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drakaina16's reviews
2013 reviews
Frightful: A Short Story Collection of Christmas Horror by Stephen Barnard
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Why are you reading a Christmas collection in June, you ask? I have way too many books on my TBR, and this is what Wheel of Names came up with lol. Nevertheless, this is the 3rd Stephen Barnard book I've read and I quite enjoyed it. Even though all of the stories are centered around Christmas, the stories are varied enough that I was always entertained. 4.25 stars
A Door or A Window? ⭐⭐⭐
Wreck the Halls ⭐⭐⭐.5
Secret Sandra ⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Twas the Night Befouled Christmas ⭐⭐⭐.5
The World Soup ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Night Mass ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Bad For Your Elf ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Three Wise Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Big Shop ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dark the Herald ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
A Ghost at Burrows Manor ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Last Present ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Door or A Window? ⭐⭐⭐
Wreck the Halls ⭐⭐⭐.5
Secret Sandra ⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Twas the Night Befouled Christmas ⭐⭐⭐.5
The World Soup ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Night Mass ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Bad For Your Elf ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Three Wise Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Big Shop ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dark the Herald ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
A Ghost at Burrows Manor ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Last Present ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
How Much To..? by Matt Shaw
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Admittedly, I am not a fan of gross-out horror, so I probably would not have picked this book up if it wasn't in the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. That being said, this was also my first Matt Shaw book and I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would! I've gotten pretty good at just skipping over scenes, so that didn't bother me. But the interesting plot is what really hooked me. I like game show horror a lot, and this book was a cool twist on that subgenre. In fact, I liked it enough to want to pick up the rest of the series at some point. 4 stars
The Woodcutters by Josh Hanson
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
This is a nasty little slice of western weirdness. I read King's Hill last year and loved it, so it's no surprise that this novella is so good. It's quick and brutal, with wonderfully described gore and cinematic writing. Josh Hanson nails the ending perfectly, and I'm very excited for any future titles by the author. 4.25 stars
This is a nasty little slice of western weirdness. I read King's Hill last year and loved it, so it's no surprise that this novella is so good. It's quick and brutal, with wonderfully described gore and cinematic writing. Josh Hanson nails the ending perfectly, and I'm very excited for any future titles by the author. 4.25 stars
By the Light of Dead Stars by Andrew Van Wey
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
5.0
This is my new favorite Andrew Van Wey book. The hype around this one is really, really real and I can easily see how it was voted in the final 32 in the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. The characters feel like real people and the story is intricately plotted, told from several character's perspectives. I recently received an ARC of the second book, and I can't wait to dive in. 5 stars
Splatterpunk's Basement of Horror by Jack Bantry
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
Splatterpunk's Basement of Horror should have something to please every splatterpunk fan. There are some real heavy hitters included in the collection, and I enjoyed all but one of the stories.
Girls Dying in Lonely Places by Brendan Vidito ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skins by Candace Nola ⭐⭐
Mac & Millie by Jeff Strand and Bridgett Nelson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
GPS by Glenn Rolfe ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blue-Plate Special by Wile E. Young ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mochés by Robert Essig ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unfound Footage by Patrick Lacey ⭐⭐⭐.75
Something Pagan by Lucas Mangum ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eaten Alive by J.F. Gonzalez ⭐⭐⭐
A Little Something by Scott Cole ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Do You Have Splatterpunk? by Carver Pike ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Leave by Kristopher Rufty ⭐⭐⭐.5
Friday Night in Damascus by Brian Keene ⭐⭐⭐
Splatterpunk's Basement of Horror should have something to please every splatterpunk fan. There are some real heavy hitters included in the collection, and I enjoyed all but one of the stories.
Girls Dying in Lonely Places by Brendan Vidito ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skins by Candace Nola ⭐⭐
Mac & Millie by Jeff Strand and Bridgett Nelson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
GPS by Glenn Rolfe ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blue-Plate Special by Wile E. Young ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mochés by Robert Essig ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unfound Footage by Patrick Lacey ⭐⭐⭐.75
Something Pagan by Lucas Mangum ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eaten Alive by J.F. Gonzalez ⭐⭐⭐
A Little Something by Scott Cole ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Do You Have Splatterpunk? by Carver Pike ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Leave by Kristopher Rufty ⭐⭐⭐.5
Friday Night in Damascus by Brian Keene ⭐⭐⭐
They Called Us Enemy by Steven Scott, George Takei, Justin Eisinger
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Do Not Go in That House by Ruth Anna Evans, Ruth Anna Evans
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Remember yesterday when I posted that Against Medical Advice was my new favorite Ruth Anna Evans book? Yeah, I hadn't read this one yet. I went in blind, and it hit a little close to home, as I am intimately familiar with the thought process (such as it is) involved in manic episodes. Evans has such a way of building up dread, then the whole thing just explodes. I'll be thinking about the ending of this one for quite awhile, I think. 5 stars
Remember yesterday when I posted that Against Medical Advice was my new favorite Ruth Anna Evans book? Yeah, I hadn't read this one yet. I went in blind, and it hit a little close to home, as I am intimately familiar with the thought process (such as it is) involved in manic episodes. Evans has such a way of building up dread, then the whole thing just explodes. I'll be thinking about the ending of this one for quite awhile, I think. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Against Medical Advice by Ruth Anna Evans
dark
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
This might be my new favorite Ruth Anna Evans book. I always jump at the chance to review her books because they are short and nasty, really packing a punch. I stayed up WAY too late last night to finish Against Medical Advice in one sitting. Dread just suffuses this book; when I figured out what was going on my reaction was "Oh. OH NO." 4.5 stars
This might be my new favorite Ruth Anna Evans book. I always jump at the chance to review her books because they are short and nasty, really packing a punch. I stayed up WAY too late last night to finish Against Medical Advice in one sitting. Dread just suffuses this book; when I figured out what was going on my reaction was "Oh. OH NO." 4.5 stars
Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage by Nicole D. Sconiers
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? It's complicated
5.0
I was so impressed by Nicole D. Sconiers' story in Jordan Peele's Out There Screaming anthology ("A Bird Sits By the Etching Tree") that I immediately sought out her other works. Escape From Beckyville did not disappoint. Told through the eyes of various women with the last name Jones, the stories deftly weave between horror, speculative fiction, science fiction, and magical realism. Strong 5 stars
Metamorphia ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Three-Fifths a Woman ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Here Come the Janes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Textured ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy Black Bitches Club ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rent-a-Cracker ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
The Death of Common Women ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scotoma ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Healing Room ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Revolution for Black Maids ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Metamorphia ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Three-Fifths a Woman ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Here Come the Janes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Textured ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy Black Bitches Club ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rent-a-Cracker ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
The Death of Common Women ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scotoma ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Healing Room ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Revolution for Black Maids ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Empty Earth by Ash Ericmore
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
Believe it or not, but this was my first ever Ash Ericmore book. I really enjoyed it! The basic premise of creature feature apocalypse was very cool, and the creatures unique and interesting. Maybe I'm desensitized at this point, but this book is touted as extreme and I definitely wouldn't put that label on it. It's no worse than many other dystopian books out there, so don't let the "extreme" label deter you if that's not your thing. 3.75 stars