Tag Archives: Dark Fantasy

Golden Delicious by Faith Hunter

July 22, 2019Book ReviewAn Apple for the Creature, Animagus, Blood in Her Veins, Dark Fantasy, Faith Hunter, Jane Yellowrock, Strong Womenskyebjenner

Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Golden Delicious
Author: Faith Hunter
Series: Jane Yellowrock #4.2
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner) & Blood in Her Veins (Faith Hunter)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Dark fantasy, Strong women
Dates read: 27th June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Pea launched herself across the two yards and landed on the wolf’s head with a catlike yowl.

Rick is in the training academy after being viciously attacked. He’s still coping with the stressors of his past, but his new job might just give him a great reason to head forwards into the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. But I was kind of ticked that it gave away a fair bit about the future in the Jane Yellowrock world. Which was kind of annoying when I keep meaning to pick up this series all over again… but, hopefully by the time that I do, I won’t really remember where this story fits into the series, and I’ll be able to be surprised anyway.

If you look at my bookshelves, you’ll notice that there has begun to be a bit of an obsession about urban fantasy stories with the lead female in law enforcement. Alright, Rick isn’t a woman, but I did love the idea of a policeman transferring to the supernatural police. He may have to go through training all over again, but his talents jump to the surface as they race to find the evil witch before the full moon.

The use of a number of alternate supernatural beings that I haven’t so far seen in the first few Jane Yellowrock books, was incredibly fun. It also helped to give me a hint of how the world is going to expand as time goes by.

<- Iphigenia in Aulis

Magic Tests ->

Image source: Goodreads

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

June 27, 2019Book ReviewBook to Film, Dark Fantasy, Easy Reading, Horror, Neil Gaimanskyebjenner

Image result for coraline neil gaiman book cover

Title: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Horror
Dates read: 16th – 22nd May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: “The one who says she’s you other mother,” said the cat.

In Coraline’s family’s new flat there’s a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall – until Coraline unlocks the door… and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only different.

The food is better there. Books have pictures that writhe and crawl and shimmer. And there’s another mother and father there who want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and keep her with them….Forever.

Coraline is an extraordinary fairy tale / nightmare from the uniquely skewed imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.

I picked up this book because I absolutely adored the movie. Just seeing the title makes me want to watch the movie again and again and again. Which meant that I was seriously hoping that the book would be just as good. I was a little wrong. For starters, the book is so much creepier and horrifying than the movie. For another thing. It was just better.

I really expected an easy, fun slightly twisted read when I opened this book. After all, it is described as a children’s twisted fairy tale. And it’s a tiny novel! I was wrong. So very, very wrong. I finished this about 10 o’clock at night… and then just lay there, imagining a creepy hand crawling across the bed towards me in my sleep… I’m really not sure that I would have read this when I was a child. And even if I did… I’m not sure that it would have been a great idea. There are certain downfalls to having such a vivid imagination…

As children, we all have moments when we feel that our family just doesn’t care about us. That we belong somewhere else. And that it could just be so much better if we just had someone who understood us more. Or at least, I felt that way frequently throughout my childhood. I like that Coraline plays on this and gives us a reality in which everything is far more fantastic, fun and just plain exciting than the real world. But at a cost, and it’s one that Coraline just doesn’t want to pay. After all, she realises that real life just isn’t too bad after all…

<- Angels & Visitations

Fragile Things ->

Image source: Goodreads

Two Lines by Melissa Marr

June 22, 2019Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Melissa Marr, Paranormal Fantasy, Unbound, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Image result for unbound book cover kim harrison

Title: Two Lines
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Unbound (Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelyn Drake)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 7th May 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I’ve done everything I could to avoid this moment.

Eavan resists sex and murder that morph her into a glaistig until Daniel Brennan, sex slaver, tempts her into both.

I’m incredibly disappointed that this novella wasn’t part of a bigger series. I loved the idea of these fae women who rely on sex and death to live. That one of the children of the family refuses to continue in the line that is accepted by all of her family. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this as a standalone, but I quite possibly would have loved it even more if I knew I had a whole new series to sink my literary teeth into.

In some of the older literature women are often demonised when they are strong and sexual. It’s a recurring theme throughout a lot of the stories that I read. And although I really don’t like the routes of the theme, I do love reading about it. Strong, independent women that are not exactly pure and innocent. That are sexual and powerful in their own rights. Eve manages to encompass this, but still have that beautiful, human vulnerability that is sometimes lacking a little in the characterisation of such women.

There is a love interest in this story, but it is a teasing one. And, unlike many other stories which have a love interest, I didn’t actually mind that their relationship was left open-ended. Normally I like the couple to get together in the end of the story. To have a bit of the “ride off into the sunset” feeling to it. There was no such thing in this story and I completely revelled in it. After all, this story really wasn’t about a romantic entanglement, it was about temptation and choosing your own path.

