Steve Stred's Blog, page 15

Book Review: The Last Day and the First by Tim Lebbon

Title: The Last Day and the First

Author: Tim Lebbon

Release date: July 1st, 2023

First – a huge thanks to Tim for posting about this book. And what I mean specifically, is that, as a 100% completely digital reader, when this came out, I was a bit dismayed that it was only in hardcover. Both because if I bought it, I’d probably never get to it, and when I looked, shipping was horrible to Canada. It’s no different anywhere else, but for this reader, I decided to hold off and wait for an ebook release and when Tim posted that it was available in digital through PS Publishing, I immediately snagged.

If you’ve not read Tim’s work before, boy are you in for a treat. Tim has a timeless nature of how he crafts his stories. While his work is traditionally horror or sci-fi, he paints his prose with what I would describe as a speculative/fantasy brush. For lack of a better way of saying it – his writing is beautiful and compulsive.

And this novella fits that bill so very perfectly.

What I liked: The story follows Rose, 103 years old and potentially the last person alive on earth. She lives in the settlement of Pantelle, where she’s lived since the world we know collapsed and nature began to reclaim everything. She knows she’s at the end of her life, so she’s putting things down onto paper, in case someday someone else should come across her musings.

The story she shares is fascinating and heartbreaking. Of a woman who has outlived every person she’s ever loved and cared for, and a woman who was there when the first bloom was found.

What Lebbon’s created with the characters/figures referred to as ‘blooms’ is magical. What starts out as a strange, plant-like growth in the forest, becomes a flower-like creature that can walk on its roots and move freely throughout the forests. The people fear a strange beast called ‘scorers’ a metal-like thing that hunts the old roads, but the blooms seem to not be on their radar.

As the story progresses, Tim does such an amazing job of layering the story with a mixture of sorrow and hope. Sorrow over Rose’s realization that her time left is growing less and less. Hope for the future. For what life will be like on earth when all of the humans are gone and the planet can relax, knowing our destructive ways have ended.

What I didn’t like: It’s funny, because in my writing life, I’m 100% guilty of this as well, but there were parts I just wished for more of, or more about. More about what happened. More about the scorers. More about the bloom’s. But Tim has stitched this together so pristinely that to expand upon any of that would take away a lot of the beauty this story shares.

Why you should buy this: As I mentioned, Tim’s writing is just so very powerful to read. I have his next novel, ‘The Last Storm,’ already on my Kindle, but I decided to jump into this first and it was a perfect reminder of just how phenomenal Tim’s storytelling is.

If you’re looking a powerful, one-sitting read that’ll have you emotionally destroyed – look no further. I wish I would’ve read this sooner, as it’d easily be on my year end Best-Of list.

5/5

PS Publishing Link:

https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/the-last-day-and-the-first-ebook-by-tim-lebbon-5271-p.asp

Amazon Link:

Book Review: All I Want for Christmas is Utahraptor by Lola Faust

Title: All I Want for Christmas is Utahraptor

Author: Lola Faust

Release date: December 7th, 2023

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for having this set to ‘Read Now’ for me!*

Recently, while scrolling through Netgalley, looking to see if anything had been added that I’d hope to be approved for, a cover caught my attention in the Sci-fi and Fantasy category. It was the one for this book, featuring an attractive looking woman gently caressing the chin of a dinosaur. I was intrigued. She was wearing a skimpy little red number and the dinosaur looked amazing.

Now, two caveats here. The first is that I generally dislike Christmas fiction – no matter the genre. The second, is that I typically steer FAR away from the romance world. Nothing wrong with it, but I want my love story to involve survival, creatures, and a never ending blackness. All things not typically within the romance genre.

BUT – I thought, you know what? Maybe this will be a fun read. Maybe this will be the palette cleanser between two horror reads and I’ll have a good time.

And you know what?

I did.

What I liked: The story follows Holly, now living in Chicago, dating douchebag Thad, and wondering just where the happiness in her life went. She should have it all. Thad’s super rich, his family is even richer and she’s living a life many would dream of. But she suspects Thad’s stringing her along. That the reasons she isn’t invited to some functions and trips is because there’s someone else and with no proposal appearing to be imminent, she wonders what would happen if she was to end it.

As Christmas approaches, Thad leaves to go on a boys skiing trip, leaving Holly alone for the holidays, so she heads back to see her parents in Utah.

