Author: Lady Nightwolf

Historian. Wife. Dog Mom. Book Hoarder. Gamer. When she's not working or studying, she can most often be found in a hammock devouring a book, buried under her 70 pound lap dog, or in the kitchen creating new delicious things to feed to her mountain man husband.

Categories
Horror

There’s No Way I’d Die First

by Lisa Springer, Pub Date 9/5/23

3*s. Best enjoyed with a fork and knife with which to eat the rich.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“A spine-tingling contemporary horror novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game, from debut author Lisa Springer.

Seventeen-year-old Noelle Layne knows horror. Every trope, every warning sign, every survival tactic. She even leads a successful movie club dedicated to the genre. Who better to throw the ultimate, most exclusive Halloween party on all of Long Island?

With some of the top influencers in her school on the guest list, including gorgeous singer-songwriter Archer Mitchell, her popularity is bound to spike. She could really use the social boost for an upcoming brand expansion. Nothing is going to ruin this party.

Except…maybe the low budget It clown she hired for a stirring round of tag. He axes one of her classmates. From the looks of his devilish grin and bag full of killer tricks, he’s just getting started.

A murderous clown is out for blood, but Noelle has been waiting her entire life to prove that she’s a Final Girl.”

Review:

This was a good YA Horror, I will give you that, but probably not for all the reasons that most people would think. I thought the story was great and the horror was fun. Fun? What a strange way to talk about a book where a serial killer dressed like Pennywise from Wish picked off teenagers one by one.

It was honestly the characters. I found most of them minimally likeable. Even the main character at times, but it was because she barely seemed to actually care about the people she called friends, and honestly, it seemed like it was mutual. It was kind of hard to root for a bunch of shallow, morally gray people with little character dealing with their rich kid struggles. It was just difficult to really understand them. There were definitely moments when I was like “oh good, the killer is there. I have no feelings either way, let’s see how this plays out.”

Again, the MC I could understand at times. There are absolutely societal expectations that her family reached above and racism is absolutely a horrible thing that completely in all echilons of society. However, there were times when it seemed less like she was in a fight for her life and more like she was in a fight she had always wanted to be in just so she could prove that she was able to do something, even though all her supposed friends are dying in truly horrific ways around her. 

Trust me when I say, the author truly had some twisted visions for how one would end the lives of some somewhat insufferable people. The writing was great and maybe the above was kind of the point? If so, I give the author major props for this well written book that felt like I was hate watching a reality TV show. I’m not sure if that was goal here, but if it was I can’t help but give some shiny stars for the effort. It was a weird thing for me to enjoy but God help me, I did. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the advanced copy in exchange for this review. 

Categories
Uncategorized

Never Whistle at Night

An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

By Various, Edited by Shane Hawk & Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Pub Date 9/19/2023d

5*s. Best Enjoyed right now. It’s on sale today and it’s spooky season and you need this kind of visceral storytelling immediately.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon“

REVIEW:

Let me preface this review by first saying I love to learn about cultures I may or may not share. I appreciate folklore from around the world and have found that through stories, you can learn so much about the deep seated cultural beliefs of your fellow humans or your ancestors through the exploration of what they have found exciting, brave, adventuresome, and worth staking ones’ life on in addition to what scares someone, or how someone seeks revenge and the cause of it. This was a very interesting prospectus on the people of the Americas, whose land was taken and settled and what myths, legends, and beings still exist here beyond our sight and will continue to exist long after our bones are forgotten and tangled in the roots of the very soil that still belongs to them.

I first found out about this book in my ‘suggested reads’ through Amazon. When I found out it was an ARC I was desperate to get my hands on it. I was approved and that was the the beginning of a truly wild adventure into some of the most viscerally engaging horror stories I’ve ever read. It was a true bonus that they were all told from Indigenous voices. Not only do I continue to think about these stories weeks later, but the level of unsettling most of them gave me still gives me such pause and a depth of learning that continues to roll around in my subconscious like some sea serpent, surfacing on occasion into my conscious thought. 

One of the major benefits of reading these as an anthology is that you get to visit different heads and learn new fears you either had never been exposed to or fears you absolutely share with the author. Every one gave me a different kind of chill or a dark feeling or something new to really dwell on. Some had stories that caused me to rethink my perspective entirely and deepen my own understanding of cultural pitfalls that I myself do not experience. 

Regardless of how you want to approach this book, you should. 

