THE QUEEN OF THE CICADAS by V. Castro

I really wanted to love this book—like five stars love it, and I did through the first part of this story. It is one of obsession, retribution, and revenge and spans several timelines and characters with the primary focus on Milagros and Belinda. V. Castro weaves the sad and brutal tale of Milagros Santos. Here the author exposed us to the everyday horrors that face migrant farmworkers with the folkloric terror found in such stories as Bloody Mary or the Candyman. Castro uses Belinda as both our guide and our anchor to the modern world until we lose her to her obsession with the story of La Reina de las Chicharras, the Queen of the Cicadas.

I found myself languishing about two-thirds of the way in, making finishing this novel longer than I had hoped. I think the author had too many good ideas and tried too hard to make them all work. For those not much on erotica, the story is not crawling with it but it is there. In the end, Castro tied everything together nicely. She pulled me back into the story and gave me an ending to go along with the great beginning. Castro has crafted a tale that is equally mystical, magical, and folkloric. She is certainly an author who will be on my radar for years to come. 

I reviewed a digital ARC generously provided by the author, V. Castro, and publisher, Flame Tree Press, via NetGalley at no cost, obligation, or remuneration. I opted to review this title.

In Darkness, Shadows Breathe

Sorry this review is late. Released in January of this year, In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish from Flame Tree Press follows the separate hospitalizations of two women, Carol and Nessa. It is a visual tale in that this creepy, gothic story infects both your waking hours and painting your dreams with the macabre. Tortuous experiments and revenant spectres will have you feeling like you are shambling the halls of a hospital that felt more like a mental ward. The book was largely broken mainly into two parts before reconnecting them, and perhaps, that is fitting as the story alternates between two times and, in a sense, two realities.

My chief complaint about this read—and it is valid for so many horror stories—is why do the antagonists remain in situations that they find themselves in? I understand Carol, but Nessa's partner? Gah! Am I being petty here? 

Haunted grounds is a familiar trope in horror stories, but Cavendish weaves unsettling, non-linear timelines into a unique tale. I'm thrilled to have finally read her work. She has haunted my TBR pile for too long. I recommend this book and not just to horror aficionados. Go out and buy it, check it out from your library, or beg it off a friend. Just do it before you hear someone whisper the words, “you’re next.”

 Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for allowing me to share my thoughts on #InDarknessShadowsBreathe.