It’s here where Faust sprinkles the story with some background. As humans discovered dinosaurs still alive, they also found they were smart and some could communicate. Those who met the criteria where given the chance to join into human society – go to school, get jobs, develop a culture. Oddly, I never expected a topical and socioeconomic metaphor to play out in a story about a woman who loves a dinosaur, but there we were and even though Faust doesn’t linger on it, it sets the stage for things further down the line.

So, it’s here that Holly remembers the days where she fell in love with Rocky, the Utahraptor. He attended her school and they became fast friends, but neither was willing to take it to the next level. Not until they reconnect and Holly realizes that everything she’s been wanting and missing, she can have, with Rocky.

This novella was an easy one-sitting read and it felt completely like I was watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, just with a dinosaur. The ending is exactly what you’d expect to happen and as much as it pains me to type this out, was a very sweet ending.

What I didn’t like: Well, honestly, I had a lot of fun with this one, but saying that, everything was surface level for the depth of emotions and descriptions. I think if this had been lengthened, we could’ve had a deeper experience where we see how Holly’s father turns his views around to accept Rocky, or how Thad’s behavior really effected Holly and she took some time to process it. As a base story, though, this was fun.

I will mention though – and mild spoiler here – if you don’t want to read about a woman and a Utahraptor getting it on, you’ll probably want to skip that part.

Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a quick, adorable story of a woman realizing she’s better off without her asshole boyfriend and wants to return to her true love, no matter what society says, look no further.

Faust makes you immediately root for Holly and when her and Rocky reconnect, sparks fly from the page. Overall, a really sweet, Holiday story, one that would be perfect to read after the kids have gone to bed and Santa’s delivered all the presents.

3/5

Book Review: Never Dead by Joe Scipione

Title: Never Dead

Author: Joe Scipione

Release date: December 8th, 2023

Thanks to Joe for sending me a digital copy of this one!

I’ve said it before – and I’ll always find it strange – but very frequently in my book reading world, I end up finishing one book and shortly after, another one has similar themes. It is always random, as its usually the books I’m reading for review purposes, but in this case, I’d finished reading Tim McGregor’s wonderful ‘Eynhallow’ which involved Victor Frankenstein, and a few short books later, I jump into Joe’s latest, which involves someone stealing bodies from graveyards so that scientists can reanimate them. Love it!

What I liked: Set in the 1920’s the story hops back and forth between Clyde, an assistant to a wealthy man, and Michael, an eager newspaper reporter. Clyde has been helping dig up bodies, but for what reason, he’s unsure. That is until he’s shown that the wealthy are working with scientists to bring those dead back to life.

Meanwhile, Michael is eager to report on something different than the usual gang related stuff plaguing the city. So, heading to the suburbs, he reconnects with an old friend, who works for the police there, and learns of these grave diggings.

Scipione keeps those storylines separate for a bit before they merge and Clyde and Michael form an unlikely duo looking to get to the bottom of things. It made for a fun pairing, and seeing the dark secrets that kept getting revealed made for an entertaining read.

It all comes to a head at the end, with the last quarter working so very well to keep us guessing, but to also have the readers remain fully entrenched in how things come to a end.

What I didn’t like: I felt like initially, we are shown the ‘reveal’ of why the bodies are being dug up really quickly. I think it would’ve been fun to have that teased out a bit more.

And, I did find at first, I kept thinking the Michael parts were almost modern day, as the writing felt different than the Clyde aspects.

Why you should read this: Joe is always creating fun horror for readers and ‘Never Dead’ is no exception. This one hums along, gives us some fantastic scenes, and you’ll be all the better for having met Michael and Clyde.

4/5

The Books I Absolutely LOVED in 2023!

Hello friends, fans and folks who’ve stumbled upon this! You’ve arrived at my YEAR END BEST OF LIST, but more than anything, this is simply a list of the books that I read in 2023 that blew my mind. At the time of writing this, I’m at almost 200 books read for the year, but as is always the case, some stick with you more than others, and I’d say I’m a ‘generous’ reader and reviewer, in that I go into every book thinking they’re a five star read and going from there.

In the past, I used to do two Best-Of lists. One would be for books released in that calendar year and one would be for books I read that year that came out in other years. Not the case this year, as honestly, I just would rather do one haha! 50% laziness, 50% efficiency.

So, without further wait – here are the books I read that I absolutely loved in 2023 in order of when I read them!

The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan.

What a crazy, phenomenal book. This one is a dystopian nightmare of a city alive, a crumbling dream and those unfortunately caught in the middle. Outstanding read.

