Title: Beast

Author: Ingvild Bjerkeland

Release date: March 11th, 2025

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the digital ARC of this one!*

I’m a huge sucker for Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish horror. Whether TV, Movies or Books, the isolated locations and eeriness of story has always connected with me. I think a lot of it is because it reminds me a lot of where I grew up in Burton. We were remote, had wildlife galore, had sprawling mountains, darkest of nights, and there was always the sense that at any given moment you could be completely cut off from the outside world.

The cover of this one caught my attention immediately, especially when tied in with the title. The synopsis was also intriguing, so I was curious what could be done in such a short page count. As a fan of reading and writing novellas, I’m always a sucker for a less is more approach, so this one looked to be right up my alley.

What I liked: The story takes place not long after strange beasts have appeared around the world, ending things as we know it. A brother and sister are now on the run, having witnessed their mother’s death to one. They’re doing their best to survive, but the truth is, food is scarce and the beasts are numerous. Their dad was on a work trip on a remote island and they’ve heard that getting to the edge of the sea will get them on a boat and take them to where their father is.

One of my all-time favorite books is Cormac’s ‘The Road,’ and this is essentially that exact same book, only with monsters. In this case, it works for and against it. In ‘The Road’ the man and boy travel to the ocean’s edge in search of safety. They meet strangers along the way, some good, some bad and it’s a matter of trying to survive. Identical to this one.

Along the way, we see the kids finding places of shelter, random scraps and eventually a place with some safety. Some. As with all post-apocalyptic type books, places are never safe for long and life can change in an instant.

The ending is open enough and closed enough to satiate the reader’s journey, and considering this is classified as YA, though I’d suggest it’s probably closer to middle-grade, that’s a common aspect of how many of these books will end.

What I didn’t like: Well, it’s like ‘The Road’ but light. The Road Lite, I guess? It doesn’t break any ground and at times also reminded me of the 2010 movie, ‘Monsters,’ where the two characters need to make their way across Mexico to try and get back to the US border. It’s an engaging book, but one many people have read a million times. I think if I was my son’s age – eight – this book would rightly blow me away. At my old age – forty-three – I’ve experienced this all too often.

Why you should buy this: If you do have a young reader, this is an excellent book if you want to introduce them to the post-apocalyptic genre, or if they like books with kids having to survive against monsters. The writing is crisp, the pacing spot-on and I never got the sense that there was anything lost in translation.

Overall, a good book for adults who’ve read this stuff before, but a great book for new readers who’re not used to this type of narrative.

A solid, solid novella.

3/5

Title: The Demon of Devil’s Cavern (A Rory Daggett Story)

Author: Brennan LaFaro

Release date: August 24th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the digital copy of this one!*

A sequel.

Are you fans of sequels?

Or do you prefer a one and done and leave them be approach?

I’m 50/50 honestly. Some times I read a book and I’m like ‘Well, that was perfect and we need nothing else there!’ Other times it’s a ‘Holy WOW! What an ending! But there’s so much more that needs to be answered!’

And I get it. Hell, I hear it every day from people asking about a few of my books if there will be a sequel (specifically a novel of mine that rhymes with Mastodon).

LaFaro is no stranger to sequels. His Slattery Falls series is phenomenal and he managed to deliver a phenomenal opener and two even stronger follow ups, which is tough. Often times we get a dip.

So, with this one, I was curious, as book one, ‘Noose,’ was very well done.

LaFaro is a gifted storyteller, as though Ronald Kelly sprinkled him with the good writing dust that Kelly possesses and added in a dash of Brian Keene. I can’t speak about LaFaro’s writing process, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he outlines two or three books in a series prior to even writing book one, just to have the characters have short, medium and long arcs and the storylines can weave throughout.

That’s how it feels.

I was excited to dive into this one and see what Rory and Alice were up to, but also worried over what darkness might befall them.

What I liked: Let’s make this easy. Book two is better than book one.

Hands down. And book one is amazing and a belter and (insert adjectives of praise here, readers!).

The book follows the events of the first – and beware as there might be inadvertent spoilers here – and the sequel opens with a literal BANG.

