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1267 reviews
How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom by Johanna Hedva
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.0
Preaching to the Perverted by James Bennett
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free through booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I knew I needed to pick this up when I saw the title (+ queer horror, hello!) and wow! I’m really glad I did! This collection features a gay main character in nearly every story (except in Changeling, where the story is told from the perspective of a homophobic mother), but the horror varies. From the real-life horror of homophobia over cosmic horror that just so happens to target a gay MC to retellings of other horror stories and fairy tales through a gay lens, there’s a lot in here to enjoy (if that’s the right word, considering the lots of pain and suffering featured in these stories). But if you, like me, like your horror sad and dark and always wanted some sad and dark horror for us queer folks, then this anthology is for you as much as it was for me.
The writing is often filled with symbolism and veers on the poetic, which worked really well for these short stories. Often the stories are filled with grief and queer pain, but underneath that representation of the real-world oppression queer people face, there is also the joy of community and love presented.
All in all, this was an amazing short story collection, where I adored 8 of 13 pieces and really enjoyed the other pieces as well. I am very glad that I found this author in the short story collection “The Book of Queer Saints” and that I was able to read an ARC of his short story collection. He absolutely has a great talent for short stories, because even the stories I personally did not enjoy as much are just cases of my own personal preference in horror. They were written with a length that was perfect to me, never so long I grew bored, but neither too short to immerse myself in the story and I will be looking out for this author from now on!
*FAV* Morta: This is a short story that I’ve read and enjoyed before (in the “The Book of Queer Saints” anthology) and rereading it in this collection was really great. We follow a young man, whose mother brought him to the American suburbs to allow him to grow to adulthood and be protected from forces that want to kill him. A really interesting take on a “chosen one” trope, with lovely gore and a really sweet (but heartbreaking) romance.
TW: murder, racism, xenophobia
*FAV* Husk: A hate crime by a fellow student and parental rejection leave a young gay man split into two parts. The angry, rejected part of him now seeks revenge, haunting the ones who hurt him. Heartbreaking and haunting and really scary, I loved this story a lot.
TW: domestic abuse, hate crime, homophobic slurs, murder, parental abuse, self-harm, violence
*FAV* Changeling: A desperate mother and father trade their son through a Faerie ritual, wanting a not-gay son instead, but find they have invited something much worse to their small town. I love it when conservative homophobes get their just deserts, it’s beautiful. Really interesting lore as well, I liked this a lot.
TW: animal death, death, drugging, homophobia
Frankenstein Uncut: A Frankenstein retelling featuring a heartbroken rejected scientist as he labors to rebuild the man he can’t have in his own creation. Fun to read, I enjoyed it.
TW: gore, murder, necrophilia (ish)
In Hades, He Lifted Up His Eyes: A tale of graverobbers turned murderers to sustain their business and the young man craving revenge against the murderer of his friend. Haunting and heartbreaking and I really like the gothic writing style.
TW: murder, slight necrophilia (dancing with a corpse)
Of Gentle Wolves: A red riding hood retelling following the woodcutter as he hunts the wolf and finds himself tempted. Fun! Loved the descriptions of gore.
TW: gore, murder
*FAV* Idolo: A man accompanies his fiancé to his small hometown in the mountains after he got the news that his mother is dying. When his husband-to-be confronts him about his cheating things go from unsettling small village to actual cult horror real quick. Very fun and well written, messy and messed up in the best way.
TW: cheating, gore, murder
*FAV* Sulta: A photographer has taken an amazing picture of a long-forgotten Nordic shrine of a Goddess of Hunger. But there is a price. Really interesting story, really good mythology, really haunting from start to finish, I loved it!
TW: death
*FAV* Queer Norm: A golem created by a gay man desperate for protection from threats wanders the city at night, wanting to fulfill its purpose now that its maker has been murdered, but kept from revenge by its magical bond. Heartbreaking and haunting.
TW: harassment, hatecrime, murder
*FAV* The Facts Concerning the First Annual Arkham Parade: A tax collector is asked to investigate the disappearance of his roommate from college, who has disappeared after hosting the first Arkham Pride Parade. But it’s only when he finds her that things really start being weird. Lovely cosmic horror piece and I loved seeing a trans character in here!
TW: misgendering (accidental + purposeful), murder
*FAV* Vivisepulture: A man grieving the death of his husband still after three years finds himself trying his luck in the gay club scene, when a ghost chats him up. Filled with grief and sadness and also kinda heartwarming in a weird way, I really enjoyed this one.
