Steve Stred's Blog, page 3

Book Review: Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen

Title: Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen

Author: KC Grifant

Release date: May 29th, 2025

*Huge thanks to KC Grifant for a digital ARC of this one!*

Back in December of 2022, I read the first book in this series, ‘Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger.’ If you know me, you’ll know that from the title alone it would be right up my alley, but to add to the joy of reading a book with that title, KC Grifant vibrantly and viciously brought Melinda and the world she occupies to life, making for a truly fun read.

To my sheer excitement, KC emailed me last month to ask if I’d be game to check out part two – and I never even hesitated. Even with diminished reading time and a huge reduction in taking on review requests, I couldn’t say no. KC is a wonderful writer, amazing supporter to so many and the Melinda West character just might be one of the best characters you’ll ever be introduced to. Even better – she has a six-shooter and monsters run amok.

Saying all of that – this is definitely a book you need to have read part one for – though you could get away with not having read it, you’ll definitely feel more connected and in the know if you have.

What I liked: The book picks up a little while after the first one. Melinda and her partner, Lance, have settled down, saying goodbye to the gunslinger/magic days. Content to have a garden and keep adrenaline rushes and gun/magic battles to a minimum.

That all gets thrown out the window when stories make it tp them that something is killing people and as the bodies pile up, soon Melinda can’t push aside the idea of staying out of it. So, her and Lance saddle up and head out.

It should be noted, that from here, the story is pretty straight forward – and I don’t mean that in a negative way – not at all. We get an adventure, cherished characters live, cherished characters die, there are hideous events, action-packed moments and everything leads to a major showdown where we see if good can overcome evil. And it’s perfect. It’s exactly what you want in a book like this. It’s practically why you read it. You want to see just what type of crap Melinda can overcome and how she can successfully save as many people as possible and none of it feels stale or ‘done to death’ because Grifant has done such a magical job (no pun intended… well maybe a dash of pun!) of bringing this world to life and making Melinda West such a powerful and fantastic character. This is the type of character that would this have been an 80’s Saturday morning cartoon instead of a 2020’s novel, people would have Melinda West posters up on all of their walls and the action figures would be flying off the shelves. It’s BraveStarr meets She-Ra the Princess of Power and it works so very very well. And that’s because Grifant takes it seriously.

Judging by how this one ends, I can only assume we’ll be getting a third in the series and I sure hope that happens.

What I didn’t like: I will say, I’m not totally sure if I felt that the Gremlin Queen was as huge of an opponent as I was expecting. Sure, it was horrible, ruthless and violent, but from what I pictured in my mind to what we ended up seeing as Melinda brought things home, it just wasn’t as crushingly brutal as I thought we’d see. Or maybe that’s my issue and I overinflated it? Could very well be!

Why you should buy this: If you loved book one, this is a no-brainer. If you love Grifant’s writing – again no-brainer. But otherwise, if you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced, dusty, western-magic-horror mashup, look no further. Melinda West is a phenomenal character, this world and landscape is perfectly balanced between being accessible and absolutely terrifying and at the end of the day, Grifant writes with such a joyful glee, it’s infectious and you can feel it flowing from the page.

This one’s a winner and so, so much fun.

Book Review: Zombie Billionaire by Nick Sullivan

Title: Zombie Billionaire (Creature Quest Series Book 2)

Author: Nick Sullivan

Release date: March 26th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Nick for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Way back in 2018, Gavin from Kendall Reviews absolutely insisted I read ‘Zombie Bigfoot.’ I wasn’t too sure going in, as I’d fallen out of love with zombie fiction around that time, but ‘Zombie Bigfoot’ was such a great read and it was my introduction to Nick Sullivan. If you don’t know Nick – he’s a talented author, renowned narrator and an awesome guy. ‘Zombie Bigfoot’ finished with the door wide open for a sequel. We were excited! We couldn’t wait! And then we waited… and waited… and waited… And as Nick even says in the afterword or this one, book two was in the process of being written, but then he started his Caribbean Dive Adventures series, which have taken off, and his attention was pulled in a different direction.

But now, after an eight year delay, book two has arrived and I was so excited when he emailed me to see if I’d like to give it a read!

I will say – and Nick says this both in the description on Goodreads/Amazon etc. as well as at the start of this book – you ABSOLUTELY have to have read book one to read this one, so go grab that one first, but also beware of potential spoilers going forward!

What I liked: This one picks up directly after the events that concluded book one – SPOILERS HERE BUT NECESSARY – our billionaire Cameron Carson has been viscously killed by the infected bigfoot. Brighteyes and Littlefoot have fled, looking for a new bigfoot tribe to call their own, and our main characters are trying to get away from the gathering government forces descending on the area.