A knock on the door. Rory and Alice are living on the outskirts of town, recovering physically and mentally from the incident with Noose and the witch. The door is answered. A new sheriff has arrived, and she means business, though cordially. But then she’s killed and the action kicks off.

The opening would’ve made for a phenomenal short story if it’d ended there, but it doesn’t. Because a gun fight happens, we know the Sheriff’s dead, and then the next day, the Sheriff returns with a posse, wanting to arrest Rory and Alice over her attempted murder. What?! Right?!

From that moment it’s a cat and mouse game of what’s going on and who is the Sheriff actually.

Rory and Alice head to the hills, get aid from an unexpected source, and as news comes to light and details are revealed, we find out some history and some truths.

LaFaro does a wonderful job of slowly delivering the emotional beats within the story, giving us a few shocking moments at very key points. Nothing demonstrates this more than Rory and Alice’s connection, their sign language communication and how – even after a very brutal truth is revealed – they know they are all each other has.

The ending of this particular book is very profound. I wasn’t expecting the unique look at death, the afterlife and the potential trickle effects of resurrection. It fit the thematic element of the Rory/Alice storyline very, very well, but also tied in the loss at the start of book one with the hope that appears out of nowhere at the end of book two.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, a very tiny, tiny gripe of mine has become the usage of real-life authors/friends of the author within books and that kept cropping up with some of the names. I get it, it’s kind of like how a lot of folks name drop friends books within their own book – having a character read X book by X author – but for me it throws me out of the fictional world for the briefest of moments. And I say that knowing full well that I was a character within Alan Baxter’s ‘The Roo.’ And I also understand the WHY of doing it. It’s just my own personal reading issue.

Why you should buy this: Horror western books are always a blast, but even better – adding a paranormal/supernatural element and LaFaro has hit a home run with combining the two – and even more amazing is that book two is that much more fun that book one (and book one was fantastic!)

If you’re a fan of LaFaro’s this is a no brainer to grab, and if you loved book one, also a no brainer. But if you’re looking for a novel written with the 80’s character sensibilities, the 90’s emotional impact trope and the 2020’s pacing style, look no further. LaFaro has once again managed to create characters you instantly fall for and root for and scenarios that have you white-knuckling the pages!

5/5

Title: The Court of Pe’kar (Lost Carcosa #4)

Author: Joseph Sale

Release date: August 29th, 2024

You know what really grinds my gears?
Books like this one.

That’s right. Books like this one.

What do you mean, Steve? You’re probably asking yourself that very question.

And my answer – I’m really, really, reaaaaaaallly fucking sick and tired of seeing stunning books like this – and part of a phenomenal series mind you – not getting any love ANYWHERE!

Like, what the hell does it have to take in this day and age of people professing to love Indie horror and promote small press and overlooked authors, yet here we have Joseph Sale – who is easily one of the greatest storytellers of our time (and one whom I’ve surmised previously may be a victim of writing during the wrong century) not having a series like this never mind a singular book like this being lauded on every single fucking platform. Seriously? I’m pissed. And if you know me, you know it takes a lot to make me angry.

I mean no shame towards Joseph here – but the stats back me up here. Goodreads – 1 rating with 1 review for this book. Amazon US – no ratings, no reviews. WHAT THE ACTUAL FLYING FUCK?! Sale is the closest thing we’re currently getting to an heir apparent to the beautiful horror that Clive Barker conjures. And with Clive’s health continue to decline the reality of new work from him fades with each passing day. But not with Sale, who is not only a magically gifted storyteller, but one of the most prolific writers of our time.

Ok, I’ll calm down. As the cooler kids say ‘Imma chill.’ Or something.

Now that we’ve all taken a dddeeeeepppp breath, let me tell you about this book.

BUT FIRST – AS IS EVIDENT – THIS IS BOOK FOUR. You must’ve read books one, two and three to understand what is going on in book four, so skip all the middle stuff until the bottom section of ‘Why you should buy this,’ as the middle part of this review will be spoiler-heavy for the other books.

What I liked: The reality of a book four in a five book series is that is holds a singular purpose – set up the grand finale. That’s not to say book four can’t deliver emotional depth, deception, horrors and have its own solid storyline – and this one has all of that and more – but often book four can be seen as the ‘weakest’ link in a series so readers will go in with tempered expectations.

