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drakaina16's reviews
2149 reviews
Dead Rabbit: A Novell by Joseph Murnane
adventurous
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? No
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Joseph Murnane is one of the most exciting new voices in indie horror. The fact that It Eats Your Hunger was a debut astounded me, and so did this sophomore effort. The writing is just so good. I felt like I knew the characters, and I cared for them deeply. Reading a horror novel in which wolves are portrayed in a positive light made my heart so happy. This story may be a tough read for those who dislike animal harm, but it is absolutely worth the rough ride. The ending made me cry, and it also gave me a little bit of hope that I've been sorely needing. Easy 5 stars
Joseph Murnane is one of the most exciting new voices in indie horror. The fact that It Eats Your Hunger was a debut astounded me, and so did this sophomore effort. The writing is just so good. I felt like I knew the characters, and I cared for them deeply. Reading a horror novel in which wolves are portrayed in a positive light made my heart so happy. This story may be a tough read for those who dislike animal harm, but it is absolutely worth the rough ride. The ending made me cry, and it also gave me a little bit of hope that I've been sorely needing. Easy 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
rekt by Alex Gonzalez
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
This is one of the most unique books I've ever read. Rekt walks the line between horror and thriller, but I think it firmly belongs in the horror category. As the story evolves, the concept is nightmarish. I hesitate to say too much, because letting the story surprise me was one of the coolest things about the book. 5 stars
This is one of the most unique books I've ever read. Rekt walks the line between horror and thriller, but I think it firmly belongs in the horror category. As the story evolves, the concept is nightmarish. I hesitate to say too much, because letting the story surprise me was one of the coolest things about the book. 5 stars
Judith's Blood by D.W. Hitz
adventurous
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
4.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Judith's Blood picks up a matter of months after the events of Judith's Prophecy. These vampires don't sparkle or bemoan their existence - they are literal demons from hell, looking to start the vampire apocalypse. In other words, nasty and brutal. We get to learn a bit more about the returning characters from the first book as they fight against the vampire tide. These books are full of action, and I think it would make a fun TV series. I'll be starting the last book soon, and I'm looking forward to it. 4 stars
Judith's Blood picks up a matter of months after the events of Judith's Prophecy. These vampires don't sparkle or bemoan their existence - they are literal demons from hell, looking to start the vampire apocalypse. In other words, nasty and brutal. We get to learn a bit more about the returning characters from the first book as they fight against the vampire tide. These books are full of action, and I think it would make a fun TV series. I'll be starting the last book soon, and I'm looking forward to it. 4 stars
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I first read The King in Yellow in middle school. I didn't remember much but the basics, and being very impressed with the Yellow mythos stories, and not much else. Nothing much has changed, as that is still the case. The Yellow mythos stories are master classes in quiet, cosmic horror. That being said, much like Lovecraft, I have come to enjoy the stories other authors have written in the mythos much more than Robert W. Chambers' stories. (I'm thinking of Hailey Piper and Joseph Sale here.) However, it remains a must-read for cosmic horror fans. 3.75 stars
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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 NetGalley for providing a review copy.
I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts together about this book. It was interesting, beautifully written, and tough as all hell to get through. It is an excellent book, but very challenging, and I feel like it would be wrong to say that I "enjoyed" it. The vampire lore is some of the most unique and interesting that I've read. I love it when an author can take a familiar concept and make it entirely their own, and Stephen Graham Jones succeeds in spades. Emotionally, though, it chewed me up and spit me out. 4.5 stars
I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts together about this book. It was interesting, beautifully written, and tough as all hell to get through. It is an excellent book, but very challenging, and I feel like it would be wrong to say that I "enjoyed" it. The vampire lore is some of the most unique and interesting that I've read. I love it when an author can take a familiar concept and make it entirely their own, and Stephen Graham Jones succeeds in spades. Emotionally, though, it chewed me up and spit me out. 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Judgment Day by River Gardner
challenging
dark
sad
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? No
3.25
This is the first piece of longer fiction I've read from River Gardner. I've been very impressed with their short stories, so I decided to give Judgment Day a try. I'm always down for a "good for her" read and, although this definitely fits that, I'm really tired of reading graphic sexual violence. This is totally a personal preference, and something that's happened pretty recently. This is otherwise a very enjoyable revenge tale. 3.25 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Lesbophobia
Shy Girl by Mia Ballard
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
Tom Waits once said he liked beautiful melodies telling him terrible things, and Shy Girl fits that bill to a tee. The writing is just gorgeous, fitting the lovely cover perfectly. The story, however, just pummeled me emotionally. I knew it was going to be heavy going in, but it hurt exquisitely, and I devoured 2/3 of it in one sitting. Triggers abound here, so tread lightly. The ending is absolutely worth the tough journey. 5 stars
Tom Waits once said he liked beautiful melodies telling him terrible things, and Shy Girl fits that bill to a tee. The writing is just gorgeous, fitting the lovely cover perfectly. The story, however, just pummeled me emotionally. I knew it was going to be heavy going in, but it hurt exquisitely, and I devoured 2/3 of it in one sitting. Triggers abound here, so tread lightly. The ending is absolutely worth the tough journey. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, and Pregnancy
It Waits on the Top Floor by Ben Farthing
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.5
Ben Farthing is really, really great at taking normal, everyday things and making them frightening. Two words that came to mind when reading this book: Lovecraftian and liminal. There is some really creepy imagery in the book, and somehow the mysterious skyscraper manages to feel both claustrophobic and limitless. The tension and the action scenes are great, and I plan to check out the other books in the series. 4.5 stars
It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames
adventurous
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? Yes
3.5
This is a very solid YA book that uses The Thing as a framework, but manages to be its own thing completely. There are two enemies here, one just as creepy and unsettling as the other. One is a dangerous tech billionaire with an oddly familiar name, and the other is what he's really after. There is a lot of cussing in the book, as well as some pretty distressing body horror. But there is absolutely zero spice, and in fact, one of the main characters is asexual (love the rep). So this is a pretty good choice for a mature YA reader and I enjoyed it as an adult as well. 3.5 stars
Waste Ground by Marc Ruvolo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
There is a LOT going on in this short novella. The story opens with a bang, and rarely slows down as it rockets to the conclusion. We aren't given a lot of backstory on the cult, but I'm actually okay with that. As in movies, sometimes we just have to accept that crazy shit is happening and go with it. Ruvolo crafts incredible characters in a very short space, managing to make them both flawed and sympathetic. I kind of hope that this isn't the last that we hear of them. 5 stars
There is a LOT going on in this short novella. The story opens with a bang, and rarely slows down as it rockets to the conclusion. We aren't given a lot of backstory on the cult, but I'm actually okay with that. As in movies, sometimes we just have to accept that crazy shit is happening and go with it. Ruvolo crafts incredible characters in a very short space, managing to make them both flawed and sympathetic. I kind of hope that this isn't the last that we hear of them. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault