ericarobyn's reviews
1325 reviews

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

Shadow of the Hidden by Kev Harrison is a tale of friendship and curses, and of darkness and love, all centered around the race to find answers before it’s too late.

Thank you to the publisher for adding a page at the start of the book to note the content warnings that were provided at the back of the book!

Some CW’s I’d like to note:
Animal mutilation and death, possession, child death, injury detail, blood, and suicide.

When a widow makes the rounds begging, a man named Oz refuses her. Things turn ugly and she places a curse on him and his family. Shocked and horrified, Oz’s friend Seb tries to comfort Oz and help him have fun that evening. But Oz is worried and can see the curse for what it is right away. Soon, Seb, who tried to reason the worry away, has to admit that the curse is genuine and that the djinn has settled in to make life miserable for Oz. Determined to reverse the curse, the two talk to a professor, and their duo becomes a trio, each determined to find answers to help stop the curse before anything else can happen.

The journey they embark on next changes them all forever.

This was such a fun and scary read! It starts light and upbeat before the curse is uttered and things take a sharp turn. Throughout the story, there is so much tension as the horrors lurk around every corner, occasionally showing themselves just frequently enough to keep the terror top of mind and the readers on their toes.

However, with that darkness, the time that the author takes to pause the tension with beautiful descriptions of art, architecture, and landscape is such a treat!

The author is skilled at making readers feel immersed in each scene! No matter what type of situation, whether it’s a relaxing pastry brake, a rushed and desperate need for coffee, or running for your life, readers will feel that they’re right there with the characters.

AND THAT ENDING. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

My Favorite Passages from Shadow of the Hidden –

Those words held so much gravity, almost lost my footing.

The late morning air was still fresh and cool in the shady, built-up district around the central station. We decided to grab more coffee and a pastry in a small bakery on the other side of the ornate garden out front.

I edged through the crowd, the people jostling to occupy the space after passed, like sand squeezing through the waist of an hourglass.

My Final Thoughts on Shadow of the Hidden–

This may have been my first Kev Harrison read, but it certainly won’t be my last!

Adventure horror fans, this is a must-read. You’re going to love this action-packed and terrifyingly tense journey!

Preorder your copy of Shadow of the Hidden by Kev Harrison today! This book releases on March 19th, 2024 from Brigids Gate Press.

Content Warnings

The Horror Collection: Turquoise Edition by Steve Stred, Tom Deady, DE McCluskey, Richard Clive, Daemon Manx, Candace Nola, Callum Pearce, Sarah E. England, Ashley Lister, Greg F. Gifune, Mark Towse, Graham Masterton

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.5

The Horror Collection: Turquoise Edition presented by KJK Publishing is a collection of tales that will pull on your heartstrings, make you physically ill, and leave you wishing you had a nightlight for your room before you turn in for the night.

My favorites from the collection include:

Snow Angels By Greg F. Gifune
What the Dark Does By Graham Masterton

Per usual, here are my notes on each tale!

On Site by Steve Stred –

When a YouTube personality and her boyfriend arrive to visit the setting of one of her favorite movies, they’re spooked by the creepy woods, but that doesn’t stop their filming.

This one is so quietly unsettling! At each turn, I was so ready for a jump scare, but what we actually get is so much better!

Music Box Dancer By Candace Nola –

After the murder of her mother, this teenage girl is rocked by grief. Finding comfort in a music box her mother had gifted her, she remembers something else her mother said about the music…

This tale is an amazing mix of quiet grief horror mixed with brutal body horror! What a tale! The line about wet laundry gave me the shivers!

A Grim Fairytale By Callum Pearce –

Going camping to try to see a fairy, these three teens are looking to have one more adventure together before they graduate. They have absolutely no idea what terrors lie ahead.

These poor kids were so innocent and so easily lured into a trap. This tale made me unreasonably sad. I so badly wanted them to have a nice time!

The World Turned Red By Daemon Manx –

After a terrifying event, this group is forced to fight for survival. One day, a run to look for medicine goes sideways when they can’t help but fight for what’s right.

This tale will get your blood pressure going!

iBola By DE McCluskey –
CW: Vomit

When testing a new piece of video game tech that goes into the body goes very wrong, the two inventors are left scrambling to try to cover it up. But first, they need to get their devices back…

Holy, body horror! Or “body” horror I should say, as the author pointed out, “It was a push to even call some of them bodies.” This tale made me feel so ill. By far the sickest I’ve ever felt while reading!

