The Chill, by Scott Carson ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 11th, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: In this terrifying thriller, a supernatural force—set in motion a century ago—threatens to devastate New York City.

Far upstate, in New York’s ancient forests, a drowned village lays beneath the dark, still waters of the Chilewaukee reservoir. Earlier in the 20th century, the town was destroyed for the greater good: bringing water to the millions living downstate. Or at least that’s what the politicians from Manhattan insisted at the time. The local families, settled there since America’s founding, were forced from their land, but they didn’t move far, and some didn’t move at all…

 Now, a century later, the repercussions of human arrogance are finally making themselves known. An inspector assigned to oversee the dam, dangerously neglected for decades, witnesses something inexplicable. It turns out that more than the village was left behind in the waters of the Chill when it was abandoned. The townspeople didn’t evacuate without a fight. A dark prophecy remained, too, and the time has come for it to be fulfilled. Those who remember must ask themselves: who will be next? For sacrifices must be made. And as the dark waters begin to inexorably rise, the demand for a fresh sacrifice rises from the deep…

The Chill by Scott Carson (a pseudonym from a bestselling author), is a slow burning horror tale that gives an interesting twist to real life “drowned communities.”

I was interested in this story initially because I grew up a fairly short distance from the Quabbin Reservoir in MA and remembered my dad telling me stories of the communities displaced in order to form the largest body of water in the state. What I loved about this fictional story is the empathetic and thoughtful exploration of the sacrifice demanded of inhabitants of these towns and farms. This is a character-driven story which follows multiple people who are fully fleshed out and add interesting layers to the complex plot.

The story itself is slow at times due to the insertion of a plethora of technical details concerning dam construction and water tunnels, but the tension-building suspense nonetheless kept my attention until the very last page. Overall, The Chill is a perfect example of storytelling that may not be action-packed, still packs an emotional punch. It’s also a timely reminder of humanity’s tendency toward embracing baser instincts such as greed and outright stupidity, something I believe will resonate with many readers. I highly recommend this to fans of Michael Koryta.

 

Cold As Marble (Light As a Feather #2), by Zoe Aarsen ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date October 8th, 2019

384 Pages

Synopsis: McKenna’s mission to save her friends from their predicted deaths continues in the second installment in the Light as a Feather series that’s perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!

The deadly game continues…

Olivia and Candace are dead, both casualties of Violet’s deadly game of Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. McKenna and Misha are the only ones left, and having failed to locate and destroy the source of Violet’s power, her curse still abounds, eager to claim more lives.

What does Violet want? And how can she be stopped? Armed with a mysterious package containing clues, McKenna hopes to end this once and for all…before it’s too late.

Cold As Marble actually improves upon Light As a Feather in terms of snappier dialogue, better character development, smoother pacing, and more scares replacing teen angst and drama. The characters are more fleshed out and relatable, especially McKenna, whose shallowness seriously got on my nerves in the first book. Zoe Aarsen also throws more interesting elements like occult and Wiccan magick. The plot is fast moving and entertaining and and I zipped through this in about two hours. The ending sets things up nicely for the final book, Silent As the Grave, which doesn’t have a release date yet. I have be honest and say there are better supernatural/paranormal books out there for teens, but overall Cold As Marble is a fun, mildly scary and suspenseful read that will appeal to fans of Pretty Little Liars.

 

The Furies, by Katie Lowe ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Boarding Schools, Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: This page-turning, harrowing debut is the story of a girl trying to fit in, whose obsessive new friends and desperation to belong leads her to places she’d never imagined…dark, dangerous, and possibly even violent.

In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead on her boarding school’s property, dressed in white, and posed on a swing, with no known cause of death. What happened to her? And what do her friends know? To find out is is necessary to go back to the beginning.

The school is Elm Hollow Academy, an all-girl’s boarding school, located in a sleepy coastal town with a long-buried grim history of  17 century witch trials. A new student, Violet, joins the school, and soon finds herself invited to become the fourth member of an advanced study group, led by the alluring and mysterious art teacher Annabel.

Annabel does her best to convince the girls that her classes aren’t related to ancient rites and rituals, and that they are just mythology. But the more she tries to warn the girls off topic, the more the girls start to believe magic is real and that they have the power to harness it.

Violet quickly finds herself wrapped up in this addictive new world. But when she comes to find out about the disappearance of a former member of the society, one with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance, she begins to wonder who she can trust, all the while becoming more deeply entangled in her newfound friendships.  