<- The Dead, the Damned and the Forgotten Review

Unbound Review ->

Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

Sympathy for the Bones by Marjorie M. Liu

June 19, 2019Book ReviewAn Apple for the Creature, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Marjorie Liu, Witchesskyebjenner

Title: Sympathy for the Bones
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Witches
Dates read: 7th May 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: All my teaching will be for naught if you keep up this way.

Ruth thought she was raised by someone who loved her. But now she realises that that’s just not quite the case… and she’ll do anything to get out of this sticky situation.

I haven’t read many stories about voodoo or hoodoo (I know there’s a difference, I just don’t know what that difference is…). Yet, it’s something that fascinates me. Which of course immediately drew me into this short story. Especially when the lead female voice was so strong and obviously unhappy with her trainer. Unhappy with the atrocities that she is committing over and over again because the elderly woman is asking her to.

I knew that there would be a bit of blood and death in this story – after all, the title is Sympathy for the Bones. What I didn’t expect was the grave digging, the darkness and the ability of the lead female to turn this darkness to her own advantage. Though I’m not sure if she’s good and was going to walk of into the sunset and live happily ever after. Actually, it kind of felt like she was just following in her mentor’s footsteps and not really pursuing the freedom that she so dearly wished for.

<- Academy Field Trip Review

Low School Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

Dark Matters by Vicki Pettersson

June 11, 2019Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Signs of the Zodiac, Unbound, Urban Fantasy, Vicki Petterssonskyebjenner

Title: Dark Matters
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Series: Signs of the Zodiac #4.5
In: Unbound (Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelyn Drake)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 3rd May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: “Which means you think that ninety-six percent of what is up here is dark matter.

JJ superhero has illicit affair with Shadow agent Solange.

I still haven’t yet had time to sink my teeth into the first Signs of the Zodiac novel. Yet, I seem to keep picking up the novellas and thoroughly enjoying them. And this one was no different. Taking the idea of love and polar opposites and twisting it into a story that was both fun and kind of tragic. Especially when JJ is left at the end, clutching a broken heart and forced to face an unhopeful future.

There is something fun about a tale where total opposites attract. And although mostly this is just slight personality quirks, in Dark Matters, it is actually opposites. Yin and yang. Dark and light. And although you kind of spend a lot of the time hoping that you’re not right about the darkness. That this is actually a story about love and destiny. There are so many hints that it’s not quite what you want, but enough that keeps you hoping. Which makes the crash at the end of the story all the more bittersweet and powerful.

I can’t wait to see where this novella fits into the rest of the Signs of the Zodiac world. And, well, sink my teeth into the novels that are sitting on my shelves, just waiting to be read.

<- Reckoning Review

The Dead, the Damned and the Forgotten Review ->

Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

The Rite Stuff by Michael Kurland

June 10, 2019Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Magic, Michael Kurland, The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic, Wizardsskyebjenner

Image result for the mammoth book of dark magic book cover

Title: The Rite Stuff
Author: Michael Kurland
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Magic, Wizards
Dates read: 2nd May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: “What is being done?” he asked.

A kidnapping of a little girl has taken place. And the detectives want the most talented forensic wizard on the case… even if the culprit really isn’t using the “rite stuff”.

This is one of those short stories that is fun to read, but not overly memorable once you turn the final page. It’s a fun journey and one that I’ll love to read again and again. But it’s also not the kind of story that has left me thinking and reflecting once I’ve turned the final page. It’s just… fun.

What I did really love about this story was the use of a crime solving team… who also happened to be wizards, or magic users… The big reveal at the end was very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. There is a great journey which outlays the crime. There is a seemingly coincidental co-occurring crime. And then, at the very end, everything is explained satisfactorily. In a way that makes you hit yourself on the head and say “duh”.

<- The Double Shadow

Master of Chaos ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

The Double Shadow by Clark Ashton Smith

June 8, 2019Book ReviewClark Ashton Smith, Dark Fantasy, The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic, Wizardsskyebjenner

Title: The Double Shadow
Author: Clark Ashton Smith
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Wizards
Dates read: 28th April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1933
5th sentence, 74th page: And still the master had perceived it not; and still I forbore to warn him, hoping that the visitant would withdraw in its own time, going obscurely as it had come.

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They decided to summon something, but what they ended up calling to them was so much more dangerous and sinister than they had first realised. And now they might all carry a double shadow.

Although I gave this story a kind of low rating, I did thoroughly enjoy it. The wording was just so beautifully lyrical and swept me away. Which makes sense, since it was originally written in 1933. It definitely means that this is a short story that I’m likely to go back to and reread. After all, the very lyricality of the wording makes it a fun journey and an intriguingly poetic one as well.

What I didn’t love about this story was kind of the story line. It was alright, but it didn’t quite grasp me like other short stories I’ve been reading lately. Hence the low rating on the story. I think this is the kind of tale that I will enjoy the more times that I read it. rather than loving it unconditionally from the very first moment.