TW: death, gore, grief, murder, necrophilia
The Cicatrix: A magician summons a demon, hoping to find a way to revive his health. He dwells in past memories of former lovers and searches for magical artifacts in Egypt, magician rivalries and revenge. This is one of the longer stories and unfortunately since I don’t really care about deals with demons most of the time one of the less interesting ones for me personally, but if you enjoy stories about demon deals you might like this one a lot more than I did, because it was written well.
TW: addiction, cancer, death, grief, sexual abuse (implied)
End Times in Paris: A story about the Rapture and the people left behind. A man falls for the angel Uriel, positioned here to watch over the End Times. Interesting and filled with grief, which I enjoyed.
TW: death
I knew I needed to pick this up when I saw the title (+ queer horror, hello!) and wow! I’m really glad I did! This collection features a gay main character in nearly every story (except in Changeling, where the story is told from the perspective of a homophobic mother), but the horror varies. From the real-life horror of homophobia over cosmic horror that just so happens to target a gay MC to retellings of other horror stories and fairy tales through a gay lens, there’s a lot in here to enjoy (if that’s the right word, considering the lots of pain and suffering featured in these stories). But if you, like me, like your horror sad and dark and always wanted some sad and dark horror for us queer folks, then this anthology is for you as much as it was for me.
The writing is often filled with symbolism and veers on the poetic, which worked really well for these short stories. Often the stories are filled with grief and queer pain, but underneath that representation of the real-world oppression queer people face, there is also the joy of community and love presented.
All in all, this was an amazing short story collection, where I adored 8 of 13 pieces and really enjoyed the other pieces as well. I am very glad that I found this author in the short story collection “The Book of Queer Saints” and that I was able to read an ARC of his short story collection. He absolutely has a great talent for short stories, because even the stories I personally did not enjoy as much are just cases of my own personal preference in horror. They were written with a length that was perfect to me, never so long I grew bored, but neither too short to immerse myself in the story and I will be looking out for this author from now on!
*FAV* Morta: This is a short story that I’ve read and enjoyed before (in the “The Book of Queer Saints” anthology) and rereading it in this collection was really great. We follow a young man, whose mother brought him to the American suburbs to allow him to grow to adulthood and be protected from forces that want to kill him. A really interesting take on a “chosen one” trope, with lovely gore and a really sweet (but heartbreaking) romance.
TW: murder, racism, xenophobia
*FAV* Husk: A hate crime by a fellow student and parental rejection leave a young gay man split into two parts. The angry, rejected part of him now seeks revenge, haunting the ones who hurt him. Heartbreaking and haunting and really scary, I loved this story a lot.
TW: domestic abuse, hate crime, homophobic slurs, murder, parental abuse, self-harm, violence
*FAV* Changeling: A desperate mother and father trade their son through a Faerie ritual, wanting a not-gay son instead, but find they have invited something much worse to their small town. I love it when conservative homophobes get their just deserts, it’s beautiful. Really interesting lore as well, I liked this a lot.
TW: animal death, death, drugging, homophobia
Frankenstein Uncut: A Frankenstein retelling featuring a heartbroken rejected scientist as he labors to rebuild the man he can’t have in his own creation. Fun to read, I enjoyed it.
TW: gore, murder, necrophilia (ish)
In Hades, He Lifted Up His Eyes: A tale of graverobbers turned murderers to sustain their business and the young man craving revenge against the murderer of his friend. Haunting and heartbreaking and I really like the gothic writing style.
TW: murder, slight necrophilia (dancing with a corpse)
Of Gentle Wolves: A red riding hood retelling following the woodcutter as he hunts the wolf and finds himself tempted. Fun! Loved the descriptions of gore.
TW: gore, murder
*FAV* Idolo: A man accompanies his fiancé to his small hometown in the mountains after he got the news that his mother is dying. When his husband-to-be confronts him about his cheating things go from unsettling small village to actual cult horror real quick. Very fun and well written, messy and messed up in the best way.
TW: cheating, gore, murder
*FAV* Sulta: A photographer has taken an amazing picture of a long-forgotten Nordic shrine of a Goddess of Hunger. But there is a price. Really interesting story, really good mythology, really haunting from start to finish, I loved it!
