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Book Review: Inheritance of Scars, by Crystal Seitz

Cover of Inheritance of Scars, by Crystal Seitz; features a young woman with braided blond hair, blood smears on her face and palm, holding a knife as she moves through a tangled forest.

The word-pictures she paints of Astrid’s childhood memories and the forest journey are immersive, the creatures encountered along the way are creepily described and often quite chilling, and conversations feel convincing.   

Book Review: The Cost of Power: Return, by Joyce Reynolds-Ward

Cover of The Cost of Power: Book One: Return, by Joyce Reynolds-Ward. Orange-gold lettering against a dark red background, with gold decorations on the borders.

Gabe and Ruby’s story is the heart of The Cost of Power: Return, by Joyce Reynolds-Ward. Their story in this iteration, looking at the oeuvre of the author, is to be one of a series of futures/worlds in a multiverse of stories revolving around the Martinieres in general and Gabe and Ruby as well.

Book Review: HOLLOW TONGUE by Eden Royce

Cover of Hollow Tongue by Eden Royce, featuring bout two dozen butterflies lined up in rows on a board or paper.

… Known for her Southern Gothic horror writing, Royce writes with the same genre vibes in Hollow Tongue, but approaches the field in unexpected ways that emphasize the psychological horror of trauma and symbolism…

Book Review: DIAVOLA by Jennifer Thorne

Cover of Diavola, by Jennifer Thorne. Features a woman with a distorted, misty face, blonde hair, and an off-the-shoulder red dress, reading a book. Tagline: "Welcome to Villa Taccola. She's been waiting for you."

Diavola is interesting as a gothic horror through the inclusion of modern-day family vacation chaos and emotion. But it also follows a unique path from the setup and haunting and predictable responses to an original take on consequences and after-effects.