It’s from here where the story splits into three different subplots, with a few more arriving as well.

When it comes to Cameron, we see him regenerate from the dead, infected by the same meteorite virus that infected the large bigfoot. It’s a fun storyline, with his hideousness and horribleness on full display. We see him determined to use what’s happened to elevate himself further, but also he returns to the forests in search of the meteorite and the bigfoots.

In the case of Brighteyes and Littlefoot, we follow them as they flee from those trying to capture them. We get some backstory on Brighteyes and we meet a female bigfoot from his past who he has a connection with. Their storyline does bring them back to reconnect with the humans, which was wonderful and helped to close off the book as well.

When it comes to Joseph and Sarah and the crew, we see them work together to try and stop Carson and make sure the bigfoot escape. Their storyline also comes around to the next storyline aspect that was introduced.

As this is a Creature Quest book, Sullivan introduces Sharlie, a Loch Ness Monster type creature that lives in the local lake. With a celebration going on in town, Sharlie begins to rampage and eat those on the lake. This intertwines with a monster hunter who goes to the area to find the bigfoot, but ends up also learning about the sea creature. It made for a really fun additional element of cryptid adventure and I really enjoyed how the two storylines between the sasquatch and the sea creature ended up working together.

Throughout, this book reads and feels like a really great movie exploding off the pages and I loved returning to this world. The ending does give us a glimmer of hope for a third, but we’ll have to wait and see.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, as much fun as it was having the Sharlie storyline, I kind of wish that was a completely separate third book. Sullivan alludes to it in the afterword that it was a consideration at one point, and I think if it had been saved for a third book, we would’ve had more bigfoot action, as that seemed to be the element that was lessened because of that.

Why you should buy this: If you read book one, you’ll definitely want to return to this world, as Sullivan writes with such glee if it infectious. The characters are a ton of fun, the setting is spot on for the events and the masterful way Nick brings Brighteyes, Littlefoot and the other bigfoot to life is reminiscent of Harry and the Henderson’s. Overall, a fantastic follow up and one I think creature fans will definitely love!

Book Review: The Broken Places by Blaine Daigle

Title: The Broken Places

Author: Blaine Daigle

Release date: March 24, 2023

*Huge thanks to Blaine for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

You may have noticed my reviews have slowed a bit. Well, for those who care, I’ve swapped a bit of my scheduling around and have taken about half of my reading time away and devoted that to extra time to write. So, with my reading time cut in half, I just haven’t been zipping through as many books! But rest assured, I’m still plugging away each night on two or three books at any given time.

As with the case of Daigle’s ‘The Broken Places,’ over the last few years, I’ve read a couple of his books for blurb and when I mentioned I still hadn’t grabbed this one to read, he kindly send me a copy as a thanks. Now, you may ask yourself – how the heck did I not grab this yet as it’s 100% right up my alley – remote setting, creatures, woods etc., etc., – well in this particular case, this book came out about a month after my own novel, ‘Churn the Soil.’ Both are set in the same neck of the woods, both focus on remote locations with creatures and things that go bad, and while these two books are very different (in actuality, I found this one to remind me a lot of my novel ‘The Stranger’ which was awesome), with how close they were in terms of release dates, I needed some distance between having immersed myself in those worlds and then I just never swung back around to grab it!

Well, thanks to Blaine, I dove in ASAP and what a dark, atmosphere-driven tale this one was!

What I liked: The story follows three long-time friends heading to a remote cabin near a small town in the Yukon. Ryne’s family originates from there and with all three friends having recently had life-altering events, it seems like a solid place to go, unwind and have a fun weekend. Unbeknownst to two of them, Ryne’s actually planning on staying. But none of them know that the town hide’s a centuries old secret, one that directly involves Ryne.

Daigle does a great job of setting things up and showcasing the brotherly bond all three have. We get snippets of what each of them are like and what each has gone through, saving a lot of their stories for when we get it the thick of things. The town is well done and immediately makes everyone – including the reader – feel unwelcome.

Things really pick up when a storm is forecast, they head to the cabin and a strange deer shows up. From there, everything unravels and Daigle hits us with some long-held rituals, folklore terror and creepy animals that act as harbingers of horrible things to come.

The final quarter of the book is a solid info dump and revelation of secrets. As Ryne begins to connect the dots about his family, their place in the history of the small town and what it ultimately means to him and his friends who’ve come with him, was great and cinematic.

What I didn’t like: While I did like the ritualistic aspect and discover, I found it wasn’t fully formed – or at least fully described. We got some of what was happening, but not all of it and while that can work in cases, in this sense, we need it all.

As well, I found an overuse of the Robert Frost quote/poem without really learning why it was so specifically poignant to that character. I might have missed it, but for the amount it is used, I think that should’ve been something that would’ve stood out.

