Adrian Collins's Blog, page 27

REVIEW: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

In Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan, Rae lays in a hospital bed, dying of cancer. Her sister Alice is reading from her (read: “their”) favourite book, A Time of Iron. Rae can barely focus on the story, keeps forgetting the characters and the plot, annoying the hell out of Alice. But this book and story matter so much to Alice, and while Rae may be running out of time and things she wants to spend that time on, listening to her sister read the story one last time is one of the last things she wants. And then a mysterious woman appears at her bedside and tells her she is going to die, but slowly, wasting away everything her family has in the coming months as she withers to nothing herself. Unless she enters the the Time of Iron dark romantasy world and somehow survives the story as the evil sister—who is rather inconveniently meant to die tomorrow.

Long Live Evil is told through the eyes of Rae–somebody who has watched the people around her abandon and start to dislike her as her cancer took hold of her body–as she gets pulled into a world where nobody is real. Nobody is a human being she has to care about, and she treats them just so–as pawns to be manipulated into getting her what she needs to get back to her life: the Flower of Living and Dying. She’s easily the star of the show of the three points of view, and I think she’s a character that grimdark fans are likely to enjoy for her callous disregard and manipulation of those around her and the way she changes over the course of the books. Her relationship with Key was a very interesting read and kept me glued to the pages.

The second point of view, Marius, was an interesting take on the stoic, vow-restrained bad arse character with a tragic backstory and a merciless heart—yet somehow a hero. I started out quite liking this take on a hero, almost a little bit Ned Stark-y in the way that the world is so black and white in his eyes and damn the consequences of him ensuring the right things happen around him. However, his relationship and history with the Golden Cobra and its evolution across the book just never landed for me at all, which kind of put a kink in my enjoyment of the book, because it’s an important relationship.

Emer was a bit of a wet blanket of a character for me. I’m not entirely sure on her purpose as a PoV versus a secondary character, apart from reminding us that Rae is evil, but I don’t feel she had much impact or purpose in her role as Emer, or The Iron Maid. I don’t often struggle to retain interest in a POV character, not since some of the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, but I kept having to stop myself from skipping sentences and paragraphs because I just wanted to find something I could latch on to and care about.

Throughout Long Live Evil we watch Rae use everything and everyone to try to get back to the life she wants. She tries to manipulate her supporters (such as The Golden Cobra, one of her fellow villains), misdirect her enemies (such as King Octavianus, the hero of A Time of Iron), and survive the constant threat of being executed and thrown into the ravine (by somebody like Marius). All the while she needs to try and remember what her character Raheala did in the books before she arrived to take over Rahaela’s body / character, and how what Rae does changes the storyline and timelines she uses to pretend to be a prophet so that she’s not executed. King Octavianus remains the constant threat to Rae, his power making him all but unassailable, and his necessity to the plot for future books making him irremovable. He creates an ongoing feeling of dread for Rae, and a big bad for the story, a nice flip on all the tropes and standards stacked tall that would normally make him the hero of the book with all his horrors forgiven because of the death of his beloved and perfect Lia.

One of the key themes in this book is what cancer does to you when you are the person struggling through it. When you’re watching the world move on around you while you wilt. Seeing your friends and family start coming in less and less. Maybe even having them care less and less, and perhaps even them wanting it to be over so they can go back to their normal lives. Cancer, in any one of its many forms, has wiped out a significant part of my father’s wider family, and my mother-in-law. While I haven’t experienced its horrible touch personally, I have born witness to what it, and its treatment, does to those you love. The internal commentary on loneliness and abandonment, and the decrepifying of your body around your screaming mind, just hammered itself home. When I opened this book based on naught but a cool title and cover, I had no idea how much impact this part of the book would have on me as I sat there asking myself if I’d done enough, from the perspective of those gone from my own life (and in some fortunate cases, those still here). Reading the author’s note at the end, and realising this was lived experience, explained why it hit so hard. I am glad the author is still around and thriving, and that they received the support they needed to be able to write Long Live Evil.

Overall, I had very middling feelings about Long Live Evil. On the one hand, the cancer aspects of the book really hit home, almost bringing me to tears at times. I also mostly enjoyed the kind of piss-take nature / breaching the forth wall feeling of how we viewed the story through Rae’s eyes. It has a very similar feel to the book I reviewed earlier this year (How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler), but is a lot more cynical, due to the underlying nature of the cancer backstory. On the other hand, it also meant the big moments in the fantasy setting didn’t hit the mark like I want when reading a fantasy novel—which, I think, was kind of the point intended by the author, it just didn’t land for what I enjoy reading.

While I did enjoy some of the forth wall breaking style of delivery, the whole approach of viewing this story through the eyes of somebody who remembered most of the plot, but not all of it, then was living it, manipulating it, purposefully and then inadvertently changing it, then having other characters know what she knew, just became quite confusing for me at times, and hard to buy in to at others. I had to take my suspension of disbelief and stretch it to its absolute limit.

Overall, I’m glad I read Long Live Evil for its horrific undertone and the way the author’s lived experience shaped Rae’s character. I recommend this book as a read worth experiencing, I don’t think I’d pick up a book 2 to find out what happens next. I’ll probably ask Emma, who really enjoyed the first book, to review that one!

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REVIEW: The War of the Rohirrim

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a work that both intrigued and confused me when I first heard it announced. It is an animated adaptation of one of J.R.R Tolkien’s in-universe myths for his Legendarium, depicting the story of Helm Hammerhand and his tragic fall. Except, this story would be a deviation that focused instead on his unnamed daughter rather than the actual main characters of the story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as plenty of stories have been told from differing perspectives than the ones you might think. Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and several other individuals have provided excellent perspectives on Hamlet’s events other than the Prince of Denmark themselves.