Was it suicide, or a foul play more sinister? How far will these young girls go to protect one another…or destroy one another?

You can probably tell from the synopsis that the plot isn’t the most original one out there, but I still found The Furies a fun, creepy read. For those of you who are fans of the 1996 movie The Craft, this is sort of a less campy version of that. Unsurprisingly there’s loads of angst and anger, and when you set that in all girl’s boarding school and mix in witchcraft, well, let’s just say there’s plenty of explosive supernatural shenanigans that ensue! My biggest issue was that I found the author’s writing a bit too florid, but it wasn’t really enough to spoil my enjoyment. I will definitely be on the lookout for any of Katie Lowe’s future books.

 

 

 

 

 

The Dark Days Club Blog Tour ~ The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2), By Alison Goodman

Tags

Adult Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Regency England, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

This is part two of The Dark Days Book Tour, hosted by Penguin Young Readers. After reading the second book in this series — The Dark Days Pact — I’m once again figuratively hitting  myself over the head for waiting so long!

Release Date: Available Now

496 Pages

Synopsis: June 1812. Just weeks after her catastrophic coming-out ball, Lady Helen Wrexhall—now disowned by her uncle—is a full time member of the demon-hunting Dark Days Club. Her mentor, Lord Carlston, has arranged for Helen to spend the summer season in Brighton so that he can train her new Reclaimer powers. 

However, the long-term effects of Carlston’s Reclaimer work have taken hold, and his sanity is beginning to slip. At the same time, Carlston’s Dark Days Club colleague and nemesis will stop at nothing to bring Helen over to his side—and the Duke of Selburn is determined to marry her. The stakes are even higher for Helen as she struggles to become the warrior that everyone expects her to be.

My one complaint about The Dark Days Club, was that I thought it took a little too long to get to the meat of the story. I don’t know if it was just the mood I was in, but with The Dark Days Pact, I was immediately sucked in. I actually read a little over half the book in my first sitting! There’s a lot more action in this sequel, as Lady Helen learns exactly what’s expected of her new duties as a Reclaimer. Balancing her secret life and maintaining her outward persona as a young lady of the Ton in 1800s England is proving to be more and more difficult. Having to disguise herself as a man while working requires certain sacrifices, including cutting her hair. And worse, she’s forcibly drawn into the politics of the Dark Days Club itself, which puts her into the position of keeping secrets from her mentor, Lord Carlston.

While their relationship has had it’s erm, prickly moments, things are now even more strained between them. In addition to Lady Helen’s secret mission, Lord Carlston is struggling with an unknown illness, and it’s one that his chief nemesis in the Dark Days Club is more than willing to exploit. And then there are the feelings that Lady Helen harbors for the Duke of Selburn. You all know my feelings toward love triangles. They’re one of my biggest pet peeves because I’ve rarely seen them work in a positive manner in a story. However, this (sort of) love triangle not only didn’t make me want to hurl the book at the wall, it also makes rational sense within the context of the story. Just as Lady Helen is torn between her role as a defender of humanity against the deceivers, and that of a respectable young lady in England’s high society, she is also torn between the brooding Lord Carlston who respects her and expects much from her despite her sex, and the adoring attentions of the Duke who wants to put her up on a pedestal. It seems pretty obvious (fingers crossed) Lady Helen will wind up with Lord Carlston who admires and respects both her intellect and her other attributes, but I can understand why she’s somewhat drawn to Selburn with his connections to her old life, despite her frustration with his insistence on being her protector. I also have a developing theory regarding Selburn, and if I’m correct, it will abolish any lingering feelings that Lady Helen has for him.

In the previous book, Lady Helen already was showing strong, feminist characteristics, and in this book she continues on that journey, growing more confident and self-assured as the story progresses. Aiding her on that journey is her maid Darby, who is not only her aide in her paranormal duties, but steadfastly backs her up when it comes to what is expected of her. I absolutely love their relationship! The other characters’ backstories are developed more, especially those of Lord Carlston’s aides, Mr. Hammond and his twin sister Lady Margaret. As difficult as things are today for anyone who’s LGBTQ, back in the 1800s it was even worse and this is realistically and heartbreakingly depicted by the scorn and disgust Mr. Hammond is forced to endure, as well as the danger being a “Molly” could bring, as it was an executable offense.

And finally, the supernatural world building against the all too real life for the upper and lower classes in Regency England continues to be a wonderful combination. It boggles my mind how the author can portray this historical period with such accuracy, even including actual historical figures and incidents, while adding all these supernatural elements.