No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill

I think only Adam Nevill can describe a section of blackness in a room in such a way that its not just black, but something undulating, pulsing and absolutely horrifying. This novel about a young woman in desperate need of a room, grabs you by the throat and never relents.

The Clackity by Lora Senf

Doing this list is odd, because it feels like I read this book a few years back, but that might be because the sequel has already arrived! This middle-grade novel deftly works its way into your heart and is a perfect introduction to the dark stuff for younger readers. It followed a young girl trying to find her aunt in a strange, paranormal-filled world. Great stuff.

GRAVENFROST by Peter Hammarberg

A book about a crazed Special Agent, this one was a perfect mix of Fox Mulder humor and extreme horror deliciousness.

The Residence by Andrew Pyper

I re-read this novel as part of a group read-along and it reminded me of how perfectly sorrow filled this one is. Part real-life historical fiction, part speculative grief-shrouded horror, Andrew delivers a divine look at the lengths a mother goes to bring her son back from the beyond.

Lure by Tim McGregor

A swiftly-paced novella, this one focuses on a small town, a strange arrival and the results that await those in the water. A knock out from start to finish.

Faces of Beth by Carver Pike

A stealthy examination of mental health and how it creates a domino effect around those who care, Pike delivered a tour de force with this novel.

The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

Another book I re-read as a group read-along, the story of David Ullman and his pursuer will always hold a special place in my heart. Andrew’s galloping prose, fast-paced scenes and father-looking-for-daughter narrative have made this a timeless classic.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan

What starts out as a man finding a Youtube channel and showcasing his toxic masculinity morphs into a chaotic tale of generational sacrifice and existential dread. This duo knocked it out of the park.

Suckerville by Chris Sorensen

A throw back novel to the 80s creature-feature time, this novel rips along a million miles an hour. This is the definition of ‘unputdownable’ and Sorensen fills this one with a ton of squirmy goodness.

Bee Tornado by Chris Sorensen

Not to sit back and chuckle over the release of ‘Suckerville,’ Sorensen quickly released ‘Bee Tornado,’ which is an even better novel than ‘Suckerville.’ While the first novel focused on the chaos, ‘Bee Tornado’ adds a layer of emotional attachment, while fully maintaining the ridiculous glee throughout.

The Briars by Stephanie Parent

A fresh take on horror, this novel follows a woman working as a dominatrix in a place where something lurks. From start to finish, this is a layered, solid story and one that will connect with you in more ways than one.

And By God’s Hand You Shall Die by David Sodergren

Perhaps Sodergren’s most ‘extreme’ release so far, we arrive at a brothel in New York in the 70’s and watch as a priest who should be dead becomes unhinged and a young woman fights for her life.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

A book that on its surface (ha!) seems like a one-dimension story, this novel is the ultimate surprise. Following a young man, angry at his father, who goes on a dive to try and find him, only to be swallowed by a whale and fight for his life. Completely engrossing.

Djinn by Craig DiLouie

Thrown into the heart of the middle-east, we follow a woman looking for answers and a strange place in the middle of nowhere that hides a secret. DiLouie delivers a Hollywood blockbuster.

The Inconsolables by Michael Wehunt

Anytime we get a new piece of fiction from Wehunt, its time to celebrate, but an entire collection was a delight. Each story thrums with the macabre paint only Michael can paint a story with and showcases why he’s a modern day master.

The Grimmer by Naben Ruthnum

Part autobiographical look at his childhood, part supernatural YA thriller, Ruthnum gives us a phenomenal story packed in topical wrapping paper. This one will connect deeply and have you rooting for Vish throughout.

The Night Will Find Us by Matthew Lyons

A group of friends head to the woods to campout and have fun. The woods have other plans. Phenomenally bleak from start to finish, this one had me captivated.

Midnight Masquerade by Greg Chapman

A criminally overlooked author, Chapman writes like very few can. Within this latest collection we’re given a perfect showcase of why everyone should be reading Greg’s work. The title story is worth the admission alone.

Precious Cargo: My Year of Driving the Kids on School Bus 3077 by Craig Davidson

A non-fiction release from Craig, this one delightfully shares the story of his time in Calgary when he took job driving a special needs school bus. The connections he makes with the kids is just phenomenal to discover and ultimately, it was amazing to see each of them share in the spotlight together.

They Stalk the Night by Brian Moreland

Delivering cold weather horror and creatures as only Moreland can, this one starts with a storm rolling in and follows that up by throwing in some blood thirsty creatures and a warped tale of survival.