Unfortunately, it seemed the choice to depict the newly named Hera as an action heroine akin to her relative, Eowyn, is something that almost immediately poisoned the well. Grimdark Magazine maintains a progressive view of fiction while also acknowledging that tinkering with authors original work to “improve” on it tends to backfire (see The Witcher and the changes to A Song of Ice and Fire in the final seasons). Still, I was going to give it a shot and I have to say that I’m more interested in whether a work preserves its inspiration’s themes rather than strict fidelity. I enjoyed the video game, Shadow of Mordor, for example, even if I felt its sequel was a hot mess.

Is The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim any good? Err, that’s a somewhat complicated question. I would say it’s good, not great. I would furthermore say that its association with the legend of Helm Hammerhand hurts the story more than it helps because a lot of the changes here seem to genuinely miss the mark from what Tolkien was saying. I wouldn’t say this was a full-on bastardization of his work but the changes distract from what is an otherwise excellent animated epic. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ‘s final score before we begin explaining why, B-, with it being a B+ if not for the fact that it changed so much.

The original story of Helm Hammerhand is that it is a tragedy akin to Hamlet. There’s some racial conflict and royal dynastic issues going on in the royal house of the Rohirrim versus their rivals, the house of Freca. Tolkien depicts neither side in the wrong but the result of both sides making microaggressions that eventually explode over after an accidental killing. Helm believed Freca’s family were upstarts after his throne while Freca believed that a dynastic marriage between their houses was reasonable given their position as having royal blood themselves. A fist fight breaks out where Wulf’s dad is killed in one blow and a war of revenge ensues. It is a tragic waste of life.

This isn’t a movie about that. No, Freca and his son Wulf are complete scumbags from beginning to end. Freca throws the first few punches before he’s killed by Helm and Wulf commits constant war crimes by the standards of Ye Old Times. There’s no tragedy here. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim depicts a clear conflict between good versus evil. Hera is also elevated from the subject of the marriage pact to a heroine battling against her former childhood friend. It’s fine, it’s a good story, but it’s not what Tolkien wrote.

The rest of the movie is well-animated with a nice fantasy anime vibe. The animation is a bit choppy in places and not quite as smooth as it could be. However, I love the designs. It’s a pretty good action piece from beginning to end and fun to watch. Still, the designs are something that some fans will undoubtedly be put off by as it makes no attempt at realism. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an anime after all.

In conclusion, this is a fine movie. Fine. Not great. It’s hampered by so many changes and ultimately changing the nature of the story until it becomes the opposite of its intended meaning. Hera is a great character and clearly inspired by Eowyn. However, the story would have been much better if it had been honest that it was inspired by Tolkien versus claiming it was one of his story. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a good fantasy movie but it’s not a good adaptation.

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Grimdark Magazine Issue #41 cover reveal

Last Updated on December 31, 2024

With the release date of Grimdark Magazine Issue #41 just around the corner (15th of Jan–not long now!), I think it’s time we let you know what you’re in for!

After our fantastic 10th-anniversary issue, we present the conclusion to Scott Lynch’s short story, Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent. We also have Justin Lee Anderson’s grimdark twist on cozy fantasy titled Bastards and Baguettes, along with Moses Ose Utomi‘s The Imbibing of Inggid Sel, and Josh Rountree’s body horror Christmas tale Black Goat Parade.

Lastly, we have three incredible reprints from Andrea Stewart, Renee Stern, and Kaaren Warren.

Following up on all the delicious dark stories, we have our non-fiction pieces for you, which include interviews with Ed McDonald, Richard Swan, and our editor-in-chief, Adrian Collins. John Mauro continues his series that explores the intersection of real-life science and science fiction in Project Starship: Glass Technology Advances in Dark Science Fiction. Additionally, Aaron S. Jones reflects on The Eternal Appeal of Vampires.

Beth has put together another absolutely banging issue, and I can’t wait to show you what’s going to be inside on January 15th. You can pre-order over on Amazon, here.

Cover art for Grimdark Magazine Issue #41

Locke Lamora himself graces our cover this quarter thanks to the art direction of Beth Tabler and the exquisite work of Carlos Diaz. Keep an eye on our socials for something really cool based on this cover over the coming days.

Pre-order Grimdark Magazine Issue #41

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The Most Anticipated TV Shows and Movies of 2025

2024 has been yet another great year for fans of grimdark. Fans of video game adaptations have been thrilled by the excellence of Fallout and Arcane (take a bow Ella Purnell), those who love classic horror have been able to feast on a return to form in Alien: Romulus and the stunning end of year gothic treat that was Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. Stories continued in House of the Dragon, Dune Part II, Gladiator II, The Rings of Power, and The Boys. My personal favourite of the year had to be Shogun. The award-winning series set in Japan and starring the always amazing Hiroyuki Sanada blew me away – will anything stand up against this masterpiece in 2025?

Here are our most anticipated TV shows and movies for 2025:

The Last of Us Part II

The first season was an example of how to adapt a video game. A deep story with compelling characters and genuine scares in a post-apocalyptic world, each episode was filled with greatness. Those who played the second game know what’s coming and if you think the first season was grim and dark, you haven’t seen anything yet…

Joel and Ellie’s story isn’t over yet and the darkest parts of their tale have yet to be told.

Watch the trailer for The Last of Us S2 here.

 

Alien: Earth

A prequel series set two years before the original film, the hope is that this new series will have the quality of this year’s Alien: Romulus as the tense horror returns to the franchise. A mysterious space vessel crash lands on Earth pitting a ragtag group of humans against a deadly threat…

Watch the teaser trailer for Alien: Earth here.

