This story appealed to me on many levels. It is a nuanced and horrific tale mixing Mexican folklore, possessions on various levels, and the exploration the generational trauma of Alejandra’s family history. At first glance, Alejandra is not a likable character. Tortured by her life choices and pondering suicide, and worse, she is also considering taking her children with her. She is hurting and filled with self-loathing, so it was a little hard to stick by her side early on, but Castro has told many great stories, so I stuck with it. Once Alejandra started with Melanie, her therapist and curandera, the story became much more interesting. On another note, as an adoptee and adopter, I found this aspect of her journey highly relatable. My main complaint is that toward the end of the story, some of the ancestor stories acted like cardboard cutouts making the end feel a little rushed. A 3.5-star rating for one of V. Castro’s stories is a 4 for most other authors.
The rambling thoughts of an author including art, rants, words, book reviews, not-so-subtle suggestions, and more…
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Possessed
Wednesday, April 05, 2023
So Little Time…
I grew up during the height of the Cold War. The USSR was the big boogie man. Communism wanted to destroy our way of life. Then the Wall came down and the Soviet Empire fell. The insidious fear of the ever-present threat was gone. We had PEACE and the promise of a new world. But that didn’t last. The world found itself being forced to deal with threats from the past. Putin claimed Russia for himself and the World finds itself confronted with the brutal invasion of Crimea and Ukraine, Russian oligarchs, and Russian crime. So as an escape where did I turn? Television? Slow Horses on Apple+ and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime. Reading? RED LONDON by Alma Katsu. Russia is once again. EVERYWHERE. The stories are engaging. The menace is real. And Putin’s Russia makes for a great villain.
Lyndsey Duncan is back, and what she is involved in is complicated and a little confusing. Katsu teases us with the story of a Russian war criminal, but we end up getting the story of a Russian oligarch. While I did not find RED LONDON as engaging as Katsu’s first book in the series, RED WIDOW, at times I did lose myself in the story. You won’t lose your breath trying to keep up with a Jason Bourne or a Jack Ryan, but the real-world stakes are just as high. The psychology of manipulation was intriguing, as was the Anglo-American intelligence cooperation but I couldn’t find much to like about Emily, the British wife of the oligarch and Lyndsey’s target. By the end, I did feel a bit sorry for her. This story is rife with secret identities, private contractors, ex-lovers, clandestine meetings, and so much more. Who can Lyndsey trust? This is a different type of spy game.
This book is fiction, but Katsu pulls from her 30-plus career in national security. And while she did her best to portray world events, she, like so many others, couldn't have predicted that the war on Ukraine would still be taking its murderous toll on the country and the people there. It seems with Putin, there is no level to his depravity and with the rest of Russia, they seem too scared to do what is right and put an end to this madness.
I really tried to get this book read before launch day. It didn’t have anything to do with the book itself, it was how busy I had made my life. I often find that I stretch myself a little thin. I have my own writing and a few illustration projects that would be enough to keep me busy on their own, but I also have a house to paint, then there’s yard work, the pool, and family life. On top of all that, I try to get in at least an hour of reading every day. I reserve the night for TV with my wife. It’s not quite how I had envisioned retirement.
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Abandoned by the Gods and fueled by rage
So, there you have it. The origin story of my literary relationship with Jonathan Maberry. Or, possibly a more apt description, my Bore-igin Story. This is a weird way to ease into a review of his latest novel, The Son of the Poison Rose.
The Son of the Poison Rose is the second book of a proposed trilogy and continues the story of Kagen the Damned. Sword and sorcery is a new genre for Maberry—at least for the reader. Getting blurbed by Michael Moorcock should be a clue that he has long been a fan. I won’t go into the plot of the story. There are plenty of places you can find that. Maberry’s writing is rich and pointed, his characters colorful and unique, especially for a sword and sorcery tale. Kagen is a very damaged character who wields his daggers with skill and bloodlust, especially when dealing with those from the Silver Empire. The story itself is a boiling cauldron—part sword and sorcery, part cosmic horror. Maberry’s world-building is fresh and engaging. I’m hoping we get a little more of Vespia in the next book. The author barely touched the cannibal-infested rainforest. Then there are the Hollow Monks, a Razor Knight, the royal twins are coming along nicely. Or horribly. Whichever you prefer. They’re you and impressionable, but have a mind of their own. My bet is that we’ll see much more of them and be off to the frozen wastelands known as the Winterwilds as the third book, A Dragon in Winter, teases. Maberry has a lot of threads and stories all moving toward a blood-soaked conclusion. And Kagen has a score of scores to settle with the Witch-king.
