Adrian Collins's Blog, page 97

An Interview With Jane Yolen

Describing the breadth of Jane Yolen’s influence on modern readers is difficult. Yolen, a poet, journalist, fiction author, and children’s book author, has touched the lives and imaginations of every age bracket through her 400+ books. I spent hours entertaining my child with dinosaurs from Yolen’s children’s fiction series. And as an adult, I have read and enjoyed her twisted fairy tales, especially the fourth installment, The Scarlet Circus. 

Young, old, romance readers to the darkest of grimdark lovers will appreciate her mastery of language and storytelling. She honored us by sitting down and chatting with us about fairy tales, writing, and more.

[GdM:] You have a home in Scotland; what about Scotland draws you to the country?

My late husband was a professor at UMass, Amherst, and on his first sabbatical—partially because he was half Scottish (the Douglas clean, and partially because we had fallen in love with Scotland on an earlier trip top Britain, and partially because Scotland had a number of really good Computer Science departments in various universities, we took the sabbatical in Edinburgh.  While there, he lectured at a number of other universities and discovered that the work being done in St Andrews most clearly matched his own. So on the next sabbatical we went there

Where I discovered a number of fantasy and sf writers and poets lived nearby. Plus, we fell in love with the house we were renting. Dear reader….er bought it!

[GdM:] When you write, how do you choose what to work on? Is it a matter of mood and inspiration, or do you have a more fixed idea of what needs to be done next?

JY:All of the above. Plus I regularly look back unfinished work or unsold work snd try to figure out what needs revising.

[GdM:] Are there topics that you will not write about poem-wise?  

JY  Nope. Anything goes.

[GdM:] As such a prolific poet, would you consider poetry your greatest love? If so, what about poetry attracts you so much to it?

{petry and fantasy were my first loves and it stuck. My favorite poems are “Jabberwocky” and anything by Dickinson or Yeats.“

[GdM:] Are you still sending your subscribers a poem a day? To produce the poem a day, are you influenced by the news, world happenings, or something beautiful you saw while about in your daily life?

JY: All of the above, plus lines from favorite poems, newspaper clippings, something someone asked, or watching out my window and seeing squirrels and foxes and bobcats and bears and….it’s an old New England farmhouse with a lot of out buildings and farmland! Lots happening there every day.

[GdM:] You have added your own unique take on different Arthurian myths over the years. What draws you to the stories of Merlin, Guinevere, and Arthur?

JY: The very first books I read that stuck(I was a very early reader) were the two Alice in Wonderland books, and a book about Kind Arthur. Also, my parents let me read anything in their librairy and they had LOTS of books. Nothing was off limits. (I hope modern librarians and the nutcases trying to ban books in schools are listening!!! Reading widely and over my head, I became a world citizen. I have three children—they are writers and baturalists, and two grandklids who have books published as well. Reading things we didn’t know about or didn’t agree with, made us better citizens better humans, and. More interesting.

[GdM:] What advice would you give to an author who wanted to branch out into writing children’s books? What skills will they need that they might have yet to exercise in writing for a non-children audience?

JY:  You do not have to have children (though sometimes it helps) but you should really sit down and read children’s books—not just the classics from when you were a child, but books that are being published now. Also join SCBWI. (Society of children’s book writers and illustrators—a 50-year opld organization.) Join your local SCBWI group and go to critique group meetings. Read, read, read. And as you are writing, read the words out loud because the great majority of children’s are read aloud by parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, authors  in the classroom. The ear is as important a reader as the eye.

[GdM:] I am a Cat Rambo fan, and I particularly enjoyed The Reinvented Heart: Tales of Futuristic Relationships. Was it surprising that the book was organized around your poetic contributions, or was that planned?

JY: I sent the poems in and I guess Cat liked them enough to include them that way. It wasn’t really planned.

[GdM:] Can you tell us about The Scarlet Circus?

JY: I had been doing a series of collections of m y published sf/fantasy poems Tachyon and the publisher and I were discussing what could be next. I had done a horror collection, a fairy tale collection, etc. He, “What about romance?” I replied, “I don’t write romance though some of my stories have Love in them.” (I was thinking about Romance Novels which is not my cuppa so I don’t read the genre.) “But…”I said .”not sure I have enough stories to fill a book. But I did. And since I—a widow of 17 years—had just remarried to an old college boyfriend (likewise a widower) it seemed prophetic.

[GdM:] How does an author fracture a fairy tale? How do you choose how much to break a story and how to put it back together?