TW: death
*FAV* Queer Norm: A golem created by a gay man desperate for protection from threats wanders the city at night, wanting to fulfill its purpose now that its maker has been murdered, but kept from revenge by its magical bond. Heartbreaking and haunting.
TW: harassment, hatecrime, murder
*FAV* The Facts Concerning the First Annual Arkham Parade: A tax collector is asked to investigate the disappearance of his roommate from college, who has disappeared after hosting the first Arkham Pride Parade. But it’s only when he finds her that things really start being weird. Lovely cosmic horror piece and I loved seeing a trans character in here!
TW: misgendering (accidental + purposeful), murder
*FAV* Vivisepulture: A man grieving the death of his husband still after three years finds himself trying his luck in the gay club scene, when a ghost chats him up. Filled with grief and sadness and also kinda heartwarming in a weird way, I really enjoyed this one.
TW: death, gore, grief, murder, necrophilia
The Cicatrix: A magician summons a demon, hoping to find a way to revive his health. He dwells in past memories of former lovers and searches for magical artifacts in Egypt, magician rivalries and revenge. This is one of the longer stories and unfortunately since I don’t really care about deals with demons most of the time one of the less interesting ones for me personally, but if you enjoy stories about demon deals you might like this one a lot more than I did, because it was written well.
TW: addiction, cancer, death, grief, sexual abuse (implied)
End Times in Paris: A story about the Rapture and the people left behind. A man falls for the angel Uriel, positioned here to watch over the End Times. Interesting and filled with grief, which I enjoyed.
TW: death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder
Minor: Transphobia
Additional content warning for Necrophilia (in the context of supernatural beings/magic)
Casual by Koji A. Dae
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Disclaimer: I received an e-book ARC in exchange for my review by Tenebrous Press.
This story explores a pregnant woman’s life in a near-future world as she faces the decision to either enroll in a near-precedented medical trial once her daughter is born (there have been two or three previous attempts) or give up the therapeutical neurological implant she has been using to deal with her depression and anxiety as she’s not allowed to keep it as a single mother.
We learn some things about this new world, which both seem better at points (there’s a basic universal income), but also worse (people only live in cities, as the landscape outside was destroyed and turned toxic). People can earn money through watching advertisements and others again are looking for a quick adrenaline boost racing through the streets, lost in the world their neural implants portray for them. There is a very clear class divide as well, with the rich living underground in crystal caves, where the air is non-polluted, while the poor cannot leave their houses without wearing masks. But mostly this story focusses on Valya, the main character, as she realizes that her use of the Casual had helped her repress her past and what this will mean for her and her daughter’s future.
Since we spend so much time with Valya, my favorite parts where her interior life and the relationships she forms with others. I found her to be an incredibly compelling character and loved following her journey, uncovering her past alongside her. If you like detailed character studies, then this is certainly a book I can advise you to check out. I also really liked all the other details added to the worldbuilding, which I felt made this story feel very real.
All in all, this is a great story exploring autonomy, motherhood and mental health and one of the best explorations of repressed trauma I’ve read in a while. I really, really enjoyed it.
TW: abusive relationship, addiction, anxiety, csa, depression, experimental technology, medical procedures, panic attacks, pregnancy, ptsd, rape, repressed trauma, self-harm
This story explores a pregnant woman’s life in a near-future world as she faces the decision to either enroll in a near-precedented medical trial once her daughter is born (there have been two or three previous attempts) or give up the therapeutical neurological implant she has been using to deal with her depression and anxiety as she’s not allowed to keep it as a single mother.
We learn some things about this new world, which both seem better at points (there’s a basic universal income), but also worse (people only live in cities, as the landscape outside was destroyed and turned toxic). People can earn money through watching advertisements and others again are looking for a quick adrenaline boost racing through the streets, lost in the world their neural implants portray for them. There is a very clear class divide as well, with the rich living underground in crystal caves, where the air is non-polluted, while the poor cannot leave their houses without wearing masks. But mostly this story focusses on Valya, the main character, as she realizes that her use of the Casual had helped her repress her past and what this will mean for her and her daughter’s future.
Since we spend so much time with Valya, my favorite parts where her interior life and the relationships she forms with others. I found her to be an incredibly compelling character and loved following her journey, uncovering her past alongside her. If you like detailed character studies, then this is certainly a book I can advise you to check out. I also really liked all the other details added to the worldbuilding, which I felt made this story feel very real.