In my estimation, The Darks Days Pact has surprisingly surpassed its fantastic predecessor, and it’s left me extremely excited to dive into the conclusion, The Dark Days Deceit, which is being released November 20th, 2018. 

~

About the Author:

Alison Goodman writes in a variety of genres, ranging from the genre-bending DARK DAYS CLUB titles to the EON/EONA fantasy duology, to the YA science fiction thriller SINGING THE DOGSTAR BLUES. She was a D.J. O’Hearn Memorial Fellow at Melbourne University, holds a Master of Arts degree and mentors emerging writers. A long-time lover of the Regency period, she has a treasure trove of material to be viewed at https://www.pinterest.com/alisongoodman/ She’s online at http://www.darkdaysclub.com and on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/AlisonGoodman

The Dark Days Pact can be found at:

 

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-days-pact-alison-goodman/1123752847;jsessionid=9602CB07B357E29

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26061581-the-dark-days-pact

Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE

September 10 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read the Dark Days Club

September 11 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture

September 12 – Darque Dreamer Reads ~ https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard

September 13 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Creative Instagram Picture 

September 14 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs

WEEK TWO

October 8 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Moodboard 

October 9 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture 

October 10 – Darque Dreamer Reads – https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard 

October 11 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Review and Creative Instagram Picture 

October 12 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs

WEEK THREE

November 12 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Favorite Quotes

November 13 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture 

November 14 – Dark Dreamer Reads ~ https://darkdreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard 

November 15 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Review and Creative Instagram Picture 

November 16 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs 

 

The Trouble With Twelfth Grave (Charley Davidson #12), by Darynda Jones ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Humor, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 31st, 2017

352 Pages

Synopsis: Ever since Reyes escaped from a hell dimension in which Charley accidentally trapped him, the son of Satan has been brimstone-bent on destroying the world his heavenly Brother created. His volatile tendencies have put Charley in a bit of a pickle. But that’s not the only briny vegetable on her plate. While trying to domesticate the feral being that used to be her husband, she also has to deal with her everyday life of annoying all manner of beings—some corporeal, some not so much—as she struggles to write the wrongs of society. Only this time she’s not uncovering a murder. This time she’s covering one up.

Add to that her new occupation of keeping a startup PI venture—the indomitable mystery-solving team of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford—out of trouble and dealing with the Vatican’s inquiries into her beloved daughter, and Charley is on the brink of throwing in the towel and becoming a professional shopper. Or possibly a live mannequin. But when someone starts attacking humans who are sensitive to the supernatural world, Charley knows it’s time to let loose her razor sharp claws. Then again, her number one suspect is the dark entity she’s loved for centuries. So, the question becomes, can she tame the unruly beast before it destroys everything she’s worked so hard to protect?

I never said I would die without coffee. I said others would.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know how much I LOVE the Charley Davidson series. So, I immediately jumped as soon as I saw The Trouble With Twelfth Grave offered on NetGalley. And I have a feeling that my entire town heard my shrieks of happiness when I was approved. So, did it live up to my high expectations? HELL YEAH!

Before I start, let me warn you that this is definitely NOT a series you can jump into the middle of. If you try, you will be completely lost. Picking up where the last book left off, Charley is her usual snarky, sassy, lovable self, and each chapter has a “Charleyism” saying like the one above. She’s working multiple cases while trying to deal with the downward turn her life has taken. Not only is she missing her baby daughter who remains hidden because of the evil who’s after her, but now her beloved and incredibly hot husband Reyes, is, well, let’s just say he’s not himself. Thank goodness she has her trusty back up team to help and support her. Her friends and family are incredible, and as formidable as Charley is, she would be lost without them.

While Charley brings much needed humor to the story, this continues to build upon the mythology arc behind the series, which has grown much darker, especially in the last few books. As in the other books, there are multiple subplots, and I once again was amazed at how Darynda Jones is able to successfully juggle them all without the plot and characters suffering from lack of development. I swear, every time I finish one of these books I’m left thinking “This should not have worked!” 

The Trouble With Twelfth Grave is another fantastic entry in the Charley Davidson series and is sure to please fans of this popular series. It ends with a huge cliffhanger which has left me both longing for and dreading the release of the final book next October. 

The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1), by Jonathan Stroud ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Middle School Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

401 Pages

Synopsis: A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren’t exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic ability required to see—and eradicate—these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business. In The Screaming Staircase, the plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co., a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall’s legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day? 