If the book has a weak link, it is in its pacing. While the plot and sub-plots were all engaging, there were a few times I found myself wanting the author to speed things up, but there were also times I wanted more, and that’s with almost 700 pages of story.
Reading Kagen the Damned, the first in the series, is not 100% required reading. Maberry weaves this tale so you can jump right in, but I recommend doing so as there is so much world-building. His next novel in the series is supposed to wrap things up, and on some level, I’m sure he will, but I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot more from Kagen.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and the author for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’d encourage you to buy this book from your favorite indy bookseller or you could buy it from one of Jonathan Maberry’s favorite booksellers, Mysterious Galaxy, where you should be able to request an autographed edition. I have purchased a number of books from them. They are great people. Or buy from the big A. Whatever you do, buy the book.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
New from Fracassi
Philip Fracassi’s Gothic is a desperate tale of madness and suffering for aging horror author, Tyson Parks. He has lost his place at the top and is desperate to write anything. This leads him to succumb to the lure of possession and not-so-empty promises. It is the story of a writer who is both cursed and possessed, but it goes beyond whatever makes the arcane desk tick. There is more, some of which is only hinted at. One can’t help but think about Stephen King’s own tormented writer, Jack Torrance. And like that doomed writer, Tyson’s loved ones are also caught up in the madness. Fracassi puts his own twist on an evil object story.
On a side note, if you like horror or are interested in what makes a horror writer tick, do check out Fracassi's podcast, The Dark Word. Season One guests include Laird Barron, Joe Lansdale, Paul Tremblay, Alma Katsu, S.A. Cosby, Stephen Graham Jones, Victor LaValle, and many more. Season Two is out now!
Monday, September 19, 2022
Snap!
I went into this story knowing nothing about JACKAL or its author. The story started a bit slow for me, but the pace intensified as the time ran out. In the end, I was hooked. This was Adams's debut novel. She filled her story with pain, frustration, fear, and rage—a flood of emotions. And they are all expected with a story about an abducted child—one of far too many. I also found the author’s voice to have an undeniable hope in the future. In better things. In a better life. “Nothing good comes from being hateful and hollow.” Words to live by in today’s divisive times.
Snap!
Amidst this pain and loss is a fierceness of determination to get to the truth. And the truth that her protagonist, Liz, is looking for should rip your heart out. The setting is the mostly-white, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but this is an American story. It is one equal parts thriller and whodunit—splashed with horror. While some of that horror is of the paranormal/supernatural variety, be forewarned, much of it, sadly, is all too real. Violence. Racism. Child death. Body Horror. Domestic violence. Gore. Alcohol abuse. Eating disorder. Animal death. Kidnapping. Off-page rape. Off-page violence against children.
JACKAL, by Erin E. Adams
Published by Bantam | Oct 04, 2022
336 Pages | ISBN 978-0593499306
Thank you to #NetGalley, Bantam/Random House Publishing, and the author in exchange for my honest review. I am thrilled to have been able to get a sneak peek. I look forward to whatever is next from Erin E. Adams.
Saturday, July 09, 2022
Daphne is a BAD Girl
Image from Josh Malerman's Facebook page. |
Basketball was one of the sports I tried in my adolescence (and failed at miserably). Malerman takes this popular game youth and turns it sinister by adding a second game to the mechanics of it called “Ask the Rim.” It is a childhood game, something the girls of summer league basketball play. It is something akin to asking the Ouija questions about life and what the future holds. We’ve all played similar games. Unfortunately for the newly crowned star of the summer league, Kit Lamb, this game, the question she asked, and the answer given by the Net become terrifyingly intertwined with the local urban legend of Daphne.
This book hit all the right spots. And while I’m not a huge fan of slashers or the ‘final girl’ trope, this one was brilliant. Malerman is masterful in bringing all of these kids to life. The characters are real, their banter poignant, as far as high schoolers go. And through great storytelling, their reality will become your reality.
There are so many great lines in this book. This one, early on, was one of many that had me thinking. “Next is for whenever now needs a fucking change.” The release date for this book is in late August, but don’t wait. Preorder it. Don’t do it next. Do it now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for this ARC of Daphne by Josh Malerman.