All in all, this is a great story exploring autonomy, motherhood and mental health and one of the best explorations of repressed trauma I’ve read in a while. I really, really enjoyed it.
TW: abusive relationship, addiction, anxiety, csa, depression, experimental technology, medical procedures, panic attacks, pregnancy, ptsd, rape, repressed trauma, self-harm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Classism
Minor: Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Dangerous Waters: Deadly Women of the Sea by Samantha Lokai, John Higgins, L. Marie Wood, Eva Papasoulioti, Candace Robinson, Alice Austin, Sandra Ljubljanović, Victoria Nations, Rachel Dib, Gully Novaro, Christina Hennemann, Desirée M. Niccoli, Dawn Vogel, Kurt Newton, Christine Lucas, Julia C. Lewis, Emmanuel Williams, Kristin Cleaveland, Patrick Rutigliano, E.M. Linden, Ann Wuehler, Ben Monroe, Mark Towse
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.
A short story collection centered around the theme of “Deadly Women of the Sea”. Of course, many of these short stories and poems focus on various creatures quite familiar from folklore around the globe, sirens and mermaids and selkies, but there are also some more intriguing creatures included, which I enjoyed.
This anthology includes 52 different pieces (+ one extra short story from another anthology, included by the publisher as a freebie), from very short poems over flash fiction pieces to longer short stories on only 250 pages, so as you can imagine many are too short. They often focus on the darker aspects of the lore surrounding various oceanic creatures and hauntings, but sometimes adding newer or unexpected twists, which I enjoyed. However, due to the incredible amount of stories featured here, there are quite a few repetitions, particularly when it comes to the poems, which were often quite short and nothing particularly special, which was sad. In general, I think this collection could have been better if it had included fewer stories, focusing on the standout ones and the stories doing something new with creatures from the sea (such as Meat Cute by Desirée Niccoli, which features a Leviathan or Jellies by Elana Gomel, which includes Jellyfish-pregnancy horror or The Specter of Pearlhall by Cassandra Taylor, which is an incredibly well written gothic haunting) instead of the more folklore focused stories of sailors and sirens and mermaids drowning men and selkies escaping from abusive men, of which there were many stories and so they felt a bit repetitive after a while. Especially the poetry had very few standout pieces, as many were incredibly short and focused on sirens only, which just added to the feeling of repetition.
I did however like that there are some lesbian/sapphic stories included in this anthology, which was a nice change of pace sometimes, since very many of the stories are focused on luring men to their death or abusive men.
I still enjoyed this anthology quite a bit and if you enjoy ocean-based horror as well as stories that are gothic/dark/haunting you will definitely find some short stories you can enjoy in here. My personal favorites were Meat Cute by Desirée Niccoli, Best of Both Worlds by Dawn Vogel, Coral, Again by E.M. Linden, The Wall Women by Ann Wuehler, Mother Raised You Well by A.R. Frederiksen, Jellies by Elana Gomel, The Woman Who Drowned in the Detroit River by Kaitlin Tremblay, Driftwood by Kayla Whittle, The Specter of Pearlhall by Cassandra Taylor, The Children of the Sea by Paul M. Feeney and The Pearl Weeper’s Lament by Marianne Halbert.
I also liked that the anthology included trigger warnings. All in all this was a fun read to me as someone who likes oceanic horror a lot, but unfortunately due to including too many pieces and relatively few standout pieces when measured against the 53 pieces included here, my rating is not as high as I hoped it would be.
As always, I included some short thoughts + specific trigger warnings for each piece underneath here. Beware, it’s long.
The End of the World by Sandra Ljubljanović: A poem about a mermaid-apocalypse, I liked it
TW: death
TW: death
The Song Below by John Higgins: A story about three sailors adrift at sea after their boat was sunken by a whale when one of them hears a lovely voice begging him to feed her. Rather typical mermaid fare, but an interesting start for this collection.
TW: mentions of cannibalism, death, dehydration, drowning
TW: mentions of cannibalism, death, dehydration, drowning
Whitebait by Patrick Rutigliano: An interesting poem told from the perspective of a mermaid, very intriguing writing style
Enraptured by Candace Robinson: A woman caught between the man she loves on land and her fascination with the murdering sirens of the sea. I really liked the messiness of the MC of this story and the fact that she couldn’t help but be drawn towards these grisly murders, it was interesting to read.