Why you should buy this: If you like Daigle’s books, you’ve probably already read this. If not, this is a great place to dive in. As well, if you like my own books, this will be right up your alley. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a cold-weather novel that’s chalk full of isolation, insane animals and long-held secrets, this one will be right up your alley!

Book Review: You’ll Do As You’re Told by Craig Wesley Wall

Title: You’ll Do As You’re Told

Author: Craig Wesley Wall

Release date: February 19th, 2025

Back in 2021, I read my book from Craig and was blown away. ‘The Briar’ had everything I love in horror novels – isolated location, small town zaniness/craziness, ancient curse and survival at all cost. When I saw his newest novel announced, I was even more excited. Craig was moving the horror to the PNW, a place I lived just north of in BC for over a decade. Seattle itself is a wonderful city, and one we visited a handful of times, but the areas surrounding it and north are… unique. They have their own pulse, their own individual populations that bob and weave to the sound of their own drums. It was interesting even just stopping for fuel and realizing that it wouldn’t be hard to be sucked into these little pockets of oddness and become one with them in short order.

Such is the backdrop of ‘You’ll Do As You’ll Told,’ and Craig effortlessly delivers an unnerving thrill-ride.

What I liked: The story itself might seem – on the surface at least – like one you’ve read before. On the outskirts of a small town is an abandoned asylum, previously home to a doctor who did unspeakable acts and experiments and now the land around it is considered haunted.

Craig takes that basic set up and turns it on its head.

The story follows Ray, recently divorced after his young son passed away from Cancer. He’s purchased a place in a secluded small town in Washington, a forty-five minute drive into the nearest city where he works. The house seems to have it all – wonderful views of Mt. Baker, land aplenty and a perfect spot for a home office.

Craig does a wonderful job setting things up, having Ray move to town, while also revealing that something seems to live in the basement, something that mimics each person who goes down the stairs deepest nightmare. I’ll admit, numerous times I was unnerved, pulling my feet in and making sure the blankets were tucked in tightly. Craig’s deft prose and descriptive prowess bring these visions to life.

And after Ray meets his neighbor, Court, an old man who has been investigating the asylum’s history, things begin to appear faster and more violently. After Ray falls for his realtor and Joyce becomes involved as well, the story goes full-throttle and we get some truly excellent PNW-fueled horror.

The last quarter of the novel is a pure sprint, the action coming fast and furious and we see the three of them have to figure out how to stop the spreading nightmare before it commits more atrocities.

What I didn’t like: I think the only thing that stuck out to me, at least, was that considering this was set in a remote, small town, not a lot of stuff actually happened in the small town. What I mean by that, was outside of Ray going to get a haircut and then later returning to the barbershop, we didn’t get much in the way of local folks questioning Ray or directly disgust or fear towards him elsewhere over where he lives. It would’ve been a solid addition to show the fear the citizens have towards the place by having a few public confrontations.

Why you should buy this: Craig is easily one of the most overlooked authors. Even at this stage of being out for almost a month, ridiculously there’s not a single rating/review on Goodreads. I’ve stopped giving star ratings on my reviews, but I’m making an exception here, because more people need to read Craig’s work and this book and ‘The Briar’ as a one-two punch duo of eco-horror work so perfectly together that they should be on everybody’s TBR’s and should be read ASAP.

This book features characters you’ll root for, super creepy and scary scenes and a back story of horrible acts that get slowly revealed over the course of the novel.

This might be Craig’s perfect novel and I for one hope more people find this.

5/5

Book Review: Death Spell by David Sodergren

Title: Death Spell

Author: David Sodergren

Release date: May 1st, 2025

*Thanks to David for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Over the years of his writing career, we’ve watched Sodergren go from strength to strength while blurring genre lines. His most recent release, late 2024’s ‘Summer of the Monsters’ was perhaps his most tame book yet, more a YA/dramatic/suspense/monster novel than anything resembling gore/terror/horror. It was a magical turn, one demonstrating how widely he can cast his net and took it a step more ‘mainstream’ than even his hit release ‘The Haar.’

Since then, he’s publicly revealed that Carl John Lee was his pseudonym and with that, outside of ‘Satan’s Burnouts Must Die!’ this is the most Carl John Lee book of all of David’s novels. In fact, I’m certain that Uncle Carl influenced this book more than Boris did and for that we’re all the better for it.

What I liked: The book throws us headfirst into the fire with the prologue. We meet Ron, who has resorted to a grotesque act in order to ascend the company ladder. It will blow readers away with the repulsiveness we get so early on, but it does two things – sets the tone of how Sodergren has written this and sets the extreme level at ULTRA-EXTREME. You know quickly that this one’s not for the faint of heart.

