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johnlynchbooks's review
4.0
October was a busy month for Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason, the writing duo known as the sisters of slaughter. The first of two releases, Isolation is a historical horror novella rife with bloodline curses and ghosts.
A widow named Amelia inherits a house on literally on a rock in the ocean. Strapped with no way to pay for the debts her husband left behind, she is forced to leave her home and take residence on the piece of land left to her.
Amelia is no perfect heroine. She suffers from a few crippling phobias and an addiction to Laudanum. Amelia makes her way to her new home, only to find that it’s seemingly inhabited by the dead. Amelia must figure out a way to survive a curse upon the family in order to save the lives of herself and those around her.
I enjoyed Isolation quite a bit. Garza and Lason do an excellent job setting the scenes and the tone within the book. It’s dreary, and like it’s namesake, leaves the reader feeling isolated on the rock with Amelia. The writing is nicely done, the story unfolds quickly and keeps you turning the pages. My only complaint was how often the Laudanum was mentioned. I understand that she faces an addiction, but it seemed like it was being mentioned every other page. In the end, it was a minor annoyance, not really a big deal, you may not even notice it.
This novella is different from other offerings by the sisters, and so far this one has been my favorite piece of work they’ve done.
A widow named Amelia inherits a house on literally on a rock in the ocean. Strapped with no way to pay for the debts her husband left behind, she is forced to leave her home and take residence on the piece of land left to her.
Amelia is no perfect heroine. She suffers from a few crippling phobias and an addiction to Laudanum. Amelia makes her way to her new home, only to find that it’s seemingly inhabited by the dead. Amelia must figure out a way to survive a curse upon the family in order to save the lives of herself and those around her.
I enjoyed Isolation quite a bit. Garza and Lason do an excellent job setting the scenes and the tone within the book. It’s dreary, and like it’s namesake, leaves the reader feeling isolated on the rock with Amelia. The writing is nicely done, the story unfolds quickly and keeps you turning the pages. My only complaint was how often the Laudanum was mentioned. I understand that she faces an addiction, but it seemed like it was being mentioned every other page. In the end, it was a minor annoyance, not really a big deal, you may not even notice it.
This novella is different from other offerings by the sisters, and so far this one has been my favorite piece of work they’ve done.
thomaswjoyce's review
4.0
This is a great novella, written in a gothic style with the newly-widowed protagonist sent to live in a large home on an isolated island. As she uncovers secrets relating to her late husband's family and the history of the island, she almost descends into madness. The writing is atmospheric and tense, and the story is very good.
brennanlafaro's review
4.0
The Sisters of Slaughter proudly present their second October offering, along with Tapetum Lucidum. Isolation follows Amelia, a widow who inherits a house on a forsaken, and oh yeah, cursed, piece of rock in the middle of the ocean.
Isolation is written as a period piece, and definitely presents with more than a bit of gothic flavor for it. At 114 pages, this story finds its perfect length. The atmosphere created is tense and full of dismay, and one can't imagine it being sustainable for much longer without the reader becoming overwhelmed. The imagery put forth as we near the climax is so lucid, we can picture every awful thing happening as if we were present in this horrific house.
Consider me impressed with just how different the two books Garza and Lason released last month are from each other. Picking up and reading both truly provided an appreciation for the range of storytelling ability the sisters can put on display. I'm onboard for whatever this duo sends out in the future, after I catch with their back catalog of course.
Isolation is written as a period piece, and definitely presents with more than a bit of gothic flavor for it. At 114 pages, this story finds its perfect length. The atmosphere created is tense and full of dismay, and one can't imagine it being sustainable for much longer without the reader becoming overwhelmed. The imagery put forth as we near the climax is so lucid, we can picture every awful thing happening as if we were present in this horrific house.
Consider me impressed with just how different the two books Garza and Lason released last month are from each other. Picking up and reading both truly provided an appreciation for the range of storytelling ability the sisters can put on display. I'm onboard for whatever this duo sends out in the future, after I catch with their back catalog of course.
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