In this case, the group – led by Alan and Cass – have arrived at Six-Ringed Citadel – after having survived Demhe. They believe that both Cass’ sister – Cali – and Cass’ mother – Camilla – are here. But they also want to have a meeting with the all-powerful demon, Pe’kar, and see if a potential truce can be arranged, a way to stop the ongoing seige of Carcosa.

Sale sets things up nicely. We get ever-growing tension within the group, the demon-knight Roland makes them uneasy, though he’s proven himself worthy. Alan doesn’t know if he can still trust the actor among them and even the dwarf, Petruccio, has become unhinged, knowing what he searched for, for all those years, is unattainable. Throughout, we see Alan and Cass’ love grow and that the two of them are ultimately in this together.

It makes for interesting dynamics from the start. First they need to trust wholeheartedly one they don’t know if they can – and go through the mummy task in order to be welcomed into the world of the dead.

Of the four books thus far, this book very well might be the most action-packed, and that’s saying something. It becomes very, very apparent when Cali’s plan is revealed and betrayal gives her power that even Alan and Cass never expected her to possess. It works perfectly within this singular book, but it also sets up the events in the final book, especially as key players are seemingly lost to the void and a specific instrument of hope falls into the wrong hands.

Sale crushes all expectations of what a book four should be, but also masterfully ends this one with a perfect set up for book five.

What I didn’t like: While I absolutely loved this one, I did find that the pacing at the start seemed far faster than the previous books. Where Sale took some time to set the stage and get us to the mid-point of the story, I felt like we arrived at the mid-point very quickly and then the final third was stretched over far more pages than normal. A minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.

Why you should buy this: I mean, obviously if you’ve read the first three books and loved them, then book four is a no brainer to grab. Book five is coming soon and I for one can’t wait to see what Sale does to wrap this series up! As for this book itself, Sale has done a wonderful job in progressing each character, strengthening/weakening bonds between the group as necessary and all the while marching along to a grand finale between Cass and Cali.

And, if you’ve never read Joseph Sale, go grab book one. Go grab ‘Dark Hilarity.’ Or ‘The Tunnel’ – I mean who doesn’t love a book about a massive crocodile? Or go grab ‘The Book of Thrice Dead’ series. Or go grab any of his stuff. Sale’s wonderful and an author that should be an ‘auto-buy’/’must-buy’ of every reader.

5/5

Title: The Troop

Author: Nick Cutter

Release date: February 25th, 2014

A decade ago, I was about to undergo some huge life changes.

I was leaving my job of five years, busting my ass to switch sports, and was looking to move from somewhere I’d lived for a decade. Mentally, I was at a breaking point, focused on bigger, stronger, faster and not on calming, relaxing and nurturing my mind. At that stage, I’d already attempted to write my first novel, but I kept stumbling with life moments getting in the way and I felt like nobody would want to read a Canadian horror novel. I was trying to read again, though even that was giving me fits as nothing seemed to speak to me enough to want to finish any books.

Then, on a fateful trip to Walmart while living in Abbotsford BC, I came across two novels in the 2 for $15 paperback sections. One was Andrew Pyper’s modern-classic ‘The Demonologist.’ The other was ‘The Troop’ by Nick Cutter. I devoured them both and though those two books were VERY different in the horror spectrum, both connected with me in different ways. Now, if you’ve followed my writing journey or my social media posting, you’ll know Pyper’s novel really connected with me in a different way than Cutter’s did, but that’s not to say Cutter’s book was any less influential on me. No, in fact, while Pyper’s book showed me that a Canadian could write dark, literary, horror fiction, and do it well, Cutter’s showed me that it was ok to go full brutal. To be evocative, and visceral and grotesque for the stories sake. And while ‘The Demonologist’ inspired me and in fact, I was inspired by that novel, and Pyper’s ‘The Homecoming’ as well when writing my own novel ‘Mastodon,’ Cutter’s ‘The Troop’ and his book as Patrick Lestewka titled ‘The Coliseum,’ also greatly inspired ‘Mastodon,’ what with the complex in the middle of nowhere and secret government experiments and so on.

Since reading those two books almost a decade ago, I’ve met both Andrew and Nick (real name Craig Davidson if you didn’t know!) and spend time with them. They’re both amazing people and both continue to release amazing books.

