job of laying out the why, the lore, the history and the reactions of those who know and who don’t are great, giving it an authentic feeling.
The ending is a satisfying fade-to-black moment.
What I didn’t like: Well, obviously, some folks are going to be annoyed that the story is, at least on the surface, a fairly straight-forward story. But if they can look past the ‘I know what’s going to happen,’ and let the atmosphere Sonora’s created take over, they’ll fall head over heels over the depravity that arrives.
As well, I wasn’t really on board with the format of the afterword. I assume it has to do with the series aspect of the RDSP release of these novella’s, but I’m not positive about that.
Why you should buy this: Sonora has carved out a fantastic style all of her own, where the characters feel real, the dirt gets between your toes and the emotions drive deep into the readers soul. Sonora’s delivered a fantastic novella here, one that long-time fans of hers will be giddy about and new readers will snap up her bibliography upon conclusion. A really great read from one of my fav authors....more
*Huge thanks to Ken for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
Man, am I ever a sucker for a creature-in-the-woods story! I could be CLOSED for reviews*Huge thanks to Ken for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
Man, am I ever a sucker for a creature-in-the-woods story! I could be CLOSED for reviews permanently and if someone messaged me to see if I’d take a look at their upcoming CinW’s book, I’d be like ‘HELL TO THE YES!’ and off we’d go. As many of you know, to me, there is NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING more terrifying than something lurking in the darkness of the trees and with ‘Bad River,’ Brosky utilizes that aspect to magnify the situation a thousand-fold, and does so with gusto.
What I liked: The story is broken into two seemingly unrelated aspects that merge together perfectly. The first follows young farmer, Eli. His father has died, leaving him to run the farm – and somehow manage the overwhelming amount of debt left behind – by himself. His normal order of operations have started to come undone – the company that usually brings him calves hasn’t in months – and now they’re weeks behind in delivering hay. As if that’s not enough, he’s grown apart from his friends, his joys in life and now, it appears as though something has emerged from the forest and killed one of his cows.
The other aspect of this, is the discovery of dead animals and a few humans. A wildlife researcher is called in and, at first, Mackenzie isn’t so sure what they’re dealing with, but she’s certain it involves the disease she’s been focused on, a central nervous system wasting that takes over the animals brain and slowly erodes everything.
When the two cross paths and both begin to realize that it might be something more than a random black bear or a rogue wolf, they work together to try and discover what it is, all while Eli focuses on saving the farm and a massive storm begins to head directly towards them.
Brosky quickly introduces us to the main players and the secondary ones, having us feel like we’ve known these folks our entire lives right away. It makes us care for them and root for them as the shit hits the fan and the blood begins to spill. We also get introduced to the area, which gives us a great sense of the ‘where’ as the storm arrives and the river threatens to breach its banks. The inclusion of the local folklore sets things up nicely and when we get to a particular scene where Mackenzie’s phone pings as trail cams send her images is particularly unnerving and highlights the hold Brosky has on the reader.
The ending was spot on and gave us closure across almost every question Brosky had introduced. The singular few not answered are, in the epilogue, and in this case it is spot on and doesn’t feel forced.
What I didn’t like: Remaining spoiler free here, I didn’t fully see the connection between our massive beast and an apparition. It makes sense, don’t get me wrong, but for me, I just didn’t understand the ‘why’ of it and that connection. Sounds ridiculously vague, I know, but in order to not ruin anything, that’s all I can say!
Why you should buy this: Fans of wilderness, small town horror are in for a treat and, if you’re like me and what I said WAAAAAAAY back up at the top there, this is a really well done, and frantically paced CitW’s story.
I read this for blurb consideration and it was a ton of fun. Tyler swung for the fences with an ambitious debut, and he managed to contain it like an I read this for blurb consideration and it was a ton of fun. Tyler swung for the fences with an ambitious debut, and he managed to contain it like an elder master! ...more
*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this one!*
How much do I sound like a broken record, when I mention that I love book*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this one!*
How much do I sound like a broken record, when I mention that I love books that are set in the snow and involve creatures? Have you heard me say that before? If you haven’t, this must be the first review of mine that you’ve read! Because that’s every other book I read and every other book I write, ha!
And for those reasons, that’s precisely why I jumped at requesting this one on Netgalley and was super excited when I was actually approved! I’ve not read much of Lindy’s work, so I was looking forward to seeing what she’d conjured for this story of loss, coldness and isolation.
What I liked: The story follows Christine, and her fifteen-year-old son following the unexpected death of her husband, as they head to an isolated cabin. Her husband had booked the cabin for them for Christmas, prior to his death and Christine decides that they should still go there, and try to put some distance between them and the death and the house that no longer feels like home.