The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen

A pristine, gothic novel about an odd place, an odder home and a search for answers, Carmen manages to give us both a fast-paced thriller while also delivering a slow-burn simmering mindfuck. Perfect from start to finish.

The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper

The third book I re-read of Andrew’s this year for a group read-along, this novel will make you hyperventilate as more layers are unraveled and we careen headfirst towards the completely bonkers ending.

The Black Lord by Colin Hinckley

If this novella was a car race, you’d be white-knuckling the steering wheel as you zipped down a mountain course with no brakes. Hinckley gives us some of the most unnerving moments you’ll ever read and leads us all to the thing that grows in the dark.

The Claw of Craving by Joseph Sale

An impassioned and imaginative retelling of the King in Yellow mythos, Sale possesses the most magical imagination out there and harnesses it through some of the best prose you’ll ever read.

Under a Watchful Eye by Adam Nevill

What starts off as a simply tale of a former friend showing up uninvited one evening, transforms into a sprawling, cult filled story of a strange history, an odd compound and a blackness that grows over everything.

GRIM PORTRAITS: Six Stories About the Dark Side of Art by Kealan Patrick Burke

Much like Wehunt above, when news of a new Burke release arrives, everyone loses their collective minds in excitement. And much like Wehunt, you know Burke will deliver the goods. This collection brings us to some very dark places and holds us there under Kealan’s steady hand.

One of Us by Craig DiLouie

Perhaps one of the greatest ‘horror’ novels ever written, this one from DiLouie does the impossible by giving us a story that will always remain highly relevant and exposes the worst aspects of humanity. All while the reader clutches as the last threads of hope.

Psychic Teenage Bloodbath II by Carl John Lee

Picking up shortly after the first one, Carl John Lee takes us deep into the psyche of our characters and throws the readers to the wolves. Lee has a sublime way of making us care, even when the worst possible things are happening all around those characters. The epilogue is one of the most heartbreaking things you’ll ever read.

Despatches by Lee Murray

An engaging, epistolary novella, we follow along during the war and discover that the enemy isn’t the only thing trying to kill you. This goes into cosmic horror territory and is done magnificently.

https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/despatches-ebook-by-lee-murray-6169-p.asp?v=0&variantid=6170

Snarl by John Boden

A novella that follows a small town man, desperately in love with a woman who may or may not be leading him on, this made for a perfect dark drama with a multitude of storylines that all converged in a hideous, sorrow filled ending.

In The Garden of Rusting Gods: A Collection by Patrick Freivald

A collection perfectly balanced between horror and science-fiction, Freivald throws the reader into the deep end over and over again, only to deliver the goods and absolutely crush each and every story. Just an amazing collection.

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor

A magical novel following a woman trapped in her circumstances until a mysterious figure arrives on their island, Tim makes us live and breathe this novel and every single paragraph will chill you to the bone.

Eynhallow

In Excess of Black by Red Lagoe

Just finished this one a few days ago, but it won’t be leaving my noggin’ for a long, long time. Lagoe gives us a visceral story with so much blackness it should almost be illegal. A grief-stricken mother, a lifelong affliction and a black, amorphous blob that begins to transform. Amazing.

Scarewaves by Trevor Henderson

Oh, what a marvelous treat this novel was. A middle grade horror novel about a new resident in town, a town with a paranormal history, we get plenty of nightmare-inducing creatures, band-together hijinks and a setting that works so very well to Trevor to bring this world to life.

Alright, so there we go, my massive list of all the books I’ve LOVED in 2023. There’s a ton of books I loved as well, but these ones were just a bit above the rest. Happy Holidays friends!

Book Review: In Excess of Dark by Red Lagoe

Title: In Excess of Dark

Author: Red Lagoe

Release date: March 15, 2024

*Huge thanks to DarkLit Press for the eARC of this one. Disclaimer – I have a novella releasing in 2024 through DarkLit, but in no way did this influence my thoughts on this book*

I’ve been a fan of Red’s work for sometime now and her short fiction is some of the best stuff you’ll ever read. Now, with this novella on the horizon, I was excited to see what she’d created, especially after reading the synopsis. Much like Gran’s ‘Come Closer,’ this one seemed to be a story that would walk that line between ‘is this real or not,’ and that always makes for a fun time in the horror world.