We then fast forward in time, Ron is a successful business man, father and will do anything for his daughter. Which is the crux of the entire book. She’s scorned by her former lover, a movie star, so Ron takes her and his head of security to the darkest reaches of a jungle to find the black magic shaman who helped Ron become successful.

Sodergren does a great job of infusing this book with tons of random pop culture quips and jokes – a particular Meatloaf gag that extends throughout had me chuckling each time – and as the deal is made and the reality of what that means starts to take hold, this goes from a ‘romance-splatter’ novel to a straight up 70’s extreme movie novelization. Time and time again, just when you think Sodergren can’t go further, he does, and to great effect.

The final quarter of the novel is a smorgasbord of trying to undo what’s undoable and seeing if anyone can even survive. It is cinematic, vivid and visceral and has some really great moments of moral questioning for our main characters. It pushes the envelope right to the brink of toppling over the edge, but manages to keep the story from falling to the wayside.

What I didn’t like: At the beginning, our martial arts movie star, Nick, seemed destined to have a larger, more prominent role and his character seemed fully formed. Sadly, he becomes an afterthought not too far in and I thought that was a disappointing turn, as he could’ve had a fantastic character arc.

Why you should buy this: I mean, if you love David’s books, you’ll be buying this, but if you’ve not read anything from him, I think this is an excellent place to dive in and discover why so many people rave about his books. From start to finish this is unrelenting and ultimately filled with so much ultra-violence that you’ll wish you’d kept a body count. Or, if this was film, they’d be measuring how much fake blood was used to execute these scenes in all their pulpy glory.

Another fantastic book from one of the best writers out there, this was gloriously macabre!

Book Review: Exiles by Mason Coile

Title: Exiles

Author: Mason Coile

Release date: September 16th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbitt, Kristin & Jess from Penguin/G.P. Putnam’s Sons & Edelweiss for the digital ARC of this one!*

**Unlike my normal reviews, this one is more a deeper dive into the novel than what I liked, etc.**

*

He means love, partnership, companionship, comfort. None of it could come after her. He was still married and had found a way to make sure he always would be. – From ‘Exiles.’

*

I’m not even sure how to start this one.

When ‘William’ by Mason Coile – aka Andrew Pyper – was first announced, I knew it would harken a return. It would bring Andrew’s books back to the thousands and thousands of readers who had seemingly moved on from raving about his work. The lack of social media hype and posting about Andrew’s books was what led me to start over-saturating my own posts with his books. Every book Andrew releases is an embodiment of what a modern classic looks like and to have had so many books written and released by one of the BEST literary writers ever is something we should all count ourselves as lucky to have at our fingertips. BEST literary writers ever. Full stop. You may not like the story and you may not like the decisions Andrew made within the books – and hey, fair game, every reader will experience every book differently – but there is simply no arguing that few writers out there can craft sentences as textured and layered as Andrew could. And the fact that I’m writing could instead of can is where the difficulty of writing this review comes from.

Andrew has left this plane.

It’s still shocking to write those words. We’re almost two months since he passed and it doesn’t feel right and doesn’t feel real. But a saying I’ve always loved, and one a number of people commented and messaged me after Andrew’s passing, is that art makes us immortal. We live on forever through what we created and put out into the world. And Andrew has blessed us in the art department.

So, with ‘William,’ Andrew kicked down the door of expectation and people went collectively out of their minds. It received critical acclaim, recognition around the globe for its phenomenal content, and with its relevance in the surging AI frustration we’re dealing with, lifted it above the fray of other books coming out. By all accounts – it was a smashing success – and for this super fan, a book that put a huge smile on my face.

When Andrew first discussed ‘William’ with me, he had mentioned there was a thematic sequel already outlined and from that outline, ‘Exiles’ has arrived. Though this one doesn’t jump off from where ‘William’ left – with that phenomenal throat-kick of a final sentence – it continues the look into technology, where it fits in our lives and what happens when mankind continues to play god with robotics.

‘Exiles’ takes place in the future and follows Dana, Blake and Kang, three astronauts on the Citadel Mission, arriving on Mars to begin the colonization efforts. Three robots have already arrived and constructed where the humans will live in preparation of their arrival.

Andrew sets things up nicely, and it was refreshing to see a female lead (which I’ll share why that was on purpose shortly) again in an Andrew book – for only the second time, the first being ‘The Only Child.’ Dana is strong, calm, rational and terrified. Rightfully so. She feels ‘lesser than’ in the group, watching as Blake and Kang have this ‘brotherhood’ of odd handshakes, back slaps, inside jokes and shared jargon. A rough landing occurs and it’s a race to the living quarters. Once there, they discover significant damage has occurred and after getting inside, they find only two of the three robots, the third having fled into the Martian landscape.

