C.B. Calsing's Blog, page 6

A Review of J.H. Markert's "The Nightmare Man"

J. H. Markert’s The Nightmare Man gives you everything you want from the trope of the horror writer being trapped in a world of his own making, and then some. I remember watching In the Mouth of Madness as a teenager at the Sunset Drive-in when it was released. As far as I can remember, this was my first exposure to this trope. I’ve sought it out elsewhere as well: in horror films from the seventies and in other books. The Nightmare Man is packed not only with this classic trope, but so many others from across horror subgenres that it is an all-too-satisfying read, and I can’t wait for the sequel that is hinted at in the final chapter. 

Ben Bookman is our novelist. He’s (of course) also an alcoholic (a nod to The Shining) and is having trouble keeping his marriage together after an allegation of an affair with the nanny (classic, but it becomes even more twisted later). The novel starts at a book signing of his most recent story. There, a man shoots himself in front of Ben, claiming Ben stole his nightmare for the novel. This coincides with a family being found, murdered in exactly the way Ben has described in his book. At first, Detective Mills and his daughter, Detective Blue, think it’s a copycat killer, simple as that. But as the story progresses, we learn there is so much more going on, a tension that has been building for decades. And the climax? Absolutely worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, but I’ll leave it at that. 

I read and listen to a lot of horror. I write some myself. Rarely do I come across a novel that I find so absolutely nostalgic of the stuff I was reading in the early nineties. Titles I’d find at the local used bookstore. Titles that probably (and this isn’t a bad thing) originally came off a twirling wire rack at a Thrifty's or Rexall drugstore. The Nightmare Man delivers that nostalgia. As mentioned in the intro, there are so many tropes that appeal to fans of that older style of horror: an asylum, too many moths (for some reason), a cop in AA, a priest with a past, a big derelict house... And all the pieces fit together. At the end (and this isn’t really a spoiler), we get the child prodigy who is ready to start fighting the evil years later.

Overall, this is good stuff. It is a perfect summer horror read. I’m excited to see what this novelist is going to do next with his characters. 

A Review of Polly Hall's "The Taxidermist's Lover" (audiobook)

Polly Hall’s The Taxidermist’s Lover is unlike anything I’ve listened to before. Scarlett meets Henry on the beach one day, and their love affair begins, both between them and between Scarlett and Henry’s taxidermy. They move in together, and the book follows about a year of their relationship, jumping between Christmas day in the present and the previous months of the year. As time goes on, the narrator slowly reveals exactly how their relationship has ended, and it’s not what the reader expects. 

To be honest, if I’d picked up the novel, I probably would not have finished it. I’m not terribly fond of second-person narration, but it worked really well as an audiobook. The second-person perspective is what makes or breaks this story, and for the audiobook it suits. Listening to the narrator, Justine Eyre, really brought this novel into itself, and I was completely invested in following it through to the end. Her voice matched that of the narrator. I have to admit I sort of binged it. I was reminded a little of the TV series based on the movie Psycho, Bates Motel, because of the taxidermy and mental health issues in this story. That connection drew me in. I love taxidermy (though I’m not allowed to have any in the house). The narration feels like an extended love letter to Henry, which makes it quite intimate.

I am really looking forward to getting others to read this work because I want to talk about it with them! Because of the reliability of the narrator, it is hard to tell how much is real and how much is in her mind, and I want to explore that with other readers. I hope many, many people put The Taxidermist’s Lover on their TBR or “to be listened” lists. 

A review of J.M. Miro's "Ordinary Monsters" (audiobook)

Dickens meets Marvel’s X-Men is the best way I can describe Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro. Orphans with extraordinary abilities from all over the world are taken to the mysterious Cairndale Institute in Scotland. Is it for their own protection and instruction, or does the owner have more nefarious plans to carry out? This book follows the adventures of one set of these orphans, each with an amazing power, as they discover whom they should trust and from whom they should run. 

Many reviewers have complained about the length of the audiobook, but I enjoyed the extended time I got to spend in this amazingly well-crafted world. Miro has shown a great ability in world building, and though it takes some time to follow all the threads, the reveals are worth it in the end. The themes of trust and family run throughout. Though many of these children are alone in the world, they have each other. 

I have to say I did enjoy the narrator, Ben Onwukwe. His accent lent the correct character and gravitas to the story. I hope he reprises his role when the next installment is released, as I do not think it would be as good without the same narrator. 

This work would definitely suit fans of Miss Peregrine’s and Harry Potter, though for slightly more mature readers. The book is clearly a first installment, and I look forward to the next work from J.M. Miro. 

I received this for review from NetGalley. 

A review of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "The Daughter of Doctor Moreau"

One of my favorite genres to read is the updated, canon tale told from a new perspective. I remember reading Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea in college, and it was one of the few titles I returned to later in life. For those that don’t know, that novel tells the backstory of Edward’s first wife in Jane Eyre: what drove her to madness and why he keeps her locked away. I recommend it for fans of the original story. 

