Yolanda Sfetsos's Blog, page 16

IN EXCESS OF DARK by Red Lagoe

In Excess of Dark by Red Lagoe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to reading this novella for a while, and thanks to Red I got a chance to experience the darkness that is this brilliant story.

Karina is still dealing with the death of her father when she heads to the mountains for some family fun with her husband and teenage son. But life has a way of making her most dreaded thoughts a reality...

Wow. This is an intense story. It's also very sad and quite unsettling. The vivid, mac...

A Bit of an Update

Hey! How are you today? Long time no see. Well, I've been posting book reviews, but not much else. Why? After an extensive novel revision (Jan) followed by an extensive novel edit (Jan/Feb), my husband took a two-week break and we had an awesome time! ☺️

When he went back to work, I was initially planning to take another week off to catch up on some reading, and figure out what to work on next. Except, there were three ideas that wouldn't leave me alone. And no matter how much I tried, I just cou...

THE CRANE HUSBAND by Kelly Barnhill

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was in the mood for another novella and decided to get stuck into this one because I love stories featuring birds in some way.

When the mother of a fifteen-year-old girl brings home a crane that's as tall as a man, their way of life changes instantly. Her mother starts neglecting both of her children, and looks more beaten down every day. But this teenager isn't about to give up or give in...

Well, this is one dark and very surreal stor...

BARREN COVE by Ariel S. Winter

 

Barren Cove by Ariel S. Winter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember picking this up during one of our many thrift store adventures several years ago because it sounded very interesting. I mean, it's about robots and I LOVE robot stories. Always have.

Mr. Sapien is an old robot who wants to get away from the city for a while. He wants to figure things out, repair himself. So, he rents a cabana at Barren Cove, and instead of finding peace, he gets wrapped up in the bizarre lives of the Asimov 3000 f...

PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Well, I didn't expect to be DNFing this book, so I'm really disappointed. 😧

Piranesi sounded intriguing and the cover is lovely. Hell, I even bought the hardback. And tonight, I finally decided it was time to get stuck into it.

The story started off slow, but that's fine because I like a slow burn. Then the main character won't stop talking about the same thing over and over again. Still, I hung on until page 51. That's when I had to admit that it's not a slow burn, it's ...

BLEEDING INTO NEW WORLDS by Sarah Jane Huntington

Bleeding Into New Worlds by Sarah Jane Huntington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Jane Huntington's work, so I love getting stuck into her stories.

Anna doesn't belong anywhere. She's all alone in the world and searching for a purpose, when she meets a group of people who welcome her into their lives and make astral travel sound easy. But nothing is easy in this world...

Yikes. This turned out to be quite an intriguing and totally fascinating trip down the darkest rabbit hole. The ...

TRUE CRIME by Samantha Kolesnik

True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, last night I picked out another novella that I've had on my Kindle for a while.

Suzy and Lim live with their abusive mother in a shitty house hiding too many despicable secrets. Until the day it's all too much and the siblings find themselves on the run...

O.M.F.G. 😳

This story is beyond fucked up. I mean, seriously. It's like watching a true crime documentary from the other side. From the side we don't want to see. Yet, that's what make...

HELENA by Claire L. Smith

Helena by Claire L. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last night, while looking through the many books I have on my Kindle, I decided to get stuck into this one.

It's 1855 and Helena Morrigan is a mortician struggling to make ends meet. That's how she ends up living in an old house that's close to the graveyard. But it also means that she befriends the Tarter siblings and realises she's not the only one with secrets...

I loved the rich atmospheric gothic vibes that dripped from every page of this nov...

I have some awesome news!

Hey! How are you today? I hope February is treating you well.
I thought I'd pop in to mention some great news!
Here's the first bit:

That's right!
I have a new book coming out next month from Anuci Press. I'm SO excited!
Check out that fantastic cover, which was made by the very talented Adrian from Fabled Beast Design. I love it because this cover fits the story perfectly!
I can't wait for this book to be out in the wild. And that happens to be March 29th. ☺️
The other very cool piece of news is this:...

Finally got some reading done!

 

Open House by Nico Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a super busy month, I wanted to start February with a bit of reading. And this novelette was the perfect choice because I read it in one sitting.

Caleb is an ambitious realtor in LA who's trying to sell a modern high-tech mansion to establish himself professionally and financially. But during an open house, he meets a mysterious woman who sends him down a twisted path he wasn't expecting...

Yikes. This is such an intense story! I was hooked fr...