Tag Archives: Dark Fantasy

Make it Snappy by Faith Hunter

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: Make it Snappy
Author: Faith Hunter
Series: Jane Yellowrock #0.75
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Dark fantasy, Strong women
Dates read: 28th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Katie pouted, her lips pursing around her canines.

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Synopsis

Leo’s heir has pinned and trapped him with some help. What she wants is something a little more difficult to define than simply power… plus, there’s some betrayal in the mix.

Thoughts

It’s been a little while since I picked up a Jane Yellowrock novel. It just seems to have fallen on the wayside of the series that I’m insanely digging through. I also tend to be a bit of a book slut – I’ll read one or two books from a series, and then move on to another one. I’m currently reading about 190 different series. Having said that, I did love revisiting this world and the introduction that this short story provides to Leo and his heir, Katie.

One of my favourite things about this short story is the final sentence. I won’t tell you what it is, because you should read it yourself… but it is a great ending to a fantastic story. It also gives a little more insight into the dynamics of the vampire clan which Jane is most closely involved with.

I love that although Katie is in a position of power over Leo, she doesn’t actually want to take his place. It’s a reminder that for different people, power means different things. And we all take advantage in our own ways. Actually, mostly, it just made me like Katie all the more – it’s the unseen powerful that you never see coming that are intimidating.

<- Signatures of the DeadSkinwalker ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

Guns for the Dead by Melissa Marr

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
naked-city

Title: Guns for the Dead
Author: Melissa Marr
Series: Graveminder #1.6
In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Dates read: 26th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He sipped his drink and stared at Alicia, who now stood with her hands on her hips.

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Synopsis

Frank wants a job with the gun runner of the undead world. The interview is unique in so many ways. But, he might just get the job after all… if he survives.

Thoughts

I always like a good gun runner story. One that takes place in the land of the dead – well, it wasn’t entirely what I expected, but it was definitely enjoyable. The fact that the female in this was seriously tough and starts out the story by shooting a man… well, that is going to draw me in immediately.

I’ve been on some uncomfortable job interviews but starting out by getting shot and then ending by watching someone get killed. Well, it’s a lot more intense than any of the interviews I’ve ever been on. And hopefully ever will go on. But it was certainly an interesting way to tell a story.

This was a fantastic short story. Now I can’t wait to buy the books in the larger series! I’ve had them on my wishlist for a while, but this has certainly given me the inspiration to actually buy it this time.

 <- The Way Station ReviewAnd Go Like This Review ->
Image source: Patricia Briggs

The Werewolf Before Christmas by Kat Richardson

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for wolfsbane and mistletoe book cover

Title: The Werewolf Before Christmas
Author: Kat Richardson
In: Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Dark fantasy, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Dates read: 25th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: And hope.

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Synopsis

He’s a werewolf stuck halfway between his forms at the North Pole. And, he’s understandably peckish… but maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to eat Rudolph.

Thoughts

Most Christmas stories I tend to read are quite happy. I’ve NEVER read one that starts with a werewolf eating Rudolph. That was a shock. It was hilarious, and I scared my dog by spitting out a bit of my tea as I held in the laughter (yes, I have a twisted sense of humour, so sue me). But it was also incredibly unique. As I said, I’ve never had the pleasure of reading a story which begins with Rudolph being eaten by a werewolf. And not just a werewolf, but a werewolf stuck in a crazy kind of half-form that he can’t seem to get out of. Little wonder that that image made me spit out my tea.

Although this was a story that starts with Rudolph, there were a surprising amount of Christian overtones. In fact, Santa only visits good little Christian boys and girls… which I found a bit annoying – but that’s my own religious hangups. I did like that there were a number of versions of the Saint Nikolas mythos added into the telling of the tale. It wasn’t just about our more modern / common versions of this. And there was also his evil shadow to contend with…

I love that the last spin on this featured Rudolph’s nose. Instead of a light to guide the way, the werewolf was able to use his superior sense of smell. And the way that he uses this to navigate the night… brilliant. Even though I’m pretty sure the werewolf is still kind of evil and needs a swift kick up the bum… all in the name of the Christmas spirit of course!

 <- The Night Things Changed ReviewFresh Meat Review ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Witch Hazel by Jeffrey Ford

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: Witch Hazel
Author: Jeffrey Ford
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror
Dates read: 24th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d drink and talk, and I’d listen.

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Synopsis

We wear sprigs of hazel to honour the souls on All Hallows Eve. But where does that practice originally come from?

Thoughts

So I’ve never heard of the practice of wearing a sprig of hazel on All Hallows Eve. Although, I don’t really know all that much about All Hallows Eve (or Halloween) since it is not within my normal experiences. Regardless, I liked this kind of origins story to such a practice. It took a practice that seems cute and folksy… and then turns it into a horrifying mess that makes you cringe. A lot.

