The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Series: The Folk of the Air #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 3rd – 9th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: My blood is on fire, boiling in my veins.

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Synopsis

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered. The fearsome assassin abducts all three girls to the Faerie court, where Jude soon realises that to survive she needs to be as cunning and deceitful as the Fey themselves. But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan.

Thoughts

I seriously can’t stop thinking about this novel. Even though I’m writing this review days after I finished reading it, the words, the occurrences, the entire story is still in my mind’s eye. It was just amazing. Which really isn’t surprising since it was written by Holly Black and everything that I’ve had the pleasure of reading by her is a book that quickly finds its way to the top of my list.

The twist at the end of the story was only obvious about a paragraph before it happened. So, really not obvious or something that I guessed at all. And it was the best twist ever. Luckily, I couldn’t find The Wicked King in my TBR immediately after I finished The Cruel Prince… considering I have a massive stack of books that I’ve already started reading…

Jude is an awesome, completely kick ass lead character. I’m not necessarily in love with her as a person… she’s a little too confrontational and kind of nuts in my opinion. But as a product of being raised by the fae? Yeah, I absolutely loved her. It kind of makes me fear what Taryn will be like in the later books… I mean, they’re twins and whilst they’ve taken a different route to power… it’ll be interesting to see what happens next is the least that I can say.

I’ve only read the one series by Holly Black, and the thing that I loved the most about it was that she depicts the fae beautifully. She continues that vein in this story – the fae aren’t fun, happy, or light. This already feels so much darker than her Modern Faerie Tales series. But it’s still a great indication of the horrors that are in the traditional faerie tales….

<- More Holly BlackThe Lost Sisters ->

Image source: Goodreads

Seeing Nancy by Nina Allan

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of ghost stories by women book cover

Title: Seeing Nancy
Author: Nina Allan
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 9th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: He solved that particular problem by himself.

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Synopsis

Things have started going down in their marriage, ever since they moved into the new house. And then this crime writer meets a young girl named Nancy and the past comes to the present.

Thoughts

I thought that this was going to be one of those stories that had a happy ending and wasn’t completely deranged and creepy at the end. Right up until that final moment, I even thought that my wish might come true. But I was so very, very wrong and there is a great, strong image imprinted onto my mind at the end of this story.

The entirety of this short story is written in first person, letting the weirdness unfold as you travel alongside the characters in this story. It was very well written and a very enjoyable journey. It just didn’t have a nice feeling at the end of all of the tragedy that was uncovered. And, honestly, there are soooo many unanswered questions, ones that I really don’t want to leave up to my imagination, because that takes me to weird places.

Not only was this story a bit disturbing and difficult to get through. Particularly as Roy’s story unfolded. There was so much more about the story that was tragic. But him being lost somehow was the worst thing…

<- ScairtThe Third Person ->

Image source: Goodreads

Scairt by Alison Littlewood

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of ghost stories by women book cover

Title: Scairt
Author: Alison Littlewood
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 7th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Away from the path the ground was covered in little mounds, old branches maybe, covered in moss and tight, star-shaped leaves.

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Synopsis

She’s moved from her home to Scotland with her grandparents after tragedy struck. But will a walk in the woods lead to another tragedy?

Thoughts

Scairt started out a little bit creepy. And I had this horrible, uneasy feeling from the very beginning. But that slowly disappeared as the story unfolded. And eventually there was a really nice happy ending to the story. Not something that happens often in ghost stories. Or at least, not in my experience.

I love that the ghost in this story was actually protective. Maybe not what you would consider good… but it was most certainly protective. And it was this protective nature that lead to the happily ever after in this story.

Partnering a ghost story featuring children and tragedy with the beauty and eeriness of Scotland worked fantastically. I loved this whole setting and story. It was completely brilliant and a heck of a lot of fun.