TW: gore, murder, implied off-page suicide
TW: gore, murder, implied off-page suicide
Song of the Mermaid by Emmanuel Williams: A short poem about a man hearing a siren’s call. It’s… okay.
*FAV* Meat Cute by Desirée Niccoli: I love the title and I love Lady Leviathan. An environmental horror revenge ensues when Lady Leviathan wakes from her long slumber and decides it is time to defend her ocean. It was lovely. Plus, the romance is sweet. Who doesn’t want an ancient horror to rescue them and then you get to destroy your enemies together?
TW: animal peril and death, environmental destruction, injury, murder, violence
TW: animal peril and death, environmental destruction, injury, murder, violence
What the Water Brings by L. Marie Wood: A short terrifying poem about returning as a monster. Intriguing writing style, but very, very short.
TW: drowning
TW: drowning
Moon Over El Cerro by Samantha Lokai: A tale about a tragic end to a young love and the haunting that beckons the man when he returns to the beach his teenage girlfriend died on all these years ago. I liked the ending, that was a fun twist!
TW: drowning
TW: drowning
Mermaid by Christina Hennemann: Another short poem from the perspective of a mermaid. Ok, but nothing particularly interesting.
Pet by Gully Novaro: A very short story about someone taking a swim with their newly adopted pet. Intriguing ending.
Five Words Scribbled on a Gift Card by Christine Lucas: This story combines selkie lore with mermaid lore and features a woman’s desperate attempts to please her husband, hoping he will return her pearls to her. With a gift card her husband’s grandmother left her, there might be a way. Satisfying ending.
TW: domestic abuse, grief, miscarriage
TW: domestic abuse, grief, miscarriage
A Siren’s Shanty by Alice Austin: A fun twist on the wellerman shanty, but told from the perspective of a siren.
*FAV* Best of Both Worlds by Dawn Vogel: A selkie woman whose husband has used a magic tattoo to hide her key plans her escape. I really liked the focus on friendship in this story.
TW: kidnapping, sexual assault
TW: kidnapping, sexual assault
Effigy by Victoria Nations: A woman sculpts a statue of her ex-girlfriend, who recently left her, with seagrass and marsh clay. Intriguing, but very short.
Tear Me Down by Mark Towse: A man finds himself bewitched by a creepy painting in an art gallery. Haunting and fun and I had a good laugh at the end.
The Temptress by Kristin Cleaveland: A short poem from the perspective of a siren.
Brine Mother by Ben Monroe: A fisherman pulls up a strange catch, kills it and finds himself pursued in revenge. Haunting and interesting, I really enjoyed this one!
TW: gore, murder
TW: gore, murder
The Sea Hag by Kurt Newton: A poem retelling the story of how the Sea Hag came to haunt her part of the ocean. Interesting and despite its brevity manages to tell a full story.
*FAV* Coral, Again by E.M. Linden: A husband’s wife returns from her grave, but the longer she stays with him, the more she transforms into something else entirely. Heartbreaking and haunting and very, very beautifully written.
TW: grief
TW: grief
Sisterhood Rites by Eva Papasoulioti: A poem about joining sirens in their song.
*FAV* The Wall Women by Ann Wuehler: A heartbreaking story about a mother and a daughter, when the sea calls for the mother again. I enjoyed the body horror here a lot as well and the depictions of grief and loss were heartbreaking.
TW: body horror, gore, grief
TW: body horror, gore, grief
The Price of Freedom by Rachel Dib: A very short story about a daughter, who found her mother’s seal skin.
TW: domestic abuse (implied), murder
TW: domestic abuse (implied), murder
*FAV* Mother Raised You Well by A.R. Frederiksen: A woman saves a mermaid child from the rocky shore and raises her, but one day her past as a fin-hunter comes to haunt her. I really liked this one, it is heartbreaking, but also beautiful.
Sunken Treasure by Daniel Pyle: A very short story about a mermaid hunter. It’s okay, but just a few lines long? Meh.
Into the Water by Megan E. Heart: A bachelorette party on a cruise ship takes a deadly turn when the bride-to-be is caught cheating by the sister of the groom-to-be. Interesting enough and I liked that it was a bit different from the other stories here, more modern.
TW: cheating, drowning
TW: cheating, drowning
From the Bridge by Ef Deal: A man rescues a woman from jumping into the ocean, but she doesn’t take too kindly to it. Very short, but interesting concept.