3am and Wide Awake By Sarah E. England –

Just a moment into listening to a tale of a hypnosis that this troubled doctor performed, she already regrets asking him what was wrong…

This one had some It Follows vibes! I loved it!!

Definitely Not Haunted By Ashley Lister –

Finding a listing for a doll that’s definitely not haunted, this man buys it for his abusive mother that he is caring for. But was the listing telling the truth?

Oh my gosh. After reading this, I just want to go listen to the Ghosted! by Roz Hernandez podcast for some of the haunted doll segments! What a dark tale. People who are afraid of dolls, beware!

Beans for Supper By Tom Deady –
CW: child abuse

Growing up with a terribly abusive father, this man is trying to come to terms with information he learns about his old man. But knowing more only leads to more darkness.

This tale is so difficult to read, content-wise. I was stuck between cringing out of sympathy pain and wanting to rage at the horribleness of it all.

Snow Angels By Greg F. Gifune –

A man determined to save his daughter from the town she’s living in with her mother will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Along the way, he knows he’s going to face many obstacles, but he’s ready!

Oh, the gaslighting here was intense! When you start to see the cracks in the facade of the characters, things get wild! There were SO many twists and turns here!

What the Dark Does By Graham Masterton –

Still reeling over his childhood trauma this man is still terrified of the dark many years after his nightmares had come to life. Finally opening up to someone about it, he’s led to a woman who may just understand what had happened. But oh, the dark isn’t finished with him yet.

The premise behind this one is interesting! Playing in everyone’s childhood fears, this one goes very, very dark.

A Sense of Belonging By Mark Towse –
CW: childbirth

A wild blend of memories of childhood, recent traumas, and new hallucinations and nightmares create this horror drama!

Down, Bitch By Richard Clive –

A girl who just wants to be herself is targeted by nasty bullies. Spending the afternoons with stray dogs, she starts calling them her pack. One day, her experience proves once and for all that her pack is better than the humans.

What a horrible and blood-boiling tale of harassment and abuse. My heart broke for her over and over again.

My Favorite Passages from The Horror Collection: Turquoise Edition –

All eyes watching her, whispers filling the tent, crawling across her skin like spiders.
— Music Box Dancer By Candace Nola

The place she intended to call home, until the day she died, was made up of lots of scavenged items as though everything that was ever lost had found its way here to this place. It would now provide shelter for this broken-hearted woman.
— A Grim Fairytale By Callum Pearce

The vision and Bobby’s sullen face blended together as the memories dissolved, like the serene surface of water once disturbed and now rippling back into focus.
— Snow Angels By Greg F. Gifune

“This town has secrets, Bobby.”
“Show me one that don’t.”
—Snow Angels By Greg F. Gifune

In the dark, stories come to life, just like puppets, and dressing-gowns.
— What the Dark Does By Graham Masterton

To feel alone amongst the many was one thing; to be left alone was another thing entirely, something she savoured.
— Down, Bitch By Richard Clive

My Final Thoughts on The Horror Collection: Turquoise Edition –

Just when I thought these collections couldn’t get any more dark! These tales took things into grief horror territory in many creative ways, whether that was the loss of a loved one or the loss of their world as they knew it.

Horror fans, this is yet another collection from KJK Publishing that you need on your shelves!

It Came From The Lake by Glenn Rolfe

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

5.0

It Came From The Lake by Glenn Rolfe is a tale of murder, teenage angst, and a manmade lake in the woods of Maine housing a dark secret.

The opening paragraph of It Came From The Lake brings the first blood and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the book!

I loved that the author takes a step back after that first chapter and then slowly dials up the terror once again through the perspectives of different characters. In each chapter, we get to watch as they are slowly pulled toward the lake. I had so much fun getting to know each of them and their reasons for being out in the forest, but only one of them truly knows what dangers are present in the area.

Oh my gosh, and when things started to overlap… Once the action picks back up, it’s a full-out sprint for survival up through the end of the book.

My Favorite Passages from It Came From The Lake –

*Please note that these passages are from the ARC and therefore may have changed before the final copy was released.*

Deana couldn’t believe Kevin would kill for her. Fifteen years of marriage and she never would have guessed he had it in him—but the blood and brains spilling from Henry Owens’ skull, sliding like black mud down the edge of the sheer rock, told her otherwise.

She was not prepared in her darkest of nightmares for the sight of it.