What I liked: The story follows Karina, a wife and mother who has always had to contend with her mind rapidly running through the darkest thoughts possible about every situation. Brakes are going to fail, the bungee will snap, the house will catch on fire. On and on, her entire life she’s struggled with it, but even worse – as her mother likes to remind her – sometimes the thoughts she’s having come true.

So, it comes that after a horrible moment occurs, one that happened exactly how she imagined in, Karina spirals into the depths of grief. Her family is gone. But something else has arrived. A strange black blob that seemingly can take the shape of those departed.

From here, Lagoe does a masterful job of keeping the reader guessing – is this actually happening, or is Karina sleep deprived and hallucinating. It never lets up and to make matters worse, we see Karina continue to spiral and grow unhinged. She stops talking to those who love her, holes up in her house, quits her job and focuses on what she needs to do to somehow bring those gone back to her.

This all culminates in a phenomenal ending where we see Karina become truly unhinged and in a macabre way, live out the dreams many aspiring writers long to obtain. It had me grinning like a maniac and the machine-like precision with which Red delivers this ending was magical.

What I didn’t like: We do get a tiny smidge of background story aspects surrounding Karina and her father, but I wished it was expanded upon a bit more.

Why you should buy this: This novella is going to knock the socks off every reader, much the same way Marceau’s, ‘This Is Where We Talk Things Out’ did. Lagoe has crafted a truly unnerving story that walks so close to the edge time and time again and ultimately leaves that question – Is this real or a hallucination? – firmly in the hands of the reader to determine.

Outstanding work.

5/5

Book Review: Scarewaves by Trevor Henderson

Title: Scarewaves

Author: Trevor Henderson

Release date: October 3rd, 2023

I’ll admit, that up until about maybe four years ago, I wasn’t familiar with Trevor Henderson’s online creations. It wasn’t until my son began scouring Youtube for crazy creatures to watch and start to draw and try and build with Playdoh and Lego, that he came across Siren Head, Long Horse, Cartoon Cat and many many more. I’ve never much time looking at Creepypasta stuff, nor on Reddit, so that was all a new world to me. And, when we both found out Trevor was Canadian, it made us smile with glee! Since then, I’ve been fortunate to have connected with Trevor and when he announced this book, my son and I were over the moon! A middle grade horror novel would be a perfect book for us to read together!

Now, typically, this would be a book I’d read in one or two sittings, but because we were reading it together, as well as other books, it took us far longer than normal, but even with the pauses in between chapters, it was a book that we were always excited to jump back into.

What I liked: The story follows young teen, Mary, who has just moved to Beacon Point with her parents. She’s upset – as anyone that age would be – that she needs to start over and is worried about making friends. Worse still, as soon as they arrive at their new house, she starts to hear noises in the attic. Unbeknownst to her, Beacon Point has a history of odd occurrences and strange sightings, and with that backdrop in place, Henderson introduces us to a rag-tag group of misfits who all begin to see strange creatures and deal with unexplainable phenomenon.

The story is told with the pacing expected of a book you’d find at a Scholastic Book Fair, each chapter giving us more story while cementing who each character (both human and otherwise is) and, as one would expect, Henderson has included some gloriously gorgeous illustrations within, which worked really well to reinforce the horror’s described. As the book moves along, we get “interludes” between chapters. Transcriptions from Alan Graves’ BCON Radio show about the odd history of Beacon Point. These were perfectly done, and with us reading it with the covers pulled up to our chins, we felt like we were listening to the broadcast in secret each time.

The story goes where you’d expect it – and not in a negative way – with the kids having to band together to try and find a way to stop the monsters from catching them and to keep Beacon Point safe. The end quarter felt even more frenzied than the middle portion, which is saying something when you consider all the beasties introduced.

The ending was great and does leave the door open for more adventures in Beacon Point in the future.

What I didn’t like: Once we were done, my son and I chatted about anything we found strange within and both of us agreed that the resolution of Alan Graves’ character didn’t feel as fleshed out as we both hoped for. It worked for the story, but it did feel a bit ‘over-and-done-with’ in rapid fashion.

Why you should buy this: This story is ENTERTAINING from page one, when we meet Bev. I felt like I was discovering The Monster Squad all over again, and it was such a wonderful experience to read this with my son. Saying that, even if you don’t have kids, this one is a fun read for horror lovers of all ages. As for content – there’s some scary moments, some freaky illustrations, but if your young one enjoys the creepier side of things, this one will be just fine for them. My son is seven and he was so amped throughout.