<- The Fifth BedroomSeeing Nancy ->

Image source: Goodreads

Safe and Sound by Jeff Abott

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for death's excellent vacation book cover

Title: Safe and Sound
Author: Jeff Abott
In: Death’s Excellent Vacation (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Humour, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 7th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Blank.

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Synopsis

This journalist is just looking for a big, amazing story. But what she finds with her underhanded ways instead… well, somebody is Safe and Sound.

Thoughts

Little known fact – when I finished high school and was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, I seriously considered journalism. But, already at that point, I felt like it was a field more about sensationalizing a story, rather than telling the truth. This short story was a great reminder of that feeling – how the media often just picks the story that is going to get the most attention, just because it will get the most attention. Truth and honesty be damned.

The vampire angle in this story was completely fun and brilliant. It was also entirely predictable, but I did love the way that vampires filtered into a story about the media and a missing boy. I also loved how there was a total comeuppance to the story using the vampire as the angle. They’re not normally the good guys – and in this story they still certainly aren’t. But at least the vampire delivered some poetic justice.

This short story made me think of all of the people that go missing and the stories that are never told. It left me feeling a little melancholy, but in the end, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

<- The Innsmouth NookSeeing is Believing ->

Image source: Amazon

What I Assume You Shall Assume by Ken Liu

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for dead man's hand book cover

Title: What I Assume You Shall Assume
Author: Ken Liu
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Weird western
Dates read: 6th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: The deer trail that they had been following also seemed to dip and twist more than usual.

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Synopsis

Amos just wants to be left alone, away from the horrors that humanity rains upon each other. And then he comes across a Chinawoman and a whole heap of issues land in his lap.

Thoughts

This short story is all about standing up for the “little guy”. Or in this case, the little woman. It’s about turning into a hero when you most need to and finding a way to live with the decisions that you make. Or at least, that’s what I got out of this story.

I love how this story constantly flicked between perspectives and timelines. There are great flashbacks to the past and the reasons for both of the characters’ decisions and choices. And they both have completely unique outlooks on the exact same experiences and moments. It also helps to highlight how damaging the “us vs them” mentality can truly be.

This story is not only fun and interesting, but it also highlights the importance and power of words. I love that although there is fighting, guns, and weaponry, somehow it’s the magic of words that really hold the power at the end of the day.

<- La Madre Del OroThe Devil’s Jack ->

Image source: Amazon

C. B. & Q. by Edward Dorn

Book Review,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of westerns book cover

Title: C. B. & Q.
Author: Edward Dorn
In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis)
Rating Out of 5: 2 (Managed to read it… just)
My Bookshelves: Westerns
Dates read: 6th November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: In the car there were no white tabs on the windowshades by their seats.

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Synopsis

Blood, second chances and an intriguing western.

Thoughts

This was an incredibly short short story. And I’m really not sure what this story is about to be completely honest. There is something about westerns that frequently goes right over my head. And this is definitely one of them.

The main thing that I got out of the story was the idea of blood and not being given second chances. And, that not everything is as it seems. Most definitely not a story that I’m super excited about reading again if I’m being completely honest.

<- There Will Be Peace in KoreaThe Man to Send Rain Clouds ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

The Fifth Bedroom by Alex Bell

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of ghost stories by women book cover

Title: The Fifth Bedroom
Author: Alex Bell
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 6th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And when that happens, love – or what passes for love – dies too.

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Synopsis

Chloe is bitter about the past and the accident that tore down her life. So she’s moved to her own home to lick her wounds in private. But the non-existent fifth bedroom bell keeps ringing and she just can’t seem to find that peace she so deeply desires…

Thoughts

Yeah. I really shouldn’t have read this short story at dusk. While the wind was blowing through my house. And the wind chimes hanging in my window were going mad. Talk about mood-setting…

This was a really creepy story. There is something about bitterness that seems to be more terrifying than anger or sadness. It’s like a disease that eats someone from inside. The fact that Chloe’s bitterness leads to her sad ending was intense and really, really sad. It may not have quite ended the way that I anticipated… but it was still creepy and a reminder to let go of the past.