I’d been planning on re-reading ‘The Troop’ for some time, but back in September, I moderated a panel with Andrew and Nick as the two guests, at DreadCon, and after having dinner with Nick and his son after the convention, it felt like the universe was suggesting it was time to re-read this one, especially before Nick’s newest – ‘The Queen’ – arrived.

For those who’ve never read ‘The Troop,’ this book is uncompromising, and much like the modified worms that infest our troop members, the novel wiggles into your brain and buries itself deep within.

What I liked: The story follows Scoutmaster Tim, who is also the local doctor of the small town, and his troop of early teen boys who head to the small island just off the coast for a weekend of badge-earning and bonding.

Readers will inevitably find similarities between ‘The Troop’ and ‘Lord of the Flies,’ and Nick discusses the influence of Golding’s 1954 debut novel. But that’s what makes this novel tick. It’s the examination, an updated one at that, of what happens when a group is isolated and help doesn’t seem to be coming.

Shortly into the book, a stranger arrives on the island, a ravenous hunger fueling their every move. Tim takes control, his occupation leading the way, but soon he understands that it’s not simply a soaking wet person, lost and hungry. Something is forcing this man to eat and boy, does he want to eat.

It’s at this point, where we get to the moment of discovery within the small cabin on Falstaff Island, that the shit hits the fan. The stranger is infested by white worms of various sizes and the worms infect every living thing that comes into contact with them.

Cutter doesn’t hold back after that, transforming the novel from an isolation-survival story into a pseudo-zombie-survival story, one where the only adult the kids rely on is removed from the equation and the psychological horror of wondering how they’ll survive and whether or not they are infected settles in.

Many books currently have a singular ‘that scene.’ You know what I mean, the moment that stays with you and kind of highlights the book mentally and connects you with other readers who will mention ‘that scene.’ ‘The Troop’ is unique in that it has probably a half-dozen ‘that scene’ moments, though none appear to be as visceral to readers as a scene involving an unassuming sea turtle. In fact, while spending time with Nick at DreadCon, almost every single person who mentioned they’d read ‘The Troop,’ mentioned the turtle scene, which shows just how much that moment has resonated. Though it’s been a while since I’d first read this, there were a few scenes that’s stayed with me and when each one returned, I was smiling like Shelley within this book, a maniac stoked to have those moments of horrible carnage arrive.

The ending of this is also unique, in that it doesn’t just sail off into the distance. Throughout, Cutter used mixed-media to tell the story – the main narrative being the events on the island – but also using transcriptions of tribunals, transcriptions of court proceedings, newspaper articles, a magazine article and even an advertisement for a product. With those variables to show the widespread chaos this event caused, it was a solid decision to finish the novel with the ‘after,’ with what happened on the mainland and those living with the events.

What I didn’t like: I’ll be upfront and say that I thought this novel was perfect. Cutter executed this one magnificently and it felt very, very real and plausible. Saying that, there is a lot of animal death/abuse within. From descriptions of lab controlled experiments to the sea turtle moment I mentioned earlier, this novel isn’t for the squeamish nor is it for those with animal deaths as trigger warnings.

Why you should buy this: If you’ve not read this yet, this is your signal to get on it. Cutter has not only written a modern horror classic, but also a modern Canadian horror and literature classic. This novel will make you feel hungry, feel sad, question why the adults are not coming to save the kids and ultimately question the fact that this is something that could happen. Bio-engineering for military purposes has and is ongoing and what Cutter conjures here is frightening on so many levels, one of which is that it could become a reality. I just hope it never does.

5/5

https://www.amazon.com/Troop-Nick-Cutter-ebook/dp/B00BSBR5DA/

Title: Kill Your Darling

Author: Clay McLeod Chapman

Release date: September 24th, 2024

When this book was released, I saw the cover art was instantly intrigued. When I saw Francois Vaillancourt describe how he made the cover art in a Facebook post, I was even more intrigued, as he mentioned a little about the synopsis of this novella. First – I’m a huge fan of Francois’ work, and will forever hold the cover he did for my book ‘Mastodon’ in a special place. Second – I’ve found things have hit differently in my reading brain now that I have a son. Books like ‘The Road,’ and Andrew Pyper’s opus, ‘The Killing Circle,’ just sing differently when reading them.