He wasn’t a monster, no—vampires and werewolves were for movies. He was a breathing ghost of sorts, unable to be truly free of his past—but here he was, taking in air just the same.

Stepping from the trees, Leilani found the most breathtaking vision she’d seen since a shirtless Thor first crossed her TV screen. It was a lake, resting here in the comfort of complete silence.

“You can choose to believe or not to believe, but that won’t matter if you go out there. Monsters don’t need you to believe in them. You’re just safer if you do.”

My Final Thoughts on It Came From The Lake –

This was FINALLY my first Glenn Rolfe read! I own four of Glenn’s books that have been sitting on my bookshelf, just waiting for me to get to them. Hopefully this year I finally will. Glenn’s writing is SO darn good.

Creature horror fans, make sure this one is on your radar!

The Revenge of the Clowns by Caesar Ruell

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

4.5

The Revenge of the Clowns by Caesar Ruell is a tale of twisted carnival horror filled with carnage and the most intense murders you’ll ever witness on the page. Get ready, because wherever these clowns go, terror follows as close as a shadow.

CW: Child death, murder, blood, vomit, gun violence, and suicide.

At the end of The Circus of Hungry Clowns, we thought the humans may have won. While escaping with their lives, one clown who managed to slink away isn’t ready to let the three survivors get away for good.

Gathering up a new band of cronies, Crooks the evil clown has been given a second chance and is headed back to town to get revenge.

But surely the town won’t let the bloodshed happen again… right?

Wrong. Of course.

When Marvin’s psychologist recommends they face their fears and attend the new circus that’s coming, Marvin and his wife are willing to try it while Joe tries to get the event canceled.

We watch the characters walk a tightrope of staying strong and totally falling apart. Once they get to the queue at the event, the anxiety ramps up and it’s very clear that the three are going to regret going anywhere near this circus.

Oh my gosh. I have no idea if the author took this one up a notch or if it’s just hitting me differently now that I have a son, but these kills each made me feel so queasy. The kills themselves from a high level are so creative and terrifying, but where the real terror comes in is in the details the author includes. Playing out like a movie in your mind, readers won’t be able to look away, glued to their seats just like the captive audience in the stands.

At every turn, I wanted things to be stopped and for the children to be saved. But was there anything these characters could do with everything stacked against them?

Prepare yourselves before diving into this one!

My Favorite Passages from The Revenge of the Clowns –

He made an attempt at a satisfied grin, but it came across goofy, like a schoolboy who’d just been told that he’d be sitting next to a girl he secretly liked for the rest of the semester.

The rest of the company remained frozen, as if they were witnessing a scene from a horror film playing out right in front of them. No one knew what to do, as none of them had ever been trained in anything that remotely resembled self-defense.

Even in her compromised state, however, she could see that the booth was very crudely constructed. It was made of long planks of wood that sat at uneven angles, all in a noticeably haphazard fashion. Heads of thick nails stuck out everywhere, as if the builder had been in a rush, or otherwise, was a complete buffoon, lacking even the most basic skills necessary to construct such a simple structure. It seemed to her that it would collapse if someone sneezed too hard near it.

Joe shut his eyes, wanting it to all be some gruesome nightmare that he’d soon wake up from, but knowing all too well that he just wasn’t that lucky of a guy.

The coppery scent of blood, along with both raw and cooked meat, filled their nostrils, making them want nothing more than to get out of there and pretend that they’d never encountered something so grisly.

The policeman thought that his companion was as crazy as a soup sandwich, and had told the man as much.

The smile had left Crooks’ face, replaced with an expression of menace and destruction. At the same time, the black diamonds around his eyes contracted in unison with the frown lines of his brow, forming windows of pure, concentrated hate.

My Final Thoughts on The Revenge of the Clowns –

I wasn’t afraid of clowns before. But now? Let’s just say I’m very glad that I don’t have plans to attend a circus any time soon.

Carnival and gore-filled horror fans, you gotta check this out!

Content Warnings

The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition by Brennan LaFaro, Calvin Demmer, Mark Young, Eric Butler, George Daniel Lea, Micah Casitle, Keyla Damaer, Ash Ericmore, Gord Rollo, J. Rocky Colavito

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

From mysterious and deadly illnesses to nanobots and lab-modified animals, even mysterious houses and things falling from the sky, The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition presented by KJK Publishing will take readers on a terrifying journey through some killer sci-fi horror tales.