This is a classic Pyper setup (as Coile, yes, yes, sheesh) – where he immediately heightens the tension, gets the reader (and characters, yes, yes, sheesh) to a place where we feel ‘safe’ before unravelling all the friggin’ reasons why nobody is. He perfected it with ‘The Homecoming’ and then elevated that perfection with ‘William’ and now, here, on Mars, he takes it to a whole other realm. A level of adaptation and self discovery. The robots are ‘terraforming’ themselves. They’re actively working to become more human-like. To develop hopes, dreams, feelings, emotions and expressions. It’s akin to what we see with Well’s Murderbot books. The three robots – Wes, Shay and Alex – complete their job and then begin to ponder where they are, where they fit into the larger world around them, and what it will mean for them to never return to earth. All while waiting for the humans to arrive.

Taken as a surface level sci-fi/horror novel, it’s a common trope, one that asks us to look within ourselves and see where we fall on the empathetic/hell-no scale. Do we want AI to progress? To allow androids to dream of sheep? An easy way to find out the answer for yourself as to whether you’re ok with robotics advancing – go to Youtube, search Boston Dynamics Robotics Dog and watch that video. And if you think, ‘awe, how cute!’ step to the right and await your new overlords. Skynet is calling. If you watch it and think, ‘JFC, turn it off, burn the schematics and delete the code!’ then step the left and prepare to fight. 

But this is the second of the three Coile books. This is no longer a normal, average, Andrew book. Andrew has always put real life into his books. He’s always had metaphorical themes that look at things he’s going through in life. ‘The Demonologist’ was a look at his relationship with his daughter and the fears you have as a parent. Heck, ‘William’ was a microcosm of Andrew’s life through the Covid pandemic. And ‘Exiles’ appears to be a novel he wrote to showcase the journey his loving wife was going to be dealing with as Andrew dealt with Cancer and ultimately succumbed to it.

Andrew used this book as a literary send off for himself – though, as I said, we do get that third Coile book – and as a big love letter for his wife and kids. 

Am I reaching? Maybe. But, I felt like I was reaching when I reviewed ‘William’ and had Andrew confirm all my theories. Well, except for the joking theory that I was the inspiration for the William bot, lol. 

From the very beginning the layers are revealed. We get the journey to the unknown (Mars in this case) – both with what comes next for Andrew after death and what life will be like for his wife when he is gone. We get the small, close quarters – ie Andrew keeping his illness close and keeping his family closer. We get the ‘four’ of the family. Much like with ‘William’ where Andrew used two of the wife’s coworkers to represent his kids, in this case we get Dana and Blake as the two adults and Shay and Wes as the kids. Both working through emotions they should never have to deal with, both unsure how to process what it means to be left behind.

And throughout, Andrew gives us turns of phrases, sentences and passages that not only directly relate to their life together;

‘… the proven strength of managing my life while carrying this with me the whole time, holding it down.’

‘She needed resilience. Physical, mental, emotional.’

We are shown how each of them have different connections and the hopes he has for happiness for them in the future, but we also get some very powerful moments, none more powerful than the final closing sentences that had me bawling like a baby.

Throughout, Andrew channels what his wife is going through, what she’ll be dealing with after he’s gone and how, hopefully, sometime in the future they’ll reconnect cosmically. It’s the ‘why’ of the book, the reason there was a female lead.

It was beautiful, powerful and emotionally gut-wrenching.

But don’t think this is all butterfly’s and rainbows. No, far from it. Within, Andrew shows his penchant for disturbing moments and glorious viscera. We get one of the most brutal and violent scenes Andrew’s ever given us. We get the hint of another ‘thing’ out there. What is it? Nobody knows. A suggestion of an alien lifeform not wanting the humans to be there. A suggestion of robotic espionage, the robots not wanting to be left behind. And a hint at it being purely a hallucination. Though, when taken from above, an out-of-body-reading-experience, that entity surely was the metaphorical inclusion of Andrew’s illness.

Again, I simply may be grasping at straws here, looking too deep into one of the final releases of an author who changed my life, but every person experiences every book differently, and in this case, this was my experience.

So, where does that leave us.

Let’s wrap this up looking at two different routes if you will.

First route – the Mason Coile voyage. When taken as a singular book, ‘Exiles’ is a phenomenal sci-fi/horror novel that asks the reader some tough philosophical questions and then answers them firmly. It is tension-filled, claustrophobic and terrifying. When worked into the aspect of book two of Coile’s bibliography, it not only heightens what was started in ‘William,’ but also deftly (and subtly) elevated the family dynamic drama from within both books.