Ryan does a solid job of setting up the sorrow the duo feels, the trauma response Christine is having and just how remote and isolated the cabin is. She also sets up the guilt that Christine has coupled with the divide growing between her and her son perfectly. Christine believes her son hates her, and that he wished she’d died instead. And because of that, Christine plays the last moment of her husband’s life – before he slipped and fell from their roof – over and over in her head.
It takes a bit for the creature to appear, and when it does, Ryan takes a maybe it’s real, maybe it’s not approach. It makes for a very unnerving shadow aspect, one that you look forward to seeing again, and when the ending arrives, the true machination of its why is horribly revealed.
What I didn’t like: I’m firmly in the minority category on this one, but this novella says its for fans of The Babadook, and I actually didn’t mind the kid in that movie. I’m probably one of only a dozen in the world who can say that. So, when this story was linked to that one, I knew there’d be a similar aspect and in this case, it’s the fifteen-year-old. And while I didn’t mind that kid, the teenager here drove me bonkers with his constant grunts and non-responses. I know that it how many of them are – literally – but it made this reader scratch there head over why it needed to be so excessive.
As well, the ‘is she-isn’t she’ losing her mind aspect became a distraction quickly. Often it left me confused and wondering if something was actually happening or if Christine was imagining it, but not in a good way. In a way that had me constantly having to go back and reread the section previous, which completely reduced the propulsive story Ryan was trying to deliver.
And lastly, with this being marketed as a creature-feature, the actually page count featuring the creature was excruciatingly low, even considering this novella wasn’t a large page count to begin with.
Why you should buy this: Overall, I had fun with this one, but struggled to connect with it and have it hit home with me and I think part of that was the inability for the book to make up its mind whether it was a pure trauma response and grief exploration, or if it was, in fact, a creature-feature set in a snowy, isolated location. Ryan’s writing was great throughout, but the story didn’t feel as fleshed out as I was hoping for.
If you’re looking for a quick, solid blast of winter misery, this’ll be right up your alley....more
*Huge thanks to Kevin J. Kennedy for sending me a digital copy of this one!*
Over the last number of years, Crystal Lake Publishing has been releasing *Huge thanks to Kevin J. Kennedy for sending me a digital copy of this one!*
Over the last number of years, Crystal Lake Publishing has been releasing a series of books that feature three authors contributing a novella each. The books are themed, and in this case, this one is all about vampires.
Now, I typically tend to steer clear of vampire fiction. It’s something I’ve never jived with and often find myself tuning out. Even vampire movies/shows. But, I’ve always heard amazing things about Simon Clark’s writing, have read a lot of Kevin’s work and some of Gord’s work, and knowing the pedigree these three bring to the table, I was more than intrigued to see what each one delivered.
What I liked: I will say, I don’t think any of the three stories stood out as being the superior one of the three, because they were all so solid. Clark opens the book with a story that takes place within his Vampyrrhic series of novels, and though I’ve not read any of them, I felt immersed immediately and read with glee as we see humans having to band together to overcome insurmountable odds. Clark’s writing was thoroughly engaging, and the violence was created perfectly. You’d be surprised that blood was splattered across your chest as you read.
Next up was Kennedy’s story, while similar in aspects thematically to Clark’s, quite different in its approach and cadence. A body ends up at the front doors of a home and with it, our characters’ eyes are opened, and violence soon follows. In this one, Kevin’s writing is far more pedal-to-the-medal than Clark’s opener, and with less humor, which makes for a decidedly darker second story, but one still written with plenty of fangs and gore.
Lastly, we get a story from Gord Rollo that’ll surely give some of you nightmares, because it features one of my favorite tropes, but made vampire. Creatures in a mine. I love anything involving mines – whether active or abandoned/boarded up, but in this case (and kudos for the Canadian setting!) we get to see what happens after an explosion in a mine in Nova Scotia. Rollo gives us some truly frightening moments and takes us on a subterranean thrill ride.
What I didn’t like: I’d say honestly, the only thing that I noticed was that the three stories were of very, varying lengths, with Rollo’s being the longest. It would’ve made for some great pacing overall if each one was the same length – though I do understand the logistical nightmare of having three authors all produce three individual stories, all within the same length.
And of course, I’ll mention it, but these are all vampire-based stories, so if that isn’t your thing, then don’t expect any sort of difference from the norm here.
Why you should buy this: If you’re a fan of any of these authors, you’ll be all over this. Also, if you’re a fan of the series that Crystal Lake is putting out, then this will be another fantastic offering to add to your bookshelf. Or, if you’re just a fan of blood-thirsty fangs, humans doing their best to stay alive, and ultimately how their role affects the fate of the world, then this will be right in your wheelhouse. Three well done, fun novellas that each pack an individual punch, while also heightening the other two within the book, Crystal Lake has a big winner with this release....more
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