Overall, Trevor Henderson has created a book that will stand the test of time and become a surefire classic of the Book Fair worlds and one that in twenty and thirty years, those kids who’ve now grown and had their own will be sharing with their young ones. Really well done and this would make a perfect Christmas gift for the young readers in your life.

5/5

Book Review: The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden

Title: The House of Last Resort

Author: Christopher Golden

Release date: January 30th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a digital ARC of this one!*

I’m always up for ‘foreign location’ horror. I know that sounds funny, but horror set in Europe has centuries and centuries of history to utilize. If we look at horror set in Canada (where I’m from) we ultimately look back in time and end up with a history of… open plains and mountains. Which don’t get me wrong is also amazing, but not the same as when you’re going to read about a story based around religious mystery, which is the case with Golden’s newest release, ‘The House of Last Resort.’

Going in, I was intrigued with the set up, which I’ll go over in a minute, but also with the line in the synopsis discussing what it is they’ll find. And boy, did they find something that’ll have horror fans excited.

What I liked: The story follows husband and wife, Tommy and Kate. Tommy’s family is from a small Italian town, but after a falling out many years ago between his dad and grandpa, he’s not been back in years. That all changes when an opportunity arises. The town’s government is offering houses for $1, trying to entice foreigners to move in and help revitalize the town and the economy. There are stipulations – those who buy homes have to remain for a certain amount of time and agree to renovate the houses – but the thought of this exciting adventure is too much for Tommy and Kate to pass up, so they jump on it and move.

Once there, Golden wastes no time in starting to subtly share some ‘oddities.’ There’s a door in the house that they can’t open. Sounds happen. Presences are felt. An old woman down the road seems off. And when Tommy’s grandmother comes to see the house, she won’t step foot inside, visibly upset that this is the house they’ve purchased.

The creeps continue, even as Tommy and Kate settle into their new place and meet some other foreigners who’ve moved to the town. Soon, Kate finds the door is open, even though they didn’t get a key for it. And inside they find an entire section of the house that they weren’t even aware was there.

From here, Golden gives us a dread-infused look at the history of the house, and not long after, even more shocking events occur that ultimately test what it is that Tommy and Kate are willing to believe.

It’s hard to truly go into the details – because of the spoiler aspects – but we get some great revelations about the church’s involvement in the house, what its role was and ultimately what horrors happened within and below.

The final quarter of the book is a sprint, with the realtor becoming involved once again and the true nature of why many wanted Tommy to return to this small town. It sets off a string of events that all culminate in an ending that was spot on perfect, based on how Golden had set things up.

What I didn’t like: This is gonna be tough, as I want to remain spoiler free, but I think the thing that I noticed most was that nothing was ever fully expanded upon. Every time we learn new bits, the book continues on and we don’t get an exploration of it. When we find out what’s behind the door, it was amazing. They explore it, we get some great descriptions of the rooms and the walls etc… and then Tommy and Kate renovate it.

When we find out the truth behind what the house was used for, we get a horrified reaction from Tommy and Kate and then… we just move on. Don’t get me wrong, the pacing of the book was amazing, and I was hooked from the beginning, but we just kept trucking along.

Same with when they visit the catacombs below and look into it becoming a tourist location. Odd things are noted, strangeness abounds… and then they just start building.

And I will say, while I really liked the culmination of what happens and how the ending occurs, some folks may find it to be far too predictable, which would be fair.

Why you should buy this: At the end of the day, I think the thing to really keep in mind with this is that this is a big-press horror novel. So, while it gets dark and tensions rise, it’ll never go super extreme and most of the action remains surface-level without any real brutality or extremeness.

Saying that, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, highly-engaging religious horror novel where you want to root for Tommy and Kate and see them overcome both the fish-out-of-water aspect of moving to a different country, while also overcoming the horrors within their house, look no further. Golden’s a master at writing these immediately accessible characters and once again shows why he’s one of the leaders of the big publishing horror movement.

4/5

Book Review: Deprivation by Roy Freirich

Title: Deprivation

Author: Roy Freirich

Release date: Originally released March 3rd, 2020, re-releasing February 13th, 2024

Huge thanks to Meerkat Press for sending me a digital copy of this one!

I was very intrigued by the synopsis straight away.

Anything to do with sleep/insomnia/sleep deprivation always gets me excited – think Russian Sleep Study – so, with this one being suggested as a psychological thriller and dealing with an isolated island of people who suddenly can’t sleep after a boy who won’t speak is found abandoned on the beach, I knew things were gonna be crazy.