Second route – the Andrew Pyper bibliography. When added into Andrew’s larger bibliography, it takes the sci-fi aspects of ‘The Homecoming’ and the family dynamics of ‘The Killing Circle,’ ‘The Damned’ and ‘William’ and elevates that even more. It pushes the tension further than many of his previous books, utilizing a lot of what he did with ‘The Residence’ and ‘The Only Child,’ and the ‘vague’-ness of the ending gave us a smidgeon of what he did with ‘The Demonologist.’ Atmospherically, this one falls in line closer to ‘Lost Girls’ and ‘Oracle,’ the only obvious difference is location/setting. It’s one of the best books written by one of the most cerebral writers we’ve ever had.

To close this off, I’ll leave it with this.

Andrew was well aware of the time he had left. He completed ‘Exiles’ and the third Coile book, and if this is any indication of what the third one will be like – in terms of storytelling and quality of writing – then he left us in good hands. ‘Exiles’ will benefit from the buildup that ‘William’ created and for that, it’ll get in front of many more eyes than the standard ‘sci-fi’ crowd, which can be a fickle bunch. Andrew may be gone, but this second-to-last of the Coile books confirms to all of us just how magnificent of a storyteller he truly was.

He was the best.

Book Review: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Title: Annihilation (Southern Reach #1)

Author: Jeff VanderMeer

Release date: February 4th, 2014

Back in 2018, I watched the film adaptation of this book and absolutely loved it. Outside of movies like ‘Splice,’ ‘The Mist,’ ‘The Ritual’ and the Alien franchise, few movies hit deeper and inspired me more. In fact, my novel ‘Mastodon’ owes a lot to that movie. I loved the journey into Area X, the discover of odd things and this surreal ending that involved so many layers. It was still rattling around my brain when I outlined ‘Mastodon’ and I owe a huge amount of thanks to VanderMeer for inspiring me so much.

Saying that, a few years ago, and after ‘Mastodon’ was released, I figured it would be prudent for me to give the series a read. I purchased the Kindle ‘Area X’ three-book bundle and not too long after cracked open ‘Annihilation.’

Andddddddd…. promptly DNF’d it.

It wasn’t what I was expecting. It wasn’t like the movie. Yes, I know, the movie was an adaptation of the book, but still, I was expecting a journey, them crossing over and going in and none of that happened.

So, I let it sit. I knew I needed to readjust my expectations, but I needed time for that.

Recently, I was trying to decide what to bump up my TBR to offset some of the review copies I was on a time line with, and I saw my book (and real life) pal Julie aka grimdreadful had posted about reading it, that I decided now was the time to dive back in.

What I liked: Told through the point of view of the main character – the biologist – the book follows a group of four who make up the twelfth expedition into Area X. This is a strange area where suddenly things have changed and the government has worked to keep people away and it off of the known maps.

Not long after arriving, the group finds an anomaly, something the rest call a tunnel, while the biologist believes it to be a tower. In the distance, an odd – but known – light house.

It’s with that set up that VanderMeer creates a speculative juggernaut that keeps us readers wondering WTF is actually going on while also completely immersed in what is allegedly going on. And I say allegedly, because we never truly know if what the biologist is telling us is the truth, or simply their version of the truth, Area X working to glamor them and subtly shift key details.

We learn that the biologist’s husband was on the eleventh expedition, an expedition that seemingly disbanded and every member randomly returned home, forever altered.

And we learn that the leader of the group, the psychologist, may not be on the up and up.

It makes for an unsettling and uneasy experience, one filled with philosophical moments and revelations that continue to have the reader mistrust everything that they read.

The ending is another piece of that puzzle. An ‘ending,’ though for my money, I wouldn’t put any faith in how it happened being how things actually happened.

What I didn’t like: While I didn’t DNF it this time, I still was frustrated with a lot of the glossing over of some moments that could’ve been really amazing. We learn of the odd creature in the swamp/jungle that howls/moans, but never really get any details of it. We get tidbits of their journey to base camp, but nothing really about crossing over the border or the hike there. And, the open-endedness of the ending made for a frustrating conclusion, mainly because with so much information at the biologist’s hands, we still don’t fully know what they decided to do.

Why you should buy this: Fans of elevated and cerebral speculative sci-fi with horror elements will really love this. There’s three more books in the series – two that both arrived in 2014 and one that arrived last year – but I think for me, this is as far as I go with it. But, if you’re looking for a foray into an odd place with odder things and unreliable characters, I think this book – and series – will be right up your alley.

Book Review: Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley

Title: Starve Acre

Author: Andrew Michael Hurley

Release date: October 1st, 2019

I must admit, I’ve been keen to read this one since it was first released and when I first laid my eyes on that stunning cover. Over the years, it’s had a few different cover variations, but that cover with the red rabbit always kept whispering to me that I should read it and over the last six months or so, that whisper has increased in volume, growing almost to an ear-shattering scream.