Sci-fi horror never fails to freak me out. Whether it’s the focus on the medical side of things or the unexplainable, I’m always so antsy to learn more about what is going on while I also dread seeing whether or not we’ll get answers.

In these tales, that certainly held true! There’s such a cool variety here. Each tale will leave you with lots of feelings and you can’t help but think about what you would do if you found yourself in each of these settings.

My favorite tales from this collection include:

Timothy Meek by Gord Rollo
The October House by Brennan LaFaro

Per usual, here are my notes on each tale!

Timothy Meek by Gord Rollo –
CW cancer

After an explosion leaves the world reeling with a sickness that soon turns deadly, an organization has miraculously found a way to heal everyone. But with how quickly this solution was made, Timothy Meek has concerns.

A bit in the same vein as Michael Crichton’s novel Prey, this tale is so unsettling! It just begs readers to ask what they would do in the same situation.

Countdown to Extinction by Calvin Demmer –

While working on a project, these doctors who had been experimenting on animals had been finding great success giving them artificial replacements when injured. One day, things go sideways and they find themselves being forced to get into an enclosure and lock it to be safe. They assumed they would be rescued, but eighty-something days later, they’re still there.

A twisted tale of animal testing and what could happen when the animals have had enough!

The First Day by Eric Butler –
CW dog death

When a family attends a tour in Alaska, their tour guide, operating on her first day, is determined to make it a great one. But when something falls from the sky and they hear loud booms, things start to take a turn.

What fun cosmic horror!

Master of Nothing by Ash Ericmore –

When a man’s plaything begins to think for itself rather than being a mindless being that acts on his every wish, he’s looking to take out his anger. But when he sees red and explodes, will it help get him past the anger or make things worse?

What an absolutely wild tale. A couple of scenes made me queasy.

Our Quiet Rapture by George Daniel Lea –

In a place where a man is forced to watch lost souls, one soul catches his eye. She’s not like the others who wander aimlessly. Curious, he gets closer to her. But will he be another that winds up in her trap?

Canis Lupus Orthrus J. Rocky Colavito –

When a test subject escapes, a doctor tries to convince the local police to help bring it back to the lab before it’s too late. But the police don’t believe them until they start seeing things for themselves.

Science like this freaks me out so much! Just one mishap can have such big consequences. The growth of this creature was terrifying.

The October House by Brennan LaFaro –

When a neighborhood cookout is interrupted by the earth shaking and a giant roar sounding, Meg is shocked to see a house appear where there used to be trees. But even more unsettling is the fact that her neighbors say that the house has always been there…

Only getting a quick snapshot of this lovely day in the neighborhood, things very quickly take a turn! The thought of something like this happening from a very high level is terrifying. We’ve all experienced the feeling of being gaslit at some point, and this tale takes that and multiplies it! And of course, Brennan adds in more layers of terror!

Hybrid by Mark Young –

Determined to save the silverback gorillas that she had been working with for years, this woman puts herself directly in front of the poachers. She’s not afraid of death, but what these people have in mind is much worse.

Ugh this tale! My nerves were so high the entire time! Absolutely blood boiling and terrifying! Humans truly are the worst.

It Wasn’t the Rain by Keyla Damaer –

When his girlfriend does something that puts everything at risk, this man can’t stop thinking about it. Will he move on or will he be too paranoid?

What a dark tale of the need for control some have. Yikes.

Beneath her Inner Folds by Micah Casitle –

Discovering an abandoned bunker, this traveler also finds a journal. Unperturbed by the contents within, he decides to stay the night. That quickly turns out to be a terrible choice.

Man, I love a story that includes journal entries that show us what had happened. This was so wild! The descriptions of the tumor and hives were beautiful and horrific at the same time.

My Favorite Quotes from The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition–

Nature, it seems, will find a way to protect herself, even if she must cheat.
— Countdown to Extinction by Calvin Demmer

That’s what kids do. Tinker in forbidden places to try and unlock the secrets of the universe.
— The October House by Brennan LaFaro

The two windows from the top floor beam down. Something gleams in them. If a house could look hungry, this one would.
— The October House by Brennan LaFaro

When they emerged from the tube’s tunnels, the rain still poured down, turning everything around them greyscale. The only tone of colour was inside Hodelia’s scared blue eyes.
— It Wasn’t the Rain by Keyla Damaer

Even without a mouth, I know she’s fucking grinning while shaking her head. Even without seeing it, I know the other one’s watching this from the hall.
— Beneath her Inner Folds by Micah Casitle

My Final Thoughts The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition –

Horror sci-fi fans, this is certainly a no-brainer – you need this book!

