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drakaina16's reviews
2013 reviews
The Rules of the Road by C.B. Jones
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
What a fun road trip! The Rules of the Road has a very interesting, very unique concept and so much heart. C.B. Jones does urban legend horror extremely well. I loved riding along on everyone's road trips, learning the rules (and gained a few more reasons to be paranoid on the highway). 4.5 stars
What a fun road trip! The Rules of the Road has a very interesting, very unique concept and so much heart. C.B. Jones does urban legend horror extremely well. I loved riding along on everyone's road trips, learning the rules (and gained a few more reasons to be paranoid on the highway). 4.5 stars
Churn the Soil by Steve Stred
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Churn the Soil is a book with a very unsettling premise and some pretty unique creatures. I always enjoy a good horror/police procedural and this one is well-done. I did think the ending felt a tiny bit rushed after so much build-up. Overall, this is a really solid creature feature. 4 stars
Hummingbird by T.C. Parker
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Oh my, I loved this book! It's full of awesome queer protagonists and the storyline is intricate but never dull. There is a lot going on in this book, but when everything comes together, it's so well done. I adored the characters and I would love to see what happens next. Fingers crossed for another book. 5 stars
Oh my, I loved this book! It's full of awesome queer protagonists and the storyline is intricate but never dull. There is a lot going on in this book, but when everything comes together, it's so well done. I adored the characters and I would love to see what happens next. Fingers crossed for another book. 5 stars
Our Fathers' Burden: A Horror Novel by William F. Gray
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for providing a review copy.
Oh man, where to start? William F. Gray is actually a second-chance author for me. I might be the only person who didn't vibe with The Devil Within Us All and actually ended up DNF'ing. I'd seen really good reviews for Our Fathers' Burden and I am so glad I picked it up. I love how everything is revealed, piece by piece. Not slowly, as the plot never lagged, just opening up. So well done. The action scenes are truly tense and thrilling, but the inner journey these men go through after dealing with something horrific sealed the deal for me. Strong 5 stars
Oh man, where to start? William F. Gray is actually a second-chance author for me. I might be the only person who didn't vibe with The Devil Within Us All and actually ended up DNF'ing. I'd seen really good reviews for Our Fathers' Burden and I am so glad I picked it up. I love how everything is revealed, piece by piece. Not slowly, as the plot never lagged, just opening up. So well done. The action scenes are truly tense and thrilling, but the inner journey these men go through after dealing with something horrific sealed the deal for me. Strong 5 stars
Life Support by Elton Skelter
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
It is extremely hard to review this book without spoilers, but I'm going to try. For those of us who are neurospicy, this is a tough read. It definitely kept me on my toes, never quite going the way I thought it would. Life Support is emotionally searing and beautifully written - I couldn't believe it's a debut novel. This was my first Elton Skelter and I'm excited to read more. 4.25 stars
It is extremely hard to review this book without spoilers, but I'm going to try. For those of us who are neurospicy, this is a tough read. It definitely kept me on my toes, never quite going the way I thought it would. Life Support is emotionally searing and beautifully written - I couldn't believe it's a debut novel. This was my first Elton Skelter and I'm excited to read more. 4.25 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
The Lodge by Jeremy Eads
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was expecting a typical creepy hotel book from the title, but no so. This hotel is owned by a demon and there's some weird stuff going down in Summit Falls. This book was fun for me, because it takes place partially where I live. The characters are really great and the ending was superb. 4 stars
Hollow by Mike Salt
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Thank you to DarkLit Press for providing a review copy.
What a wild ride Hollow is! Caves freak me right the hell out anyway, but Mike Salt managed to make them much worse. This book is very creepy and tense, the pacing just right. It would make a very cool Try Not to Die book, too. 4.25 stars
What a wild ride Hollow is! Caves freak me right the hell out anyway, but Mike Salt managed to make them much worse. This book is very creepy and tense, the pacing just right. It would make a very cool Try Not to Die book, too. 4.25 stars
His Scream Queen by Brooklyn Ann
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
I'm going to preface this review by saying I would never have picked His Scream Queen up if it wasn't for the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. Any kind of forefront romance is a huge turn-off for me and the words "make love" make me want to 🤮. Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, though. It's a cheesy homage to the 80s and teen movies. Cheesy, but self-aware and clever. I'll never be a romance fan, but I did have a lot of fun with the book. 3.5 stars
I'm going to preface this review by saying I would never have picked His Scream Queen up if it wasn't for the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. Any kind of forefront romance is a huge turn-off for me and the words "make love" make me want to 🤮. Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, though. It's a cheesy homage to the 80s and teen movies. Cheesy, but self-aware and clever. I'll never be a romance fan, but I did have a lot of fun with the book. 3.5 stars
Confessions of an Antichrist by Marta Skaði
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
I found the book unbelievably boring. I like a good character study normally, but this was just tedious despite my love of black metal.
Acid for the Children: A Memoir by Flea
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
I never liked RHCP but I thought Flea's biography would be interesting, but I found myself bored halfway through.