One thing that had prevented me from reading it was that I’d always heard Hurley’s work was highly intellectual and that always scares me. I’m not a highly intellectual genre reader. I’m not someone who reads ambient literary fiction and easily grasps metaphors or symbolism when it’s not fully handed to me on a platter. When I do connect with a book like that, I’ll often take my time re-reading some passages, even making notes so that I can make sure my dumbass is seeing the deeper meanings within the surface words.

When it got to the point that I was certain this was going to be my next read, I reached out to my friend Gavin from Kendall Reviews and asked him about the book. He’d previously read it and loved it and frequently suggested I read it. He assured me that this isn’t one of those hard to get into books, that it was very accessible and with that re-assurance, I took a trip to Starve Acre.

What I liked: The story follows Richard and Juliette Willoughby, who’ve moved out to Richard’s parents former home – Starve Acre. While there, their young son, Ewan begins to exhibit subtle changes, outbursts and shockingly dies.

Hurley splits the story into pre and post death. We get to see the changes in Ewan before he died, how the family struggles to comprehend that their little boy is becoming who he’s becoming, while also dealing with living in Starve Acre itself. We also get to see the ripples caused by Ewan’s death, Juliette’s depression, her desire to bring him back and her inability to process that Ewan became who Ewan became.

Hurley also gives us some of the back history of Starve Acre itself. How it used to have a massive tree in the back field that was involved in a notorious moment in the surrounding town’s history and was cut down. We also learn that the search for the tree’s remains drove Richard’s father mad.

It’s a sublime set up that allows the reality of what happened to Ewan and what eventually occurs after Richard finds the skeleton of a rabbit buried in the field to be executed so perfectly.

The writing here is purposefully stilted. Or at least this reader thought so. It’s used as a misdirection technique, making it so that you grow frustrated with every single character as the story progresses. This frustration is a sleight of hand, it keeps you from seeing all the subtle clues, but when you do and when the absolutely gut-wrenchingly unnerving ending arrives, I finished with a ridiculous grin on my face.

What I didn’t like: I’ll be honest here – I hated how frustrating the dialogue was. I believe it was written like that specifically, but far too often I wanted to smack the speaker for talking like that. It worked very well to keep me from seeing every clue, but it also made me want to punch the grandma, grandpa, sister and family friend.

Why you should buy this: I didn’t find this one inaccessible, which made this reader very happy. It kept me on my toes and absolutely delivered on the grief/folklore elements that it promised. This one was a hard – emotionally – read that had me racing through the final quarter to see just what insane point it was going to end on and when I go there, it was pristine.

If you’ve not read this one yet and are looking for a dark, densely layered grief/folklore book, look no further. This is now a movie – though I’m not sure if I’ll watch it as the book was done so perfectly – so for those who love comparing the two formats, you’re set up to read it and watch it in short order.

A phenomenally frustrating yet perfect read.

Book Review: Candle Horror by Robert Weaver

Title: Candle Horror

Author: Robert Weaver

Release date: March 7th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Robert for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

I’ve read a few of Robert’s books now, and I’m 99% positive this is a pseudonym for Mike Mignola. I say that because Mike’s artwork and prose is very recognizable and Robert’s is almost identical. Now, I caveat that with two things. One – I have no idea if it is or isn’t. Robert’s created a very intriguing online presence and the way his IG page is and his Goodreads page is set up, it feels much like a pseudonym. Two – if Robert ISN’T Mignola’s pseudonym, I don’t believe it’s a case of trying to copy anything or any nefarious actions, it would very well be a case of Robert’s art comes out this way. No copycat issues here. I just find it remarkable how similar everything between their two creative outputs look/read and feel. I’m a huge fan of Mignola’s Hellboy stuff and the BPRD and Baltimore stuff, though I haven’t read either much over the last few years, but when I first connected with Robert, I was struck when reading his novel ‘Blessed Skeletons’ just how much it felt like I was reading a Mignola novel.

Anyways, I digress.

If you’ve made this far, thanks, haha!

When Robert reached out about this one, I was immediately intrigued. From the odd candle-creature on the cover, to the isolated location and the sense that this would feel atmospherically similar to Tim McGregor’s ‘Lure’ and ‘Eynhallow’ books, I was excited to dive in and see what was going to haunt me inside.

What I liked: The set up for this one is pretty simple. Ostrimir has moved with the love of his life, Maud, and son, Godfrey, to a remote island. He’s moved them there under the notion that this is their forever place, but unbeknownst to Maud, Ostrimir has struck a bargain and soon, the toll is due.