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

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mysterious tense slow-paced

3.0

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher is a tale of mystery, denial, and the desperation one feels when unsure how to help others in the most terrifying of times.

Alex and Angus are back on a new adventure, this time visiting a hunting lodge that Alex had inherited to do a favor for Miss Potter in letting her visit and look for mushrooms. Upon arrival though, they find the place in disarray and are distraught to learn that the caretaker had passed. Not only that, but they soon learn from the man’s family that there are rumors that he was killed by a creature who sits on your chest and steals your breath.

Alex wants to brush it aside when Angus explains more about the creature, but neither of them can deny that something feels off within the lodge. When a young man working for them falls ill with the same thing their previous caretaker died from, Alex is desperate to help heal him.

Alex and Angus are such a fun duo! Right from page one, they were already bickering and I couldn’t help but chuckle. I had so much fun reading their interactions, though there seemed to be fewer of them here than in the first book. Seeing Miss Potter again was a treat; her curiosity and the knowledge she shares with the others is always interesting.

In this new adventure, the woman who came to help them clean and cook while they were at the lodge, referred to as “the widow,” is a hoot! Her grumpy and cold demeanor combined with her dry commentary and total lack of fear of stating what was on her mind was so amusing. I loved that she had a soft spot and wanted to keep everyone safe, even if she would never admit it or show that she cared outwardly.

Per usual, the way this author describes the setting is so brilliant. Especially listening to the audio version, I was transported right into the scenery. I loved how quickly things go from beautiful to haunting, for example, vines draped over a tree looking like “spilled entrails.”

Avi Roque does such an amazing job narrating this audiobook! The pacing and flow are wonderful. This audiobook is so easy to listen to! And my gosh, the voices and accents of each of the characters that Avi creates are such a blast!

The one bummer I have to note regarding this tale is how in denial Alex was about what was going on here and how repetitive that got. I could see the character being in denial if there was some new PTSD from what happened in What Moves the Dead that was acting as a mental block, but that wasn’t noted here. So instead, the denial just felt off… like this book should have come before What Moves the Dead. This line especially had me questioning why Alex was so deep in denial: “I have had a great deal of experience with things that I don’t understand.”

My Favorite Quotes from What Feasts at Night –

*Note: I wrote these up while listening to the audiobook, so there may be discrepancies between what I have here and the actual text.*

If this was a fairy tale, it was the kind where everyone gets eaten as a cautionary tale about straying into the woods, not the sentimental kind that ends with a wedding and the words, “And if they have not since died, they are living there still.”

Death no longer shocks me, but I still prefer that it not visit my friends and acquaintances in my presence.

One of the skulls rolled its eyes at me. I was against the opposite wall, heart pounding and spine digging into the plaster before I quite realized what had happened. I stared up at the skull, the empty eye sockets dark as grief. Had I imagined it? Would it be better or worse if I had? A white moth climbed out of the eye socket. I sagged against the wall and made a noise that could have passed for a laugh if you didn’t examine it closely.

If you have ever dealt with the possessions of the dead, you probably know what I mean. You take things away and leave behind emptiness and everything you remove, every sheet and pillowcase, every lost sock and old razor erases a little bit of the person’s footprint in the world.

Nature creates horrors enough all by itself.

I began to apologize, but she gazed down at me with that slight, sad smile and stroked her hand across my cheek. Then her face tore apart.

My Final Thoughts on What Feasts at Night –

If you enjoyed What Moves the Dead, this follow-up will be a fun read if you can look past the main character’s constant denial! I had fun listening to this one and enjoyed immersing myself in this author’s work. I will certainly be looking forward to more in the future.

Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall by Catherine Cavendish

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall by Catherine Cavendish is an unsettling tale of love, secrets, and monsters set in a sprawling estate that holds power over a small, isolated town.

It’s no secret that everyone but the couple themselves disapprove of their plans to wed. The two are of separate classes, but they focus only on their love rather than social expectations.

Traveling to stay in her husband to bed’s family estate to get to know her future in-laws, Grace finds that her future sister-in-law is openly and calculatedly hostile toward her while her future father-in-law gives her the creeps. That bothers her, but she can put on a smile and cope with it. But what she will not put up with is the way her fiancé begins to treat her. It’s as if the house has a strange influence on him.

