A little like Twilight meets Vampire Academy, except there are also dragons. A quick and enjoyable read; though predictable at times, there wEnjoyable
A little like Twilight meets Vampire Academy, except there are also dragons. A quick and enjoyable read; though predictable at times, there was also a few enjoyable twists in the plot.
I enjoyed the character development (it was easy to relate to all the characters), and appreciated the authors vocabulary choices. I’ll definitely be reading more in the series to see how the story evolves. ...more
If you are a fan of true crime, or serial killers, this book might be your next read! Though this book is inspired by the authors life, and some true If you are a fan of true crime, or serial killers, this book might be your next read! Though this book is inspired by the authors life, and some true events, the victims and the actual serial killer are fiction.
The writing is compelling, and well-written. I could relate to the main characters, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Chizmar and the detective. I also really enjoyed the photos and interviews from the case-files— it created a more immersive experience.
As someone who grew up in the 80s-90s in Delaware, this book was nostalgic for me. The sense of safety and community the people felt and the area this story took place was quite relatable since I’m not far from Eastern Shore. It was also interesting to learn more about the author, and the evolution of his writing and what was to become Cemetery Dance.
I have already preordered the sequel, and can’t wait to meet Chizmar to get by books signed in person! ...more
Let me start off by saying that this book may be disturbing (or downright traumatizing) for some— depending on sensitivity levels, trauma, and personaLet me start off by saying that this book may be disturbing (or downright traumatizing) for some— depending on sensitivity levels, trauma, and personal triggers. Prior to reading, be sure to check all trigger warnings as topics include: forced assault, torture, gore, and murder.
Jodi is a single mom who has a voracious s*xual appetite. After her husband passed away, she found that she would never love again; however, she still had physical needs. While her two kids were away at college, she kept five men on rotation— often sleeping with multiple men at the same time; however, ever since her son and daughter returned home from college for the summer, she’s been abstinent… and she’s getting desperate to return to her old routine.
While driving her kids back to college, she stops at a gas station to fill-up, and goes inside to grab some drinks and snacks, only the candy on the shelf isn’t the only snack she sees— the gas attendant is HOT!! She soon finds herself fantasizing about what she would do with this guy in the back room, or in the middle of the store. She begins heavily flirting and making insinuations, hoping to catch his interest. Before leaving, she asks for his number, and promises she will be passing through town again tomorrow, and wants to hook up.
After returning to the car, Jodi passed all the drinks and snacks back to her daughter to pass out, and drives off— excited for what the future holds. It isn’t long before she notices something isn’t right. After glancing in the rearview mirror, she can see her daughters distraught, tear-streaked face, and her son looks off too. Despite repeated questions, the car remains silent— that is, until a man sits up from the back seat and tells her that the kids aren’t allowed to talk… and neither is she.
The road trip only goes downhill from here, and it doesn’t take long to figure out that this man not only enjoys torturing people, but he’s done it multiple times before, and will continue as long as he gets away with it. I won’t go into detail about what the trios future holds (no spoilers here), but I will say that what they experience will forever change their lives. ...more
What a fun and unique book this is! If you are a fan of mermaids, folklore, or mythological creatures, this book is worth a snag. This book covers anyWhat a fun and unique book this is! If you are a fan of mermaids, folklore, or mythological creatures, this book is worth a snag. This book covers anything and everything you would want to know about mermaids, specifically in the United States, such as: anatomy, life cycle, habitats, and the species of mermaids in each habitat.
This book is a great book to randomly flip through, and the folklore and photos inside are well done. I especially like the details on how mermaids are adapted specifically to their environment, so all mermaids are definitely not the same!
Let me start off by saying I did not read the first book in this trilogy. Though I was missing part of the backstory regarding why many of the gods inLet me start off by saying I did not read the first book in this trilogy. Though I was missing part of the backstory regarding why many of the gods in Olympus despised Daphne, it did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book— the author did a great job of filling in the gaps if needed.
The story starts off in Sparta, with Daphne training alongside her fellow Spartan warriors. After being taken to Olympus, the gods demand that Daphne win the upcoming competition so she can become Queen Helen’s Shield in order to protect her.
After earning the title, things begin to go downhill. During a peace treaty meeting of the surrounding kings, Helen and Daphne overhear a plot to murder the Princes of Troy. Daphne, with the help of her adopted parents, escape with Helen, the Trojan Princes, and the Trojan warriors with barely a moment to spare. Daphne soon finds herself trying to earn the trust of the Trojans, and soon fights alongside of them (and the Amazonian) against much of Greece.