So, I went into this one tentatively. Going in, I knew that a teenaged son’s body had been found in a lot, duct-tape wrapping his face with eyes drawn on with black marker. Exactly what Francois depicts on the cover. But going in, I wondered just how far I could go? Would the subject matter be too heavy?

Only one way to find out.

What I liked: The entirety of the novella focuses on Glenn, father to Billy, who was murdered fifty-ish years ago. No suspect was ever found, leads minimal. The boy was found in an abandoned lot, after going to a school dance. Since that day, Glenn has lived with the mental destruction. Who did it? Why? Why his son? And he’s lived with the discomfort of acceptance versus closure. How can he ever move on if there’s no answer? No one arrested or confessing?

As him and his wife have aged, they’ve developed their own ways of keeping their son’s memory alive. His wife leaves an extra plate out for dinner. They’ve left his room as it was. Glenn has kept a scrap book of photos and then newspaper articles.

Chapman doesn’t hold back within. It’s a tough read. Emotions are high and this feels real, feels painful to read. I can’t think of a single chapter in here – and the chapters are all short and snappy – that didn’t have me on the brink of tears, or left me crying. And I don’t think that would be any different if I wasn’t a father. It’s the reality of this book. It’s heartbreaking. I couldn’t imagine losing a child forever and also not having any answers over the ‘why’ of it happening.

Within, Glenn – on the insistence of his wife – joins a writing class at the local library. And it’s through these classes that he begins to write his story, creating a fictional ending to his non-fiction life, a way to grieve and close the horrible chapter of Billy’s death and create something tangible that will let him have closure on those dark days and on his life itself. It’s this writing class that ultimately unravels the truth and Chapman uses that revelation to crush the readers that much more.

What I didn’t like: I think the reality is, that this just might be too much for some readers. Those who’ve lost kids, lost a loved one, or simply just can’t read anything involving a child’s death. And I completely understand that. I pushed through the horrible rock that sat heavy in my stomach, even when at times that rock weighed more than anything on the surface of the earth.

Why you should buy this: Chapman delivers a stunning and ultimately moving look at grief, acceptance, life after losing someone and how a loved one’s death can have dramatic consequences on everyone involved. This could easily be read in a single sitting, though I can’t see someone emotionally wanting to tackle that. For those looking for a heavy, but powerful read, look no further. Chapman has given us a dark, dark, bleak gem here.

5/5

Title: Summer of the Monsters

Author: David Sodergren

Release date: December 5th, 2024

*Huge thanks to David for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Ahhhh…

The old days. Like six years ago.

When David released his first novel, ‘The Forgotten Island,’ and people were like, ‘hey, not bad.’ Fast forward to the present day and over a dozen releases between his own work and his pseudonym releases as Carl John Lee and David’s become a full-time writer, having left his job recently to focus on his books. I have to say, I’m super proud of what he’s accomplished and his writing and journey inspires me everyday. I’m proud to call him a friend and I’m so thankful he helps me with my books.

Saying that, his newest, ‘Summer of the Monsters’ really pisses me off.

It does.

Why?

Because how in the fuck does he keep getting better and better and better and better and giving us these amazing characters and settings and stories. It’s infuriating, but – I am Canadian after all – it’s also so wonderful to see.

With this book, Sodergren takes the heart of ‘The Haar’ and adds in the claustrophobic atmosphere of ‘The Forgotten Island’ while also giving us a bit of that anxiousness that ‘Rotten Tommy’ created. And he does so splendidly.

What I liked: The story initially begins in modern day, with our M/C, Lucy, going to see her dad. She’s avoided him for years, every since the events of that summer on the late 90’s, and with that, David jumps us back in time thirty years, where Lucy and her father, a failed author, have to move to a run down house in the country side. What they don’t know, is that monsters exist, and they live in the forest beside them.

Sodergren sets the stage well, having Lucy arrive at her new school, frustrated over the move, and still upset over her mother having passed away a few years prior. Her dad hasn’t been able to write since the death and as such, funds have dried up and the move was forced. Lucy is a fish out of water, immediately singled out and bullied. Which forces her into the woods unexpectedly, where she has an encounter and we get the age old subplot of ‘is this thing a monster or not.’