What I liked: As mentioned, the story takes place on Carratuck Island – a tourist spot where the locals live an easy, carefree life. The new doc, Sam, is doing his best to fit in, but also struggling to sleep, dealing with the guilt over a former client’s suicide.

Things take a turn, when a young boy is brought to the medical clinic. The boy won’t speak and is solely focused on his handheld video game. Not long after his appearance, people begin to arrive at the clinic, looking for help to sleep. Freirich does a masterful job of creating a slow-burn atmosphere here. At first, it’s a couple people. Then a dozen. Then two dozen. Tempers begin to flare. Sleeping pill stock depletes and soon, the Chief of Police is dealing with people angry the ferry isn’t arriving.

As the sleep deprivation continues, people begin to take things to the extreme and those who are managing to stay level-headed are left to deal with the aftermath.

Freirich does a really solid job of showing how each of the secondary characters succumbs to the effects of less sleep, questioning things, seeing things and struggling to find any hope. And as the effects roll across the island, things get more and more heated. Enter a supposed new doc who thinks things are being kept from the people by those in charge and tensions escalate even further. If you consider this was originally released in 2020, it would’ve felt like a very timely discussion piece on the Covid mandates.

The ending ties up most of the pieces of the story. We see what happens as things slowly return to normal and where some of those who made it off the island end up.

What I didn’t like: It was odd. Even though I knew going in this was more of a slow-burn, tension-based thriller, I constantly felt like I was waiting for something to actually happen. People showed up tired. Then it repeated the next day. And the next. And the next. It just never seemed to actually arrive at a true tipping point. And while the ending tied things up, I’m personally not sold on the ‘why’ of things happening. It felt a little light for a reason.

Why you should buy this: I’ve seen a few reviews suggest this is similar to Tremblay’s ‘The Cabin at the End of the World,’ and I think that’s a fair comparison. Saying that, in Tremblay’s we get to an ‘action-moment’ really early on, while this one is a bit more repetitive in building things until about 75% in. This one also comes with a bonus novella, following a different character and her husband during the events, which was a fun bonus.

Overall, if you’re looking for a solid, unnervingly realistic look at an isolated group of people dealing with a lack of sleep, look no further. I would’ve liked a bit more oomph overall, but did enjoy this one.

3/5

Book Review: Cutter’s Deep by Ronald McGillvray

Title: Cutter’s Deep: Welcome to Hell

Author: Ronald McGillvray

Release date: March 15th, 2023

I’ve had this novel languishing on my Kindle since release date, slowly making its way up through my miles deep TBR, but I knew I wanted to do my best to fit it in by this year’s end. So, when November rolled around, I read chapter one and got it started, making sure my brain would get back to it.

I’ve known Ronald for a few years now and had the pleasure of finally meeting him this past May in Toronto. His ‘Tales from the Parkland’ collection was fantastic, so I was excited going in to see what he’d done in the long format.

What I liked: The story takes place in the odd little town of Cutter’s Deep. According to the mythology of the town, a lumberjack – last name Cutter – seemingly uncovered a way to prosper here in the woods. Through this, he built a pyramid, formed a town and then disappeared. To the average eyes, its simply a ghost town when driving through, seemingly abandoned and run down. But if you’re wearing a special necklace or the town itself wants you to see it, it’ll reveal itself to you.

It’s kind of like the hotel in The Eagles ‘Hotel California.’ You can check out any time you like but you can never leave. Once you’re there, you’re there. And the town is filled with all types of strangeness.

We follow Arlington and Claire. Arlington is a young man who has lived his whole life in Cutter’s Deep. Claire is visiting. And when her parents go missing, she meets Arlington and the two connect. A connection that Arlington never expected, which opens up new feelings within him. This is the basis of the rest of the story. The two working together to get to the bottom of what’s going on, why things are the way they are and if there is any potential for the two of them to leave and live together in the wider world beyond.

The scope of this story is MASSIVE. McGillvray fills it with different societies, groups, creatures and all types of magic and lore. Taken in bit parts it felt a lot like the movies I grew up watching in the 80s felt, or for something a bit more modern, even how True Blood expanded from a simply vampire drama to include all types of creatures.

The ending absolutely leaves the stage open for a second novel. I’m not sure if Ronald is planning a sequel, but taken on face value, it would seem like we’d be getting more, which would allow Ronald to cover even more ground.