This book is full of Greek mythology, Greek history (Helen of Troy, Trojan horse, etc), and love and betrayal. Daphne often struggles with hurting her friends/family by being true to her duties, and often abstains from telling the truth in an attempt to protect those she cares about. Family ties and friendships are broken, new allies are forged and old allegiances are tested, and then there is her complicated feelings for Apollo, the gods who want to see Daphne fail, and the matter of who her father is.
I’m a massive Greek mythology and Greek retelling fan, so this book was right up my alley. I now plan to read book one and three, and already have the entire series in my Amazon cart. This book is the perfect blend of love, angst, mythology, and history. I can’t wait to see Daphne come into her own in book three!
A husband and wife snag a gorgeous Victorian home at a staggeringly cheap price. Though there were red flags during their tour— “someone died here”, tA husband and wife snag a gorgeous Victorian home at a staggeringly cheap price. Though there were red flags during their tour— “someone died here”, the realtor refusing to walk into the basement, and multiple other sales falling through, Margaret and Hal couldn’t pass up the bargain.
After moving in, strange things start happening in their home— innocent things, like things being moved, going missing, and ghostly apparitions. These things they could handle, but when September comes, the walls start bleeding, ghosts scream and howl, constant banging occurs, and it is quite evident that something evil lurks in the basement.
At some point, Hal decides he can’t take it anymore. Ignoring the haunting isn’t working, and clearly the Priest coming to exorcise the home also aren’t working— so he disappears. It isn’t until Margaret’s daughter (Katherine) comes home and starts demanding answers that Margaret begins to try to cleanse the house in earnest— as well as find her husband.
This book definitely gave me some Exorcist and 13 Ghosts vibes at times, and I loved the descriptive writing, the unique personalities and backstories of the ghosts, as well as the unique interactions/relationships Margaret forms with the ghosts. With that said, there were periods of the book that just seemed to drag on and on, and I found myself bored multiple times, where I went into “skim-read mode” for chapters at a time. All in all, it was an okay read, and I think it would be a great October read.
This book kept me up reading past my bedtime on multiple occasions! The book starts off with Arya training for the role of a runner— someone who runs This book kept me up reading past my bedtime on multiple occasions! The book starts off with Arya training for the role of a runner— someone who runs and delivers messages on behalf of the Queen. It’s apparent that the outside world is dangerous, with many runners perishing from Vampyre attacks in the wastelands of Valdihr in short succession. In fact, Arya is still mourning the loss of her close friend.. who perished on their very first run.
After killing someone during a test, Arya is promoted to runner and is sent on her first mission. The majority of the trip goes well, until she is spotted by a Vampyre, and twists her ankle… and everything expected takes a turn.
Without giving away spoilers, Arya begins to question everything she’s been told. She struggles to distinguish between truth and lie, enemy and ally, all while learning about her own strengths/abilities…. as well as love and betrayal.
If you’re a fan of romantic fantasy, and dystopian worlds, you’ll love this read. It definitely gave me Hunger Games and Maze Runner vibes at times. I really can’t wait to read book two, and I would love to see this book in a hardback edition someday.
This dystopian story gave me I Am Legend vibes! If you like a multi-perspective storyline, you will appreciate this, as it is told from two different This dystopian story gave me I Am Legend vibes! If you like a multi-perspective storyline, you will appreciate this, as it is told from two different peoples perspectives, and both people have valuable insights as to what is going on.
The story starts out with the world in collapse; a virus has infected the masses, turning them into Primitives— a human being in their most primitive state— similar to cavemen.
Seth Keller, the grandson of a scientist, has spent most of his life in isolation in the dessert, passing the time hiking, and catching Primitives for his grandfather to experiment on. One day, Seth experiences something in the lab that shifts his mindset about Primitives, and his grandfather shares the truth with him about how the world came to be the way it is. Seth learns there is a cure to the virus, and sets out to walk all the way to the lab where it all started.
Sarah Peoples lives in Costa Rica, and dreams of the day she can escape and see the world beyond her village. One day, she experiences something horrific hidden in the lab; while in the lab, she gets caught, and is taken captive. Because of what she has seen, they will not release her, and she is forced to go on a convoy mission to the lab where their only mission is to burn it to the ground.
Though Seth and Sarah’s paths start separately, their paths eventually merge; the only problem is one is intent on saving the world, and the other is intent on destroying it. As their paths collide, objectives shift, and new alliances are formed.
Both Seth and Sarah endure significant hardships independently of one another, and together, they must work to overcome one obstacle— ultimately deciding if humanity deserves to be saved, or left to its own demise.
This is a great thriller/suspense novel with a touch of dark to it!