TW: murder, suicide
TW: murder, suicide
Into the Nevergo by Katherine Traylor: A woman walks into the ocean to end her life, but finds another life waiting for her instead. But even that second life must end one day. Haunting and interesting.
TW: drowning, suicide
TW: drowning, suicide
Sometimes I Am Jealous of Their Widows by Juleigh Howard-Hobson: A short poem about a mermaid, who collects the treasures that shipwrecks rain down on her.
TW: drowning
TW: drowning
The Kelpie by Simon Kewin: A very short story about a Kelpie.
TW: child death, drowning
TW: child death, drowning
*FAV* Jellies by Elana Gomel: A woman with an unknown heritage has become pregnant and can’t fight the feeling that something unnatural is growing inside her. Haunting and messy and scary, I loved this one a lot!
TW: pregnancy
TW: pregnancy
Rusalnaia Nedija by Lauren E. Reynolds: A short poem about a Rusalka. Interesting rhyming scheme, I liked this one.
Ona Dolzhna Yest by Grace R. Reynolds: A poor man refuses his wife’s please to find a better life for her and her unborn son. When she returns for him from the sea, he cannot expect to find any mercy. Haunting and creepy.
TW: child death, drowning, pregnancy, suicide
TW: child death, drowning, pregnancy, suicide
Naiads by Robert René Galván: A short poem about a theater. Okay.
Tomokazuki by Marshall J. Moore: Set on an island, this story follows a young girl whose mother drowned diving for pearls and food for their small community. Bound by grief a restless spirit begins to haunt their waters.
TW: death, drowning, grief
TW: death, drowning, grief
The Siren’s Call by Ngo Binh Anh Khoa: A very short story about a siren. Again, okay, but too short to be anything interesting.
Moonlight Motu by Roxie Voorhees: Two siblings find themselves stranded on an ocean after a shipwreck where the sister receives nighttime visits. Interesting and haunting, I liked reading this one.
TW: drowning, murder
TW: drowning, murder
Reflections on a Mermaid by April Yates: A young woman walks to the space her girlfriend drowned herself after her mother kicks her out for being queer.
TW: drowning, homelessness, homophobia, suicide
TW: drowning, homelessness, homophobia, suicide
*FAV* The Woman Who Drowned in the Detroit River by Kaitlin Tremblay: A story told about a family and a river haunted by the past and the teenage girl, with whom it all comes to a close when she can’t resist the pull of the water any longer. Heartbreaking, but really well written.
TW. Drowning, eating disorder
TW. Drowning, eating disorder
Senara by T.K. Howell: A very short story about a woman running from an abusive house and encountering an excited mermaid, who wants to show her her world. It doesn’t end well.
TW: domestic abuse, drowning
TW: domestic abuse, drowning
*FAV* Driftwood by Kayla Whittle: A woman finds her sea-side town haunted after a storm. Really well written and incredibly interesting!
TW: drowning, murder
TW: drowning, murder
They Drowned Me on a Sunday by Emily Y. Teng: A woman is drowned as a witch, but the townfolk made one major mistake. She’s no witch at all. Very short, but interesting concept!
TW: drowning, murder
TW: drowning, murder
What You Know of Sirens, You Have Heard From Men by Briana Una McGuckin: A Siren, who can return to the water under the full moon if she so chooses too, uses her ability to punish men, who walk free despite their crimes, in a very interesting manner.
TW: murder
TW: murder
Qalupalik by Thomas Farr: A very, very short story about a child(stealing? rearing?) creature of the sea. Very atmospheric writing style, but only two paragraphs long and so much too short.
*FAV* The Specter of Pearlhall by Cassandra Taylor: A gothic tale of a haunted estate by the seaside. Really scary and incredibly atmospheric, I really liked this short story!
TW: child death, death in childbirth, grief, murder
TW: child death, death in childbirth, grief, murder
Jurate by Steven-Elliot Altman: A short poem about a fisher, whose nets catch a siren.
TW: drowning
TW: drowning
*FAV* The Children of the Sea by Paul M. Feeney: A haunting story about a fishing crew with a strange bounty and the sea’s revenge. Really atmospheric and well written and also a story that makes great use of the short story format.
TW: death, drowning
TW: death, drowning
The Huntress by Lucy Collins: A short poem about a mermaid.