JY: You begin by rereading favorite fairy and folk tales and take them apart and make them more modern (mostly meaning giving the females more agency!) or a different historical setting or giving them different voices. It doesn’t mean “breaking them –though  the word fracture certainly pushes in that direction. For example: Ask yourself why we think a prince kissing a sleeping girl makes it romantic? Actually some earlier versions of the story have him raping the sleeping young woman and she wakes up a year later with twins.) Or why a prince with an enterouage sees a dead  girl in a glass coffin and buys her from the dwarves. Using her for a coffee table display? Necrophilia? Something equally disgusting? Maybe dinner? Or ….when she wakes and starts talking, what does he do? Many short stories there I would think! Or novels. I wrote one of them—BRIAR ROSE a Holocaust novel.

[GdM:] What tale from the modern age might be taken and cracked in the future?

Depends. If it is an actual folk story (no copyright) or someone’s new fairy tale (copyright limitations.)

[GdM:] What is your favorite poem and fractured fairy tale in the collection, and why?

 JY: I would rather tell you my favorite one in Scarlet Circus because it is the latest collection and the one I am right                                                               now closest to. My favorite story is “A Ghost of An Affair” because it feels as if it anticipated my marriage at 80 to my 82 year                                                             old husband. We who had dated in college and re-met as widow and widower. The time travel element is very real to us. As is the poem which I wrote for him at the beginning of our new relationship time travel indeed.

[GdM:] Your books, The Midnight Circus, The Emerald Circus, and now The Scarlet Circus, have a visual theme between them of circuses. What is the connection between circuses and these fractured fairy tales?

JY: Magic. Just magic.

[GdM:] In the story notes and poems section of The Scarlet Circus, you mentioned that the poem “Hero’s Thumb” was published in your band’s 2018 CD. Now I need to know: how did your band form?

I was u0m and writing songs for a couple of musicians (both women) who decided to start a band.

We were the Three Ravens (there was a male guitarist) and Jane Yolen. I wrote a lot of the lyrics for songs, and read poems in between.  We played a bunch of gigs and like many bands, broke up after a year.

[GdM:] The Scarlet Circus, features many different forms of love. I found your comments about two stories interesting: “Ghost of an Affair,” which you said is a reflection of your second marriage, and “Sea Man,” which focuses on family closeness. This one was written when your first husband was alive and well. How was the writing process on these two very personal stories different from some of the other stories in your collection?

JY: Hmmmm I don’t know. I didn’t realize until long after (when I was actually writing the back matter) that both were really part of my own personal story. But that’s what writers’ do, turn their own stories into something else. Sometimes magic, sometimes horror, sometimes a love song to their spouse and/or family. And sometimes, Isuppose, to get back at a bad relationship.

[GdM:] What are you reading right now?  

JY: I just finished a new Peter Beagle story collection. WOW! Is he good.  And the mss. Of a friend’s Holocaust novel that takes place in Hungary and is quite devastating, and my revisionans a trilogy of my own, middle grade novels about school children in nineteenth century Scotland who fight off monsters. They are organized and led by their schoool master and the three children each has a role: Pone is Tracker, one is Gaffer, and one is Bait. The Books are R and A (Royal and Ancient) Monster Hunters series. Probably out 2024 from Move Books, an imprint of Charlesbridge.

Thank you for taking the time to do this; I know you have a hectic schedule, and I appreciate being able to chat with you about The Scarlet Circus.

Interview was conducted by Beth Tabler and Jodie Crump

READ THE SCARLET CIRCUS BY JANE YOLEN

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REVIEW: Arca by G. R. Macallister

Arca by G. R. Maccalister is the second novel in Macallister’s The Five Queendoms series, picking up where last year’s Scorpica left off. It is published by the Saga Press imprint of Simon and Schuster in America and Titan in the UK. I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Scorpica for Grimdark Magazine and was excited to get my hands on Arca. This epic matriarchal fantasy was a read I enjoyed. Although not very dark, it is a complex fantasy in a richly created world with equal beauty and brutality. Arca is now in North America and will be released in the UK in April 2023. G R Macallister has also published historical fiction as Greer Macallister.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second novel in the series, Arca, is not where you should begin your journey into The Five Queendoms series. Scorpica is essential prior knowledge to understand the queendoms, their political hierarchies, religious pantheons, and the events in Scorpica which lead to the action of Arca. I enjoyed the first novel, but I should have reread it before jumping into Arca, as there is no preamble or summary explaining what occurred before this in the series. However, there is a list of the key characters of each Queendom, and I found this immensely helpful as a reminder before I started the novel proper.