What I didn’t like: Two things stuck out to me really. Reading this, I became overwhelmed with just how much was happening. There’s A LOT of directions this goes in and a lot of moving parts. Taken in bite sized chunks it was manageable, but some of the random extra stuff would’ve been nice to have been paired down. I was fascinated by the parking garage sequence, but it never really got explained, and same with the hotel, or really why some were chosen to see the place and others weren’t.

Secondly, the content felt more YA (not a bad thing) than Adult, but the Adult components kind of looped me out of the YA comfort. The writing did change between those areas, with a harder edge for the Adult aspects and a bit more toned down for YA, so at times it felt like I was reading two stories that had been put together into one release.

Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a massive, sprawling, epic horror-fantasy tale that brings you into the middle of nowhere to one of the strangest places you’ll ever visit, look no further.

This one reads like McGillvray had a blast writing it and it’ll be one that’ll suck you in and not let go. Especially if you’re out past midnight and the howling begins.

3.5/5

Book Review: This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

Title: This Wretched Valley

Author: Jenny Kiefer

Release date: January 16th, 2024

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Deja vu for those who read my reviews, but by now, you’ve probably deduced that I like reading books set in the wilderness and involving craziness. It could simply be they are lost and they need to survive or the forest itself can be possessed or an ancient entity wanting to remain untouched – either way, I’m game.

Add in the third spine-tingle maker for me – Dyatlov Pass – and I’m practically vibrating in anticipation. If you’ve not heard of Dyatlov Pass by now – I’ll pause while you go Google it and then we’ll wait here until you dig yourself out of the rabbit hole…………………………………… (eight hours later) AH! You’re back. See, not much going on in that crazy world with Dyatlov eh?

So, it should’ve been a no brainer heading into ‘This Wretched Valley’ that this book would’ve been tailor made for me, but alas, not all books hit home runs and for me, this one was an easy ground out to first base.

What I liked: The novel is centered around two main individuals – Clay and Dylan. Clay is doing a research project using LIDAR and attempting to find an unmapped rock face in order to graduate. Dylan is a recently signed professional climber, and as she’s been friends with Clay for some time, when Clay finds his potential A-grade rock face, he invites her along so that she can make the first climb and film some online content. They head there with two others (Dylan’s significant other Luke (and their dog, Slade) and Clay’s research assistant, Sylvia.

The only problem? The place Clay’s found is in an area the locals know to avoid.

As they hike in, we get the growing tension of GPS issues, each of the people thinking they’ve been walking in circles and Slade, the dog, going bananas time and time again. The dog doesn’t want to be there, but the group pushes its outbursts away, suggesting the dog has just seen a squirrel or a deer.

Once they do finally arrive at the cliff face, nothing goes right. Kiefer does a solid job of making the area feel uneasy and a suggestion that not all is right with the place, nor with the group. Arguments break out, time seems to move differently and each of the people find that they seem like things are repeating themselves, even when there’s video evidence to suggest otherwise.

It all comes to a head when an injury happens and they need to get the injured person to a hospital. This kicks of a series of events that ultimately culminates with the forest reclaiming those who’ve trespassed and the circular nature of well… um, nature kicks off again.

What I didn’t like: I reaaalllly wanted to like this one. Going in, I was hoping to get something along the lines of Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ meets Lyons ‘The Night Will Find Us.’ Instead, I found everything to be telegraphed and falling into the world of ‘predictable,’ unfortunately. I personally didn’t care enough about any of the characters to want to root for any of them and when I didn’t have any emotional attachment, when anything happened, it had no effect on me.

Things got off on the wrong foot near the beginning, at least for me, when they stop for food and the waitress wasted no time in telling them that people go there and don’t come back and soon after, they end up driving in circles. Couple that with the way the dog was behaving – finding what appears to be a human femur – and the group brushing it all aside, it made it hard for me to ground myself in reality in order to then detach myself from reality, if that makes sense? I needed something to say, ‘Hey, these individuals are pragmatic and rational, so the irrational stuff happening is that much worse because of it.’ But we didn’t get that at all.

Why you should buy this: As with all books, if it sounds like something you’d dig, give it a shot! I LOVE 99% of all books I read and I go into every book expecting to have my socks knocked off, so when one is a misfire, it’s more of a rarity for me. This one just didn’t connect any dots with my reading brain and instead of DNFing, I stuck it out to the end, hoping that the ship would be righted and I’d really fall into it. Unfortunately, that never took place.

So, for you, if you are looking for a book set in a creepy place and things just don’t go right, this might very well be right up your alley.

For me, it just didn’t do what I had hoped it was going to.

2/5