TW: death, drowning
TW: death, drowning
*FAV* The Pearl Weeper’s Lament by Marianne Halbert: A really interesting story about a greedy fisherwoman luring a mermaid for the pearls she cries when tortured and the magical properties of her flesh and the curse that is inflicted in revenge. Really brutal and incredibly well written, I liked this one a lot!
TW: cannibalism, death, torture
TW: cannibalism, death, torture
Skin Deep by Rosie Arcane: Another short poem about mermaids.
Onedine’s Curse by Antonia Rachel Ward: A poet seeks out a muse living in a forest lake, hoping to find inspiration for his work. When he leaves to publish his poems, he promises to return. Interesting concept and I liked the ending.
TW: death, disease, drowning (not the usual kind)
TW: death, disease, drowning (not the usual kind)
The Siren’s Song by Steven Lord: Another short poem about mermaids.
The Bittersweet Glimmer by Jessica Peter: An interesting take on the lore of Lorelei, a german mermaid myth, following the life of an old woman in a nursing home dreaming of her youth. Really fun for me, because it is one of the myths I grew up with and I really liked this take on it.
TW: elder abuse, self-harm
TW: elder abuse, self-harm
When the Doves Die by Jennifer Soucy: A short extra piece added to this book, originally published in another anthology functioning as a coda. This is one of the longer pieces included in this anthology, which was interesting and allowed for a lot more world building. This story follows a woman working in a brothel, seeking to free one of her fellow workers, who was kidnapped by the widow of the man, who knocked her up. Interesting and well written.
TW: csa (one of the sex workers is 15), misogyny, murder, whorephobia
TW: csa (one of the sex workers is 15), misogyny, murder, whorephobia
Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Genocide, Blood, Kidnapping, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Is That An Aura of Wild Magic Engulfing You, Or Are You Just Pleased To See Me? by Michael Coolwood
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.
I picked this story up for two reasons: The first line in the summary promising queer disabled joy and the fact that it was tagged as fantasy on netgalley, which is a genre where disabled people often do not really feature. If you want more disabled fantasy like I did, this book absolutely delivers on that wonderfully and I adored it so much for that.
I am incredibly excited to see that Me/Cfs is slowly gaining representation in media and I found the way it was portrayed here great. In general, one of my favorite parts of this book was its nuanced examination of dis_ability, crip4crip solidarity, crip wisdom etc. I also liked the way the disabled society had formed here, found new ways of living together and exist in solidarity and care for each other, while still examining the negative aspects of disabled people being pushed in segregated spaces like these, even if they can be the best place for survival for some. And I also really enjoyed that a few aspects of disability studies were featured in the story (such as disabled time). I also liked the way polyamory was handled and the very low-key trans rep (mentioned in one sentence, but concerning important characters, which I found lovely).
The story itself is a bit of a cozy mystery as we follow Laceco, as he tries to figure out what is causing these manifestations and how to stop them, but also the way he forms connections and finds community with others, as well as unlearn internalized ableism, but also deal with what he termed “the Oro Virus”, a fictional way of dealing with the prejudiced stereotypes and negative ideas we can absorb if we grow up in a prejudiced society. I also really enjoyed getting to follow the other characters as they dealt with their problems, some related to their disabilities, others caused through other issues. It was both interesting and comforting for me to read this and I really found a lot of joy in it.
My only problems with the story were some worldbuilding issues that are rather minor in the big picture, but include some things I would have liked examined a bit more. Why are the terms masc and femme used in this story, while the terms woman and man also exists? What exactly do they refer to here in this fantasy world? What about people who fall outside of that binary? Are they just a replacement for man and woman or are they about gender presentation? Laceco always seems to know whether somebody is a masc or a femme, but how? As you can see, that was something that was bothering me a bit. I also would have liked a definition of the term “Q.A.P.I.T. people”, as that is a term that is unfamiliar even to me, somebody raised on tumblr. And finally, I need to know what the ties stand for. I kept a list for every meaning mentioned and while I have guesses for the purple tie (severe disability?), I have no clue what the yellow, the black and the brown tie stand for. They are mentioned, but we never find out what they signify, and I would have liked to know.
But if my only problems with this story are these minor questions of worldbuilding and what these terms signify, I think you can tell that I otherwise had a really great time with the story. It was refreshing to read a story with that many disabled people, disabled community and kinship and care, disabled joy and disabled love. This is certainly something I need to recommend to some friends of mine.