<- Timekeeper

The Rite Stuff ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Timekeeper by John Morressy

June 6, 2019Book ReviewDark Fantasy, John Morressy, Magic, The Mammoth Book of Dark Magicskyebjenner

Title: Timekeeper
Author: John Morressy
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Magic
Dates read: 28th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1989
5th sentence, 74th page: Perhaps she loves him, Mr. Lockyer.

Mr. Bell has decided to open up his clock shop in a small town. His clocks might not be all that they appear though. As Monsoon and his cronies are about to discover.

Ideas of time change across the world. It’s an idea that completely fascinates me. So it kind of makes sense that a story about a timekeeper and conjurer finds it’s way into a collection of dark magic stories. Although this one isn’t as dark and twisted as the other tales, there’s still that sense of mystery and brutality that is present in the rest of the stories in this collection.

I love the idea of do unto others what you’d want done unto you. And this seems to be one that intertwines throughout this story. Mr. Bell is neither good nor bad… he doesn’t take sides but acts as an equaliser to others. For those who are good and need help, he is able to subtly provide that. But for people like Monsoon, he is a little more aggressive, and leaves people wondering where the bad man and his evil cronies have gone.

The timekeeper is a nice, soft version of tales of dark magic and dark fantasy. It has all of the integral aspects to it, but without the overwhelming sense of horror and discomfort that you sometimes get at the conclusion of the tale.

<- The Sage of Theare

The Double Shadow ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Spellcaster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry

June 1, 2019Book ReviewAn Apple for the Creature, Dark Fantasy, Jonathan Maberry, Magic, Technologyskyebjenner

Title: Spellcaster 2.0
Author: Jonathan Maberry
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Magic, Technology
Dates read: 17th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Anthem suddenly stopped biting her thumb and they both looked at the bead of blood that welled from where she’d bitten too deeply.

A group of academic anthropologists are working on a database of spells to make the perfect summoning spell. But when you play with magic, things can go very awry at the drop of a hat… and they’re about to find out that you just don’t mess with magic.

I understand the pressure and stress of trying to get a ridiculously ambitious project done in a much shorter amount of time than desirable. After all, like the characters in this short story, I too am a PhD student. The fact that this tale of the pressures of being a postgrad student intertwines with murder, mayhem and magic just made me connect all the quicker with the characters and the storyline.

One of the questions I often asked myself when doing my anthropology degree (especially in my honours year) was what right do we have to stick our noses into other peoples’ cultures? Maberry highlights this beautifully with the use of technology and people’s beliefs in the mythos. By taking something that is often a vibrant part of people’s cultures (the summoning of other beings, or demons) and making it so clinical with the use of computers, the way in which we approach things that appear antiquated is really bought into light. We might not have much of a right to stick our noses into other people’s religions, but we definitely shouldn’t be treated it with such nonchalant disregard. Or at least, that’s the way this story takes such an issue…

<- Playing Possum Review

Academy Field Trip Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

Playing Possum by Charlaine Harris

May 25, 2019Book ReviewAn Apple for the Creature, Charlaine Harris, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Sookie Stackhouse, Vampiresskyebjenner

Title: Playing Possum
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #12.6
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 10th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Oh,” she said, looking appropriately sober.

Sookie Stackhouse brings enough birthday cupcakes for her nephew’s entire class but finds she’s one short when the angry ex-boyfriend of the school secretary shows up.

I both thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt kind of concerned by it. This is the first short story in a collection of short stories based on our experiences in school. And it has a shooter entering the school grounds. Granted, this was written and published quite a few years ago and may not have been such a hot issue… but considering the constant gunning down of children happening in America at the moment… it was more than a little concerning that the story starts with a tale about a gunman.

I’ve only briefly dabbled into the world of Sookie Stackhouse, but every time I read one of the short stories based in this world, I really want to pick up another one. It’s not great for my self-control when I have two unread Sookie Stackhouse books sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to go… especially since I’ve been told again and again that the stories get better as they unfold, and short stories like Playing Possum really support this idea.

Although this was a tale that I thoroughly enjoyed in the moment, I still find it incredibly problematic. A crazy man taking a gun into a kindergarten in revenge of a woman… it’s a strong comment on our society today that that is so normalised that a short story can be written about it. After all, if this was far fetched, it wouldn’t work in this series…

<- An Apple for the Creature

Spellcaster 2.0 ->

Image source: Goodreads

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

Tag Archives: Dark Fantasy

Golden Delicious by Faith Hunter

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Two Lines by Melissa Marr

Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

Sympathy for the Bones by Marjorie M. Liu

Image source: Goodreads

Dark Matters by Vicki Pettersson

Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

The Rite Stuff by Michael Kurland

The Double Shadow by Clark Ashton Smith

Timekeeper by John Morressy

Spellcaster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry

Image source: Goodreads

Playing Possum by Charlaine Harris