 

 

Alice in Borderland S3

The third season of the Japanese hit continues Arisu’s struggle in Tokyo as he and his allies are forced to compete in games for their survival as they attempt to unravel the mystery that has bugged them since the first season. Season 2 was a jump in quality and really brought some depth to the story with some excellent writing and unique games used each episode. I can’t wait for season 3!

 

 

American Primeval

Described as a brutal western set in the 1800’s, this series has so much potential to be your next favourite. The latest series from Netflix is a dramatization & examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die to keep or control their land. Peace and compassion is rare in this series starring Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin.

Watch the trailer for American Primeval here.

 

 

Predator: Badlands

Dan Trachtenburg brought us the best Predator in years with Prey. His next effort is Badlands and it will be interesting to see if he can build on the goodwill earned in his Native American Predator film with this story of two sisters discovering horrors on an alien wasteland.

Mickey 17

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite) and starring Robert Pattinson (The Batman, The Lighthouse), this dark film is about a man who gets away from Earth to be an expendable, a disposable employee who is replaced by a clone with each death. When version 17 survives, it causes problems for the next iteration… With an incredible director and a main star known for choosing interesting scripts, this will be well worth a watch in 2025.

Watch the trailer for Mickey 17 here.

 

 

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INTERVIEW: Sevier Crespo Producer of Werewolves

Sevier Crespo is an award-winning actor, producer, and writer. He recently had a conversation with Grimdark Magazine’s C.T. Phipps to discuss his latest project, the horror film Werewolves.

[GdM] Thank you Sevier for agreeing to chat with us about Werewolves. First off, can you tell us the premise for Werewolves for readers who haven’t heard of the film?

[SC] At some point in the past, a supermoon triggered something in humans that caused anyone exposed to transform into werewolves. This resulted in millions being killing overnight. And now there’s another supermoon approaching. Scientists are desperately trying to figure out the cause of this phenomenon in order to save civilization.

[GdM] You’ve described it as “The Purge meets Werewolves.” What elements of The Purge get combined with lycanthropy?

[SC] There’s the annual night of chaos and killing in The Purge. It’s known that it’s coming, not unlike Werewolves where we know the super moon is coming and we know what that means. Probably the element that gets combined is the primal horror of The Purge as compared to the lycanthropy of Werewolves. It forces people to prepare for mass chaos. But instead of human violence, it’s triggered by the werewolf transformations. In both films there are moral dilemmas, like how to survive when loved ones turn against you. Also, social and economic factors that come into play, where the rich have more resources to protect themselves than those of lesser means. It’s all about survival.

[GdM] Katrina Law (NCIS), Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem), and Lou Diamond Phillips (Prodigal Son, Longmire) are also in the film. Do you have any details you’d like to share about one or two of their characters?

[SC] Katrina Law’s character is Frank’s colleague and they have to work together to survive, while Lou is a scientist working to discover how to save humanity. Ilfenesh is Frank’s sister-in-law that fights to protect her daughter from the werewolves led by Cody, the vindictive neighbor turned werewolf.

[GdM] What sort of special effects were necessary to create a world of werewolves?

[SC] Everything was done as practical as possible. The team was led by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., known for their work on Alien and Predator. There was a lot of work and thought put into the authenticity of the werewolf transformations by those that had massive experience with make-up, animatronics, and other special effects.

Werewolves Producer Sevier Crespo

[GdM] How dark would you say the movie gets? Is it action horror or just plain horror?

[SC] It’s an action horror/thriller that gets dark. There are a lot of elements from those genres that are combined in a really fun and creative way. It’s definitely an all-around, entertaining film.

[GdM] Will there be any humor in Werewolves?

[SC] I think the characters are grounded in reality, but depending on your sense of humor, some viewers may find some things funny, while others may not.

[GdM] What can fans of horror expect from this film?

[SC] Werewolves has some really cool throwback monsters and suspenseful moments. I feel like audiences are sophisticated enough notice there is something lacking when films use CGI and visual effects. We have real, live 6’ 7’’ athletes and talent inside these ginormous outfits roaming around in 100-degree weather at night. There’s a reality to it. If they are annoyed, angry, thirsty, or hot, it’s coming across because of the actors and the practical aspect of the werewolves. I think there’s something really cool about that.

[GdM] Our audience is drawn to dark and gritty films—what is it about Werewolves that will appeal to them?

[SC] It’s not a bubbly movie, that’s for sure. The film dives into the darker side of our world, tackling issues like pollution in our environment and how society is struggling more and more to uphold basic human rights. The gaps of the “haves” and the “have-nots” are increasing dramatically and the film touches on that too.

[GdM] What makes Werewolves stand out from monster movies?

[SC] To me, the wolves are everything. They’re awesome. The talent that portrays them did such a phenomenal job. I can’t really recall a movie, outside of Predator or Aliens, where they used honest to goodness, bad-to-the-bone animatronics like this. It makes it so fun. That, to me, differentiates it from other horror films. Werewolf-wise, I haven’t seen anything like this since American Werewolf in London.

[GdM] There have been many stories involving werewolves throughout history. Is there a film or story that has been a big influence on Werewolves?

[SC] I think our director Steven C. Miller would have something to say on this. I’d say American Werewolf in London was a big one because of the practicality they achieved. To me it was next level for its time and seemed unbeatable.

[GdM] Thank you so much to Sevier Crespo for taking the time to chat with us. Werewolves was released in the USA on December 6th 2024

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REVIEW: The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara

The Prince Without Sorrow is the debut novel by author Maithree Wijesekara. Its publisher, Harper Voyager, describes it as ”the debut fantasy sensation of 2025” and says it is perfect for Hannah Kaner and Samantha Shannon fans. That was enough information to pick it up and dive into this new world. That and the giant leopards and flying serpents also piqued my interest.

