Title: Ambrosia

Author: Hamelin Bird

Release date: January 16th, 2024

Huge thanks to Hamelin for sending me a digital copy of this one. And huger thanks to our mutual IG friend who put us in touch. I’m not 100% sure if they want me to mention who it was, so for now, I’ll keep it at that!

When I was dm’d about the prospect of potentially reviewing this one, I jumped to GR and all I had to read was this line in the synopsis – ‘…draws the attention of the Bureau, a fringe government agency formed from the rubble of Projects Monarch and Stargate,’ to know I was 100% onboard. Seriously! Secret fringe agency? The Bureau? Sign me up!

What I liked: Ok, so, the first half of this novel is pretty saccharine, but in the best way possible. I actually loved the attention to detail Bird laid out and the story that got us to what I’ll call ‘the tipping point.

The story follows Travis, a former Navy member, who, much to his chagrin, returns to his mother’s home after she’s passed. They weren’t on the best of terms and from all accounts, she was a hard lady to be around. But, he knows that things need to be done and loose ends tied off. Soon, he finds that the familiar is nice. He reconnects with old friends, cleans up the house some and begins to believe this might be just where he needs to be.

Things begin to subtly shift when he remembers he had an old coin collection that just might be up in the attic. Sure enough, it is, but now it seems to have significantly grown. He doesn’t question it, just begins selling off singular coins and uses some to buy things. Which all leads to a huge moment – he buys a lotto ticket and wins big. Like big big.

It’s from here that Bird really swings for the fences with a massive shift. Throughout, we’ve been getting glimpses of a strange assassin, Drexl, who has a singular job and begrudgingly does it.

Bird sets things up well and when the Bureau arrives and makes itself known, we get a time-spanning story that all leads to Travis having to make a massive decision.

The writing is crisp, propulsive and the characters – no matter where they lay in the story – are all intriguing. Which works well to bring us up to the very end… and push us over the edge.

It was a great ‘cap’ to the story, whether this is a one-off is always up for debate when a plot point is involving a secret elite, but we’ll see.

What I didn’t like: Now, I don’t fully know how much I accepted the ‘tipping point.’ It is VERY hard to say anything about it without full spoiling anything, but I will say, it works, but for this reader, I don’t know how much I bought into the various mechanism of the ‘why.’

Why you should buy this: Is this cosmic horror? Not really, but kind of. Is this portal horror? Not really but kind of? The closest I can think of to compare this would be like The X-Files mixed with Agents of Dreamland but not? Haha! It is a wholly unique approach and storyline which had me captivated and I think will really intrigue and excite a lot of readers.

4/5

Title: Recreational Panic: Stories

Author: Sonora Taylor

Release date: March 5th, 2024

**Huge huge thank you to Cemetery Gates Media for sending me a digital ARC of this one!**

Ahhh! This collection was one of my most anticipated releases in 2024 and I’m so excited that CGM kindly sent me a digital ARC of this one! I’ve long been a huge fan of Sonora’s writing and we’ve developed a wonderful friendship over the years. And I can say that freely in this review, because I’m stilled banned from reviewing on Amazon so there’s no worry about my review being flagged lol! Ever since I first read her novel ‘Without Condition’ (and if you haven’t you really should!)

Sonora has shown just how solid of a short story writer she is with numerous anthology appearances and her own collections before. Her 2021 release, ‘Someone to Share My Nightmares’ was phenomenal, but her 2019 release, ‘Little Paranoia’s: Stories’ was EVEN better. The second story in that collection, ‘Weary Bones’ lives rent free to this day in my head and I think it should be considered MUST read by every fan of dark fiction.

Which meant that when this was announced I was excited. And when the Floridian-motel style cover art was shared, I was even more excited. And now, I’ve read it and I have to share – YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!

What I liked: This is packed, PACKED!, I tell you, chock full of short stories, flash fiction and poems. Every single piece is a winner, so I’ll pick a few out that really stuck deeper in my brain than the others.

The opener is ‘Recreational Panic: A Guided Meditation.’ Perfect choice to open the collection with. Think of it like an melodic intro to an album. Short, sweet and though it starts off simple and kind, soon morphs into a grotesque mantra that’ll be something you shouldn’t listen to on repeat.

‘Harvey Carver’ was pristine. A layered story about a town with an urban legend. People say Harvey Carver was a serial killer many years ago, but over the years after he’s gone, his living relatives change their names and try to go on with their lives. But Marla is OBSESSED with Harvey, his story, and just who in the town was related to him. This one spirals quickly out of control and Sonora ended it just so, so perfectly.

‘The Clockmaker’ was a story I’d previously read in an anthology, but I’m so glad it was included here and I loved it just as much this time as I did before. In a small town, a man becomes known for his delicate pieces he makes. When a strange individual enters his shop and requests a specific time piece, a horrible partnership is formed, one that grows more and more horrible as time goes on. Just wow. What an amazing story.