Like its predecessor, Arca is also a multiple-perspective narrative, with some key characters being new to this story and others more familiar, having also appeared in the first novel. The primary setting this time around is the magical realm of Arca. Still, there are also relevant plots being woven through from the warrior women of Scorpica and the commercial queendom of Paxim. In a matriarchal system, most key characters are women, but that is sometimes their only similarity. Eminel has become Queen of Arca with no formal magical training and little understanding of her court. Heliane, Queen of Paxim, wants to make her son Paulus the first-ever ruling King. And Tamura, the Queen of Scorpica, is lurking in the mountain range that borders both countries with her army, poised to invade even though the Drought of Girls has now ended.

Macallister’s writing is ambitious and intelligent. Arca is engaging to read, even though there is a vast amount of world-building at play in this series. Each narrative perspective is equally interesting. Macallister deftly weaves through all the different storylines throughout the novel so that you do not get lost or confused about who is from where or what this character is doing. One of the only things I did not like about Scorpica was that the relatively short novel covered such a considerable amount of time, and Macallister’s sharp style left me wanting more detail about the world. It is not the case here. Although Macallister’s writing style is unchanged, the plot of Arca only covers about two years, and the novel itself is longer. Even though it took me a few chapters to get back to grips with the queendoms, this meant that overall I found it to be a more immersive reading experience. And although the novel is fast-paced, it did not feel rushed.

Arca has almost all of the elements I love in fantasy novels. It is a masterful showcase of powerful women with battles, magic, and politicking, which takes place in a queer norm world. You might get your throat cut in The Five Queendoms, but it will not be because of who you love. If you enjoy well-written epic fantasy with strong female characters, then a journey into The Five Queendoms should be on your to-do list. If you liked Scorpica, you would love Arca.

I would like to say a massive thank you to G. R. Macallister and the team at Saga Press for sending me a copy of Arca to review it.

4/5

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REVIEW: The Assassin of Grins and Secrets by K.E. Andrews

In The Assassin of Grins and Secrets, the debut dark fantasy from K.E. Andrews and a semi-finalist in the 8th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO8), the notorious assassin Serein is known for wearing a surreal smile while she kills her victims with a legendary efficiency.

Does Serein smile because she derives some sick pleasure from killing, or because she has created a persona to mask the trauma of her past? While Serein’s external scars are evident from the opening scene of the novel, her inner wounds are revealed more gradually.

The Assassin of Grins and Secrets has two additional protagonists: Rameses, the somewhat naïve crown prince of Sarddon who rescues Serein from prison to become his personal bodyguard, and Uriah, his longtime friend and confidant who also serves as captain of the city guard. Rameses and Uriah make for excellent foils, with the idealistic, outgoing prince clashing with his distrustful head of guard who questions Serein’s motivations.

The Assassin of Grins and Secrets is fundamentally a character-driven novel, and K.E. Andrews excels at creating complex, relatable characters. I especially enjoyed the nuanced relationships among the three protagonists, particularly the slowly emerging respect between Serein and Uriah and the development of Rameses as he comes to grips with the atrocities committed by his father against Serein’s people. One of the main uncertainties throughout the story is whether Serein will remain faithful in her service to Rameses, or if she will seek revenge on his father for the crimes perpetrated against her people.

K.E. Andrews skillfully subverts the tropes normally associated with a female assassin lead. There is no love triangle here, no seduction, and no romance whatsoever. Serein excels as a female assassin in a male-dominated world because she is so good at what she does.

A unique aspect of the novel is that Serein experiences chromesthesia, a condition where hearing sound evokes visual perceptions of color, with different colors associated with different types of sound. The use of colors in The Assassin of Grins and Secrets reminded me of Warbreaker, the early Cosmere novel from Brandon Sanderson, where the magic system involves perceiving colors more vividly. K.E. Andrews has captured this extrasensory perception beautifully and shown how it can enhance and deepen Serein’s awareness of her surroundings.

Although this is her debut fantasy novel, K.E. Andrews has already published three volumes of poetry. Andrews writes beautifully, and her experience as a poet shines through especially in her descriptions of the colors that Serein sees coming from different types of sound.

Although the worldbuilding in The Assassin of Grins and Secrets is inspired by various cultures around the world, there is definitely an Arabian flair that recalls the Tower and Knife Trilogy by Mazarkis Williams. This is a refreshing change from the usual high fantasy worlds inspired by medieval Europe. K.E. Andrews provides a lot of helpful information about her world at the front of the book, which I consulted frequently while reading the story.

The plot of The Assassin of Grins and Secrets is a slow burn and strikes a good balance between the characters’ inner and outer conflicts. By the second half, I became fully invested in the story, especially as a terrifying figure from Serein’s past returns with a menacing plan. My only criticism of The Assassin of Grins and Secrets is that the pacing feels inconsistent, with some parts dragging a bit too long and the ending coming too abruptly for my taste.