She points out how she has been treated one morning when she has had enough and then announces that she will return to London. Her fiancé begs her to stay just a bit longer, showing little glimpses of the version of him she loves. While she agrees to stay through the week, during that time she unlocks a second sight with the help of one of the women staying at the estate for the weekend.

Soon, Grace learns that there is a great darkness that only she can help eliminate in hopes of freeing the townspeople that have been sucked into the toxic influence of Mordenhyrst Hall. But can she do it?

I was so anxious for Grace right from the start. The focus on her new relationship made me nervous that a trick was about to be played with each scene that went by. But oh my gosh, I did not see what was coming next! The little supernatural bits are sprinkled in wonderfully once Grace crosses the property line to Mordenhyrst Hall and it only gets darker and more haunting from there!

My Favorite Passages from Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall –

He squeezed my free hand and winked at me. I squeezed back and winked at him. It was as if a chunk of ice fell off the massive iceberg that had come between us.

I stared at her, more in pity than anger. So much physical beauty wasted on such lamentable soul.

“It’s that obvious, is it?’
“Let’s put it this way, don’t audition for any leading roles until you’ve perfected your acting skills a bit more.”

The women’s murmuring became a chant and grew louder, more urgent. I moved my hands to cover my face against their penetrating stares, which stabbed at me, sending daggers of pain through my body.

“We can never know the reason for the riddles the universe presents us with.”

Below us, the river flowed as it had for thousands of years, oblivious to the three pairs of eyes that now gazed down into its dark depths.

My Final Thoughts on Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall –

Another amazingly mysterious and thrilling tale from Catherine Cavendish! I had an absolute blast reading this!

Horror fans, this gothic horror story will have you ready to leave an extra light on while reading as you may just hear footsteps when no one else is around or see ghostly figures lurking… And watch out for any birds of prey!

Content Warnings

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.5

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor is a tale of domestic struggles, curiosity, and monsters set in the isolated and windy Orkney Islands.

Content Warnings:
Domestic abuse, pregnancy, stillbirth, death of a child, blood, suicide, medical trauma, and murder.

With only four families residing on the island of Eynhallow, this tiny community gets by, but just barely. Agnes, our main character, is living what she tries to convince herself is a good life; she has a husband, a roof over her head, and children to watch over while she cares for their home. However, readers will very quickly see the darkness that hides behind closed doors.

One day, a boat is spotted approaching the island. The islanders are curious to learn that a man is coming to live in one of the abandoned cottages for the season. Immediately perturbing the residents with his appearance and personality, the newcomer isn’t welcomed at all, let alone welcomed with open arms. When Agnes’ husband volunteers her to take food to and clean for this man, she is beyond angry that her husband made another decision for her. But over time, she gets to know the strange man and her time with him changes everything.

Absolutely boiling over with drama and tension, this story focuses on both real-world horror and sci-fi horror, blending them perfectly together. The author is very skilled at creating a killer atmospheric setting! You’ll feel like you’re sitting right there with the main character whether that’s near the warm fire, out shivering in the cold, or getting hit by the wind and mist from the sea.

Speaking of what this book makes you feel – my gosh, SO many scenes here had my blood boiling. I’ve never hated a character so quickly! I won’t say who, so readers can find that out for themselves. But let me tell you, I was so ready for something unfortunate to happen to that character immediately.

On the flip side of that, I was so ready to rage on behalf of Agnes! The author does such an amazing job getting readers into this character’s head. You can’t help but feel close to her while also feeling protective of her very early on. That feeling only grows watching what happens to her throughout the rest of the tale.

There was also a focus on pregnancy and birth had me ready to throw up. I just had a baby just shy of four months ago and I am very thankful I didn’t read this before then! The author doesn’t shy away from the horrific things that can happen, as he writes so perfectly; “Every woman skates the razor’s edge when she brings life into this world.”

Then there’s the sci-fi elements that were so mysterious! I enjoyed not knowing what was really going on. Of course, with the names of the characters, you can guess at what’s happening, but the answers are kept hidden until the perfect time!

My Favorite Passages from Eynhallow –

The storm has left the island wet and sopping, but the morning is bright and blue. The wind, which normally blows brisk, is reduced to a gentle waft. There is no escape from the wind on Eynhallow. It never ceases, even on gentle summer days.

Eynhallow is awash in mystery, and the legends often contradict one another.