‘Little Dirty Birdy Feet’ was hysterically brutal. An abusive brother forces his younger sister into the woods. He won’t say why exactly, just wants to shoot some wildlife and ‘have fun.’ But when he starts to sing an old children’s rhyme, he unwittingly calls forth an ancient evil and his sister has to decide what side she’s on. This was so much fun and a really great take on folklore.

‘Knee-Deep’ was another fun one. A short dose of sleight-of-hand, this one focuses on a woman who wants a man to get into the Christmas spirit. Taylor must’ve written this at 3am with a massive grin on her face, because this was just a fun time.

‘Keepers of the Light’ was a really creepy one. Perhaps the creepiest story in the entire collection actually. This one is set around an old lighthouse and how it seemingly calls for a specific person to come to it. The pacing on this one was spot on and from the very beginning the reader will feel unsettled.

Throughout, Sonora manages to quickly pull the reader into each story and have them engaged immediately, which is always key, especially when it comes to some of the flash fiction pieces.

What I didn’t like: As with every collection, readers will connect with each piece differently, and that’s fine. In this case, I either really liked or loved every one and the poems were textured and well done.

Why you should buy this: If Sonora’s not a ‘must-buy/must-read’ author for you yet, you need to fix that ASAP. Her writing is powerful, evocative and is always unflinching. No matter what the subject matter is, she’ll find a unique way to ‘Taylorize’ it and in doing so elevates the idea even more.

What started out as one of my ‘Most-Anticipated’ releases of 2024 now slots itself onto my list of ‘Best Of 2024’ and I’m excited to see this one launch into the world!

5/5

Title: The Adleparmeun

Authors: Kelvin V.A. Allison and Megan Stockton

Release date: January 31st, 2024

When Kelvin and Megan announced this co-authored project, I was very intrigued. The gist of the novella is that there’s an apartment building in remote Alaska where all of the monsters of the world reside. Away from mankind, they live in ‘peace’ and to make things even more intriguing for the reader, each ‘chapter’ is a short story, based on each of the individual apartments. I’ve previously read ‘The Trouble with Rabbits’ from Allison, which I enjoyed quite a lot, but I think I’ve only read a few short stories from Stockton, but possibly not? I looked through the various anthologies listed on Goodreads she’s appeared in, but it didn’t appear as though I’d read them. Saying that, I could swear I’ve read some of her stories! Oh well! I have read something from her now!

What I liked: Now, the word Adleparmeun had my ears pick up. I’d heard it somewhere before, and couldn’t remember where. Then it dinged somewhere in my massive head. While researching locations, stories and myths for my own novel, ‘Churn the Soil,’ I remembered reading something about it. I found the link (https://ethicsofsuicide.lib.utah.edu/tradition/indigenous-cultures/arctic-cultures/eskimo-of-baffin-island/) which had this description;

“My people think this way: Kood-le-par-mi-ung (heaven) is upward. Every body happy there. All the time light; no snow, no ice, no storms; always pleasant; no trouble; never tried; sing and play all the time—all this continue with out end.

“Ad-le-par-me-un (hell) is downward. Always dark there. No sun; trouble there continually; snow flying all the time; terrible storms; cold, very cold; and a great deal of ice there. All who go there must always remain.

“All Innuits who have been good go to Koodleparmiung; that is, who have been kind to the poor and hungry—all who have been happy while living on this earth. Any one who has been killed by accident, or who has committed suicide, certainly goes to the happy place.

“All Innuits who have been bad—that is, unkind one to another—all who have been unhappy while on this earth, will go to Adleparmeun. If an Innuit kill another because he is mad at him, he certainly will go to Adleparmeun.” This was taken from Captain Charles Francis Hall, ‘Life with the Eskimaux,’ (Expedition 1860-1862) (London: Sampson Low, Son, and Marston, 1865). I’d thought it intriguing, because at one point, I’d considered ‘Churn the Soil’ as an allegorical tale of good versus evil, but ultimately switched it to a story about the people versus the land and new versus old.

But, getting back to this release, once that clicked together I was very intrigued and when taken as a shallow read, each story is just that – a fun little slab of horror. But when you dive into it deeper, each story is a revelatory discussion on where each of these monsters fit.

The story itself is held together by an over-arching premise of a few guards kind of keeping the creatures within, though as expected things don’t always go to plan.

Stockton and Allison write sublimely together. I honestly couldn’t tell you if they each wrote X number of stories or if they wrote them together as there’s no jarring shift between room stories and nothing stood out saying ‘AH HA! THAT WAS CLEARLY STOCKTON!’ which was wonderful to find. There isn’t an afterword or author’s note at the end either, so they kept the workload close to their hearts.

Throughout, we get a variety of characters who are all instantly characters you gravitate towards. I’m actually not going to single any of them out, purely because if you’re reading this, I want you to discover the joy of each as well as the layered complexities these two have so proficiently created here.