This book is a must read for everyone and you can bet I’m going to be buying a copy of this to keep on my shelf. The cover is just a preview of the unsettling feelings you will get reading these stories.

I’ve heard some of the folklore growing up in Northern, MN, but not the depth here. It’s always enraptured me, the various spirits that I always believed still existed around me in the woods and lakes of the wild North, and the ways that one would prevent falling prey to them. I walked into this with a healthy respect, and I hope you do, too.

I’ve been followed by books I’ve finished in the past, but I haven’t been haunted like this one haunts me. I don’t reread books usually, but there are definitely some stories here that I plan to reread, if only to get them out of my head like a song turned earworm you play on a loop to dislodge. Wish me luck.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy and to all of the authors who contributed. 

Categories
Uncategorized

Bombshell

Hell’s Belles #1, Sarah MacLean.

4*s, Best enjoyed if you like your Victorian romance with some spice and a kick–literally.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“After years of living as London’s brightest scandal, Lady Sesily Talbot has embraced the reputation and the freedom that comes with the title. No one looks twice when she lures a gentleman into the dark gardens beyond a Mayfair ballroom…and no one realizes those trysts are not what they seem.

No one, that is, but Caleb Calhoun, who has spent years trying not to notice his best friend’s beautiful, brash, brilliant sister. If you ask him, he’s been a saint about it, considering the way she looks at him…and the way she talks to him…and the way she’d felt in his arms during their one ill-advised kiss. 

Except someone has to keep Sesily from tumbling into trouble during her dangerous late-night escapades, and maybe close proximity is exactly what Caleb needs to get this infuriating, outrageous woman out of his system. But now Caleb is the one in trouble, because he’s fast realizing that Sesily isn’t for forgetting…she’s forever. And forever isn’t something he can risk.“

Review:

This took me way longer to read than I want to admit. I’m a mood reader, so if I’m not in a certain mood, the vibes of a book may throw me off a little until I “feel” it. Again, I’m a little ashamed, because I am a big fan of Sara Maclean and this book was really great. 

I loved the dynamic between the MCs was a delight. There were plenty of buried secrets to be unearthed for both characters, a couple I honestly did not see coming. 

I loved how strong Sesily was and how much she cared about Caleb. I also loved her convictions and desires to be seen as more than just a beautifully scandalous woman, but also someone’s everything. Not to mention her very active work righting society’s wrongs in secret ways. That’s one thing I’ve absolutely loved while reading books like this. Usually it’s the men who are the spies or disrupters of society for the sake of justice, but this one it’s a group of badass women who want to make life easier for all women and children at all levels of society. 

Caleb clearly loved his friends and family. It was a struggle to understand his spartan ways, physically, emotionally, and etc. When you learn why, it all makes sense. I loved how often he was magnetically dragged into Sesily’s late evening adventures, and how very much he cared for her when he let her see it. But it was also great to see a female MC turn around and fight for her desired partner. 

This was a refreshing historical romance read and I’m very excited to finish reading the second installment in the Hell’s Belles series. 

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this review!

Categories
Children's Books Graphic Novels Horror

All the Lovely Bad Ones: Graphic Novel

Based on the novel by Mary Downing Hahn. Pub Date 8/15/23

4*s. Best enjoyed when you need a ghost story with an innocent, triumph-over-evil feeling.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“Travis and his sister, Corey, can’t resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother’s quiet Vermont inn, where they’re spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little “haunting” of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms.

But Travis and Corey soon find out that theirs aren’t the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Can these siblings lay to rest the restless spirits they’ve disturbed?“

Review:

This really was such an awesome story. The illustrations were colorful and the story was eerie yet still cute in some way. I hadn’t read this book prior to now so this was my first exposure to it. I loved how the spirits were depicted and also how much growth the kids and adults both experienced throughout.

I think this is the perfect kid’s graphic novel for spooky season and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

Categories
Adventure Graphic Novels Horror

Hide: The Graphic Novel

By Kiersten White, adapted by Scott Peterson

Illustrated by Veronica & Andy Fish, Pub date 9/12/23

4*s. Best enjoyed when you need a technicolor nightmare scape.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“What would you do for $50,000? For Mack, the prize money would be life changing. She knows her time at the women’s shelter is already up. And she’s good at hiding. At least this time, her life doesn’t depend on it–or so she thinks.