The story within is at times terrifying, confusing and asymmetrical. We get tidbits of what’s happening, as well as some truly violent moments as the horrors arrive and attempt to collect Ostrimir’s fee.

Weaver does a wonderful job of keeping the paranoia high throughout and within 25% of the book, we start to wonder if everything that is happening is purely single-sided, whether it is only Ostrimir who has struck a bargain.

The final quarter of the book is a masterful unravelling of everything and it’s made all the heavier due to the suffocating and lush location Weaver has created. You could practically feel the storm winds blowing on your face and the muck under your feet by that point.

The ending is solid, though I’d suspect there’s more to the story, more to the lore that’s been created and revealed here.

What I didn’t like: Two things really stood out for me. The first is that I would say I border-line hated most of the dialogue. It was always as though no matter who was speaking with each other, it felt like they were speaking in riddles and having completely separate conversations. It made it so that a few times I had to go back and re-read some sections, wondering if I’d missed something.

The second, was that I wasn’t a fan of this one not having chapters. We get * (though in this case it was a bug silhouette) as scene breaks and because of that, it did reduce some of the cliffhanger elements that chapter ends can create so very well.

Why you should buy this: Well, if you’re intrigued by my guess at this secretly being Mignola, you’ll want to give it a read and see how close you think I am. Again – there’s so many elements here that scream Mignola – the pseudo-Russian lore/mystique, the way the story is told, the creature elements etc. etc. – that I’m personally convinced.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for a read that is just hauntingly heavy, unnerving and filled with some very intriguing plot points, this will be right up your alley.

Book Review: Give Me Something Good to Eat by D.W. Gillespie

Title: Give Me Something Good to Eat

Author: D.W. Gillespie

Release date: August 13th, 2024

I’ve long been a fan of Gillespie’s writing, though until now, it’s been purely in the adult horror world, with his novels ‘One by One’ and ‘The Toy Thief’ both absolutely underrated gems, and his collection ‘Handmade Monsters’ full of great short fiction.

Now, I spend most of my reading time entrenched in the adult horror world, though – and this is usually with my son – I dive into Middle Grade horror occasionally. Sometimes though, I simply want to get through an MG read far faster than if I was reading it with my son – and that’s no slight on him, but sometimes we only get 20 minutes to read a night together and that’s usually devoted to dinosaur books or our ongoing read through ‘The Wild Robot 2’ – as I can burn through it far faster.

I’ve had this one from Gillespie, his first foray into MG fiction, for some time now, and I’ve watched it inch up my never-ending-TBR-of-doom for the last few months. When it finally made it to the very tip top, I was stoked. I wanted to see what he’d conjured and what adult horror sensibilities he was going to bring to the MG horror world.

What I liked: Taking place in the town of Pearl, life is wonderful and everyone is happy – especially on Halloween. On Halloween, the streets come alive, kids treat-or-treat and then the night culminates with a huge party. Except there’s a sinister side. And it seems only Mason Miller remembers it. See, every Halloween a kid goes missing, but nobody remembers it. Except Mason.

Gillespie sets things up really well, giving us a wonderfully tense opening and then introducing us to Mason and his best friend, Serge. For some reason, Mason is the only one who remembers the kids going missing, mostly because he wrote a story with a previous best friend, who went missing and Mason doesn’t understand why nothing was done.

When Mason’s younger sister, Meg, goes missing on Halloween, the story really takes off, with Mason and Serge – and two new friends in tow – discover what’s really been going on and have to fight the evil forces that threaten every kid in town.

It reminded me a lot of ‘Monster Squad’ in that it was the kids banding together and strange creatures trying to hold supreme over the town.

This story was a lot of fun and throughout, I could envision where D.W. would’ve had to take a step back and tone down the descriptions from what I’m used to him writing.

The ending was great and was really perfect for a book for kids of this targeted age. Where us old, jaded, horror readers want doom, gloom and despair at the end, those far younger want good to overcome evil, friends to come together and work as a collective and for the sun to be shining, which was all done really well by Gillespie here.

What I didn’t like: For an MG horror book, this was perfect. Much like Trevor Henderson’s recent ‘Scarewaves’ or anything Lora Senf has released, this gave us a perfect setting, great characters and a really fun storyline. BUT – if you’re an old reader like me, it’ll all feel very familiar and something you’ve read before. So, while it works perfectly for those not yet old enough to drive, if you’re looking for something to absolutely surprise you, you won’t find that here.

Why you should buy this: Gillespie has seemingly found his new sweet spot for writing – which is wonderful because he’s a writer that should be read far and wide – and this one hits it out of the ball park. I’m looking forward to reading this with me son, but I’m also hopeful we’ll see Mason and crew in the future in another adventure. Gillespie’s given us a truly engaging story that had me zipping through it in no time at all!