Set in the Ran Empire and inspired by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty of Ancient India, The Prince Without Sorrow has two points of view that we follow. The first is the witch Shakti, a mayakari trained to commune with nature and do no harm. But the emperor has persecuted Shakti’s people for decades, burning mayakari alive (or worse) if he finds them. Choosing violence might be the only way Shakti can keep her people safe. The other perspective is that of Prince Ashoka, the youngest child of the brutal emperor. Ashoka has been raised to be cruel and cunning; his family sees his pacifist choice as weak and childish. Ashoka would do anything to tear apart his father’s legacy. But there is always violence in destruction, no matter how hard you strive for a peaceful resolution.

I enjoyed much of The Prince Without Sorrow. The comparisons between Hannah Kaner and Samantha Shannon feel apt, so if you enjoy their style, you will enjoy Wijesekara’s, too. The fantasy world in The Prince Without Sorrow is very promising, and I hope the reader will learn more about it as the series continues. As the first novel in a series, Wijesekara has built an excellent foundation for the characters and the world. The Prince Without Sorrow isn’t a chunky Priory of the Orange Tree size novel, and I look forward to more details as we progress with later books.

Wijesekara doesn’t entirely shy away from the darker elements in The Prince Without Sorrow; the descriptions of the torture of mayakari and his father’s treatment of Prince Ashoka were uncomfortable to read. But I wouldn’t put it on my grimdark shelf. The Prince Without Sorrow is a good fantasy novel with some darker parts and moral ambiguity. Wijesekara poses many ethical questions to the reader and leaves it up to them to decide whether they are acceptable. Is it permissible to harm one if that saves many? Is revenge right? Is it nonviolent if inaction causes further harm? The characters in The Prince Without Sorrow must face all these questions, as does the reader, and we are both still trying to decide the answer by the end of it.

Some parts of The Prince Without Sorrow left me wanting more, and I hope they will be elaborated on later in the series. For example, it’s never really explained why Emperor Adil is persecuting the mayakari or why he is particularly cruel to Ashoka and not his other children. Wijesekara does hint in the direction of these issues, though, and if I weren’t left wanting more at the end of the first novel in a series, then I’d have no reason to pick up the next. As a main character, I’m also not entirely invested in Shakti or Ashoka. They make good foils for one another, but I want a little more than ‘I’ve been raised to be a pacifist, but I don’t agree’ versus ‘I’ve been raised to be violent but want to be a pacifist’ to make me go in to bat for the characters. However, both characters are relatively young, and this is the opening book in a series, so again, I am hopeful this is a deliberate choice to set up the characters ‘ later development.

The Prince Without Sorrow is an auspicious debut and a fun exploration of a new fantasy world. I look forward to reading Wijesekara’s next instalment of her Obsidian Throne series. I want to thank both Harper Voyager and Maithree Wijesekara for sending the Grimdark Magazine team an ARC to provide this review.

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REVIEW: Contra Amatores Mundi by Graham Thomas Wilcox

Contra Amatores Mundi: A Gothic Fantasy is a medieval grimdark novella by Graham Thomas Wilcox, one of the editors behind the “Soulsborne” dark fantasy fiction showcase Old Moon Quarterly. The title is Latin for “against the lovers of the world,” quoted from a sermon by 14th century religious writer Richard Rolle, and true to the name, the novella features a pair of lovers separated by epic circumstances.

Contra Amatores Mundi begins with Hieronymus of Tsorn and Prospero of Luchetti, two knights of the chivalric Order of the Dragon, at sea. As they dispatch their enemy, the Knight of Foxes, he drags both knights overboard as his dying act. The last thing Hieronymus sees as he is claimed by the depths is Walpurga, his beloved nun (who has one flesh hand and one skeletal hand for unexplained—but undeniably metal—reasons). When Hieronymus and Prospero awaken, they find themselves in a strange world beneath the sea. With only each other to rely upon in a bizarre land swarming with hostile monsters, the two knights set out across the wilderness, searching for a way home. Through the use of a relic claimed from the corpse of their first opponent, Hieronymus witnesses visions of his distant love Walpurga. Alternately comforting and distressing, on some occasions he sees Walpurga doing her utmost to be reunited with Hieronymus, at other times he sees her committing infidelities or moving on with her life. Just as the vicissitudes of their journey tests his body, the visions challenge his resolve and love for his woman.

Contra Amatores Mundi bears some kinship with an earlier work by Wilcox, sharing the setting and some characters from “The Feast of Saint Ottmer,” my favorite of the stories published in Old Moon Quarterly Volume 3. In my review of “The Feast of Saint Ottmer,” I wrote that “It overshoots Arthurian romance, ending up closer to the opening scenes of Vlad Dracula as armored warrior in the Francis Ford Coppola film Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).” To my amusement, Wilcox later admitted that he was indeed a big fan of that particular Coppola sequence, and the same bombastic, operatic feel is captured in Contra Amatores Mundi as well.

Wilcox cites Cormac McCarthy, Gene Wolfe, and Chretien de Troyes as influences on Contra Amatores Mundi. While I lack firsthand experience with Chretien, I can say that the novella does pair the brutality of something like McCarthy’s The Road with the ornate prose and archaic diction of Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun. Intriguing vocabulary choices abound, and the style of passages like the following effectively evoke an atmosphere where flowery, cultured speech collides with the grim butchery of the knights’ trade.

“…violence never authored its writ upon a man more firmly than it did upon dread Prospero. Blood, fire and death had scrawled him all over, such that by the very ink of his eye and curl of his mouth, one branded him at once a son of Cain.”