In this novel, Haven Marbury returns to her fathers estate after his passing— withThis is a great thriller/suspense novel with a touch of dark to it!
In this novel, Haven Marbury returns to her fathers estate after his passing— with the sole intent of selling what she can, and quickly leaving. While cleaning out the attic, she finds an unpublished horror novel her father wrote, titled “Bedtime Stories for Monsters”— a book about sinister creatures that live somewhere in between their world, and ours. Though unsettling, the short stories are also captivating, and Haven soon finds herself compelled to draw these creatures.
Haven decides to publish it, as a way to get an income from a posthumously published novel, and hopes to add her illustrations to the novel as well. Soon, Haven finds herself questioning if her father had dementia or not, and begins to wonder if these creatures exist in reality— not just in her mind.
Without spoiling anything, Haven must decipher who is friend, and who is foe. Who is being sincere, and who has ulterior motives? First impressions are questioned, and the storyline is just twisted enough to keep you guessing as you read!
This book gave me vibes of Mockingjay (Hunger Games Book 3), and Divergent from the jump. If you like dystopian novels, or factions that are pitted agThis book gave me vibes of Mockingjay (Hunger Games Book 3), and Divergent from the jump. If you like dystopian novels, or factions that are pitted against each other, you will enjoy this action-packed novel.
I hadn’t read the book prior to this one, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this one! The book starts out with Arela being captured by the Resolutionists after a bombing, and she’s swept away to the Underground, which is an underground society (much like district District 13 in Mockingjay) full of revolutionaries intent on toppling Osiris.
Arela starts off bitter and resentful— hellbent on escaping— but her thoughts/dynamics begin to shift as she gets to know those around her. She finds herself with two goals: rescuing her friends, and wanting to unite the two factions in order to defeat a common enemy. Arepa’s journey is an interesting one, and you can see her struggle to identify who she can trust, and who the actual enemies are. Love is gained and lost in this action-packed novel. Definitely worth a read.
This is perhaps one of the most unique presentations of a novel compilation I’ve ever seen. Though I love in-depth, and lengthy novels, I do appreciatThis is perhaps one of the most unique presentations of a novel compilation I’ve ever seen. Though I love in-depth, and lengthy novels, I do appreciate short stories when well written.
This book is written as if the reader is on a tour in a museum of creepy curiosities. As you make your way around the room looking at objects, the tour guide tells you the creepy story behind each object. The tour is comprised of eighteen objects, and each story that goes along with it has a gothic/torture/ancient horror theme.
If you are a fan of horror short stories, or enjoy all things dark/creepy, castles, curses, monasteries, witches, torture, haunted locations, etc. this will be right up your alley! I want to say that I have a favorite story, but there were actually quite a few that really stuck with me. I also love that some of them have a great moral message along with it....more
This story has potential triggers— manipulation, gaslighting, addiction, etc. that could be traumatizing for some.
SYNOPSIS: Maya met Frank in high scThis story has potential triggers— manipulation, gaslighting, addiction, etc. that could be traumatizing for some.
SYNOPSIS: Maya met Frank in high school, and quickly became absolutely infatuated in him; she loved spending time with him, and always had a great time— except for large swaths of time she seems to black out and can’t remember. Everything changed the day her best friend suddenly dropped dead during her senior year of high school.
Ever since then, Maya has been convinced that Frank was responsible for her friends death, but had no proof. Though she sought psychological help when she was younger, she has continued to suffer with mental health and dependency issues (Klonopin). While going through withdrawal, Maya happens to stumble across a YouTube video of Frank and another girl sitting across from each other in a diner— suddenly, the other girl drops dead. The video brings all of her suppressed trauma back to the surface, and she heads back home to investigate, and hopefully get her memories back. Can Maya regain her erased memories, unravel the series of events of her past, and solve the mystery behind her friends death— and the fascination with Frank’s cabin?
REVIEW: I enjoyed this book, but I also enjoy psychological thrillers. The story was somewhat predictable, but had some twists and turns that kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I found myself especially empathetic with the main character. Overall, I found Maya to be a character I could relate to, and I would definitely recommend this stand-alone novel to anyone who appreciates this genre....more
SUMMARY: A doctor from “the institute” shows up to a rural north town in order to solve the mystery for how the former doctor died. As the story unravSUMMARY: A doctor from “the institute” shows up to a rural north town in order to solve the mystery for how the former doctor died. As the story unravels, you discover that the new doctor is in fact the old doctor, but in a new body. The only problem is that he doesn’t remember what lead up to his death, or why he took his own life.