The image of a beautiful young woman covered in blood, running around with a Hachette in a forest is pretty much what nightmares are made of. The fact that she kills her dog just expands on the horrors of this. Certainly not an image that I can get out of my head. And the fact that it’s all because there is some weird disease going around? Creepy, creepy, creepy. And blood everywhere.

I did really enjoyed the fact that this story also plays on the superstitions which tend to surround twins. The idea that there is something a little bit evil about twins (sorry to my twin-friends out there). The haunting that they perform and the twist at the end makes me not want to see one of my very good friends for a little while… being that she’s a twin who loves blood and all (she’s a nurse, nothing weird here).

 <- A Flicker of Light on Devil’s Night ReviewNos Galan Gaeaf Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Pack by Jeaniene Frost

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

Title: Pack
Author: Jeaniene Frost
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Werewolves
Dates read: 23rd November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: In short, he looked like your typical Yellowstone tourist, not the leader of a secret pack of monsters.

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Synopsis

All she wanted to do was go for a nice, long hike in the mountains. Instead she’s attacked by a werewolf, taken as hostage and quarantined with a man that is just far too tempting for her sanity.

Thoughts

As with all of Jeaniene Frost’s stories so far, I absolutely adored this story. She has a way of writing that combines strong women with difficult situations and a heavy dose of romantic lust that always leaves me with a huge smile on my face. There is just something about this writing that is a poignant reminder of why Frost is one of my favourite writers.

Yet, it’s not all sunshine and roses (again, why I like Frost’s writing)… there is a harsh beginning as the lead female is turned against her will and attacked. A sense of trying to find out who she is in a new world and re figure out how to exist. Many of the paranormal romances I read feature a turning that is unwilling and unwanted. Something which would be dreadful. This still follows that trend (and I kind of expect it from most, because who would really want to be a monster?), but it gives a much happier ending. One that isn’t too sappy either.

This short story, as much as it’s a romance, is all about choice. She gets to choose how to live, there is punishment because her choice is taken from her and the two love interests eventually choose to be together. In fact, the biggest divider for them is the fact that originally she is choosing not to succumb to their attraction…

 <- Pele’s Tears ReviewWhen Gargoyles Fly Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Seventeen-Year Itch by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: The Seventeen-Year Itch
Author: Garth Nix
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Mental health
Dates read: 18th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: He tried to smile, but inside McIndoe felt cold, and old, and frightened.

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Synopsis

Every seventeen-years the itch reaches its peak and Stubbsy locks himself in a container. But the new manager of the psych ward doesn’t want him to be put in such an inhuman container. The consequences are nothing like she anticipated and will carry on to the next generation.

Thoughts

From the title of this story, I was completely expecting a story of a husband and wife which do something horrible to each other. Because, you know… it was in a collection of horrifying Halloween stories. It’s still completely horrifying. Still a creepy Halloween story… but not about a husband and wife. Not really about anything that I expected from the title. Which, of course, made me love it even more… since you know, the joys of a collection of Halloween horror tales.

We’ve all felt itchy. Actually, as I write this and reflect on the short story, I’m wearing a woollen jumper. Which five seconds ago didn’t feel so damn itchy… and now… nope, nope, nope. Expand that by ten thousand and you have the feeling that is described in this story. I think that fact that we’ve all felt the insane urge to itch makes it much easier to relate to this story. And therefore feel WAY more creeped out by it than any other story which you can’t relate to so closely.

The only thing I would say about this story – don’t read it before bed. It’s kind of creepy and full on. I’m so glad that I read this earlier in the day and had enough time to finish other stories before falling into bed. Just don’t read it before you fall asleep…

 <- Wick’s End ReviewA Flicker of Night on Devil’s Night Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Lucy, at Christmastime by Simon R. Green

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for wolfsbane and mistletoe book cover

Title: Lucy, at Christmastime
Author: Simon R. Green
Series: Nightside #8.4
In: Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (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
Dates read: 18th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She never does.

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Synopsis

There’s the Ghost of Christmas Past and then there’s the Ghost of your First Time… after reading this, you tell me which is worse.

Thoughts

At the beginning of this story, I thought it would be quite a sweet, easy little read. It begins talking about the fact that you never forget your first. Which, of course, we don’t. What I didn’t quite realise was that the narrator really wasn’t talking about the first I was imagining. Or at least, that was not all that he was talking about. It turned out to be quite a tragic tale, and one that almost had me in tears.

Alright, this story is still about first loves, but, being that it is a werewolf story, there is a much darker twist on the glory of a first love. Something that I really wasn’t expecting, and was only revealed at the very end. Yet, there is also a bittersweetness to the story – he is able to constantly love and communicate with the spectre of the past, one that eerily reminds me of the ghosts in A Christmas Carol.