The challenge is simple. All fourteen competitors must spend seven days hiding in an abandoned amusement park from dawn to dusk. There’s only one rule: Don’t get caught.

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more dangerous than she’d imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.”

Review:

This graphic novel was adapted from White’s book Hide. Although I had heard pretty good things and had it on my TBR, when I saw this graphic novel of the book I jumped at the chance to read it.

The illustrations in the book are delightful with a classic gritty comic book vibe and some seriously vivd colors that render the story in a neon colored hell scape.

The story itself is very good. It’s obviously not a regular game of hide and seek, but when people end up murdered by something and strange occult-y books and renderings are found throughout the abandoned amusement park that makes up the setting, it’s very clear that something more than just a weird child’s game with a huge prize at the end.

The overall lore was well thought out, the plot and pace was great for a graphic novel, and there was very little left to question at the end. Often with books turned graphic, there’s something lost in translation in the story. Although I didn’t read the original, I felt very satisfied with where this book went and the loose ends were minimal if not nil by the end.

Thanks to Netgalley, White, and Ten Speed Press for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review!

Categories
Adventure Fantasy Romance Survival

The Forest Grimm

by Kathryn Purdie. Pub Date 9/19/23

4.5*s. Best enjoyed when you want a dark fantasy with a slightly flawed heroine and a very mysterious narrative.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“”Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die.”

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book—Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes—with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose—to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel—who is fated never to be with her—have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest—alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales—has a mind of its own.“

Review:

First of all, super excited that this will be a duology. The epilogue left me wanting more, and I’m glad that Purdie is planning to give that to us. 

I wouldn’t say that The Forest Grimm is necessarily a fairytale retelling, it’s more of a dark original version mash up. It has all of the same ingredients that a normal fairytale would have. It has magic, conflict, an evil force that is wreaking havoc, a rescue of sorts, and love (chivalric, familial, or romantic—this has all three). If mainstream fairytales were a birthday cake, this one is far more of a black forest. A deep decadent chocolate with tart bursts of cherry. If you find that mouth watering, sink your teeth into this one. 

Fate and magic are woven deeply into the village of Grimm’s Hallow, a cursed place that was once full of light and magic…until someone took advantage of that magic to kill. Now, the forest surrounding Grimm’s Hallow has pulled back the roots of its magic that once nourished it, sometimes stealing villagers in the night and killing or maiming those who try to enter it to find the Lost. Every few months, there is a lottery that determines the next person who may try to enter the forest to save the lost villagers and find the magic book that was once used as a weapon, and reverse the curse. 

Clara’s mother was the first to be Lost three years before. Her grandmother, a seer, has already foreseen Clara’s early death in her cards. She’s prepared to die if it means she can get into the forest and trade her life for her mother’s. When she tries to cheat at the next lottery and her friend, Axel, is chosen instead, Clara is determined to go with him into the forest. But the forest is forbidding and foreboding, and Clara only finds a way into it through happenstance. Axel and Clara steal into the forest to find both Clara’s mother and Axel’s Lost fiancée, Ella. When they are joined by Clara’s best friend and Ella’s sister, Henni, the three travel deeper into the vicious woods protected only thinly by a loophole in the forest’s magic in the shape of a red rampion flower. 

As they travel through, they find that the very forest moves in the night when they are asleep, and the Lost have become much more than just Lost—the magic has had a very profound affect over their bodies and minds, dangerous shadows of who they once were. They have been twisted into dark versions of the fairytales that we as the audience know well (Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, a bit of Little Red Riding Hood), becoming people and creatures that make you look sideways at some of the Disney movies or fairytale books we grew up with. 

What’s more, there are secrets amongst the group that will have a profound effect on the outcome of their journey. The heavy hint here is romance, but whether that romance will manifest or is doomed from the beginning is yet to seen—to you, because you haven’t read it. But also to me, because I can see this story completely changing with a second book on the way. 

Overall, I thought this book was a fantastic dark survival fantasy, which I’m all about. Have you even READ my reviews before? If not, hint: survival thrillers/fantasy are my jam. I can’t wait to see what Purdie has in store for us in the second book. I’ll need a special edition of this one on my shelf. 

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kathryn Purdie for the advanced copy in exchange for this early and honest review. 

Categories
Uncategorized

Court of Claws

By Briar Boleyn. Book 2.