David works that angle perfectly, showing disconnect between what Lucy meets and befriends and the rumors that the locals push about what lives in the trees.

The heart and soul of this story is Lucy’s relationship with this creature that she befriends and names. It works as a sounding board, therapist, grounding aspect for our character. She’s navigating tough waters – a teenaged girl now without her mom and her dad disillusioned and vacant. Even when she meets someone she thinks she can trust, she’s tentative about opening up and throughout, Sodergren infuses the story with little footnotes of details that remind those of us who lived during those halcyon days of the late 90’s what life was like. Mixed tapes and NIN and baggy jeans and alternative music festivals.

The ending absolutely gutted me. Just a powerful, poignant final chapter with an equally emotional final paragraph and closing line. When I was done, I messaged Sodergren and told him to prepare for the onslaught of fan drawings about this one, and I hold steady with that prediction.

What I didn’t like: As this acted as an early look/beta read as well as a read for review, a couple of my minor things might’ve been adjusted already.

The first was that I struggled to really have a sense of the time frame of this taking place. It felt like it happened over a few weeks, but it was only a few days.

The second was that I wasn’t fully onboard with the way Lucy reacted in some moments. Saying that, this is fiction and I am VERY far from remembering what being sixteen was like and I never experienced it as a sixteen-year-old girl, nor one who has lost a parent. So, while at times Lucy annoyed the snot out of me, her character felt very real, very true and one that I wanted to root for.

Why you should buy this: Written without care for subgenre classification has made this perhaps one of the best YA books I’ve ever read that isn’t really a YA book. It reminded me a lot of ‘The Book of the Baku’ by R.L. Boyle it tone and pacing, but wholeheartedly a Sodergren book. His narrative prose style has become his own, which he fully owns and much like my favorite authors – Andrew Pyper and Adam Nevill – I immediately knew I was in a Sodergren book with the way it was written.

Sodergren has forged a path ahead as a total Indie Author, bucking the desire to query, be represented and be traditionally published and it’s books like this, that showcase why he’s become so successful, so widely read and so widely celebrated. I didn’t know if he could top ‘Rotten Tommy,’ yet here we are, not even seven months later and he’s left the brilliance of that novel in the dust.

The best novel he’s released yet, Sodergren proves why he’s a must-read author and why so many people love his work.

A magical gem.

5/5

Title: Monsters Among Us

Author: J.H. Moncrieff

Release date: August 28th, 2024

J.H. Moncrieff returns with a new monster tale and with this new one, we get a mash-up of two of her most popular characters from previous books! In this new novel, Moncrieff unites Nat from ‘Return to Dyatlov Pass’ and ‘Shadow of the Sasquatch’ with Flora from ‘Monsters in our Wake.’ I was super excited when this was announced, because I love the Nat character and Flora was solid working tentatively with Nokken the sea monster in ‘Monsters in our Wake.’ As with most Moncrieff books, the environment is at the heart of this one and humans destroying it is central to the plot.

What I liked: The story opens up with Nat having returned to her popular podcast and trying to move on physically and emotionally from the damage she suffered in ‘Shadow of the Sasquatch.’ Now, you don’t need to have read any of the previous three books that the two M/C’s have appeared in (though I highly recommend it!) as J.H. does a great job of summarizing the events from them throughout. On the podcast, a call comes in – a small island is being picked off by sea creatures and they believe Nat can help. When Flora hears this, she contacts Nat and they head to the island, joined by Nat’s producer, Flora’s son, and Archie, the only other survivor from the boat Flora was on in ‘Monsters in our Wake.’

At the island, events heat up and Moncrieff goes into Moncrieff mode – plenty of emotional tug-of-wars, creature carnage and the discovery of what is behind the creatures return. The islanders rely on fishing to survive and with their boats being destroyed and the people doing the fishing being killed, they want to fight and take back what they believe is rightfully their place to fish, even after Flora contacts the sea creatures and learns the ugly truth.