Most people dream of true love. And, in its dark, twisted way… this is a beautiful tale of that kind of love. That everlasting feeling that you’ll never get over, and always remember… kind of a nice Christmas tale, but not one that left me with all the warm fuzzies that I normally would like.

 <- The Haire of the Beast ReviewThe Night Things Changed Review ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Wick’s End by Joanna Parypinski

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: Wick’s End
Author: Joanna Parypinski
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Demons, Horror, Tricksters
Dates read: 17th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: His soul was turned away from the light, and turned away, of course, from that seething pit of terror known as hell, as the devil kept his promise.

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Synopsis

A trade-off of horror stories late on All Hallows Eve. Each one scarier than the last. Each with their own, hidden message.

Thoughts

There is something that is just so… recognisable about telling ghost stories. It doesn’t matter what age or setting, telling tales that are sure to freak out your friends, peers and family is just… well, fun. Which of course meant that there had to be an exchange of ghost stories in a collection of Halloween tales. The fact that it’s an exchange of steadily creepier stories in a bar in the middle of nowhere… well, that had me grinning and clapping my hands like a little ninny.

This is a bit of a trickster tale. After all, the trickster is constantly outwitting and outmanoeuvring his enemies. And often times they are far more powerful than him. Which is what the man in this tale does… but with the devil. And yet, you know, since it’s the devil… that there will be some form of comeuppance at the end. The devil really doesn’t like to be bested, so he’s going to find a way to get his revenge… which creates an amazing cat and mouse story that I’m really disappointed ended so quickly. I mean, I would have loved to continue the cat and mouse game a little longer!

I’ve never understood what is so “cool” about Jack O’Lanterns. Or however you spell it… they’ve always seemed creepy. And I’ve watched rom coms which feature their carving as some romantic moment… ummmm. No thank you! This is a bit of a Jack O’Lantern origins story. One which far better suits my freaked out opinion on them than anything else I’ve read or seen in a long time… they are not cute and cuddly!

 <- A Small Taste of the Old Country ReviewThe Seventeen-Year Itch Review ->

Image source: Amazon

A Small Taste of the Old Country by Jonathan Maberry

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: A Small Taste of the Old Country
Author: Jonathan Maberry
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 15th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: “Maybe she did,” said Becker.

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Synopsis

At All Hallows Eve, the presence of the past likes to linger and haunt us. It reminds us that we are not alone in this world…

Thoughts

This was another of those stories that I just kept having random thoughts on while reading it. The dot points and tired delirium of my notes are far more entertaining than any sentences that I could turn them into… so here they are in all their slightly unusual glory…

  • That’s it, the baker is evil. Pg. 2
  • There is an obsession with Austrian and German descent… I’ve missed something here. Pg. 4
    • But they’re Argentinian? Sure, sure. That MUST be similar.
  • Now there’s talk of dead people and honouring them. Pg. 7
    • Little random, but the true meaning of All Hallows Eve is being shared and explained
  • Pretty beads
  • Very, very love the Halloween adherence to actual traditions
  • Creepy, death and fun!
  • No religion butt head!!!

Not entirely sure where the final comment came from, but I certainly enjoyed this little adventure.

 <- Dirtmouth ReviewWick’s End Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Dirtmouth by Stephen Graham Jones

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: Dirtmouth
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Family, Horror
Dates read: 15th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: It wouldn’t be a lost hunter, either, unless that hunter was really lost; rifle season had closed ten days earlier.

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Synopsis

A little over a year ago he lost his wife. On a pilgrimage to the mountains that took her life, he loses both of his children. But the way in which he loses them will only happen on a dark Halloween night…

Thoughts

One of my biggest rants around Halloween is the fact that a) we’re not American. And b) most people don’t understand the roots of the festival. This short story does address those roots. After all, Halloween (or All Hallows Eve) is the night of the year in which the barriers between worlds fall. Most of the stories I read that feature this ideal are kind of sweet – definitely filled with hope and connections with the past… this isn’t such a nice story, but I love that it connects the spirit world with the living one.

The narrative voice of this story is absolutely amazing. It is funny, witty and not one that I’m likely to forget at any time soon. It took me a little while to realise exactly what was happening… but once I realised that the man who is telling the story was trying to explain what happened to a cop. It just became brilliant. Although, once you finish it, the cheer, hope and good humour with which this story is told – that becomes a little bit creepy… after all, he’s recounting the death of his wife and the loss of his children.

There are many tales of the power of a mother’s love. Normally I find them kind of sweet and cheerful. Not so much when that love means a weird zombie coming back from the dead, visiting her children and just generally wreaking havoc on the world. Talk about a horror story!

 <- With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds ReviewA Small Taste of the Old Country Review ->

Image source: Amazon