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's The Daughter of Doctor Moreau gives a similar treatment to the classic by H.G. Wells. Moreno-Garcia resets the story in the lush Yucatan, and the hybrid human/animals have their sources in the creatures that stalk those forests, and Merida is the nearest city where one might find civilization. It is told in a close third-person perspective, alternating between Montgomery, the caretaker, and Carlota, the doctor’s “natural daughter.” The plot revolves around Moreau attempting to secure funding to continue his experiments by securing a marriage between Carlota and the son of his landlord and patron. However, all does not go to plan, putting the survival of the hybrids and others at risk. 

I enjoyed this retelling a great deal, particularly since I have visited the part of the world where it is set and walked the streets of Merida. The details of the setting were vibrant and realistic. The nods were there to Wells, but Moreno-Garcia made the story entirely her own. The themes of identity, trust, and paternity run throughout. Who is really your family? How are those bonds forged? To whom do you owe allegiance? Carlota has to face all these questions as she matures and learns who she really is. 

This is the first book of Moreno-Garcia's I have read, and I can’t wait to go back and read her other titles when I have the chance. I would recommend this to fans of H.G. Wells, fans of historical fiction, and anyone who likes a little macabre and creepiness in their sort-of-romantic (but not the whole book) fiction. 

I received this title as an ARC from NetGalley.

A Review of "The Beasts of Vissaria County" (audiobook) by Douglas Ford

Without planning to, I read two stories back-to-back which featured an abused wife running with her son from her law-enforcement husband. Both protagonists end up in a situation with a mysterious stranger whose motivations are unclear. But really, that is where the similarities between The Haunting of Orchard Hill and The Beasts of Vissaria County end.

Douglas Ford’s The Beasts of Vissaria County follows Maggie as she attempts to start a new life with her son after an alleged suicide attempt. She has run from her husband, an ICE agent involved in some dubious activities, and she is living with her father. This was the one issue I sort of had with the story. Maggie refuses to carry a cellphone because she thinks it can be used to track her, but she’s gone to stay at her dad’s, and her dad, Vernon, is friends with her husband. Her husband even bought him a truck. One would think she would find a less obvious place to hide. But for the story to work, she does need to be found, and she is. A neighbor of Vernon’s, called “WD” throughout the story, claims to be Polish aristocracy, and he lives alone in a creepy old house. He is the trope of the mysterious stranger to help fill out our horror story. There are suggestions of swamp monsters, witches, and werewolves throughout, but in the end, the reader has to decide for herself who the real monsters are.

There was a lot of intertwining of stories in this novel, as well as odd characters. Everything was a little dirty, a little creepy, even the mundane aspects. I enjoyed the ambiance and mood established by the author, and the fact that Maggie found people to support her in her situation brought a spark of hope to the story that kept me engaged despite some of the grim elements. This added a nice balance. The major theme that jumped out at me here deals with perception, how things are versus how we want them to be, and how one person sees things is different from the next. This comes through with the ample allusions to cinematography and the wearing of masks.

The narrator, Jenn Lee, had an appropriately sober tone for the narration. I found her engaging and entertaining. I would definitely listen to her other work.

I enjoyed The Beasts of Vissaria County and look forward to future novels from this author. I received an Audible code from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A review of "The Haunting of Orchard Hill" by Sara Crocoll Smith

Sara Crocoll Smith's The Haunting of Orchard Hill is solidly a paranormal novel and solidly a romance in the gothic style. It begins with tension as Nina, our protagonist, and her infant son flee an abusive husband, who also happens to be a cop, upping the stakes. When her car breaks down in a rural town, she is taken in by a widow who owns an apple orchard. There are whispers about her too. Did she kill her husband? Then Nina meets the mysterious farmhand, Colin, and is instantly smitten. Colin, however, has his own secrets.

The text of this story was well-written and well-edited. Its highlight is definitely the folksy, mysterious widow who offers to take in Nina and her son. Like Nina, in the beginning I could not tell whether this woman was truly kind or had nefarious motivations. I was really cheering for her to be good because Nina already had enough crap going on in her life.

The tension is high throughout, and as a reader, I was very interested in finding out what was going to happen next. The baby, Holden, creates a lot of this tension as Nina loses him often, though only for short periods. I think the pacing would have benefitted from a few more quiet times and a few cameos of life without the threat of the estranged husband or the mysterious widow. This would have particularly helped build the romance subplot, which I questioned. I could have revelled in more of the paranormal aspects and given the romance more time to develop. I wanted Nina to turn away from a relationship immediately after leaving her abusive husband. It seemed too soon. A great deal of her motivation comes from her son. She needs to protect him, after all, and should know she's in no state to get involved again so soon.

The ending offered a twist I definitely did not seem coming. For the romance readers (mild spoiler), this gives you your HEA. I, for one, expected a different sort of ending.

I did really enjoy this book and would love to continue following this author, to see what else she comes up with in this genre.

I received this book as an ARC from the author.