Hieronymus and Prospero’s odyssey is a bloody, arduous one. At every turn they are confronted by giants, animate skeletons, serpent-headed creatures and worse. Their nightmarish journey is accompanied by frequent meditations upon the nature of their vocation. These knights fight in the name of the Christian God (presented here as a more martial and bloodthirsty icon than some might expect), and Hieronymus is simultaneously devoted to the darkly alluring Walpurga. But the reader is also given the impression that these two warriors relish the taking and giving of blood. They are compatible with no other lifestyle; killing is their business and business is good. And trapped as they are in another realm with only a faint glimmer of hope, they have effectively become suicide commandos.

While readers may trip over the occasional unfamiliar word (likely armor-related jargon) or pause to reread a particularly florid turn of phrase, the pace of the novella is brisk and propulsive. The ending arrives abruptly. So sudden, in fact, that I wondered if my copy was missing a page or two. Upon further reflection, however, Wilcox gives us enough indication of the two knights’ ultimate fate, allowing readers to fill in the final moments themselves.

The McCarthy and Wolfe influences are clearly present, but this novella is also recommended for fans of Christopher Buehlman’s Between Two Fires, Matt Holder’s Hurled Headlong Flaming, and the Games Workshop Warhammer tie-in fiction published by Black Library. (Indeed, one of Wilcox’s previous releases is the Warhammer: Age of Sigmar short story “Grimnirsson.”) Contra Amatores Mundi: A Gothic Fantasy is a gory grimdark opera with style and spectacle.

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REVIEW: Lightfall by Ed Crocker

If you thought vampires and werewolves in epic fantasy were dead, then Ed Crocker is here to prove you wrong in Lightfall. Bleeding with intrigue, emotion, and snarky dark humour, this fangtastically fun yet bloody brutal dark fantasy will ensorcell you with its mystery and have you howling from laughter and heartache the entire way through.
In a world where mortals are myth, a rebellious vampire maid, a magicless sorcerer and his rakish companion, a pompous and grieving vampire Lord, a secretive vampire countess and her enigmatic lady friend, and a deadly werewolf assassin cross paths as they stumble into a seemingly simple murder mystery investigation that unearths a dark conspiracy which turns their entire world on its head; it’s not the start of a bad joke, it’s the batshit crazy premise of Lightfall.

Now, it might have taken me a few chapters to really sink into the narrative because of the frequent mid-chapter POV switches, but once I was in, I was IN. Crocker’s bold storytelling and whip-smart authorial voice just worked for me in every single way, and I personally think he pulled off the tricky multi-POV first person present tense narration with effortless grace. The way that the prose subtly shifted in tone and diction to fit with the race, cultural background and class of each character was so masterfully done and made them all so distinct and uniquely compelling, even if some of them were maybe a bit overwhelmingly wordy or had a flair for the dramatic that probably even Gabriel de Léon and Jean-François from Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire would roll their eyes at.

Honestly though, for a book that Crocker promotes as ‘anti-human propaganda’, it is filled with suspiciously lively and inexplicably loveable weirdos whose raw and relatable (in?)human emotions get you emotionally invested to a point that is honestly not safe for your own sanity. I loved seeing unexpected bonds of loyalty and friendship (and maybe even more? CUTE) tentatively start to develop between them, despite their best efforts to pretend they truly absolutely didn’t care for each other (nice try). And don’t get me started on how much I adored all the fierce, feisty and fearsome ladies, they just truly stole the show for me in Lightfall. From the rebellious Sam and her quietly endearing friend Beth, to the deviously clever and enigmatic Lady Hocquard and Alanna, and can’t forget the snarky and deadly werewolf assassin Raven Ansbach; I want to be them all when I grow up.

And when I tell you that this story just gets better and better with each chapter, I mean that it got so good that I couldn’t hold myself back from devouring the last half of the book in one afternoon. Lightfall isn’t just a fantasy mystery, but instead it’s also got a truly addictive air of mystery and intrigue that permeates every aspect of the story. Crocker just knows how to strike the perfect balance between giving enough information to feel deeply immersed and follow along with all the mystifying clues of the mystery investigation, while also keeping his cards deviously close to his chest and dangling just the most tantalising teases about the rich history/lore of the world and the obscure backstories of the enigmatic characters in front of your nose.

Moreover, for all that Lightfall is a wildly entertaining and exciting romp (we’ve even got a suicide mission of a blood bank heist, for goodness’ sake), at its core it’s still a dark fantasy with good horror flavours which unflinchingly explores some heavier topics and knows how to deliver emotional gutpunches that just hurt oh so good. When you’re dealing with a world ruled by immortal beings, the themes of mortality, the fallibility of memory and historical accounts, and the weight of grief and grudges naturally sneak their way into the narrative in the most unexpectedly hard-hitting and profound ways. Not to mention the commentary on classism and elitism through the set-up of the vampire society, where the nobility thrive on the most nurturing and powerful blood while the poor are left to wither away on the weak blood; even in a society of vampires, you can count on the rich to be the true suckers.  

Just when I thought we had twisted the last twist and turned the last turn, Crocker had another few corkscrews up his sleeve, and the last chapter of Lightfall truly has me dying for book 2 in The Everlands trilogy already. With its high stakes, riveting mystery, pulse-pounding action, and irresistibly charming humour and heart, this comfortably familiar yet refreshingly inventive dark fantasy mystery adventure is just the perfect treat for all the dark souls who love the tone and vibe of David Wragg, Jay Kristoff, and Joe Abercrombie; I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Lightfall is scheduled for release on January 14, 2025.

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The best fantasy, horror, and Sci-fi books of 2024

Last Updated on December 26, 2024

When I asked the team for the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror books of 2024, I expected a bit of a mixed bag. There is some absolutely epic reading coming out in 2025 but this year felt, at first, like it had been a little lean in the grimdark and dark SFF world. Seeing what the team enjoyed reading this year, I, of course, was wrong.