Friday, January 21, 2022
Well, I'll Be Damned!
This is just the beginning of Jonathan Maberry’s foray into epic dark fantasy. It started in the middle of an all-out invasion where things were happening fast. The Silver Empire was being overrun in the most unbelievable of ways. There is viciousness and brutality against pretty much anything that lives. The invasion itself was over in a flash of banefire, then the story slowed to a trickle or a few dozen mugs of wine and ale. Things can slow in epic fantasy because of world-building and character development. The story follows multiple storylines, along with more than a few flashbacks. But then? Then all the snares and webs and traps had been set, and the tale took off.
Kagen is our unlikely hero. Of course, he is the main character and should be the hero, but as the aftermath of the invasion sets in, it looks less and less likely that he has any hero left in him. He is haunted and, because of the circumstances at the beginning of this book, damned with no hope of salvation. I could have done with a little less of Kagen the Drunkard, but it reveals to what depths our hero has sunk. If that bothers you, don’t let it put you off. Stick with the story, it grows and twists and is full of rich characters, male and female alike. The Witch-King of Hakkia and his cronies make for some great villains. And there are the side stories with nuns, the undead, and the minions of Cthulhu. Those threads will keep you guessing right up to the end. This story has it all. Interesting, complicated, and mysterious characters? Epic battles and sharp cutty things? Check. Sorcery, enchantment, and creatures? Check. Thieving? Yup. Blood? Gore? Magic? Political intrigue? Check, check, check, and oh, yes!
From the outset, we were told that Kagen the Damned is "the first installment of an exciting new series of dark epic fantasy," so don’t be disappointed when this tale ends on a maddening cliffhanger. It will leave you wanting more. I cannot wait for book two, Son of the Poison Rose!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
THE VIOLENCE by Delilah Dawson
There’s a passage in the book of a description of men who possess and abuse women. Damn! This book is powerful on so many levels. As I read it, I often thought of the pain relived by so many abused. The Violence proved to be a blessing and a curse. My hope is that the author and all those who have lived through abuse physical and/or mental, are able to escape and heal. Perhaps this book will be a start.
The book is brilliant. It is expertly crafted. The characters—mostly women— are rich and multi-layered like the story itself. There are certainly horrific scenes in this book, but it is a human story—one of survival and redemption. It should be on everyone’s reading list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Sing For Me
Illustration: Michael O'Connell |
The story is as I imagine Pearl’s skin to be—either too hot and feverish or too cold and clammy. Either way, its coarse bristles prevent even a pleasant feeling from taking hold, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. It might just be my favorite horror of 2021. This grisly tale got inside my brain and has stayed with me. It’s a creepy and strange one about a pig on a Michigan farm who has a kind of telepathy. Pearl can get inside your brain and root around in your thoughts. He learns things while he is in there and then uses them in ways that will savage you. He makes you want to do things and convinces you it was your idea. As I said, Malerman packs a lot into this short book and he left me wanting more.
If you let him, Malerman will take your imagination and carry it (you) into the barn and hang it from a hook. He will leave it (you) there dangling, waiting for a savior to release you before the damage is done. But he won’t allow that. Like Pearl, he casts a dark shadow where your fears live. Some of those fears might have been planted by Orwell years ago with Animal Farm. I suspect it was no coincidence that one of the farmers was also named Jones. But Pearl is not Napoleon, and he certainly is not Snowflake. Pearl is a new kind of horror and it will have you singing for him before the end of the story. And speaking of the end of the story, I am at a loss. Was that the end? Or was it what Pearl wanted us to think was the end?
I don’t quite understand people getting triggered by bloodshed and violence toward animals—but not people. However, for those of you who are the former, this twisty little tale has buckets of blood and gore heaped upon the animals—and people, but that’s partly why you’ll be reading this novel, right?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, Occasional Reader.
Sing for me.
Wednesday, September 01, 2021
We are all beasts of one sort or another
Strange Beasts of China
(异兽志, Yi Shou Zhi)
by Yan Ge,
Jeremy Tiang (Translator)
Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Published by Melville House
ISBN 9781612199092
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Parts of this magical tale were indeed, magic and otherworldly. Others became a bit monotonous and repetitive. Perhaps because, in part, this story was written like a scientific paper or bestiary. It is rare for me to want to put a book down, especially one as creative and as different as Strange Beasts of China, and I almost did. Almost, but I stuck it out and was rewarded. The story built upon itself and transformed into quite an enchanting story. I did wonder if some of what made this a difficult read for me arose from cultural differences either on my part for not understanding the humor or just a gag reaction to all the puking or near-puking that the narrator did.
