Paperbacks from Hell #2: WHEN DARKNESS LOVES US by Elizabeth Engstrom
Two very different types of horror stories, the novellas are linked by female protagonists who struggle to survive the difficult situations of their lives and maintain control and choice in directing their futures.
Book Review: Fathomfolk, by Eliza Chan
I really enjoy the worldbuilding and the emotional journeys of the (third-person) viewpoint characters, and how well the various elements were woven together. This is Chan’s first novel, and it’s wonderful!
Book review: Smothermoss by Alisa Alering
Smothermoss is entrancingly immersive, with entirely evocative language, fascinating fantastic elements, exciting action, and two very vividly drawn protagonists, sisters who have little in common and feel a lot of friction but eventually come together, with a bit of supernatural succor, to face a fearsome foe.
Double review: What Grows in the Dark, by Jaq Evans, and Terror at Tierra de Cobre, by Michael Merriam
I’ve been in a mood for reading horror lately, and a fair number of interesting stories in that field have been crossing my path, so I’m combining reviews here of two debuts from this week. Although they’re both pretty brisk reads that include LGBTQ+ protagonists and diverse casts, they’re quite different in focus and tone.
Book Review: Rosalind’s Siblings, edited by Bogi Takács
If you missed Rosalind’s Siblings when it was published in September 2023, please consider adding it to your reading list for the new year. It’s a very interesting anthology of speculative fiction and poems, containing some fascinating ideas and characters and some really beautiful language.
Book Review: Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé
From its opening pages, the surreal atmosphere of Morowa Yejidé’s exceptional, otherworldly novel Creatures of Passage envelops readers in a hazy pairing of familiarity and disorientation.