It’s easy to forget across the course of a whole year, 300+ book reviews, and all the other things released around the book world that there has been some amazing reading published this year. Even looking back our favourite reads of 2024 so far in July, I should have known better.

Fortunately for you, the team has come up with a list for the ages, with plenty in there for a wide range of readers, all with the things we know you love–grim stories set in a dark world told by morally grey characters. Sit back this Boxing Day, and pick a few books to pad out your TBR pile.

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

Picked by Fiona

My best read of 2024 was Jay Kristoff‘s Empire of the Damned, which should surprise no one because it was also my most anticipated read for 2024.

The second book in a trilogy often has a tough time, but Empire of the Damned is more than a bridge between the fantastic Empire of the Vampire and what promises to be an epic conclusion. It is as dark, bloody, and brutal as you would expect from a world full of fanged apex predators. But it’s also got hope, love, and some moments of hilarity. Sometimes people think that grimdark is the absence of those lighter moments, but in them Kristoff shows us why Gabe is still fighting, why he hasn’t given up, and why he will continue until the bitter and bloody end. Gabriel de Leon is not a hero, he’s never claimed to be, but he will tear down the world around him for those he loves. Empire of the Damned was exceptional and I can’t wait for Kristoff’s finale.

P.S. the internal artwork from Bon Orthwick is beautiful.

Read our review of Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff.

About Empire of the Damned

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone.

But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth.

And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.

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The Book that Broke the World by Mark Lawrence

Picked by John

The Book That Broke the World? More like the book that broke my brain and shattered my soul. Mark Lawrence strikes the perfect balance between intellect and heart in this second volume of his Library Trilogy, which began with last year’s highly acclaimed The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. The Library Trilogy revolves around the Athenaeum, the legendary library that becomes a literal and figurative battleground over who controls access to knowledge or whether information should be passed down at all.

Enter Livira, an irrepressible young woman who, like the resilient weed for which she is named, simply cannot be kept down. Despite coming from an impoverished background and suffering unspeakable tragedy as a young girl, Livira overcomes the odds to become a librarian in the bustling Crath City. The other lead protagonist is Evar, a young man who grew up trapped in the Library, surrounded by impossibly tall towers of books, with only his four adopted siblings as companions. The Library children were raised by two android-like figures known as the Assistant and the Soldier.

The Book That Broke the World is a triumph of imagination and a deeply thought-provoking meditation on the nature of memory, the value of knowledge, and the degree of self-determination we may or may not have in our lives. Do we write our own stories or are they written for us? I, for one, couldn’t be happier that Mark Lawrence has written this masterpiece for us all.

Read our review for The Book that Broke the World by Mark Lawrence.

About The Book that Broke the World

The Library spans worlds and times. It touches and joins distant places. It is memory and future. And amid its vastness Evar Eventari both found, and lost, Livira Page.

Evar has been forced to flee the library, driven before an implacable foe. Livira, trapped in a ghost world, has to recover the book she wrote—one which is the only true threat to the library’s existence—if she’s to return to her life.

While Evar’s journey leads him outside into a world he’s never seen, Livira’s path will taker her deep inside her own writing, where she must wrestle with her stories in order to reclaim the volume in which they were written.

The secret war that defines the library has chosen its champions and set them on the board. The time has come when they must fight for what they believe, or lose everything.

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Asunder by Kerstin Hall

Picked by Esmay

If you’d asked me at the start of 2024 which book would end up my no. 1 favourite of the year, I would have pulled up a crazily long list of highly anticipated reads that I would have bet good money on taking the crown. But then, out of absolutely nowhere, Asunder by Kerstin Hall entered my life and just ran away with my heart, only to crush it without remorse and then leave me desperately trying to pick up the pieces.

This dark fantasy horror adventure follows Deathspeaker Karys Eska after she accidentally binds a dying stranger into her shadow when her latest job goes horribly wrong; a bond that could end up tearing them both asunder. This is one of those books that you can’t do justice to in a review or recommendation, you have to experience its brilliant madness, peel back the characters’ emotional layers, and explore the obscure corners of this hauntingly mesmerising world all for yourself.

Hall’s bold storytelling and unique imagination are unlike anything I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing before, and the diabolical ending still has me reeling all these months later. Filled with arcane horrors, eldritch beings, emotional trauma, and broken yet loveable characters who are scattered all across the spectrum of grey morality, Asunder is honestly an unparalleled masterpiece of character-driven grimdark fantasy with heart.

Read our review of Asunder by Kerstin Hall.

About Asunder

Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch being―three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving―who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a job goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with some very dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended.

Ferain is willing to pay a ludicrous sum of money for her help. To save him, Karys inadvertently binds him to her shadow, an act that may doom them both. If they want to survive, they will need to learn to trust one another. Together, they must journey to the heart of a faded empire, all the while haunted by arcane horrors, and the unquiet ghosts of their pasts.

And all too soon, Karys knows her debts will come due.

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The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman

Picked by Will

The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman was my favorite of 2024. The main character, Galva, had one of the most compelling voices I’ve read in fantasy. I was refreshed by a character driven story set in an epic war story, and Buelman’s arresting writing style kept me in the story the whole time. Throw in massive, sentient war ravens and a goblin horde comprised of the most gruesomely terrifying creatures in a fantasy world, and you have my favorite grimdark novel in years.

Read our review of The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman.

About The Daughter’s War

The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men.

They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war.

Now, our daughters take up arms.

Galva ― Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill ― has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.

The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted ― not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.