TW: attempted drugging, ableism, internalized ableism, misogyny, illness, prejudiced (aka racist, sexist, transphobic) society
I picked this story up for two reasons: The first line in the summary promising queer disabled joy and the fact that it was tagged as fantasy on netgalley, which is a genre where disabled people often do not really feature. If you want more disabled fantasy like I did, this book absolutely delivers on that wonderfully and I adored it so much for that.
I am incredibly excited to see that Me/Cfs is slowly gaining representation in media and I found the way it was portrayed here great. In general, one of my favorite parts of this book was its nuanced examination of dis_ability, crip4crip solidarity, crip wisdom etc. I also liked the way the disabled society had formed here, found new ways of living together and exist in solidarity and care for each other, while still examining the negative aspects of disabled people being pushed in segregated spaces like these, even if they can be the best place for survival for some. And I also really enjoyed that a few aspects of disability studies were featured in the story (such as disabled time). I also liked the way polyamory was handled and the very low-key trans rep (mentioned in one sentence, but concerning important characters, which I found lovely).
The story itself is a bit of a cozy mystery as we follow Laceco, as he tries to figure out what is causing these manifestations and how to stop them, but also the way he forms connections and finds community with others, as well as unlearn internalized ableism, but also deal with what he termed “the Oro Virus”, a fictional way of dealing with the prejudiced stereotypes and negative ideas we can absorb if we grow up in a prejudiced society. I also really enjoyed getting to follow the other characters as they dealt with their problems, some related to their disabilities, others caused through other issues. It was both interesting and comforting for me to read this and I really found a lot of joy in it.
My only problems with the story were some worldbuilding issues that are rather minor in the big picture, but include some things I would have liked examined a bit more. Why are the terms masc and femme used in this story, while the terms woman and man also exists? What exactly do they refer to here in this fantasy world? What about people who fall outside of that binary? Are they just a replacement for man and woman or are they about gender presentation? Laceco always seems to know whether somebody is a masc or a femme, but how? As you can see, that was something that was bothering me a bit. I also would have liked a definition of the term “Q.A.P.I.T. people”, as that is a term that is unfamiliar even to me, somebody raised on tumblr. And finally, I need to know what the ties stand for. I kept a list for every meaning mentioned and while I have guesses for the purple tie (severe disability?), I have no clue what the yellow, the black and the brown tie stand for. They are mentioned, but we never find out what they signify, and I would have liked to know.
But if my only problems with this story are these minor questions of worldbuilding and what these terms signify, I think you can tell that I otherwise had a really great time with the story. It was refreshing to read a story with that many disabled people, disabled community and kinship and care, disabled joy and disabled love. This is certainly something I need to recommend to some friends of mine.
TW: attempted drugging, ableism, internalized ableism, misogyny, illness, prejudiced (aka racist, sexist, transphobic) society
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism
Minor: Transphobia
but i work here by Alexandra Weiss
4.0
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.
A quite interesting chapbook documenting the author's experience surviving cancer and chronic illness. The visual aspects where really interesting and the author used pictures from their hospital stay as well as various collage methods to create visually intruiging poetry. The poetry itself is always rather short and wasn't that interesting to me from a poetic level, but it expressed the feeling of what was going on very well.
My personal favorites where the Found Poetry parts, which is not poetry the author wrote themselves, but things they found and framed in a poetic way, which is always a very interesting way to play with language.
Unfortunately the book was hard to read at times (I had to have two copies open, one on my phone, one on my computer), because the text was either too small (on my phone) or wouldn't display correctly (on my computer). I would either advise you to try and get a paperback version of this once it comes out, or for the author to maybe provide a PDF version alongside the epub?
All in all I do think this was an interesting and enjoyable read!
A quite interesting chapbook documenting the author's experience surviving cancer and chronic illness. The visual aspects where really interesting and the author used pictures from their hospital stay as well as various collage methods to create visually intruiging poetry. The poetry itself is always rather short and wasn't that interesting to me from a poetic level, but it expressed the feeling of what was going on very well.
My personal favorites where the Found Poetry parts, which is not poetry the author wrote themselves, but things they found and framed in a poetic way, which is always a very interesting way to play with language.
Unfortunately the book was hard to read at times (I had to have two copies open, one on my phone, one on my computer), because the text was either too small (on my phone) or wouldn't display correctly (on my computer). I would either advise you to try and get a paperback version of this once it comes out, or for the author to maybe provide a PDF version alongside the epub?
All in all I do think this was an interesting and enjoyable read!