The last quarter of this novel is truly discovery. We learn something about Flora, something about Zach and we see Nat and Flora – and a despicable journalist – having to find a way to co-exist and survive. Moncrieff ups the stakes when a secret government aspect becomes involved and everything is turned up another notch.

The ending was solid, filled with sorrow, but also optimistic, and leaving the door open for further adventures from an main character.

What I didn’t like:  Personally, I never found that Nat or Flora had time to have their own bigger, longer moments. The book couldn’t decide which one to really focus on, so their time was split, but never really got as deep and introspective as when they were on their own. It works, to tell their stories together, but I wish we could’ve had more time to really delve deeper, especially with some of the revelations.

As well, the secret government aspect will either work for readers or it won’t. I can’t go too far into it – spoilers and such – but I thought it was fun, if not slightly off the main path the story seemed to be following.

Why you should buy it: If you love big, fun, action-filled creature thrillers, this one’s perfect. If you’re a Moncrieff fan, you’ll be all over this. And if you love environmental impact based stories, this one features that aspect at its core. Moncrieff delivers a home run with this one, whether you’re a fan of Nat, Flora or creatures, and I for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.

5/5

Title: Hella Weird

Author: Calvin Demmer

Release Date: October 7th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Calvin for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

If you read horror and love short stories, and haven’t yet read anything from Calvin Demmer, you’re doing yourself a HUGE disservice. Demmer is easily one of the best short story writers churning work out right now and between his collections and his singular releases, he has a ton of work for you to dive into.

I went into this one fairly blind, though, judging by the A.A. Medina cover, I assumed something involving an apocalyptic-type event would be involved.

What I liked: Clocking in at roughly seventeen pages, Demmer shows you exactly why he’s a master at the short fiction craft with what he accomplishes within. We get a fully formed world, two engaging and fully formed characters, and we get creatures, tension, and a horrific reveal. Par for the course for Demmer. And, he’s worked within the post-apocalypse world before (not this one specifically).

We follow Hella, a woman who is working with fellow survivor, Hunter, as they navigate a world filled with creatures, mutated people and survivors scavenging for scraps. Hella is strong, but also reserved, befriending Hunter, but only to a certain degree, not letting him fully know her.

It’s this underlying tension, where Hunter asks questions and Hella gives short answers that ultimately builds these two up far more than should be possible within such a short page count, but it’s what pulls us along, knowing soon, the shit will hit the fan.

And when it does, Demmer does what he does best – shatters the readers expectations and predictions. The ending was dark and perfect.

What I didn’t like: It’s a short story, so obviously the biggest short coming is that this is only seventeen pages. I always want more, longer, Demmer stories, but he does such a wonderful job of creating things in micro-doses that you also understand why he attacks it like this.

Why you should buy this: Demmer fans will be all over this, and if you’re looking for a deeply unsettling slump buster, this short story will be the perfect answer for you. Demmer demonstrates once again that his short fiction is second to none. Phenomenal.

5/5

Title: The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot #1)

Author: Peter Brown

Release date: April 5th, 2016

If you have kids – heck, even if you don’t – you might’ve seen that The Wild Robot movie has recently come out and it came out to critical acclaim and audience love. On our end, our son turned eight at the end of August, but we’d not read the book, though it was on our radar. We’d seen the previews at movies for a while now, and we were all excited for the movie to arrive. During the first week of school or so, his teacher shared that she’d be reading the book to/with the class and that they’d be going to see the movie in theatre for a class field trip.

My son was super excited and practically begged us to get the book. We snagged a copy and dove in, pausing our other longer read, and immediately fell in love.

Now, before I get into the bread and butter here, this book is much like the movie Shrek, and what I mean is that it works perfectly as a fun story for kids, but as an adult, there’s plenty of darker/adulty moment throughout, so kudos to Peter for doing that.

What I liked: The book opens up with a container ship sinking and some of the sea cans onboard crashing into the shore of a remote island. All of the shipping containers are destroyed, save one, which is accidentally opened by some curious otters. Inside, is a robot, and with more curiosity, the otters approach and accidentally activate the robot, turning it on. It’s a Rozzum unit, known as Roz, and with Roz activated, thus begins the journey of a robot that is much deeper than even I expected.