K.E. Andrews weaves a colorful tapestry of intrigue throughout The Assassin of Grins and Secrets. The author shines in her character work, particularly with Serein’s complex motivations as an assassin with a mysterious past. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Assassin of Grins and Secrets and recommend this book for fans of nuanced, character-driven dark fantasy.

4/5

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REVIEW: The Viking Gael Saga by J.T.T. Ryder

After a disastrous duel fought over an outstanding debt, young Asgeir finds himself pressed into service to Ulf the Old, the man who slayed Asgeir’s elder brother. Aging Norseman Ulf yearns to go raiding one last time, with Ireland as his destination, and Asgeir finds himself a press-ganged oarsman on the longship Sea-Bitch. A so-called Viking Gael, blending Norse and Gaelic Irish heritage, Asgeir chafes under Ulf’s command. However, morality compels him to delay his vengeance and bide his time; just as his brother was slain in a fair duel, Asgeir wishes to kill Ulf in an honest and “respectable” manner. But the Sea-Bitch’s voyage runs into trouble immediately after departure, as a routine stop for provisions in Laerdal enmeshes the crew in a tangled web of treachery and familial grievances. It turns out that Asgeir is not the only one with a hatred for Ulf, and he finds himself torn between his personal code of honor and his burning desire to see an enemy dead.

First book in a series of the same name, The Viking Gael Saga is set in western Norway, 870 AD. Central to the narrative is the Viking culture of honor. We’re shown a society of explosively escalating violence, where slights and injuries must be paid for—often immediately—in blood. Ryder adds nuance, however, by also demonstrating the importance of law and custom. It’s not merely enough to cut down an enemy, the killing must be done in a way in which the gods and one’s peers would deem above reproach.

Another key element of The Viking Gael Saga is the complex relationship between Asgeir and Ulf. Asgeir bears a grudge over the death of his brother, announcing openly his intent to avenge him. Ulf acknowledges this threat, but also trusts Asgeir will avoid underhanded tactics. He treats Asgeir as any other unproven member of the ship’s crew, neither coddling him nor treating him with especial harshness. Ulf often laments the lack of honor in his countrymen, and scrupulous Asgeir frequently finds himself agreeing with his enemy’s assessment. The Viking Gael Saga’s emphasis on honor and the charged interplay between Asgeir and Ulf turn what could have been a simplistic revenge tale into something much more intriguing.

The Viking Gael Saga hews closer to straight historical fiction than Ryder’s Celtic fantasy series, The Bronze Sword Cycles duology. While overt magic does not appear in the story, neither is the mystical ever very far away. The expectations of the grim Norse gods weigh heavily on the characters, and worries about hexes, omens, and the proper observation of rituals all play a primary role in guiding their actions. The ambiguous presentation of the supernatural and the visceral depiction of combat (no doubt enhanced by the author’s Historical European Martial Arts experience) make this a book that comfortably serves both the historical fiction audience and fans of gritty, grounded fantasy.

Ryder is both a resident of Norway and an archaeologist specializing in Viking history, and that expertise shines through in The Viking Gael Saga. He resists the temptation go overboard with lengthy background exposition and extraneous detail, however. Ryder’s knowledge is demonstrated by subtle touches in the book, showing how the characters act within their society, the tools they use, the laws they live under. Ryder’s presentation of the Viking era is quietly confident.

While The Viking Gael Saga tells a complete story, the book is somewhat harmed by its brevity: only 156 pages in the print edition. The cover shows a fleet of Viking longships on the open seas, but the solitary ship featured in the book doesn’t even make it out of Norway’s fjords. The events of this book would perhaps have better been served as an episode in a longer novel covering more of the Sea-Bitch’s journey. At this pace, Ireland seems very far away, indeed.

As the success of TV series and films Vikings: Valhalla, Vinland Saga, and The Northman show, Vikings continue to capture the popular imagination several centuries after their heyday. The Viking Gael Saga marks the beginning of a promising new addition to the modern viking canon.