There is an ‘ending’ but honestly, with the way this one is structured and the narrative that started on page one and ended on page 125ish, there is ample room to expand, continue on or move to a different site.

What I didn’t like: As with any ‘collection’ (and I’m using this term VERY loosely simply for my observation here) some of the stories within each rooms, readers may or may not enjoy. I personally really dug each one and there seems to be a number of subtle Easter eggs throughout, which you’d expect based on a singular release revolving around a singular building.

Additionally, I did wish we got a tiny bit more info on the ‘why’ of this building etc. etc. But maybe we will in the future?

Why you should buy this: The complete package and completion of this work together is top notch. These two authors worked so cohesively together on a truly compulsive story idea that I raced through this. The characters within all could be pulled out and expanded upon, as could the location and the lore of the why and how.

Allison and Stockton hit this one out of the park and I truly hope they decide to return to this world again, no matter what ‘this world’ means to that new story.

5/5

Title: The Mountain King

Author: Anders de la Motte

Release date: Originally released September 28, 2022. English release January 30, 2024

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for a digital ARC of this one!

And a huge, huge thanks to my friend Char Cocrane for putting this on my radar!

I was immediately intrigued after reading Char’s review and was so happy to get approved for this one. I love reading about urban exploration and I find there’s very few books out there – whether in the thriller or horror genre’s – that focus on it at all.

This novel is translated from the original Swedish release and with that in mind, you know you’re in for a story with desolate landscapes, dreary atmosphere and a constant feeling of being on edge. That seems to be the trait for almost all of the bigger Swedish novels released over here.

The story follows Detective Inspector Leo Asker. She’s worked hard to put her background behind her – living under a father who became more and more distrusting of society and earned the nickname Prepper Per – and now heads up the Major Crimes Unit in Malmo. The novel really kicks off when a young woman – Smilla, a daughter in a well-connected family – and her boyfriend, MM, seemingly disappear and are presumed kidnapped.

What I liked: It’s from that point where de la Motte really takes off. We learn Leo has a strained relationship with her mother and sister, as well, when a few phone calls are made, Smilla’s family and Leo’s mom (who is a powerful lawyer) conspire to bring in a Detective from higher up – a man whom Smilla previously had a brief fling with, before it ended and he harassed her.

All of this makes for a cat-and-mouse game with Smilla’s disappearance, but also with Leo trying to find the truth, after being jettisoned to a ‘forgotten department,’ and the Major Crimes Unit follows a lead that has nothing to do with the true disappearance.

de la Motte kept the tension high throughout and this was wholly down to the short snappy chapters. It was a great way to create an atmosphere that constantly crackled with energy and makes it tough for readers to catch their breath. The middle half of this book is filled with numerous hints, sleight-of-hands and ‘maybe it’s this guy’ moments, as de la Motte keeps the true identity veiled until the final quarter.

I will add, I loved the quick time jumps back to Leo’s youth, to learn the truth of what happened between her and her father and how he continued to travel down a road that grew ever darker and more distrustful. It also worked to showcase the ‘why’ of her decisions when we arrive at the very end.

Lastly, I will add this as well – there’s a character – Hill – who is imperative as a secondary character. He was friends with Leo as a kid before moving away and now, as an adult, teaches at a University and has written a bestselling book on urban exploration. He was so fully formed, he would’ve even made for a great lead character, but I’m glad it was Leo, as she’s a formidable and strong lead who kicked so much ass, it was awesome.

The ending and discovery of the identity was great and seeing how a lot of minor things were connected was really well done.

What I didn’t like: Two things really. Much like I’ve found with every Thomas Olde Heuvelt novel’s I’ve read – well, I’ve read ‘Hex’ and dnf’d ‘Echo’ – it felt like throughout, and most likely due to it being translated, a lot of areas were bereft of emotions. As though each sentence was written by a robot. I was very worried in chapters one and two that this would be the case of the entire novel, as those first two chapters came across as completely emotionless, but thankfully that changed and it took off. Saying that, there were parts scattered throughout that just felt hollow, and I think that’s due to the nature of translated work.

Secondly, the very ending of this one, after everything is all said and done, sets up the next book. This is book one in the Leo Asker series after all, but I found it incredibly cheesy and almost completely unbelievable. Leo is given a permanent job/post and within two seconds of her sitting at her ‘new’ desk, the phone rings and someone is asking specifically for her? I know we needed a hook for book two, but it felt very forced and comical.

Why you should buy this: If you’re like me and love reading about people going missing in odd places and the frantic search that takes place to find them, ‘The Mountain King’ will be right up your alley. This one was compulsive, entertaining and I can’t even count the number of times I was convinced it was one person who was the mountain king, only to be completely wrong. And while I said the last closing part was comical, I’m completely invested in Leo Asker and want to read all about her adventures and watch her kick ass!

4/5