Finishing this short story left me feeling seriously disturbed. And uncomfortable. And just plain not ready to go to sleep. I may have poured myself a big glass of wine and taken a pretty big gulp after finishing this. It left me feeling that unsettled…

<- Sister, Shhh…Scairt ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Clockwork Cowboy by J. Steven York

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for westward weird book cover

Title: The Clockwork Cowboy
Author: J. Steven York
In: Westward Weird (Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Cyborgs, Weird western, Wild west
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Daw Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Which was true.

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Synopsis

In the middle of the desert is a town where everyone just wants to be free. But it’s a town with a difference – it’s colonised by free automatons. And all they want is to be left alone.

Thoughts

I thought that this was a great short story that emphasised the fight for survival and freedom. Which, considering all of the Western themed stories I’ve been reading lately seems to be a bit of a theme. A great theme though. Particularly when this is combined with automatons and science fiction…

This was a wonderfully intense and brilliant short story. I was hooked from the very beginning and found it difficult to look away. Probably lucky that this was a short story, because my productivity would have gone down the drain if this was any longer. At least being so short, I was able to be fully immersed without jeopardising all of the adult things that I needed to be doing…

The cruel turning on the lead character in this story at the end was a little heartbreaking. After all, the saviour is then spurned. And finds himself an outcast when all he did was save everyone…

<- Showdown at High MoonBlack Train ->

Image source: Amazon

Sundays by Melissa Keil

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for begin, end, begin book cover

Title: Sundays
Author: Melissa Keil
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance,  Young adult
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Lou holds out a bottle of Limonata, the top popped.

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Synopsis

Sundays are a day of leisure. But, on this fateful night and morning, they are also a day of change. One that heralds the beginning of new things, and the end of the old.

Thoughts

I absolutely adore Melissa Keil, in fact, she’s the reason that I bought the Begin, End, Begin collection – I knew that she had a story in there somewhere and I knew that it was one that I thoroughly enjoy. This short story just drove home how important that was and just why I love this author so damn much. Now I just have to wait for her to publish some more stories…

This story completely matches the idea of Begin, End, Begin. It’s about beginnings and endings, and how just one night can mean the change in everything. I remember finishing high school myself, and how terrifying that precipice of change and adulthood is. I don’t think that I had just one night that did this for me, but I had a whole heap of moments that I can still remember with terrifying clarity that were about the ending of the old, and the beginning of the new. Most of them from this point in my life…

Gabe is a great narrator for this story. She’s not the mainstream teenager that you would expect, and so I probably related to her way more than I otherwise would have. That, and Lou, the rock for her throughout this realisation of change… I absolutely adored both of these characters. I want more of them! Just like I want more of all of Keil’s characters… I’m not slightly obsessed at all…

<- First CasualtyMissing Persons ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

Sister, Shhh… by Elizabeth Massie

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of ghost stories by women book cover

Title: Sister, Shhh…
Author: Elizabeth Massie
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Wait.

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Synopsis

Charity and Fawn just wanted to escape The Prophet and his brother, their husband. But things don’t quite go as planned, and Charity wakes up in a cupboard.

Thoughts

There is something about cults that always pulls me in completely. And also leaves me feeling very freaked out and uncomfortable. After all, cults are all about brain washing and the sorts of horrible things that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy…

The ending of this story is beautifully open-ended and not conclusive at all. It gives me plenty of room to imagine a terrible, horrible and gruesome comeuppance for Rufus and The Prophet. And for all of the others in this story who have preyed upon the weak… a trio of ghosts can probably do a lot of damage if they’re focused on revenge enough.

Sister, Shhh… was all about victims and the vulnerable. It’s bad enough when people are preyed upon… but when those who are preyed upon are vulnerable and innocent? Yeah, it most definitely made me shudder to read this. And feel all sorts of sympathy throughout.

<- The Ninth WitchThe Fifth Bedroom ->

Image source: Goodreads