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Review: Forest of Foes by Matthew Harffy

The ninth book of The Bernicia Chronicles continues the adventures of Beobrand as readers are transported back to Frankia in AD 652. Beobrand has been ordered to lead a group of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome. He plans to journey quickly and return to Northumbria without delay, but as always – nothing is that simple for Beobrand and the road is long and perilous…

Matthew Harffy is an absolute master of the historical fiction genre and at this point in the series, nine books in, you know what you are getting and that is a well-researched historical novel full of thrilling twists and turns. Forest of Foes finds Beobrand ill, in a foul mood, and far from home. As always, he gets caught up in the rivalries between various powerful players in what is a volatile and chaotic time in history for Europe. Harffy weaves fact and fiction with effortless ease. In both The Bernicia Chronicles and A Time for Swords, he has shown an almost peerless ability to delight history buffs whilst still nailing down what is necessary to draw in and engage readers with no knowledge of such time periods. Nine books in, most readers would have spent a lot of time with Beobrand and Harffy is able to display how well he understands the character in how he continually grows and develops with each adventure and Forest of Foes is another brilliant example of this.

It is not just Beobrand who we focus on in Forest of Foes. Cynan shows excellent growth throughout the novel. He acts a lot like Beobrand and some of the mistakes that he makes remind me of a younger Beobrand and I found myself really enjoying the time spent with him in Forest of Foes. There is a lot of depth to many of the characters and it adds tension in those moments where characters are caught in perilous situations and uncertainty over whether they will make it out alive. This book made me hope for an adaptation of The Bernicia Chronicles in the vein of the excellent The Last Kingdom. Epic, bloody, and so well-written – it’s ripe for an adaptation at a time when The Last Kingdom is coming to an end.

Forest of Foes is another thrilling tale in The Bernicia Chronicles. An absolute delight for fans of the Dark Ages and for readers who love their stories full of blood, gore, and brutality all shining through a stunning historical lens. Another brilliant tale from Matthew Harffy and I can’t wait for more.

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REVIEW: Underwater

Underwater is a 2020 American horror movie starring Kristen Stewart, Jessica Henwick, TJ Miller, and a few other notable stars. It is a disaster movie as much as anything else, starting off with a crew of scientists working at the bottom of an unexplored part of the ocean when there’s a leak that kills most of the crew in the opening scene. The survivors proceed to try to figure out a way to get out of there as things get progressively worse.

The thing about this movie is that it’s extremely hard to review it without giving away the primary spoiler in a Sixth Sense sort of way. If you share that element, then you risk ruining what was one of the rare genuine surprises that you’re likely to get out of a film. At least, for me, I hadn’t expected the surprise and was really enjoying the fact I was. So, if you want to be surprised by it then you should stop reading this review and instead go watch the movie cold.

Still here?

Okay, then let the reader beware of SPOILERS. However, if you’ve already watched the movie or simply don’t care then I’ll reveal the big secret: there’s not only a monster at the bottom of the ocean but the monster is Cthulhu himself. Yes, Cthulhu and a bunch of what I presume to be Deep Ones are very upset at having their resting place disturbed by a bunch of oil-drilling scientists and are doing their very best to make them all dead.

This particular revelation is extremely entertaining and I’m very glad about it but I also feel like the movie doesn’t go nearly as far as they could with it. It’s always nice to see the Big C on screen but he’s treated more or less as an underwater kaiju rather than his cosmic horror self. We don’t see any signs of a dreadful city underwater, madness just by looking at him, or cultists that might be working to further his return. Okay, there’s some hints at such being the case with the Tian corporation (for “LovecrafTIAN”) but that isn’t developed nearly as well as it could be.

I’m sorry to say this is a generic sci-fi horror movie with the premise of finding something alien that starts killing you. It’s just got the thin veneer of Cthulhu added onto it to please depraved horror fans like me. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as I like most generic sci-fi horror movies and it’s certainly a well-made one. I also think the addition of a thin veneer of Cthulhu did enhance my enjoyment of the film, however slight.

Unfortunately, it also tells me this movie could have been so much-much better. It could have been the Prometheus movie we deserved. Prometheus was ruined by Ridley Scott making everyone act like morons, but these characters are all likable as well as intelligent. How much better would the film have been if a competent crew was forced to go down-down deeper into the dark abyss as they gradually discovered the terrifying secrets within? Things related to the origin of mankind and its imminent destruction?

Kristen Stewart proves she is a serviceable action heroine as Norah Price. Norah is desperately trying to step up to save as many people as possible but thwarted at every turn by circumstances seemingly designed to make such heroism fruitless. Jessica Henwick’s Emily is a very likable heroine who, unfortunately, has a romance tacked on with TJ Miller’s Paul Abel. If they’d been together from the beginning, it might have been believable but this is not the circumstances to start a new relationship.

There’s a lot of good scenes, tense encounters, and excellent use of lighting throughout the film. I was a big fan of Epcot Center’s Sea Base Alpha (that I was fooled for 30 years into thinking was actually underwater). Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t attempt to do anything particularly deep or noticeable with this, so it comes off as a bit generic. Everyone does their best with the material, though, and the handling is always competent. As such, I’m going to say Underwater is an above-average horror film and certainly competent.