During an autopsy on his former body, the doctor discovers this black parasite behind his eye. Despite multiple tests and research, he cannot find anything similar to this “leech”. After checking every person in the estate, and the town, he surmised that he had to contract it from somewhere more remote— the mine.
REVIEW: Though the storyline of this book was decent, the pacing was much too slow for me. About halfway through the book, I was ready to put it down; I found myself skipping chapters to get to the end faster. You don’t get complete closure at the end of the book, but you do get to see the downfall of the Baron’s estate, and learn about the violence and corruption that is embedded in the household, and The Institute.
If you are a person who likes science, you may find the microbiology/virology/parasitology aspect interesting; the doctor does some decent analysis with microscopy, and testing on the samples to gain a better idea of the parasites ability to reproduce/survive.
Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. I’m such a fan of fantasy, and this book had that— along with magic, adventure, and Norse Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. I’m such a fan of fantasy, and this book had that— along with magic, adventure, and Norse mythology. The novel is told from two perspectives— one a thrall (slave), and one a farmer/coaster (sailer).
Reggin has spent the majority of her life as a thrall to a fire demon named Asger, who has her performing in alehouses. Though adept at music, basic healing, and reading runes, she also makes money by conning people into believing she can perform miracles. One evening, a fellow thrall dies, and Reggin is able to talk to his spirit and bring him back to his body. In exchange for this act, Reggin asks that the thrall be freed from his service, feeling as if it’s the first truly good deed she’s done in her life. Two visiting wyrdspinners at the alehouse witness this event, and are convinced that Reggin can communicate with the dead, and offer her the chance to escape Asger and come with them to an island for the gifted; a place for people like her to train and enhance their abilities.
Eric lives on a family farm, though his ancestors were once influential coasters. After his grandfather and father passed away, his mother remarried an abusive drunk (Sten). After his mother sacrifices her life to protect her newborn child, Eric and his stepfather get into a fight, and Sten ends up dead by his sister’s hands (Liv). Eric is placed on trial for not only Sten’s murder, but also his mother’s murder, and Liv is accused of being using magic. A Jarl intervenes, and Eric is forced to sail and find the Temple of the Grove— the island where wyrdspinners practice magic— and if he fails, he will lose his farm.
Eric, Liv, Reggin, and Asger’s journeys all intertwine, and they all end up on New Jotunheim; a place where first appearances are deceiving, and a darker storyline runs deep.
This story is full of adventure, betrayal, deception, grudges, mystery, and more. Though the book ends in a cliffhanger (prepping for a sequel), the strong plot and character development make this an enjoyable read. I loved seeing the characters develop and learn more about themselves, and I enjoyed how all the characters lived/histories are intertwined. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
SUMMARY: The book starts off with Winnie and her family being shunned by their town; they are completely ignored— unless they are being made fun of. WSUMMARY: The book starts off with Winnie and her family being shunned by their town; they are completely ignored— unless they are being made fun of. We soon find out that the reason they are shunned is because Winnie’s father was a spy for another clan, and because they were associated with him, they were equally as guilty.
Winnie is tired of being made fun of, tired of not being able to see her old friends, and tired of doing “corpse duty”— cleanup of dead nightmares and non’s in the morning after a hunt. She’s found a loophole in the Luminaries bylaw; though she’s an outcast, she can enter the trials on her birthday; however, she only gets one shot to not only change her life, but her families as well.
REVIEW: Without giving away spoilers, I will say that this book kept me engaged and entertained. I loved the dark ambiance of this story, the relationships between Winnie and her peers, the vivid descriptions, and I love that this book ended in a way that it seems there were be a sequel coming. If you’re looking for a one-off spooky/dark read with closure, this isn’t it; however, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, dark academia type book that will lead into a series, I think this is worth a read. I do wish that the book had illustrations/drawings of these “nightmares” (ex. Winnie’s drawings, from the compendium, etc), but I’m also a sucker for anything illustrated. ...more
This book is the perfect blend of a traditional Sherlock Holmes novel and A Christmas Carol. Sherlock and Watson are investigating two separate cases—This book is the perfect blend of a traditional Sherlock Holmes novel and A Christmas Carol. Sherlock and Watson are investigating two separate cases— a missing person case, and a failed kidnapping attempt.
I loved how both cases had decent backstories, and really created a situation in which you empathize with those involved in the case. Because both cases had a positive outcome, it leaves you with a wholesome/feel good feeling. If reading about economic hardship, alcoholism, drug use, and transgender themes are not your thing, you may not enjoy this. With that said, I found these topics to be both relevant and relatable, and thought it added depth and dimension to both the characters and the story.
Want more reviews? Check out my Instagram/TikTok accounts— @slowerlowerliving...more
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