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effingunicorns's reviews
392 reviews
Hellebore #4: The Yuletide Special by Maria J. Pérez Cuervo
4.0
Some of the essays felt a little aimless but overall this was a pleasant read, firmly settled in that rare space that's academic and analytical without being firmly non-believing. Also the aesthetics and format are peak, a little 90-page perfect-bound A5 magazine is just extremely satisfying to hold in my opinion.
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Strong middle book energy and multiple places where it felt like either I was expected to follow along better than I did or I was meant to be confused in a way that didn't actually help the story any, or maybe like Herbert had plans for a far more intricate court drama that his deadline couldn't accommodate. Chani in particular is such a set piece here (not that that's a change from the first book) that I look forward to the movie version mostly just for the chance to see her be an actual person again.
The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Vol. 5 by Yatsuki Wakatsu
4.0
Gosh it's nice to read a story where people go along with the smart, sensible ideas.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
I forgot how goddamn frustrating this book was with its lack of certain specific answers. I'm also less tolerant than I once was for stories where it feels like there was no point to anything. The writing was still pretty solid, though.
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
4.25
Has a much better grasp of fae menace than some books I've read.
Hellblazer (1988), Volume 2 by Jamie Delano
3.5
This volume is really all over the place story-wise, a bunch of shorter stories grouped together like they don't fit anywhere else, but even as disjointed as it is I apparently liked it well enough.
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
3.5
The major obstacles to me finishing this in a timely fashion were a bunch of shit happening IRL at the end of October and beginning of November (in addition to the god-awful election) and Chapter 13 being an entire fucking novella.
Anyway, there's a solid air of mystery even if you already have a general idea of how things play out from either or both movie adaptations, and some equally solid tension in waiting for the bad things to happen. The glimpses of the human darkness that make Salem's Lot a prime target for Barlow feel almost mundane in how recognizably horrible they are--especially when we finally saw the bus driver again, and that one I admit was satisfying. I think otherwise the main points of interest for me are how wild it was to discover Barlow in the book is more Dracula than Nosferatu, and seeing how the various events played out when not condensed for runtime.
I do feel like the whole "let's look at the whole town" thing stretched coverage of individual characters a little thinner than I would've liked, and the whole Hubie Marsten thing in particular felt underutilized, but overall there are far worse things you could read for spooky season (extended).
Anyway, there's a solid air of mystery even if you already have a general idea of how things play out from either or both movie adaptations, and some equally solid tension in waiting for the bad things to happen. The glimpses of the human darkness that make Salem's Lot a prime target for Barlow feel almost mundane in how recognizably horrible they are--especially when we finally saw the bus driver again, and that one I admit was satisfying. I think otherwise the main points of interest for me are how wild it was to discover Barlow in the book is more Dracula than Nosferatu, and seeing how the various events played out when not condensed for runtime.
I do feel like the whole "let's look at the whole town" thing stretched coverage of individual characters a little thinner than I would've liked, and the whole Hubie Marsten thing in particular felt underutilized, but overall there are far worse things you could read for spooky season (extended).