7/10

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REVIEW: A Shade of Madness by Thiago Adballa

A Shade of Madness follows on where successful debut A Touch of Light left off and dives straight back into a world in increasing peril. Thiago Abdalla continues to demonstrate excellent worldbuilding and the exploration of flawed characters trying to do what they believe is the right thing. Far from having any ‘middle book syndrome’, A Shade of Madness is another strong entry into The Ashes of Avarin series that promises more dark, high fantasy with a heavy focus on both death and, well, madness.

Our three POVs from the first book (Adrian, Nasha and Lynn) are joined by a fourth voice in Kadmus – a failed priest turned alchemical healer trying to secretly find a cure to the Madness sweeping Avarin. While he didn’t jump straight into the spot of favourite character for me, he brings a moral flexibility in his choices, motives and actions to the fore that the other three didn’t have. That said, Adrian’s arc becomes much darker over the course of A Shade of Madness as he is fuelled evermore by a vengeful rage.

Lynn faces new challenges as she is thrust into a position of leadership in the ongoing battle to save the Domain. She too struggles with some moral dilemmas where her faith and the dire circumstances of her surroundings butt heads. Nasha uncovers a lot about herself, her power and the history of the clan lands even as Zala reaches out to her and threatens to take her mind and her home. The theme of emotions in the formation of characters and the magic system really shines in A Shade of Madness and there are many ways the title feels so apt. Each POV character has different shades of madness touching them and steering them; it is captivating to read.

Throughout A Shade of Madness, titbits of information are revealed to the reader and the characters with just enough frequency and subtlety to never be too much. New hints and questions arise and by the end of the story you can flesh out the world a little more in your mind with plenty left unanswered to keep up the veil of mystery that Adballa is shrouding his full vision behind. This has been excellently balanced.

As John mentioned in his review of A Touch of Light, there is no handholding and the same is true of A Shade of Madness. I found this came through particularly well in the matter-of-fact feeling to some of the darker scenes, highlighting them by doing so. Death is supposed to shock us and Abdalla reminds us perhaps how easily we forget that.

The Ashes of Avarin is set to be a four-book series with both A Twist of Fate (book three) and A Promise of Dawn (book four) due out this year (2023). It’s an ambitious release timeline though it does mean you won’t have to wait too long in between instalments to get your hands on the full story.

A Shade of Madness is a great continuation of the series bringing just the right amount of fresh interest alongside what made A Touch of Light so good. It’s a high fantasy with heavy, dark themes expertly explored alongside smooth worldbuilding, clever magic and nuanced characters. An ominous set-up for things to come.

4.5/5

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REVIEW: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Looking Glass Sound is Catriona Ward’s deeply unsettling literary horror that will lure readers in with its charming coming-of-age façade but leave them entangled in a web of metaphysical dread. From the retro cover design to its late 1980s northern Gothic setting, Looking Glass Sound is dripping with nostalgia for a simpler time that may never have existed.

As the novel opens, we read the unpublished memoir of Wilder Harlow, a sixteen-year-old boy whose uncle has died and left his parents a cottage on the Maine coast. Wilder soon meets two friends, also with author-inspired names: a handsome boy named Nathaniel and a redheaded British girl, Harper. The trio form a closeknit bond during their magical summer together and promise to return each year.

But the rural New England town is also home to a serial killer known as the Dagger Man of Whistler Bay. As if that weren’t creepy enough, the Dagger Man also takes threatening Polaroid photos of children as they sleep. Wilder’s summer becomes inexorably linked to the story of the Dagger Man, as illusory friendships are shattered and his parents’ troubled marriage hurls toward inevitable divorce.

Wilder is left broken and alone as he begins collegiate life, unable to cope with the psychological trauma of his summer at Whistler Bay. Enter the overly friendly Sky Montague, a Proust-obsessed aspiring author who insists on becoming roommates with Wilder. But is Sky truly the altruistic friend that he seems, or is he just pumping Wilder for information about the Whistler Bay murders?

A plot involving a serial killer in rural Maine is disturbing but, let’s be honest, standard fare for a Stephen King-inspired horror novel. However, the Dagger Man story is just a façade covering the true horrors that await in the second half of Looking Glass Sound.

The psychological horror deepens as Catriona Ward weaves layers upon layers of uncertainty to the story. The lines between reality and fiction slowly blur as Wilder descends deeper into existential crisis, making the reader question everything they believed.

Much more than a standard horror novel, Looking Glass Sound is Catriona Ward’s ode to the power of the written word. The reader becomes entranced by her prose and entangled in her circular narrative of metaphysical horror. Put simply, Looking Glass Sound is a multilayered masterpiece of speculative fiction and proof that a horror novel can reach the greatest of literary heights.

5/5

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REVIEW: The Last Ritual by S.A. Sidor

The Last Ritual is the second novel of the Arkham Horror standalone novel series. I was a huge fan of Josh Reynold’s Wrath of N’Kai novel and was interested in seeing what more the series might do with the boardgame’s version of Arkham, Massachusetts. Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu has a history of fiction but most of it is typical Lovecraftian horror, which is to say, “Everyone dies or goes insane at the end.” Which has somewhat limited its mass appeal. Arkham Horror seems more keenly aware of the audience’s love of pulpy fiction (or at least mine) so the stories are horror-adventures.

The Last Ritual by S.A. Sidor is a bit more typical of “classic” HP Lovecraft compared to its predecessor in that the protagonist isn’t a classy cat burglar with an experience hunting occult artifacts. Instead, it is about a failed (or perhaps never was) painter named Alden Oaks. Thankfully, Alden Oaks has money and is of the “stupid rich” variety.

After a chance encounter with an occult festival in rural Spain, Alden returns home to Arkham, Massachusetts only to find a series of strange events occurring. I know, strange events in Arkham, perish the thought. Either way, he soon hooks up with an intrepid would-be crime reporter in Nina Tarrington and the two set out to unravel the mystery while beginning their romance.

I know that romance and Call of Cthulhu are not typically associated. The only romance that gets any real depth in Lovecraft is The Thing on the Doorstep (and arguably Medusa’s Coil but we don’t talk about that one). However, I really like Nina and she forms an interesting bond with the lay about rich boy who is one of the least likely occult investigators you’re going to find in any version of the Mythos. I really liked the two and it helped set up the events for the finale that is strong.

The use of the 1920s environment is very well realized with period slang, artists, and a general Great Gatsby sort of feel to events. Alden has never worked a day in his life and wouldn’t understand how to begin but that doesn’t stop him from being a likable protagonist anyway. His encounter with Harry Houdini is one of the high points of the book, especially since Lovecraft wrote a story with Erich Weisz as the protagonist.

The antagonist of Juan Hugo Balthazar is a nice contrast to most Cthulhu cultists with his focus on magical paintings and “evil art” contrasting to the usual depraved cities or inbred hillbillies. A Spanish surrealist, he has a fascist bent despite his hippie commune-like environments. You also get the sense that he’s not nearly as capable or talented at wielding occult forces as, say, Carl Sanford. That makes it credible that Alden might pose a threat, however inadvertent.

The GraphicAudio version of the book is the one I recommend over the regular audiobook or text version. The cast manages to capture the characters perfectly and really bring to life their 1920s ultra-wealthy lifestyles. There’s a naïve innocence to Alden that makes you regret that he’s going to encounter the Mythos in any form since that’s something that won’t last in the face of it. I also like Nina’s actress as her Bostonian accent is something few Lovecraft productions try to replicate.

In conclusion, The Last Ritual is a really enjoyable piece of work. While the first book was a pulpy action-mystery, these are about more typical ordinary citizens getting caught up in the supernatural. It’s lighter fair than most cosmic horror but still definitely in the horror genre. I definitely recommend readers pick it up if they have the chance in any format.

Read The Last Ritual by S.A. Sidor

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February 2023 comics review

February didn’t have a whole lot of comics out, at least, my pile felt a little bit lighter than usual this month (somewhere my bank account breathes a sigh of relief), but what it lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quantity. The stands were positively searing with phenomenal books, making my job incredibly complicated when it came time to narrow it down to what wasn’t just the best but the coolest books that landed throughout the month. Here, then, without further ado are the best of the bunch, the ones you definitely cannot miss out on.

3Keys #5 (IMAGE)David Messina (W/A/C)

The final issue of 3Keys goes out with one hell of a bang and I can’t lie I’m really super sorry to see it go. Each issue moved at a breakneck pace and told a story that was never anything less than enthralling, and with the final chapter we see a pretty solid conclusion as well as a colossal climax that Messina portrays beautifully and with truckloads of style. 3Keys has been one of my favorite books on the stands for months now and it’s going to take a lot for something else to take its place. I truly hope that the story continues later this year, or next year, or sometime because there world of 3Keys has barely been opened up and there’s so much more left to explore and, personally, I’m chomping at the bit for more.