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I was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Picked by Robin

The book combines a fun exploration of familiar slasher movie tropes with a surprisingly poignant coming of age story. It’s brisker and breezier than Jones’ Indian Lake Trilogy, but he doesn’t skimp on the characterization or emotional dimension of the story.

And while Jones retains the slasher movie elements horror fans would expect, he throws the audience a curveball by making the slasher quality transmitted, like lycanthropy. The killer’s intended victims likewise unconsciously place themselves in risky situations. It’s a fun twist with thought-provoking implications.

Read our review of I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones.

About I Was a Teenage Slasher

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, and shared sense of unfairness of being on the outside through the slasher horror Jones loves, but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.

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The End and the Death Volume 3 by Dan Abnett

Picked by Chris

As a Warhammer 40,000 fan, I’ve waited for this telling for 30 years and Abnett’s twisting, layered and profoundly blesk telling of how the final day of the Horus Heresy went down absolutely fulfilled my expectations.

Abnett manages to pull together so many plot threads in satisfying ways in TE&TD3 and also throws more than a few surprises into the mix. There are things that long term 40k fans expected to happen that didn’t, things that were deep early canon that were confirmed, and he managed to give all his characters a suitable end to their narrative arc, which is mightily impressive given the literal cast of millions and the need to give long term and more recent fans a satisfying experience.

Plus, he sets up the next series–the Scouring (if Black Library choose to go there)–nicely, while not making this final book feel any less satisfying.

This is 40k at it’s bleakest, it’s most arcane, it’s most mind-bendingly chaotic and most achingly human all at once. This book included moments that had me confused with the left turn things had taken, literally shouting NO! out loud and also bits where I was all but cheering and weeping at the same time. There are elements here which are singular to this novel in the whole massive lexicon of that universe, but the themes are consistent and universal. In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war – but no small amount of wonder and perhaps just a tiny bit of hope as well.

It’s the hope that kills you.

About The End and the Death Vol. 3

The Great Angel, Sanguinius, lies slain at his brother’s hand.

Terra burns as reality itself unravels and the greatest bastion of civilisation teeters on the brink of annihilation.

Desperate defenders gather, banding against the rabid traitor hordes. The Hollow Mountain, host to the pilgrims of Euphrati Keeler, is one of the last redoubts, held by the Dark Angels while the unclean host of Typhus lays siege. Malcador the Sigillite sits ablaze on the Golden Throne, trying to buy his master more time. But time is running out…

Guilliman races across the stars to reinforce the Throneworld. Will he return to ashes, where a Warmaster of Chaos has ascended to godhood, or will the Emperor have triumphed? And at what cost?

It all comes down to one final, climactic confrontation: the Emperor versus Horus. The father against the son.

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Model Home by Rivers Solomon

Picked by Rai

My favourite 2024 release was Model Home by Rivers Solomon (01 October 2024). Described as “a story of a haunted house and haunted people”, the novel is a well-woven literary horror that tackles the haunting of a family over three generations and how the intersectionality of their lives contributes to the ever-elusive menace. Solomon brings a genuine voice of lived experience to the tale that makes it all the more visceral and relatable. It’s a slow burn to start but ramps up dramatically. Ideal for fans of the haunted house, explorations into the dark side of humanity and those seeking something that makes you think.

Read our review of Model Home by Rivers Solomon.

About Model Home

The three Maxwell siblings keep their distance from the lily-white gated enclave outside Dallas where they grew up. When their family moved there, they were the only Black family in the neighborhood. The neighbors acted nice enough, but right away bad things, scary things―the strange and the unexplainable―began to happen in their house. Maybe it was some cosmic trial, a demonic rite of passage into the upper-middle class. Whatever it was, the Maxwells, steered by their formidable mother, stayed put, unwilling to abandon their home, terrors and trauma be damned.

As adults, the siblings could finally get away from the horrors of home, leaving their parents all alone in the house. But when news of their parents’ death arrives, Ezri is forced to return to Texas with their sisters, Eve and Emanuelle, to reckon with their family’s past and present, and to find out what happened while they were away. It was not a “natural” death for their parents . . . but was it supernatural?

Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life.

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The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston

Picked by Beth

The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston is precisely what it says: “A gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle, Cameron Johnston’s The Last Shield is an engaging fantasy read…” When I initially heard of this story, it had me at gender-flipped Die Hard. What a perfect elevator pitch for folks like me. I like big, mean, take-no-prisoners heroes. Often morally gray, “just doing my job,” type folks. This story has that in spades. Even better, the main character is female, i.e., gender-flipped, which is not often seen in books like this.

“How much fight can one broken old woman have left in her?”

As I immersed myself in the story, I couldn’t help but admire Johnston’s skill as a storyteller. He took a concept that could have easily veered into cheesy territory and turned it into something truly fantastic. The action is gripping, the dialogue is sharp, and the pacing is perfect. There’s not much more to say about how great this book is. If you’re a fan of The Maleficent Seven, you’re in for a treat with The Last Shield. Cameron, I salute you for creating my favorite book of 2024.

Read our review of The Last Shield.

About The Last Shield

The ancient forest realm of Sunweald is bordered on two sides by far mightier nations – a precarious situation. At its centre, the Sunweald Palace is home to the Lord Regent and the heir to the throne, together with numerous precious and powerful artefacts. The Palace is protected by the realm’s elite Shields, dedicated to guarding the royal line against all foes.

A group of vicious brigands called the Wildwood Reivers have been stealing arcane artefacts and smuggling them across the borders, out of Sunweald. And the objects they most desire are stored in the mystical Wyrm Vault, hidden away deep in the bones of the earth, within the walls of the Palace itself.