4.5 Stars

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“Bound to a man she hates more than she ever thought possible…

Everything Morgan Pendragon knows and loves is gone as she wakes in the dangerous court of the Siabra. The man she was falling in love with is dead, and in his place is a man she barely knows. Surrounded by liars and knives in the dark, all Morgan wants to do is run the other way but Kairos Draven is determined to keep her by his side.

As Morgan and Draven’s lives become even more irrevocably entwined, little do they know the sins of the past are coming for them both…”

REVIEW:

I was super excited to read this as I loved the first book in the series. This one had a ton of court intrigue, though it didn’t feel as gritty. It was very reminiscent of ACOMAF in that we get to see where Draven comes from and meet his crew. We also learn his deep, dark secrets and get some hints as to Morgan’s past as well. I loved reading about the trials that Draven had to go through as well, and Morgan’s first experiences with this new fae reality into which she has been thrown. 

This was also a tad spicier than the first, which is always a plus, but it’s definitely a book you should not pick up unless you have read Queen of Roses beforehand.

I did feel that the “oh, he’s not who I thought he was–stabstabstab” went on a little longer than it needed to. I get it, Morgan is far from the people she loves, was unable to safe at least one of her best friends, and her entire kingdom is at war. Plus, yes, of course—the man she trusted with her life and vice versa isn’t exactly who she thought he was on the outside. It’s a difficult situation, so the timing is understandable from a realism perspective, but it felt like it was getting in the way of the plot pacing at points. This was by no means a serious indictment and is only me being picky. 

I truly loved the side characters and the new aspects of the story and I will be so excited to explore them when the third book comes out later this fall!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Starwater press for the advanced copy in exchange for this review. 

Categories
Horror Mystery Survival

Hemlock Island

by Kelley Armstrong. Pub Date 9/12/23

4.5*s. Best enjoyed when you need a delicious survival horror thriller–which should be ALWAYS!

Publisher’s Synopsis

“Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks, but it’s the only way she can keep her beloved Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic-fueled divorce. But broken belongings and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones, hex circles, and now, terrified renters who’ve fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone tried to claw their way out…and failed.

When Laney shows up to investigate with her teenaged niece in tow, she discovers that her ex, Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who’s now a cop.

There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it… But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they’re trapped with someone—or something—that doesn’t want them leaving the island alive.”

REVIEW:

Set on an island in Lake Superior, Hemlock Island is a supernatural thriller that throws together murder mystery, greed, betrayal, revenge, and the occult into a delicious and perfectly baked hotdish perfect for anyone who loves a good horror novel. It felt very much in the same vein as Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix’s novels – big fan! Strained relationships and betrayal star alongside severed arms, hex circles, and bone windchimes, creating an atmospheric survival horror that really makes you wonder if they’re ever going to get off of that island. 

Being from the Duluth area, Lake Superior has always been prominently featured in my life and memories. It made it that much easier to imagine a secluded island with a single isolated house surrounded by the cold waters of the largest of the Great Lakes, and to know exactly how cold that water can be. The smells and atmosphere are honestly unmatched, and I would love to read more stories that feature the setting. 

The twists and turns in this story were great. The mystery kept me turning page after page, absorbing each gory and mysterious detail. The mystery was kept largely mysterious, the gore was properly gory, and the is-it-or-is-it-not-a-murderer was like a constant pull. It felt like I was in a macabre Edgar Allen Poe story of a girl who is slowly pulling a bucket out of a dark well, overtaken by some force with an unknowable name that has existed since time immemorial. The conclusion was also extremely satisfying, with equal parts “that checks” and “holy shit” which you don’t always get with stories like this. I’m not going to say I found it fair, but life rarely is and the perfection of horror like this is that it is tied up, even if the bow isn’t the prettiest. The satisfaction is that it’s there, fair, and was a bloody good time.

Overall, Hemlock Island is a great read and Kelley Armstrong is an author you need to have on your watch list if you don’t already. I was a fan of her YA back in the day, but I’m so ready for more adult horror!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for this review. I really loved it and can’t wait to see what Armstrong has for us next!

Categories
Adventure Fantasy Survival

Brittle

by Beth Overmyer, Pub Date 8/15/23

3.5*s. Best Enjoyed when you need a break from reality.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“After the murder of her father – which no one but her believes happened – Verve just wants to hold her family together and take on the role of provider. Unfortunately, a cruel fae lord believes she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon and steals her away to Letorheas, realm of the fairies. The fae lord seems to want something from Verve that goes beyond the weapon, something that many doubt she can provide. Verve must find a way to navigate the strangeness of Letorheas and embrace a destiny more intertwined with the fae than she would like to believe.”