About the book

Bearing the weight of grief and betrayal, Noah and Theon find themselves a weakened but final bulwark against the Great Old Ones in this concluding clash with a giant kaiju in the heart of Manhattan! Cover-to-cover action courtesy of DAVID MESSINA!

Read 3Keys #5 (IMAGE)

GHOST RIDER #11 (MARVEL)Benjamin Percy (W), Dave Wachter (A), Bryan Valenza (C)

The first issue of Ghost Rider’s new arc hits the ground running and wastes no time establishing a new direction and a new mission for the ever-tormented Johnny Blaze and his new companion Talia Warroad. Percy continues to lean hard (super hard) into the horror roots of Ghost Rider and I continue to be greatly appreciative of that fact. While most of the issue is busy establishing Blaze as one of the angstiest guys in the Marvel Universe, there’s still plenty of action and gore to be had and it leaves off on one hell of a cliffhanger—pun intended. If you haven’t been keeping track of Ghost Rider, there’s no time like the present to throw it on your list and come along for the ride.

About the book

The F.B.I. has cast out Johnny Blaze and Talia Warroad, maybe because they’re too destructive and unmanageable…or maybe because there is some corruption present that reaches inside the very institution meant to protect us. As Johnny and Talia head down to Savannah to investigate a necropolis, there are hints of old friends and new foes on the horizon. A new chapter of horror is beginning for the Ghost Rider, and Danny Ketch is roaring up to speed in the rearview mirror.

Read Ghost Rider #11 (MARVEL)

THE EXILED #1 (WHATNOT)Wesley Snipes, Adam Lawson, Keith Arem (W), Gabriel Santos (A), Valentina Bianconi (C)

Yeah. That Wesley Snipes. I’ll be honest, I originally picked up the first issue of The Exiled because I was intrigued that Snipes had written a comic book and also that it had a seriously rad Blade Runner homage variant cover, but I was pleasantly surprised by what awaited me in its pages. The Exiled tells a hardcore futuristic noir story—suddenly that Blade Runner cover makes way more sense. The future is pitch black dark, ultra violent, and gritty as hell. The action moves forward at a brisk pace, the art is stylized in a rough yet pleasing way, and the story is pretty damn interesting. Enough to elevate The Exiled from pure spectacle to something I’ll be very eager to pick up when the second issue comes out.

About the book

After the events of FEAR ITSELF, the NEW MUTANTS have further entwined their destiny with Asgard. As a forgotten hero more powerful than Thor himself returns, the team must brace themselves for matters that will pit member against member.

Read The Exiled #1 (WHATNOT)

DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE #4 (MARVEL)Tradd Moore (W/A), Heather Moore (C)

No lie, Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise has been one of the most memorable comic book experiences I’ve had in years and I’m sad to see it end. Hallucinatory, breathtaking, revelatory, outrageously intricate, ephemeral…Tradd Moore has elevated his whole craft with this story. All that being said, Fall Sunrise is almost hard to describe outside of emphatic superlatives. It’s just so damn good but simultaneously so damn strange that is defies description. A magical journey, an otherworldly quest, the Sorcerer Supreme pushed beyond his limits in a realm that beggars the mind. If you haven’t been following Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise I can’t recommend tracking down the earlier issues more, or waiting till later this year when it’s collected in trade. This is groundbreaking work.

About the book

Doctor Strange enters the cursed castle of Moriah Mensa to challenge a superlunary power and complete an impossible task. As the sun sets, a voice echoes, “There are no good places to die.”

Read Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise #4 (MARVEL)

Swamp Thing: Green Hill #2 (DC)Jeff Lemire (W), Doug Mahnke (A), David Baron (C)

I was genuinely starting to think that the second issue of Swamp Thing: Green Hell was never actually going to come out so imagine my surprise when it finally actually hit the stands right at the end of the month. It’s a tooth-gnashing, nail-biting apocalyptic horror story that’s an absolutely perfect vehicle for Swamp Thing and other great characters like John Constantine—especially an aged, even more bitter Constantine. Monsters and madness and mayhem and humanity teetering on the absolute brink, it’s a damn shame that it’s the second part of a three part story that’ll be ending next month but oh what a story it is shaping up to be. I don’t want to see it end, but I can’t imagine what kind of mind-shattering ending is in store.

About the book

Alec Holland has been summoned back to the land of the living by the decrepit John Constantine himself, which is quite the surprise to the Parliament of Trees. In exchange for a peaceful eternity within the Green, Alec was to stay out of their affairs. With lives at risk, Alec refuses, but his conviction comes at a cost: if Alec dies in this stolen body, defending the last vestiges of humanity…he’s gone for good!

Read Swamp Thing: Green Hill #2 (DC)

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