As political and religious tensions mount, Sunweald’s druids prepare to enact rituals for the Summer Solstice – but the Wildwood Reivers and their treacherous allies have other plans. It falls to Briar, the commander of the Shields, to defend the ancient corridors and secret tunnels of the Palace. The odds may be against her, but she’ll see every enemy head adorning a spike or she’ll die trying…

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The Escher Man by T.R. Napper

Picked by Adrian Collins

T.R. Napper is back with another mind-bending cyberpunk romp full of action, memory manipulation, and never quite knowing who you should be cheering for. Endel “Endgame” Ebbinghaus is a violent man. But he’s also a family man. And in The Escher Man he needs to make a decision about who he wants to be while his boss Mr. Long tries to retain him as Macau’s most brutal enforcer and hit man.

What Napper really knocks out of the park in this book is the ability to work with memory in his storyline in a way that hasn’t been done that magnificently (in my experience) since watching Guy Pearce in Memento. This approach creates this amazing, somewhat untrustworthy, reading experience where you are building a picture of who Endel is, what his actions mean, and what he’s trying to achieve while overwriting your previous experiences with him, in just the same way he’s having his memory consistently overwritten throughout the book. The Escher Man is just completely unputdownable and a must read for cyberpunk fans.

I’m going to say it again: T.R. Napper is the future of cyberpunk, and his body of work has created a terrifying future world I hope I never have to live in, but I pray to the publishing gods that I get to read plenty more about.

Read our review of The Escher Man by T.R. Napper.

About The Escher man

Your name is Endel ‘Endgame’ Ebbinghaus. It is Saturday, 3 September, 2101. You’re head of security for Mister Long, boss of the Macau Syndicate, a drug cartel. Your memories are being wiped and re-written. You keep this log because you’re hard pressed to remember what day it is. But today is a special day, mate. This is your last day on the job.”

‘Endgame’ is a violent man, the perfect enforcer. But Endel is also a father and husband, haunted by the memories of his estranged family, and the life they once had.

Endel wants them back, and he wants out. But life in the syndicate isn’t one you can simply leave.

Endgame is a violent man. Or is he? In a world where memory manipulation is the weapon of choice for the powerful, Endel can’t tell friends and enemies apart anymore, can’t be sure if he’s a person or a tool.

Trapped in a taut, twisting nightmare, Endel must find a way to escape the labyrinth they’ve made of his mind, and take revenge.

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Previous year’s best of lists

What’s that? Your bank account hasn’t taken enough pubishment? Check out our previous year’s best of lists and keep padding out that TBR like a champ.

20232022202120202019

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REVIEW: Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to the incredibly successful Joker movie by Hangover creator Todd Phillips. It is also notable for being a massive bomb that has angered quite a few fans with its unconventional take. It is has Joaquin Phoenix return to the role of the titular Joker, and he is joined by co-star Lady Gaga as a version of Harley Quinn, a character with her own massive fanbase.

Like the original Joker film, this film takes place in a Gotham City that doesn’t have a Batman and is a heightened version of America’s already troubled legal as well as social system. Defenders of the movie say it is about mental illness rather than the Joker himself. Detractors state it’s advertised as a Joker movie and should be a Joker movie. As a longtime Batman fan, enjoyer of grimdark, and neuroatypical person myself, what do I think? Does this movie deserve the hate it gets?

Yeah, it kinda does.

The premise of Joker: Folie A Deux is that Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has been arrested for his murders from the previous movie and spends most of the film incarcerated at Arkham Asylum. While there, he meets a beautiful woman named Lee (Lady Gaga), who has fallen in love with his Joker persona but not Arthur Fleck. The film is all about Arthur’s relationship with his persona and the treatment of the mentally ill by society. There’s also a lot of singing and no original songs.

Essentially, I feel the movie is very much at odds with what the audience would expect from not just the title and the Joker as a character, but where the previous movie was leading. The previous Joker movie depicted the transformation of Arthur Fleck from being a mild-mannered decent-enough sort into a murderer for attention. It was making the questionable but not incomprehensible postulation that society pushes a person long enough, he’ll start pushing back in a violent horrifying manner.

It’s the premise of Taxi Driver and was also influenced strongly by The King of Comedy, both by Martin Scorsese. Fans justifiably expected that we’d see the Joker continue his crime spree and illustrate how society glorifies killers.  It’s easy to see why Joker: Folie à Deux went over like a lead balloon among fans because they went to see Bonnie and Clyde or Natural Born Killers and instead got Chicago. A really bad, off-key, version of Chicago.

I can understand if Todd Phillips didn’t want to pursue this line of writing or felt the previous movie’s fans missed the mark but the fact is that Arthur in Joker: Folie à Deux doesn’t feel like he flows from the previous film. After becoming a multiple murderer and surrendering to his inner demons, this Arthur feels like a rubber band that snapped back to his previous goofy self. It doesn’t feel natural and it’s badly written.

Lee is barely a character in Joker: Folie à Deux and if feels like she is just there to represent the idea that Arthur has fans who do not care about him in the slightest, only the Joker. Except the reason that he became the Joker in the first place is because he wanted people to worship him. It’s a waste of Lady Gaga’s talents and the fact the soundtrack sucks is the most inexplicable part of this film. Given Lady Gaga made her own original soundtrack for this film and they didn’t use it, well, I think that summarizes what a car crash this all turned out to be.

As someone with mental health issues, I feel Todd just doesn’t understand us and doesn’t understand the appeal of the Joker either. We don’t need his defense. The first movie understood that he wasn’t a killer because he was “insane.” It was society and corruption that drove him to become a spree killer. It was society who misinterpreted what was a cry for help into something revolutionary. Joker: Folie à Deux just seems to say that none of that matters and Arthur should have just accepted being crushed like a bug. It even seems to endorse prisoner abuse.

Two thumbs down.

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