A public flaying is in the air, so I slip out of the conversation before blood is spilt. The foreign gent and his audacious absence from Sunday worship is like cream to hungry cats. The islanders will dine on this subject for days to come. I have no desire to participate in the bloodbath, having been on the receiving end of it in the past. What confounds me is this need to cut someone to ribbons for their faults and sins, believing the contrast will highlight the cutter’s own superior nature. Making oneself taller by standing on another is an ugly play in my opinion.

I probe her belly with my fingers. It is hard, the skin stretched firm, but I feel nothing irregular. “Anything out of the usual?”
“Oh, I don’t know. What’s usual when comes to this?”

Cradled in his arms were the bones of his dead wife. A ghastly scene, to be sure. Out in the yard lay a massive hole under the marble headstone. Had the man gone mad and exhumed his dead wife or did the bride claw her way out of the grave to plant the kiss of death on her husband?

The doors to both inner rooms are closed. The first opens to a completely barren space save for a pile of books in the corner. I snoop through each book but not one volume is written in English. How vexing. I could murder someone for a new book to read.

Death is a promise that cannot be made pretty.

Sundown bruises the clouds purple and the last of the gulls call out over the sound of the surf. The sliver of moon is even thinner tonight, but it provides enough light for my pilgrimage to the burial ground.

My thoughts shatter like eggs dropped to the floor, and I cannot decide on a course of action. Do I flee or stay?

My Final Thoughts on Eynhallow –

Horror fans, this read is such an intense and bleak one! Covering so much ground while we follow a character just trying to survive her day-to-day life, readers will never know what terror or tragedy is coming next.

Content Warnings

On a Clear Day, You Can See Block Island by Gage Greenwood

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.5

On a Clear Day, You Can See Block Island by Gage Greenwood is a tale of monsters and deeply-seated trauma that will leave readers heartbroken for the characters in the book while also feeling the urge to look to the corners of the room in the real world to make sure nothing is lurking there with a dark smile.

Having lost their mother to an accident at the workplace, this family moves to Block Island using the money from the settlement. The father is still mourning, but happy to see his children getting a bit of normalcy back when they move into their new home. However, it’s not long before a fun game they were all playing comes to a screeching halt when the family witnesses the brutal murder of their sister and daughter, Wreath. To make matters even worse, people don’t believe them when they explain what happened and the general public puts them through the wringer, thinking they are all crazy as they stated a monster killed their sister.

Four years later, each family member is dealing with the trauma in their own way; numbing the horror with drugs and alcohol, avoiding human connection, keeping the lights on, questing for answers, acting out… Each of them are stuck, and none of them realize just how much they need one another.

One day, after seeing an illustration of their monster in a book about Block Island, the kids decide to visit the island where their sister was killed to ask the artist some questions. Unfortunately, their search for information ends up freeing the monsters from the confines of the shorelines and puts more than just their family at risk back on the mainland.

What comes next is tense and anxiety-inducing as readers follow the kids as they run from the monsters until they can’t run any longer.

I had such a hard time putting this book down! I needed to see what happened next and with each turn of the page, I was so nervous to see what new horrors this poor family would face. The author does such a great job stringing readers along in the dark, not knowing why this family was the target until the “OH SHOOT” moment where the dad gives a little detail that makes the puzzle pieces slam into place.

The way this author creates atmosphere and tension is incredible. For example, the fog element and description of how it looked was so eerie and the descriptions of how it smelled brought me right back to my hometown, an island off the coast of Maine! Not only that, but I was ready for a jump scare each time the fog rolled into a scene. And speaking of jump scares, a scene in Chapter 15 gave me a stomach ache like one specific terrifying scene in The Taking of Deborah Logan… my gosh!

While focused mainly on grief, loss, and terror, there are also many uplifting elements sprinkled in! However, when it came time for some of the uplifting bits, I really appreciated that it wasn’t all sunshine and daisies; that the author allowed the characters to begin to forgive, but not forget and not excuse poor behavior with a quick “I’m sorry.”

What an all-around wild ride!

My Favorite Passages from On a Clear Day, You Can See Block Island –

Block Island. From the Charlestown beach, on a clear day, a person could make out the outlines of the island. It had two lighthouses on each side, two little thumbtacks. Charlie imagined plucking them and watching the island curl up into a scroll.

Horror wasn’t a spotlight on evil, it was control. If a person could create beautiful sentences from horrific events, then any person could weave their way through life’s trauma. You just had to make the grime shine.

“Charlie, me knowing about this doesn’t expose you. It gives you more armor. I’m your friend.”