Review:

Brittle was a surprising novel. I’m not sure if there will be another installment, but I enjoyed reading it and finished it in a few short days. 

Verve has always tried to be the responsible middle child, and has also always been close to her father, who is away at war. However, when he returns in the middle of the night to talk to her and tells her that there is a secret hidden war being fought and not to trust anyone, not even those she knows without verifying who they are, she’s a little stunned. He tells her he will explain and to meet her at a neighboring farm. When she follows his instructions, she finds herself face to face with her father’s dead body in the barn, which disappears before she can bring anyone else to the spot. 

Soon, strange events begin to happen, and neighbors and family become…something else. And when Verve is taken far from home and into another realm entirely, it appears that the secrets that her father imparted upon her may reveal a dangerous, fae-killing weapon at the center of a tremendous power struggle. 

As she works out a way to escape this strange land and strange, ever changing mansion she finds herself in, she realizes that her captor may be interesting in more than just the secrets that Verve is hiding. Fae fall in love quickly, and it seems he is no exception. But he’s not the only one interested in her and what she’s hiding, and she soon finds herself stuck between warring factions. 

Cally Temple

She may be the key to victory for either side, but her survival and family mean far more to her. She must keep her head in the game and her heart far away if she’s going to come out on top…but that may be harder than she thought.

This was a totally different fae romantasy than I am used to. The romance was not the prominent theme, and it was far more on the lore and the fight than it was on matters of the heart. There’s actually a bit of a coerced marriage scenario stuffed in here that is thankfully mutually beneficial. For that reason, this one’s not super high on my romance scale, but for a dark fantasy story, it’s very well done!

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the advanced copy of Brittle in exchange for this fair and honest review.

Categories
Horror Survival

The Last Witness

by Claire McFall. 3*s

Best enjoyed on the beach. *smirk*

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“Heather agrees to go camping with Dougie and his friends because she’s desperate to get closer to him, and a secluded beach sounds like the perfect place. But the trip takes a sinister turn that brings Heather’s plans to a violent end.

One by one, the group begins to vanish.

A year later, Heather knows she’s just lucky to be alive. And now, people are asking for answers, or else she will be the one to take the blame. But the truth about what happened on that trip is far more terrifying than anyone knows…”

Review:

This book had so many twists and turns. It jumps between present day and the past to the events that landed Heather in a mental hospital. It’s a thrill ride of supernatural proportions, with twist after interesting twist. Heather is lucky she’s alive…but not for the reasons we’re lead to think.

It starts simple enough—Heather and her friends plan a camping trip to a remote Scotland beach. She’s super hyped because her friend Dougie, who is also her crush, will be there with them. But so will her best friend’s meat head boyfriend. Things quickly go awry when they find out the meathead brought alcohol and something isn’t exactly right at the beach. When Dougie and Heather stumble across an ancient cairn and an interesting broach from inside, it seems to trigger something that no one is prepared for. 

One by one, their friends begin to disappear. At first, it seems like their friend just hitched a ride out, tired of Vince’s meat-headed shit. But then the car stops working, and another of their friends vanishes, and members of their party suddenly start getting sick. Shadows seem to move of their own accord and each new disaster causes further paranoia. 

Something is happening. The question is, is it supernatural, or is it human? Is it brought on by the strange tales regarding the beach they are on of pagan worship and blood sacrifice, or is it just the flickers of the fire and quiet isolation of the country that is making them see all that the most macabre things that their imaginations can muster? Or could it be that Dougie and Heather, in taking the broach from the cairn, have set in motion events that are beyond their control?

Heather, now imprisoned in a mental hospital awaiting trial, is one of the last remaining members of the group and the only one who knows the events that occurred on that weekend months ago that is able to talk about it. The other member of their party has been in the hospital in a coma, and is the only person who could save her from begin convicted of the murder of their friends. 

As the truth is slowly revealed layer by layer,  and the events of the past collide inevitably with the present, we find that the rotten core of it is something far darker and more malicious than we could have imagined. 

The twist at the end of this was pretty good. I did enjoy The Last Witness and thought it was a pretty good story. I did not see the ending coming and it made me enjoy it that much more!