Soon, an accident happens and Roz is left to nurture an egg, that then hatches and a small gosling is born. Imprinting Roz as their mother right away, Roz has to work with the other animals on the island – those who believed she was a monster to begin with – to help raise Brightbill and ultimately bring the animals of the island together in ways they never knew.

Roz is able to make fire. Build structures. Help grow better crops. And so on and so on. With Roz’s programmed information, she can make life easier, but it’s the personal side, the development of this soul within the machine that is the prize that Peter describes and when we get to the finale, where reconnaissance robots arrive to try and take Roz back, that we see how the island has become family, but also just how deeply touched we, as readers, have become.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, this book was perfect until the final few lines. It just felt meh. We got to such an emotional moment in the book, and at this point, I’m privileged because I know there’s two more books in the series, so it might’ve been different back when it was released, but the last few lines just didn’t have the emotional OOOMMPPHH I was expecting.

Why you should buy this: Chances are, if you’ve seen the trailer to the movie and thought this looked great, you’ve bought the book. OR, you’ve already bought it. OR you have a kid in the MG age group and their friends have read it and you’ve bought it. But, for those outliers who’ve not read it/bought it, prepare yourself for a wonderful story of discovery, learning, examining the world in different ways and how friends can look and be very different from yourself.

On the adult side, this story also examines the encroachment of automation and robotics into our world, which is impressive considering it’s almost ten years old and AI is being more and more of a hot button issue right now. But it’s done in a layered, subtle way, which worked to have a mildly growing tension throughout.

A phenomenal book and we’ve already grabbed book two so we can dive right in!

5/5

Title: Noose

Author: Brennan LaFaro

Release date: Originally released September 1st, 2022, re-released August 24th, 2024

*Thanks to Brennan for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

Horror Western’s have been such a fun subgenre to be reading over the last five or so years, haven’t they? We had the surge in Splatter-Westerns and the return with Horror-Westerns, which ushered in the age of paranormal/supernatural plots and narratives. It made it far more impactful, for me at least, that it wasn’t purely the good guys trying to catch the bad guys who robbed the train car.

When this book was first released, I was swamped in books, swamped in getting digital copies sent from Andrew – former head honcho of DarkLit – and it simply didn’t get read. With the collapse of DarkLit and the return of a number of these books to the world, I wanted to try and read these and help support/get the word out, about the books that might never recover or die a death they didn’t deserve. Brennan kindly sent me a digital copy of this one – and the new publisher, Brigids Gate, approved me for book two on Netgalley – so, I was set to gallop into this world and get dirty and dusty. I loved Brennan’s previous trilogy, the wonderful Slattery Falls books, which made me confident that this story wouldn’t be a surface level point-and-shoot Western.

What I liked: Ironically, this book starts off with some bad guys attacking a train car! Ha. Well, moving past that tidbit, we open with young Rory, riding the car with his parents. It’s then attacked by the nefarious Noose Holcomb, who kills Rory’s parents and flees with everyone’s riches.

Solid set up, Batman-esque truthfully.

Fast-forward fifteen years and Brennan re-introduces the Holcomb gang into Rory’s world and, as one would expect, vengeance is the main dish on the menu. Though often, Westerns get bogged down in the ‘vengeance-will-be-mine’ plot, LaFaro does a wonderful job of showing why it throws Rory’s world into chaos and why we want to root for Rory.

And, as expected, the emotional aspect runs high throughout, and Brennan then infuses the story with a nod to the supernatural. We get a unique twist, one that gives Noose an advantage and makes the stakes even higher for Rory and makes it paramount that Rory must overcome. Now, obviously some things are left unfinished – there is a sequel after all – but what LaFaro does so will within, is gives the readers hope and closure, something that – in a book like this at least – is needed.

What I didn’t like: I kind of went back and forth between wishing this was a one and done and wishing LaFaro had left more of a massive cliffhanger to set up book two. It’s an odd conundrum, and one that speaks to the solidity of characters and story progression.

Why you should buy this: Not a typical Splatter-Western, but still one that gets its hands dirty, LaFaro has skated that fine line of brutality for story versus brutality for brutality a few times in here, and by doing so, I think it opens the doors up for every reader of Horror-Westerns to want to jump on this one, especially with a second book arriving and a collection of stories set within the world to come as well.

5/5