The kid was a weathered and leaning gravestone, stuck in the place where his sister lay and ready to crumble from a gentle breeze.

None of them were in control. Never had been. They all spiraled in different directions, but in the end, they all had to meet the fucking wall. One explosion after the next. It was their destiny, a tale set in stone the moment their father opened the door and revealed to them a creature who fed on their sister.

Angela tried to stand but almost fell over, as though her legs had turned to seaweed in a current.

My Final Thoughts on On a Clear Day, You Can See Block Island –

Oh boy, if there was ever a book tagline that perfectly sums up my childhood for better or for worse, it’s this one (for very different reasons than these characters of course!): They left the island, but the island never left them.

Horror fans, you’re going to love this intense tale! I know I had a blast with it! From intense human emotion and relationships to the bloodshed and the creatures, this book will have you on the edge of your seat!

Content Warnings

The Demon of Devil's Cavern by Brennan LaFaro

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

The Demon of Devil’s Cavern by Brennan LaFaro is another gritty splatter western tale of magic, dust, and bloodshed set in Buzzard’s Edge.

Did you love Noose? If so, I’d be willing to bet that you’re more than ready to see what Rory and Alice get up to next!

Content Warnings:
Per usual with DarkLit Press books, this has a content warning notice at the start for graphic violence and gore, and then directs readers to the back of the book for more information. One more that I would add from the start is the death of a child.

My Thoughts on The Demon of Devil’s Cavern by Brennan LaFaro –

One day when a knock arrives at their door, Rory and Alice are quick to pull their guns and prepare for the worst. Surprised to see the new sheriff of Buzzard’s Edge at their doorstep, they cautiously welcome her in. Things seem to be going okay as she tells them quite the tall tale. But of course, danger is lurking right around the corner. Rory and Alice are shocked when the first bullet finds its home in the sheriff’s skull, and just like that, they jump into action!

The next day, Rory and Alice go into town to report what happened but when the sheriff waltzes into town again, very much alive, the two are suddenly the bad guys again. Forced to flee town for a cabin in the woods, Rory and Alice hole up and try to figure out what to do next.

With the help of a couple of people in town, as well as a more ethereal somebody, the crew makes a game plan for what to do next to not just get Rory and Alice out of hot water, but to save the town. But will they succeed?

MY GOSH. The action and violence here is absolutely brutal. Talk about wanting to read a book while peeking through your fingers! There are a few scenes here that take that to an extreme.

The mob mentality made me so uneasy and seeing just how much control just a couple of people had over the whole town was terrifying. I loved getting more information about Alice, but man… I was already prepared to go to war for her. Learning more about what she lived through had my blood boiling!

This action-packed tale was a blast from start to finish! Just prepare yourselves for the darkness.

My Favorite Passages from The Demon of Devil’s Cavern –

Billy’s grin fell to the floor so fast it just about made a noise.

Deep breath in and I let go of the arrow and watched it miss the trunk so badly the breeze it created didn’t even rustle the leaves.
“Ah, perfect. I was aiming for the grass thirty feet yonder. Fuckin’ bullseye.”

“How’d you find us?” I asked.
Billy looked at his boots like somebody might’ve scribbled the right answer across the toes.

She swung the butt of the gun and a sharp pain opened up on the side of my head. The Saloon at the End of the World twisted itself in circles and turned black at the edges while my knees quit trying to keep me upright.

The streets stayed quiet, and the dead kept to the shadows. More than once, I thought I saw a pair of eyes watching me pass, so I kept my focus on the packed dirt before me. Like if I didn’t let on that I saw them, they couldn’t demand anything of me. Alice noticed; I could tell. Not a minute went by where she wasn’t swinging her head around like a weathervane on a windy day.

Bang.
The sweet sound sailed through the still air and the groaning footsteps gave way to a two-hundred-pound body slapping to the floor like a slab of meat hitting the chopping block. An unwelcome and unexpected noise in the Dennis Schoolhouse that the butcher down the street no doubt knew like sweet music.

Alice’s chest hitched, and a tear fell down the side of her face, curving around the cut on her cheek as if afraid to touch it.

My Final Thoughts on The Demon of Devil’s Cavern –

Horror and splatter western fans, you need to check out Noose and The Demon of Devil’s Cavern ASAP! These books are so atmospheric, brutal in both action and grief, and so much fun.

Content Warnings

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ericarobyn's reviews 1325 reviews

ericarobyn's reviews
1325 reviews