I’ve had this series on my tbr for what seems like forever, but somehow just never seemed to find the time to start it. So, when the first book, The Screaming Staircase, popped up on NetGalley as a Read Now offer, I immediately jumped, and now I’m left asking why I waited so long.

I have to be honest and say that Lucy, who’s the narrator is a little on the dull side. Her personality is well developed, but she’s very reserved, especially when compared to the gallant Anthony and amusing George. I liked her, but she seemed to be missing a certain spark. The relationship between the three is at the heart of this book and I liked that they weren’t copycat characters of others from series like Harry Potter. They’re engaging and work well together, and I was fully invested in seeing what happened with them 

I loved the world-building which is set around an alternate current day London, which has an almost Victorian age feel. There’s a bit of an info-dump which does slow the pace somewhat, but it still makes for a suspenseful and at times, humorous read. 

Despite the couple of issues I had, overall I thought The Screaming Staircase was an enjoyable beginning to the Lockwood & Co. series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books. I think middle-school age kids will gobble this creepy tale.

What the Hell Did I Just Read: A Novel of Cosmic Horror (John Dies At the End #3), by David Wong ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Satire, Supernatural Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 3rd, 2017

384 Pages

Synopsis: NYT bestselling author Wong takes readers to a whole new level with his latest dark comic sci-fi thriller, set in the world of John Dies At the End and This Book Is Full of Spiders. Dave, John and Amy recount what seems like a straightforward tale of a shape-shifting creature from another dimension that is stealing children and brainwashing their parents, but it eventually becomes clear that someone is lying, and that someone is the narrators.

The novel you’re reading is a cover-up, and the “true” story reveals itself in the cracks of their hilariously convoluted, and sometimes contradictory narrative. 

Equal parts terrifying and darkly comedic in his writing, David Wong “will be remembered as one of today’s great satirists”. (Nerdist)

If ever a book was more aptly titled, this would be it! Like it’s two predecessors, What the Hell Did I Just Read is a crazy thrill ride unlike any book you’ve ever read!

David, John and Amy once again find themselves involved with yet another “otherworldly” occurrence. And of course that puts them at odds with the police, the FBI, a motorcycle gang, a kick-ass woman who’s prepared for anything, and an ex-special forces man. And from there, hilarity ensues with the use of some spectacularly odd weapons like flying dildos filled with sulfur and blue beams that erase minds. 

And of course no adventure would be complete without John and Dave imbibing that special Soy Sauce, which adds to the sheer craziness of the story. Thankfully, the sweet yet totally badass Amy is there to keep everyone grounded.

With What the Hell Did I Just Read, once again David Wong has dreamed up a highly imaginative tale that brilliantly combines horror and satirical humor. It’s an absolutely bonkers trip that in my opinion not only is his best book yet, but also solidifies Mr. Wong’s place in literary fiction. Although you can read this as a standalone,  I recommend you read the previous two books in this series if you haven’t already, in order to get the full effect of this of this dauntless trio and their zany adventures, before jumping into this. Otherwise, I HIGHLY recommend this for fans of slapstick comedic horror. As the author states:

You want to hear a story? Well, buckle the fuck up!

 

 

 

Black Bird of the Gallows, by Meg Kassel ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Romance, Supernatural Fiction, YA Fiction

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

300 Pages

Synopsis: A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

Dark, haunting and romantic, Black Bird of the Gallows is a lush and beautifully told YA supernatural story that for the most part, hits all the right notes.

While the beginning of the book starts off as so many YA stories do: mysterious, brooding boy moves next door to plucky, outsider teen girl, after the first couple of chapters I wound up really liking both Angie and Reece. In addition to them both dealing with traumatic pasts, now they have to deal with a threat involving supernatural bees. *Shudder*. At first I thought this was going to be an annoying case of insta-love, it’s more like an instant attraction that develops into deeper feelings. I was completely invested in the two of them, and found myself fervently hoping they got their happy ending.

The best part of the book is the word-building and mythology. It’s creepy, yet beautiful, and I was completely enthralled throughout the entire book. The pace slowly built until the nerve-wracking ending, which I thought was a bit rushed, but ultimately satisfying.

Y’all know I read a lot of YA Fiction. Even when I like a book, sometimes it’s difficult to remember it. Black Bird of the Gallows is a story that I will remember days, weeks, and months from now. It’s imaginative and unique, and I HIGHLY recommend it for older teens and adults who love supernatural fiction and are looking for a story and characters they’ll fall in love with.