A Review of "Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments" (audiobook) by T.L. Huchu

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu is the second book in a series. Ropa Moyo, our protagonist, is a ghost talker and takes on odd jobs helping the deceased finish their unfinished business. She lives in a caravan in the slums with her grandmother and little sister. She wants nothing more than a better future for her family. In this installment, she is hired by a hospital to help figure out why some schoolboys are falling sick. She also comes across a fortune hunter who wants her to help prove an inheritance. In an alternate reality, after a worldwide catastrophe, magic and cell phones coexist on the streets of Edinburgh, and Ropa repeatedly finds herself in altercations with gangs, magicians, and bureaucrats.

I don’t usually read sequels without having read the first book in a series. I don’t like risking that I might get lost in some of the details, nor do I particularly like going back to read the first book when I know a lot of the exposition or backstory. However, I made an exception here, and I am pleased I did. I enjoyed this story. The author struck a good balance in bringing the new reader up to speed on what happened in the first book without overburdening with exposition. It’s gritty, has a good voice as told in first person from Ropa, and feels real despite the magic and the alternate reality setting. I love that we have a strong female lead and no romance subplot. That can be hard to find in books meant for this age group. I appreciated the representation, and it was handled well.  I also enjoyed the narrator who did a great job bringing Ropa to life, as well as the other characters. I will look forward to the next installment of T.L. Huchu’s series and would recommend this to urban fantasy and paranormal fans. 

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley.

 

A Review of "Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower" (audiobook) by Tamsyn Muir

If you like Rocky, but would like it more if it were about a princess and a fairy, then you will love Tasmyn Muir's Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower. This is a short, fun audiobook that follows the adventure of Floralinda, who has been locked at the top of a tower, each floor of which is stalked by a different threat. The point of the tower, the witch says, is to lure princes. It's high art for the witch, but Floralinda would rather be home with her parents. As time passes, it becomes clear that no prince is going to make it to the fortieth floor, and with the help of the fairy, Cobweb, Floralinda decides to try to get out of the tower rather than wait for someone to get her out.

The conflict of this story is less about the challenges at each level of the tower and fighting the beasts therein, but more about challenging roles assigned to us and fighting expectations. Floralinda begins her journey relying on the information she has been fed about what it means to be a princess. Cobweb has pushed back against the expectations the fairies have for them and is punished as a result. Both come to terms with their goals in life through the plot, and neither accepts the roles assigned to them at the beginning of the story. While this is a comedic fairy tale retelling, it is also an allegory for the reader to examine their roles and the expectations society has placed on them. While these might not be as extreme as princess or bottom-of-the-garden fairy, they still warrant introspection.

The narrator, Moira Quirk, did a very good job with the story. Her voice fit perfectly with the plot and setting, and she did an excellent job differentiating between the characters.

I really enjoyed Tasmyn Muir’s Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower and finished listening to it in less than two days (thanks to an abundance of yard work). I would recommend it to any age, really, but I think teens and young adults will find it entertaining and enlightening.

I listened to this on the Libby app, and you should too!

A review of "Don't Look Back" (audiobook) by Ben Cheetham

Don’t Look Back starts off and ends up a fairly standard gothic thriller. Adam and Ella win a contest to become the caretakers of a mansion in Cornwall. They are grateful for this chance because one of their twin sons has died, and the remaining three family members all seem a bit lost. Even before they move into the house, they know something mysterious is going on. The original owner hanged himself, there’s (of course) a locked door to a room that is off-limits, and some years previously, another family went missing within its walls. The current owner swears it’s haunted by her dead mother. Once the new family moves in, the house seems to have an effect on all three: Adam writes more, Ella appears happier, and Henry (the surviving son) becomes brave and gets his appetite back. Slowly, however, things descend into darkness, and no one knows whether to blame the supernatural or more mundane forces.

First off, the narrator did an excellent job. Ralph Lister set a tone that supported the plot, and I could not fault his dialogue, even when doing women’s voices. I enjoyed the accent, which also helped carry the narration.

I also enjoyed Cheetham’s plot for the most part. It follows a lot of standard gothic tropes, and as a result was a very comfortable listen. There was nothing really shocking, surprising, or particularly revolutionary, but the read satisfied. The ending left me wanting more, but this is the beginning of a series, with House of Mirrors being next. I will probably check it out of the library because I am interested in seeing where this is going. In general, I enjoyed my time with this audiobook and would happily read more of Cheetham’s work if given the opportunity.

I received this audiobook free from NetGalley.

Story Acceptance!

I am thrilled to announce another short story acceptance. This one from Knight Writing Press. The anthology is based on "be careful what you wish for." I love this theme and used to teach The Wishgiver to my third graders and have them write companion stories to go with it. I can give my freshman English teacher credit for that lesson idea; she let us write vignettes to fit into Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine. I guess today we'd call that fanfiction.

My story for this anthology, "Death Stopped for Florencia," is not fanfiction, but it is a bit of an homage to the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of my favorite writers. I don't remember when I first read Love in the Time of Cholera or "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," but I've revisited those pieces many times throughout the years and continue to draw inspiration from them. Of course, the title is a nod to Emily Dickinson as well. I hope you will enjoy my story in this anthology, and I can't wait to read what the other authors have contributed.