Each chapter spotlights a different type of beast and each chapter starts out like a zoology text identifying the characteristics of the beast by means of observation, just as the narrator mixes her zoological background with her current occupation as a novelist, and now a reporter.
A former zoology-student-turned-novelist, the local newspaper has hired the unnamed narrator to provide stories about the various, strange beasts. The book is part detective story, part bestiary, and is an exploration of the people who make up the inhabitants of the fictional Chinese city of Yong’an. The narrator exhibits a certain playfulness in her approach to life with a simple naivité that, like life itself, often reveals the dark underbelly of what being human really means.
Thank you #NetGalley, #DreamscapeMedia, and #MelvilleHouse for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #StrangeBeastsofChina
Friday, August 06, 2021
Catriona' Wards Latest
THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET is a dark and twisty tale that deftly stitches together a number of POVs starting with Ted. We are then introduced to his daughter and his cat, among others. We hear their tales of Little Girl with Popsicle, the Teds, the Green Boys, and so much more. It has been called a masterpiece, and rightly so. This sad and terrifying story feels more like a spell. Saying more—even a little—would be an injustice to the reader. Go into this one as if you were exploring the creepy, haunted house at the end of the street. The one that even the bravest fears to tread. The house where the owner could come home at any minute and catch you.
This is a horror and a thriller. It comes at you with a slow creep—like a dripping water torture, but with acid. That's not to say there are no heartwarming moments. They are there but you have been warned, this novel will niggle and gnaw at the corners of your brains, and purr along at just the right clip until you are feeling nice and comfortable with your darkest fears. That’s when you’ll find that knife in your belly. Buckle up, pilgrims, because Ward is in full control and, believe me, you’ll want someone as skilled and crafty behind the wheel on this inimitable and harrowing ride down Needless Street.
Ted’s story is disturbing on so many levels, but the writer makes it worth it. It is my introduction to Catriona Ward’s writing. This book is a triumph. I cannot wait to see this one brought to the big screen. Andy Serkis will certainly have his hands full with the adaptation. Now, I must away, to find her other novels.
The audiobook I listened to, narrated by Christopher Ragland, was provided to me courtesy of the publisher, Macmillan Audio, #NetGalley, and the author in exchange for my review. I am thrilled to have been able to get a sneak peek.
Monday, July 05, 2021
THE QUEEN OF THE CICADAS by V. Castro
Thursday, May 13, 2021
My Heart is a Chansaw
Release date: August 31, 2021
If you are into slashers, this latest novel by Stephen Graham Jones is a "must-read." I only gave the book three-and-a-half stars because I have lost my taste for the horror found in slashers. I find slashers to be in the same category as murder mysteries. For years, as an actor, I had fun with friends creating characters that were messed up. Damaged people who had no problem, taking what they wanted to benefit themselves. Sometimes I was the killer. Other times I got murdered. I have many wonderful and terrifying memories of those times that I gave up because of a news story. The interview was with a woman struggling with the loss of a family member who had been murdered. During the interview, she mentioned her own horror at the thought of all those who derived pleasure and entertainment from the murder of others. I had never thought of what I was doing in that light. Similarly, I used to love slashers—especially in the heyday of the 1980s and 90s. And while slashers (and the murderers in the Murder Mysteries that we put on) did ultimately get the justice they deserved, most of the stories were about the inventive way people could be killed. Maybe I am being way too politically correct here, but because of this, I found myself dragging through portions of this novel while in others—captivated by the characters—almost blundering through the pages like a final girl. Plowing through the words of ignored warnings and ultimately blood and guts to get more story.
The book is very well written and loaded with symbolism, but I found myself lost at times with regard to the references to the many slashers in the novel. As with so much of his past work (at least, those books that I have read,) Dr. Jones is incredibly vivid and imaginative in his storytelling. This reader could tell just how much the slasher meant to him. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a more hardcore eighties slasher fan than Stephen Graham Jones, except for protagonist and anti-hero Jade Daniels.
The fact that this was an homage to the slasher and a sort of love affair with it was evident. While billed as a horror, this one is also a mystery and a crime story in all its pulpy goodness.
I want to thank NetGalley and Saga Press, an imprint of Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity of reading the digital ARC.